The Sustainable Homestead: Create a Thriving Permaculture Ecosystem with Your Garden, Animals, and Land

The Sustainable Homestead is a well written practical guide to permaculture, farming and self-sufficiency by Angela Ferraro-Fanning. Due out 28th March 2023 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. 

The book has a logical and accessible format with an understandable progression. The author starts with site selection (location location location) and moves on to soil, growing, incorporating animals, creating and maintaining pasture, compost, orchards, and the role of the homesteader. The book also includes a useful reference appendix, bibliography, and index. I really loved the well written no-nonsense foreword by Dr. Temple Grandin, who absolutely knows what she's talking about.

This won't be the *only* book needed to get from dreamer phase to small-farmer, but it is a very useful resource and will be a welcome addition to the smallholder's library. This would also make a good choice for public or possibly school library acquisition, as well as for community gardens and allotments. The photography throughout is superlative; clear and colorful.

Four and a half stars. The information contained in this volume is slanted toward readers in North America, but there are good takeaways for readers living elsewhere.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Container Victory Garden: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Own Groceries

The Container Victory Garden is a beginner friendly guide to growing food and herbs in containers written by Maggie Stuckey. Due out 21st Feb 2023 from HarperCollins on their Harper Horizon imprint, it's 272 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. 

This is an appealing and accessible guide to growing plants and taking some steps toward our own food security and satisfaction with safe, accessible, high quality food which is good for physical and mental health. It's written in simple straightforward language with solid concrete steps on how to get started and how to progress.

The author describes "Victory" gardens from the past and draws parallels to cultural stress/crises (like the pandemic) and how people react by going back to basics and how good for mental and physical health growing a garden can be. Following chapters show the importance of planning, sourcing tools and supplies for the best outcomes, growing, troubleshooting, and specific varieties for success growing vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. 

Specific tips and advice are set apart in the text in color highlighted text boxes. Charts are easy to read and understand. The book is enhanced by clear color photographs as well as appealing pastel/pencil line drawings by Janice Minjin Yang and Lee Johnston.

The appendix includes links and information to a number of retailers with  selection of quality seeds for gardeners in North America. 

Five stars. This is a very useful, appealing, and well laid out book which has value both for new gardeners as well as more experienced readers. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Lost Metal - The Mistborn Saga #7

 

The Lost Metal is the 7th Mistborn western fantasy adventure by Brandon Sanderson. Released 15th Nov 2022 from Macmillan on their Tor/Forge imprint, it's 528 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out 4th quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. 

One of the difficult things about having a huge, overarching, intricate, and long running series is the sheer intimidation of attracting new readers to the fold without scaring them off with the literal *thousands* of pages of precursor books. Luckily, Sanderson is a pretty darned gifted writer and though new readers will not have the depth of experience of the True-Fans® who are already familiar with every scintilla of the canon, neither will they be lost at sea from page 1. He manages to carry everyone along in the same boat (more or less). And what a fine boat it is. This is a fantasy western featuring a pair of adventurers and an ensemble cast of secondary partners and support staff.

The setting of this world covers, as previously stated, literally thousands of pages of stories including a trilogy, a related follow-up tetralogy (of which this is the 4th and final novel), as well as many related stories of varying length. The overall quality is impressively high. It is *full* of explosions, gunplay, and a large helping of sarcastic humor. 

Although this tetralogy is self contained, it follows on the first trilogy (a few centuries later), and the author has announced a future trilogy without any definite projected publishing dates.  It would make a superlative binge/buddy read. 

Four and a half stars. Excellent read. Not great as a standalone, but possible.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.       

Matchmaking in the Archive: 19 Conversations with the Dead and 3 Encounters with Ghosts

Matchmaking in the Archive is an interesting and well curated collection of essays about how the past informs and deepens our understanding in our present day lives. Released 10th Feb 2023 by the Rutgers University Press, it's 264 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. 

This is a very well written collaborative project curated by E.G. Crichton, linking a currently active artist with a dead artist/performer whose artifacts are contained in the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Historical Society's archives and which draws parallels between how the relics of past generations relate to modern artists' creative lives and experiences. 

It's easy to become overwhelmed, a little bogged down, and completely enraptured by this odd book of pairings. It's both whimsically appealing, melancholy, and quite subtly profound to understand how the author and the guest essayists tease out the common threads and present them to the reader. 

Most of the artists were unfamiliar to me. There were a few familiar names, but most weren't. That didn't detract from the read (and might have actually enhanced it). There's a certain amount of voyeuristic pleasure in seeing ephemera from the past and so much history to be gleaned here. 

Four stars. Valuable for readers interested in arts, ephemera, culture, LGBTQIA+ history, and allied fields. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reader, I Murdered Him

Reader, I Murdered Him is a Victorian vigilante mystery adventure by Betsy Cornwell. Released 15th Nov 2022 by HarperCollins on their Clarion Books imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out early 4th quarter 2023 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

The author is gifted with descriptive prose. The scenery and characters are rendered believably and well. The dialogue is somewhat archaic and sometimes stilted to modern ears, but it evokes the time period very well. The basic plot is a retelling/twist/expansion of Jane Eyre told from Adéle's point of view, with Adéle (Rochester's young ward) in the role of vigilante, robbing/killing evil men who would prey on women. 

This is very much through a glass, darkly. For fans who love and revere Jane Eyre, although very well written, this book will likely cause rage and distress. There's no redemption for Rochester here, and the potential creepiness of his questionable relationship with his 9 year old ward (at the time of her relocation to England from France) is explored in depth. 

There's a Jane Eyre meets Thelma & Louise/Natural Born Killers vibe which is odd and unsettling but fascinating at the same time. Lovers of Bronte will have conniptions. 

Three and a half stars for the writing alone. Recommended for readers who do not have strongly positive feelings about Jane Eyre and who are willing to allow the author the expedient of making *all* the male characters malignant narcissistic creeps in pretty much the same way throughout.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

Murder in Tuscany - Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mysteries #1

 

 

Murder in Tuscany is the first Armstrong and Oscar cozy destination mystery by T.A. Williams. Released 18th Oct 2022 by Boldwood books, it's 264 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The second book in the series, Murder in Chianti, is also currently available on KU. 

This is a beautifully descriptive and well written destination mystery set in Tuscany. Former policeman Dan Armstrong is visiting the Italian countryside at a writing retreat to regroup, recharge, and take stock of his own life after the breakup of his marriage. When the leader/owner of the retreat turns up stabbed with his own decorative dagger, Dan's cop instincts and his inside placement at the scene of the crime leave him in a good position to help the local constabulary. His insights are valuable and he and the lead detective develop a good rapport and friendship. 

The plotting is solid and the dialogue and characterizations are well controlled and believable. The mystery, denouement, and resolution are self contained in this volume, so it works well enough as a standalone, but the writing and mystery are so well planned and executed, that it would make an excellent weekend mini binge or buddy read with the companion volume. I sincerely hope that there are more books to come.

It's not derivative at all, but it reminded me in a lot of good ways of Leon's exceptional Brunetti books as well as Walker's lovely Bruno, chief of police books. Fans of those authors will find a lot to enjoy here.

Four and a half stars. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Murder Mystery - A Beth Haldane Mystery #1

The Murder Mystery is the first Beth Haldane cozy by Alice Castle. Originally published in 2017, this reformat and re-release from 22nd Aug 2022 is 236 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently available to borrow and read for free. The other books in the seriesare also currently available on KU. 

This is a competently written and engaging amateur sleuth mystery featuring an archivist who takes to sleuthing to prove that she didn't murder her new boss in order to take over his job. Much of the characterizations are somewhat trope-y and superficial, and to be honest the plotting is fairly linear, but it's nevertheless engaging and quite readable. I liked the setting, a tony school outside London, and the author does a good job with the settings and descriptions. 

There were some iffy scientific tests performed as a casual part of the investigation which are costly and would almost *never* be resorted to in real life and which are integral to the plot. The dialogue is a bit rough and uneven in places but overall, it's an entertaining and readable cozy mystery. There are 8 books extant in the series currently (and all are available as part of the kindle unlimited library service), so it would make a good choice for a binge read for fans of light cozies. 

Three and a half stars. Worth a look for fans of J.R. Ellis, Faith Martin, and Merryn Allingham. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Requiem for a Good Machine

Requiem for a Good Machine is the first Song & Waterbird cyberpunk mystery by Daniel Claymore. Released 17th Aug 2022, it's 282 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. 

This is a cyberpunk noir SF cop procedural murder mystery set in the mean streets of future city Mirabilis. Officer Leo Song is, unusually, fully human and whose partner is a machine called Detective Waterbird. This future is one where the machines have taken (benevolent(ish)) control of everything and humans are more or less superfluous. A violent double homicide sees the pair trying to solve both the immediate murders and the underlying setup/frame for the murders before a human revolution is set in motion. 

It's not derivative in any way, but stylistically it reminded me a lot of Philip K. Dick and Dashiell Hammett with a little William Gibson and Earl/Otto Binder in the mix for good measure. It's definitely exalted company, and it stands strongly on its own merits.  

Four stars. Highly recommended for fans of hard SF mystery. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Murder at Black Oaks - Robin Lockwood #6

Murder at Black Oaks is the 6th Robin Lockwood legal mystery by Phillip Margolin. Released 8th March 2022 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. Mass market paperback format due out in 4th quarter 2023.

The author is unquestionably adept at his craft. The characters, well established, feel realistic and believable. There are series-long interpersonal and collegial relationships which add a lot of depth to the narrative. As it's the 6th book in the series, readers starting with this volume might struggle a bit establishing a rapport with Robin and co. The background info provided in passing is necessary to relate to the characters, but not superfluous. Although they can be read in any order, there are spoilers for earlier books, so they're probably best read in chronological order.

This volume is action driven, as are the previous installments in the series. It's pure escapist reading and that's not a bad thing. The dialogue is choppy in places and I found myself yanked out of my suspension of disbelief sometimes by seemingly out-of-character and unrealistic plot developments.  Margolin does manage to resolve the disparate plot threads into a satisfyingly cohesive climax, denouement, and resolution.

With 6 books extant in the series, and a 7th anticipated out in late 4th quarter 2023, this would be a good choice for a binge or buddy series read. Recommended for fans of legal/courtroom thrillers.

Four stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Parlour Game

The Parlour Game is a well written historical magical fantasy and new series opener by Jennifer Renshaw. Released 31st Aug 2022, it's 411 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is an atmospheric gothic mystery with magic and spiritualism and more mundane criminal elements. The characters are subtly and (mostly) believably rendered, and the plotting is above average. I never found myself yanked out of my suspension of disbelief by clunky dialogue, and my interest didn't wander. In fact despite the length of the book (400+ pages), I finished it in one sitting. 

This is an indie published work, and as such, it could have benefited from a more enthusiastic/thorough editing process; but it is perfectly readable in the ARC formats sent out for review. One thing which the author does exceedingly well is capturing a creeping dread and gloomy tension. There's no overt reliance on jump-scares, but it constantly feels as though something's going to happen. 

The author does a good job summoning up the atmosphere of late Victorian London including the gloom and fog and mystery. There are plot threads which are not resolved in this book; the author has confirmed a sequel, so they'll presumably be addressed in the follow up book(s).

Four stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Freddie Mercury -

 

Freddie Mercury is a new biography for young readers in the Little People, Big Dreams series. I've reviewed a number of these titles and all of them are delightful and exuberant little books which cover the lives of famous cultural, science, arts, and icons of innovation while maintaining an age-appropriate level of detail for young kids. There are over 100 books in the series at this point and they're all worthwhile.

Released 7th Feb 2023 by Quarto on their Frances Lincoln imprint, it's be 32 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Written by Isabel Sánchez Vegara it's presented in clear and accessible language.  The gentle and sweetly whimsical illustrations are well done. The art by Ruby Taylor is appealing and colorful and supports the text very well. The art is rich in small subtle details which bear a closer look, including many of Freddie's outrageous stage outfits based on real life appearances.  I loved seeing his beloved cats making an appearance as well.

Well written and appealing, I am really enjoying all of these little books. This one is a worthy addition.

Five stars. This would make a superlative reading circle book, classroom library book, or gift.  Queen and Freddie Mercury were and are an important part of the soundtrack of the world's experience for the last 40 years to and this little book is a nice introduction to Freddy's (and Queen's) work for the youngest generation.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Invitation to a Killer - Augusta Hawke #2

Invitation to a Killer is the second Augusta Hawke mystery by G.M. Malliet. Released 7th Feb 2023 by Severn House, it's 240 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

This is a quirky amateur sleuth mystery told in first person PoV featuring mystery writer Augusta in the starring role. It's set in modern day Washington DC and has a cast of well known socialites, philanthropists, and politicians in a sort of locked room murder setup, where the first murder occurs. 

The writing is competent and the plotting is well controlled and moves at a good clip. I found the *constant* unrelenting internal monologue on the part of the protagonist to be intrusive and a detraction to the flow of the read. It reminded me a bit of the full on snarkiness of the M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin books, and readers who love the Beaton books will find a lot to like here.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours, 36 minutes and is competently narrated by Erin Dion. She has a husky and pleasant alto voice with a neutral American accent. She has a good grasp of timbre and inflection and, in a positive way, her voice doesn't take over the read. I found myself able to listen to the *book* without noticing her *voice* overmuch. She does an ok job differentiating the various characters without being confusing or repetitive. I listened at slightly increased speed and never found my interest wandering or losing my place.

Three and a half stars. Definitely worth a look for fans of tongue-in-cheek sarcastic amateur sleuth mysteries.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.  

The Last Lie Told - Finley O’Sullivan #1

The Last Lie Told is the first Finley O'Sullivan PI mystery by Debra Webb. Released 1st Aug 2022 from Amazon on their Thomas & Mercer imprint, it's 315 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is an engaging and well told legal mystery. The plotting is solid and action driven. The dialogue is smoothly written and I never found myself yanked out of my suspension of disbelief by clunky passages or ridiculous scenes. That being said, however, people who are intimately familiar with or who work in the legal professions will likely find some of the situations ethically problematic or unbelievable. 

Protagonist Finley is well rendered, intelligent, and tough. Although it's a bit trope-y that she's suffering from the fallout from her husband's violent death less than a year prior to the events in this book, the author manages to avoid the larger archetypes and traps of the genre. 

Sensitive readers might find the descriptions of violent sexual assault and murder distressing. The language is R-rated, and there are liberal uses of rugged curse words. There are a number of disparate plot threads and not all of them are resolved in their entirety in this book. 

Three and a half stars. Worth a look for fans of PI/legal thrillers. Book 2 is due out in March 2023 (and will also be included in the KU library). 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.  

Murder at an Irish Castle - Irish Castle Mystery #1

Murder at an Irish Castle is the first book of a cozy series by Ellie Brannigan. Released 7th Feb 2023 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 313 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. Library binding format available in June 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

This is a simple "clean" cozy mystery which opens in Los Angeles and rapidly shifts scene to Ireland (drawn without an overwhelming abundance of convincing background research, apparently). Protagonist Rayne McGrath goes, on her 30th birthday, from having the world as her oyster to being robbed, financially broke, abandoned by her duplicitous boyfriend, and finagled into attempting to turn the fortunes of her father's family's ancestral manor home by convoluted legal and emotional blackmail which push the boundaries of belief.

Added into the mix are a termagant of a previously undisclosed cousin Ciara, some family retainers, a small village of locals, and a cute Irish setter dog (because of course there would be). The writing is competent and enjoyable, although the constant drama and sniping yanked me out of my suspension of disbelief constantly. I found both Rayne and Ciara annoying in the -extreme- and not at all sympathetic or believable.

There are redeeming moments in the narrative, and background world building can take time. There are promising moments throughout. The setup for future volumes in the series is well rounded and open ended. The dialogue is occasionally rough and the mystery isn't much of a mystery, but overall, it's a fair bet for readers who enjoy undemanding cozy village mysteries. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours and 17 minutes and is narrated by Traci Odom. She has a light voice which has a slightly breathy quality. She does a good job differentiating characters of both sexes and a range of ages. Readers who are intimately familiar with actual Irish accents will possibly find the narrator's portrayal off-putting. After some minutes of adjustment, her voice/accent (she's from Texas, apparently) faded more or less into the background. Sound and production quality were high throughout the read. 

Three and a half stars. Worth a look for fans of women's fiction/light cozies. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Fifth Horseman

The Fifth Horseman is a quirky lightly humorous fable about life/death/friendship and fate by Jon Smith. Released 7th Feb 2023, it's 321 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. 

This is an unusual take on the afterlife. The author goes to pains to include the quintessential archetypes: Death, Charon, Cerberus, and the other personifications (War, Famine, and the other boys in the band) and sprinkle in some modern twists, including a French domestic helper named Veronique. Dropped into the middle of the Limbo afterlife party uninvited are Emma, who's chosen to be there, and Mark who was just trying to do a good deed and save Emma's life, and failing rather spectacularly.

The humour is mildly funny, but not overly so. The plot is quite meandering and I didn't find any profound insights along the way. There's a modicum of Benny Hill(ish) slapstick, but much of it is rather exhausted and trite, like giving hapless Mark a pale horse to ride in the form of a Shetland pony. There is a lot of suicide ideation, death (obviously), along with a surprisingly satisfying denouement and resolution. Spelling and vernacular are British English, but won't pose any problems in context for readers from North America. 

Three and a half stars. Comparing this book to Pratchett, Gaiman, and (checks blurb) Aaronovitch does the book a huge disservice. This isn't them and suffers by comparison.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Yeti Left Home

Yeti Left Home is a cryptid adventure by Aaron Rosenberg where the Yeti features as a sympathetic and relatable everyman protagonist. Released 1st Feb 2023, it's 244 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

This is a cute cryptid story featuring an adult yeti, Wylie, who has to leave his deepwoods mountain home and try to hide himself in the big city, Minneapolis. The story follows his efforts to blend in (most people he encounters see him as a big shaggy human), acquire food and shelter, and stay anonymous. Along the way, he encounters other supernatural beings, both benign and distinctly unfriendly, and develops and learns about himself and his place in the world. 

Three and a half stars. The writing is very simple and there's quite a lot of telling instead of showing. The author is adept at storytelling, and although the plot arc is simple and direct, it's entertaining and a worthwhile, quick read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

The Rift: A Bolingbrook Babbler Story

The Rift is the second story in the Bolingbrook Babbler storyverse by William Brinkman. Released 13th July 2022, it's 257 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. 

Although it's not derivative, this gave me vibes of what would happen if you mixed X-Files and Roswell with a little bit of very dry Twin Peaks humor tossed in the mix. It's quirky and odd, but overall engagingly weird and a better than average read. Quite a *lot* of the plot turns on conspiracy theory and warring factions within the skeptical movement who are expending most of their efforts sniping at and scoring off of one another rather than trying to figure out what's really going on outside their sphere. 

It's feminists vs. incels (more or less), and there's more mansplaining than readers can shake a stick at and it's not a good look for -anyone-. The author does a detailed and believable job of describing a convention experience to the smallest detail which was impressive. Most of the characters are superficially less than endearing and it took a while to really feel invested in the actual story.  There is a redemption arc here, and there were some satisfying moments along the way.   

I wonder if the author will wind up getting abuse from both the hardcore male-SF-puppy camp for including sympathetic and intelligent female characters as well as from long-time female SF fans for the nigh-continual redemption-of-Tom plot arc. 

I was somewhere in the middle and enjoyed the book after it settled into the actual story. 

Four stars. Engaging and well written.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Murder in Chianti - Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mysteries #2

Murder in Chianti is the second Armstrong and Oscar cozy destination mystery by T.A. Williams. Released 27th Jan 2023 by Boldwood books, it's 264 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The first book in the series, Murder in Tuscany, is also currently available on KU. 

This is a beautifully descriptive and well written destination mystery set in Tuscany. Expat former policeman Dan Armstrong and his trusty canine sidekick Oscar are assisting the local constabulary in solving the violent murder of a local in the expat community, resort owner Rex Hunter. Dan's ostensibly along to facilitate translations in English for the police and witnesses, but his insights are valuable and he and the lead detective have a good rapport and friendship. 

The plotting is solid and the dialogue and characterizations are well controlled and believable. The mystery, denouement, and resolution are self contained in this volume, so it works well enough as a standalone, but the writing and mystery are so well planned and executed, that it would make an excellent weekend mini binge or buddy read. 

It's not derivative at all, but it reminded me in a lot of good ways of Leon's exceptional Brunetti books as well as Walker's lovely Bruno, chief of police books. Fans of those authors will find a lot to enjoy here.

Four and a half stars. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Death and the Conjuror - Joseph Spector #1

Death and the Conjuror is the first Joseph Spector locked room mystery by Tom Mead. Released July 2022 by Penzler, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out second quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. 

This is such a stylish and well written historical mystery set in the interwar period in England. Stage magician Joseph Spector joins forces with Scotland Yard inspector Flint to solve several "impossible" crimes. Readers who enjoy figuring out how before the sleuths will find a fiendishly clever puzzle. I gave up trying to beat the mystery about halfway in (impossible crimes upon impossible crimes) and just enjoyed the ride. 

The writing is top shelf; engaging and smooth. The characters are believably rendered and the plotting is well engineered and sophisticated. The whole is redolent of the time period without being clunky or archaic. 

Four stars. A strong series start. For fans of Golden Age classic mysteries, this one definitely delivers. The classic great authors of the period aren't producing any more stories, and this one really does evoke the time without being derivative or precious. The second volume (The Murder Wheel) is due out in late 2023.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Secret Life of a Woodland Habitat: Life Through the Seasons

The Secret Life of a Woodland Habitat is a beautifully photographed and well written look at a woodland habitat by Chloé Valerie Harmsworth. Released 14th Dec 2022 by Pen & Sword on their White Owl imprint, it's 128 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

There have been so many studies and research showing that living a life divorced from nature and wildness increases stress and has a negative effect on mental and physical health. The need for nature connection has led to movements to change the way we educate (more wilderness and outdoor time for preschoolers through university students), green spaces in our workplaces, even "prescriptions" for outdoor and nature/wild time for everything from stress to depression to physical issues such as autoimmune flare-ups. 

The author does a brilliant job of showing a year's cycle in a woodland managed by the Woodland Trust. It's a gentle book, a contemplative book, and it's full of colourful macro photos which show close up details. There are poems for each season, and the author does a good job of both showing the beauty of nature close to home as well as explaining in accessible terms why it's vitally important to our physical and mental health as well as to the interconnected health of our planet.

Five stars. Gorgeous project, well executed. This would make a good choice for public or school library acquisition or home use. Readers should note that the specific woodland covered in the book is in the UK, but there are takeaways for readers everywhere. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.