Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia at A girl and her books (fka The Printed Page), who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring meme (details here).

MariReads is hosting in May. Please visit her wonderful blog, where even the banner picture will inspire you to read a good book.

I hit a couple of library sale shelves when I was out and about last week, snagging an Anthony Powell I've been searching for, filling in some of my books lists, and finding some new mysteries to try:

Afternoon Men by Anthony Powell. His Dance to the Music of Time is my favorite "book" if you can call a 12-volume series one book. I've been looking for this non-Dance book for quite a while.




Death of an Expert Witness by P. D. James (the 6th Adam Dalgliesh mystery; mine has a different cover than the one below).



Death in Holy Orders by P. D. James (the 11th Adam Dalgliesh mystery).



Hangman's Holiday (1933) by Dorothy L. Sayers (published in 1933; short stories, 4 with Lord Peter Wimsey).



Rough Country by John Sandford (a new one for me; I know nothing about it or the author).



Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason (another new one for me; part of a series set in Reykjavik, Iceland).

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Bayerische Bücher

I am in love with Bavaria and all things Bavarian, right down to the Griebens in the Schmalz. My Grandpa Fritz came over to America in the 1930s, but we still have many relatives living in Bavaria, including my sister, who is working as a chef at a fancy hotel in Bad Wörishofen.

I'm working on my final plans for our upcoming vacation to beautiful Bavaria.  I've got housesitters lined up, the car rented, and hotels books, now it is time for the really fun stuff of planning activities and sights to see.

It will be my husband's first visit, and it ends with a big family reunion at the mountain inn my Dad's cousin still runs.  That's a lot of family time for Hubby, so I am planning the things he likes to do for the others days -- lots of alpine hikes, charming villages, and a couple of spa days.

So I have my books out today and am planning. I don't have as many travel guides to Bavaria as I thought I did.  These are the books I have, but suggestions would be welcome:

Bavaria by Rodney Bolt.  Mine is an outdated copy of this Cadogan guide, but I don't mind outdated. How much can a Baroque chapel or an Alp change in 10 years?



Karen Brown's Germany: Exceptional Places to Stay and Itineraries.  Brown's guides are always my first place to start when planning a trip, so I did this time too, even though only one of her itineraries covers Bavaria.  We are spending three nights at one of her recommended hotels.



Germany's Best-Loved Driving Tours, published by Frommer's.  Eight of the 25 tours are in Bavaria.  This one has given me several ideas.



Germany, an Eyewitness Travel Guide.  Another great source for what to see in the villages where we will be. I love all the pictures.  

Review of the Day: A Plague of Secrets

A Plague of Secrets is John Lescroart’s latest Dismas Hardy book in a series that keeps getting better and better.

As with most of the books, San Francisco lawyer Dismas Hardy is hired to represent a client accused of murder and, in the course of proving his SODDIt defense (Some Other Dude Did It), must find the real killer before the jury returns its verdict. In this case, the politically connected and wealthy Maya Townshend is on trial for two murders following the deaths of her pot-dealing coffee shop manager and another of her old college buddies.

There is a lot of meat on the bones, with multiple leads, suspects, motives, and possible outcomes, all culminating in an edge-of-the-seat finale. It also has more than great action and a complicated mystery – Lescroart weaves in some bigger ideas about marijuana use and trade, civil forfeiture law, and the scope of personal responsibility.

Lescroart presents portrait of San Francisco that, although run by an imagined cast of politicians, police, judges, lawyers, and civic leaders, is absolutely believable. The same characters people 19 books so far, with Chief of Homicide Abe Glitsky, Hardy's law partners Wes Farrell or Gina Roake, or private investigator Wyatt Hunt stepping into the spotlight in six of them.

Aficionados will appreciate the further development of Lescroart's fictional network. Newcomers can jump right in and enjoy the story even if they haven't read the other books in the series. The mystery stands alone, and Lescroart weaves in just enough background to bring new readers up to speed without spoiling the earlier stories or bogging down the narrative for seasoned fans.

OTHER REVIEWS

If you would like your review of this or any other John Lescroart book listed here, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it.

Author of the Day: John Lescroart

John Lescroart (pronounced "less-kwah") writes intelligent mysteries set in San Francisco. The series features Dismas Hardy as the lawyer/bartender protagonist, but involves an elaborate cast of regulars.

There are even a couple books where Dismas steps aside and other characters take the protagonist role.  These are not technically part of the series, but I include them because they are spin-offs and Dismas always makes a cameo.

These are meaty, character-driven stories with strong plots. Definitely enjoyable.

As a bonus, Lescroart uses San Francisco as more than a pretty backdrop for his stories.  The city -- and its fictionalized but realistic politics, foibles, and history -- plays a major role.  Characters eat at real restaurants, live in real neighborhoods, and drink at real bars, including the Little Shamrock partly owned by the protagonist.  Anyone who knows San Francisco will appreciate the details.

I have read all but the last two. The list starts with the first book in the series:

Dead Irish (Dismas Hardy)

The Vig (Dismas Hardy)

Hard Evidence (Dismas Hardy)

The 13th Juror (Dismas Hardy)

A Certain Justice (starring Abe Glitsky and Wes Farrell)

Guilt (starring Wes Farrell)

The Mercy Rule (Dismas Hardy)

Nothing But the Truth (Dismas Hardy)

The Hearing (Dismas Hardy)

The Oath (Dismas Hardy)

The First Law (Dismas Hardy)

The Second Chair (Dismas Hardy)

The Motive (Dismas Hardy)

The Hunt Club (starring Wyatt Hunt)

The Suspect (starring Gina Roake)

Betrayal (Dismas Hardy)

A Plague of Secrets (Dismas Hardy) (reviewed here)

Treasure Hunt (starring Wyatt Hunt)

Damage (starring Abe Glitsky and Wes Farrell)

The Hunter (starring Wyatt Hunt)

NOTE
Last updated on April 19, 2012.