I went in search of a book about Jinn wanting to get swept up in something exotic, lost in a faraway culture, off on another adventure, I found all of that in this book.
Carrie and her two friends have finished college and have volunteered for the Peace Corps. Sent to Morocco; the girls expect to work together and experience an adventure. What they don’t expect to find is the menace and sinister forces that gather around them. Carrie has been haunted by her past and events quickly unfold, connecting her to the ancient bloodline of King Solomon. Because of this, Carrie and her friends become the target of evil Jinn forces. Using legends and historical sites the plot grips and winds through ancient lands. Ultimately, Carrie must face a battle with the Jinn, and a sacrifice will need to be made.
This book was exactly what I was looking for. The author’s research of the subject matter shows making it more than a just a supernatural horror tale. The cultural details are vivid and engaging. The plot grows in intensity as soon as the girls touch down in Morrocco and doesn’t let up. The stakes are high and losses accrue. The author also doesn’t shy away from a more realistic ending rather than ending with the neat, happy bow some readers might prefer.
A Tale for Halloween:
In this chilling ghost story, an act from the distant past is reawakened and afflicts the life of a modern teenage girl.
When Lydia travels to Amsterdam with her parents, bizarre things start to happen. Curtains flutter and unexplained shadows move unnerving her. With Dad interviewing for a job, Lydia is content to dismiss the oddities blaming them on jet lag and her migraine disease. But upon returning home to New York, the experiences intensify.
This is the haunting tale of two girls separated by four hundred years. Lydia is confused and in danger because the ghost of a little Dutch girl, Annika, wants revenge. When Lydia’s life is threatened, she is forced to solve a centuries’ old mystery to uncover the truth about Annika, her story, and how their past and present connect them. Can Lydia learn the truth in time to save herself and help Annika?
This was a book I chose for its exotic setting and promise of mystery and travel. Sona is a nurse in India in the 1930s. Her father was British and deserted her and her Indian mother when Sona was very young. Sona struggles to fit into society never feeling comfortable as anything other than Indian, but Indian society doesn’t completely accept her. One day a very famous Indian artist arrives on her ward and Sona is quickly dazzled by her. Mira Novak is everything Nona isn’t. Outgoing, beautiful, charming, and talented, Mira captivates everyone who crosses her path. She’s also half-Indian but wears it with a confidence Sona can only marvel over. Unexpectedly, Sona becomes a close friend and confidante of the famous artist.
After some tense moments dealing with Mira’s health, the doctors believe she will make a full recovery. And then suddenly, Mira is found dead and as her nurse, Sona is implicated in her death. The hospital believes a terrible mistake was made with her medications, but Sona is certain she had nothing to do with it. Dismissed from her job, Sona finds that Mira has left a note for her to distribute several of her paintings to friends. Sona, who has never been out of Bombay, finds herself hitting the road to deliver Mira’s gifts and try to understand why she’s been entrusted with this role and perhaps solve Mira’s death. Mira travels to Istanbul, Paris, Prague, Florence, and London. She learns how complicated Mira’s life was and gains deep insight into the many sides of Mira she never witnessed. All along, Sona gains confidence and a better understanding of who she wants to be outside of the long shadow cast by this friendship. In London, she searches for her father and resolves her unsettled feelings about him. Upon returning home, she finds the answer to how Mira really died.
This is one of those books that I found enjoyable but not in a category of exceptional. There were some interesting things going on in the background of Sona’s life that may have made it more exciting. There are references made to Gandhi and the Independence movement in India at this time, but it never accounted for a significant role in the book. There are also hints at traditional Indian women’s roles and Sona’s rejection of them but again, it doesn’t form an important part of the book. The travel aspect of the book could have been fun, but the writing lacked the detail that makes good travel writing. Some of the characters presented in the book are really well done and that’s probably the author’s strong suit.
Follow Me to Africa- Penny Haw
In this novel, we travel to the plains of the Serengeti where two women meet and share an unlikely friendship. The author splices together two timelines of the two women throughout the book. In one of the timelines, we follow the life of the famous paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey and in the other we meet a 17-year-old modern teenager, Grace, who in 1983 struggles with many of the same issues Mary once did.
This is a work of historical fiction where Mary Leakey’s life was researched and presented alongside a fictional account of her in her later years meeting a troubled teen who in many ways resembles her former self. Can Mary give this young girl the counsel she requires? The kind of advice she never got. The two women bond over the unexpected arrival of a hand-raised cheetah who has been released into the wild but isn’t doing well. Mary gives Grace responsibility for the animal and allows her to make her own mistakes, all things that allowed Mary to become the woman she would become. Mary recognizes that Grace needs to make her own way and discover her own feelings about being away from home.
I loved the chapters in this book that read like a biography of Mary Leakey’s life. She was a trailblazer for women during a time when women didn’t do science, have a career, or venture out into the wilds. Those chapters are vivid and give us insight into what it took to build the diligent scientist she became. We also get a glimpse of her personal life and how it shaped her career. The chapters with Grace are more stilted and contrived. I enjoyed those less and skimmed parts of those. This author excelled at description and setting while some of the character building might have been stronger. Of the two books, I liked this one better probably because the subject matter was more compelling for me and the adventure scenes were written in a vivid and compelling way. It’s hard to beat Mary stumbling on a full-grown lion or making some of the important finds she makes at Olduvai.
A Renowned Neurologist Explains the Mystery and Drama of Brain Disease
By Allan H. Ropper, Brian David Burrell
This is a fascinating book of stories by a neurologist covering some of his most interesting cases and patients. Written by a caring and professional doctor, the reader encounters everyday people who present with a variety of bizarre symptoms. In a teaching hospital setting, a neurologist and his staff step through the process of diagnosis and treatment for a variety of conditions. All the stories are compelling. Some of them are difficult because people’s lives and survival are at stake. Dr. Ropper also discusses treating Michael J. Fox for Parkinson’s in the early days of his diagnosis.
Probably the most controversial chapter in the whole book comes toward the end when Ropper bravely takes on the question, “When is somebody not dead yet?” Neurology is a field that can present a tangle of ethical and moral dilemmas. None more controversial it turns out than when defining when someone is actually dead. Ropper discusses how the need for a scientific definition of death became paramount when organ harvesting became possible. Conveniently, medical imaging of the brain and organ transplants came online side by side. Doctors could reasonably assess the likelihood that a brain would not recover. They called that brain death. Troubling though was that the body remained…alive. And bodies that donate organs remain alive, which can be morally problematic for some doctors. Imagine that. It bothers me too. Mostly, because I look at death not as an event but as a process. So choosing a moment of death has always sounded like pure hubris to me. Anyway, I was surprised that a doctor would cover this question and have hangups. Some of his colleagues clearly hadn’t thought about it at all.
If you’re interested in medical writing that has been compared to Rouche, Lewis Thomas, and Oliver Sacks, this may be your next great read.
Have you ever wondered what life in a medieval monastery or convent was like? This is a book that goes a long way into giving insight into that experience. Musings of a Medieval Abbess is written in diary form by the fictional character known as Isentrude, an Augustinian nun. She lives in the northernmost parts of England during the time of the War of the Roses (mid-1400s). The book is pastoral, following the ebb and flow of the seasons and the goings on at the abbey. It’s a fairly quiet and reflective book offering a respite from our own highly fraught time.
It’s difficult to tell how accurate the book is to the period because Isentrude often has remarkable insights about her station in life, the Church, and the politics of the time. Indeed, her journal would be regarded heretical, if ever discovered—so she keeps it hidden. As Abbess, she is in a unique position of running an abbey but having no real peers. Her only confidante is a younger nun who she took under her wing decades prior. They often function as a team taking on challenges together as the years go by.
One of the most interesting parts of the book concerns how much freedom women had in during the era. Most of the nuns Isentrude leads do not have any religious calling but end up in the abbey as a kind of last resort. Trying to lead a group of women with different backgrounds, motivations, and talents during trying times constantly tests Isentrude. Because the Augustinian Order is a teaching and healing order, the abbey runs an orphanage, copies manuscripts, and tries to minister to the local community all while trying to be self-sufficient.
Also portrayed in the book are some of the tumultuous secular politics and shifting allegiances during the War of the Roses. The Abbey tries to stay neutral while knowing certain power players could dissolve their religious institution. Church politics are also something Isentrude learns to negotiate in her years being Abbess. Running an institution of women in a man’s world requires a set of skillfully acquired tools.
If you like medieval, historical fiction especially that explores the lives of women in the Church, this may be for you.
Most of us are struggling to understand what is going on in the country. A country that seems to have gone off-rail and is headed for disaster. This is the go-to book to start to understand the history and current dynamics at work behind it all. Best of all, Stanley’s book is easily readable and short. It also seems to be on sale on Amazon. Because it’s a bestseller, you can probably get a copy at your library as well. Grab it, it’s your sanity blanket as we navigate these turbulent times. It has been said that no other single book is more relevant to this moment in history.
Stanley used to teach at Yale but has recently relocated to Canada because of the current political situation. You’ll have a deeper understanding of how universities, who are on the frontlines of free speech always become targets under fascism, once you read his chapter on anti-intellectualism. Stanley also brings his unique perspective of being the child of WWII refugees who fled Europe to come to the US and begin a new life.
Photo by Paul Sableman
How Fascism Works contains ten chapters outlining the structure of fascist politics, how they become established, complete with historical examples including those from Poland, Hungary, Myanmar, India, and (sadly) the US. Stanley explores the powerful tactics used by a fascist regime that if not checked successfully can ultimately lead to authoritarianism. These tactics involve many policies including:
Fracturing a society into believing there’s an “US” versus a “Them,” which can be based on color, religion, or culture.
Creating a mythic past about the nation, steeped in nostalgia, intangible, and not based on reality. A place where patriarchy was strong and unthreatened.
Using propaganda to deliberately pervert meaning. Masking corruption under the guise of anti-corruption is a hallmark strategy. Ultimately, the twisting of democratic language through propaganda is aimed at dismantling the “rule of law” and replacing it with authoritarian rule. Propaganda elevates the irrational over the rational, emotion over intellect. Fascists reject Enlightenment ideals because they conflict with “natural law.”
Crafting a society that is anti-intellectual. Universities and experts are attacked and debased. Education is remade to support the mythic past where only that viewpoint is tolerated. Certain areas of study are suspect or eliminated (especially gender studies, African American studies, Middle Eastern studies, Women’s studies, etc.). In the US, fascist policy attacked government, science, academia, and the media. Fascism dumbs down the message and loves repeating slogans.
Building a state of unreality in which truth is in constant doubt. Fascism attacks information spaces that allow lively debate. Lying without consequence destabilizes causing a sense of loss and mistrust. Conspiracy theories target an outside group to benefit an in-group. Trusted media sources are questioned or vilified. These techniques stoke fear and allow the regime to curb freedoms with support from the populace. In Fascist politics, speech isn’t about truth it’s about stirring emotion. Truth is not necessary. In this world of unreality, news becomes sport, tribal identification extreme, and the strongman becomes the star.
Photo by Jvrijman
Supplanting democracy’s fundamental principle of equality with hierarchy. Hierarchy is the idea that a given society is at the top with regard to power and dominance and that this is a consequence of nature. The idea is inconsistent with everyone being equal or having human dignity. When a society faces outside pressure or is in decline, and its loss of exceptionalism is possible, liberal democracy frequently falls prey to fascist attacks. Fascist forces flourish in a fearful, uncertain society.
Cultivating victimhood. Fascism exploits feelings of victimization by a dominant group when a subordinate group achieves or tries to achieve a sharing of power. In the US, there has been a popularization of the fact that by 2050 the racial makeup of the country will be very different. This has been done purposely by certain activists to create and exaggerate fear and uncertainty. Additionally, there has been a general lack of education about how far blacks have come economically. Figures suggest we are still at Reconstruction levels, although most Americans think we have achieved close to equity. Affirmative Action has been attacked for decades and presented as something detached from merit when it never was. Immigrants have been targeted as criminals and usurpers stealing jobs. All of these kinds of things have allowed a part of society to decide it is being victimized. Fascism allows the victimhood to be manipulated to justify the past, to continue policies, or implement new policies of oppression.
Advancing a policy of “law and order” based on the underlying assumption that minority groups are criminals. Fascist policies reinforce “US v. Them.” In 2016, Trump ran on expelling criminal aliens. During his second term, Homeland Security has created an office to track crimes by aliens. These stories flood the headlines distorting reality and sparking fear. Fascism utilizes the intentional use of words like riot over protest, invasion over entry.
Exploiting a climate of sexual anxiety. Fascism promotes a fear of interbreeding where defending white purity becomes a calling. Anything that departs from the patriarchy and traditional values degrades purity and is seen as threatening. Fascism distorts male anxiety especially when the society already has outside pressures. This perceived existential crisis rallies the fearful into rejecting those outside the traditional structure. LGBT, trans, feminists, etc. become targets.
Rejecting pluralism (power sharing among parties) and tolerance. The rural v. urban divide is exploited as fascism promotes the idea that cities are parasites-filled with weak unproductive people, crime, and urban blight. The rural country is seen as full of healthy, productive, sacrificing citizens who haven’t been corrupted. Diversity is a city thing where low birthrates prevail. Cities become proxy targets as representing liberals, elites, cosmopolitans, religious diversity, sexual expression, and diverse culture. Everything fascism hates. The fact that cities are the economic powerhouse of the nation doesn’t matter because facts have been left behind.
Photo by All-Night Images
Curing laziness with hard work. (Albeit Macht Frei– work shall make you free, written on the gates of Auschwitz) Fascist ideology bases an individual’s worth on struggle and achievement over others. If you win, you get resources. Fascist society doesn’t grant worth based on merely being a human being (that’s a liberal democratic value). Therefore, anyone’s worth is strictly associated with productivity. Those who are not deemed productive or are branded lazy and are of no use to the state. They become disposable. Social programs are not seen as necessary to support productive citizens. Anything that supports the old, the weak, or the ill drain resources from a productive fascist society. Also under this category, is an attack on unions by fascists. Unions bring together diverse people in an attempt to gain resources. That solidarity threatens a fascist regime, and so unions become targets.
During the campaign of 2024, the American public seemed allergic to the use of the word fascism. It seemed extreme and was associated with the past and foreign regimes. Now, the word is everywhere, and it should be. We are in peril. Is there any one of the ten tenets above that we don’t see at work every day in American society? Some of them are a little better veiled than others but they are all in play. This is an important book. If you read only one book this year, let it be this one. The insights you’ll gain will help you to understand emerging Republican policy. It will all make sense.
This was a truly odd and engaging read. But I’ll say from the beginning, you have to like weird, and you have to be able to tolerate a generous amount of gore. Those aren’t usually for me, but I found this to be the most unique thing I’ve read in a long time. Because it was so different, I found it very compelling.
The setting is nineteenth-century New England where witch hunters still stalk their prey and where women with psychic powers try to blend into a community where nothing is normal anymore. Ascension was meant to be a quiet, rural village—a respite from frenetic city life and maybe it would have been. Except that the house on the hill is haunted with dozens of ghosts all with their own stories to tell. They are just a distraction because the town’s problems run far deeper and reach back into time. And now the dead aren’t dying anymore.
Rose, Sadie Grace, and Rabbit arrive in Ascension to take care of Rose’s sick cousin. Only the cousin, previously on her deathbed, has risen and made a miraculous recovery…or has she? Turns out the town is full of people who should be in their graves but are not. Stories circulate that Ascension isn’t the only town experiencing these phenomena. Meanwhile the reason why the death no longer visits earth is headed straight to Ascension for an epic confrontation.
Witches, witch hunters, ghosts, demons, and angels are all afoot in the world created by Alex Grecian. An exciting and creative read.
Owen Archer was Captain of Archers before an act of betrayal lost him an eye and his enthusiasm for battle. He finds himself singled out by the powerful Archbishop of York who has a singular mission for Owen. The Archbishop has just learned that his wayward ward has died in mysterious circumstances at the abbey in York. He needs someone he can trust to investigate and report on what happened there. Owen reluctantly agrees but soon finds himself overwhelmed by the goings on at the abbey, a nearby apothecary, and a city of colorful characters. This professional soldier often feels out of his depth negotiating not one but two murders and a cadre of slippery suspects.
The book has the feel of a Cadfael story because the apothecary plays a central role in the story and so does the Church. There are lots of fascinating details about the medicines, gardens, and how the guild oversees the running of apothecaries at this time. Owen also must understand and work within the politics of the church hierarchy as he investigates the murders. Thrown into the mix, is an examination of the role of women- how the Church viewed them and what society allowed at the time (some aspects might surprise).
This was an enjoyable, light read. There is a romantic attraction that runs through the novel (not my thing). I loved the setting, the Church politics, and the apothecary details. The mystery was well developed and came to a satisfying conclusion. This is book 1 of 15. The problem is that I’m not enamored with Owen Archer, so I won’t be reading the rest of the series. But that’s a matter of personal taste and many have loved this series.
Join me next time when I’ll be coming to you from Canada! Remember MARCH AND APRIL WILL BE TURBULENT!! Buckle up. Make time for self-care.
Given the reaction of the American public to some of the recent disclosure information concerning UAPs, I’m prone to agree with Ignatius. Where are YOU people?? Testimony out of Congress shouted, WE ARE NOT ALONE! No reaction….none????
Luis Elizondo was the former head of DOD’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). He is an Army veteran with wide experience rising to top levels of government in the intelligence arena with high security clearances. He has testified before Congress as an expert on UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena).
Imminent is his recent book on the UAPs. Partially a work of biography and partially a historical look at what we have come to understand about the UAPs, this is an important book by a government insider. Elizondo was privy to highly classified programs within the government and military/industrial complex that have serious implications for national security and our understanding of the universe itself.
After being recruited into a highly classified program with a mission to study these phenomena, Elizondo learned that certain parts of the government (and defense contractors) work to block access to what his team needed. Nevertheless, what they had led to some disturbing conclusions. Since at least WWII, the government (including some Presidents), have known that unidentified vehicles have been in flying in US airspace. These craft operate in ways that defy conventional physics. Elizondo’s team identified five distinct performance characteristics (observables) associated with UAPS.
Hypersonic velocity: UAPs routinely reach Mach 17 and above, no sonic booms associated with the speed (the USAF SR-71 can reach Mach 5 at high altitude; X-15, some missiles, Space Shuttle can exceed Mach 5 at high altitude only)
Instantaneous acceleration: UAPS can accelerate to 13,000 mph or faster and can stop on a dime. Also typical are tight, high speed turns impossible for known conventional aircraft. Instantaneous acceleration is associated with high g-forces. UAPs seem to possess the ability to withstand g-forces as high as several thousand g’s. (Structural failure on the F-16 occurs at approximately 17g’s.)
Low observability: Contrary to known technology that leaves a signature, UAPs leave virtually few or no observable signature. UAPs tend to be silent, with no sonic booms, no contrails, no heat ablation, no atmospheric ionization.
Transmedium travel: UAPS can operate equally well in space, air, and water environments. UAPs can move from one medium to another with no degradation in performance. (Example) Craft have been observed to operate first in air and then enter water without slowing down or creating waves. And vice versa.
No propulsion system/lift mechanism (defying gravity): UAPs have no wings, propellers, rotors. There are no control surfaces or means of maneuvering the vehicle.
Another component to UAPs are the biological effects of encountering these objects. There are military and intelligence members who have been injured and are receiving compensation due to these injuries. Some of the injuries associated with a UAP encounters entail radiation burns, internal organ damage, eye problems, psychological issues, and time anomalies (which may also be fundamental to understanding the phenomena).
About halfway through the book, Elizondo describes a theory that Hal Puthoff and others developed that account for all of the observables. With this theoretical technology, space and time could be warped locally creating a bubble around a craft. The craft then is immune from gravity (no wings required). Faster than light travel becomes possible. The pilot’s body does not feel excessive g-forces. In essence, two realities exist at the same time. It also explains why UAP photos tend to be blurry. This is because every photo shows the barrier layer. Elizondo explains in detail how the theory accounts for the features commonly reported with UAP phenomena and why the craft vary so much.
The book does suffer from a confusing timeline as Elizondo hops between his own life and some of the UAP historical happenings. For those who scoffed at Roswell, scoff no more. There is also a survey of famous cases and not so famous cases. Yes, the government has crash retrieval programs and yes, we have biologicals. There is evidence of reverse engineering of off-planet technology. Within the government, this is known as the Legacy Program. Consisting of government and contractor personnel, the program focused on retrieving and reverse-engineering crashed vehicles not made by humans. Materials in the possession of these contractors became the possession of the contractors to the point that the government has no record of them. Sounds like something from the X-files but it’s apparently very real and sinister at that.
Three videos released from the Navy would eventually change the world (TikTac/FLIR 2004, Go Fast 2015, GIMBAL 2015). Elizondo and his team, had for years, faced difficulty in obtaining materials related to the UAPs. Certain parts of the government wouldn’t talk or release data. The Air Force was notorious in this regard but so were other agencies and contractors. In 2014, the Navy was preparing the USS Roosevelt for deployment in the Persian Gulf. In practice exercises in the Atlantic, aircrews reported 22 separate encounters with UAPs which were seen with eyes and sensors abroad aircraft. When reports of this came in, Elizondo remembered a similar 2004 case of the Nimitz/Princeton where UAPs engaged in similar behavior. The incidents were becoming so numerous that pilots were scared, and safety threats loomed. The Navy was looking for answers. Certain reports and films of events were sent through channels to see what operators of secret programs were endangering their crews. Turns out there weren’t any.
At a certain point, Elizondo felt the tide turn against his efforts to take his team’s findings to the Secretary of Defense. He made the decision to leave government to help disclose the truth about UAPs directly to the American public. Chris Mellon, a friend to the ATTIP efforts, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence released the now declassified Navy videos to the world. Elizondo went on to work with the History Channel on the Unidentified series and has worked with Congress on educating the American public. He, along with eyewitnesses have testified before Congress.
The UAP Disclosure Act was passed in Dec. 2023. The most notable part of the legislation concerns funding for UAP programs. No longer can Legacy Programs be funded without government approval by appropriate committee. Congress finally has oversight of all UAP matters. It also directs that the National Archives be the receiving agency for all documents concerning UAPs, technologies of unknown origin, and nonhuman intelligence. And any UAP documents not previously disclosed must be disclosed within 25 years, unless there are national security reasons that prevent such disclosure.
This is a paradigm altering book. A top government intelligence insider has no doubt that American airspace is routinely penetrated. His opinion is that UAPs are not human phenomena and that this is a security threat. He has been instrumental in bringing forward competent, professional witnesses who have testified before Congress twice at this point. Legislation has been enacted as a result. Why people continue to act as if the world is the same is incredible. So, if you see a UAP, what should you do? Read the book (and stay away from the blue lights…).
Recently I discovered that one of my favorite authors had left behind an unpublished book. Michael Crichton died suddenly in 2008, and I’ve missed his scientific and historical thrillers. I really looked forward to diving into what would probably be his last book. The problem is that Crichton left behind the idea for the book, and I haven’t been able to determine if he wrote any of the actual book. His widow entrusted James Patterson to write/complete the novel.
Eruption is a present-day novel set in Hawaii where the world’s largest volcano is set to erupt. The main character is the lead volcanologist, John MacGregor, who heads a team of scientists who will guide residents through the natural disaster. Much of the novel involves how these scientists work and how the local politics of Hawaii function. The impending eruption has long been forecasted, and it’s not deemed cataclysmic until MacGregor learns that the US Army has stashed a secret project deep in the side of the volcano. Now the stakes are dire for the entire planet.
The idea is solid and apparently Crichton gathered notes and research for the project for years. The problem is that this book doesn’t read like the fast-paced thrillers Michael Crichton was known for. The first eighty percent of the book is a slow slog watching bureaucrats maneuver for the impending disaster. Things do pick up in the last twenty percent of the book, which is where all the action occurs. It’s a shame the reader must wait that long. Parts of the novel seem ludicrous. The way the different levels of government and agencies work together (or fail to) suggests the writer has little understanding of these entities. The history of the secret project feels implausible at best. When the army shows up, an army General declares martial law which is illegal. The characters themselves aren’t interesting people. There were times when I found the dialogue overstated and grating. There’s a B-rated movie kind of feel to the whole thing. I can’t speak to the validity of the science represented. There are some interesting ideas presented. One review I read by someone claiming to know a lot about earth science/volcanos regards the book as highly flawed.
Obviously, I wanted a great book and found a mediocre one. Maybe if you’re a Patterson fan, this will be more to your taste. I haven’t read any James Patterson books and don’t feel inclined towards the themes he takes up.
I read this fun mystery around Halloween but it’s a good read any time. Let’s go back to Victorian times. Recall the fabulous clothes and rigid societal rules of the British Empire. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created an aloof, calculating detective calledSherlock Holmes. Holmes had a motley street gang called the Baker Street Irregulars. In Westerson’s tale, it’s 1895 and Holmes has helped one of those former street boys, now grown up, to form his own detective business. Timothy Badger and Benjamin Watson take on a case of a death at a mummy unwrapping party.
Hired as security for the party, Badger and Watson, are already on the scene. The case falls into their laps and they’re hot on the trail of a cunning killer. The Victorian setting allows for a dive into the mummy craze and Egyptology as well as body stealing. All creepy 19th century history. There’s even a bit on a strange poisoning technique and embezzlement at a famous London hospital. There are plenty of potential suspects to check out using Sherlock’s methods. The famous detective himself makes cameo appearances to encourage the new private investigators he underwrites. And Badger finds a chance for romance while still hunting for a criminal.
This is an easy, enjoyable mystery. It’s a good read for when you don’t want to be overtaxed with anything too deep or too complicated.
SPECIAL BOOK DEAL: (Coming Dec. 2024)
INTO THE LAND OF SNOWS will be deeply discounted in Dec.
Sixteen-year-old Blake travels to Base Camp on Mt. Everest to spend time with his physician father. When a deadly avalanche occurs, Dad is forced to rethink things and sends Blake away. Now accompanied by a Sherpa guide, and in possession of a mysterious camera, Blake undertakes a journey that will challenge everything he believes. In the magical Himalayas, he will be forever changed by what he experiences.
