Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues by Blaize Clement

Ms. Clement has succeeded in the fun-romantic-mystery genre.

Think Sue Grafton - the main character is always on the move, being dragged by or chasing the bad guy. Cross it with Charlaine Harris - stuck in a woe-is-me situation. Add a little Janet Evonovich - poor gal has two guys after her.

The story moves at a fairly good pace. Though clues are obvious, they aren't so obvious that it spoils the fun.

The main character, Dixie Hemingway, is a cat sitter. Had I known you could make a living at it, I would have tried it a long time ago. But Dixie isn't just any cat sitter. She's a cat sitter that used to be a cop. Why, you ask? Because of tragedy, I say. What cop can stay a cop when she can no longer hold a gun with confidence? Not Dixie.

So here she is - a cat sitter. Can she help it if taking care of cats leads her right back into the thick of things she shouldn't be in? Shouldn't she have known better?

If you want a fast read with not too much thinking involved, this is your book. A friend of mine calls it a "bubble bath book." And truthfully, I would read more of her books because sometimes, I just enjoy a good bubble bath.

Recovering from the War by Patience H.C. Mason

When I read a book, I like to sit in a comfy spot, put my legs up, and disappear into the plot. But then, I usually read fiction.

Patience Mason’s book is a documentary. Well written, it narrates the accounts of Vietnam vets when they are finally able to talk about it - thirty years after their return. Mason interviewed by mail, email, phone, and video whoever would respond to her queries. Various vet centers helped by asking for participants.

It’s not an easy book to read. I found myself picking it up and putting it down. The descriptions were graphic, the atrocities horrific, their treatment a crying shame.

I am married to a Vietnam Veteran - a veteran of an undeclared war, a police action. I knew a little about what went on. I had listened to a few stories and watched from the safety of my home while a generation was abused and used for political ends, but nothing prepared me for the depth of the trauma. So much corruption, So much blood. So much bullshit. And so little human consideration.

Mason tells it like it is. What she went through with her husband - a helicopter pilot. What other vets revealed to her. She quotes from their books as well.

The first half of the book recounts different incidents described by these heroes. What psychological nightmares they lived - and couldn’t get out of. Then she goes on to paint a picture of PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. A natural reaction to the unnatural horror they lived. Finally, she describes the methods of help and healing for the vet and his family.

If you are at all curious about this time period, read this book. Read it even if you are not. It goes a long way to explain the difference between this war and WWII. This war and WWI. This war and the Korean War.

You probably know parts of it if you have watched a Vietnam war movie or read a Vietnam war book.

But this is the rest of the story.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert gives us an amazingly honest account of both a very painful time in her life and a time of discovery. The progression from pain to discovery is illuminating and rewarding for Ms. Gilbert.

When she finds herself lying on the floor of her bathroom crying her heart out, she understands that something must be done. Though she hasn't yet vocalized the decision to make a change, she has taken the first step. Major life changes are traumatic in themselves. Add to that the chemical malfunctions of the brain, as in depression, and you have a recipe for annihilation. But Ms. Gilbert finds help deep inside herself and is able to take the first steps toward recovery.

Accepting her own limitations, she leaves her marriage, choosing to keep the details private. How honorable. She could have used the written word to present herself as the aggrieved, but she didn’t. Instead, she chose to tell readers that it wasn’t the time or place. She moves on. After another failed relationship, and much contemplation, she realizes that she really doesn’t know much about Elizabeth Gilbert, but she intends to find out in a journey of self-discovery.

She takes a year off from her job - lucky her! What she would like to do is learn Italian, pray in an ashram, and find balance. So, for the first four months, she learns not only Italian, but Italian eateries. She searches out the best places to eat. Not as in fancy or well known, but as in “Wow! That’s good!” I really wished I had been there. The food sounded heavenly, especially the Margarita Pizza.

Ten pounds and four months later, she braves a scorching sun to find spiritual contentment in an ashram in India. Besides an enlightenment to die for, she makes colorful friends and finds a deep peace.

When she leaves India, she heads for Bali, returning to a country and a memorable medicine man-cum-fortune teller she had met on an earlier trip. While the gentleman was her motivation, the real connection comes with a woman in a position similar to hers - divorced. But in different circumstances - the repressed land of Bali. Through that connection, Ms. Gilbert meets the love of her life.

You will have to read the book to find out who! You won’t be sorry. Ms. Gilbert is a wonderful writer. Hilarious at times, but real.

Julia Roberts stars in the movie, Eat, Pray, Love, that has just been released. If it is anything like the book, it should be pretty good!

The Whole Hog by Michael Kenyon

Michael Kenyon, in 1967, shows the American fixation with the Cold War Era.

His main character, Arthur Appleyard, is a swine nutritionist. When his experimental hogs start to act differently, he and his staff go on alert. Believing they may have found a new metabolic renewal for astronauts, they buckle down to study the results.

Arthur is approached by the FBI, encouraged to continue his work but keep it quiet and tell no one. When one of Arthur’s staff dies mysteriously in the lab, the police move in to protect the group. Which is now just Arthur and his pretty analyst, Liz Salucka . . . and, of course, the swine.

But when one of the swine, Humphrey - as in Bogart - is kidnapped, the experimental study is jeopardized. Arthur tries to puzzle out the mystery of who is real and who is a spy. He suspects someone in the department at the college where he works, but he can’t be sure.

Complicating and confusing to both Arthur and the investigation is a blooming romance between Arthur and Liz. Shy and unsure, he vacillates between the mystery of the swine and the mystery of his feelings. But after having confirmed the attraction between them, he forgets the Inspector’s instructions to stay together as she leaves to get paperwork.

A scream verifies the worst. Suddenly, Arthur is alone. Without his true love, he no longer cares about himself as he goes looking for the culprit.

Nothing motivates like a good whodunnit and Michael Kenyon, again, keeps his reader turning the page. His British take on American life is an eye opener. Remember, this is 1967. His sly references to the paunched people who drink Coca Cola were an astute observation ahead of its time. His references to deciding animal feed by its cost rather than its nutrition were prophetic. The idea that a supplement could make people last longer on jobs is downright scary when you think of the economic situation today. His narrative is not without political comment. Frequent references to the Space Race show his disdain for our priorities. Sometimes, it takes an outsider to show us ourselves.

May You Die In Ireland by Michael Kenyon

This first of Michael Kenyon’s books, written in 1965, weaves a tale of spies in the Cold War era.
Oddly enough, the hero, William Foley, is an American who ends up far from home because of a Tail Male - a funny business where property is bequeathed to the first son of the first son of the first son, that is unless the first son happens to die first. In that case, things can get complicated and soon a bachelor-mathematics professor from a small town in Minnesota finds himself in Ireland.

Before he can click his heels, turn around three times, and recite, “There’s no place like home,” he is attacked and robbed of every possession he has with him, including the clothes on his back. While the hotel has managed to provide him with the basic necessities (pants, shirt, shoes), he soon finds himself face to face with the muggers - aka, Russian Spies - who have yet to find what they are looking for. When he discovers an acquaintance has ties to the CIA, Foley finds himself a target not only of the Russian spies and Irish Guardia, but the CIA as well.

But what is suspense without romance? Enter his lawyer’s daughter, a beautiful, caring nurse with no prospects of her own, until a severely beaten Foley shows up on her father’s doorstep.

Kenyon’s characters chase one another through the rolling green hills of Ireland as Foley decides between duty to country and the love of a good woman.

Kenyon’s talent for mystery and sleuth is his hallmark. In these early works, he portrays the police - the guardians of our safety - as not so capable. Instead, his characters find an inner strength that ultimately carry them through the crisis.

A Free-Range Wife by Michael Kenyon

I am attracted to British writing in much the same way I am attracted to a British accent. I go all aflutter inside. While American male heroes tend to be silent and brooding, British male heroes tend to be funny and endearing.

The hero of Michael Kenyon’s novel is a big brute of a guy who loves to write rhyme almost as much as he loves to solve mysteries. Detective Chief Inspector Henry Peckover of Scotland Yard is on holiday with his chef-wife, Miriam, in Mordan, France. While she is working as chef at the Chateau de Mordan, he is enjoying his French holiday until he is told to interview an interested party for the Yard.

In “Thin Man” fashion, Peckover combines work and play, weaving his way around suspects, victims, and the French Police to find a murderer. When he realizes all the victims have one thing in common, Detective Chief Inspector Henry Peckover takes a closer look at the American femme-fatale, Mercy McCluskey. What he finds is a surprise indeed.

Since I am a great fan of the “Thin Man” movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy, I can’t help but love the character of Detective Chief Inspector Henry Peckover. He has the same self-effacing, inquisitive humor. I marvel at how he manages to find the next clue. The inspector’s habit of giving his reports to the Yard in sonnet sequence is only surpassed by the Yard’s expectations of receiving them in that form. How have they put up with him this long?

He must be really good at what he does.

I will be reviewing other books by Kenyon. I’d forgotten how enjoyable he is to read.

The Adventures of Irene Sumner by Joyce McDonald Hoskins

This aptly-named book tells of four separate tales affecting the lives of a retired, middle-aged heroine, Irene Sumner, her family, and her friends.

There is a special connection between Irene and her ex-husband, Jack. New boyfriends, guns, and criminals get in the way of any relationship they might have, testing the strength of that connection, but fate brings them back to each other once and for all.

Joyce McDonald Hoskins, a prolific writer, has written several books in addition to many short stories. Her novels, all fiction, have a unique feel-good quality that is all Joyce and very readable. Her characters are colorful, witty, and part family. Chick-lit at its finest, I can picture Cary Grant humming, Goodnight, Irene to Irene Dunne in Jack's first scene. And I melt.

If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern

All of Cecelia Ahern's books are offbeat and cleverly written. The gal has a gift. They are all poignant and they are all in the chick-flick genre.

Some are even better in the hearing. If You Could See Me Now is one of these. The Irish accent lends a magical quality to the already magical telling. But I don't want to spoil if for you.

Suffice it to say, Elizabeth Egan, an organized, everything-in-its-place businesswoman, has a long way to go from beginning to the end of her journey. A journey she takes with her six-year-old nephew, Lucas, and his not-quite-six-year-old friend, Ivan. You'll laugh. You'll cry. But you'll love it. And you'll wish you could see it too!

And you may. The latest news is that a film is in the works, starring Hugh Jackman due to be released in 2011.

This is Cecelia's third novel - all are bestsellers. She currently has seven novels published with the eighth due out shortly. Her first book, P.S. I Love You, came out in movie form a few years ago as a major film. She has received many major awards and they are well-deserved.

Cecelia Ahern is the twenty-something daughter of former Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern. She and her new husband, David Keoghan just gave birth to daughter, Robin, in December.

Oh, and by the way, she's gorgeous!

JUST A NOTE

Sometimes, we're too busy to sit on the back porch. We need to - heaven forbid! - clean the house, drive the kids to the soccer game, or fix the nightly feast.

When time is of the essence, consider books on tape, cd, or mp3. Yes, they cost loads new. But they don't cost a penny at your local library!

Audio books are entertaining not just because of the words, but because of the narrator's voice. My favorite, Barbara Rosenblat, will inspire me to pick up a book I know nothing about. And, it is usually a good choice.

As it states on her web page: "Barbara Rosenblat is one of the most respected and popular narrators of Audiobooks in the country. Critics and fans have long praised her for her deft handling of characters and dialects across a wide spectrum of classics, mysteries, bestsellers and romances."

So, some of the books I review will be recorded books.

If you have a particular author or book you would like reviewed, let me know.

And don't forget recorded books - at your library!

ADDITION by Toni Jordan

I read a lot. I mean, none of our vacation pictures show my face full on. It is either my forehead, the edge of my glasses, an ear, or my hair hanging over my face, because I am always reading. That's what vacations are for, right? Anyway, it is difficult to find a book that knocks my socks off, but this one did.

Jordan's characters reach a depth unusual for a first time writer, through a well-crafted story. The dialog is witty and the narrative grabs the reader from the start. Her main character, Grace, is unique. Molded by an unknown past, Grace tells a story both emotional and funny because of her one quirk - numbers. They mean everything to her. Still, it doesn't change who she is and she struggles to keep it that way. As the story unfolds, we see the frustration that comes, part and parcel, with human relationships. Inevitably, she must decide for herself what is most important in life's journey.

Toni Jordan is from Melbourne, Australia. This novel, her first, was shortlisted for Best Fiction Book Industry Awards, and won a Medical Journalists' Association Book Award. I will be looking for her next book!