Midnight Riot

Summary: Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.


Comments: This is the first book by Ben Aaronovitch featuring Peter Grant, who is a charming character if there ever was one. He's funny, snarky, and gets easily sidetracked, but does eventually make sense of the strange world he finds himself in. His mentor, well, more accurately his master, is Thomas Nightingale, the epitome of the British gentleman, always dressed to the nines. Oh, and he's a wizard. When Peter asks if he's like Harry Potter, the reply was "No, I'm not a fictional character." Very dry humour this. 
The magic-ness of the books seems to fit into our world without much problem. Oh, some people protest, but most don't seem phased that their are gods and goddess wearing real clothes, driving mini Coopers, just hanging out. The river gods/goddesses take on a good bit of the book and it's a creative plot device. This is not my typical type of book, especially when babies get tossed out of the (closed) second story window and die, but thankfully, Aaronovitch does not go overboard with the gore. I'm looking forward to spending time with Peter and
Nightingale and what every uncanny they come up with.

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose

Summary: Determined to secure another London Season without assistance from her new brother-in-law, beautiful Mary Alsworthy accepts a secret assignment from Lord Vaughn on behalf of the Pink Carnation: to infiltrate the ranks of the dreaded French spy the Black Tulip before he and his master can stage their planned invasion of England. Every spy has a weakness, and for the Black Tulip that weakness is black-haired women - his "petals of the Tulip." A natural at the art of seduction, Mary easil catches the attention of the French spy, but Lord Vaughn never anticipates that his own heart will be caught as well. Fighting their growing attraction, impediments from their past, and, of course, the French, Mary and Vaughn find themselves lost in the shadows of a treacherous garden on lies ... (source: book cover)


Comments: So Mary Alsworthy loses her lover to his sister in the last book (The Deception of the Emerald Ring), and instead gets her own book and to my great pleasure Lord Vaughn. Mary, beautiful, intriguing, poor, and still pretty ticked at her sister and brother-in-law. To get away from them is most important and to have a season to find another man willing to marry a beautiful, but penniless woman. So she agrees to help the Pink Carnation via Lord Vaughn, whom no one, not even me, trust is truly what he says he is. Mary turns from spoiled girl into a calculating woman. And Vaughn, well, he's just Vaughn, as black and silver as he's ever been and as he always will be. Enigma. One of the things I like about the series is there is very little real time between them in both the worlds. Eloise and Colin are still circling around each other as she studies into his family history and hopes to get into his future. The story was well written. Ms. Willig has done another solid job of keeping up with this series.

Hurricane Irene

At least it's not coming towards us - for a change!

I feel bad for all in the sights of this storm, knowing all to well what people are doing - or should be doing. Since there hasn't been a hurricane to hit the NYC general area since 1985, I have an idea most people in the area haven't been through a hurricane in the city before or been through one ever. This made me think about all the notes I made after going through Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricanes Dennis and Katrina in 2005. Everyone knows to put away the patio furniture and buy batteries, but some of the odd lessons learned (and since forgotten)  are here.


Things to do:
Mow the grass - yes, it takes time and fuel, but cleaning up after a storm in 6"+ grass is a hassle that can be avoided by a mow before the storm hits.
Make sure you know who in the neighborhood has a pool. It's very useful if you run out of water to flush toilets.
Shave your legs before the storm hits - you won't want to do it when the only water is cold and if you don't it will get on your nerves.
Buy Beer - or your spirit of choice before the put out a "state of emergency" which limits the sale of alcohol.
Wash all the dishes, ie. run the dishwasher.
Wash all dirty clothes - cleaning up after the hurricane you will change clothes several times a day. Wash.
Run the disposal w/a lemon half or bleach.


Things to have in the house:
Food - that's a given. You will tire of peanut butter much sooner than you expect, so stock up on anything that might hold well and sound good to you when totally starving after taking tree limbs to the kerb.
Fresh Fruit is great when it's hot and you've been moving limbs to the kerb all day (see a theme here?). Mandarin Oranges are great for this too.
Water - for you and your pets. And enough to brush your teeth with too. If you can't drink the water, you shouldn't brush your teeth with it either.
Toilet Paper, enough said.
Paper Plates - lots of them.
Trash Bags - again, lots of them - it could be weeks before household garbage is picked up.
Propane or Charcoal - or both


Things to know:
Segregate your trash such as a can for just cans and empty water bottles - those can wait for pick up, but food, etc. in another that has to go out ASAP (ie. when trash pick up starts some month after the storm - not kidding about that).
Distributions Centers are usually determined prior to a storm, so check ahead or listen to the local radio station. If all stations are down, be on the look out for police or National Guard units – they can direct you. The lines will be long, but get in them – designate someone for each day. Look at it this way; you'll be in the cool air conditioning of your car – take a book or magazine – read as the line creeps along. And stock up on anything you can. I used to look at the lines after hurricanes and say, "why didn't those people buy ice before the storm?" Well, they did, but ice melts fast in the summer in the south. You need ice almost daily. Sure, you could buy it, but to be honest, you'll need that money for other things. Take the ice. Take the MREs. Take what you can, but not more than you'll need.
The National Guard walking down your street with M16s is a comforting feeling when there is no light for in any direction. 
Police escorts – aren't just for presidents and governors. The police will provide escorts for utility vehicles and debris removal. Be aware and let them do their job. It will help you in the long run.


Most importantly, realize that everyone is in the same situation you are in and yes, it sucks. You'll get to know your neighbors better - in good ways mostly and you'll have a story to share with everyone else that went through it too. 

And Only to Deceive

Summary: Emily agreed to wed Philip, the Viscount Ashton, primarily to escape her overbearing mother. Philip's death while on safari soon after their wedding left Emily feeling little grief, for she barely knew the dashing stranger.
But her discovery of his journals nearly two years later reveals a far different man than she imagined - a gentleman scholar antiquities collector who apparently loved his new wife deeply. Emily's desire to learn more of her late husband leads her through the quiet corners of the British Museum and into a dangerous mystery involving rare stolen artifacts. To complicate matters, she's juggling two very prominent and wealthy suitors, one of whose intentions may go beyond matrimony into darker realms .... (source: book cover)


Comments: This is the first book I've ready by Tasha Alexander and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The approach was rather novel in that the lead character, Lady Ashton doesn't fall in love with her husband until after he is dead - more is the pity. the mystery of the stolen works of art is clever and intriguing. Lady Ashton's mother is a nightmare - I'd do almost anything to get away from that hyper-critical harpy. That said, the "good" guy versus "bad" guy was easy to spot (in my opinion), but still well written. You do feel genuine empathy for Lady Ashton when she realizes, albeit to late, what she had.  I'm looking forward to more books involving Lady Ashton.

Apothecary's Daughter

Summary: Lillian Haswell, brilliant daughter of the local apothecary, yearns for more adventure and experience than life in her father's shop and their small village provides. She also longs to know the truth behind her mother's disappearance, which villagers whisper about
but her father refuses to discuss. Opportunity comes when a distant aunt offers to educate her as a lady in London. Exposed to fashionable society and romance--as well as clues about her mother--Lilly is torn when she is summoned back to her ailing father's bedside. Women are
forbidden to work as apothecaries, so to save the family legacy, Lilly will have to make it appear as if her father is still making all the diagnoses and decisions. But the suspicious eyes of a scholarly physician and a competing apothecary are upon her. As they vie for village prominence, three men also vie for Lilly's heart.


Comments: Written by Julie Klassen, I have no idea why I purchased this - I must have read something somewhere because it was on my kindle. I really enjoyed the story and I learned a good bit about something (apothecaries) that I knew virtually nothing. I liked the the prologue and epilogue were in the first person while the rest of the book is not. The book did stretch a bit at the end being slightly more drawn out than I would have preferred, but the story is very interesting. I enjoyed the Elliots, France, Dr. Graves, and Mr. Shuttleworth - they were all thought through and very believable. Lillian is a lovely heroine, but seems to get more than her share of troubles - almost to the point of exhaustion for the reader.

The Deception of the Emerald Ring

Summary: Harvard grad student Eloise Kelly has gotten into quite a bit of trouble since she's been spying on the Pink Carnation and the Black Tulip - two fo the deadliest agents to saunter the streets of nineteenth-century England and France. Not only has she been unearthing secrets that will rearrange history, but she's been dallying with Colin Selwich and looking for a romantic adventure all her own. Little does she know that she's about to uncover another
fierce heroine running headlong into history.
In June 1803, Letty Alsworthy attempts to prevent her sister's midnight elopement - only to be accidentally whisked away herself. The scandal forces her into a hasty marriage with Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe, who then decamps immediately to help the Pink Carnation quash a ring of Irish rebels led by the Black Tulip. Not to be outdone, Letty steals away to the Emerald Isle herself, ready to lean a thing of tow about espionage - and never imagining she might lean a few things about love along the way (Source: Book Cover).


Comments: Another very satisfying read by Lauren Willig, The Deception of the Emerald Ring has an interesting twist to the secret elopement. We have met Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe from the two previous books and heard of his literary poems dedicated to Mary Alsworthy, Letty's sister. When Geoffrey finds himself kissing the wrong sister, a wedding is quickly arranged. Poor Letty, obliged to marry where she does not want to and the mortification of it being her sister's lover. And to add insult to injury, he leaves the afternoon of their wedding for Ireland. Letty, determined not to be embarrassed further by his desertion, follows him to Ireland.
It seems the French want to stir up trouble in Ireland to distract England long enough for a French invasion. There are certainly enough rebels in Ireland to go around, and the notorious Black Tulip as well. And then there is my favorite character Lord Vaughn. The jury is still out on him - is he a good guy or a bad guy. One day we may find out. Jane Wooliston is there of course, flirting mightily with Geoffrey as the charming, Gilly Fairley - a blonde of course while they secretly exchange information on the Irish rebels and their weapons caches.
So who is the Black Tulip? Is it Lord Vaughn? He certainly seems to fit the bill, but perhaps too well. Very very enjoyable read. Next up. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose.

Happy Birthday Georgette Heyer

Happy Birthday to the woman that epitomizes Regency Romance. With her detailed knowledge of the period, she deftly and humorously weaves a tale complete with romance, intrigue, suspense, wit, and humor. Her characters are realistic and thankfully flawed. Her first novel, the Black Moth, was written when she was just 19 years old. This was the first book of Mrs. Heyer that I read and I was hooked. Her list of Georgian and Regency Historical Romance is just about a mile long and I've worked my way though about half. So far nothing as replaced my top pick yet (The Devil's Cub), but there are plenty of books to be read.


Now, to celebrate Mrs. Heyer's birthday, all her ebooks at on sale for $1.99 until 21 August. I have some shopping to do.

The Masque of the Black Tulip

Summary: Modern-day graduate student Eloise achieved the academic coup of the century when she unmasked one of history's greatest spies, the Pink Carnation, who saved England from Napoleon. But now she has a million questions about the Carnation's deadly French nemesis, the Black Tulip. And she's pretty sure that her handsome on-again, off-again crush, Colin Selwick, has the answers somewhere in his archives. When she finally comes across an old codebook, Eloise discovers something jucier than she ever imagined: an unlikely pair who were hot on the trail of the Black Tulip and had every intention of stopping him from killing the Pink Carnation and bringing down England. But what they didn't know was that while they were trying to find the Tulip - and stumbling upon something like love - the Black Tulip was watching them... (Source: Book Cover)


Comments: This is the second in the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig and continues closely on the heels of the first book in the timeline of both the contemporary story and that of the Napoleonic era. Again the duel stories are both interesting and lively - one thing in particular that I like is that the contemporary story is told in first person, while the story of the spies et al is in third person. It's refreshing and creates some tension in each story when the change occurs.
This is largely the story of Lady Henrietta Selwick (younger sister of the Richard, Purple Gentian in the first book) and her friendship with Jane Wolliston. It's hard to say more than that w/out spoiling the first book, so ...
I love to read books in order and don't want to ruin that for anyone, so if you read below this point - there be spoilers ahead - you've been warned.


Jane Wolliston is the Pink Carnation, a unassuming girl that no one seems to notice, but who, with her formidable friend Miss Gwen, have slowly created havoc in the French government. Jane communicates via code to Henrietta and she passes the information off to the home office via Miles Dorrington, the dashing best friend of her brother Richard (ie. the Purple Gentian). One of my favorite characters, and thankfully, he will be in future books, is Lord Vaughn. He's a mysterious one and slightly devious and who knows who's side he's one,
but I like him. The phrase "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" comes to mind.
I also find the story of Eloise and Colin very intriguing, possibly the result of training as an (art) historian as well. I understand the hunt involved in doing research - that in fact was always my favorite part. What could I find that no one else had quite found. Might also
explain my enjoyment of mysteries as a genre in general. Either way, onward and upward. Up next The Deception of the Emerald Ring.

Um, maybe not so much

I had one of those days in reading blog recently. A day when there were just way too many things listed that sounded terrible, at least to me.


Cajun Brownies with Potato Chips - I'm not even sure how to process this one. Curiosity, Revulsion, or just plain yuck.


Butterbean Gravy - I had to read that twice. Yuck. 


Deconstructed Club Sandwich Salad - one look was all it took. I'll pass.


Jellyfish - gross. too look at, to think about, to contemplate eating - that's just over the top to me.


Corn, Tomato, and Potato Curry - I like all the components and I like curry, but that just doesn't sound like an appetizing combination to me.


Guess it shows we all like and dislike different things. 

Secret History of the Pink Carnation

Summary: The year is 1803, and feisty Amy Balancourt will do anything to join the cause of her hero, the Purple Gentian, and his fellow spies, who once tried to save her father from French revolutionaries. But first she must find the mysterious Purple Gentian - without getting sidetracked by the advances of Lord Richard Selwick, a dashing yet dubious man who by all appearances has defected to the enemy. What Amy doesn't know is that Richard's true goal is to ferret out Napoleon's plans for invading England while keeping his true identity
a secret. But who could concentrate on saving Europe with Amy's decolletage invading this thoughts? Unfortunately, Amy is clearly an impediment to his mission - especially when one of the many lives at stake is her very own... (source - back cover)


Comments: This is really two stories in one. The first is of the historian that is looking to find out who, exactly, is the Pink Carnation, and the second is of the lives of Amiee de Balancourt and Richard Selwick during that tumultous year of 1803. Both stories, I have to say, succeed, though much more print space is given to Amy and Richard, rightfully so.
I have this unconscious habit of coming up with questions during reading. So was the Scarlet Pimpernel real - was Sir Percival Blakeney? Must look this up. Shall do now ... one moment please. Nope not real - I have read Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel, but just had to double check. Too bad, I do love that character. Okay, on the to characters in the book, Lord Richard Selwick, lovely, charming, smart. Uh, not much else to say. And his mother the Marquess of Uppington, I totally love her early in the book and even more so towards the end of the story. She is not one to be taken lightly. Very amusing read. I am looking forward to reading the next book, "The Masque of the Black Tulip"