Death by Opera, Author Erica Miner

Death by Opera

By Erica Miner

Opera is filled with passion, and what better setting for secrecy and murder. What could possibly go wrong behind the curtain, in those dark corners, hidden hallways, stairwells, scenery and props when larger than life egos fuel rivalries? The machinations of Death by Opera are skillfully conducted in a masterful story authored by Erica Miner. Memorable characters vividly come to life on this novel stage and engage the reader in a puzzling mystery to solve.

This is the second book in a captivating series. Having survived her entanglement in a murder plot at the Metropolitan Opera, violinist Julia Kogan finds herself once more in operatic turmoil at the Santa Fe Opera. Against the breathtaking backdrop of mystical New Mexico and the elegant contemporary outdoor Santa Fe Opera Theatre, chaos ensues, as murderous activities plague the performers on stage and off.

The reader is mesmerized by the chance idea that life imitates art imitates life. If all the world’s a stage, and we merely players, then how will this macabre overture turn the story, through its acts and arias? And how does it all end? This mystery is a fascinating glimpse into a world that few have the privilege to be a part of, and then it includes the intrigue of a life and death mystery to solve. And there is a fun dynamic to the book, including the operatic quotes starting each chapter.

This author’s many years as a violinist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and her enchanting imagination combine to indulge the reader in a vibrant show that’s rich in history and chills. Erica Minor retired from the Met and moved to the West Coast where she studied screenwriting and won awards in several competitions including with the Writer’s Digest. Her first novel in this series, Murder in the Pit is also a celebrated mystery.

Your idea of opera may be a staged drama set to music; a story told of a guy who gets stabbed in the back, and instead of dying, he sings. If so, you’ll want to join these characters backstage in Death by Opera to see for yourself how a murderer is discovered, and if that murderer can be stopped in time, before the fat lady sings.

Living in a Foreign Language

Living in a Foreign Language

By Michael Tucker

                Indulge in the full sensory story of American ex-Pats who impulsively buy a rustico, a cottage home in Northern Italy, and literally move into la bella vita. In this full bodied memoir, the author vividly shares the warmth, fun, humor, romance and the spirited aspects of this joyful, life adventure, especially the amazing meals. These meals are daily opportunities to treat the taste buds, as well as appreciate the fine art behind the cooking, and linger over the loving company of friends and family. After years living the fast paced lifestyles of New York and California, wedded actors Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry decided that “spring was about change, and so were we.” And so they began Living in a Foreign Language.

                It’s true that they could not speak Italian when they decided to move there, but as they began to learn the language, they also learned that people communicate in many ways. It’s refreshing to read how their forays into daily, Italian life show the bright and positive parts of human nature. And the cooking, have I mentioned the cooking! This author is an epic epicure. His tenderly detailed descriptions of collaborative meal preparations, along with the lingering scenes savoring the results of their labors, matched with the chosen wines virtually delight all the senses.

                The heartfelt picture the author paints of this beautiful country and people creates an insatiable longing for all they discovered, and an aspiration to take time to sculpt aspects of this bravissimo life into wherever you call home. This memoir is above all a love story. A love for the vitality of life, for bold changes that bring exciting results, and a love between two people that overflows to everyone around them. “To have the partner of a lifetime – for a lifetime – is rare stuff. We’d be fools not to indulge it to the limit. What extraordinary freedom it is not to care about up or down, rich or poor, East Coast, West Coast, as long as we’re in the taxi together.”

                Michael Tucker’s writing is delightful, conversational, beautifully descriptive, and almost lyrical as it wanders through Italian countryside and cities with great humor and affection. He makes the effort to really bring to life the people, situations and scenes for his readers’ enjoyment. A veteran stage, film, and television actor, perhaps best known for his role on the long-running television series L.A. Law, this is his second book. As you read, you’ll wish it never ends. He’s found another calling as an author. Bravo!

Maya Mallick Exciting Mystery Series by Bharti Kirchner

Season of Sacrifice

By Bharti Kirchner

                Maya Mallick is the Private Investigator of the Detectives Unlimited of Kolkata, Seattle branch. She is energetic, smart, tough and feisty as she solves mysteries. Unlike the classic PI stories where the investigator is mostly a loner seeming to have no interest other than in his cases, this contemporary PI enjoys interesting friends and is enamored with nature, gardening, health foods, and a certain police detective when she’s not busy tracking down leads on her cases. But then, this story is action packed and doesn’t leave a lot of extra time for added qualities of life.

                During a morning stroll near Greenlake, Maya is shocked when in front of a gathered crowd two young women shrouded in white set themselves on fire. Just before the blaze ignites she’s horrified to recognize one of the women, and she is a friend of hers. One of the bystanders, who says he is also a friend of the victims, hires Maya to uncover the shocking truth. Neither of them realizes then that they have put in motion factors that will soon risk Maya’s life as well. Maya’s investigation takes her to intriguing corners of the city and across cultural bounds. Secrets are an integral component of mysteries. As the mysterious guru advises Maya about the people she talks to – they believe that their “Secrets are like jewels. You must protect them.” But Maya is determined to reveal them and catch a killer.

                Bharti Kirchner is the author of eleven books, seven novels, four cookbooks, and countless short pieces published in magazines and newspapers. Her talent and skill in cooking is scattered through her mystery novel and adds precious luster to the story. Also the culture of India is such a charming dimension to the book. Much of this cultural reference is through the delightful character Uma who is Maya’s mother. The writing is truly engaging.

                Besides her mystery novel Season of Sacrifice Bharti Kirchner also published her Promised Tulips short story in Seattle Noir which is an anthology of mystery short stories. She’s won numerous awards and honors associated with her writing and her cooking. Before becoming an author, Bharti worked as a systems engineer for IBM and as a systems manager for Bank of America in San Francisco. She’s also worked as a computer systems consultant in Europe and other continents. She’s also a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences, book festivals, and universities.

                And if you want to hear more from the author listen on YouTube to Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Bharti Kirchner

A Spark of Death

A Spark of Death

By Bernadette Pajer

                The hunt for a killer in this mystery is electric. Take a trip back in history to a vividly described Seattle of the early 1900’s. Here’s an opportunity for you to join University of Washington Professor Benjamin Bradshaw as he discovers clues and analyzes motives and opportunity in order to try to take himself off the police’s suspects list.

                No worries if you’re not a scientist, because at the hands of this skilled author Professor Bradshaw is gifted at illuminating the dynamics of the scientific principles. During the investigation the Professor schools you through the evidence in a most entertaining way. Of course, finding a killer involves analysis of more than facts and evidence, and in this book you get to know fascinating characters that may have had motive and opportunity. The author has a true talent for weaving motive into the characters. As the story is told, the characters’ lives with the troubled palpitations that they carry within their hearts are revealed. What’s fascinating is that with the burdens so many carry who among them became overcome and lashed out. The Professor’s personal life also brings an interesting dimension to the story and provides insights into the place and times.

                This book is the first in a four book mystery series. This fictional has a foundation in true history and is so very well researched. For example, in this first book the characters are preparing for an historic event for the University. It turns out that Seattle was planning for President William McKinley to visit in May 1901. The setting descriptions and the everyday activities ring true and you’ll enjoy absorbing this detail. The early days of the turn of the 20th century, is a wondrous time when the race was on to discover and invent—everything, including electricity and the Tesla coil.

                The author, Bernadette Pajer, loves the Pacific Northwest. She spent her childhood in Seattle, and studied pre-Engineering at the University of Washington.

                And if you want to hear more from the author listen on YouTube to Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Bernadette Pajer

Remarkable Read About The Salish Sea

The Salish Sea

By Audrey DeLella Benedict & Joseph K. Gaydos

                What a wonderful celebration of the history, biology, beauty and vibrancy of The Salish Sea. This book makes a dynamic impact immediately with its incredible photography that is generously featured on every page of the book. Caught in the moment are the precious scenery and animals of this inland sea off the coast of Washington and British Columbia. Mixed saltwater and freshwater, it includes the Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. The endearing and insightful photography is mesmerizing. The remarkable images are from many contributing professional and amateur photographers. As stated by the authors, “their photographs reveal a profound sense of place and present the intricate beauty of the Salish Sea in a way that will inspire the next generation of conservation stewards.”

                Not to be outdone, authors skillfully weave the many ribbons of the story that is this Jewel of the Pacific Northwest. They share its history in the most interesting way, including spinning the tales of its biological creation, European explorers, and native peoples. They move onto descriptions of the environment, plants, and animals both above and below the surface of the water. They include some thoughtful quotes for the chapters including, “I arise in the morning torn between the desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. That makes it hard to plan the day.” – E. B. White

                Even readers who live right in this region, or visit it frequently, are sure to learn so much in this book, and at the same time be entertained and delighted. Both authors are actively involved with the SeaDoc Society. Audrey DeLella Benedict, a writer and naturalist, is a member of the board. Joseph K. Gaydos, a licensed veterinarian with a PhD in wildlife health, is Chief Scientist for this marine science and conservation program focused on the Salish Sea as a whole. Founded in 2001, SeaDoc is part of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the University of California at Davis School, of Veterinary Medicine. Based on Orcas Island, the SeaDoc organization works on both sides of the international border to conduct and support research in many areas, and makes scientific findings available to the public and resource managers who will help shape the future of the Salish Sea. To find out more about SeaDoc, visit seadocsociety.org

Deborah Knott is the Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron

Bootlegger’s Daughter

By Margaret Maron

                A cold case has haunted the tobacco country of Colleton County, North Carolina in this novel about the Bootlegger’s Daughter that is the first in the Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron. Eighteen years ago a mother and baby daughter disappeared. Found three days later, the baby survived but her mother was already dead. This unsolved murder became a local legend that haunted residents, including baby Gayle as she grew up. Now an adult, Gayle has hired attorney Deborah Knott to investigate so her mother can finally rest in peace with her killer finally caught, and Gayle hopes she can find some kind of peace in that closure as well.

                In the midst of all her work, Deborah presses for her passion for fair court sentencing that represents her commitment, that “punishment is supposed to deter a person from doing it again, not crush his spirit.” A particularly ruthless decree in a court case that Deborah watched while she waited for her client’s case to start next, that was the spark that began the fire of her own campaign for District Judge. The excitement of the primaries and then the election pulses through the pages. Campaigning with her family’s long history is sometimes an asset, and sometimes a liability. She is, after all, the strong-willed daughter of Kezzie Knott – notorious bootlegger, ex-con, and political string-puller. As this investigation continues, and as the campaign trail heats up, Deborah finds herself fully immersed in intrigue, debate, and the dangers of posing a threat to a murderer.

                Margaret Maron writes with an insider’s knowledge, in her Deborah Knott series, of the legacy of Southern culture – the land, the history, the issues of race, family secrets and often-troubled inheritance. The characters she creates are touching and compelling. Amidst some thoughtful, dire, and action packed issues handled in her books, there’s also some playfulness and even wistfulness in some of the characters.

                Born and raised in North Carolina, author Margaret Maron is a highly-regarded and awarded mystery writer.  She’s won the Agatha Award for her urban New York series featuring police detective Sigrid Harald, and the Edgar Award for Best Novel for Bootlegger’s Daughter. She’s also won the renowned Anthony and also the Macavity Awards.  Enjoy her 34 novels and two collections of short stories. A long-standing member of the Mystery Writers of America, she’s also held office as President of the Sisters in Crime organization. Her book, Bootlegger’s Daughter, was chosen as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers.

                And if you want to hear more from the author listen on YouTube to Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Margaret Maron

Renee Patrick's Design For Dying

Design For Dying

By Renee Patrick

                Lights, camera, mystery! Travel to the golden age of vintage Hollywood and see if you can find the killer as you gather clues along with partnered amateur sleuths Lillian Frost and Edith Head. That’s right, in this novel it’s 1937 Los Angeles and Edith Head has yet to gain fame and any of her eight Academy Awards. Right now she’s starting at the bottom, working the wardrobes for movie stars. She’s also helping to discover and analyze some curious Hollywood secrets.

                Murder strikes one of the many young women who have come to Hollywood on the promise of a screen test and the hope of a leading role. Who would have the motive, means, and opportunity to kill this intriguing young woman, a gem named Ruby? You’ll learn much about this beautiful victim through her friends, including Lillian Frost. Lillian was also an aspiring actress, who is working in a department store. She jumps into the investigation after handsome Detective Morrow initially pulls her aside as one of the suspects. As you gather clues with Lillian, you’re taken on a fun hunt through scenes of the entertainment industry as it’s gathering its momentum as a business of dreams. Early in this journey our young amateur sleuth meets and becomes friends with hard working Edith Head. During the hunt there are wonderful, cameo appearances by fictionalized, real name actors and celebrities that will delight you.

                The authors are a surprise too. Yes it is collaboration, written by husband and wife team Rosemarie and Vince Keenan. They’ve done an incredible amount of research about classic Hollywood and they weave this information into the story so dynamically that the background and details add dimension into this story. Some of the elements you’ll enjoy include the irresistible humor, and the alluring glamour. And at the heart is an exciting mystery to solve. After all, as one of Barbara Stanwyck’s lines in the movie Baby Face in 1933 – “What chance has a woman got?”

                There’s already a wonderful sequel available titled Dangerous To Know. In this novel you’ll meet again some recurring characters, and be introduced to new ones and more fun celebrity cameos. A third book is in the works now.

                And if you want to hear more from the authors listen on YouTube to Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Renee Patrick