The Rosewood Hunt by Mackenzie Reed

THE ROSEWOOD HUNT by Mackenzie Reed is an energizing debut which features younger, teenage characters.  Although Reed appears to be writing for a younger audience,  this treasure-hunt mystery is a very fun read for any age. Described as an update on Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game, the story centers around 4 teens:  Lily Rosewood (granddaughter and apparent heir to a clothing business), Leo DiVincenzi (the gardener/lawn boy), Quinn Zhao (athletic and cool new kid), and Caleb Johnson (nerdy computer guy from a neighboring town). They develop a close alliance while searching for a missing fortune and battling self-centered adults. The pace is fast; danger threatens; and the teens (along with their emotional angst and “friendship that blooms during an unexpected journey”) are appealing and engaging. School Library Journal says, “This mystery will grab the attention of readers from the start as it takes them along a trail of clues.” THE ROSEWOOD HUNT received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Chaos Terminal by Mur Lafferty

CHAOS TERMINAL by Mur Lafferty (Station Eternity) is another in an exciting sci-fi mystery series featuring Mallory Viridian, a human who has an unusual connection with the hivemind of Sundry insects who help keep a spaceship running and its inhabitants alive.  Lafferty certainly does not disappoint, offering another complicated plot and plenty of suspects amongst the numerous twists and turns. For me, this new title would best be read after Station Eternity so that the reader can fully appreciate the characters and “science” involved. There are many likeable characters and subtle subplots which will no doubt feature in future series entries. CHAOS TERMINAL received starred reviews from Booklist (“delicious humor and intricate mystery”) and Library Journal (“complex and engaging”).

Agatha Christie's Influence ...

HERCULE POIROT'S SILENT NIGHT by Sophie Hannah is the fifth mystery she has written about Agatha Christie’s intrepid detective, but the first that I have had the pleasure to read. This novel takes place at an old mansion which is literally about to crumble into the sea as the cliff it sits upon is eroding. It seems that the family who lives there is disintegrating, too – there is much animosity between the two sisters (married to two brothers), their parents, and in-laws. The patriarch is gravely ill and about to enter hospital, but his wife is certain that he will be killed after another patient is murdered. Temporary guests Poirot and his friend, Edward Catchpool, are caught up in the drama and preparations for Christmas festivities. In fact, many clues emerge as Catchpool unobtrusively interviews suspects while decorating Christmas trees. The key is past transgressions and as Poirot notes, “without the determination to keep the terrible secret at all costs there would have been no motive to commit any murders at all.” Readers will be surprised and entertained by this holiday-themed tale.  

THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING by Rhys Bowen is number 17 in the series which features Lady Georgiana Rannoch. It is exciting that she and her husband are about to have a baby, but this mystery lacked suspense and the perpetuator and motive were fairly obvious from the start. Numerous guests attend a fancy dinner party and eat the same food, but a few become ill and more than one dies.  In order to save the reputation of her chef, Georgie has to figure out how the murder occurred and greatly benefits from some brainstorming with none other than Agatha Christie herself (a fellow guest at the exclusive dinner). Fans of this long-running series will likely enjoy Georgie’s increased confidence and triumph at entertaining with a French chef; many, however, may prefer other, more puzzling, cozy mysteries.

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman

WEST HEART KILL by Dann McDorman is a truly unusual mystery offering and an impressive debut. McDorman, an Emmy-nominated TV news producer, is clearly a talented and thoughtful writer. He speaks directly to the reader throughout the text and ultimately brings the reader into the story in order to investigate multiple murders. The setting in upstate New York is a remote hunting lodge which is under financial pressure. At the request of a member, a private investigator arrives, unearths some possible motives, and soon has a murder to solve. WEST HEART KILL is a LibraryReads selection for October and will appeal especially to fans of Horowitz’s The Word is Murder series. This is a novel that will have readers forming strong opinions – many, like me, will appreciate its inventiveness. Others, however, will find that it differs too much from the mystery “formula” and prefer a more conventional tale. Give it a try and see what you think.

Smart Startups and business advice

Thinking of starting your own business or investing in a new one? Here are some recent titles that offer perspective on those activities.

SMART STARTUPS, available from Harper Wave, is written by Catalina Daniels and James H. Sherman, both of whom are Harvard Business school graduates with experience as consultants (McKinsey and Bain, respectively), serial entrepreneurs, and angel investors. They have collaborated on this text to outline “What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know -- Advice from 18 Harvard Business School Founders.” A primary goal is to share real world experience and perceptions from fellow alums and entrepreneurs like Jenny Fleis of Rent the Runway or Anthemos Georgiades from Zumper, the rental platform. Daniels and Sheran contend “one of the key takeaways from our interviews in this book is that one can learn to ‘start smarter’ but the challenges and the learning will never stop.” They offer an inspirational take on that journey, sharing insights about the passion to create, being resilient, and importance of timing. In addition, they stress the importance of planning and how “landing a good idea often requires a deliberate, lengthy ideation process.” SMART STARTUPS is filled with quotes and guidance that merit thoughtful reflection. Each chapter opens with a one-line summary (like: “Customer feedback should blow you away. Anything less means you keep refining.”) and then Daniels and Sherman include subheadings with commentary from their many successful interviewees. Budding entrepreneurs, as well as more established ones, will enjoy learning from this text.  

START. SCALE. EXIT. REPEAT., published by Forbes Books and written by Colin C. Campbell, is actually dedicated to “all the entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to learn.”  Campbell is another serial entrepreneur, having been associated with numerous startups including Tucows, Internet Direct, Hostopia, and GeeksforLess. He divides this new text into the 4 steps outlined in the title and then further subdivides those into Story, People, Money and Systems. There he reveals entrepreneurs’ “secrets” like focusing on something you love and hiring people who are ‘different’ when starting out. He provides some honest commentary about his own experiences: [there were] “times when I partied like it's 1999 and times when I wanted to climb back into my cave and curl up into a ball.” Campbell breaks up the text with quotes and graphs and offers several lists, like key values. He writes about developing the business as well as balancing one’s personal life suggesting, for example, that readers “delegate responsibilities, not tasks.” Entrepreneurs, even aspiring ones, are likely familiar with many of the suggestions here, but still may enjoy a run through this very accessible text.

LBJ's America

LBJ’S AMERICA edited by Mark Atwood Lawrence (Director of the Johnson Presidential Library) and Mark K. Updegrove is a collection of essays about “The Life and Legacies of Lyndon Baines Johnson” from Cambridge University Press. The text is divided into four broad sections: background on LBJ and his times, his domestic policies, foreign affairs, and reflections on his impact. That last section is written by Melody C. Barnes, Obama’s director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. This text is filled with facts and details; approximately twenty percent is devoted to notes, extensive bibliographic citations, and a helpful index. And the essays provide valuable insights on a man who is remembered for dramatic advances in civil rights and immigration law as well as the quagmire, societal divisions, and deaths due to the escalation of the Vietnam War. UT Austin published an interview with Lawrence which explores some of these contrasts. It is worth noting that historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin have praised this new text which will likely have greatest appeal for scholars and academicians due to its language, tone, and high quality of selections (e.g., Joshua Zeitz provides an essay on the War on Poverty). Austin’s Book People is promoting LBJ’S AMERICA along with the upcoming Texas Book Festival on Nov. 11 and 12. I also think it would be very interesting to watch Turn Every Page, the new documentary about the collaboration between Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb as they spent roughly fifty years documenting the LBJ story.

The Thai Cookbook

THE THAI COOKBOOK by the editors of Chartwell Books is certainly a unique and attractive cookbook, offering “more than 80 delicious recipes, regional styles, and flavors.” In addition to standard sections (e.g., fish, meat and poultry, vegetables, desserts), the editors have included multiple recipes under sections about street food, curries, and stir fries. They have also incorporated a few food journeys where they provide more background about flavorings or sweets, for example. The accompanying pictures – of both people and food – are gorgeous. Other options exist for “easy” or "beginner” Thai foods since these recipes are relatively complex, especially in terms of their use of traditional ingredients and spices. A few examples: chicken wrapped in pandanus leaf; curried fish steamed in banana chilis; or Thai fried noodles with prawns. No nutritional information is included, but the editors have incorporated a glossary and useful index; those who enjoy this cuisine will likely find several meal ideas to explore.