Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern

TRICKS OF FORTUNE by Lina Chern (Play the Fool) is the second murder mystery to feature tarot card reader Katie True. This time, her good friend, Gina, is a prime suspect in the murder of a local cop, Officer Pete. Chern is an Edgar Award-winning author, and I find her stories to be filled with suspense and humor. I had a sixth sense while reading and was gratified to see the author’s note which refers to the real-life case involving Illinois resident Lt. Joe Gliniewicz. Chern adds her own twists and character secrets. She also flashes back to the time when Katie’s eccentric Aunt Rosie, stressing the need to move forward and accept change, first explained how to read the cards. Those chapters are guaranteed to make readers smile and laugh. TRICKS OF FORTUNE works as a stand-alone mystery, but readers will enjoy reading Play the Fool first. As Katie says, “Our brains are wired to look for patterns. You get a bunch of random images, your brain is automatically going to make a story out of it. It's why the cards work. It's not magic, but it's real.” For more on Chern's  perspective on the cards and writing mysteries, see her interview with Chicago Review of Books. 

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes

SAVVY SUMMERS AND THE SWEET POTATO CRIMES by Sandra Jackson-Opoku is a brand-new culinary mystery. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karen Chilton – she did an excellent job. I liked the voice, the cozy story, and the clever use of language (e.g., “looking back from the intersection of hindsight and regret…”). This mystery debut is set in Southside Chicago so hearing about familiar locales was fun for me (despite the disparaging remarks about the beloved Cubbies baseball team). The title character is a woman trying to be strong and to give back to her community. She runs her own business, a soul food café based on her great Aunt Essie's recipes. But when a patron dies suddenly, Savvy’s livelihood is threatened, and she (along with her nosy assistant and policemen ex-husband) tries to figure out what happened. Savvy persists, often reflecting on Aunt Essie’s truisms like there are three sides to every story: “her side, his side and the dad-gone truth.” Library Journal gave SAVVY SUMMERS AND THE SWEET POTATO CRIMES a starred review, praising its “engaging community of characters.” 

The French Ingredient by Jane Bertch

THE FRENCH INGREDIENT is the first book and memoir from Jane Bertch who started La Cuisine Paris in 2009. Despite the early setbacks which she describes that business has become the largest nonprofessional culinary school in France. Bertch subtitles her text “Making a Life in Paris One Lesson at a Time” and very engagingly depicts nearly two decades living and working in Europe. It is an eventful transition from a retail banker to a founder of a cooking school. Entrepreneurs will relate to her comments: “I was on a roller-coaster ride -- at one moment thinking, Forget it this will never work, the next feeling euphoric because we had booked a client or got some press.” She also does an entertaining job of contrasting her own grandmother’s “chaotic” kitchen with the French mise en place: the preparation for the meal with everything washed, chopped, measured, etc. before cooking begins, noting “this is likely why in a French cookbook, you will often see ingredients presented in order of quantities (highest to lowest), rather than when you use them (as in American cookbooks).” She also writes about the importance of relationships, particularly clients and regulars at a food establishment. A fun and informative read, and Bertch says, “I hope that something within these pages inspires you to do whatever you dare to think you can do -- despite all the obstacles and doubts.”

Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky

PAY DIRT by Sara Paretsky is book number 22 in the much-loved V.I. Warshawski series. Although the majority of private investigator Warshawski’s adventures have been in Chicago, Paretsky chose to set this mystery primarily in Lawrence, Kansas – where Paretsky grew up, home of the University of Kansas Jayhawks, and an area that experienced significant violence over slavery’s legality prior to the Civil War. As readers will discover, there are certainly flashbacks and relevance for some historical events in the mid-1800s. In the present day, however, Warshawski is battling her own demons after the death of her lover’s student. She is, surprisingly, a mere shadow of her former highly resilient self. Locating and helping a drug-addicted college student goes some way towards recovery – she even accepts a new case but is then abruptly fired and forced to confront the discovery of another body. Under suspicion for murder and feeling off her game, Warshawski persists and utilizes her full coterie of supporters – Lotty, Mr. Contreras, Murray, and locals from Lawrence, including an aspiring journalist and two scrapyard operators – to fight corruption, greed, and evil.

Paretsky cites two recent books as influencing her writing in PAY DIRT. One, The Agitators by Dorothy Wickenden focuses on the lives of Harriet Tubman, Frances Seward, and Martha Wright as they fight for abolition and women’s rights. I plan to review it here soon. The second, This Is Not Dixie by Brent M. S. Campney, is an academic work about the racist violence in Kansas from 1861 to 1927 published by University of Illinois Press. I was amazed to learn that Paretsky “wrote and discarded seven drafts before arriving at the storyline that makes up the book.” Her hard work is evident and fans will truly appreciate another great mystery filled with danger and suspense.

Play the Fool by Lina Chern

PLAY THE FOOL by Lina Chern is a very original and super fun mystery read. The story begins in a mall outside Chicago, where 20-something Katie True is stuck in a dead-end retail job and trying to cope with a family who disapproves of her lifestyle choices. At the mall, a bleeding man suddenly asks her to read his fortune with her Tarot cards and when she manages to sneak a look at his phone, she sees evidence of a murder. Despite not finding a body, Katie next decides to convince an attractive cop (the chemistry between them is apparent) that the victim deserves an investigation. Katie is a clever sleuth on her own; well, except for staying out of danger. Non-stop action, the involvement of organized crime, and many more Tarot readings later, readers will be laughing and cheering for Katie and Officer Jamie. PLAY THE FOOL, a debut novel, received a starred review from Library Journal (“charming and eccentric Katie will captivate readers”).

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

HELLO BEAUTIFUL by Ann Napolitano (Dear Edward) is an extremely well-written novel set primarily in Chicago. The multi-generational story centers around the lives of four sisters, their parents, and children: “The four Padavano girls shared their lives, celebrating and utilizing one another’s strengths, covering for one another’s weaknesses. Julia was the organizer and leader, Sylvie the reader and measured voice, Emeline the nurturer, and Cecelia the artist.” With multiple narrators and much introspection, Napolitano encourages her readers and characters to contemplate questions like “Was life constructed of arrivals and departures?” In a book that I did not want to put down, she explores themes of family, love, and sacrifice.

Yes, there are several sad points when the story encounters potential suicide, mental health issues, and fatal disease. But there are many uplifting moments like Cecelia’s growth as an artist and the murals she creates to honor strong women – recently in Freemantle, Australia I saw one (shown here) that helped me imagine the power of her work. The relationships between mothers and daughters are probed, as well as the importance of a father’s support. Plus, parallels to classic literature are noted when the siblings compare themselves to the March sisters. All of which would make for a fascinating book group discussion (in fact, this title is an Oprah’s Book Club Pick). HELLO BEAUTIFUL is also a LibraryReads selection for March and received a starred review from Booklist. Highly recommended. 

Peril at the Exposition by Nev March

PERIL AT THE EXPOSITION by Nev March (Murder in Old Bombay) is the second historical mystery (set in 1893) in an intriguing series featuring a young woman from India, Diana Framji, and her husband, Captain Jim Agnihotri. Formerly a soldier in the British army, Jim is now a detective based in Boston. One of his colleagues is murdered on assignment and the firm sends Jim to Chicago, where the Columbian Exposition (World’s Fair) is underway, to learn more. After a few weeks have passed with no word, Diana is alerted to danger for Jim so she, too, heads to the Midwest. There, along with an eclectic ensemble of helpers (a cross dresser, a street urchin selling matches, an African American employee of the firm), Diana takes advantage of her society contacts and tries to discover who may be plotting to use explosives and disrupt the fair. March, whose earlier book in the series was an Edgar award finalist, uses the period setting to share details of Chicago history (e.g., the Rookery, Wrigley’s chewing gum), of class unrest and worker exploitation (e.g., references to the Haymarket Riot), and of the conflicting attitudes towards adopting electricity more widely (Nikola Tesla even makes a cameo appearance). PERIL AT THE EXPOSITION offers a complex mystery combined with historical and social perspective. A new immigrant herself, Diana reflects on Americans “[who] were curious creatures, stiff and distant when you first meet them, patronizing even. Perhaps they imagined people born elsewhere must either be deaf or stupid. Yet, I’d found them to be generous and forgiving, even kindly when one did not expect it.” Enjoy this story – there are sure to be more for this adventurous young couple.

Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed

HOLLOW FIRES by Samira Ahmed (Internment) is sure to spark discussion. This young adult novel would be an excellent choice for literature circles and book clubs. Ahmed utilizes different types of text (news articles, media transcripts and interviews) plus two primary narrators to describe events surrounding the tragic disappearance of a young boy in Chicago. His name is Jawad Ali who at 14 used recycled materials to create a jet pack costume for Halloween and was subsequently arrested because a teacher thought it might be a bomb. Sadly, this part of the story parallels real world events. The second voice is that of Safiya Mirza, Editor in Chief of her high school newspaper, The DuSable Spectator. She is a crusader, but also is portrayed as a typical teen worried about friendships and a budding romance. Together with friends, Safiya investigates Jawad’s disappearance and battles disinterest and outright hostility from authority figures in law enforcement and her school administration.

In 2019 Samira Ahmed wrote a piece for School Library Journal which challenged Librarians to “Use Your Power;” she said in part, “I’m asking you to examine the role we adults play in creating such a brutally unfair world for our children and to do what you can to change it. It starts with a conversation. It starts with challenging yourself.” Ahmed supports powerful conversations by beginning HOLLOW FIRES with definitions for Facts, Alternative facts, Truth and Lies and then adds provocative examples before each chapter like Lie: “What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening” (Trump, July 24, 2018); Truth: “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final and most essential command.” (George Orwell, 1984); Fact: “Truth is stranger than fiction.” HOLLOW FIRES received starred reviews from Kirkus (“An unconventional murder mystery takes a sharp look at racism and Islamophobia in America”) and Publishers Weekly.  Here is the publisher’s discussion guide. 

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe

LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET by Toya Wolfe is so evocative of a time and place, centering on a group of friends who live in public housing in Chicago in 1999. That was a period of transition for the neighborhood as well as for these four young adolescents, just 12 or 13: “Fe Fe” Stevens, Precious Brown, Stacia Buchanan, and newcomer “Tonya from the Ten,” a catalyst for change in the group. Initially, the girls spend carefree summer days – playing four square or Double Dutch jump rope, but gradually the violence of gang presence, worries over housing being lease compliant, and even sexual abuse invade their reality. Their paths diverge with some ending up “in the system” under foster care or having a brother sent to prison, while others move away and finish college. Years later, a chance reunion allows revisiting the events of that fateful summer. A very well-written debut novel, LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and from Booklist which called it a “fictional counterpart” to Dawn Turner’s Three Girls from Bronzeville. Book groups and literature circles will find much (poverty, racism, police action, Chicago politics, drug addiction, gang pressure, and family loyalty) to discuss and debate.

Growing Up Chicago

GROWING UP CHICAGO, edited by David Schaafsma, Lauren DeJulio Bell and Roxanne Pilat, is described by the publisher (Northwestern University Press) as “a collection of coming-of-age stories that reflects the diversity of the city and its metropolitan area.” Given the local connections and list of contributors which includes Samira Ahmed, Stuart Dybek, Nnedi Okorafor, and George Saunders, I was excited to browse this book. The Foreword, from Luis Alberto Urrea, notes that he and the editors are all affiliated with the University of Chicago, “involved in the literary life of this city: as teachers, as facilitators, even helping nonprofit literary outreach programs get a footing here” and originally created this book for high school or college audiences. Our students, particularly those in Senior writing classes will learn much from the varied selections. Rebecca Makkai, for example, contributed a short piece titled “Children of the Fifty-Sixers: Growing Up in Hungarian Chicago” and she readily talks about Chicago’s neighborhoods; about details of the immigrant experience – such as seeing the produce section at Jewel for the first time; and about what it means to be American: “to be both from here and from away, to belong also to a land you’ve never known, to look with perpetual wonder at the lemons in the grocery store.” Chicago's diversity is also reflected in an excerpt from Erika L. Sanchez’s National Book Award Finalist I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and commentary (“I feel as if I grew up with three languages: English, Italian, and Chicago”) from award-winning author Tony Romano and many more. Look for a copy on our shelves soon.

Overboard by Sara Paretsky

It has been a while since I read a mystery featuring the private investigator V.I. Warshawski so reading the latest, OVERBOARD, by Sara Paretsky reminded me why I enjoy these stories so much. The strong heroine, the Chicago  neighborhood settings, and the almost non-stop action all have strong appeal. This suspenseful story begins when Vic and her dogs find a young girl hiding amongst the rocks between Sheridan Road and Lake Michigan. From there, things get confusing due to multiple story lines involving that girl and also members of the Litvak family, former childhood classmates of Warshawski and her cousin Boom-Boom. True to its Chicago roots, police corruption, suspect real estate deals, innovative tech, hate crimes, and even elder abuse add conflict and drama, too. At one point Vic muses: “Between Julia and her grandmother, Brad, the Skyrocket, the Shaamar Hashomayim synagogue, I felt as though I was carrying a giant plastic bag so filled with unwieldly shapes I couldn’t see around it.”  Fortunately, she has her dogs and many good friends like reporter Murray Ryerson, Dr. Lotty Herschel, and neighbor Mr. Contreras who always seem to have a connection or helpful advice. As Booklist notes, “Two teen characters will extend the reach of Paretsky's latest to mystery-loving YA readers.” Enjoy!

Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close

MARRYING THE KETCHUPS by Jennifer Close is a fun story about a restaurant family who live in the Chicago area. Frequent references to Oak Park and Lake Forest, plus the 2016 election add local connection and some amusement. Close begins the story in 2016 with the “unfamiliar experience of watching the Cubs in October” at Sullivan’s, founded decades ago by Bud and Rose. The majority of the action centers around their adult grandchildren: Gretchen, just moved back from NYC after quitting her band; Jane, mother to Lauren and Owen and struggling to find herself as she contemplates divorce; Teddy, feeling disrespected despite his restaurant experience and unhappy with his relationship with ex-lover Walter; and Riley, Teddy’s much younger half-sister who supplies some typical teenage angst. All in all, a pretty dysfunctional group and that makes for tension, but the best part is near the end when each manages to start fresh. Perhaps we will see a sequel soon? Full of realistic, relatable characters, MARRYING THE KETCHUPS received a starred review from Booklist.