Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger

 I've read some Krueger before and enjoyed it. At last month's book club here in St. George, we decided to read This Tender Land, which I have read years ago. I decided to read it again, and, while at the library browsing, I came upon this one. It's the prequel to his "popular" Cork O'Connor series. So, I thought, I'll give this one a try. It's good. Not as lyrical or inspiring as his others, but okay. Not a great detective story either, but I enjoyed the characters. It's kind of low key.

I enjoyed the accurate depiction of the stress between Native Americans and the whites who live nearby the reservations. This story is set in Minnesota, but is very like what I felt and saw in South Dakota, though a bit over-simplified. I liked the twelve-year-old Cork character--what a good and honest kid! I may read another one of this series when he's an adult, but may not. We'll see. Still searching for some great authors and some great literature! Sigh...

The Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters

 This book was a huge disappointment!

I felt I owed it to Elizabeth Peters to branch outside of her Amelia Peabody series. I thought maybe she would be as sharp and funny and entertaining in other genres. Maybe she is, but this isn't it! It was so bad and so disappointing that I almost quit multiple times. Finishing it did not satisfy me on any level. So, what's interesting is that I did finish it, even though I was not entertained at all. Maybe I like to see if it will get better? Maybe I didn't have anything waiting in the wings? Whatever, this one is NOT a keeper!

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

 This came up as a recommendation on Amazon from all of my Elizabeth Peters purchases. After reading the reviews, it seemed like a good risk. It was!

This "thriller" is quietly sinister and the setting of the Shetland Islands is cold and forboding. It's not a violent thriller in that sense, to me, it was more of a detective story. I really liked the characters who were interesting and so was the chilly setting of the Shetland Islands.

Great writing? No. Descriptive, though, and interesting. The tangled web of characters and how the mystery unfolded really kept my interest. It was a read I looked forward to after fun evenings and days with the Stevenson's in Rapid City. Will I get another one by this author? Maybe. 

Children of the Storm by Elizabeth Peters

This installment in the series had some very unexpected and delightful humorous moments. I believe Peters’ writing has improved over the course of these stories. The characters are so entertaining and stay consistent over time. I’ve especially enjoyed the growing softening of the master criminal, Sethos, as he is influenced by time in the Emerson family.

This longer story was complicated, but I was able to stay with it. The criminals were women from earlier installments, except for one, and she was despicable. She was disguised as a special needs boy, and he and his servant, Francois, were uncomfortably evil. They were determined to steal the massive treasure that had been discovered in one of Cyrus’ digs. His disappointment and subsequent plan to turn it  over to M. Lacau was a central point in the plot. 

I felt like Peters spent a lot of words filling out the familial scenes to give us an idea of how this next generation would operate. Ramses and Nefret’s twins get the last word in this book, and they are hilarious. Obviously, history is about to repeat itself in the form of two precocious children.

I read the ending of this in Las Vegas as we were attending a Rod Stewart concert. The action and darkness here on the streets can be unsettling. It was a relief to get into my most comfy and clean bed here in the Flamingo Hotel, and sail away into the safety of this story! Len is sleeping, so I took my pillow and comforter to a crack in the drapes so I could read the ending before we depart! It, like most of the stories, ended with a violent and dramatic culmination of the heroes overcoming the criminals in force. Very satisfying ending!

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley

Woohoo! Another delightful detective novel featuring twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce. This one is set alongside the River Thames, as the girls and Dogger are on holiday. It could be that it's been so long since I've read one of these that I've forgotten, but I think this one is funnier than any of the others. I used an orange highlighter to capture a few of my favorite lines, and I had to use it a LOT! I also liked how Flavia and her sisters seem to be getting along a little better. Daffy and Flavia actually collaborate in this story, which would have been unheard of before. Also, Dogger is becoming more central to the story. I heartily enjoyed every page of this one, and even paused to look up the art work the author referred to. It made it even more interesting. I'm amazed at the author's knowledge of poisons, chemistry, the Book of Common Prayer and all things Church of England; there are also many Catholic and biblical references that are fascinating. This book was the perfect escape on a very cold and snowy Bismarck day!

Here are some of my highlights:

"That was the great thing about Dogger: He could follow my train of thought as easily as if he owned the railway."

"The humble paper clip, in certain circumstances, can be of more practical use than a magic want."

"I'll bet there have been more truths told over an open coffin than in all the confession boxes in Christendom."

"The vicar stared at him as blankly as if he were one of Einstein's equations on a blackboard."

"She was coolly judging her effect upon our widening eyes, making us her mirror."

"I was rifling through Revelation when I had one. A revelation, I mean."