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Messages - Becke Davis

346
What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...
« on: June 09, 2020, 12:53:38 am »
Glad you liked that book Becke.

I started reading a new book today on my lunch break. I hope that I can get a bunch of reading done over the course of the week so I finish it in a timely fashion.

In the meantime, here's that review for Michael Connelly's FAIR WARNING.

I'm kind of glad you didn't give this a rave review. I recently spent some money at ABE Books, picking up a bunch of vintage mysteries I'm eager to read. For some reason coronavirus and its attendant social distancing is making me want to go back and read old mysteries.

347
Becke wrote:
<The reporter has "perfectly styled streaked silver hair." I immediately thought of a Boston TV news reporter who is also an acclaimed mystery author. Was this a shout-out?

You bet! That Easter egg was a shoutout to Hank Phillippi Ryan. Good eye, Becke.

That's funny! Now I'll have to keep my eyes open for other surprises like that!

If I remember correctly, Hank Phillippi Ryan also popped up in one of Ace Atkins' Spenser novels too.

Your memory is excellent! Hank posted an excerpt of Ace Atkins' book on her Facebook page. I got a kick out of it so I ordered the book. It was better than I expected - I've read another one of the Ace Atkins/Spencer books since then.

348
What I'm Reading / Re: What I am Reading
« on: June 08, 2020, 12:20:23 pm »
I used to watch the Perry Mason series in reruns when I was growing up but I haven't seen many of them since that time. I've never read any of the books though.

Did you see there's a new HBO Perry Mason series debuting on Father's Day, June 21? It's very hard to picture this show without it's iconic original cast, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Here's the link: https://www.hbo.com/perry-mason

Oh I knew. Not sure I'm crazy about this new series though.

Yeah, I don't hold high hopes for it. I'm trying to think of remakes that I like(d) and the only one that comes to mind is Magnum P.I. I like the new one, and I don't think the original holds up at all.

349
What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...
« on: June 08, 2020, 12:17:41 pm »
I just reread John Sherwood's THE MANTRAP GARDEN. I dug out this vintage book because of our garden-related mysteries feature, and it holds up really well. While the book is set in and around a stately home garden, and in many ways it is still a cozy, in other ways it is unexpected.

For one thing, there is a fascinating section that flashes back to WWII and the work at Bletchley to break the Enigma cipher. I've read other books about this and I'd forgotten the Enigma code played a part in this mystery.  There is also industrial espionage on an international scale.

The garden featured in this book was originally designed by Gertrude Jekyll, and there are many quotes from her books scattered throughout.

Although the book mentions Gertrude Jekyll designed in the United States, it doesn't mention that she never actually visited the USA. She only designed three gardens in this country, and her plans were based on detailed plans of the garden sites.

Gertrude Jekyll - Gardens in America
lists the following U.S. gardens:

https://gertrudejekyll.co.uk/gardens_in_america/#:~:text=She%20wrote%20articles%20for%20American,influential%20in%20garden%20design%20circles.&text=During%20her%20later%20years%2C%20she,by%20meticulous%20attention%20to%20detail.

Gertrude Jekyll’s American gardens were as follows:
1914 Elmhurst, Ohio
1925 Cotswold Cottage, Greenwich, Connecticut
1926 Old Glebe House, Woodbury, Connecticut, which was restored during the 1990s and can be visited.

It's a well-kept secret that she also designed a garden at the Groesbeck Estate, now part of the Cincinnati Nature Center. Although her original plans have been saved for posterity, the garden she designed was never implemented because the site was so steep it wasn't considered feasible. Elements of her design, including stone paths, were installed and have been preserved.

 

350
Becke wrote:
<The reporter has "perfectly styled streaked silver hair." I immediately thought of a Boston TV news reporter who is also an acclaimed mystery author. Was this a shout-out?

You bet! That Easter egg was a shoutout to Hank Phillippi Ryan. Good eye, Becke.

That's funny! Now I'll have to keep my eyes open for other surprises like that!

351
Edith, I don't read a lot of historical fiction but I've read some. Usually associated with World War II. And you know that I'll be reading Book 6 of the Quaker Midwife mystery series for sure.

I'm looking forward to reading this series, too. Meanwhile, I just finished MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER, which is an Edith Maxwell book, AND it fits in with this month's garden-related mystery feature. Hydroponic gardening and organic herb gardening might seem peaceful occupations, but Cam Flaherty finds gardening has a deadly side.

I liked this a lot, and will definitely look for more in this series.

Edith, I have a question about a paragraph on page 264. Cam is watching TV: "A well-known Boston reporter appeared on the screen..." The reporter has "perfectly styled streaked silver hair." I immediately thought of a Boston TV news reporter who is also an acclaimed mystery author. Was this a shout-out?

352
Becke,

A couple of things about this.

It's Edith Maxwell. She writes as Maddie Day as well, but Edith Maxwell is her real name.

I'm on fairly sure ground about this because she's a Facebook friend of mine and I've met her at signings a number of times.

You are on very solid ground - I wonder how late/early it was when I wrote that?  I do have some books by Edith Hamilton, but they aren't cozy mysteries - they're books about Greek Mythology! And the series Edith/Maddie was asking about (the Country Store series) was one written as Maddie Day.

So...thanks for fact-checking! And my apologies for screwing this up.

Can you help Maddie with the name of the Mexican restaurant? I have some books by Maddie/Edith, but not this series.

Edith - My apologies for mistaking you for Edith Hamilton. I think I'm suffering from corona-brain!

353
What I'm Writing / Re: The Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries
« on: June 05, 2020, 02:17:47 pm »
Okay, now this sounds like a darn good series to check out. Adding it to my list for sure.

And Lois, welcome to the Mystery Scene Forum!

Jay - Lois' books are a lot of fun, which makes them perfect for this era of coronavirus. I was lucky enough to meet Lois and she's fun in person, too.

Thanks for visiting with us, Lois!

354
I'm delighted you loved Murder on Cape Cod, Becke!

I was drawn to that title because, while I've never been to Cape Cod, my sister-in-law used to live there for part of the year, and she and my brother visit the Cape regularly (they live in Vermont, so it's not far). My aunt and uncle, who lived in the Berkshires, used to go there every summer. I've heard so much about it, I hope to go there one day. I'm on the opposite coast in Eugene, Oregon, so I won't be traveling there anytime soon. In the meantime, it was fun to read your book about it!

I read a Jane Langton book set in Nantucket a few months ago - I'm not sure that's technically Cape Cod. I've been looking for copies of Philip R. Craig's Martha's Vineyard mysteries which are both hard to find and very expensive. I thought I'd read some Aaron Elkins books set in the Cape Cod area, but so far I'm only finding Elkins books set in other parts of Massachusetts. I must be unintentionally building up a collection of books set in the Cape Cod area. I need to rearrange my books by where they take place. Turns out I have a lot of books set in MA. Who knew?

355
What I'm Reading / Re: What I am Reading
« on: June 05, 2020, 02:07:42 pm »
I used to watch the Perry Mason series in reruns when I was growing up but I haven't seen many of them since that time. I've never read any of the books though.

Did you see there's a new HBO Perry Mason series debuting on Father's Day, June 21? It's very hard to picture this show without it's iconic original cast, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Here's the link: https://www.hbo.com/perry-mason

356
What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...
« on: June 05, 2020, 02:04:47 pm »
I haven't written a review of it yet, but I finished the new Michael Connelly thriller FAIR WARNING yesterday.

If we were having a reading race, you would be winning by a long shot!

357
The debut of a new message board forum feature and it stars the one and only EDITH MAXWELL aka MADDIE DAY!

Becke, you just know how to get me to chat my fool head off don't you?

I am a HUGE fan of Edith's work. The Country Store Mysteries are my favorite but I have grabbed up every book I can find that Edith has written. I picked up the copy of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine that featured one of her short stories and any time there's a new book out, it goes to the top of my to read list. So you know that NACHO AVERAGE MURDER will be the book I am reading when it comes out at the end of the month.

I've been able to attend a number of signings that Edith has done in the past couple of years (though it stunk that this year's events had to be cancelled for obvious reasons).

My love of Edith's work has even led to my being featured a couple of times in her newsletter and a quote from one of my reviews being used in the pre-release online hype she did for one of the books. After all, Robbie Jordan kicks as much butt as Jack Reacher....with way better food!

My most recent acquisition has been the two Tace Baker books. I got them used off eBay because I wanted the originals but I do plan to get them when they are republished this summer too.

Oh and one of those signings I attended? It was at my hometown library as part of our Mystery Book Club. We read the first book in her Quaker Midwife Mysteries series and Edith came to the meeting when we talked about it. It was as the kids say...so cool!

When I first got back into reading books after having the joy beaten out of me in high school by being forced to read stuff I didn't like, I read some cozy series. There were a couple that were good but I found a lot of them to be rather bad.

So I read more hardcore mysteries and thrillers. But I started picking up some cozy series in the last few years and they've been so much better to read than those I read a long time ago. At the top of my list of cozy authors is Edith Maxwell, who's books have just been appointment reading for me. And since I can attest to this from personal experience, Edith herself has been as great to talk to as her books have been to read!

'Nuff Said!

Jay - "'Nuff said?" Never! I admit I could picture you grinning when you saw this topic pop up. I'm so glad Edith agreed to join us! We're playing it by ear right now, waiting to see if it works with her dropping in at her convenience. Alternatively, we could schedule a day and time for her to visit. I know she has a busy schedule - not the least of which involves writing books! - so I hope we can make this a low-stress event.

Edith - Jay single-handedly turned me on to your books. I read all kinds of mysteries but since the advent of coronavirus, I've been reading a lot more cozies than usual. I have some friends who write cozies - Duffy Brown and Betty Hechtman are "real life" friends - so I've always kept up with theirs. And I met other authors online when I moderated the BN.com Mystery Forum when it was still around. I've had a lot of catching up to do reading all the new cozies (and working my way through author backlists), and my ever-growing waiting-to-be-read pile could fill a library.

Speaking of libraries, are you all keeping "wish lists" for when you local libraries open again? I broke down and bought some books recently, including some vintage treasures, so I need to read even faster. 

This month, I'm focusing on Edith/Maddie books and garden-related mysteries (surprisingly, some of those aren't at all cozy!), old and new.

Thanks again for joining us, Edith! (I'm partial to your name - it was my grandmother's name.)

358
Thanks, Hannah. The two Lauren Rousseau mysteries that I wrote as Tace Baker are out of print, but they are being re-released this summer as Edith Maxwell books. Speaking of Murder will be out at the end of July, and the second one in August.

If you like Call the Midwife, you would love my Quaker Midwife Mysteries! I was formerly a doula and childbirth educator, and I am a Quaker in a town with a lot of history, so it made sense to put those things together into a set of stories.

Wow - you were a doula and a childbirth educator? Do elements of your Quaker Midwife stories stem from your real-life experiences?

My great-grandfather was a Quaker in his youth and attended a Quaker school. As an adult he became a Methodist "circuit rider" - a sort of traveling minister. He left journals about his adult life but nothing has turned up about his formative years. I'd love to find out was his school days were like.

I haven't read any of the books in this series yet, but I'll have to add them to my list!

359
I just sat down to read my new issue of Mystery Scene magazine, and what did I find but a feature on Edith/Maddie! I set aside my book - the magazine is calling my name right now!

360
What I'm Reading / Re: What I am Reading
« on: June 04, 2020, 08:03:47 am »
After watching some of the fair to middling classic hollywood Perry Mason movies recently, I've started a read the original novels kick and I'm currently on two in having finished the first, The Case of the Velvet Claws, and am in the middle of the second, The Case of the Sulky Girl.  Pretty fun so far.

My dad had a lot of the old Perry Mason books. I think my brother claimed those when we were clearing out my parents' house a few years ago. I have a few of them myself - I've read most of the ones I own, but I'm sure there are more in my ever-growing waiting-to-be read pile.