Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret / Benjamin Stevenson
NY: Mariner Books, c2024.
174 p.

Another funny murder mystery, and this time seasonal too! This was a great way to kick off the holiday season for me, as it is set up like an advent calendar - if you start reading one chapter a day on Dec 1 you'll end up on Dec 24. Just like Stevenson's other books in this series, this one is really self-referential and meta. So entertaining, in all three takes so far!

When I got this, I thought, oh my this is quite short. Stevenson addresses that early in the book by announcing that this is the Christmas special, traditionally a shorter book with some of the characters off stage, so to speak. And he continues with his description of mystery fiction tropes as he tells his own mystery tale. Somehow, as with his other books, this still works. The humour is there, the suspense is there, and the Australian setting is definitely still part of the plot. 

In this one, Ern is heading to the Blue Mountains to look into the arrest of his ex-wife. Her rich new boyfriend has been murdered, and she knows that only Ern can save her now. But Ern's lack of judgement when it comes to his relationships arises again; he tells his new fiancee that he is going there to check out a stage magician who his uncle wants to book for their wedding entertainment. Yes, this is bonkers. 

What with stage magic, disgruntled theatre workers, a murder to kick things off and suspicious cops, and of course Ern's investigation, heads will roll. In this case quite literally. 

If you're a fan of this series, this is an entertaining addition to it. I found the Christmassy elements just right, not overdone, and an essential part of the story. The mystery makes sense, Ern is as talkative and expository as usual, and it's just good fun. With this series, it's probably best to start at the beginning and get to know these characters, although this can stand alone. It's more fun if you know Ern already though. Really enjoyed it. 

 

The Author's Guide to Murder

 

The Author's Guide to Murder / Beatriz Williams,
Laura Willig, and Karen White
NY: William Morrow, c2024.
404 p.

I picked this one up as soon as it came into my library; it's a mystery novel cowritten by three writers (all of whom I've read before) and it's about three writers who are writing a book together...yes, it's as meta and frothy as it sounds. Lots of corny humour, pop references, swoony romance, a great Scottish setting, and also -- some serious content and themes in the plot.

Cassie, Emma and Kat have just arrived at a writer's retreat in Scotland, Castle Kinloch. They're 3 besties,  there to research the romance/historical novel that they are going to write together...or are they? Besties or researching - or either? That's the question. And one that gets answered in numerous ways before the story ends, whether cheesy, hilarious or heartwarming ways.

And of course there are handsome Scots in abundance, although Kat's finely tuned gaydar gets a little turned around. There's a hunky man about the place, the estate manager, and a smoldering police detective, too bad he's investigating the trio for murder.

The man who has created the concept of writer's retreats is a rich American male author, leasing the place. And he has a connection to all three of these women, one that has driven them to join forces to come and face him in his tower. Sadly, before they get the chance for vengeance, he's dead and they're suspects. 

This is full of direct references to romance movies, other writers (even one reference to one of the real authors), the publishing world and much more. It is laugh out loud funny in parts, and touching though not maudlin in others. The backstory of these characters and their quest for justice is woven together neatly, giving each character motivation and some depth. And of course there are romantic scenes to enjoy, although nothing explicit, it's definitely closed door. 

Interspersed with the narrative, primarily in the beginning of the book, are transcripts of police interviews with the three characters immediately after the murder is discovered. This adds another level of clever exposition, and provides some more laughs. I really enjoyed this one. Light and funny, with some broad humour, it also gives a satisfying sense of the power of female friendship, especially in the light of the #metoo themes brought up here. I thought these elements were balanced well and the book was surprising in parts, with deliberate echoes of the greats of romance fiction. A satisfying read! 

Stitching Science

  

Stitching Science / Lauren Wright Vartanian & Keltie Thomas
Richmond Hill, ON: Firefly Books, c2024.
64 p.

I have something very special for you today! This is a book that is a wonderful blend of science and art. It's an alphabet book of scientific topics, all illustrated with hand-stitched images by Lauren Wright Vartanian, an artist who is fairly local to me. 

I watched this book's development on IG, as Vartanian began her stitching during lockdown. These are two of my favourite topics so I was thrilled when it was picked up as a book. The detailed embroideries are photographed very well, with large pages and clear, crisp photos that let you see the elements of each one. There is even a section at the end of closeups of some of the smaller details so you can really appreciate the handwork. 

Topics range from A to Z (haha, it is an alphabet book after all!). Vartanian got creative to find something for each letter, and while X is X-Ray as it often is in alphabet books, in this one it really makes sense to include this scientific discovery. Also, the image for this one is one of my favourites in the book, with the layered organza to represent the see through hand - and it's used on the cover because it is so striking. There are many others that are also stunning and creative and help you see things a little differently. If you want to see many, many of the interior images, check out Vartanian's website with her announcement about the book - so good! 

This is marketed as a children's book but I would say it's a middle grade read at least. Each topic has a one page essay about the scientific principle under discussion. Text was written by Keltie Thomas, and it complements the images well. It's thorough but not overwhelming for a younger reader.

Adults will enjoy this as much as younger readers, and might appreciate the skill in the illustrations a little more as well! I hope that reading this will spur interest among readers in both science and in embroidery. I think it's a gorgeous read that shows how well science and art work together to educate and inspire. 

If you're also in Ontario, you can see the original artwork exhibited at the Idea Exchange in Cambridge, on until March 30,. 2025. 

(this review first appeared at Following the Thread)

Return to Wyldcliffe Heights

 

Return to Wyldcliffe Heights / Carol Goodman
NY: William Morrow, c2024.
320 p.

A perfect choice for a Halloween read, Goodman's latest book returns to her academic, writerly themes for a shivery story. 

Agnes Corey is a young woman working in a small publishing house - a dream, really, as this is the publisher of her favourite book, "The Secret of Wyldcliffe Heights", a book many young women were drawn to over the years. It came to her through her mother's obsession with it, a mother with psychiatric issues whose relationship with Agnes is troubled and mostly estranged. 

But Agnes finds herself in an unexpected role - the author, Veronica St. Clair, has always refused to write a sequel, but suddenly decides she needs an assistant to take dictation on that long stalled sequel. Agnes gets the nod. 

St. Clair needs a secretary, as she's blind, following a fire at the real Wyldcliffe Heights, which also killed her father. The house used to be an asylum for troubled girls, complete with a chilling legend about Red Bess, a mass murderer said to haunt the house and grounds. But now it's just Veronica and her staff, keeping both her and this sprawling pile going. 

Agnes arrives to find a gothic manse on a hill with locked gates, groundman with gun, dark and cold hallways with strange passageways and a spooky attic, a surly housekeeper, and a promise of confidentiality made to Veronica. But she also has a secretive laptop and phone provided by her publisher, to keep them updated on any progress with their only money-making author. The past and the present collide as Agnes learns more about what really happened at Wyldcliffe Heights all those years ago and how much of the book was based in reality or imagination. And it has a strange connection to Agnes, too, the narrative of the sequel tunneling into her dreams. 

This is a real gothic, with all the mystery and danger you'd expect - there is also the town and townspeople, who have a whole festival celebrating Red Bess and the dangerous legend, which comes to life on Halloween. There are a couple of townspeople who help Agnes but many more who seem prickly and suspicious. And Agnes is wondering if she is really as stable as she pretends to be, after all. 

With the action of this book all based in a novel and its sequel, with tawdry New York life colouring the past, and so much riding on a publishing house, it's a very bookish book. Women's lives and their autonomy is also a huge theme in the story, both past and present. This is a dense mystery that bears deeper examination - you might find yourself flipping back to check on a story that's being told differently a few chapters later. I found it engrossing - loved the characters, whether they were 'likeable' or not - the setting was fantastic, both New York and Wyldcliffe Heights, and I really enjoyed the way that all the stories eventually interlock and connect the varied characters. Even many of the side characters were fully drawn and interesting on their own. Lots of great thematic content for discussion here, as well as being a great read for Halloween season. 

The Disinvited Guest

The Disinvited Guest / Carol Goodman 
NY: William Morrow, c2022.
304 p.

I usually grab any book by Goodman as soon as it appears; but this 2022 novel was one I skipped. Mostly because it's set during a pandemic, and I just wasn't in the mood for it in 2022. But I went back to it this month to catch up before reading Goodman's newest.

The story takes place in a returning pandemic, a few years after our shared 2020. Lucy Harper is our heroine; she still has recurring trauma and health issues after the original pandemic. But now she's married to Reed, her rich friend from college, and as another pandemic looms he is taking her to his family's private island for safety. They are quarantining with a handful of others, including Reed's sister and her girlfriend, and their college bestie Ada and her stuffy husband Crosby. There's also Mac, a local and good friend of Reed's, who will be joining them. It seems perfect, what could go wrong? 

This is another book with Agatha Christie vibes; everyone stuck on an island and strange things beginning to happen. Supplies are going missing, creepy historical things about the island are coming to light, and people are not always what they seem. An interesting element added the main story is the backstory of the island as a location for sick immigrants to be quarantined in the past. And the ghastly fate of many of them shows up in family documents that Lucy finds and begins to read. As things ramp up the reader starts to wonder, is this all for real or is Lucy loosing her grip a little bit? 

While I was hesitant about reading another pandemic novel, this one was weirdly ridiculous in the best way. Creepy woods and past events, people who are all under great stress, isolation and grave danger. This was a little more focused on contemporary characters and a remote setting than some of Goodman's often academic settings but I found it had good pacing and really kept me reading. The ending was bonkers, although I had been suspecting one of the characters for a while before it all came out. Definitely an atmospheric and chilling read for this time of year. Goodman is, as usual, reliable with her suspense. 

 

 

Wildfire At Midnight

Wildfire at Midnight/ Mary Stewart
London: Coronet, 1972, c1956.
224 p.

I read a lot of Mary Stewart when I was younger - I always liked romantic suspense, and she was one of the best. But somehow I missed this one on my first encounters with her writing. It's not one of the best she's ever done, but when I read it recently I still enjoyed it. 

It's set on the Isle of Skye during the summer of 1952 -- Giannetta, a young fashion model, has left the crush of London leading up to the Queen's coronation, to get some R&R at a remote Scottish hotel. She is dismayed when she arrives to find that her philandering ex-husband is also a guest, along with a mixed bag of other English guests. It's a bit "And Then There Were None", as Giannetta soon discovers that everyone is on edge, since a young local girl was murdered on the mountainside shortly before she arrived. 

Then another murder happens, and like before there is a ritualistic element to it. It seems clear that it had to have been one of the guests, although who is still a mystery. Unfortunately for Giannetta, the murderer has now turned his attention to her. 

There is a lot of good stuff in this one - great descriptive passages of the Scottish countryside and especially the fog, which plays a vital role in the conclusion in a hair-raising chase through blinding fog and bogs, with Giannetta trying to elude a killer. The identity of the murderer is also well concealed and not easily guessable, which makes the story much more dramatic. 

But, it is also set in the 50s and there are some very retro opinions on marriage and a woman's right to complain when her husband strays. (ie: don't). Giannetta and her ex, Nicholas, have prickly encounters throughout the book but we can all see where this is going: she takes him back, even though his character seems bland and boring compared to most of the others, and he's never really made that appealing to the reader. There are a couple of other slightly less jarring elements due to the era but otherwise this is a rather spooky read. The murders are really chilling and Stewart doesn't romanticize the 'ritual' element; they really are sad and awful. 

A good read for a wet and windy Autumn night, when you want to spook yourself just a little, and don't mind some 50s marital advice crowding in to the otherwise readable story. 

The Empusium

 

The Empusium / Olga Tokarczuk
trans. from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones
New York : Riverhead Books, c2024.
300 p.

Here is Tokarczuk's response to Mann's The Magic Mountain. It takes elements of his book and transforms it into a feminist horror story, of sorts. 

Mieczysław Wojnicz is a young man going to Gorbersdorf, a sanitorium/resort in the Silesian mountains. It's supposed to be a healthy atmosphere, perfect for quick healing of the tubercular. But it's so popular that there is no room in the main building, rather, Mieczysław finds himself in a guesthouse along with two old men and another young resident, Thilo, whom he befriends. They have a gruff local as their landlord, alongside a skulking servant - the only woman in the mix was the landlord's wife but she dies very shortly after Mieczysław  arrives, a situation which haunts him. 

There are many other haunting elements within this story: strange scratchings from the attic, hallucinatory mushrooms growing all around, an intermittent narrative shift to voices that can see all and drift through floors and walls, and the local legends of women who fled their homes years ago and now live mad in the woods devouring young men in season. Also the Tuntschi - reclining female figures built from twigs and leaves and moss in the woods, for the pleasures of itinerant (male) workers. 

Along with the feelings of dread, we have feelings of boredom and lack of focus among the residents; the atmosphere makes it hard for them to concentrate or really grasp the passing of time. We hear their daily routines, their meals, their petty politics and griping, as well as some of the internal struggles that Mieczysław is having. Why won't he undress for his doctor? And why does every discussion or argument between guesthouse residents end up denigrating women? Tokarczuk takes words and arguments directly from many of the "great minds" of literature, who she lists in the end, to cobble together these statements about women never being enough. 

But this fixation on dualism is upended both in discussions between Mieczysław & his doctor ("the vision of the world as black and white is a false and destructive vision") and by Mieczysław's nature itself. The ending is a breath of fresh air, the healing kind that Mieczysław  went to Gorbersdorf to find in the first place.

Like some of her other works, this one is a bit fragmentary and requires the reader to be comfortable with not knowing exactly what's going on at all times. But although it can feel slow in parts, it's worth the journey.