The Medusa Situation

The Medusa Situation / Gabiann Marin
Bittern, Australia: Clan Destine Press, c2024.
238 p.

This was another random discovery, this time on Hoopla. It's by an Australian author, set in Australia, featuring the classic Greek gods, now dethroned. It's imaginative and entertaining. 

In this world, the Greek gods are living on the edges of society, trying to survive while passing as regular people, not always successfully. They get existence credits by the fact of people believing in them -- in one scene Hera is a bit pissed that other gods ride the pop culture wave and have so many more credits than she does. It's snarky and funny and a pretty consistent set-up. 

The story gets rolling when Hera is approached by Medusa's two sisters to help with a problem; Medusa's head has gone missing again and they think Perseus may be behind it. This is dangerous as Medusa's head can be used as a weapon to turn enemies (and any random humans in the way) into stone. 

A feminist search ensues; Hera is only too glad to get a break from the slovenly, lazy Zeus who just hangs around the house all day watching Mystic TV (and is helpless without her). She and her step-daughter Athena put aside their differences to start investigating, wanting to recover Medusa's head for everyone's security, but also for Medusa's own dignity. 

The story is a romp, with sly nods at a lot of Greek mythology -- if you are familiar with the myths you might be quicker at making a list of suspects, but if you're not you will still be able to follow easily. In the end there is a reason that Medusa's sisters came to Hera and not one of the male gods, and it's Hera's well-known detective skills and slightly vindictive nature that solve the problem. There are discussions of how Medusa was treated, and some serious allegations against some of the characters, so it's not all light. But the story also contains a lot of feminist humour, highlighting how the women in Greek myth were often portrayed as simply decorative or as props to the male gods. Here they stand on their own, and for their own. 

This book might be a little hard to find but if you can get your hands on it, it's a fresh, funny read that I really enjoyed. Hurrah for the Goddesses! 

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

 

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax / Dorothy Gilman
NY: Random House, 1983, c1966.
204 p.

Another "Mrs." today, and it was an unexpected delight! I heard this one being talked about, felt a sudden urge to read this series, and then came across a copy of volume one randomly. It was a sign. 

Mrs. Pollifax is a retired widow who decides to tour CIA headquarters on a trip to Washington, with the cunning plan in place to volunteer as a spy, once she can get someone to listen to her. She is mistaken for an agent by a series of miscommunications, and sent off to Mexico as a courier - an easy job with the additional bonus of a week's vacation in Mexico. But of course things do not turn out as planned. 

I was surprised by the mix of cozy and thriller in this book. There were violent deaths and suspense and bad people, alongside Mrs. Pollifax's irrepressible cool-headed assessment of the many pickles she finds herself in. I found it an engaging read, lots of fun and suspenseful, and as the title notes, quite unexpected! The writing and plot holds up, for a novel written in 1966. I am now another of the many fans of Mrs. Pollifax and intend to follow up with the whole series if I can. 

This was a great choice for some lighter summer reading, and has the perfect blend of humour and irony alongside an actual spy plot. And some great characters. It reminds me a little of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody books, in feel only as the setting and themes are obviously different, but it had the same vibe and enjoyment factor, for me. Great find! 

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! 

Crocodile on the Sandbank

Crocodile on the Sandbank / Elizabeth Peters 
Ashland, OR: Blackstone Audio, 2077, c1975.
Narrated by Susan O'Malley

This is a classic, and it's another reread for me! I thought I'd surely written about this before now but it turns out I haven't. I recently listened to the audiobook and still enjoy this first volume of the lengthy and popular Amelia Peabody series. 

I think it's the best of the series, introducing us to Amelia Peabody, a bluestocking who inherits her father's estate (to her brothers' chagrin) and decides to travel to all the places she's always read about. She heads out to Europe, and in Italy rescues Evelyn, a delicate fellow Englishwoman who she discovers in a faint in a public place. 

Nobody can override Amelia when she makes a decision, and she chooses to engage this unknown woman as her companion for the rest of her travels, specifically on the next leg out to Egypt. And her befriending of Evelyn brings all sorts of complications and intrigue to their trip. Egypt also brings a meeting with the Emerson brothers, archeologists Walter and Radcliffe, who mirror Evelyn and Amelia and the story wraps up neatly with all of their various relationships, ready for the series to continue. 

This was written in 1975 so there are a few parts that wouldn't perhaps be included today. But it's set during the late Victorian period, 1890s, so the English/French/Arabic mix of Egyptology is definitely reflective of the history. Peters is a scholar of Egypt so those elements, of archeological detail, mummies, daily life, landscape etc are all thoroughly described and realistic. 

The storyline, the romance, the banter and the rest are more reminiscent of adventure novels of that late Victorian era. It's quite bonkers, really fun and the romantic elements are sweet at times and hilarious at others. I love Amelia's bullheaded nature that hides a warmer heart, and have enjoyed these Egypt set novels for a long time. There are a ton of books in this series but I find I reread the first five most often, and think those five could stand alone as a sufficient series. This one is a classic. 

 

The Road to Roswell

The Road to Roswell / Connie Willis
NY: Del Rey,c2023
399 p.

Another mad romp from Connie Willis! For a light-hearted, humorous tale with some kind of paranormal phenomenon and a very g-rated romance, you can't go wrong with Willis. I was pleased to finally get my hands on this new book, this time centred around aliens (obviously!) 

Francie is heading to Roswell for her college roommate's wedding; she's a bit of a flake and is marrying a UFO fanatic. But Francie will support her, even while being extremely sceptical of all this alien fixation. Getting to Roswell during a UFO Festival is a bit chaotic, and even before they can get the wedding rehearsal started the groom runs off with friends to investigate a reported UFO crash. Francie heads off to get some wedding supplies from the car, while the entire town empties out in search of the UFO...and she is abducted by an alien. 

This alien is like nothing she might have expected, if she had believed in aliens. It looks like a tumbleweed, with strong and fast tentacles, and it grips her tight to the car seat and makes her drive out into the country, clearly in search of something. As they go, they pick up a few more abductees -- a con man hitchhiker named Wade, a sweet little old lady named Eula Mae, an RV owner with a passion for Western films, and a true believer who is constantly coming up with new conspiracies to explain all this. 

It's a combo of romantic comedy, alien encounter, road trip and FBI drama. It's funny, sweet and original. I really enjoyed it, even though the driving around in the middle sags a wee bit -- the characters were entertaining and kept it rolling. I'm not sure I like the ending, though. Leave off the last couple pages and this book was perfect. So much fun! 

Killers of a Certain Age

Killers of a Certain Age / Deanna Raybourn
NY: Berkeley, c2022
353 p.

This was a delight, a gory and amusing story of a quartet of female assassins who, having reached 60, are being retired. The book opens on a cruise in which we meet the four distinct characters, who quickly realize that they aren't meant to come back from this cruise. However, their agency has gravely underestimated these older women, and they use that error in judgement to their advantage. 

The escapades of the four women highlight topics of friendship and loyalty, as well as ageism and sexism. They use the invisibility of older women in society to their great advantage while they are trying to uncover who is trying to eliminate them, and why. It's fast moving, furiously funny and fierce at the same time. There are descriptions of murder, of close escapes, and of everyday disagreements and disputes among the women themselves. It's a delightful read, ranging from the Caribbean to Louisiana to England and beyond. And the story flips back and forth between their present predicament and their past lives, explaining how they got into the assassin field, describing their training, and laying the background for present day intrigues. 

I wasn't sure if I would like this one, but people kept telling me to read it so I gave it a try. It was such a light, quick and entertaining read. I thought it was clever and also had some depth in the characters. It feels like it should become a Netflix series as soon as possible. Unless you have a very weak stomach indeed, I'd also recommend this one for a fun adventure with some fabulous women. 
 

The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour

 

The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour / Dawn Dumont
Calgary: Freehand Books, c2021
304 p.

I've been looking forward to this novel by the very funny and sharp Saskatchewan writer, Dawn Dumont. I read it as soon as it was released, and loved it. It's a return to the zany caper energy of her earlier Rose's Run, a novel I also greatly enjoyed. 

This story is set in the 70s, and it follows a ragtag group who heads to Europe to fulfill a dance tour commitment, when the real dance troupe comes down with food poisoning just before they are about to leave. John Greyeyes, retired cowboy and brother of the band chief, is arm-twisted into running this makeshift tour. He's in charge of two female dancers -- Edna, a middle aged woman with arthritis, and Desiree, her niece -- and Lucas Pretends Eagle, an American who is supposed to be a star dancer. John has to shepherd them to Europe, keep on their itinerary, teach Edna and Desiree to dance in the meantime, and get them all home again, on just a few hundred bucks upfront. Just a tiny challenge. 

There are shenanigans right from the start. From their flight to Europe which does not go as planned, to their performances at the Indigenous World Gathering and on into Germany and Italy, John is performing damage control. And it's Edna, who is keeping a journal of their trip which appears at the beginning of each chapter, who becomes the surprise star of the story (at least for me!) 

Dumont takes on many serious issues in this novel -- from misogyny, racism, the fetishization of "Indians" by Germans in particular and Europeans more widely, residential school effects, religion, and sexual orientation, to the way society turns Indigenous people against themselves, and questions of ownership of Indigenous artefacts and culture. But the book is also hilarious. In one unexpected turn after another, something nutty is happening. Beyond the plot devices, there are also sly digs at every stereotype you can think of, and Edna in particular has the same habit of sarcastic commentary as Rose did in the earlier novel mentioned above. I laughed out loud in parts, and thought the characters were engaging even while being embroiled in slightly ridiculous events. 

But there are also serious bits, and parts where you just feel for the characters, each suffering their own secret difficulties. Edna is in constant pain from arthritis but is also deeply religious due to her residential school upbringing, which is a dissonance in her life. John, a handsome loner, finds a connection with Per Ollman, their Swedish guide to the Indigenous World Gathering in Kiruna, Sweden. He is startled by his reactions to Per, and by Per's matter-of-fact recognition that they are both gay. John struggles with this but by the end of the book he's starting to accept this new understanding of himself. 

I really enjoyed the writing style, and the mix of serious and silly in the book. It was fun, entertaining, enlightening, and has a great cast of characters. Definitely one to draw out lots of discussion and opinion, and one which engages the reader and zips by. If you enjoy Thomas King or Drew Hayden Taylor's sharply humorous novels, I think you might really like this one too.