August saw me revert to my mystery roots, with a deadline looming. I read books by Robin Cook and Mary Higgins Clark, usually dependable, that were only so-so.
Fortunately for me, I also read two fellow finalists for the Carol award in the mystery category. They were both very enjoying. (In fact, I've decided I have zero to no chance of winning). Check out Mindy Starns Clark's mystery, Under the Cajun Moon. She did every thing I tried to do in Gunfight at Grace Gulch (not my finalist)--tying history in with a contemporary mystery--only better. Kept me turning the pages to the end.
And for excellence in a cozy mystery, I enjoyed The Case of the Mystified M.D. by A.K. Arenz. Having a grandma for a heroine didn't hurt either!
Also this month I read Crimson Cipher by Susan Page Davis (interviewed about this book in July). As Susan's critique partner, I'm always amazed when I come back and read the finished book, as I would any other book, in great chunks at a time. She's a terrific writer and she certainly delivers in this story of espionage and danger in the years leading up to WWI.
For a different take on a mail order bride story, check out The Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris. A young woman is forced to leave the only home she has ever known--an orphanage--and go west as a mail order bride. Before she reaches her husband to be, her stagecoach is robbed by a vigilante. Harris weaves the complexity of what makes a hero or a villain in this fascinating tail of the old west.
**A reminder: Leave a comment on any or all posts this month for your chance to win one of Darlene's books or Second Chance Brides by Vickie McDonough**
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4 comments:
Thanks for your kind words, Darlene. And I LOVED Gunfight at Grace Gulch. I'll be looking for the other books you mentioned. Am I allowed to tell your readers that I'm the featured author on www.acfw.com this week? You can find my smiling face on the home page and click for the interview. Hope you have a great week, Darlene.
I LOVED The Vigilante's Bride! Great book. :D
caseymh18(@)gmail.com
I've wanted to read "Crimson Cipher" since I first heard of it, but I've had the chance yet. I also just read an interview about "The Vigilante's Bride" and it sounds very good. I don't remember hearing about "Under the Cajun Moon" and "The Case of the Mystified M.D."
And don't sell yourself short - I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Gunfight at Grace Gulch!" It was fantastic!
Have a blessed week!
Beverly
In case anyone cares ... I am a Carol finalist for my 2nd mystery, A String of Murders, the sequel to Gunfight at Grace Gulch. But Mindy used a similar device to what I did in Gunfight in her wonderful book, Cajun Moon.
Thanks for all the compliments!
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