Review of "Irish Coffee Murder: Three Novellas" by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross

 

This book contains three cozy mystery novellas written by three authors: Leslie Meier of the Lucy Stone Mysteries; Lee Hollis of the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktail Mysteries; and Barbara Ross of the Maine Clambake Mysteries. Each story takes place in Maine around St. Patrick's Day, and features Irish Coffee (coffee laced with Irish whiskey and served with cream on top).



*****

Irish Coffee Murder by Leslie Meier

Journalist/amateur sleuth Lucy Stone of Tinker's Cove, Maine - who works for the Courier newspaper.....



......is covering an Irish step dance competition.



Four of the teenage participants attend the same step dancing school and their rivalrous mothers get into a hot argument before the contest.....after imbibing several Irish Coffees each.



A mishap during the competition raises tempers even more, and reporter Lucy takes note of the rancorous exchanges.

Meanwhile the charitable food pantry in Tinker's Cove - which is planning to move to a larger facility - is holding a contest: the company that donates the most food gets to name the new facility. Lucy's boss at the newspaper hopes to win so he can choose the name "Courier Food Pantry", but there's stiff competition from a realty company.



As all this is going on, the body of one of the dance moms is found by her daughter. This turns out to be murder, and Lucy feels compelled to investigate. The 'random stranger' scenario is considered, but it seems more likely the perpetrator is a member of the Tinker's Cove community.....and Lucy searches until she finds vital clues.

Part of the charm of this story is the description of Irish step dancing and the costumes associated with the activity.




*****

Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker by Lee Hollis

Hayley Powell of Bar Harbor, Maine owns an upscale eatery called Hayley's Kitchen.....



......and Hayley's brother Randy runs a bar called Drinks Like a Fish.



As the story opens Hayley's friend Liddy Crawford is planning a fundraising event at the Criterion Theater......



......and Liddy has engaged stand-up comic Jefferson O’Keefe - who grew up in Bar Harbor - to perform.



Randy will provide after-show drinks at his bar and Hayley will prepare food for the event. Jefferson asks the hosts to serve his favorite beverage, Irish Coffee, and they make plans to do so.



Though Jefferson is a popular entertainer, not everyone likes him. One of the employees from Drinks Like a Fish is seen having a contentious talk with Jefferson, and a rival comedian shows up at Jefferson's show to heckle him. Things come to a climax at the after-party, when Jefferson sips his Irish Coffee and falls down dead.

This turns out to be a homicide and Hayley makes it her business to track down the killer.



There are plenty of possible suspects, including Jefferson's manager; Jefferson's bodyguard; Jefferson's lady friends; Jefferson's enemies; etc. But Hayley is able to sort through the chaff and find the murderer.

The story's characters are interesting and the plot is engaging.

*****

Perked Up by Barbara Ross

Julia Snowden, who works for the Snowden family clambake business.....



......lives with her widowed mother Jacqueline in Busman's Harbor, Maine.



One evening Julia and her friend Zoey arrive at the Snowden residence during a snowstorm and find that Jacqueline has a guest - longtime family friend Captain George.



Julia makes Irish Coffee for everyone, and when the electricity goes out in Busman's Harbor, Julia, Zoey, Jacqueline, Captain George, and the family cat gather around the fireplace to keep warm.



Captain George, a well-known storyteller, proceeds to relate a tale about Hugh O'Hara, a wealthy Irish Catholic farmer who was murdered in 1867. As Captain George's story goes, a thief caught robbing Hugh O'Hara's home shot the farmer and injured his wife Catherine. A young man named Daniel - who was employed by Hugh - confessed to the crime, but escaped before justice could be served. To top it off, a ghost now haunts the old O'Hara house.



As the evening proceeds, various friends, neighbors, and relatives arrive at the Snowden home to weather the storm, and Julia make more and more Irish Coffee to serve everyone. It turns out the visitors have different opinions about who REALLY killed Hugh O'Hara - which range from Hugh's wife, to Hugh's daughter, to Hugh's son-in-law, etc. - and it appears the cold case will never be resolved.

The uncertainty bothers Julia and she decides to investigate the O'Hara homicide by poring through old records.



Julia finally discovers who killed Hugh and she identifies the ghost who haunts Hugh's old house.

This story has interesting tidbits about the Irish Catholic immigrants who emigrated to Maine in the 1800s.

*****

Recipes are sprinkled throughout the narrative. In the Hollis novella, these include Irish Mudslide Cocktail; Irish Stout Onion Soup; Irish Stew; and Corned Beef and Cabbage. And the Ross novella has a recipe for Irish Soda Bread.



Irish Mudslide Cocktail


Irish Stout Onion Soup


Irish Stew


Corned Beef and Cabbage


Irish Soda Bread

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Callie Beaulieu, who does a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, the authors, and Tantor Audio for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Caul Baby: A Novel" by Morgan Jerkins

 

The year is 1998 and the Melancons are a family of black females who live in a Harlem brownstone and own a bodega.

The bodega isn't the Melancons' real source of income, however, because they're caul bearers. The Melancons have a covering fused to their skin, called a caul, that has healing and regenerative properties. The beneficial features of the caul give the book a touch of magical realism, as evidenced when the caul bearing Melancons are cut or burned and immediately heal.



The Melancons sell pieces of their caul for VERY high prices, usually to white people who can afford it. The Melancons require a lot of money because their brownstone, which is infested with dark spirits, is decaying and moldering and in constant need of expensive repairs. In addition, the Melancons are determined to be independent, and not reliant on the government or outsiders.



As the story opens, a well-off, married black woman named Laila, who has suffered innumerable miscarriages, finds herself pregnant again.



Laila is desperate to have a baby, and with the help of an intermediary named Landon, Laila arranges to purchase a piece of caul from the Melancons for $15,000.



Laila is sure the caul would ensure a successful pregnancy and she's crushed when the Melancons refuse to sell after all, apparently thinking the sale would bring them bad luck.

Laila's pregnancy fails and she has a complete breakdown, for which Laila's family blames the Melancons. Laila's niece Amara, a student at Columbia University, vows to go to law school, become a prosecutor, and take down the Melancons for 'selling their bodies.'



As it happens Amara herself gets pregnant after a drunken night with her college study partner, and - with college, law school and a career ahead of her - Amara is not ready to be a mother. Amara's godfather, who happens to be the Melancons' intermediary Landon, comes up with a solution.



Amara will keep her pregnancy secret and stay at Landon's home until she gives birth. Afterwards Landon will find a good home for the baby. Long story short, Landon gives Amara's baby girl, named Hallow - who turns out to be a caulbearer - to the Melancons. Amara isn't told who has her baby, and Hallow isn't told about her origins.



Landon isn't just a business partner with the Melancons. Though Landon is married, he's having a torrid affair with beautiful Josephine Melancon.



Landon still lives with his wife Valerie, who's aware that Landon is having a dalliance with Josephine. Valerie accepts the situation for financial support and to have a father for her children, but she feels unhappy and betrayed.



We follow the main characters in the story for the next twenty years, as Hallow is raised by the Melancons - who aren't a harmonious bunch;



Amara graduates from law school and becomes a prosecutor;



and Landon continues his association with the Melancons and his affair with Josephine.



The Melancons are extremely unpopular in Harlem, because they sell the caul to white people, but refuse to help needy (but poor) black people.



Given the black residents' animosity against the Melancons, Amara thinks she can rely on their support when she's ready to make her move against the caul-sellers.....and towards the end of the story, Amara is finally ready.



The story is compelling, and I enjoyed the book. I was disappointed with the final chapters, though, which feel forced and inauthentic to me.

That said, the story addresses important issues, such as health care in black communities; black motherhood; police harassment of black people; unfaithful men; gentrification of poor neighborhoods; profit over solidarity; and more.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "A Song of Comfortable Chairs: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel" by Alexander McCall Smith

In this 23rd book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series - set in Gaborone, Botswana - Mma Precious Ramotswe's concerns include a problem in the office; a furniture store's cutthroat business practices; and a rebellious teen. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

As the story opens Mma Ramotswe is musing about Mma Grace Makutsi - her employee at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.



Over the years Mma Makutsi has promoted herself from secretary, to assistant detective, to co-detective, to co-director....and Mma Makutsi seems on the verge of upgrading herself once again. This is demonstrated by Mma Makutsi making her name more conspicuous on the firm's letterhead; buying a brass nameplate for herself; hiring a carpenter to enlarge her desk; and referring to herself as managing director.

Mma Ramotswe discusses this with her husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, during the special half-hour when the sun is setting and the spouses are relaxing on their verandah.



Mr. Matekoni suggests Mma Makutsi is trying to make herself more important because she's insecure. Mr. Matekoni heard that Mma Makutsi's husband, Mr. Phuti Radiphuti, who owns the Double Comfort Furniture Store - is being driven out of business. The furniture store's best selling items are chairs.....



.....and a firm called Twenty-First Century Chairs is selling new-age, adjustable seats at reduced prices. Unfortunately, Phuti can't compete.



Mma Ramotswe goes to the Twenty-First Century Chairs store pretending to be a customer, and learns surprising things about the firm's business practices. This helps Mma Ramotswe and Phuti plan a counterattack that could save the Double Comfort Furniture Store.



Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi happen to meet Mma Makutsi's old friend Patience, who came to Gaborone from Bobonong.



Patience is visibly troubled, and the detectives learn that Patience recently escaped from a horrible abusive man in her home town. Patience and her 14-year-old-son Modise are now living with a nice man in Gaborone, but Modise's rebellious sullen behavior may get them ejected. So Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi hatch a devious plan to try to rectify the situation.

These scenarios make up the 'detective' parts of the book. The remainder of the novel is mostly about Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi going about their business; Mma Ramotswe's inner musings; and the characters drinking tea and having rambling conversations.

For example, Mma Ramotswe takes her employee, part-time detective Charlie, to the dentist; Mma Makutsi goes to the supermarket with her husband Phuti; Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi visit their friend Mma Potokwane at the orphan farm; and more.



The diverse discussions among the characters remind me of an oak that sprouts numerous branches - the conversations can go anywhere. For instance, when Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are discussing nurses with a carpenter, the man expresses shock at the idea of male nurses. Mma Makutsi asserts there's no difference in the jobs male and female nurses do, and Mma Ramotswe interjects: "Sometimes they have special jobs to do, Mma Makutsi. If you have a very traditionally built patient, for instance, and the nurses have to lift the patient out of the bed, then they may ask a male nurse to do that, because they are stronger and can lift heavier weights." This then morphs into a discussion of small and big men; of a man with very short muscular legs like tree trunks; of termites felling trees; etc. There are many discursive talks like this in the novel, and it feels too much like filler.

Still, I always enjoy Alexander McCall Smith's quiet cozy novels, which would be terrific to read on a Botswana verandah with a cup of tea and plate of cookies.

Rating: 3.5 stars