CLAWS OF THE CAT (Hist Mys-Hiro-Japan-16th Cent) – 1st of series – Susan Spann When a samurai is brutally murdered in a Kyoto teahouse, master ninja Hiro has no desire to get involved. But the beautiful entertainer accused of the crime enlists the help of Father Mateo, the Portuguese Jesuit priest who Hiro is sworn to protect, leaving the master shinobi with just three days to find the killer and save the girl and the priest from the dead man’s vengeful son.
Charlotte – VG – Enjoyed it a lot. Most of the descriptions were interesting and she enjoyed the story. There were a few coincidences but the more she read, the more she got into it. She would probably read another by this author. Christine – Good – She enjoyed it but would have liked more of a backstory on the teahouse girl. She liked a lot of the information on the Japanese culture. Overall, she liked the book, but wasn’t “wow-ed” by it. Linda F – VG – Really liked it. She liked the time period and felt this book conveyed more about Japanese culture than some she’s read. She liked the relationship between the Jesuit and the shinobi –the proper term for a ninja. She liked the mystery and the addition of the kitten to lighten the mood. It was a fast, enjoyable read. LJ – G+ - From the beginning, we learn about the culture, hierarchies and rituals of the time. It was fascinating to learn all the cultural differences and nuances. Spann cleverly uses Hiro as the means for conveying such information. I enjoyed the characters and loved the kitten. There were coincidences, which dropped the rating for me. It was an easy read. I appreciated being surprised by the identity of the killer.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE – VG
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR HUSS (Pol Proc-Insp. Irene Huss-Sweden-Contemp) – 1st in series - Helene Tursten Inspector Irene Huss, stationed in Göteborg, is called through the rain-drenched wintry streets to the scene of an apparent suicide. The dead man landed on the sidewalk in front of his luxurious duplex apartment. He was a wealthy financier connected, through an old-boys’ network, with the first families of Sweden. But the "Society Suicide" turns out to have been a carefully plotted murder. As more murders ensue, she tangles with street gang members, skinheads, immigrants and neo-Nazis—a cross-section of Sweden’s disaffected—in order to catch the killer.
Charlotte – VG – She enjoyed it. It did drag a bit in the middle, but it picked right up again. Christine – VG+ - Loved it. She had actually seen the series on television, as well. She liked that protagonist’s family is intact. She liked the characters and felt the writing was great. The story was easy to follow. LJ – Ex – The introduction of the characters is well-blended into the plot. The investigation team is a realistic blend of personalities with the Superintendent having to deal with them all, most particularly having women on the force—which befuddles him—and issues of sexual harassment. I appreciated that Irene has a solid family with a husband and two children; how nice to skip the usual angst of so many Scandinavian mysteries. This is a book with depth. There are several social issues raised and incorporated in an effective manner. The story is wonderfully plotted with excellent dialogue and twists that keep the reader thoroughly engaged.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE – VG+
DEATH IN AUGUST (Pol Proc-Inspector Bordelli-Florence, Italy-1960s) – 1st in series – Marco Vichi Florence, summer 1963. Inspector Bordelli is one of the few policemen left in the deserted city. He spends his days on routine work, and his nights tormented by the heat and mosquitoes. Suddenly one night, a telephone call gives him a new sense of purpose: the suspected death of a wealthy Signora. Bordelli rushes to her hilltop villa, and picks the locks. The old woman is lying on her bed - apparently killed by an asthma attack, though her medicine has been left untouched. With the help of his young protégé, the victim's eccentric brother, and a semi-retired petty thief, the inspector begins a murder investigation. Each suspect has a solid alibi, but there is something that doesn't quite add up.
Christine – G+ - She started reading it and thought it was going nowhere, but then it picked up. She liked all the interesting characters; found them cute and funny. The story was light-weight reading. Corona – Okay – Felt it was relatively mediocre. After reading it, she couldn’t remember where it was set. She felt it lacked texture and rhythm. She did like that the story was set in 1963; for her, that was the best part. She just didn’t feel the author took her to Italy. LJ – VG – It has an interesting opening that tells you important things about the protagonist and with each page, I found him even more fascinating and unusual. I particularly liked being privy to his daydreams, and memories, particularly those of WWII. The characters surrounding Bordelli were eclectic and wonderful. The author’s has a wonderful voice. As opposed to Donna Leon, whose books are love letters to Venice, this is the perspective of a resident who sees the less-than-lovely side of his city, particularly in August with its stifling heat and mosquitoes. It was a clever, well-written mystery with characters that drew me in and make me want to visit again. Maggie – DNF – Read half-way through and stopped. The heat and cigarettes got to her and she doesn’t like the strange character next door
CLAWS OF THE CAT (Hist Mys-Hiro-Japan-16th Cent) – 1st of series – Susan Spann
When a samurai is brutally murdered in a Kyoto teahouse, master ninja Hiro has no desire to get involved. But the beautiful entertainer accused of the crime enlists the help of Father Mateo, the Portuguese Jesuit priest who Hiro is sworn to protect, leaving the master shinobi with just three days to find the killer and save the girl and the priest from the dead man’s vengeful son.
Charlotte – VG – Enjoyed it a lot. Most of the descriptions were interesting and she enjoyed the story. There were a few coincidences but the more she read, the more she got into it. She would probably read another by this author.
Christine – Good – She enjoyed it but would have liked more of a backstory on the teahouse girl. She liked a lot of the information on the Japanese culture. Overall, she liked the book, but wasn’t “wow-ed” by it.
Linda F – VG – Really liked it. She liked the time period and felt this book conveyed more about Japanese culture than some she’s read. She liked the relationship between the Jesuit and the shinobi –the proper term for a ninja. She liked the mystery and the addition of the kitten to lighten the mood. It was a fast, enjoyable read.
LJ – G+ - From the beginning, we learn about the culture, hierarchies and rituals of the time. It was fascinating to learn all the cultural differences and nuances. Spann cleverly uses Hiro as the means for conveying such information. I enjoyed the characters and loved the kitten. There were coincidences, which dropped the rating for me. It was an easy read. I appreciated being surprised by the identity of the killer.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE – VG
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR HUSS (Pol Proc-Insp. Irene Huss-Sweden-Contemp) – 1st in series - Helene Tursten
Inspector Irene Huss, stationed in Göteborg, is called through the rain-drenched wintry streets to the scene of an apparent suicide. The dead man landed on the sidewalk in front of his luxurious duplex apartment. He was a wealthy financier connected, through an old-boys’ network, with the first families of Sweden. But the "Society Suicide" turns out to have been a carefully plotted murder. As more murders ensue, she tangles with street gang members, skinheads, immigrants and neo-Nazis—a cross-section of Sweden’s disaffected—in order to catch the killer.
Charlotte – VG – She enjoyed it. It did drag a bit in the middle, but it picked right up again.
Christine – VG+ - Loved it. She had actually seen the series on television, as well. She liked that protagonist’s family is intact. She liked the characters and felt the writing was great. The story was easy to follow.
LJ – Ex – The introduction of the characters is well-blended into the plot. The investigation team is a realistic blend of personalities with the Superintendent having to deal with them all, most particularly having women on the force—which befuddles him—and issues of sexual harassment. I appreciated that Irene has a solid family with a husband and two children; how nice to skip the usual angst of so many Scandinavian mysteries. This is a book with depth. There are several social issues raised and incorporated in an effective manner. The story is wonderfully plotted with excellent dialogue and twists that keep the reader thoroughly engaged.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE – VG+
DEATH IN AUGUST (Pol Proc-Inspector Bordelli-Florence, Italy-1960s) – 1st in series – Marco Vichi
Florence, summer 1963. Inspector Bordelli is one of the few policemen left in the deserted city. He spends his days on routine work, and his nights tormented by the heat and mosquitoes. Suddenly one night, a telephone call gives him a new sense of purpose: the suspected death of a wealthy Signora. Bordelli rushes to her hilltop villa, and picks the locks. The old woman is lying on her bed - apparently killed by an asthma attack, though her medicine has been left untouched. With the help of his young protégé, the victim's eccentric brother, and a semi-retired petty thief, the inspector begins a murder investigation. Each suspect has a solid alibi, but there is something that doesn't quite add up.
Christine – G+ - She started reading it and thought it was going nowhere, but then it picked up. She liked all the interesting characters; found them cute and funny. The story was light-weight reading.
Corona – Okay – Felt it was relatively mediocre. After reading it, she couldn’t remember where it was set. She felt it lacked texture and rhythm. She did like that the story was set in 1963; for her, that was the best part. She just didn’t feel the author took her to Italy.
LJ – VG – It has an interesting opening that tells you important things about the protagonist and with each page, I found him even more fascinating and unusual. I particularly liked being privy to his daydreams, and memories, particularly those of WWII. The characters surrounding Bordelli were eclectic and wonderful. The author’s has a wonderful voice. As opposed to Donna Leon, whose books are love letters to Venice, this is the perspective of a resident who sees the less-than-lovely side of his city, particularly in August with its stifling heat and mosquitoes. It was a clever, well-written mystery with characters that drew me in and make me want to visit again.
Maggie – DNF – Read half-way through and stopped. The heat and cigarettes got to her and she doesn’t like the strange character next door
GROUP RATING AVERAGE – Good