Friday Book Blogging

A very light week of only five books I returned to the library this week. First place goes to Nicola Upson and her mystery featuring Josephine Tey called An Expert in Murder. Well thought-out, with enough twists to keep it interesting, but not overwhelming, the story itself could stand alone without employing a real person in the fiction. But Josephine Tey, who is relatively famous for her detective novels featuring Inspector Alan Grant, provides theme and history to Upson's work. Many of the periphery characters are woefully one-dimensional, but the charm of using Tey and her "model" for her fictional Grant adds a bit of irony.

Friday Monday Book Blogging

Sorry about not giving you a Friday book blog pick for the week, but, you know it was Christmas, right?
Things are kinda getting back to normal here. I did read some books last week in between baking and visiting and wrapping presents and last-minute shopping and pigging out. I stuck with mostly old favorites this week: authors I know I love. The top honors have to go to Charles Todd for An Impartial Witness.
Although Nicola Upson does wonderful work fleshing out her characters in her second Josephine Tey mystery, and Elizabeth Peters can't write a bad novel, Todd really delivers with the second Bess Crawford story, even though I guessed the bad guy. The Todd writing team really have a gift for capturing WWI England. Between Todd and Jacqueline Winspear, WWI has a great showing in current mystery fiction.