Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry. 2008, Ballantine. 312 pp Mystery

The Prince of Wales was hosting a party at Buckingham Palace to set up funding for a transAfrican railroad, when the very bloody body of a prostitute was found in a palace linen closet. Thomas Pitt is called to quickly (before Queen Victoria comes home) and discretely (before the Queen comes home) solve the murder. Another of Perry's very competent mysteries.

History in Our Time by David Cannadin. 1998, Yale University. 308 pp Nonfiction

David Cannadin is an English historical essayist whose field of expertise is the 19th and 20th centuries. This book covers a wide range of subjects, but many of them have at least something to do with the 1980-1996 period, which means he covers the Margaret Thatcher years. A reader could easily get the impression that the author is not a fan of "The Iron Maiden. Each of the essays has some connection to at least one book as an authority on the subject, which Cannadin reviews and sometime reviles. This is a very interesting take on modern English history.

India In Word & Image, Photographs by Eric Meola. 2008, Welcome Books. 261 pp Nonfiction

I have never thought I'd want to visit India, not even after Buffy Maytag came to talk about her trip there and showed us how to wrap a sari. The gorgeous pictures in this book almost make me change my mind. Most of the writing is excerpts from authors who are either from India or who have spent a lot of time there. It's one of those coffee table sized books that beg to have people dip through it--just pick any page and you will be dazzled.

Just Jane by Nancy Moser. 2007, Bethany. 367 pp Historical Fiction

A fictionalized account of Jane Austen's life. Moser has taken the bare bones of her story and written an account that breathes a lot of life into Jane's world. I really enjoyed this one, as I did Moser's other historical fiction Mozart's Sister.

Killing Bridezilla by Laura Levine. 2008, Kensington. 247 pp Mystery

Freelance writer Jaine Austen gets a job writing wedding vows for former classmate Patti, whose husband to be is also a classmate. In fact, this whole book is littered with former classmates, in what seems to be a cross between Whose Wedding Is This and Revenge of the Nerds. When Patti plunges off her balcony to be impaled on a statuary Cupid's arrow, book characters and readers breathe a sigh of relief. One of the funnier scenes, at least to this librarian, is actually a side plot in which Jaine's father takes issue with a librarian over an $.18 fine. This is only for people who like very silly, improbably mysteries set in the world of snark.

My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates. 2008, HarperCollins. 562 pp Fiction

"Dysfunctional families are all alike. Ditto "Survivors". So says nineteen year old Skyler Rampart, who tells this story of his family. He considered himself a failure at age 9, his sister is a ice skating STAR at age 6. When Bliss is murdered and the killer never found, Skyler's shaky world really spins out of control. Readers of this book will certainly draw certain parallels with the Jon Benet Ramsey case, but this is a fantastic read, a more literary version of many of Jodi Picoult's popular books.

Wrapt in Crystal by Sharon Shinn. 1999, Ace. 324 pp Science Fiction

On a fairly minor planet in the far corners of the universe religion has been divided between the Triumphantes and the Fideles, who both worship the same goddess, but in different ways. A serial killer is stalking both sects, alternately killing a Triumphante and a Fidele sister. Interfed sends agent Cowan Drake to catch the killer. This is really more of a mystery set in an science fiction world. Or is it a romance set in a mystery set in a science fiction world. It moves a little slowly, but it is an entertaining book.

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