January 2010--The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

In January the WPL Mystery Book Group will discuss The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. This is my second time around reading this book, and I'm enjoying it now as much as I did the first time! The heroine, Mma Precious Ramostwe of Botswana, is like a breath of fresh air. Her open heart and quick wit will captivate the reader. This is a light-hearted tale that might not have as much of an element of mystery as some may enjoy, but certainly will bring a smile to the face.

I'm anxious to see what our book group members have to say about it on Wednesday, January 20th!

We'll be meeting in the Community Room at 6:30 p.m. Please let Jessi know if you would like to attend. (#781-447-7613 or jfinnie@ocln.org).

-Jessi

**Update--

Our group met on January 20th and we all agreed that this was a fun, light read. Mma Ramostwe is a charming character and one that most of us would love to drink a cup of red bush tea with! The only comment that I have is that due to the light nature of the book, the discussion was also a bit on the light side. I deliberately chose some "darker" titles as options for the next book group. We need a book we can really sink our teeth into!

December 2009--Discussing Jane Langton's The Shortest Day

This December the Whitman PL's Mystery Book Group discussed Jane Langton's The Shortest Day. When deciding on this month's title, I wanted to pick a read that was seasonal. Several options were considered, but in the end I decided that Langton's work would be most interesting since the setting for the mystery was none other than Cambridge, MA. Unfortunately, both for me and most of the other members of our group, this book fell flat. Not only did many of us find the book tedious, but we all found it to be off-putting that the murderer--and the reason for the mystery--were revealed from the very beginning! Another factor that many of us found disconcerting was the sheer amount of characters brought forth by the author. It was hard to keep track of who was who, let alone who we should really be paying attention to!

Two of our book group members asked that we show Ms. Langton clemency for this book's shortcomings, and mentioned that others in the same serious had been much better reads. I do love to read a book in a local setting, so perhaps one day I'll give this author another chance!

For those who might still be persuaded to give this title a try, The Shortest Day focused on Harvard's yearly "Christmas Revels", a celebration of the winter solstice through music and dance from medieval times. The main mystery solvers are Homer Kelly and his wife Mary, who have appeared in numerous other Langton mysteries. The mystery begins when a star of the show is murdered. Several other murders are committed by the same killer, and all of this takes place amidst the hallowed halls of Harvard. Even more drama ensues when the local homeless community rebels against the institution and demands housing, going so far as to set up camp on the institution's property and siphoning power from them.

-Jessi

November 2009--Discussing Julia Spencer Fleming's In the Bleak Midwinter

This month we read and discussed Julia Spencer Fleming's In the Bleak Midwinter. The group agreed that this book was a highly entertaining read. The mystery itself was well thought out and kept us in suspense, and the characters were so interesting and well developed that we felt Ms. Spencer-Fleming a real master of her trade.

Spencer-Fleming's heroine is Claire Fergusson, a newly minted Episcopal minister in the small town of Miller's Kill in upstate New York. While Claire's new role keeps her busy, she stumbles into a mystery when a baby is left on the doorstep of her parish. Soon we meet Chief Russ Van Alystyne, who quickly becomes Claire's friend and (at first reluctant) partner in crime solving. The married Van Alystyne and the chaste Claire develop an increasingly close relationship that threatens to wreak havoc on both of their lives. Between the fascinating developments in the case of the abandoned baby and the relationship between Russ and Claire, readers are left on the edge of their seats!

This is the first in the series, and I have personally gone on to the next two: A Fountain Filled with Blood and Out of the Deep I Cry. I was especially enthralled with the third book in the series, which goes back and forth in time to help unravel a new mystery and an old simultaneously. I can't wait to read the next in line, To Darkness and to Death!

-Jessi

Welcome

Welcome to the Whitman Public Library's Mystery Book Group blog. This site will allow our group to know what book is being discussed each month, and to make comments about any books we have read or are reading. To join the WPL's Mystery Book Group, email Jessi Finnie at jfinnie@ocln.org. Jessi would be happy to order you a copy of the current month's book selection that you can pick up at the library.