People of the Book and Acqua Alta
We’re on the countdown to the release of my new Travelers crime thriller, Grifters’ Hopscotch. I’ll have more news about it and discounts on earlier books in the series as the time approaches.
In the meantime, two mystery books I read last month while I was on vacation in the Canadian Rockies.
First off, People of the Book by Geraldine Books. This is a literary book that moves back and forth in time, but it is an excellent mystery and an easy read.
Hanna Heath, a rare book expert, is asked to authenticate an ancient Jewish prayer book. While examining the binding, she discovers several tiny artifacts that are extremely puzzling because they don’t belong in the book. Figuring out when and where these artifacts came from tells the story of where the book has been since it was written in the late 1400s.
But there are three mysteries here—the story of the book and its origins, the story of why Hanna Heath was chosen to research it, and the story of her own origins. You won’t find out all the answers until the last few pages. A fun, fun read.
Second, Acqua Alta by Donna Leon (Commissario Brunetti Book 5). I wrote about Death at La Fenice (Book 1) earlier this year. These books are a high recommend if you like European locations and tightly crafted police procedurals.
This time out, an archaeologist friend of Brunetti’s has been badly beaten in what appears to be a home invasion gone wrong, but as Brunetti digs into the case, he finds himself of the trail of antiquities’ smugglers who won’t stop at murder to get their way. A pleasure from start to finish.
Number 15 of this series, Through a Glass, Darkly, is $1.99 US today.
Happy reading!