REHEARSED TO DEATH- Review 2023

Rehearsed to Death by Frank Anthony Polito
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
On Sale: May 23, 2023

Over the years my reading choices have often been books that surprise me, that teach me something new. I picked up "Rehearsed to Death", because it was about theatre, an HGTV hit reality show, and Detroit. It was a fun quozy mystery mixed with romance, rescued dogs, and Mini Coopers.

FIRST LINE: "As cohost of a popular home renovation show, I had a few principles to which I prescribed:
If you're going to do something, do it right.
Don't pay someone to do a project you can do yourself.
Every project ultimately takes longer than you estimate it will."

THE STORY: Partners JP and Peter created 'Domestic Partners' (think 'Bargain Block'). During a break between seasons, playwright Peter has an opportunity to see his play produced locally with JP starring and directed by a first rate (and terribly unpleasant) director, Xander Sherwood Deva. Shortly before the show is to open, Deva is found strangled by his own elaborate neck scarf. Was it an accident or murder?

WHAT I THOUGHT: Frank Anthony Pollito has created a series that will be a favorite of many readers. Peter is the narrator and scattered throughout are mentions of special things (from Michigan and beyond) like Sanders Bumpy Cake, Creamora, and Carnegie Mellon University. It made the book lots of fun even though the plot construction was uneven. Some characters are more fully developed than others but the description of clothing especially on the well-dressed is great.

BOTTOM LINE: This is the second title, after "Renovated to Death", in the Domestic Partners in Crime Mystery and has gathered a lot of interest from cozy/quozy readers. The author reads the audiobook version which has gotten some nice comments too.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of "Rehearsed to Death" was provided to me by Kensington Books/Net Galley for an honest review.

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NORTHERN LIGHT (2020)

Northern Light by Deb Davies
My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars 

I always enjoy discovering a new mystery writer and when the books turns out to be the debut of a friend, it is a real pleasure! Hopefully the subtitle "A Coast-To-Coast Michigan Mystery" suggests this will be the beginning of more adventures.

THE STORY: Claire, with her best friend Laurel in tow, has retreated to the summer cabin in Michigan to recover from the death of her husband. When friends and family begin arriving, the house fills up. The first sign of trouble occurs when a raven, somehow trapped in the house, trashes it.

 

While the friends go on with their lives enjoying Northern Michigan, unpleasant events happen and escalate putting everyone in harms way. Will they figure out the mystery before it is too late?

FIRST LINE:
"Claire and Laurel were sitting at a heart pine table, letting the day fade."

 
WHAT I THOUGHT: What seemingly starts as a cozy mystery turns out not to be for the faint of heart. The curious events that happen in the first half bloom into pure evil in the second.

 

The story reads like a literate mystery combined with a violent thriller. The author has created a very specific world. For example, she is "passionate about rescued animals and nature", so those topics find their way into the story. Michiganders will recognize places, products, and traditions the author weaves throughout the book.

 

The characters, of which there are many, are living in our pre-Covid 19 world and dealing with all the challenging modern day issues. The dialogue and banter seems natural as does the friendship between Claire and Laurel. 

 

Her charming, quirky characters make it difficult to believe that any of them could be guilty of so much wanton destruction and death.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED. With her love song to Northern Michigan disguised as a mystery, Deb Davies is an author to watch.

Disclaimer: A copy of Northern Light was provided to me by BHC /Net Galley for an honest review. Deb Davies has been a friend for many years.

Hardcover:  248 pages
Publisher: BHC Press (August 20, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1643971204

ISBN-13: 978-1643971209

THE AUTHOR: "Deb Davies enjoys writing mysteries about her favorite place: Michigan. She is passionate about rescued animals and nature, and also enjoys classical music. She resides with her husband, Rick, in an old farmhouse on a trout stream near Luzerne, Michigan. Northern Light is her debut novel in her Coast-to-Coast Michigan Mystery series." (from Amazon)

 

What Shall I Read Next?

It took me the better part of the morning to decide how to proceed.

Yesterday I set my 2014 Challenge goal on Good Reads to 36, far fewer books than I have pledged to or succeeded in reading for the last several years.

That suggests to me that I should be a little more discriminating in which books I choose to spend time with. It also tells me that I need to weed my shelves of those titles that constantly remind me of earlier but now vanished desires and interests.


So I have settled on Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan.

Back in January 2012 I mentioned reading Bad Things Happen and added it to my list of worthy books for that year. I immediately bought Very Bad Men and downloaded it to my Kindle where it has languished.

Time is running out. On January 9, 2014, Dolan's The Last Dead Girl (Amy Einhorn Books / Putnam) goes on sale. It's a prequel to his other two David Loogan books although the author says it can be easily be read as a stand-alone.

There's an interesting interview with Harry Dolan at The Big Thrill website.

ANNIE'S GHOSTS: A JOURNEY INTO A FAMILY SECRET (2009)

Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret by Steve Luxenberg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a perfect book! Part mystery, part memoir, and a look at the evolution of the mental health industry in this country, author Steve Luxenberg, a senior editor with the Washington Post for many years, uses his investigative skills to tell the fascinating story of his family's secret.

And I would never have known about the fact that it had been chosen as the 2013 - 2014 Michigan Read except for my favorite retired Jackson District librarians. We gather twice a year for lunch and to catch up on each other's lives. Invariably we talk about books.

Not being a native Michigander, I was not familiar with Detroit's Eloise Hospital for the mentally ill and homeless which flourished during the Depression. What I heard that afternoon about Annie's Ghosts sounded so fascinating that I immediately went home and downloaded the book to my Kindle. Before two days had passed, I had finished everything including the extensive notes following the narrative.

All their growing up years, Steve and his siblings had been told by their mother Beth that she was an only child. In poor health and in her eighties, she mentioned a sister to a new doctor. Six months after she died, the secret made another appearance but this time there was a name: Annie.

Not only has Steve Luxenberg created a highly readable book, the kind librarians call non-fiction that reads like fiction, but he shares his approach to researching which has allowed him to discover all sorts of hidden pieces of information.

He also carefully expands the story beyond the original 'secret' to explain the way the world 'worked' and how people thought during that time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Title: Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret

Author: Steve Luxenberg

Genre: Memoir

Publisher:Hyperion

No. of Pages: 416 pages

Copyright: May 5, 2009

ISBN: 1401322476

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Source: Amazon Kindle

Steve Luxemberg has worked for more than thirty years as a reporter and editor having begun his career at The Baltimore Sun. He is now Associate Editor for The Washington Post and an author. Annie's Ghosts was chosen as a 2010 Notable Michigan Book among other honors.

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RUNNER (2014)

Runner by Patrick Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As usual I slipped this tempting thriller right to the top of my list and wasn't disappointed. Author Patrick Lee, who lives in Michigan, knows how to craft a graceful page turner. And although terrible things happen, he has a light enough descriptive touch to keep you reading.

Bottom Line: A clever, well-written thriller that will keep you on the roller coaster to the very end. Recommended.

Sam Dryden has a past in the special forces and experience with off-the-books black op work. After tragically losing his wife and child in an accident five years earlier, he retired and lives a quiet life in a small community on the California coast.

Going for a run on the boardwalk late one night, he collides with a terrified young girl, barefooted and running for her life from heavily armed men whose assignment is to kill her.

Unfortunately Rachel doesn't remember who she is or why she was being held prisoner. Can Sam get them both to safety? And what could an eleven year old girl know that would command such attention? It's complicated but suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride!

Taking off at a run this story manages to pick up speed at every turn. I absolutely loved the clever  solutions the author provided to seemingly unsolvable problems and situations. It's all great fun and, of course, you'll be rooting for our hero and his very unique young friend.

It might have assuaged my fears for Sam's future if I had noticed that the book is subtitled a Sam Dryden Novel.

Disclaimer: A copy of Runner was provided to me by Minotaur Books/Net Galley for review purposes.
 

Title: Runner: A Sam Dryden Novel (Book 1)

Author: Patrick Lee

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Minotaur Books

No. of Pages: 352 pages

Copyright: February 18, 2014

ISBN: 1250030730

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: NetGalley

Patrick Lee is the author of the three earlier novels featuring Travis Chase that comprise the Breach Series: The Breach, Ghost Country, and Deep Sky. He has also written several movie scripts, which were sold but never filmed, but Runner, his Bourne-like, fast-paced thriller should make it to the big screen some day soon.

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45 POUNDS (more or less) by K.A. Barson (2013)

Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (July 11, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0670784826
Source: Jackson District Library

K.A. Barson's debut young adult novel 45 Pounds (more or less) is a winner!

Someone wrote in one of the many reviews on Good Reads that although they liked the cover they would have preferred to see more of Ann. Personally I think the cover is perfect. Ann would never have wanted her picture out there for everyone to see. To me it's a great title and a perfect cover.

A few months ago there was an article about Kelly in the local paper. You can read it at MLive/Jackson Citizen Patriot. I am always interested in local talent so I decided to check the holdings of the local library. They didn't list her book so I requested it be purchased. This past week I got a notice that it was available for pick-up!

 There is a little bit of language and a wedding between two women, but on the whole the book is very gentle in its approach to a difficult issue.

2013 Michigan Notable Books

Library of Michigan ~ Lansing, MI

The Library of Michigan has announced the twenty books considered notable for 2013. The titles were selected from 200 nominees "that spotlight stories from the Great Lakes state or were written by Michigan-connected authors."

Here's what the Detroit Free Press had to say. Click HERE.

Bad Things Happen (2010)

This is the book I am currently reading thanks to Kathryn Krentz's recommendation and my local library's reserve system.