Zoraida Cordova, author of The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina, serves on the board of an organization called We Need Diverse Books. I wish I had known that before I started to read this very unusual novel.
The main character, Orquidea Montoya, grew up in Ecuador, unwanted, the source of her mother’s shame. She is determined to escape and make a life for herself, so when the circus comes to town, this young woman joins it, leaving her old life behind. It is just the start. The circus has a special performer – the living star, an unusual man who glows and pulses light. Is it just an act?
We first meet Orquidea when she is an old woman, dying, who has invited her family to claim their inheritance. Now living in the Midwest, she is whispered about and avoided by the townspeople. Her many gifts are too unusual – her house just appeared one morning, the barren land blooms, she has a reputation of being a witch. Her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, respond to her invitation.
This story, with a heavy dose of magical realism, will appeal to the reader who agrees with the author that stories from different cultures and belief systems are important.
Two things happen to Flora one memorable morning. First, the good-looking reclusive writer, rarely seen in their little town, walks into her bookshop. Second, he finds a dead man in her back room. Thus the scene is set in The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham.
The young man who died, a stranger to town, is a fit twenty something. When the coroner says heart attack, the villagers begin to whisper about other odd happenings in the bookstore and stop coming in. Flora must do something to save her shop, and intuition tells her this surprising death has nothing to do with natural causes. Jack, the reclusive mystery writer, agrees with her and together they search for clues.
The dead man has just celebrated his birthday and there is a mysterious cake with only one piece eaten. Grains of pollen point to a missing bouquet of flowers. When a second person dies of a heart attack, the plot widens. In addition to the bookshop, there’s a library and a book auction. What’s going on with the books?
This is a well-crafted story. I especially liked that all the characters had a role to play in solving the mystery. Even the early minor ones fit nicely into the puzzle. I also liked that the author didn’t indulge in a lot of extraneous detail about her pet subject. There are some historical details provided but they are pertinent to the story.
Cozy English mysteries almost always have happy endings, and this is no exception. The nefarious killer is exposed, the book shop survives, and the reclusive writer is reclusive no more. It’s the getting there that’s the fun.
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt is distressed to learn that Jessica, a young woman she recommended for a job, has been accused of murder. She likes her and doubts the accusation could be true. In Murder in Georgetown by Elliott Roosevelt, she works with the police to prove the woman’s innocence.
Jessica was the murdered man’s mistress until recently when he left her for a stunning redhead. Was she angry at being replaced? Or was it the wife who knew about the affairs and was furious? What about the new woman? Or was it something in the man’s background, his work at the bank, that made someone afraid of what he might know?
In addition to being a well plotted mystery, this book is filled with “in” knowledge from 1930s politics. It has a pleasant gossipy tone and there’s plenty of sex in genteel Roosevelt circles. References to both Eleanor and Franklin’s other partners are very matter-of-fact. To reinforce the 1930s setting, the author uses some dated words. I loved it when people absquatulated. Geophagy not so much.
It is interesting to note that Elliott Roosevelt died in 1990, and this book was published in 1999. I’ve read that he left behind several unpublished manuscripts but also that these later, and maybe all, of the Eleanor Roosevelt mysteries were written by a ghost writer. Elliott just provided the juicy Washington tidbits.
“Hello ladies, and sons of ladies” is one of the examples of microfeminism, also an interesting word. Not old, but brand-new, the word describes small actions made to point out sexism.
“The practice is not entirely serious – but it raises awareness of the many sexist tropes built into everyday life,” says The Guardian in a lighthearted article about this serious subject. Click here to read it.
Movie Review: The Sheep Detectives. Some movies are worth the time away from books and this was one. Of course, it is book related and based on a book.
Every night the shepherd stepped outside his caravan with a book, a mystery, in his hand. The flock gathered expectantly around him. He began to read as the sheep listened attentively. When he finished a chapter and went back inside, there was lot of noise. Baa baa is what it sounded like, but really the sheep were discussing who the murderer might be.
It was good practice for them. Several days later, when their shepherd is found dead and the sheriff rules natural causes, it is up to them to uncover the killer.
The sheep are not all the same but have very different well-developed personalities. Calm, lovely Lily is the head of the flock. Mopple remembers, and Sebastian is the winter lamb. The story is of course a fable, with several important messages. The subjects are serious, but the movie is filled with humor. There is an excellent plot and the sheep figured out who the real killer was before I did. The film isn’t animated. The sheep just talk.
This very appealing movie is based on the book Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann – which is on my list.
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