Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

Also note that many books for kids are bargains on Amazon this week.

Blood Betrayal is the second in this author’s Blackwater Falls series. I loved the first book and very much enjoyed this new book as well. The stories that Khan tells are not light but they are relevant, significant and compelling.

Readers of the first book will welcome back Inaya, Saif, Cat, Areesha and many others. They represent the forces of law that try their best in difficult situations. In addition, they have relationships with one another that draw the reader in. (Note that this book can be read without having started at the beginning of the series but readers may want to go back to that first novel if they enjoy this one.)

This book tells the story of two fatal shootings; each was of a non-white victim and each reportedly shot by a police officer. The grief of the affected families is raw and present. One of those whose son is accused of being the shooter is an old adversary of Inaya; how will she choose to deal with this? Are the two cases linked? What will happen as they are solved? Read this book to find out.

I am already looking forward to the author’s next book. I want to know more about the stories of these people.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 07 November 2023

Note: This book received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. It is well deserved.

The best books of 2023 so far

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-books-2023-gmbb8spb3

The best paperbacks of 2023

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-paperback-books-2023-dbrqtxf96

Here is a lovely cookbook that is written by a mother and daughter who enjoy cooking the foods of their Iraninan-American heritage. Those who pick up this book will learn a lot about Iranian food and will enjoy some delightful meals.

Throughout these pages there are many photos to accompany the recipes. Some of these will make readers hungry. Try everything from breakfast to dessert with the rest of a day in the middle.

Start with Sweet or Savory Labneh Toast or with a Sweet Date Omelet. Later, indulge in a Saffron Shrimp Pilaf or a Garlicky Lamb Shank. Then, how about a Sweet Rose and Rice Flour Custard? Readers will be able to enjoy eating these these thanks to the clear directions that accompany the recipes.

This is an appealing cookbook and one that will, perhaps, open up a new cuisine to home cooks.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Four stars ****

From the Publisher

Featuring 78 cherished Iranian American family recipes from mother-and-daughter duo Roya and Gita

Sweet Date Omelet (Gheysavah)	Cooling Cucumber Yogurt (Mast-o khiar)	Beet And Labneh Salad (Borani-e labu)

Hearty Lamb, Bean, And Potato Soup (Abgoosht)	Sweet And Spiced Lentil Rice (Adas polo)	Sweet Jeweled Rice (Shirin polo)

Saffron Salmon With Ranch Dressing	Carrot Juice Float (Ab Havij Bastani)	Rosewater And Cardamom Pudding (Masghati)

Learn how to make tahdig from the “CEO of tahdig” as named by her TikTok fans

Most often, Iranian rice dishes include tahdig, the crisp crust that literally translates to “bottom of the pot.” Some indescribable alchemy takes place when fluffy rice steams while a glorious crust forms around it. The bottom of the pot caramelizes the rice or other ingredient and turns it into something satisfyingly crunchy, nutty, and complex.

For Iranians, tahdig is an everyday staple. People on TikTok have called Gita’s tahdig “drop-dead gorgeous” and “the most beautiful thing [they’ve] ever seen.” Now, the secret is out and you can make Maman’s tahdig and all of her incredible Iranian recipes in the comfort of your own home.

Meet the Authors

Roya Shariat is a Brooklyn-based writer and social impact professional. She has worked for leading brands and organizations, including Chobani, Glossier, the ACLU, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Shariat writes a weekly newsletter on food and culture called Consumed and runs a popular cooking TikTok with her mother, Gita Sadeh, that has over fifteen million likes across the platform.

Gita Sadeh is a Maryland-based chef and early childhood educator. She has more than four decades of teaching experience and five decades of culinary experience. Sadeh is known for her cooking online and offline—she has catered events and gatherings from her home kitchen and taught Iranian cooking classes to families throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Her thousands of fans on TikTok call her “the CEO of tahdig.”

#LastNightAtTheHollywoodCanteen #NetGalley

Protagonist Annie was happily living in New York where she is working as a playwright. Her most recent show to open is a murder mystery with the stars of the production being her two closest friends. They are a couple and Annie is involved with both of them in what feels like a romantic way. The three are quite comfortable with one another until Hollywood comes calling for the actors. Crushingly, they leave Annie behind although she eventually makes her way to Hollywood as well.

Annie has gotten a job with Pacific pictures as a screenwriter, albeit one with a bit of writer’s block. When not struggling to write, Annie goes to the Hollywood Canteen as a volunteer and also is swept up in the wake of critic Fiona and her circle; they seem like a kind of snarky Algonquin circle. When Fiona is found dead, the plot moves forward.

This book has a terrific setting in the Hollywood of the 1940s. It also has a parade of famous names that readers will enjoy.

Will Annie be able to solve a real murder as easily as she could write about one as a playwright? Turn the pages of this title to find out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 08 November 2023

From the Publisher

I reviewed this

I never tire of getting advance peeks at books to be published. This sampler is one of the best out there, especially for mystery readers. Learn more about five upcoming titles that run the gamut from a cozy featuring pregnant women to a story that includes a plot to blow up the Statue of Liberty.

Each entry includes a description of the book, information about the author and a generous excerpt. I definitely want to read Off the Air and The Expectant Detectives. I love the first line of that one: “For my boyfriend’s thirtieth birthday I thought I’d go all out and surprise him with a pregnancy.”

Note: This is a free title. I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Five stars *****

Stella Douglas has been enjoying her life in London in this story set in the 1930s. She has a good friend in Michael, writes books (with modest success) about cooks of days gone by and is content with her life. All of this changes when Stella returns home, to Yorkshire, to be there for her her father.

When Stella returns to London to meet with her publisher, he sets her a task. Stella is to write about British foods in a far reaching compendium. She accepts this challenge which leads to research, writing and travel. Stella meets many along the way. How will her life be changed by this project and where it takes her? Find out in this delightful novel.

For me this book seemed a bit slow at times but I am glad to have read it. I think that those who enjoy women’s fiction, historical fiction, food and more will want to look at this nostalgic title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morris for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 07 November 2023