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I have a new book out! The Art and Life of Charles M. Schulz in 100 Objects

Charles M. Schulz: The Art and Life of the Peanuts Creator in 100 Objects

It’s hard to believe, but I had a book come out on November 1st! You can get it anywhere good books are sold, but if you buy it from the Charles M. Schulz Museum, it will be signed by none other than Jean Schulz!

Working with Jeannie on the book was a very special experience. I get to work with her quite a bit developing exhibitions for the Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California, and for Snoopy Museum Tokyo, and she’s always happy to pitch in with research — connecting me to contacts, making ID’s in photos, and sharing memories. But this was different. We got to reflect on Sparky as an entire person together and dig into various parts of his life and personality we’ve not done a lot about at the museum for whatever reasons.

The book is almost like a visit to the Schulz Museum — 100 Objects from the museum’s collections are featured in gorgeous detailed photos, and a bit of history is shared about each, often with other supporting images of other objects that help tell the story. We also asked 50 contributors, from cartoonists, celebrities, politicians, friends, and members of the Schulz family, to share their own stories and remembrances related to these objects.

Interior spread from 100 Objects

All of us are very proud of the book, and I hope you will like it, too. It’s out just in time for the holiday gift-giving season, so if you know someone who loves Peanuts (and who doesn’t?), this is something a little different and totally new they will love. If you do buy a copy, be sure to rate and review it wherever you bought it, as it helps other fans find the book. Thank you!

About the Author: Benjamin L. Clark writes and works as a museum curator.

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Book Review: Dames Fight Harder by M. Ruth Myers

Dames Fight Harder

In this sixth installment of Maggie Sullivan mysteries, Maggie‘s friend Rachel Minsky is accused of killing a man that “had it coming.” Rachel is an independent Jewish woman of means who runs her own construction company in Dayton, Ohio with a private nature. Why has Rachel’s loyal but dangerous right-hand man also disappeared? Why has Rachel kept so many secrets? Can she survive when they unravel around her? Once again, private investigator Maggie Sullivan finds herself surrounded by questions and too few answers.

Cover of Dames Fight Harder by M Ruth MyersHistorical Fiction for the Historian

I spend a lot of time reading history in my day job so something I look for while reading historical fiction and especially historical mysteries is that the experience is immersive without beating me over the head with historical facts. Ruth Myers does this better and better with each installment. Some writers are justifiably proud of the immense amount of research that goes into writing good historical mysteries, but they are less deft at using that research to create their fictional world. Ruth Myers does this beautifully and that experience is what makes her books among the best of the genre.

Dames Fight Harder takes place in the early spring of 1942, a few months following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States official entry into World War II. The war and its global implications weigh on the minds of every character though this is done in such a realistic manner I only noticed my own mounting sense of dread about some characters in this context and only realized when I finished the book why that was. Uncertainties and enormous cultural upheavals are only beginning to be felt, let alone understood. Meyers does a wonderful job making the characters and the mystery at hand the focus. This isn’t a history lesson, but a strong female-driven mystery set in a fascinating time. As a reader, I felt like I was there on those eerily quiet construction sites or with the elderly lady planting beans in what magazines would come to call Victory Gardens.

New to the series?

Although this is book six of an ongoing series, new readers to the Maggie Sullivan series won’t be lost as Myers writes enough background into each to catch up, though I wouldn’t classify them as stand-alone novels as there are long story and character arcs running through the series as a whole.

See my review of an earlier Maggie Sullivan book, Shamus In A Skirt

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RECOMMENDED

Fascinated by World War II, the upheavals of the 1930s and 1940s and love a strong female lead story? Read all of Maggie’s stories, but feel free to start here on the newest one.

This review © The Lincoln Journal Star. It originally appeared in print 24 December 2017.

About the Author: Benjamin L. Clark writes historical mysteries and works as a history museum curator.

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Book Review: Montaigne in Barn Boots

Philosophy and HumorMontaigne in Barn Boots by Michael Perry

Author Michael Perry opens by describing laying on a gurney with a kidney stone and it made him think of Montaigne. Having had a kidney stone or two in my day, I can say I didn’t do much thinking, but any and every distraction was welcome. His book in hand I thought, ‘This is someone I can learn from.’ It also had an image of Montaigne wearing an Elmer Fudd hat on the cover — how could I resist?

Michael Perry is a hick. An NPR listening one, but a bonafide bumpkin from rural Wisconsin. And his approach as a writer is a wonderful blend of Dave Berry-esque humor and E. B. White’s reflective essays on life at his farm in Maine.

But don’t be fooled by Perry’s “Aw shucks” demeanor. He dives deep into not only the works of the 16th Century French nobleman-essayist, but also into his translators, devotees, and critics, flipping through each and finding the humor and wisdom for consideration in each encounter. Honestly, I thought Perry’s book would be a collection of Montaigne’s greatest quotes with a few essays built around them, but it’s much more than that.

One thing I learned, Montaigne was 38-years-old when he started writing his essays, finding wisdom with reflection. It happens to be the birthday I’ll have this year and I probably shouldn’t ignore my own copy of Montaigne on the shelf. Over the years, I’ve read from it a couple times, opening it to dip in and out seeing what I can find. Not like a miner desperately swirling his pan for gold. More like the weird uncle pinching choice bits of meat in the kitchen before the roast goes to the table. Did Horace B. Taylor, the previous owner of my copy as a student at the University of Montana sometime in the 1950s ever open it? Judging by the crispness of the pages and the tightness of the binding, I think not.

Perry follows Montaigne into all parts of life, including Friendship, Marriage, Sex, and yes, Farts (officially funny if you were wondering.) Perry is honest, making himself vulnerable exploring all of these subjects and many more. As a reader I found myself nodding in agreement, appreciating his willingness to not hide behind the page as a writer but to lay life out for all of us, that we can connect over our common humanity. Even if it’s over fart stories.

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RECOMMENDED

Michael Perry quotes Montaigne that the study philosophy is really a preparation for death. Perry comes to the same conclusions, thinking on experiences of his life, love marriage, children, writing, and working on an ambulance crew. After reading and loving “Montaigne in Barn Boots” is not the preparation for death but appreciate our commonalities and a better appreciation of our lives.

(c) Lincoln Journal Star
This review first appeared in print December 12, 2017

Benjamin L. Clark writes historical mysteries and works as a history museum curator.

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The White House Wedding: A Solve-the-Mystery Blog Tour by Radha Vatsal

The White House Wedding: A Solve-the-Mystery Blog Tour by Radha Vatsal.

Woodrow Wilson and Edith Galt marriageAt 8:30 PM on Saturday, December 1915, President Woodrow Wilson married Mrs. Edith Bolling Galt. The new Mrs. Wilson would go on to become one of the 20th Century’s most powerful first ladies and shepherd the United States through turbulent times.  In the course of this blog tour, I describe four different aspects of their wedding plan: The Location on Jane Reads, Guest List and Attendants, Ceremony and Officiants, Dress and Flowers.  The wedding went off as arranged, except for one significant last-minute change. Your mission is to guess what changed and why.  The answer will be revealed in the final blog post.  For more on the president and Edith Bolling/Wilson’s relationship, see the Introduction on Katherine’s Chronicle.

BLOG POST #3: GUEST LIST AND ATTENDANTS

The president and Mrs. Galt planned to keep the ceremony simple and limit it to only the two families, devoted staff, Dr. Ruffin—the Bolling family physician, Dr. Grayson—President Wilson’s personal physician, and Altrude Gordon—who was staying with Edith at the time.  All three of the president’s daughters attended along with their husbands.  No friends or White House aides would be invited, not even Colonel House, heretofore the president’s most trusted friend and advisor.  There would be no attendants.  No best man, no matron of honor, bridesmaids, flower girls, or pages.  No heads of state, foreign dignitaries or cabinet members, except for William Gibbs McAdoo, the Treasury Secretary and Wilson’s son-in-law.

Did the couple stick to this plan?  Did Wilson insist that Colonel House who had been his “right-hand” man attend?  Did Edith Galt open the event to other friends or White House officials?  Was there someone who at the last minute was so offended not to be invited that the couple had to relent?

Next Up: Ceremony and Officiants

The new First Lady and Woodrow Wilson make a dramatic appearance in Murder Between the Lines, the second novel in the Kitty Weeks Mystery series, which features the adventures of bold newswoman Capability “Kitty” Weeks in World War I era New York.  For more historical surprises, sign up for the Kitty Weeks newsletter: radhavatsalauthor@gmail.com


 

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Book Review: The Devil’s Feast by M.J. Carter

The Devil's Feast by M. J. Carter
The Devil’s Feast by M. J. Carter                                                  Out of the Frying Pan…

The third installment of Blake & Avery has arrived (with another gorgeous cover!). I really enjoyed The Strangler Vine, the first book of this very early Victorian amateur sleuth series. The Strangler Vine is set in India at the dawn of the Victorian era and is a true adventure wrapped around a mystery. The following book, The Infidel Stain, took our British duo to London a few years later but didn’t quite enthrall me in the same way. For Feast, we remain in London, in the lanes and squares but also into the finest kitchens and private clubs of the age, where gentlemen are being poisoned. French celebrity chef and inventor Alexis Soyer, known perhaps only to food historians today, but quite real, plays a starring role in this newest book. 

It comes as no surprise the history and details come across so richly from the pen of author M. J. Carter. Carter has previously written and published non-fiction history as Miranda Carter and her work is well regarded.  Her research is thorough and it shows, but I know that’s not every novel reader’s favorite part of a good mystery.

… and into the fire.

I was very glad to see a new installment of the Blake & Avery series and hope for more. The second book didn’t quite capture me the way the first did, but this third book was better than the previous, but still not quite as captivating as Vine. One distinct criticism I have in this adventure is that we see far too little of Jeremiah Blake in this book. He has a couple very brief cameos before finally coming forward for the final third. It was in this final third as a reader I sat up and paid attention.

Blake & Avery books 1 and 2

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RECOMMEND

If you love food history, the early Victorians, or just a good British mystery, get The Devil’s Feast and the earlier Blake & Avery books. I received an advanced reader copy of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for my review.

About the Author: Benjamin L. Clark writes historical mysteries and works as a history museum curator.

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Edgar Award Nominees 2017 – CONGRATS

Edgar Award Nominees 2017edgar-award

First and foremost, a huge congrats to all the 2017 Edgar Nominees.

Come Twilight cover ebook Tyler DiltsJane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

I haven’t read all the nominated books this year, not even close, and I’ve reviewed even fewer — However, there are two especially I’d like to draw your attention to.

Come Twilight by Tyler Dilts is up for best paperback original (I read it as an ebook without harm).  You can read my full review of Come Twilight by Tyler Dilts, the latest installment in his contemporary mystery-thriller series featuring Long Beach, California police detective Danny Beckett. Sorry for the dark cover, but it’s a screenshot on my darkened phone while reading in bed. Yes, it’s that good.

Earlier this year, I also read, loved, and reviewed Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye. If you haven’t already heard of this book, it’s a wonderful, edgy exploration of Jane Eyer’s story. You won’t be sorry you picked up this one, or frankly any other book by Lyndsay Faye. It also happens to have one of the most beautiful and interesting covers of the year as well.

Congrats to all the wonderful mystery writers on this list, and congratulations to us fans of mystery novels — we’re spoiled for choice!

About the Author: Benjamin L. Clark writes historical mysteries and works as a history museum curator.

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Reading a Series Out of Order

I'm Out of Order. You're Out of Order.

I love a good series of mysteries and I fall absolutely in the “Read Series Books In Order” camp. I’ll even research an order to a series if the author says there is no order. When left without an authorial order, or a fan derived one, I default to publishing chronology. Yes, I’m a big ol’ nerd. Then, I at least get a similar experience as original fans of the series.

A great place to figure out series order is on LibraryThing. Just type in the title of the book and under it will appear the name of the series and a number. Click that link and it will take you to a series page (here’s the page for Laurie R. King‘s Mary Russell – Sherlock Holmes Series). I love that the orders for series are largely sorted out, but also include things that maybe you’ve missed  — like short story appearances in out of the way anthologies.

laurie-r-king-mary-russell-sherlock-holmes-covers-lt
Mary Russell – Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King

 

I hate spoilers and in the past when I’ve jumped to a later book and it’s like: “Why was she here? What business did she have, placing flowers on the grave of my beloved side-kick…” NOOOOOO!!! What happened!?? GAHHH!! SIDEKICK IS DEAD!!?? Yep. They were killed as punishment for my skipping around, that’s why.

That said, I’ve been doing it again, and haven’t been stung too bad so far. Since I’ve started writing myself, I have discovered another layer of enjoyment reading a good story that takes the sting out of my misdeeds. I’m coming to see the mechanics of the story a little more. Sort of like my experience as a museum curator and visiting museums on vacation and admiring mounts, signage, and good interpretive tools.

What about you? Do you skip around within a book series, or are you a ‘no exceptions’ order reader? Leave a comment and let me know, or request to join my new Facebook Group and we can all share!

 

About the Author: Benjamin L. Clark writes historical mysteries and works as a history museum curator.

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Book Review: Come Twilight by Tyler Dilts

Come Twilight cover ebook Tyler Dilts

WITH A BANG

Tyler Dilts’ latest installment in his current Long Beach Homicide series is fantastic.

Long Beach homicide detective Danny Beckett has had it rough, but things are starting to look up. That is until someone tries to kill him by blowing up his elderly Toyota Camry. The people around him, his fellow officers, his partner, and even his girlfriend do what they can to keep him safe from the mysterious people who have targeted him. And he hates it.

RECOMMENDED

I’m new to the series, which usually means I don’t get the ‘inside jokes’ and things, but it felt more like spending time with a group of great people, old friends, after hitting it off with a member of the group who is nice enough to include and accept you. I felt comfortable jumping in so late in the series and look forward to future books from Tyler Dilts.

I received a free ebook copy for review.

About the Author: Benjamin L. Clark writes historical mysteries and works as a history museum curator.

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Book Review: Six Bad Things by Charlie Huston
Noir Renaissance?

 

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In The Museum: Some Days are Not Glamorous

Glasses with built in hearing aidsNot every day in the museum involves solving mysteries surrounding JFK, tracking holy relics and appearing on TV. Some days, you’re working on exhibits about hearing aids.

These hearing aids are built into a pair of glasses. I wear glasses every day and these would be awful, even tiring to wear they’re so heavy.

And no, there’s no big reveal like these were found at Area 51 or were bequeathed to Elvis from Sasquatch. These are simply one evolutionary step in our current technology that helps so many people around the world hear.

Days like these may not sound very exciting, but every day is different and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Like this post? Here’s more about life behind the scenes in museums and archives:
BINGO! At the Intersection of History and Slang
How to know Things are Bound to get Worse
How to Research History Like a Novelist
In the Museum: A JFK Autograph Mystery

About the Author: Benjamin L. Clark writes and works as a museum curator.

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Book Review: Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal

book review Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal

Out of the Gate Like a Stutz Bearcat

IMG_3118

Radha Vatsal is a scholar and a talented storyteller, evident in her strong historical mystery debut, A Front Page Affair, just released this summer.

Capability Weeks (“Kitty” to her friends) and her father (a well-to-do, self-made mogul) live well in 1915 New York City. Kitty, a young addition to the New York Sentinel‘s Ladies Page, covers a July 4th society soiree and becomes tied to a murder and what looks like a plot to endanger the delicate international balance. 

Kitty Weeks (and supporting cast) are wonderful. She’s young and privileged and begins to recognize what that has meant in her life throughout this story. I don’t go for that combination in a hero much, but Kitty’s introspection and awareness redeem her (to me at least). A hero who can throw money at their problems and make them go away is not much of a hero. Kitty also works not only externally but internally as well, to find solutions, being creative and brave throughout.

Radha Vatsal has sentences in this book that are heavy with history. It’s hard to write historical novels without ‘info dumping’ on readers. It’s a challenge to weave historical information, foreign to modern readers, and achieve a native harmony so readers glide along, learning without being jarred by the thrills and not the history.

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RECOMMENDED

Get in on this new series straight away. You’ll enjoy this plucky young hero as she matures during a time of great change in our nation and our world. Strong historical research sunk deep below the surface pushes this debut novel to the top of my recommendation list this month. For a work of fiction, there’s a fantastic ‘Further Reading’ and ‘Selected References and Sources’ pages. Old historian habits die hard.

About the Author: Benjamin Clark writes historical mysteries and works as a history museum curator.

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Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review.