Review: Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle by J.A. Lang

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Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle (Chef Maurice Culinary Mysteries #1) by J.A. Lang, published April 7, 2015 by Purple Panda Press

from chapter 5:

Chef Maurice looked up, as if noticing Arthur for the first time. "I think," he said, beaming, "that I have found my truffle dog."  

"It's a pig, Maurice. A micro-pig."  

"Then, I have found my truffle pig!" 

Book description: It’s autumn in the Cotswolds, and Chef Maurice is facing a problem of mushrooming proportion. Not only has his wild herb and mushroom supplier, Ollie Meadows, missed his weekly delivery—he’s missing vital signs too, when he turns up dead in the woods near Beakley village.
Soon, Chef Maurice is up to his nose in some seriously rotten business—complete with threatening notes, a pignapping, and an extremely well-catered stake-out. Can he solve Ollie’s murder before his home-made investigation brings the killer out for second helpings? (publisher)

My comments: A clever, witty and humorous mystery set in the Cotswolds. The first in the series featuring the eccentric but lovable Chef Maurice. The chef likes to do things his own way. and he and his truffle hunting pig, Hamilton, steal the show, and the mystery. A fun read in a delightful setting. 

Thanks to the author for a review copy of this book. 

Waiting on Wednesday: French Concession by Xiao Bai

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

French Concession: A Novel by Xiao Bai, published July 7, 2015 by Harper. 
Genre: historical fiction

Book opening:

Prelude: May 10, Year 20 of the Republic.2:24 A.M.  

The walls of the cabin were trembling. A steam whistle piped two shot blasts. Hsueh opened his eyes. He still had the covers pulled over his head, and the ebb and flow of waves sounded like thunder in a distant world. 

Publisher description:
"A literary noir, a tale of espionage and international intrigue, set in Shanghai in 1931—a decadent world of love, violence, and betrayal filled with femme fatales, criminals, revolutionaries, and spies

A boat from Hong Kong arrives in Shanghai harbor, carrying an important official in the Nationalist Party and his striking wife, Leng. Amid the raucous sound of firecrackers, gunshots ring out; an assassin has shot the official and then himself. Leng disappears in the ensuing chaos.

Hseuh, a Franco-Chinese photographer discovers that his lover Therese is secretly an arms dealer, supplying Shanghai’s gangs with weapons. His investigation of Therese eventually leads him back to Leng, a loyal revolutionary with ties to a menacing new gang, led by a charismatic Communist whose acts of violence and terrorism threaten the entire country.

His aptitude for espionage draws Hseuh into a dark underworld of mobsters, smugglers, anarchists, and assassins. Torn between Therese and Leng, he vows to protect them both. As the web of intrigue tightens around him, Hsueh plays a dangerous game, hoping to stay alive."

I find this period of time in China's history fascinating and am looking forward to reading it.

I received a proof of this book for review. 

Sunday Salon: Fireflies on the Lawn

Welcome to the Sunday Salon where bloggers share their reading each week. Visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also visit Mailbox Monday.

I was distracted from the fireworks on TV tonight by the natural fireworks going on outside my window - fireflies on the lawn. I actually enjoyed them just as much as the televised show. 

I finished reading these two books last week:
1.  Scents and Sensibility: A Chet and Bernie Mystery  by Spencer Quinn, to be released July 14, 2015, ARC compliments of Atria Books.

My comments: Humor, mystery, suspense, pathos in Arizona. Chet the dog and his human partner Bernie nearly broke my heart in this latest novel. I'd like to see at least one more adventure before the two retire from the PI business, if they do.....in London, maybe. Five stars to this mystery novel!

2.  X (Kinsey Millhone #24) by Sue Grafton, to be published August 25, 2015; a win - ARC compliments of Putnam. 

My comments: Kinsey tackles three problems at the same time, all three unrelated. This means the reader works at keeping the characters and situations separate, but the novel, as all her others, comes out as far more realistic than many mystery books. In this one, she tries to bust some stereotypes about the wealthy and about the elderly. I gave this 4 stars!

Arrived in the mail:

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E.Reichert, to be released July 21, 2015; novel compliments of Gallery Books.
YOU'VE GOT MAIL meets HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE in this delightful novel about a talented chef and the food critic who brings down her restaurant—whose chance meeting turns into a delectable romance of mistaken identities.

I'm eager to start this one, but first......books for tours, which I am also enjoying..!
Bum Rap by Paul Levine, July 13 book tour
The Festival of Insignificance by Milan Kundera, July 16 book tour

What are you reading? 

Book Review: The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango

Visit Book Beginnings at Rose City Reader. 

The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango, published June 23, 2015; Viking.
Genre: literary thriller

Book beginning, first paragraph:

No getting away from it. A quick glance at the image was enough to give shape to the dim suspicions of the past months. The embryo lay curled up like an amphibian, one eye looking straight at him. Was that a leg or a tentacle above the dragon's tail? 

My comments:
A famous and wealthy author hides the fact that his reclusive wife, a prolific writer, is the true author of all his books. When his lover, the editor of the publishing company for his books, becomes pregnant and demanding, he must decide between the wife who has made his fortune and continues to do so, and the woman who is to bear his child. 

A flawed hero who nevertheless has likable and charitable qualities, Henry Hayden made me dislike him and then like him, and dislike him again. I didn't know whether to root for him or condemn him. What did I finally decide?  I didn't mind how the book ends. 

I gave this book five stars, for its unusual main character and the dilemma he presented for the reader. Told well, it's a book I'd recommend for those thriller lovers who also have a literary bent.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book. 

Book Tour: HOTEL MOSCOW by Talia Carner

Hotel Moscow by Talla Carner, published June 2, 2015 by William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: fiction

Book description: From the author of Jerusalem Maiden comes a novel that tells the riveting story of an American woman—the daughter of Holocaust survivors—who travels to Russia shortly after the fall of communism, and finds herself embroiled in a perilous mafia conspiracy that could irrevocably destroy her life.

Brooke Fielding, a thirty-eight year old New York investment manager and daughter of Jewish Holocaust survivors, finds her life suddenly upended in late September 1993 when her job is unexpectedly put in jeopardy. Brooke accepts an invitation to join a friend on a mission to Moscow to teach entrepreneurial skills to Russian business women, which will also give her a chance to gain expertise in the new, vast emerging Russian market. Though excited by the opportunity to save her job and be one of the first Americans to visit Russia after the fall of communism, she also wonders what awaits her in the country that persecuted her mother just a generation ago.

Inspired by the women she meets, Brooke becomes committed to helping them investigate the crime that threatens their businesses. But as the uprising of the Russian parliament against President Boris Yeltsin turns Moscow into a volatile war zone, Brooke will find that her involvement comes at a high cost. For in a city where “capitalism” is still a dirty word, where neighbors spy on neighbors and the new economy is in the hands of a few dangerous men, nothing Brooke does goes unnoticed—and a mistake in her past may now compromise her future.

A moving, poignant, and rich novel, Hotel Moscow is an eye-opening portrait of post-communist Russia and a profound exploration of faith, family, and heritage. (publisher)

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

My comments:

An intriguing story about a woman who returns to the home of her parents, comparing the past history of her family with the present - Russia after the fall of communism. Things are far from perfect. There is corruption, discrimination, crime. A seeming lawlessness. Makes you wonder about the future of the country, even today.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for an ARC of this book for review. 

For more reviews of Hotel Moscow, visit the tour schedule

Book Giveaway: THE FRENCH BEAUTY SOLUTION by Mathilde Thomas

First Chapter, First Paragraph is hosted weekly by Bibliophile by the Sea. Share the first paragraph of your current read. Also visit Teaser Tuesdays meme hosted by Jenn.

The French Beauty Solution: Time-Tested Secrets to Look and Feel Beautiful Inside and Out
by Mathilde Thomas; expected publication: July 14, 2015 by Avery

Introduction:

I grew up in Grenoble, a French village nestled at the foot of the French Alps where the air was pure and clean and the mountain water icy crisp. My parents, Daniel and Florence Cathiard, my younger sister, Alice, and I lived on a farm with my maternal grandparents, Yvonne and Maurice, where we tended a vegetable garden and raised chickens and bees. My grandfather took me hiking all over the mountains, pointing out which plants were edible and which mushrooms were toxic, which herbs could cure a tummy ache and which would staunch a wound, which smelled intoxicatingly minty and which were so pungent they made my nose run. 

Teaser: 

The Pleasure Principle is pretty simple. All it means is that your beauty routing should make you feel good at the same time it makes you look good. 

About the book: The book is divided into five parts. 
Part I - how to live a happy and healthy life the French way.
Part II - the science behind skincare
Part III - an effective skin care routing, with recommendations for streamlining to meet your unique needs
Part IV - how the French do their makeup and haircare
Part V - three-day grape detox and cleanse

Teaser: 

French Beauty Secret: One of the easiest ways to decongest and hydrate your skin is with a cucumber. Make sure the cucumber is cold (it needs to have been refrigerated for at least twenty minutes). Slice it thinly, lie down, and apply slices all over your face. Remove after ten minutes.  

BOOK GIVEAWAY: The publisher is offering a copy of The French Beauty Solution to a U.S. resident. To enter to win, please send me an email at harvee44@yahoo.com with the title: French Beauty Solution Contest. Include an email address to reach you if you should win. Contest ends on July 6, 2015. A winner will be chosen at random and notified by email the following day to send a mailing address by July 9. Thanks for entering and Good luck!

UPDATE: Congrats to Bellezza, chosen by Randomizer as winner of the book. Thanks to all of you who entered. Wish I had a book for each and every one of you!

Sunday Salon: Bitten By Bugs and Books

Welcome to the Sunday Salon where bloggers share their reading each week. Visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also visit Mailbox Monday.

In spite of an all day rain, we went to the gym for some walking, stretching, and biking. 
It's been a strange, very wet spring and summer. I can only think this must be like Seattle weather. The garden is green, but swarms of mosquitoes rise up from the grass every time we set foot outside. I have had to buy calamine lotion!

I have a few new books for review:

Scents and Sensibility: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn, to be released July 14, 2015 by Atria Books.  I was delighted to get this book, having read his previous ones in the series. Chet is the PI dog who tells the story, from his limited but humorous point of view, and Bernie is his partner in the private investigator team. I am looking forward to a delightful read.

A Head Full of Ghosts: A Novel by Paul Tremblay, published June 2, 2015 by William Morrow. "A chilling thriller that brilliantly blends domestic drama, psychological suspense, and a touch of modern horror." Hope this one is not too horrific as I really don't  read many horror books. We'll see....

The Sunrise: A Novel by Victoria Hislop, to be published July 7, 2015 by Harper Paperbacks.
"...a saga of survival set during the 1974 Cypriot coup d'etat that tells the intersecting stories of three families whose lives are decimated when brewing ethnic tensions erupt into conflict." 
I have read a few of her other historical novels and am looking forward to this one. 

The Untold: A Novel by Courtney Collins, published June 2, 2015 by Berkley.
“[A] page turner…Jessie, the heroine of this tale set in 1920s Australia, sets her own compass…The chase will leave you breathless.”—Good Housekeeping
A book set in Australia, this one got my attention.

Last week, I finished reading
The Truth and Other Lies by Sacha Arango, a mystery, five stars - book review next week.
The Sound of Glass by Karen White, fiction, five stars

I'll be reviewing Hotel Moscow for a book tour next week, as well as The Truth and Other Lies.

How about your book shelf? What will you be reading?