In the Woods by Tana French

I finally broke my surgery and recovery induced reading fast with a doozy of a book. I am probably a little late to reading Tana French crime novels, but that just means I have six more to look forward to.

In the Woods (2007) introduces the Dublin Murder Squad. The main characters are detective partners Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox. They are tasked with investigating the murder of a child on the housing estate where Rob grew up. Rob has a secret childhood trauma of his own that might or might not be germane to this current crime and his involvement in the investigation may even put the whole case in jeopardy.

Even though the crime here is certainly distasteful, the writing and plotting are terrific. I rolled through the book's 600 pages which gave me plenty of time to get to know the main characters. (Not sure I was crazy about Rob the narrator.)

Once I finished, I immediately went online to my library's ebook collection to check out the second in the series. Imagine my chagrin when I saw the message that my account was blocked! 

What? 

My first thought was that my card had expired. No, that wasn't it. I called and someone at the library told me that I had an unpaid overdue fine of 20 cents and my access to ebooks was now blocked. Busted. 

Apparently, this is an automatic process so I didn't take it personally or feel as if I had been singled out. I mean, I know libraries are in dire financial straits, but really?

So a trip to the library to pay my huge fine and all is well except that there is a wait list to check out Likeness, the second in the Murder Squad series. 

In the meantime, I started reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. I have had it on my Kindle for a long time and while I have many times watched and enjoyed the television series that is based on three of Ms. Gaskell's novels about the fictional village, I have yet to read this first book.

After the not-so-nice goings on of In the Woods, the ladies of Cranford offer a welcome and gentler version of life with a sufficient amount of tea and cakes.

Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody

I left behind Dahlia Moss and her amateur detecting from last week's post...she was entertaining, but I couldn't quite get with the computer gaming part of the tale.

So, I moved on to a British mystery that features an amateur sleuth who couldn't be more different. Meet 31-year-old Kate Shackleton. She is a widow, promising photographer, daughter of a police superintendent (which helps), and was a voluntary field nurse during World War I. She also has a penchant for finding people who have gone missing. 

Her first professional case comes to her when friend and former nurse colleague Tabitha asks her to find her missing father. Joshua Braithwaite was the successful owner of one of the many textile mills near Leeds. One day he simply walked away from his family, his village, and his business. Tabitha, who is to be married shortly, believes he is still alive and hires Kate to find him before the wedding.

The setting is the 1920s and I love reading about that time. The clever chapter headings all reference textile or mill terms — for example, crepe-de-chine, twisting-in, candlewick. There are intriguing historical details and descriptions of the mill and the difficult and dangerous life of its workers. (Think Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South.)

My only complaint is that there are too many instances when I am aware that the author is 'writing'. By that I mean there are character background details or descriptions that don't actually move the story forward. They seem forced. I guess I don't have patience for too many side trips. I want to get on with it.

This is the first in a series — there are nine mysteries so far. If you are a fan of Maisie Dobbs, these books will be sure to please.

Here is a quote I quite like regarding Kate's interest in photography. It could apply to any artistic endeavor.

Even when my photographs did not do justice to the scene, which was most of the time, simply framing the views developed a photographing habit that changed my way of seeing. A photographer's eye sharpens memory from a vague or hazy recollection to a clear image of an everlasting moment. Owning a camera gave me a new interest in people and landscapes, in markets and busy streets. It is a way of looking outside yourself and at the same time gathering up mental albums of memories.