History meets the modern world in a fine novel

I just finished reading Charlotte Hinger's Lethal Lineage. Charlotte and I have been friends for years, since our days in Western Writers of America (I suspect Charlotte is still a lot more active than I am), and I always considered her Come Spring a classic about life on the western prairies for women. Now she's turned her hand to mysteries--and a fine hand it turns out to be. Award-winning Deadly Descent was first in the Lottie Albright series (and I enjoyed it a great deal). Now it's followed by Lethal Lineage.
Having lived in western Kansas for most of her adult life, Charlotte knows that barren, wind-swept land and its people like she knows her own soul, and she pours that knowledge into her mysteries. Lottie, however, is a relative newcomer, albeit married to a longtime vet/rancher. Still Charlotte shows us Lottie learning about the land and its people, particularly by serving as head of the local historical society where she encourages people to submit written and oral bits of their histories.
Charlotte effectively blends that knowledge of the land with deep and thorough research, this time into the Episcopalian church in western Kansas, the ancient practice of glebes (land assigned to support a priest). Glebes were fairly common in the East, but there was only one in western Kansas. In addition, she weaves into her story the horrors of Africa's Hutu-Tutsi Wars and the terror that survivors carried with them, even into new lives in this country. And the oral histories of the folk of western Kansas weave into this in an amazing conclusion.
Hats off to Charlotte. This is the kind of book I wish I could write, and I give it five stars. Read it. You will too.
I understand that the FCC says if I am going to review books, I have to make a disclaimer that the above is my own opinion and also have to state my guidelines for reviewing books: well, this isn't a book review blog, though I have often reviewed for a variety of sources, including major newspapers. Nope, this is just one mystery reader's personal opinion. From time to time, I'll review books I liked. If I don't mention a book it means I've never read it or didn't like it well enough to recommend. So there you have it--I liked Lethal Lineage.

Goodbye, ham

I've almost finished the half ham I inherited over New Year's. Made old-fashioned split pea soup tonight--the kind where you add carrots, celery, and an onion studded with cloves. Almost forgot to add the ham bone but got it in eventually. The cloves made it smell so good when cooking. The recipe said 1/2 package would feed eight--I only looked because I needed to know proportion of water to beans. I used almost 3/4 the package; it fed three of us, with no leftovers. Made a salad, served ham salad on crackers for appetizer (said I was going to ham them to death), and the Lindt chocolate truffles I got for Christmas for dessert--got to get all that chocolate out of my house! Next time I make pea soup I'll follow my instinct--and my mom's cooking lessons--rather than the package. But it was so good, with chunks of ham and carrot floating in it. I like a thick split pea soup--sort of like the milkshake the spoon can stand it, so maybe that's why it didn't feed more. When I was a kid, my brother's favorite dish was split pea soup--he was away at boarding school, and we had to have it every time he came home. I hated it! But I think hams in those days (way back in the dark ages) were saltier. Today I love the soup, and I am loving the ham. Have had ham salad a lot. Still have some left, plus a chunk of ham. Haven't decided what to do with it yet. Maybe I'll try Jacob on cubed ham Tuesday night--better than chicken nuggets.
A nice lazy Sunday. My conscience bit me a little about not going to church, but I slept until eight, read the paper, fixed the soup, rode my bike, washed my hair, sent out a query, and it's amazing where the day goes. Today it's warm enough that Scooby spent the day outside--a relief to both of us, I'm sure. Tomorrow, back to work, so tonight I'm going to read and be lazy.
Just finished reaing Deadly Descent by Charlotte Hinger--an old friend from Western Writers of America. I'm much impressed by the way Chalrotte has transitioned from the western (now not much sought after) to the mystery--and combined her love of Kansas, its geography, and its history, with the mystery genre. The novel, her first mystery, is a real page-turner and kept me up far too late last night. I couldn't foresee the end coming--lots of red herrings--but it was a most satisfying conclusion, and I recommend it heartily. Wish I could combine history of the West with mystery, and may still work on that. Now I'm reading Murder by Marfa Lights by Denise Weeks. Must ask my neighbors, who have a home in Marfa, to read it for authenticity. Meantime, barely into it, I find it keeps my attention.

Maybe the new year has begun

Still cold in North Texas--17 this morning, but I finally got brave, blocked the dog into his cozy bed, and ventured out. I really do okay in the cold--it's the dog I worry about. Don't want to leave him out, can't trust him alone in the house, but he seems to be okay if I put him in his bed and don't stay away too long. Went to the grocery and made a brief stop at the office. I came home to hibernate and suddenly was inspired by the Sisters in Crime listserv--those ladies, and a few men, constantly work at their careers, while I seem to sit and wait for something to happen. I realized I really have a lot to do and should stop sitting here reading mysteries, much as they relate to what I hope is my new career.
First decision: put my '90s historical fiction on KIndle. That's been a big topic on the listserv, and even if I doin't make any money, it seems to me it would be great for name recognition. I investigated a bit, wrote to my former agent to make sure rights have reverted, and then wrote my new agent. Lo, behold, and glory, he said he would take care of that as my agent. Not right away but in a few months (okay that made me a bit nervous!).
Second decision: I did the index recipe tonight for Grace & Gumption: The Cookbook. For those who don't know or remember, TCU Press did a book a couple of years ago titled Grace & Gumption: Stories of Fort Worth Women. Following it up with a cookbook was really my idea, because of my love of not only food but food writing, but it has been fun for all of us. I proofread the pages, then found out that wasn't one of my assigned chores--still my proofreading may help. But my job was to index the recipes, and tonight I've finished that, though I have to proofread. Then I'll make a list of cookbooks consulted, because there were a number of locally published cookbooks that ought to interest Fort Worth women. What really struck me was that when I categorized the recipes, the dessert section was twice as long as any other--what does that tell you about women? Actually, given my druthers in cooking, dessert is the last thing I make. I try to avoid them, am not creative about fixing them, and they never "look pretty" like the ones you see in magazines.
Third decision: I signed up for a class on Twitter. To me it is baffling, but maybe this class will help me make sense of it. It's supposed be a great tool for getting your name out there as an author. I do alright on Facebook though I'm mostly silently--some of my children are on it all the time with baffling messages that I can't understand at all--I've begun to think of some of my own family as aliens from another planet. And who needs to know every place they go all day? Now they've begun posting something from Gowalla and I have no idea what that is. I do strugglel hard to keep up and be computer literate, but it's hard.
Fourth decision: made a committment to do some volunteer work at the church on a weekly basis. Will call first time attendees and possibly take a weekly turn at the reception desk. I need to get back into the life of the church.
Tomorrow: staying home, keeping Scooby out of the cold, and starting to organize my tax info for 2009.
Whew! All this organikzed ambition has tired me out, and I'm going to read the Charlotte Hinger mystery I'm well into and hooked on.