Mission to Murder by Lynn Cahoon-- A Reader's Review

One of my favorite things about owning a Kindle (yes, I was a little late to the program) is that I am able to discover authors and books that aren't available in the local library or written up in the "New York Times" book review. That doesn't mean that they aren't well-written; they just have smaller marketing budgets. One such find was the "Tourist Trap" series by Lynn Cahoon. The second book in this series, "Mission to Murder," was just released on July 31st.

The Tourist Trap mysteries follow the adventures of Jill Gardner, a San Francisco stock broker turned small town bookseller. In the fictional California coastal town of South Cove, she manages to mix things up, getting involved with both the local business-to-business association, two murders and a local, very attractive police detective. She also just inherited a cottage-style house and the possible historic ruins of a California mission (hence the book's title.)

In the spirit of the "Murder She Wrote" series (with a little more spice) and in the style of Nancy Pickard and Carolyn Hart, Cahoon has penned two very readable cozy mysteries. The third installment in this series is due out in November. I'll be waiting.


(Note: the first book in this series, "Guidebook to Murder," is included in the Kindle Unlimited plan or just 99 cents if you're not a member.)

Does Kindle Unlimited Make Sense for Mystery Readers?

I finally decided to bite on the Kindle Unlimited (KU) deal this weekend, at least for the free 30 day trial. If you haven't heard, Amazon, via its Kindle platform, is offering a new program where the reader gets "unlimited" access to more than 600,000 titles plus thousands of audiobooks for $9.99 per month. The first 30 days are free.

How Kindle Unlimited works
Once you subscribe to KU, you are able to hold up to ten KU titles on your Kindle at one time. These can be of any genre, from mysteries to cookbooks. As soon as you release one, you're able to pick up another. When you subscription ends, you lose access to those titles (so you can't load up your Kindle during the free trial period.) You are automatically charged each month until you tell Amazon to cancel your subscription.

Popular mystery authors on Kindle Unlimited
When you start looking through the catalog, you'll find quite a few classic and popular contemporary mystery authors. Among them are:

• Ed McBain
• Joanne Fluke
• Lawrence Sanders
• Lisa Jackson
• Ian Fleming (the James Bond books)
• Leslie Chartres ("The Saint" series)
• Dorothy Sayers
• Leon Uris
• Umberto Eco ("The Name of the Rose" and others)
• Ruth Rendell
• Patricia Wentworth

Advantages to Kindle Unlimited
The chief advantage to KU, in my opinion, is the 24/7 access to a vast array of authors. With this plan, you can try something new without having to buy a book or return a book to the library. If you don't like it, you can just move on. It's also a good way for mystery lovers to read the classics that can't always be found at the local library.

The downside
The primary disadvantages to KU is the lack of current releases. (Most major publishers aren't willing to work with Amazon on KU pricing.) In addition, the search function is limited to searching by name or by the most popular titles within a specific category. Since there are more than 200,000 categorized as mysteries, browsing can be a little tricky and time-consuming.

Does it make sense?
Back to the original question: does subscribing to Kindle Unlimited make sense? The answer really depends on your reading habits. If you only enjoy the newest, latest releases, than no, you won't find what you're looking for on KU. Also, I'd say you have to read around 8-10 novels per month to really get your money's worth out of the program. Still, if you're an avid reader, KU offers a chance to read the classics and sample authors you might not have tried otherwise, all for $9.99/month and no late fees.

A Reader's Review: Lisey's Story by Stephen King

Lisey's Story is a joy to read. It's a mature, well-crafted novel by the master of all storytellers--Stephen King.

Lisey's Story (currently $8.54 on Kindle; $8.99 paperback) is a bit of a departure from King's earlier novels. It's much more subtle and speaks with the empathy of a middle-aged writer, something his earlier novels lack.

About Lisey
Lisey's Story tells the tale of Lisey (rhymes with CeCe) Landon, the forty-something widow of best-selling horror novelist, Scott Landon. The reader meets Lisey two years after her husband's death. She's finally decided to tackle the heart-wrenching and laborious project of cleaning her husband's study--his work room. As she sorts and reminisces, she is faced with a family crisis, she is threatened by a deranged fan of his husband's work, and she is forced to relive the mostly good of a 20-some year marriage.

In her searching, she finds what she could swear are clues left by Scott, clues that lead her to discover more than she ever knew about her husband's troubled childhood, his tortured imagination, and his love for her. At the end of the search is the last story he wrote--the one he wrote just for her: Lisey's Story. In finding that tale, her healing can really begin.

Is Scott Landon Really Stephen King?
The similarities between Scott Landon and Stephen King are unmistakable. Both are successful horror genre authors. Both live in Maine. Like Landon, King confessed in On Writing that he once struggled with alcohol. That King and his wife, author Tabitha King, have an enviable marriage is obvious. Although he states in the afterward that Tabitha isn't Lisey, King couldn't have written so tenderly and insightfully about Lisey's and Scott's marriage without having walked down that road himself.

King even pokes a little fun at his early success. Scott Landon became an overnight bestselling author with his horror fantasy Empty Devils, the only one of his novels Lisey doesn't like. Could Empty Devils really be Carrie?

One of the Best Novels of 2006 or any Year
I confess, although I've read much of Stephen King's work, I haven't really been a fan until recently. I've always found his flights of imagination a little too "out there" for my taste. With Lisey's Story, however, he's found a way to combine his fantasy world with touching human emotion. If it has a flaw, Lisey's Story relies a little too heavily on Scott Landon's made-up language. At times, you think that you might need a glossary. But, linguistics is not King's forte. He's a storyteller, and wow, what a story this is. Stalwart King fans will find enough fantasy to satisfy them, but they'll also find something new. Don't miss this novel.