Darlene's Digest

“Possum hangin’ in the tree, Raccoon on the ground; Raccoon say, you stingy rat, Shake them ’simmons down!” Julia paused in her singing and frowned down at the spoon stirring through the cake batter. “Possum hanging in the tree?” Where had that come from? “Goodness, I’m becoming countrified!” She chuckled, looking out the kitchen window at the activity in the yard. Rand was doing the morning chores in preparation for their trip to the Iveys’ farm. For a moment she watched him as she stirred, indulging herself in a fantasy that theirs was a normal marriage, two people on the Florida frontier, making a new life together. But it was as much a fantasy as singing raccoons. -- Smuggler's Bride It's that time of year, the time when the North Florida farmers market has lovely, ripe, orange persimmons. You can eat them as they are, or soften them up and turn them into yummy treats. It's also the time of year when I re-post one of my most requested recipes for using...

Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt My rating: 5 of 5 stars A satisfying conclusion to the "Lords of Chaos" story arc as Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore begins his long awaited mission of revenge against the secret organization of powerful men who abuse women and children for their pleasure. First though he has to rescue Lady Iris Jordan, kidnapped by mistake as the Lords seek their own revenge against the Crown and its officers. Hoyt's long-time readers will enjoy this latest installment, but the novel can also be read as a stand-alone. Raphael's dark secrets set against Iris' quiet determination to bring him into the light make for an engrossing romance full of angst, passion and danger. The author's use of the Georgian period for her stories offers a setting of decadence and power set against wrenching poverty and inequality, and will leave historical romance fans feeling they've gotten more than their money...

Before the Rain Falls by Camille Di Maio My rating: 4 of 5 stars A touching and moving tale of a woman who spends her life in a Texas prison for murdering her sister, and how her tale impacts a reporter looking for redemption and a doctor thrust back into the small town she left behind. Poignant and shocking, convicted killer Della Lee's tale of love and murder captures the despair of a life with few choices, and offers a glimpse of life behind bars for women in a justice system that cared little for them. The ending was a touch predictable, but in some ways that added to the enjoyment of seeing how characters lives intertwine and what the future can hold for people brought together by chance and family. View all my reviews

His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras My rating: 4 of 5 stars Yazmine Fernandez has always believed in "family first", so she's not impressed by busy executive Tomas Garcia's being MIA from his young daughter's father/daughter dance practice. She's got enough on her mind with caring for her ailing father while focusing on trying to get her New York dance career back on track. But the handsome ad exec and his adorable daughter Maria are making it hard for Yazmine to keep focused. Tomas is hesitant to get involved with dating a woman focused on her career to the exclusion of her loved ones, but Maria needs what the graceful dance teacher can offer...and Maria's father is finding it hard to resist her as well. Oliveras' debut novel is a sweet tale of family, friendship and making the tough choices, especially when one's in the "sandwich generation", caring for elderly parents as well as seeing to the n...

An Echo of Murder by Anne Perry My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another gripping William Monk tale had me guessing whodunnit until the very end. There were suspects, but bringing the facts together took a team, and that's part of what made this story work. It wasn't just Hester and Monk, it was Monk's assistant detective, Hopper, Crow the surgeon, attorney Oliver Rathbone and Scruf. Some of them are the usual players in this series, but we also got enough new characters to add interest and zip. A damaged doctor from Hester's service in the Crimean war...some long-lost relatives, and the growth of mudlark Scruf into "Will Monk", an apprentice physician who took on his mentor's name, but not his profession as a police officer. As usual, I look forward to more Monk mysteries from Ms. Perry. View all my reviews

An Echo of Murder by Anne Perry My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another gripping William Monk tale had me guessing whodunnit until the very end. There were suspects, but bringing the facts together took a team, and that's part of what made this story work. It wasn't just Hester and Monk, it was Monk's assistant detective, Hopper, Crow the surgeon, attorney Oliver Rathbone and Scruf. Some of them are the usual players in this series, but we also got enough new characters to add interest and zip. A damaged doctor from Hester's service in the Crimean war...some long-lost relatives, and the growth of mudlark Scruf into "Will Monk", an apprentice physician who took on his mentor's name, but not his profession as a police officer. As usual, I look forward to more Monk mysteries from Ms. Perry. View all my reviews

Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon My rating: 5 of 5 stars [disclaimer--I'm in the acknowledgements for assistance with the story Virgins in this collection] Seven Stones to Stand or Fall will be enjoyed by Outlander fans who like the broader story, tales about the secondary characters--Ian Murray, Lord John Grey, Lord John's family, Roger Mackenzie's family and more. Lord John in particular has his own side collection now of mysteries he solves in his travels in the British Army, and I find those stories especially enjoyable. John's a good detective. Most of these have been reprinted in other collections, but it's a pleasure to have them all together to be enjoyed again. View all my reviews

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas My rating: 4 of 5 stars I believe what I'm enjoying most about his series is its focus on the restraints on women's lives in the 19th c., particularly married women, women of the middle classes, unwed women living at home, and women without their own resources. In addition to all that, there's an intriguing mystery to solve, fun cryptography, and almost obscene descriptions of pastries. Charlotte Holmes is a fallen woman who investigates mysteries both criminal and domestic. She does this through an elaborate ruse involving her fictitious brother, "Sherlock Holmes", aided by her companion, Mrs. Watson and various other individuals, supportive or otherwise. We see some characters from the first novel return, there's an intriguing marriage proposal ideally suited to Charlotte, and a set-up for the next mystery. I look forward to seeing more in this series and encourage readers to star...

Blood Enemies by Susan R. Matthews My rating: 4 of 5 stars Andrej Koscuisko is living a life of practicing surgery and making reparations for his work as Fleet Medical Officer for the Jurisdiction. But when he leaves his safe haven to help his former staff he finds himself in the middle of a terrorist genocidal war. Worst of all, his skills as the most qualified Ship's Inquisitor--torturer for the Jurisdiction--will be brought back into use, and it could cost him his sanity and the lives of his loved ones. This latest installment in the Under Jurisdiction series wraps up a number of storylines from earlier novels, and gives some resolution to characters like Andrej. It's unflinching in its exploration of Andrej's need to inflict pain, the monster inside him he's worked so hard to overcome, but Matthews delivers a solid story. Many readers couldn't get past An Exchange of Hostages , the first book exploring Andrej's in the Flee...

The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was an interesting book but I'm ambivalent about reading more in this universe. There are loose ends, characters who walk on-and-off scene and some great historical detail. Part of the problem may be my coming to it in a roundabout way, having read Cocoa Beach first. View all my reviews

The storm passed over us in the pre-dawn hours. We hunkered down (Dodi the dachshund too) in an interior room with all of our "Go!" supplies and flashlights but we were extremely fortunate. We're still getting gusts and I fear our trees are weakened from all the water and wind, but if nothing falls on the house we should get through this without trauma. I cannot say enough about the crew at @FloridaStorms who have been broadcasting non-stop since this all began. They're based at WUFT.org, the multi-media operation at my alma mater, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. I'm a former radio news director and station owner and I know how difficult and how vital radio is at a time like this. The mainstream media is who I trust in an emergency. This is also the time when you are glad you have a strong and capable state and local government. And NOAA. And FEMA. And all the blessed first responders. One of my favorite quotes is attributed...

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a novel for everyone who loves novels, who understands the empowering nature of words to change lives, and for everyone who likes a good dirty story. Nikki is a young Englishwoman of Punjabi descent, pressured by her family to do the expected thing--go to law school, marry a nice Punjabi boy (preferably one chosen by her parents), but she's living the western life in London and loving it. Searching for some extra cash and a little resume building, Nikki offers to teach a writing class, but what she finds is something very unexpected. The women--all widows--want to tell stories, and the stories they want to tell are erotic. As Nikki and the widows tell their tales they also share their personal lives, and the more they become involved with storytelling, the more Nikki learns there's an undercurrent of danger within the tight-knit community that will put her ...

“What should I do to prepare for the storm, Doctor?” He still watched her, and his eyes changed. He didn't smile at her—she could not imagine that happening. Instead, his look was, if not approving, at least less censorious. “A very good question, Miss Farnham.” He straightened up from his labors, wiped his hands on a cloth and then covered the bowl with it. “The Magpie is a sound ship, and the captain and crew are experienced. But if I were you, I would pack a valise. It should be a bag you yourself can carry. In it, only put those things that are absolutely necessary, or those things you would preserve at all costs.” “One bag?” Daphne stared at him. “But…but it is impossible. I could not pack everything necessary to me into one bag!” He cocked one of those accusatory eyebrows at her. “Impossible? That is too bad. Let me tell you what will happen if the worst occurs and we have to abandon the ship: you will grab the first thing at hand and cling to it. It might be a bo...

Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams My rating: 4 of 5 stars Florida's a land of smugglers, land speculators, gamblers, desperadoes and settlers. It was at the beginning, it is now, and it was certainly the case during the Jazz Age. Until a devastating hurricane and the crash of the stock market slowed its fevered growth, Florida was the destination for re-inventing yourself. Cocoa Beach has all of that, and more. It's a real page turner, full of secrets and hidden identities and characters who are not what they seem. The setting was also part of the story, the heat and humidity and insects part of the age before air conditioning and mosquito control make the peninsula habitable. I'm going to look for more books by Ms. Williams, and if they're as good as Cocoa Beach , I'll add her to my list of authors to look for. View all my reviews

The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer My rating: 5 of 5 stars A delightful re-read of a Georgette Heyer classic, with some true laugh out loud scenes. View all my reviews

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid My rating: 4 of 5 stars I'm not one who reads the tabloids (unless they're in the doctor's waiting room, and then all bets are off) or watches reality TV, so I didn't think I'd enjoy this book as much as I did. Evelyn Hugo was a Hollywood star in the 50s & 60s, using her sex appeal and her genuine acting skills to rise to the top. Along the way she accumulated seven husbands, and now she's finally ready to tell her story. The young reporter assigned to interview Miss Hugo is plucked out of obscurity, but she will have no other write her story. Monique has to wonder why, even as she's pulled into a memoir more searing than any she could have imagined. Evoking the glamour days of Hollywood, when the studios controlled a star's image, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is about fame, and power, and ultimately, the choices we make in love and life. V...

Tyrant's Throne by Sebastien de Castell My rating: 5 of 5 stars You'll need to get out your handkerchiefs, again, but it's worth it. Sebastien de Castell brings his Greatcoats story to a rousing conclusion with plenty of swordplay, heart-wrenching moments, and odes to friendship, bravery, and love along the way. The young heir to the throne is finally in the palace, but the work is just beginning. There are still enemies aplenty, duchies in rebellion, and an enemy lurking over the border in Avares. The real question underlying all of the series is "Can the rule of law triumph over the rule of man?" and it's put to the test, repeatedly, but perhaps never more so than in this final, concluding novel. Fans of the series will find it a must-read, and I would encourage anyone who likes The Three Musketeers , Robin Hood , Zorro or who thinks Basil Rathbone was the true star of all of those films where he was cast as the sword wie...

Heart of Gold by Beverly Jenkins My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sometimes, especially now, you just want to read a story about good people going about their lives and being helpful to one another. Heart of Gold is that sort of a book, and Ms. Jenkins' writing kicks it up to a whole new level of quality. View all my reviews

The St. Johns: A Parade of Diversities by James Branch Cabell My rating: 5 of 5 stars I'm rereading my favorite Florida history, because no one brings the snark like Branch Cabell. For example: "Andrew Jackson, that idolized heckler for the unshaved frontier, who was now beginning to dominate the United States as an epitome of their national failings....His disposition...was embittered by the discovery that he did not even have the power to appoint his own relatives and personal friends to many of the better paying offices." We could use some JBC about now. It's out of print, sadly, but is worth hunting down. Even if you're not researching Florida you'll be entertained. View all my reviews

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle My rating: 5 of 5 stars H.P. Lovecraft was a notorious racist at a time when you had to be truly egregious to stand out in a racist society. He also left the horror genre the seminal Cthulu Mythos, the germ of an otherworldly monstrous realm of Elder Gods that spurred the imagination of horror writers for generations to follow. THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM is a re-imagining of the Cthulu story in a very different fashion than Lovecraft could ever have envisioned, or tolerated. Tom Tester is a musician, a loving son, a man with an inquiring mind. But in 1920s New York what a black man got was police brutality of a sort still experienced today, hatred, suspicion, and, of course, the disdain and racism of the white community. Victor LaValle holds up a mirror to Lovecraft, both the racism and the writing, and gives us a new telling of the rise of the Elder Gods, with Black Tom at the center. It's fabulous storytelling with characters who can exis...