This month the theme for our read on a theme book club is 1960's. It was very fortuitous that the week before that was announced I had visited our local library for an author talk by Amanda Hampson about her latest release, The Deadly Dispute, the third book in the Tea Ladies series. The series is set in the Sydney garment trade with each book set in a different year. This book, the first in the series, is set in 1965.
In the series, our four tea ladies are Hazel, Merl, Betty and Irene. They all work in different businesses along Zig Zag Lane. They are all very different from each other but they always support each other as best they can! Hazel is the glue that holds the group together. Irene is a bit of a rough diamond and may or may not have her own interesting past, Merl is a bit bossy and Betty is the list maker. I look forward to learning more about them all as I progress in the series
Hazel works at Empire Fashionwear. In her role as tea lady, she not only knows what everyone's preferred biscuit choice is (Shortbread Cream for me thanks Hazel) but she is often called upon to be confidante and sometimes even the peacemaker if there is any dissent between staff members. She has access to all levels of the business from the machinists to the big boss.
One day Hazel sees a distressed woman in the window of the supposedly abandoned warehouse across the road. The woman is holding up a note but it is in another language so Hazel isn't able to understand it. When the warehouse burns down and the Empire Fashionware bookkeeper is found dead, Hazel and her friends are drawn into the investigation, especially seeing as the police just don't seem to be interested.
Unwittingly, Hazel finds herself caught up in the dangerous Sydney underworld where crime boss rules the streets, where people she knows are caught up in risky business, you don't know who you can trust and every action she takes could lead to danger.
That is not the only issue Hazel is facing. She is not sure why but her husband Robert is acting a bit out of character. They are very happy together, and usually have a really set routine but there is something not quite right and she needs to figure it out.
I liked this book a lot, especially the camaraderie between the tea ladies (well, three of them at least). It really captures the feeling of the impact of rapid social change. I guess it is true of most decades, but the 1960s was a decade where there were seismic changes, particularly in the rag trade. The company where Hazel work is very conservative. They produce knee length skirts and tailored jackets in drab colours like brown. When English model Jean Shrimpton shocks the country by wearing a mini dress to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, fashion changes overnight, but not everyone at Empire Fashionwear wants to change with the times, especially given some of the psychedelic fabric that is around. The orders dry up overnight, and suddenly many of the staff members are facing unemployment if things dont improve.
As an aside now the dress looks very conservative compared to some of the fashions that are seen at the races but at the time it was very controversial because not only was the dress short, but she also was not wearing a hat, gloves or stockings.
By the time I started working tea ladies were a thing of the past, but there were still a couple of people who did remember the days when they would work their way through the building, distributing tea or coffee, biscuits and a friendly bit of banter. I do love the idea of having someone like Hazel wandering through the building every day, dispensing biscuits and advice!
I have already requested the next book in the series so will be looking forward to reading more about the Tea Ladies and their adventures!
I am sharing this review with the Foodies Read challenge hosted at Based on a True Story, with Weekend Cooking and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, both of which I host!
Two close friends (one of whom happens to be Julia Childs)
Fabulous food
A body in the basement
A grumpy police detective
A dash of post war intrigue
Some fun secondary characters
Method
Take two American women who have become best friends after meeting in Paris. Add in a late night party, a missing knife, a body in the basement.
Add a very serious Parisian detective who turns up the heat of suspicion on our main character and then mix in a suspicion of espionage
Cook under pressure, until things begin to boil.
Sprinkle with misdirection
Season with a quest to perfect mayonnaise and lessons on how to make a perfect omelette.
When this book was announced as the current choice for Cook the Books, I was very pleased. I have been reading this author for years, following her through various identities and sub genres. I was also keen to read this because I loved the idea of having Julia Child as one of the characters.
Right from the opening paragraphs I expected this book to be fun:
Julia Child had a mayonnaise problem.
I knew all about it - every sordid detail - because, first, I was one of her closest friends in Paris, and second....well, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the seventh arrondisement - from the Place due Palais-Bourbon to the Tour Eiffel - had heard about the mayonnaise problem. Julia was just that kind of person. She was gregarious and ebullient and giddy and enthusiastic.
Tabitha Knight moved to Paris in 1949, and almost immediately made friends with Julia Child, who would later become known for her work on TV cooking shows. At this point, Julia is attending classes in Paris. When she is not cooking up a storm, Julia is attempting to both teach Tabitha to cook, and to encourage her to try and meet a good man!
After a late night party at Julia and Paul's apartment with Julia's theatre loving sister, Dort, Tabitha stumbles across the body of another woman who was at the party. She is found dead in the basement and most damningly, one of Julia Child's distinctive knives is found too. The French police, in the form of Inspector Merveille, are instantly suspicious that either Tabitha or Julia were involved in the murder, and so Tabitha needs to prove their innocence. Her natural curiosity soon leads her into investigating the crime, and draws her into an English speaking theatre world and a far reaching conspiracy.
Whilst I enjoyed all the characters, I think my favourites have to have been Tabitha's grandfather and her "oncle" (as in a very close friend of the family). Tabitha and the two gentleman share the house along with their adorable pets. It is inferred that the two men got up to all sorts of things in the war, and still have many contacts in all sorts of places, which come in handy whilst Tabitha is kind of sort of investigating the crime. Luckily, this is the first in a series so I am hopefully we learn more about them in future books.
I had been intending to try making a Julia Child recipe since I watched the TV series Julia last year. I still haven't actually watched the second series yet! One day.
When it came to deciding which recipe to cook, there were so many options. I did consider trying to make mayonnaise, which I have never done before, and I considered making the omelette which Julia tried so hard to teach to Tabitha in the book. I still intend to try to do both, but in the end I decided on a classic French recipe, Boeuf Bourguignon.
Here is the original recipe, as far as I can tell anyway!
Boeuf Bourguignon (Julia Childs)
8 oz bacon chopped 4 tbsp olive oil 3 lbs stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes. 1 large carrot, sliced 1 onion sliced. 1 pinch salt and fresh ground pepper 2 tbsp plain flour 3 cups red wine 3 cups beef stock 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, smashed 1/2 tsp thyme 14 oz pearl onions, 18 to 24. 3.5 tbsp butter 1 herb bouquet (bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme, 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, tied together.) 1 lb brown or white mushrooms, quartered.
Preheat your oven to 450°. Simmer the bacon lardons in a pot of water for about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and let them drain on some paper towels.
Over medium heat, saute the cooked bacon in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 3 minutes. You'll want it to be lightly brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Take the beef cubes and pat them dry using a paper towel. Then, working in batches, sear the meat on all sides over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Then set it aside with the bacon.
In the same Dutch oven, saute the sliced onions and carrots over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add a little more olive oil (or butter) if necessary. Return the bacon and the seared meat back to the pot and sprinkle in about 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper.
Sprinkle the flour in and toss. Place in the oven, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Remove the pot fro the oven, toss again, and place back in the oven for another 4 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 325°.
Pour the wine and the stock into the pot. You'll want enough so the meat is just barely covered. Then, stir in the tomato paste, crushed garlic, and thyme leaves. Bring this to a light simmer on the stove, then cover and place in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
About an hour before you take the stew out of the oven, use a medium-size saute pan and heat 1.5 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pearl onions and cook until they are golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Then stir in 1/2 cup of beef broth, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the herb bouquet. Gently saute for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the small onions are soft.
Remove the pearl onions from the pan and set aside. Discard the herb bouquet and add the remaining butter and oil to the pan, over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes until they are soft. Remove the mushrooms and set aside with the pearl onions.
When the meat and vegetables are ready to come out of the oven, place a colander over a large pan and strain the liquid from the meat. Set the meat aside and bring the pan of liquid to a low simmer for about 5 minutes. Place the beef and vegetables back into the Dutch oven, then pour the sauce over that mixture. Stir in the pearl onions and mushrooms, and bring to a low simmer for 5 or 10 minutes.
Serve at this time or allow it to cool and refrigerate for a day or two before serving. The flavor will get better and develop with a little time.
I don't think I have ever seen pearl onions in the shops here, so we ended up using shallots instead of pearl onion, but other than we stuck mostly to the recipe.
I did pick up a couple of handy hints by reading various different versions of this recipe. We have a few different beef stews that we make, some of which include mushrooms. I have never seen a recipe where you fry off the mushrooms and then add into the pot for only a short time towards the end of the cook. By doing this, you end up still having a firmish texture on the mushrooms. The other thing that we have never done before was removing all the meat and then straining the sauce. The sauce looked smooth and glossy. It was amazing.
When I went to the shops to buy the ingredients. I was quite shocked by how much I had spent on what in theory was just one meal. In the end though we ended up having this for dinner two nights and I had the last bit for lunch as well. And the dogs got a bit of the gravy on their dinner too, so it didn't work out too badly in the end. What I didn't do, is remember to take a photo but it is difficult to take a photo of a casserole that looks good!
Here's Julia cooking the recipe back in the very first episode of her TV show.
I am sharing this recipe with Historical Fiction Reading Challenge and with Foodie Reads hosted by Based on a True Story
Weekly meals
Saturday - Boeuf Bourguignon Sunday - Boeuf Bourguignon Monday - Creamy Mustard Pork with mash, mushrooms and broccoli Tuesday - Green Chicken Curry Pie Wednesday -Tomato and Rice Soup Thursday - Pork Nachos Friday - Out for dinner
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
In the red light district of London, India Black is in the business of selling passion her clientele will never forget. But when it comes to selling secrets, India's price cannot be paid by any man...
In the winter of 1876, the beautiful young madam India Black is occupied with her usual tasks - keeping her tarts in line, avoiding the police, and tolerating the clergyman bent on converting her girls. But when Sir Archibald Latham of the War Office dies from a heart attack while visiting her brothel, India is unexpectedly thrust into a deadly game between Russian and British agents who are seeking the military secrets Latham carried.
French, the handsome British spy, discovers India disposing of Latham's body and blackmails her into recovering the missing documents. Their quest takes them from the Russian embassy to Claridge's Hotel, from London to the English coast, all the while dodging Russians intent to do them harm.
But it is their own tempestuous relationship they will have to weather as India and French attempt to resist the mutual attraction between them - an attraction that can prove as deadly as the conspiracy entangling them...
What is it about the Victorian era that gives us such smart, sassy, witty and readable women with a knack for amateur sleuthing? Move over Lady Julia Grey. Shove along Amelia Peabody and dance off towards the sunset Emily Ashton, because there is a new girl in town - India Black.
I thought from seeing the cover that this looked like a book that I might like. Right from the start of the prologue, I knew I was going to enjoy it mainly because of the voice. Here are the opening two sentences:
My name is India Black. I am a whore.
If those words made you blush, if your hand fluttered to your cheek or your harrumphed disapprovingly into your beard, then you should return this volume to the shelf, cast a cold glance at the proprietor as you leave, and hasten home feeling proper and virtuous.
The main question was whether the voice could be maintained through the novel without becoming annoying, and I am glad to say that it was.
So what is the book about? India Black is the madam at the Lotus House. As she says herself "I'm out of the game myself these days, but can set you up with a nice girl, any night after seven". One of the clients taking advantage of this deal is the man India calls Bowser, otherwise known as Sir Archibald Latham, important figure in the Disraeli government. When he dies in her establishment, India knows that it is bad new all round. With the assistance of the very enterprising urchin Vincent, India comes up with a plan to dispose of the body, but as she is disposing of the body she is approached by the spy only known as Mr French. A quick bit of banter and blackmail later and suddenly India finds herself involved in the spy game.
It seems that Bowser had bought some important government papers with him to her house of ill repute, but now they are missing and it is a matter of vital national importance that they are recovered. The government wants them, the opposition wants them, and the enemy (in this case the Russians) definitely want them. And so India suddenly finds herself in all kinds of unlikely situations.
It would be remiss of me to go much further without mentioning French. Strong, intelligent, handsome, relatively quiet, gets things done type of guy - be still my beating heart! I am so glad that this is the first of a series because I can't wait to find out more about French. At this stage he is so mysterious that neither the reader or India even know his first name. We are assured that it is not a run of the mill name like John or William and not totally outlandish. Perhaps we will find out in future books.
I did notice in the back cover blurb (above) that it talks about a relationship between French and India but I didn't really feel the mutual attraction all that much. It was definitely there, and it is a good foundation to build the tension in future reads, but I didn't think it was as strong an influence on the storyline as it could have been or that it is inferred to be in the blurb.
When a book has you laughing out loud on the train, you know that it is a good one, and it would be a perfect pick me up book! I will definitely be putting a request in for the next book as soon as I can, and the cover for the next book is gorgeous too!
I was prompted to read this book in order to participate in the blog tour being run by Premier Virtual Author Book Tours, although I got my copy of the book from the library. To visit other stops on the tour, click on the link above. Thanks for the push. I really enjoyed the book!
Hannah Swensen and her bakery, The Cookie Jar, bask in the glow of Hollywood glamour when Main Street becomes a movie set. And although tensions simmer as the cameras roll, no one expects the action to turn deadly...until it's too late...
There's no such thing as privacy in Lake Eden, but Hannah never thought things would go this far. Everyone has been telling her what to do ever since she got not one but two marriage proposals. Movie mania soon shoves Hannah's marriage dilemma into the background and even gives her cat a shot at stardom. The Cookie Jar serves as snack central with Main Street rented out for the week. She stirs lots of fresh gossip, whipping up treats for cast and crew, including demanding direct Dean Lawrence's favourite - cherry cheesecake.
Everything's on schedule until Dean demonstrates a suicide scene with a prop gun that turns out to be all too real. As filming continues, Hannah sifts through the clues, hoping against hope that the person responsible for Dean's death is half-baked enough to have made a mistake. When it happens, Hannah intends to be there- ready to rewrite a killer's lethal script with the kind of quirky ending that can only happen in Lake Eden...
It has actually been nearly 18 months since I read a Hannah Swensen story, and whilst I knew that I was a bit jaded with the relationship aspect of the book, I couldn't think of any other reasons why I hadn't read any. So I went ahead and bought this book, and now I remember! I guess I have a few months before the next book in the series comes out in paperback, and whether or not I am ready to give it another try!
SPOILER WARNINGS....SPOILER WARNINGS!
This post may well turn into a bit of a rant, so I can't guarantee that there won't be any spoilers in this review for anyone who hasn't read the last couple of books in this series. In all honesty, I probably should not call this be a review, because there were a few things that happened in this book that made me think about giving up this series, and therefore I am going to talk about them, as opposed to the actual storyline of the book! Where to start?
The Movie:
So, it turns out that there is going to be a movie that will have some of it's scenes filmed in Lake Eden. Fair enough. The news comes in, and then just days later the movie crew arrives. Okkkaaayyy. But then it turns out that some of the central roles in the film haven't yet been cast. I understand minor characters, but to have pretty integral roles not cast seems unusual to say the least. Of course, luckily, Hannah's precocious niece Tracy is perfect for the role. Can you see me rolling my eyes!
The Family:
Hannah's sister Andrea seems to think her husband Bill who has gone to a policing conference in Florida is having an affair, and there is a lot of time spent in the early parts of the book, talking through whether or not he is! And there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that he is! Andrea is annoying most of the time! Then there's the fact that she has a new baby that she doesn't seem to spend any time with. And this time there is the younger sister Michelle in the story more than usual. At least I don't want to slap her.
The Incidentals:
There was some talk about stuff that was completely irrelevant to the story in this one. For example, at one point in the book the three sisters were talking about marcelling - basically the finger wave that they used in the 20's and 30's - it seemed as though Fluke had learnt something new and then wanted to add it into the story. Of course, then there is the old murder that crops up and is resolved in the last few pages as an added extra!
The cat:
I'm sure that other cat people think Moishe is adorable, but I think he needs less page time!
And now for the big one - The Relationships - and this is where the spoilers will come in.
At the end of the last book, both men that Hannah is dating, Mike and Norman, proposed to her. Now to be honest I didn't get that myself. She has apparently been dating both of them for well over a year. There is no suggestion of hanky panky with either man, but it seems that they both love Hannah enough to want to propose marriage. So this book opens with Hannah thinking about which man to accept - Mike or Norman - and the whole town has taken sides and is putting pressure on her to make up her mind. Eventually, she says no to both of them - or more precisely said that when she has decided to get married she will be asking the man that she wants to marry, so whilst they both sulk they both hang around. So, what is an author to do when she has an unresolved love triangle??? Add another suitor of course!! Ugh. To be honest, I think that both Mike and Norman are schmucks for putting up with Hannah's crap, no matter how irresistable she is, even though she is apparently plain and a little on the plump side. Perhaps it is her cookie making skills that are so attractive??
As to who I would choose - no contest - Mike Kingston, the hot policeman...without a doubt!
At the end of the new potential suitor leaves town, and you have everyone gathered at a family gathering. Hannah is sitting between Norman and Mike, and seemingly thinking that everything is well with the world, which I don't get either. Unless I really misunderstand the dating rules in the US, it doesn't exactly seem like a normal situation to me. Hannah thinks to herself:
Hannah smiled at Norman and then she turned to smile at Mike. On past occasions she'd resented the fact that she was always seated between them. She'd even made cracks about being the filling in a Mike and Norman sandwich. Today she didn't mind at all. She'd upset their equilibrium by going out with Ross and it was time to reassure them. Ross was like an exotic dessert, a diversion to tingle the taste buds and make her savor her own life with a more discerning palate. he was like a baked Alaska flambeed with fine brandy, flashy and exciting, but not something you'd serve with an ordinary supper of meat and potatoes. Mike and Norman were more like ....cookies. Cookies were something you could have every day without ever tiring of them.
She then goes on to choose what type of cookies, they would be. Norman would be an Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookie...."perfect for any occasion and at any time of day", and Mike a Black-and-white cookie....."perfectly shaped and gorgeous to look at. It was sweet on the outside, and darker and more intense once you got past the powdered sugar." In my opinion, they both need to give Hannah the flick....or Mike could have me, and Hannah can have Norman!
So having said very little about the actual storyline, I can tell you that these things annoyed me so much that I was going to rate this as 2.5/5, but I do have to concede that the recipes included in the mystery sound great, so instead I give it...
The third book in the Flower Shop Mystery series, this book picks up where Slay it with Flowers finishes up.
Abby has her hands full at her cousin Jillian's wedding as florist, bridesmaid, and grandma-sitter-all while wearing a hideous dress. Then the groom's 90-year-old grandmother goes missing from the reception. On her search, Abby finds the corpse of guest Jack Snyder. Now she must find out who killed Jack in the pulpit.
It's Fourth of July and Abby has her hands full. Not only is she doing the flowers for her cousin's wedding that she is bridesmaid in, but she is also doing a big job that she really needs the money from as well, so she spends her day rushing from one place to the next. Before she knows it, she also has to find her own groomsman because her partner has turned his ankle and won't be able to make it to the wedding, and she has to babysit her ex fiance's grandmother.
After making a scene during the wedding, and then witnessing a fight between one of the guests and a gate crasher, the wedding ceremony is finally over, and Abby can relax can't she...no not really because Grandma goes missing, and when she finds Grandma she also find a dead body...the gatecrasher who interrupted the ceremony.
After a friend becomes the primary suspect, Abby has no choice but to meddle..er...investigate and we work our way through all the clues and red herrings with her and her hot friend Marco. The romance is building nicely between these two...hopefully it won't be incredibly drawn out as these types of relationships can be in some cozy mysteries.
The thing with these cozy mysteries is that you need to immerse yourself in the story enough to suspend your belief in several things. The first is that all police in small towns are inept and couldn't find a murderer if they were still standing with the knife in their hands, dripping with blood. The second is that the inept police/public officials are willing to share information with the amateur sleuth in town who will inevitably be much better at finding the truth. The third thing is that all amateur sleuths are like cats - they all inevitably have more than one life. Abby is up to three as far as I can tell in as many months.
So does that mean that I don't enjoy these types books. No, not really - I do actually enjoy them immensely. It is more that you know at least some of what to expect when you pick up these books.
I am looking forward to picking up the next book in the series, which is called Snipped in the Bud. I also just found out today that Kate Collins also writes under the names of Linda O'Brien and Linda Eberhardt. My library has some of the O'Brien books so I am going to try and pick one of those up shortly.
Abby Knight, law school dropout and now flower shop owner has just had a really rough week when the novel opens, and now she has to face being responsible for the flowers at her cousin Jillian's wedding and try to pull off a really big display on the same day as the wedding at a really important client's house. Jillian has been engaged numerous times before, but this time it actually looks as though she is going to make it to the actual ceremony all things being well. However not all things are well. One of the groomsmen is missing, and before too long another one turns up dead. Jillian is distraught at the prospect of her wedding being cancelled and so turns to Abby to ask her to help investigate the murder. With one of her groomsmen and another in jail accused of his murder..what is a bride to do!
Throughout this book much is made of the fact that Abby has promised that she will not meddle anymore in dangerous situations, but once Jillian asks Abby to find out who killed the groomsman Punch, she has no choice but to say yes. She needs the flower order that goes along with the order to keep her fledgling business afloat. Abby is however constantly reminded about her promise by just about every quirky character in the book!
The one good thing about meddling is that if she gets in trouble, she can always call the sexy bar owner from down the road to help her out. Marco seems to be at Abby's beck and call all the time, rescuing her, advising her and generally just being available!
This book follows on directly from the first book in the Flower Shop Mystery series that started with Mum's the Word. I read Mum's the Word a while ago and enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to picking up this book. This one however didn't really match the first. It felt to me as though the author was trying too hard to be light and funny, and it didn't really work for me.
I will read the next book in the series (Dearly Depotted - clever title!) in the hope that it doesn't feel quite so forced, although I already have my doubts given that the next book opens the morning of Jillian's wedding, which basically means that Abby will be investigating her third murder in three weeks.
Small town America is a very dangerous place to live apparently.
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