About
I recently retired from my job as a library associate in a busy public library. I am obsessed with books but right now I miss having people to share them with in person. I love crime fiction, especially of the British variety. I am an ardent Anglophile, but I have to say, having just come back from a trip that included a short stay in Edinburgh, I have fallen equally in love with Scotland!
My other interests are classical music and cats, especially our own cat, Miss Marple!
Books to the Ceiling 
Joanne Sobieck-Lingg said,
July 12, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Roberta,
Having only had a chance to peruse your blog (mother of 2 and all that), I worry that my first comment to your blog (and my first comment to any blog) is not worthy of the quality of your articles, and your fantastic mind in general. I look at your blog as a welcome friend from one book lover to another (or at least one in the making), and the hope for my return to any kind of intellectualism. Because of you, I have already enjoyed the Laurie King books, Lambs of London, and Old Filth (just to name a few). I look forward to continuing to mine your blog for wonderful recommendations–and to just enjoy reading the blog itself, which is incredibly well written and entertaining.
Thanks for all the love and hard work that goes into this!
Joanne (fan and friend for life)
Miriam said,
September 20, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Hi! Just wanted you to know about our Miss Marple. She is a year old calico & named by my teenage daughter after her favourite Agatha Christie character, which one should be obvious! Funny to come across another feline Miss M., who by the way, looks alot like my younger daughter’s cat, Rupert, after the bear in the, what else, Rupert annuals. Cheers.
Roberta Rood said,
September 23, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Miriam,
Your Miss Marple sounds like a Sweetie! Feel free to send a picture.
Adrien Meskin said,
October 11, 2007 at 5:29 pm
I wonder if you could change the background color on the column to the right which houses pages, archives, etc. As is, it is really difficult to read. Thanks so much for this interesting Blog. I look forward to incorporating your suggestions into my book group. I just read The Book Group Book, A Thoughtful Guide to Forming and Enjoying a Stimulating Book Discussion Group, edited by Ellen Slezak. Truly wonderful!
shira said,
February 23, 2008 at 10:13 am
Very jealous that you have the time to read and the ability to travel. Good on you!
Rosy Thornton said,
February 27, 2008 at 10:35 am
Dear Roberta,
As someone who spends far too much time reading book blogs (and far too much money on books in consequence) I have enjoyed your reviews, suggestions and general musings enormously.
I wondered whether I could send you a novel, to add to your no doubt tottering heaps? It’s one that might feed you anglophile tendencies (a ‘campus’ story set in a Cambridge college) and it includes a marmalade cat. E-mail me an address and I’ll stick one in the post.
Rosy
Roberta Rood said,
February 27, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Rosy,
I just read a great review of Hearts and Minds on the excellent blog Booksplease. Thanks so much – I accept your gracious offer!
teri said,
May 3, 2008 at 9:28 pm
hi,
We like the same authors,great! Perhaps you can
help me to find an author. Protagonist is a police
detective(?) in one of the out islands of Scotland or
Ireland. He is investigating the murder of a young girl.
The body of another young girl turns up. The second body was murdered many years before. the local wierdo man is suspected but didn’t do it. Thoughts??
Teri
Roberta Rood said,
May 4, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Teri, I’m pretty sure you’re describing the plot of RAVEN BLACK by Ann Cleeves.
Am I right?
Ron Slate said,
August 17, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I had meant to add a link to your great blog on my homepage, but simply forgot. It will be added early this week. Continuing to enjoy everything you have ro say! Ron
teri said,
September 24, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Have you read “Edgar Sawtelle”? It’s getting a lot of hype right now.
I read it a few months ago. I think it”s the book equivaent of
“the emperor’s new clothes”. Horrible!
BTW, I just picked up “White Nights” by Cleeves.
Teri
Frances Goodson Wang said,
October 16, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I will be checking back to delve deeper into your Blog. I attended the mystery writers conference: Bouchercon in Baltimore. I am one of many Laurie R. King fans who attended and were fortunate enough to have dinner with her twice. Check out LRK’s Mutterings for more details and names of fans.
I read Edgar Sawtelle but felt the author had the bones of a great story but blew it big time in the way he ended the book and due to the weakly developed and unresolved themes in the story. No matter, I really liked the doggies.
I just finished F. Paul Wilson’s Implant. It is the first time I have read a book where the author is playing his own word game whilst writing a passable story. It was clear Wilson was having fun. Has anyone read it?
Frances
Kathy Durkin said,
January 21, 2009 at 10:50 am
Hi Roberta,
Where can I find the best books of 2008 list and the blogging about it?
I meant to write down titles but didn’t and now want to do that.
Thanks,
Kathy
Janet said,
March 13, 2009 at 2:51 pm
HI – your blog looks terrific – I was recommended it by my friend Shirley from HCL. I’ll have to thank her! I enjoyed your review of P.D. James ‘The Private Patient’. Much as I enjoyed reading the book, I found I was somewhat disappointed when I finished. I realized that I had been pretty sure of who the guilty person was quite a while before the end, which always disappoints me. Have you read any of the Windspear Mazie Dobbs mysteries? what do you think?
Roberta Rood said,
March 15, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Janet, you sound as though you had the same experience as the reviewer who said that despite her criticism of the novel, she nevertheless enjoyed reading it. I agree that the identity of the perpetrator was no great secret, but I though some of the other secrets that came out towards the end were provocative and surprising.
I read Maisie Dobbs but did not continue with the series. I liked the book but was not wild about it. Winspear’s prose style I found a bit dry.
Carol said,
March 18, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I just stumbled across your site while looking for an author/play/story regarding an old lady feeding chicken livers to starving cats with a comment – “but what of the unfortunate chicken?” Something from a college lit class about 50 yrs ago. So much for memory. Can you help? Thanks. I am an avid reader and plan on checking this site again – more thoroghly. cs
I just finished The Whale Caller by Zekes Mda. What a take on life. I found it timeless. Any thoughts? cs
Kathy Durkin said,
April 22, 2009 at 12:38 am
Hi Roberta,
Again, thanks for this lovely website.
Today I listened to the Concerto de Aranjuez and Bidu Sayou, whom I haven’t heard since we were at our parents’ home decades ago. It was wonderful.
I just went to the 2008 best mysteries and wrote down your recommendations of the top ten.
Do you have listed anywhere your mystery recommendations of 2009 or any more lists like this?
I just read Donna Leon’s latest, “About Face,” which was great. I almost have to join a 12-step program when I finish her books as it’s like finishing a chocolate cake and then saying, “What now”?
And read Nina Revoyr’s terrific book, “The Age of Dreaming.”
Am looking for some good reads. Others I have read lately have been uninteresting.
Since you have good taste, any recommendations?
Thanks again,
Kathy Durkin
Roberta Rood said,
April 22, 2009 at 1:20 am
Kathy,
First – thanks so much for your gracious comments. There are times when I find blogging to be extremely hard work. Expressions of appreciation like yours help my blogging energy going!
I empathize with your frustration regarding contemporary fiction. And I may as well take this opportunity to say that the I found the novel that just won the Pulitzer, OLIVE KITTERIDGE, unreadable – and I tried twice! If you hadn’t already read ABOUT FACE, I would recommend it. Donna Leon is such a superb writer that it’s hard to know where to go after finishing one of her novels.
I just finished the new Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell), THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT. I though it was excellent, but then I feel about her the way I feel about Donna Leon. There are some terrific short story writers at work out there. I’m thinking of Jhumpa Lahiri’s superb UNACCUSTOMED EARTH. And in the April 13 issue of the New Yorker, Colm Toibin, has a story that absolutely floored me – it seems to be about nothing unusual in human affairs but ends up being profound in the extreme. It’s called “The Color of Shadows.”Here’s the URL:
http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2009/04/13/090413fi_fiction_toibin
I have to say that I think the best contemporary writing currently is being done in nonfiction. I’ve been reading in preparation for my trip to Italy next month. I loved Shirley Hazzard’s memoir GREENE ON CAPRI. I’ll probably just read the first chapter of Richard Fortey’s book about geology – EARTH: AN INTIMATE HISTORY – but I have to say, his writing is marvelous. (I really believe strongly that those Brits have an edge.)
Thanks for mentioning the Revoyr book. I remember being intrigued by reviews but then I forgot about it. I’ll certainly seek in out now.
Hope all of this helped!
Roberta
Pauline Cohen said,
May 3, 2009 at 3:59 am
Roberta,
I’ve just noticed your comment about OLIVE KITTERIDGE and respectfully, I have to disagree with you. I found it a wonderfully well-drawn portrait of a none-too-pleasant woman and her New England town. Its format–short stories–made it easy to put down and pick up again. I think it is a very deserving recipient of the Pulitzer Prize.
I did love ABOUT FACE though so we’re in agreement there. Ditto UNACCUSTOMED EARTH.
Pauline
Marianne Wheelaghan (@MWheelaghan) said,
October 14, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Hi there, thanks for book tips and link to The Colour of Shadows. What a disturbing, powerful story.
Roberta Rood said,
May 3, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Pauline,
By all means, disagree! I’m in the minority where OLVE KITTERIDGE is concerned. I found it both deary & self-consciously literary at the same time; however, many others whose opinions I respent – yours very much included – liked it very much.
Kathy Durkin said,
July 5, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Hi Roberta,
Well, I just took Olive Kitteridge out of the library and haven’t started it yet, but now I am leery of it but will try anyway.
I am awaiting more books by Donna Leon, but am now hooked on Arnaldur Indridason, of Iceland, read Stieg Larsson’s first book which I liked, but didn”t love, and am reading Louise Ure’s third book which is good and riveting.
I have read all of Jhumpa Lahiri’s books and like them much.
I couldn’t read the first Maisie Dobbs, found it boring and dry, also.
I am going to read the Rendell book suggested; it sounds like a perfect summer book.
And am so glad you put up Newsweek’s suggestions on your website with your favorites of specified authors. I have not read Trollope but will try your favorite.
Also, the Michael Connolly books; I liked The Lincoln Lawyer the best, and just read the one with the lawyer and cop and will try your other recommendations.
Liked What the Dead Know a lot and just read Lippman’s stand-alone for this year and liked it.
And I love the Miss Marple pictures.
Best wishes to all for the summer.
Gail Coulson said,
July 8, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Roberta,
Looking forward to your presentation tomorrow night at Glenwood Branch. I’ve heard your booktalks at the Guthrie Library-Hanover’s Library several times. That’s where I received the address for your blog two years ago and have been enjoying it immensely. I’ve convinced several members of our Mystery Loves Company Book Group to attend and phoned in our reservations just this a.m.
I can’t wait to hear your suggestions and recommendations. Hopefully, your endorsements will encourage some of our members to be more adventurous in their reading choices.
Your vacation pictures are always fantastic also.
See you tomorrow evening!
Gail Coulson
Roberta Rood said,
July 8, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Gail, how nice to hear from you! I look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening.
Did you know I’ll be leading a discussion of a Georges Simenon novel – MONSIEUR MONDE VANISHES – at the Hanover Library next month?
Thanks again for your gracious words.
Gail Coulson said,
July 8, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Roberta,
Yes, I did know that you would be doing the booktalk next month. I’m not sure if I will make it or not. I’m usually babysitting grandchildren on Mondays. But if there is any way possible, I will be there!
Thanks for your reply.
Gail
kathy durkin said,
July 9, 2009 at 5:25 am
Thanks so much for bringing up Georges Simenon. Will try to find the book you suggest at the NY Public Library, my favorite book source.
Roberta Rood said,
July 13, 2009 at 1:29 am
Kathy,
When I lived in Manhattan, I was an avid user of the 42nd St. library. But I don’t feel quite the same about the place since they sold the iconic painting “Kindred Spirits” that hung on the wall of the main reading room for as long as I can remember…
Debbie said,
July 12, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Roberta:
I thought I was the only person obsessed with books especially mysteries. I was excited when by accident I discovered your blog. Have you ever read Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafon? It was one of the best books I read in 2008.
Debbie
kATHY dURKIN said,
July 21, 2009 at 3:02 am
HI,
A good summer evening–a pint of chocolate (nonfat) frozen yogurt, reading Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind website, Books to the Ceiling website and then settling in with a Michael Connelly book or the new Nevada Barr.
Best to all,
Kathy D.
Roberta Rood said,
July 21, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Kathy,
Thanks for the very gracious mention – I do appreciate it. Comments like yours help motivate me to keep up the work on Books to the Ceiling, aka The Project That Ate Roberta’s Life!
Kathy Durkin said,
July 21, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Hi Roberta,
I love this website and Sarah Weinman’s– the music, the books, the photos, the recommendations.
I may even try the Trollope which I recommended to my sister, too.
I couldn’t get into Olive Kitteridge but loaned it to my neighbor who’s into it.
I saw your Michael Connelly recommendations. Am I’m now into a Connelly period right now, if you recommend any others, appreciate it.
The Scandavians are capturing my attention, Arnaldur Indridasson, Stieg Larsson ( a bit less so), Yrsa Siggardadottir and am looking to read Camille Lackberg and Johan Theorin.
Barbara Fister has a blog on Scandinavian mysteries with an excellent viewpoint on how Stieg Larsson deals with women in his books, especially the main character Lizbeth Salander. (I’ll see if I can find it and post it.)
This is heading into a decadent summer patch: all I want to do is drink iced coffee, iced tea and read mysteries. Pay bills, do errands–not a chance.
Have a good summer of reading everyone,
Kathy Durkin
K. Durkin said,
August 4, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Just a note on that wonderful write-up about Dashiell Hammett and quotes from his writings and others.
On his being called before the McCarthy hearings, I think what he did was admirable and principled. He made his decisions about his own life which he took responsibility for (though he shouldn’t have been persecuted for that), but he did not name names. At a time when some caved in, he and his partner Lillian Hellman did not cause harm to other individuals, just took responsibility for themselves. This I think is the mature, self-confident way to deal with life’s sticky moral issues.
Lynn said,
August 9, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I came across your site while studying Graham Greene. I have also been reading Robert Goddard. Thank you for your Blog!!! Lynn
kdurkin said,
August 12, 2009 at 7:30 am
Hi Roberta,
Thanks for the clips from “The Magic Flute.” It led to quite a discussion with my sister who loves opera and sings it, too. Erika Miklosa was new to her and she will check into her singing.
Kathy D.
Alicia said,
August 23, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I just found your blog and am delighted. I read too much. My usual two subjects are history and mysteries, but throw in the occasional novel. (Like you, I liked The Housekeeper and The Professor and Monsieur Monde Vanishes [not a mystery; maybe a metaphysical tale; it is not an accident that monde is French for ‘world’ or ‘country’]). The first thing I want from a book is good writing, so well crafted the craft is invisible: I will forgive a lot for that. I was amazed to see so many of my favorites on your list(s). I have not been through all of the blogs but working on it. Your love of good writing is obvious in your own clean, clear writing. Very enjoyable…I get the impression that it would be lovely just to sit and chat- and I guess that it what the blog is really for. I usually buy paperbacks, largely because I buy too many books to get hardcover. Do you?
I am drawn to English and European writers (Italian mysteries, Swedish mysteries) largely because I like their writing style as a rule. Ruth Rendell, PD James and, Reginald Hill, of course, but also Peter Lovesey (the Peter Diamond series), Robert Bernard (especially a Scandal in Belgravia and The False Inspector Dew), Catherine Aird, Camerielli (sp?) and his Italian inspector, Louise Welsh and her stunning Bullet Trick, Denise Mina (one tough Scots broad in a very modern Edinburgh), Tony Broadbent and his fun cat burglar/spy in wartime England–
I hope you’ll try Magdalen Nabb, an expatriate English woman who lived in Florence. Her hero, Marshall Guarnaccia, could not be farther from a hard boiled detective: lumbering, middle aged, inarticulate. But he knows people and motive. Try Property of Blood. It falls about midway through her series of perhaps 12-14 novels (all slim) and it especially lingers, but I am pretty sure I would read Nabb’s grocery list with interest. She manages mood, setting, dialogue and contemporary concerns and still you can smell the heat of the Florentine streets. Nabb died fairly recently, which is a tremendous loss to the people who love well written, ‘psychological’ mysteries with atmosphere.
Thank you for working as hard as you do to make your blog one of the best on the net.
Roberta Rood said,
August 23, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Alicia, for starters, thank you so much for that incredibly gracious compliment – and for recognizing how hard I work on “Books to the Ceiling.” There are times, I admit, when I feel as though it is really too hard and is consuming too many hours of my life. But then I get a comment like yours & I get energized all over again!
You & I obviously like many of the same authors, and for the same reasons. I actually have read and enjoyed Magdalen Nabb’s Marshall Guarnaccia novels, and I agree with you that her untimely loss was a blow to those of us who love quality crime fiction.
Thanks again for your praise – it means a great deal to me!
K. Durkin said,
August 24, 2009 at 4:24 am
Hi Roberta,
One book discovery this summer has been “The Suspect,” by L.R. Wright, aka Laurali Rose Wright. She was the first Canadian writer to win the Edgar in 1985 and beat out Ruth Rendell, among others. That intrigued me right away.
That book and one other in her Karl Albert series have been reprinted by Felony and Mayhem Press. It is a terrific read, full of character development and scenes of Western British Columbia.
Felony and Mayhem Press prints what they call “literary mysteries.” They plan to re-issue other books in Wright’s series.
I highly suggest “The Suspect.”
Kathy D.
Frances said,
December 29, 2010 at 6:51 am
I discovered The Suspect last year and did a presentation on it.
Being snowed in I got to do more work on the content and learned more about the characters each time I re read the novel or its parts.
I, too, highly recommend this book.
Roberta Rood said,
December 29, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Thanks, Frances. Your presentation was excellent!
Roberta Rood said,
August 25, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Kathy,
I’m going to reference your comment on the blog. I read THE SUSPECT several months ago & never got around to writing a review of it. I should have, because you are right – it is outstanding!
cazziepie3 said,
September 13, 2009 at 11:08 am
Hello Roberta.
I discovered your blog by accident while researching the Chandos portrait of Shakespeare and was so enthralled by some of your entries that I just kept reading. I am new to blogging and have just started one myself here on wordpress. I read some of your responses above and followed the link to THE COLOUR OF SHADOWS. What a moving story, and one that is very close to me at the moment, as I have recently had to make that same terrible decision.. to find a Nursing Home to care for my 94 year old Mother. Quite heartbreaking.
Thank you for all the wonderful books you review and recommend. I will work my way through quite a number of them as I too love the Brit Crime Genre.
Congratulations on a great blog.
Carol
Roberta Rood said,
September 13, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Carol,
Thanks so much for your gracious words. Blogging has taught me just how hard writing can be, so I value encouragement from people like yourself.
And thanks for reminding me about “The Color of Shadows.” It is a beautiful story. And BTW – I too had a similar experience with both my elderly parents.
kathy durkin said,
September 21, 2009 at 4:10 am
Hi all,
Good news; a new Felony & Mayhem catalogue is out with new entries.
For those in the NYC-area, Partners and Crime bookstore (one of the partners, as Roberta posted about, is the Felony & Mayhem owner), there is an entire bookcase of Felony & Mayhem books, which all look good.
My sister and I dealt with our elderly mother who is in assisted living and are still dealing. She says she wants me to find her an apartment in NYC and she’ll take buses to museums. She scoffs at Boston museums, at those who discuss the weather and their grandchildren and don’t read the NY Times.
She won’t go on walks with those who she sees as slow walkers–she’s 92.
However, she doesn’t know who my brother-in-law is when I mention his name and he lives right near her residence and sees her often, etc., etc.
It’s all a bundle of contradictions.
Back to reading mysteries: just read L.R. Wright’s “In the Chill of January,” interesting, a bit more Ruth Rendellish than “The Suspect.” Will keep on reading her books; hope Felony & Mayhem publishes more.
Kathy D.
kdurkin3@verizon.net said,
October 11, 2009 at 10:14 am
That is a pretty stunning review of Peter Lovesey’s latest book.
I just sent a copy to my elderly uncle who only reads Lovesey, Rendell (only Inspector Wexford), and a few other favorites. He loves a good puzzle, not crazed killers and suspense.
I’m afraid that is a genetic, inherited trait as I think his daughter, my sister and I share this preference.
Your website is so enjoyable. It’s the only time I listen to snippets of classical music, as I listen to other genres as jazz. But it’s good to read and hear these pieces at the same time.
Kathy D.
kdurkin3@verizon.net said,
October 20, 2009 at 6:19 am
Hi,
Is there an opinion about Ann Cleeves’ writings?
Kathy D.
Kathy D. said,
November 2, 2009 at 10:14 am
Hi Roberta,
Just looked at Books to the Ceiling and see your recommendation to read Kjell Eriksson’s books. Coincidentally, I just finished “Princess of Burundi,” and put his second one on hold at the library. A friend and I concur: We like his writing.
Also, on your suggestion I picked up the Isabel Dalhousie series by Alexander McCall Smith. I had read the first one, thought it boring. Picked up the second and am more into it and plan to read the rest of the series. Some interesting thoughts in this book and quite political, which is appealing to me.
Can’t keep up with all of the books you mention on “Ceiling,” and think you must read 24/7 and not sleep. But I keep on reading it and plan to hear all of the recently posted music.
My sister who is a singer, loves to sing Handel’s pieces.
Best,
Kathy D.
Alex said,
November 30, 2009 at 6:07 pm
http://kudera.blogspot.com/2009/11/joseph-epsteins-my-brother-eli.html
I noted your praise for Joseph Epstein above… stumbled on that story just recently and also enjoyed it.
Nice blog!
Ginny (Mead) Hoverman said,
January 18, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Dear Roberta,
I LOVE your blog! You are giving focus and anticipation to my reading and DVD-watching. Jim and I love British detective stories (e.g. Prime Suspect and the Inspector Linley series) so I am intrigued by your writing about the Wycliffe series. Thank you for that referral! I will get it and think of you while I enjoy every moment.
With thanks, admiration, and deep appreciation,
Ginny
Roberta Rood said,
January 19, 2010 at 2:18 am
Ginny,
What a pleasure to hear from you & to know you’re enjoying “Books to the Ceiling. It’s a great deal of work, but ultimately rewarding, especially when friends send lovely compliments like this one – Thanks!!
Carol Dicker said,
January 22, 2010 at 12:22 pm
A very Happy New Year to you Roberta.
I made a comment to you back in September when, while recovering from pneumonia, I first discovered your fabulous blog. Since then I have read several of your recommendations and have quite a pile still to go (and it is growing daily). I just read your December entry about being completely snowed in and had to let you know that here in the beautiful lower Blue Mountains on the outskirts of Sydney Australia, we had 46 degrees celcius today. I would pen a verse about it if I had the energy but it is just too darn hot!
Best Regards and thank you again for a wonderfully diverse and informative blog.
Carol
Kathy D. said,
February 4, 2010 at 7:48 am
Just finished “The Demon of Dakar,” by Kjell Eriksson; concur
that it is an excellent read.
Wanda Shapiro said,
February 15, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Dear Roberta,
I enjoy your blog and have included a link to it from my new site. Check out the list of blogs on my useful links page to find the link.
http://www.onegirlonenovel.com/index.php/useful-links/
I really enjoy your blog and I love librarians in general. Thought you might be interested to see what one of your readers is up to. Thanks and keep of the good blogging! You’re snow series is making me miss the North East a little.
Best regards.
Roberta Rood said,
February 15, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Many thanks, Wanda. I shall check out your site.
As for me, I’m currently having a fantasy of getting on a plane & heading for New Mexico! I’ve always liked snow, but this really has been a bit much…
Ken Andruk said,
March 4, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Hi Roberta, I have a question of a non-literary nature. I’m an art director and noticed the shot that you had of the Hudson Valley and would love to use that in a project that I am doing. Is that your shot? If so could I get a copy?
Thanks, you have a great blog here!!!
Ken Andruk
Roberta Rood said,
March 4, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Hi, Ken,
Several people have asked me about that picture. I got it from a Google image search.
Glad you enjoy the blog & thanks for the compliment.
Ruth Boggs said,
March 20, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Good morning, Roberta! I’m not sure if you remember me, but we met last Wednesday when Beth Haynes gave me a tour of the library. I love your website! However, I must use restraint – I could get lost for hours on it – my Kindle is on fire!
Please don’t forget to check out “The Kitchen House” – an unforgettable tale.
Take care – Ruth
Roberta Rood said,
March 21, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Ruth,
I certainly do remember. I was delighted to meet you. Thanks so much for the gracious words, and for the recommendation of THE KITCHEN HOUSE.
Denis Bradford said,
March 28, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Would you mind if I quoted your piece on Ivan Moravec (https://robertarood.wordpress.com/2007/10/10/mozarts-piano-concerto-no25/) on the pianist’s Web site (ivanmoravec.net)? With attribution of course!
Either way, I’m delighted to have found your blog — it’s a real treasure.
Thanks,
Denis
Roberta Rood said,
March 28, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Mr. Bradford, Feel free to quote me on Mr. Moravec’s website. And thanks for the compliment on the blog.
Meredith said,
April 11, 2010 at 2:07 pm
My eye fell on People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks just recently, and with Joanne’s encouragement, I took it home. I’m thinking you might want to add it to the (always) growing pile next to your bed . . . a vividly imagined tale based on a true story that is quite remarkable (read: stranger than fiction). Hope you do read it so you can tell me and Joanne your reaction!
Roberta Rood said,
April 11, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Meredith,
People of the Book has been on my to-read list for quite some time. With luck, I’ll get to it before too much longer…
Meredith said,
April 11, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Slipped my mind to ask whether you had read La’s Orchestra Saves the World–quite unlike McCall Smith’s other stories, but lovely.
Roberta Rood said,
April 11, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Also on my to-read list!
Mike Lash said,
August 26, 2010 at 7:04 pm
I found your blog/website while searching to see if If a sequel to the wonderful Wolf Hall was in the works. Thanks for your passion and sharing it with others. I agree with you regarding the merits of mystery/crime writing – there is some marvelous literature in that craft. I’ve been reading my way through The Times’ top 50 crime writers. I started with #1 and found Patricia Highsmith and her Mr. Ripley character hard to dislike. Do you agree with the Times’ rating? I then skipped to Colin Dexter and had to read all 13 novels. Sadly, Morse didn’t go over a waterfall and can’t be rsurrected.
Thanks, again. I’ve got to catch up on your previous month’s offerings.
Roberta Rood said,
August 26, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Mike,
Thanks so much for the kind words. I like the list of the Times; many of my favroite crime writers are represented therein. Don’t know if I would have placed Highsmith quite so high. On the other hand, I was deeply impressed by Strangers on a Train. My blog post on it:
I love what you said about Morse. I well remember the double whammy of losing Morse, & then losing the marvelous John Thaw so soon after.
Kate said,
January 17, 2011 at 12:15 am
Dear Roberta,
Found your very enjoyable blog while looking for images of Charles and Caroline Todd, who are coming to speak to the AAUW in Wilmington, DE next month.
Especially charmed by the photos of the exquisite Miss Marple!
Kate
space zone-all about space said,
February 17, 2011 at 7:33 am
Nice blog n offering niche books info
Joseph Rinaldo said,
July 11, 2011 at 7:38 pm
My name is Joe Rinaldo, and I have published an ebook entitled, A Spy At Home. I would be most grateful if you would review it for your blog. I’ll provide a free copy for you to read in Word, pdf, or html format, whichever you prefer.
Garrison’s story begins when he retires from the CIA. In retirement Garrison shares the pain he inflicted on his family during his life abroad. Noah, Garrison’s adult son with Down syndrome, a form of mental retardation, doesn’t trust dad when he returns home. Experience has taught Noah that dad always leaves again. Over time they grow closer.
Louisa, Garrison’s wife, gradually accepts her husband back; however, accepting him as her husband and trusting him with her child present two separate obstacles.
Tragedy strikes, and Louisa dies. Garrison becomes solely responsible for Noah, who has developed Alzheimer’s, common in aging people with Down syndrome. This disease tears at Garrison’s heart. Noah ceases to be himself and relives a life his dad knew nothing about.
Thank you for considering A Spy At Home. If you are willing to review my book, please email me at rinald47@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
Joe Rinaldo
Claire Lawrence said,
July 22, 2011 at 10:13 am
Hello Roberta.
I hope you don’t mind me writing to you. My name is Claire Lawrence from Norfolk, U.K. and I’m a retired teacher. I’ve only recently found your blog but have thoroughly enjoyed reading many of your archive pieces.
I have a query with regard to the British Heritage magazine: I understand that recently the magazine did an article on the World Snail Racing Championships at Congham. Would you by any chance know in which month the magazine which carried that article was published, please? I’d like to get a copy of the magazine if I can, as until recently I was the World Champion Snail Racer!
I was also fascinated by your piece on the Forest of Dean. My husband is a Forester born at Joyford, just a short distance from the Speech House, though he was sent for adoption at the end of World War 2 and was brought up in London. About twenty five years ago we went back to the Forest to find the rest of his family who were still living there and have been most welcoming to us.
It would be good to hear from you, if you have the time.
Kind regards,
Claire.
Beth Schmelzer said,
August 7, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Would love to hear more from you, Roberta, about what you are doing this
summer. As a retired school librarian myself, I am reading and Book Clubbing in Annapolis, but I want to contact authors of childrens’ books myself for a project with my volunteering.
Are you in contact with any local childrens’s authors, mystery or other genres?
Beth Schmelzer
Roberta Rood said,
August 7, 2011 at 5:26 pm
Beth,
You sent me such a lovely comment on one of blog posts not long ago, & I have a sinking feeling that I never responded to you. I apologize. My only excuse is that I have had numerous book-related irons in the fire this summer, and some of what I ought to have seen to – such as answering people’s messages in a timely fashion – has not, alas, been properly seen to by me.
For example: Tuesday, I’m attending a book discussion on FINDING NOUF by Zoe Ferraris. I read it almost three years ago & have forgotten much, although I was deeply impressed at the time & have reviewed it on this blog. Weighing more heavily at the moment is a lecture/discussion I”m presenting a week from tomorrow on Alice Munro’s short story collection TOO MUCH HAPPINESS. This has been much harder to pull together than I thought it would be – and one simply must do justice to this terrific writer! (This book has also been reviewed by me in Books to the Ceiling.)
The only local author of children’s books that I personally know works at the East Columbia Branch of the Howard County Library. She writes under the name Amy Littlesugar. If you’d like, I can e-mail her & ask if she’s like to get in touch with you. I don’t know any other local authors. As you’ve probably guessed, most of the mystery authors I’ve met recently resided in England, though one – the marvelous Steven Saylor – is American & is living either in California or Texas, not sure which, at this point.
I’ve been so disappointed – & sometimes irritated – by new fiction that I’ve returned to the classics pretty much, with very gratifying results. I’m also reading a lot of nonfiction. David McCullough’s THE GREATER JOURNEY is just wonderful!
Sorry not to be of more practical help, but delighted to hear from you again, & once again, sorry for not responding to your previous comment.
Roberta
Judith Weintraub said,
September 18, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Roberta – On September 24, the Columbia Pro Cantare
Chorus will be holding a Plant/Book sale outside the Dorsey Hall Giant from 1PM to 5PM. Hardcover books in excellent condition will be $5.00 and softcover books will be less. We have amassed an excellent collection including recent fiction, history, and music-related best sellers. We would love to see you there.
LynLeJeune said,
January 10, 2012 at 1:49 am
5 star ELIJAH RISING:the search for justice in America1920’s. http://www.amazon.com/Elijah-Rising-Lyn-LeJeune/dp/1935725084#_ like Gatsby!
Frances said,
April 27, 2012 at 3:43 am
Dear Roberta,
I have enjoyed your blog very much because it points me in the direction of other mysteries I want to read (I discovered your blog when checking out about the Isabel Dalhousie series; I am very glad you like her!). I was hoping that you would check out Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus some time soon and write about it (it ties in with your interest in the Victorian era). I just finished listening to it on audiobook and just cannot get the vivid images of this fabulous circus out of my mind. I think you would enjoy it: it’s a pleasure akin to eating good-quality chocolate.
Kevin Macolley said,
June 22, 2012 at 5:38 am
Roberta,
I was delighted to discover your blog – and your love of Alexander McCall Smith’s Isabel Dalhousie and company, a love that I have the good fortune to share. I particularly appreciate your leg work in researching the poetry to which Isabel alludes in The Careful Use of Compliments. I’m looking forward especially to receiving my copy of Hugh MacDiarmid’s poetry – the bits of Island Funeral that I’ve read were wonderful. Thank you for all of the hard work that you clearly do to produce your blog.
Take care,
Kevin
Roberta Rood said,
June 22, 2012 at 11:37 am
Kevin,
Thanks so very much for your gracious words. Books to the Ceiling – also known in these parts as ‘the blog that ate Roberta’s life!’ – has proven to be much more labor intensive than I thought it would be. So comments like yours give me a powerful incentive to stay with it.
Mary said,
June 26, 2012 at 1:48 am
Robert. Love your blog. I’d like to suggest Miss Garnet’s Angel.
Roberta Rood said,
June 26, 2012 at 2:13 am
Thanks, Mary. All recommendations gratefully accepted. And thanks for reading ‘Books to the Ceiling.’ I’m glad you enjoy it.
Cheryl "Mash" said,
September 22, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Hi: I just found your blog via Kittling Books. Would like to extend an invitation to become a tour host for Partners In Crime Tours, a virtual PR company for authors of mystery, suspense and crime novels. Please visit our site at http://www.partnersincrimetours.net and if you think you might be interested, you can email me (CMash@partnersincrimetours.net) and I will provide more details. Hope to hear from you.
Marianne Wheelaghan (@MWheelaghan) said,
October 14, 2012 at 5:20 pm
I Roberta
I have just found your blog (but can no longer remember how!). It’s so helpful and interesting and I look forward to more posts. Also, given you are a fan of Edinburgh and crime fiction, I thought you may be interested in my new novel, Food of Ghosts? It features Detective Sergeant Louisa Townsend from Edinburgh and is set on Tarawa (an island in the middle of Pacific.) She is asked to lead the investigation into the bizarre killing of a mutilated man, which proves to be far more challenging than she could have ever imagined.
Here is a link to my blog site and some more details: http://www.mariannewheelaghan.co.uk/?page_id=1369
If you think you may be interested, I’d love to send you a copy of the novel, either as a paperback or an ebook, for you to consider reviewing. Thanks again 🙂
T.V. LoCicero said,
October 23, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Dear Roberta,
I just discovered your site and have been stuck here for a while! So let me suggest my novel The Obsession. Here’s a quick summary:
This first entry in the Truth Beauty Trilogy is a vibrant novel of suspense and murder, by turns intriguing and surprising, as three smart, driven people match wits with their lives at stake.
At a conference in Italy’s lake district, American grad student Stanford Lyle is enchanted with Lina Lentini, a lovely Italian professor of comparative lit. And when she lectures for a term at his mid-Michigan university, she considers a fling with Stan—until she meets John Martens, a professor, author and Stan’s mentor. In her passionate affair with John, Lina becomes Stan’s obsession, a hated nemesis for John’s troubled wife, and the object of a vicious series of attacks aimed at destroying her reputation.
Lina loves the line from Keats, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” even as her life fills with duplicity. John is pledged to do the right thing with his wife but often does not. And Stan surprises himself with the depth of his own perversity.
Forced back to her home in Bologna, Lina begins to reset her life. Then Stan appears on her doorstep. When John joins them, Stan schemes, threatens and stalks the lovers, first under the city’s ancient porticoes and finally to the legendary Sicilian mountain town of Taormina with a shocking confrontation on the slopes of volcanic Mt. Etna.
For more info: http://www.tvlocicero.com. And here are a few lines from a new review by your colleague Victoria Best at Tales from the Reading Room (http://litlove.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/2918/#comments):
“Gone Girl has had a huge impact on the book world since it came out; whilst the other novel I read, The Obsession by T. V. LoCicero will be unknown to most people, I imagine. But both are pacy, gripping narratives about love grown monstrous and out of control…fascinating portraits of gender rancour, or the amazing ability men and women have to love and loathe each other with intensity. The Obsession is more straightforward in its premise; sexuality remains a dark and vexed region where reason holds no sway and the agony of unrequited love can provoke unstable individuals to violence…[T]his was the first self-published novel I’ve ever read, and I was properly impressed and surprised by the quality of the story and the writing.”
If you’re interested, I’ll be pleased to get you a copy, paperback or ebook.
Best,
Tom
emilyjane said,
November 7, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Hello, I’ve just stumbled across your website while searching for more stories about Mma Ramotswe (The #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency) and very happy I have found it. Thank you for the posts, and please KEEP BLOGGING! 🙂 Your website is wonderful, insightful, helpful and clever. I appreciate you!
Roberta Rood said,
November 10, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Dear Emily Jane,
I can’t thank you enough for your gracious compliment. It arrived at an exceptionally propitious moment, too. I was starting to feel as though I’d run out of energy with which to fuel this noble undertaking. But with your encouragement (and that of my wonderful husband and cheerleader in chief), I shall persevere! if, at least to begin, in a somewhat modest manner.
Thanks again!
Scott said,
January 24, 2013 at 3:14 pm
NOVEL FOR REVIEW: A Soul’s Calling, 340 pp., Wanderlust Publishing House, ISBN 13-978-0-61569-535-8
Dear Roberta,
Sorry to approach you through your comments but I could find no email address to send this to. And, I know your time is limited and have to be very selective in the books you review, but I would count myself very lucky if you considered my book A Soul’s Calling for review on your website.
A Soul’s Calling is a memoir about a man who listened to his heart instead of reason. The book, a work of speculative non-fiction, is part travelogue, part hiking adventure, with shamanism and magic woven throughout.
A Soul’s Calling transports readers to Nepal’s rugged but enchanting Khumbu Valley where mountains speak and nature is imbued with a special kind of magic. The novel is an inspiring modern day adventure that weaves the timeless themes of living an authentic life, the consequences of power, and what a man would do for unrequited love.
Scott, a forty-something attorney, is average in every way except one. He has a connection to the Other Side. He speaks to Spirit and Spirit speaks to him. He sees, hears, and interacts with an invisible realm that is beyond ordinary human perception. When Scott learns his soul has been spiritually compromised he travels to the ancient kingdom of Nepal to win it back. Once there, he hikes the Himalaya carrying a mysterious bundle and a stick laden with prayers from Luminous Beings hoping to come face to face with the greatest mountain on earth: Mount Everest. As his journey unfolds, Scott is called on to battle his fear of heights, the thin air, and his physical limitations. Powerful, sweeping, and deeply moving, readers will search their hearts as the book draws to a stunning conclusion.
If this sounds appealing, I would be happy to provide you with a Kindle copy through Amazon. To read an excerpt from the book, please visit http://www.scott-bishop.com or you can view it using Amazon’s Look Inside feature here:
With every best wish,
Scott Bishop
Author
http://www.scott-bishop.com
info@scott-bishop.com
Tom Vater said,
May 7, 2013 at 9:22 am
Dear Roberta,
Crime Wave Press is a Hong Kong based fiction imprint that endeavors to publish the best new crime novels, novellas and True Crime titles from Asia and about Asia to readers around the globe.
Founded in 2012 by acclaimed publisher Hans Kemp of Visionary World and seasoned writer Tom Vater, Crime Wave Press publishes a range of crime fiction – from whodunits to Noir and Hardboiled, from historical mysteries to espionage thrillers, from literary crime to pulp fiction, from highly commercial page turners to marginal texts exploring Asia’s dark underbelly.
We love your blog and would like to send you some of our titles for review but aren’t sure how to proceed.
Thanks,
Tom Vater
Libby said,
May 14, 2013 at 8:03 pm
Hi Roberta,
I found your wonderful site while researching Dorothy L. Sayers. We’d love to quote your recent review of Murder Must Advertise on the Official Sayers Facebook page—but wanted to check-in with you first.
Also, I wanted to make sure you know that all fifteen of Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey titles were re-issued last July as ebooks from Open Road Media (for those looking for something digital) and can be found here: http://openroadmedia.com/dorothy-l-sayers.
See you around the internet!
Roberta Rood said,
May 15, 2013 at 1:02 am
Wow, Libby – Thanks! Quote away, please do.
Actually, I’ve been meaning to write more about Murder Must Advertise, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. So, stay tuned…
Kitty said,
June 11, 2013 at 8:59 am
Hello Roberta,
I wondered if I wanted to send you a book for review what email address I could use?
Best wishes,
Kitty
Crona Gallagher said,
June 16, 2013 at 9:27 pm
Hello Roberta
I found your wonderful site yesterday while trawling around book reviews and spent the rest of the evening reading it- what a treasure trove! I have ordered half a dozen books today on the strength of your reviews, some from authors new to me (Margot Livesey and Donna Leon), others from forgotten favourites (Somerset Maugham).
I noted that you are fond of William Trevor and wondered if you have read
“The Story of Lucy Gault” and ” Reading Turgenev ” – they are my favourites of his novels and indeed are on my desert island lists. Deirdre Madden is another very good Irish writer and you might also enjoy Brenda McKeon’s excellent debut novel “Solace” which is reminiscent of John McGahern in style.
Anyway, the above recommendations are by way of a small thank you for your hard work from a grateful reader in the north west of Ireland ( and sometimes desperate seeker of new books!)
Very best wishes
Crona
Roberta Rood said,
June 17, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Crona,
I can’t thank you enough for your extremely gracious remarks. For slightly more than six years now, Books to the Ceiling has been a labor of love – with the emphasis strongly on labor. There are times when I’ve wondered why I continue with it – it’s such hard work. In particular, writing well is much more challenging than I’d anticipated it would be, when I began.
I’m tempted from time to time to throw in the towel, but then I get a comment like yours, and I’m motivated once more.
Again – Thanks!
Roberta
Roberta Rood said,
June 18, 2013 at 12:03 am
Crona, in my reply to your very gratifying comments, I forgot to mention how much I appreciate your recommendations. Indeed I have not read either of the Wm. Trevor titles, although “Lucy Gault” has been recommended to me by several people. I’m not familiar with either Dierdre Madden or Brenda McKeon, but I will seek them out. “Solace” sounds like a novel I would really like. John McGahern’s “By the Lake” was so gorgeous & so moving, its effects remain with me still.
This is how I find my best ‘reads’ – from the recommendations of fellow book lovers.
Crona Gallagher said,
July 22, 2013 at 10:16 pm
Hi Roberta
I have just read Deirdre Madden’s new book ” Time Present and Time Past” – I liked it very much; her last book, ” Molly Fox’s Birthday” is also excellent.
I love John McGahern’s work and his “Memoir” is wonderful, it was published just before he died in 2006.
Please do seek out ” Lucy Gault” – I would love to know what you think of it!
Very best wishes
Crona
Roberta Rood said,
July 23, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Many thanks, Crona. This is how I get my best recommendations!
Crona Gallagher said,
July 22, 2013 at 10:30 pm
ps I forgot to say that on your recommendation I read ” Murder in Peking” and thoroughly enjoyed it
Roberta Rood said,
July 23, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Thanks for letting me know, Crona. It really is a terrific book.
rkohberger said,
August 14, 2013 at 9:16 am
Roberta – Louise and Chris mentioned your Blog last evening and I couldn’t wait to get on it and see what they were so excited about… they were correct in saying that it is the best literature blog ever… and I mean ever, even better than those British Blogs in the 19th century.
It has been such a pleasure being part of the book club over the last year and thanks for the help with “Pardonable Lies”!
Jon Gifford said,
August 15, 2013 at 10:56 am
Dear Roberta
I hope you don’t mind me approaching you out of the blue – I’m dropping a line to any crime sites I come across to let them know that I’ve just released a new edition of one of the rarest Golden Age detective novels – and I’m very excited to have made it available again. I’d love to send a review copy if you’re interested.
Fatality in Fleet Street was written by Christopher St John Sprigg and published in 1933. The author of several detective novels, before turning to political texts, he was killed at the age of 29 fighting in the Spanish Civil War. The book has been hard to find for decades and I’ve not met anyone who’s read it – it remains on the ‘wish list’ of nearly all fans of the genre though.
Please visit the book’s page on my site (www.oleanderpress.com) for further information. Again, I’d be more than happy to send a review copy – or gift a kindle version if you prefer.
With best wishes,
Jon Gifford
Oleander Press
Ruth said,
September 9, 2013 at 6:56 pm
Good afternoon,
I’m hoping with your love of books and especially British crime fiction that you might be able to help. I’m trying to track down a book I read a very long time ago. Can’t remember the title or the detective, but it was British, set in the 1950s or 1960s. It is centered around a science lab of sorts in a small town, where one of the employees is murdered. A small chapel also featured in the story, and another victim was killed there. One of the more prominent characters was a young woman who worked there and bicycled every day to work. I have no idea who the author or detective is, but I would love to read it again and I can’t find it anywhere. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Pieter Janssens (translated into English: Peter Jones!) said,
January 1, 2014 at 7:54 pm
The name of the Dutch translator of Ellis Peters is nót Peter Jones, but Pieter Janssens.
new blackberry said,
July 16, 2014 at 9:41 am
Hi there! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new
iphone 3gs! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward
to all your posts! Carry on the fantastic work!
Roberta Rood said,
July 16, 2014 at 11:50 am
Thanks – I appreciate your appreciation!
noahsin said,
August 10, 2014 at 2:47 am
Interested and intrigued by your blog. Very inspiring! Looking forward to your next posts. Please follow back if you will. Thank you!
Chip said,
April 15, 2015 at 1:33 pm
I love your blog and thought your article on Muti was and Nabucco was wonderful. I wrote a novel about a young, aspiring opera singer, Tempesta’s Dream, which I think you will love. Check it out.
Trevor said,
May 16, 2015 at 7:06 am
I was doing a Google search for the Drood Review and got a link to your blog post on it from 2008. I have long been wishing to improve my meagre collection of issues of this excellent review magazine so if you decided at the time not to recycle your issues and would be open to an offer to purchase them please drop me an email.
Clare Willcocks said,
May 22, 2015 at 9:58 am
Hi Roberta
I couldn’t find an email address for you so I hope you don’t mind me contacting you via comment. Feel free to delete after you’ve read!
I clicked through to your blog from ‘piningforthewest.co.uk’ while searching for articles about the vintage Ladybird books. As your blog is wholly concentrated on books and reading, I thought you might like to see a project I’ve been working on for holidaycottages.co.uk.
We love the nostalgic imagery in the old children’s books: children playing on the beach, road trips to the coast, rockpooling and donkey rides, and thought it would be lovely to help people remember their childhood holidays.
We were lucky enough to get a license from Penguin Random House to use the images and have created a whole host of inspiring (we hope!) content with them. There’s a competition to win a bundle of Ladybird goodies, interviews with artists, children’s printables and even a quiz!
http://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/vintage-holidays
I’d love for you to have a look and let me know what you think. If you like it and would like to share it on your blog, we would be absolutely delighted!
Thank you.
Kind regards
Clare
Ace Varkey said,
July 21, 2015 at 5:03 pm
Dear Roberta,
I’m not sure you are interested in international crime, but thought I’d risk writing you about my debut mystery. My first mystery, “The Girl who went Missing,” came out on April 23rd. It is set in Mumbai, India, and though it has mystery written all over it, there is a sliver of romance as well. I wrote it to entertain readers but at the same time I wanted to highlight a socially pressing topic.
While it’s never easy to convert a 245 page (89,616 words) novel into a few paragraphs, here is the synopsis:
When June Warner arrives in India to visit her sister Thalia, a trip to take her mind off her jilted engagement, she is greeted by the bright hot chaos of Mumbai but not her sister. She goes to the YMCA where Thalia is staying, only to find that she is not there.
Convinced that Thalia’s no-show is a sign that she is in danger, June begins a desperate search for her younger sister.
Police Commissioner Oscar D’Costa, scarred by the tragedies of his past, swears he will never again ignore his gut instinct when it comes to a missing girl. And with more and more dead foreign women being found in his precinct, he becomes convinced a conspiracy is at play.
Through the two worlds of American naiveté and Indian chaos, they must find the girl who went missing.
If this interests you, I would be delighted to send you a copy that is Kindle friendly. I do have some reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, if you choose to read them. Finally, I don’t have a time frame for a review; you get to it when you get to it.
Thank you so much,
Ace Varkey
Amazon:
GR link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25101394-the-girl-who-went-missing?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_b
FB link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ace-Varkey/979108745446338
Blog:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13604423.Ace_Varkey/blog
War Emblem said,
February 26, 2016 at 12:19 am
Marvelous. I can’t stay long, but am looking forward to visiting again. In the mean time, take care that the fate of the Collyer Brothers does no repeat itself, with all those books to the ceiling of yours!
Joshua Ruxin said,
May 6, 2016 at 6:03 pm
Dear Roberta – thanks so much for your in-depth review of A Thousand Hills to Heaven. Your insights and deep reading of the material made us so happy here in Kigali! Hopefully you’ll come visit these thousand hills one of these days.
Best wishes,
Josh Ruxin
Kathy Cholod said,
May 13, 2017 at 10:14 am
Hi:
We have a new book of Michael Browns out officially
in Mid October, This is a very warm and heartfelt book I believe
it will touch the hearts of many.
Here is a write up about it. If you wish a complimentary copy
Please send me your mailing address.
the ISBN is 978-1-897238-78-3
Happy Reading’
Kathy
P.S. here is one of the reviews we have recieved
Rebecca Clemons
The best, the best, the very very best! What a wonderful book…Quick read, elevates the mood,
The soul, the entire day, week and month! This is indeed the perfect gift, any day of the week gift!
Michael is indeed a gifted Spirit writer. Thank you so much for this gift
Cat Tales For Mariette
6E043264-6791-47AD-93B9-5E37A70FF198.jpeg
Set in the dusty Karoo semi-desert town of Aberdeen, South Africa, Cat Tales for Mariette tells of the unexpected friendship between Michael Brown and Mariette Van Wyk. Michael narrates the story of how he is coerced by a well-meaning local to visit one of the town’s residents who is dying of cancer in the local hospital. Michael reluctantly agrees to a one-time visit, which becomes daily. Within the sterile clinical environment and strained emotional circumstances, the two discover not only friendship, but that each has something important for the other. As his visits unfold, the two bond over tea, cookies and Michael’s sharing of his numerous life-changing personal encounters with cats. The telling of these cat stories gently brings resolution to aspects of both their pasts, as well as comfort and insight to Mariette as she faces death.
Namaste’ Publishing
Publicist Kathy Cholod
E mail namasteteachings@telus.net
Catherine Schaffner said,
June 29, 2017 at 6:53 pm
Hello Roberta,
I’d like to subscribe to your blog, but I can’t work out how to. There doesn’t seem to be link or instructions on how to subscribe on my screen. What do I need to do?
Thanks,
Catherine
steffercat said,
March 27, 2019 at 12:58 am
Hi Roberta – You reviewed this author’s first mystery series as “wonderful stuff”. Please email me if I may email you the latest galley from DB Borton.
-Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist
herminaj said,
July 21, 2019 at 2:42 pm
This is a quick hello from Southern Manitoba. This morning I am busy with grandchildren and washing dishes, but as I keep working on trying to retire (my husband insists on keeping on farming, and I do not fight it too much, because there are always walks in fields and woods possible) and find more time for my true calling, books! and the reading and collecting of books, I will dive into your excellent blog. I found you when searching for W. H. Auden through Isabel Dalhousie. Much thanks for your beautiful writing, and all the book and author references for me to explore.
Bobbi Rood said,
October 21, 2020 at 11:15 am
Dear Roberta,
I,too, am Roberta Rood. In Vermont. Rood by marriage. I was amazed to learn from someone that I have a terrific blog. I pointed out that it must be an imposter, but would take full credit it is a good blog! I always thought I would like to be a librarian and will be interested to see what I am reading on my blog! LOL. You are a voracious reader it seems and I could not read all this in a lifetime I think, plus I have too much of my own collection to even finish that. I would love to learn more about your genealogy. Did your Roods come from Scotland? Did some go to CT and then Vermont? Did some head to the prairie? Were any of them ever in Valentine, Montana attempting sheep farming? I do hope you will contact me.
Bobbi Rood said,
October 21, 2020 at 11:24 am
Oops. Roods came from England. The Scottish connection is through one grandmother.
Melanie Carlson Peterson said,
April 28, 2021 at 7:49 pm
Do you have an Amazon link, so you will get credit for books I purchase due to your recommendation?