Death Comes to [all the places], by Catherine Lloyd

Summer 2023.  I casually picked up a copy of Death Comes to Kurland Hall for less than $1 at my local library's used bookstore.  After I began reading this book, I realized that it was the third in a series of eight.  No matter, it was a simple read -a hot dog book- and the context of the characters in the story was well explained.  It's the type where you could start in the middle of the series and not be too lost.

Later that year, I picked up the next book in the same series, Death Comes to the Fair.  Same story of a purchase for chump change at the library bookstore.  After reading this fourth installment, I figured that would be enough for me - no need to continue the series.

Fast forward about a year, to fall 2024.  I decided, what the heck?  Let's just read the entire series.  They're easy enough and I enjoy them.  So I read the first book, Death Comes to the Village.  I was planning to have surgery and knew I'd be laid up for awhile...might as well enjoy my forced convalescence with the rest of the hot dogs.

I actually ended up having two surgeries since last fall, giving me enough time to finish the series.  And although I started with books #3 and 4, I went back and read them in order: #1, 2, (skip 3, 4) 5, 6, 7, 8.  They are as follows (complete with links to my previous reviews):

#1. Death Comes to the Village

#2. Death Comes to London

#3. Death Comes to Kurland Hall 

#4. Death Comes to the Fair

#5. Death Comes to the School

#6. Death Comes to Bath

#7. Death Comes to the Nursery

#8. Death Comes to the Rectory

This post will review books #2 and #5-8.

While I could individually write up a review for each of the remaining five novels in the series, I feel that would be redundant.  To be completely honest, my reviews for every book in this series of eight would be nearly identical, checking every one of the following boxes:

• Quintessentially English
• Rainy
• Presence of sheep
• Bonnets
• Dressing for dinner
• Someone gets murdered
• Usually a second murder takes place that is linked to the first murder
• Subterfuge of non-murderers-but-still-characters-with-something-to-hide
• Mention of spectacles
• More bonnets
• Copious amounts of tea and brandy
• Portly gentlemen
• Bad editing and a plethora of typos (e.g. A character in one book is named Marjory, but sometimes her name is spelled Marjorie.  It flip-flops back and forth throughout the book.)
• Pampered bitches with delusions of grandeur
• Sensible shoes
• So many goddam bonnets
• Horses
• Dogs
• Ale
• Potatoes
• And more...

While the books become steadily more predictable, I truly did not mind.  They are an easy escape from the mundane, a welcome way to pass the time, and have no pretensions at being great works of literature.  Each one is a story within itself, though reading them in order certainly is preferable for inter-novel character development.  Certainly there is action and murder, but without being overly grotesque or gratuitous, making this -The Kurland St. Mary Mystery Series- the perfect "cozy mysteries" for fans of the genre.  

Hot dog books to the max.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson

Imagine a self-important fratty pretending to be a guru and doling out douche-baggy life advice unsolicited at a house party.

Congratulations, you have just read Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck.

But wait a sec...  Does what he is espousing actually hold water?  Wait, WHAAAA??

Yeah.  It actually kinda does.

In his 2016 book, blogger-author Mark Manson offers "a counterintuitive approach to living a good life", arguing that there are many things about which to give a fuck...but not everything is worthy of our fucks.

I once heard that Finland was one of the (if not the singular) happiest nations in the world.  When questioned about this, most Finns were surprised to hear themselves described this way.  They didn't consider themselves happier than the rest of the world; in fact, some of those questioned considered themselves to be quite broody.  It wasn't until someone somewhere along the line mentioned that, because their expectations are much lower than the rest of the western world's, it was easier to achieve a measure of "success" by their own standards.  We aren't all special or extraordinary.  In fact, if we were, then no one would be special or extraordinary at all.  Are you a janitor?  Great.  An accountant?  Fine.  A high school principal?  Good for you.  The fact that most Finns have realistic expectations for their lives allows them to achieve success more readily, without feeling that they have to accomplish something world shaking in order to be valuable people.  (Side note:  Finland even celebrates its own National Failure Day every year.)  You might say that they lack the gung-ho spirit that we so value in the U.S., but at least they are in touch with reality.  

Anyway, TSAONGAF is rather in line with this philosophy.  We can't all be great.  It doesn't mean we aren't valuable or deserving of love or worthy human beings, rather that most of us will not achieve some colossal magnitude of greatness in our lives.  And that's OK.

You might also describe parts of this book as advice on how to pick your battles.  Maybe not everything is worth your time, effort, attention...or fucks.  Some things are, and you should dedicate your proverbial fucks to those things but, just like we are not all special, neither are the things demanding our attention.

Manson talks a lot about pain and values in his book.  Pain and suffering, while difficult, are formative; change often only comes through such experiences.  Values such as pleasure, material success, dominance through violence/manipulation, being liked by everybody, and always being right are undesirable while values such as honesty, innovation, self-respect, creativity, curiosity, charity, and humility are good.  There is a difference between fault and responsibility and, even when things aren't our fault (e.g. being the victim of a robbery), we are still responsible for our subsequent choices (e.g. succumbing to victimhood or rebuilding our lives).  Another pervasive theme is that of entitlement, which he defines as the idea "that we're somehow unlike everyone else and that the rules must be different for us".  These are among some of the themes addressed throughout this book, though this list of topics is certainly not exhaustive.  

In every chapter/section, Manson helpfully shares stories -both his own and others'- to further illustrate his points anecdotally.  Some stories make you roll your eyes at his obnoxiousness, but he often (quite humbly and surprisingly) comes around to point out his own errors in ways you might not have anticipated.  While I do not disagree with his ultimate points in this book, I do question his credentials.  I'm not sure that being a successful blogger in the 2010s qualifies him as an expert, but I am interested in his perspective.  In general, he makes some excellent points and it's nice to be reminded -even crudely- that some things are just not worth our fucks.

At the end of the day, if you're willing to read it as nothing more than someone else's worldview -one that may indeed prove beneficial- and don't mind some naughty words, it's worth a read.  Clocking in at just a hair over 200 pages, it's an easy book to pick up and read in installments.  Solid toilet reading, actually...and I think Mark Manson would like that idea.

A Lack of Temperance, by Anna Loan-Wilsey

Once upon a time, I branched out by picking up a murder mystery novel by a different author.

I know.  It happened.

I am finishing up a series of "hot dog books" by a particular author (collective review forthcoming) but, while at the library, I came across a new series that takes place largely in the American Midwest.  As a Midwesterner, I recognize a lot of these places, and my own hometown is briefly referenced a couple of times in the novel.  (Fame, here we come!)

Author Anna Loan-Wilsey also writes under
the nom de plume Clara McKenna. 
This is the same person/novel.

Anyway, the first novel in the Hattie Davish Mystery Series takes place in turn-of-the-century Eureka Springs, Arkansas at the height of the Temperance Movement.  For those not familiar with this bit of history, the Temperance Movement was a predominantly woman-led ideology that villainized liquor of all kinds, citing its abuse as the cause for violence, sloth, domestic problems, and a laundry list of other sins.  While much of this was (is) indeed legitimate, the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) sought to legally outlaw liquor, shut down saloons and other alcohol-serving establishments, and prosecute anyone breaking the laws they wished to enact.  Sometimes, these ladies (and occasional gents) got rather zealous and even (quite ironically) violent.  The Temperance Movement certainly marked an interesting period of American history, although it must be said that the WCTU actually exists to this day.  

Funnily enough, I came across a great podcast episode about the WCTU after reading this book and realized that the murder victim of the novel (Mother Trevelyan - don't worry, this isn't a spoiler) is clearly based on a major player in the WCTU, right down to her hatchet wielding fervor.  Carry A. Nation -aka the "Hatchet Granny"- was a radical leader of the Temperance Movement, who relished destroying saloon property.  (If you choose to listen to this episode of An Old Timey Podcast, please suspend any sense of prudeness and just enjoy it.)  

A strikingly similar scene at the beginning of A Lack of Temperance serves as an introduction to the murder victim.  But Mother Trevelyan isn't the protagonist!  That would be (wait for it) Hattie Davish.  This is the first of the Hatty Davish Mystery Series after all.  Anyway, directly from the dust cover:

"On the eve of the heated presidential election of 1892, Miss Hattie Davish arrives in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a scenic resort town where those without the scent of whiskey on their breath have the plight of temperance on their tongues. Summoned for her services as a private secretary, Hattie is looking forward to exploring the hills, indulging her penchant for botany—and getting to know the town’s handsome doctor. But it’s hard to get her job done with her employer nowhere to be found . . .

An army of unassuming women wielding hatchets have descended on the quiet Ozark village, destroying every saloon in their path—and leaving more than a few enemies in their wake. So when their beloved leader, Mother Trevelyan, is murdered, it’s easy to point fingers. Now that she’s working for a dead woman, Hattie turns to her trusty typewriter to get to the truth. And as she follows a trail of cryptic death threats, she’ll come face to face with a killer far more dangerous than the Demon Rum . . ."

Not highbrow, but still a lot of fun...if one goes in for that sort of thing.  I imagine I'll check out the second book in the series at some point, though it isn't a priority.  A perfect distraction from life and a diverting, easy read...especially when paired with a cocktail. ;)

Cheers!