We’ve got a new book in the Winnebago County crime series today as well as some fiction published late last year including paranormal romance, a spirit dog’s memories, two senior citizens who seek revenge on bad guys, and a humorous look at the madness of motherhood.
(Courtesy of the author)
“Buried in the House”: by Christine Husom (The wRight Press, $15.95)
The sheriff’s office held a class for deputies on hoarding. The presenter shared pertinent information and facts. He said hoarding had been classified as an obsessive-compulsive disorder until it was given its own designation… for people like Brett, it had manifested itself after a traumatic loss. — from “Buried in the House”
Christine Husom (Courtesy of the author)
Who knew the world was filled with hoarders until television series alerted us to this disorder? Bestselling Minnesota author Husom, who worked for the Wright County sheriff, picks up on this formerly hidden phenomenon in the 11th book in her Winnebago County series featuring Sgt. Corinne “Corky” Aleckson. Weirdness begins in the opening pages when Corinne is dispatched to an isolated old house for a welfare check on Brett Winston. The place is so full of trash she can’t get in through the blocked doors and has to use a ladder to peek into an upstairs window to see Brett’s body. His family feels guilty for not realizing the deceased man was in such trouble after his wife left him. Corinne and her lover and colleague Smoke are baffled by a note left by the dead man admitting to a crime he couldn’t stop. Things get more complicated when the trash-removal crew is stunned by the discovery of more human remains as well as evidence found by the medical examiner that the dead man had been shot. While Corinne is dealing with this case, she’s also trying to help her sister find out why her sister’s husband is acting strangely. Why is he at a casino in the middle of the day? What happens when Corinne confronts a gun-carrying, seemingly crazy woman making trouble?
“Buried in the House” is a character-driven police procedural with an appealing protagonist that tells the reader much about the roots of hoarding and guilt felt by family members who were too late to help. Corinne is both tough and maybe too compassionate when she keeps in touch with Brett’s grieving siblings. Juxtaposing the two cases — Corrine’s brother-in-law’s odd behavior and the trash house deaths — gives the reader an interesting perspective on how small-town law enforcement works. Kudos to the author for giving both Corky and Smoke happy dogs. More kudos for smoothly juggling two cases to create a tight tapestry of hoarding behavior, family relationships and a wandering brother-in-law. Not a spoiler: Corky fans will love the conclusion.
(Courtesy of Andrews McMeel Publishing)
“I’m Still Here: A Dog’s Purpose Forever”: by Cathryn Michon, illustrations by Seth Taylor (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $19.99)
Cathryn Michon, who co-wrote the hit film “A Dog’s Purpose,” gives us a beautifully written and illustrated conversation with an angel dog who is both “here” in the imagination, and “there,” meaning both on the Earth and in a place where there is no pain and spirit dogs run free. Although it is recommended as a healing story about grief, this story is much more. “…this is a book about a return to joy,” writes the author’s husband, W. Bruce Cameron, bestselling author of the book ” A Dog’s Purpose.”
The canine narrator consoles his/her owner by recalling all the wonderful times they had together. He recalls his favorite words — cheese, chicken, ball — and some he didn’t like such as “bath.” The theme is that canine souls watch over their loved ones even after death and that it’s possible dogs can reincarnate to stay with their loved ones in new bodies.
If you love/have loved dogs, this book might make you tear up. Illustrator Taylor’s full-color watercolor paintings of joyful dogs enhance the author’s graceful and heartfelt text.
(Courtesy of Encante Press)
“The Silver Squad: Rebels With Wrinkles”: by Marty Essen (Encante Press, $18.95)
‘I’m with you there. And when we’re not going to the bathroom or complaining about our aching joints, we’ll be an elite team of Silver Squad vigilantes! All we need to do is find some emotionally fulfilling crimes to commit.” — from “The Silver Squad”
What do two lively retirees do when they are bored at the Blue Loon Village senior complex in Minneapolis? They go on a crime spree to right a lot of wrongs and have some fun. Barry and Beth, both in their 70s, were high school sweethearts and now find themselves at the Blue Loon Village, looking for something to do. Beth wants to make an impact on the world by going after bad guys and Barry, whose best friend is a leopard gecko, is happy to go along with any of her plans. Their first mission involves teaching a wife-abuser a lesson and learning about surveillance. The humor continues as they take an adventure-filled road trip that includes stealing a truck full of cans of Spam, challenging Florida’s illegal alligator hunters and saving kittens. And if these two mature Avengers skirt the law now and then, they’re too experienced in life to care.
Essen, who lives in Montana, has written seven previous novels as well as nonfiction including “Cool Creature, Hot Planet” and “Endangered Edens.” A former Minnesotan, he owned two talent agencies.
“The Passenger”: by Joie Lesin (Wild Rose Press, $19.99)
… The visions of the dead grew stronger. The emotions, the fear, the sorrow, the despair were back… Lord, she hadn’t considered the repercussions of reaching out to the spirit world. Yet she would face those consequences repeatedly if they meant an end to her husband’s suffering. She would sacrifice herself again and again to help him move on in peace. — from “The Passenger”
Fans of paranormal romance will enjoy this 1940s ghost story, in which Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of her gift of communicating with the dead. When the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home. She hadn’t counted on meeting the old man’s son, Gio, who is still angry at his father for abandoning him as a child. Lots of atmospheric tension in the California wine country setting.
(Courtesy of Wise Ink Creative Publishing)
“I Love You, Mean It (Sometimes): by Libby Hilsendager, illustrated by L. Thomas Peterson (Wise Ink, $22.99)
Subtitled “The Madness of Motherhood,” this looks like a picture book for kids. But it isn’t. It’s strictly for adults because it includes several words you teach your kids not to say. In the story, three mothers are talking about their lives: fights between siblings, laundry, endless questions from kids and husbands, cleaning, boredom. But as the book moves to its close, they also remember the good times such as birthday parties and times when the kids behaved. The vividly colored illustrations will make beleaguered mothers smile.
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