New site, new blog, new newb

New blog, new site, new ... everything

Did you know I have a new blog? A whole new *site* in fact? Yes, I still collect books, but I've been focusing more effort on writing, and if you'd like to stay in touch with me, explore and celebrate books, and especially if you're into mystery novels, then be sure you follow me over at my new site, benjaminlclark.com.

I regularly review books, talk about my work as a history museum curator, and of course, good mysteries.

From there, of course, you can sign up for my newsletter (launching soon), my facebook group (currently private, but send a request and I'll add you!), and pretty much whatever social media platform you like (I'm on most of them).

About the Author: Benjamin L. Clark writes historical mysteries and works as a history museum curator.

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Review: The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King

 I've just finished The Murder of Mary Russell. Wow. It's ... fantastic. I get nervous with Laurie R King's new books in her beloved Mary Russell - Sherlock Holmes series. This is book 14 of the long-running series. Sure, I love some books of the series better than others ... but this book was marvelous and absolutely the follow up I needed (as a fan) after Dreaming Spies, Garment of Shadows, and (deep breath), The Pirate King.  

After a deadly confrontation, readers are drawn through the history of one of Sherlock Holmes's earliest cases and the true background of the fascinating Mrs. Hudson(!), and the true nature of her relationship to Sherlock.   We even get a bit of King's take on a Sherlock Holmes not long before his arrival at Baker Street.  I know I could read a *lot* more in that vein.  Maybe someday King will give us a little more.  

About half-way through this latest of the series, I had an idea that though I was enjoying it, The Murder of Mary Russell would only appeal to the die-hard fans of Mary Russell and maybe those true completists of Sherlock pastichery.  And a few unbranded #histfic mavericks.  After all, we're delving deep --- real deep, into the supporting cast of the series, usually territory for only the most devout readers of fanfic and scholars of minutia. However, after that half-way mark (or so), all that build up became more and more meaningful, reaching deep into the story of King's Sherlock, which incidentally, is among my favorite interpretations.

We're also (mostly) but not entirely back in London and Sussex for this tale. If you're among the legions of King's readers who love the globe-trotting nature of Russell and Holmes's lives, you shouldn't feel too cooped up, after sojourns at sea and a bit of time in Australia during the days of Transportation and gold.  

So, a spoiler free review, given how little I can tell you, given that title. Yikes. Read The Murder of Mary Russell and see how the world of Sherlock and Mary Russell is changed forever.  

Disclosure: I received a free advance ebook copy for review.

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Review: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

Book Review: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

"Reader, I murdered him...., A reimagining of Jane Eyre as a gutsy, heroic serial killer....”

With a lead-in like that, I had high expectations.  That and this is Lyndsay Faye we're talking about, the creator of the marvelous Timothy Wilde series, and the one who finally gave us a gripping account of Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper that frankly is better than anything Conan Doyle would have come up with.  

Jane Steele is a fun, action-filled homage to the Gothic triple deckers of the Victorian age.  It has the classic tropes:  Girl orphaned young, named Jane, abused by the wealthier kinfolk she lives with, sent away to horror-show school and becomes governess ...  I go into books labeled ‘reimaginings’ with gun-shy wariness.  Like satire, it can be a fine line between brilliant and obnoxious, too cute or cloying.  Steele is not a satire of the genre, but it is sly and winking, more like a quiet unspoken joke between old friends.   Jane Steele is even published as a triple decker --- thankfully under one cover.  It’s action-filled and just tons of fun with some great characters I deeply hope to see again.    

Steele, is also unflinching from the ugliness in ugly people, and hardships of the time.  Some of that ugliness is only hinted at in those classic Gothic novels we love, but here if someone is a sexual predator, it’s said/shown.    

Anyone shying away from the ‘serial killer’ tag -- I think it’s not used well here.  Jane Steele isn’t a serial killer.  More like a vigilante, or frankly just someone who lives in hard place during a hard time.  The violence is largely unflinching, but far from Tarantino-esque.  This isn’t a cozy knitting mystery, but I think the majority of readers won’t be put off by the violence.

Faye’s descriptions are gold, building tension then giving readers that pinching little twist of anticipation making payoffs that much sweeter.  Book to book, she just gets better and better.

Jane Steele comes out in March, and available for pre-order now.

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Christmas List 2016 started

It’s not secret, 

I really enjoyed the Blake & Avery series of historic thrillers by historian M.J. Carter last year. And my (not so) idle curiosity went ahead and tweeted the author herself when one could expect Blake & Avery 3 ----- 

It wasn’t entirely presumptuous on my part she was working on it, she’s tweeted before that the manuscript was underway.  

So, this is what I learned:

So, there we have it.  It will hopefully be a later 2016 release, and not need to be put off further still.  Until then, I hope M.J. Carter feels better!

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Review: The Infidel Stain by MJ Carter

It's been three years since Jeremiah Blake and bibliophile William Avery teamed up in India for what was one of the most enjoyable books I've read recently (The Strangler Vine) -- getting in on the ground floor as it were of a new series.  The Infidel Stain takes us to London in the early 1840s, into the orbit of publishers and pornographers, dissidents and rebels.  Oh, and of course, murder.  It's one of those novels that just oozes with atmosphere of dank and dark London, after a terrifying time in the dangerous jangals of India. Our heroes have become something of celebrities given their encounter with Xavier Mountstuart.  We learn a little more about the mysterious Jeremiah Blake's background in this novel, which was interesting to say the least.  We don't get much more of Avery, which I would have enjoyed.  Maybe the only thing I'd have expected was that ardent bibliophile William Avery, on a rare visit to The City would indulge himself in a visit to a bookshop.


Historically rich, and textured, a thriller that had me reading late in huge gulps.


Ok, an admission: I liked the first book better.  But with reports of Blake & Avery 3 well underway, I can't wait to see what happens next.

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Review: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

READ THIS!  We read it aloud, and … wow.  My partner now wants to read more post-apocalyptic stuff (I recommended: Alas, Babylon).  We follow the intertwining strands of several people’s lives who experience a nearly extinction level pandemic in the near future.  I didn’t find it overly gruesome the way some books in the genre go, though there is death and injury, and other unsettling events, as anyone would expect.  The book does a lot of slipping and sliding in the timeline, but these shifts are handled deftly by Emily St John Mandel.  The post-apocalyptic chapters and scenes largely take place 20 years after the pandemic, which is very interesting.  If you’re at all interested, I know you’ll look at more reviews, and have probably already heard of this book.  I’m just adding my voice to the choir singing its praises.  It’s a creepy, beautiful, touching story about family, survival, and at its core: art.  I loved it.

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Ralph Ellison speaks.

I was catching up on some podcast listening this week, and heard the folks at Bookrageous talk about "one hit wonder" authors.  One of my favorites is Ralph Ellison.  A fascinating interview with Ralph Ellison has been digitized from the archives of my old work place, the Oklahoma Historical Society, and as of this writing has about 10 views. Thanks OHS for making this available to everyone to see.

You can browse Ralph Ellison's personal library on Library Thing's Legacy Library project.

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