Armchair Detectives Circle the Globe

I seem to have been on a binge of reading mysteries that take place in foreign countries. If you enjoy mysteries and travel adventures, you may enjoy the following books.


Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions 
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano is a Felliniesque account of Auntie Poldi’s adventures when she retires to Sicily to drink herself to death. Auntie Poldi is larger than life (morning salutations in the nude on her roof-top patio, vodka for breakfast, photograph albums of traffic police – ah! men in uniform!) and so are her relatives and neighbours – the sad lady who owns the gelateria, the handsome police detective banished to Sicily for his misdeeds in Milan, the impoverished nobleman who quotes German poetry non-stop, and the businessman who may well be a member of the Mafia. I’ll be reading more of Giordano’s books.


Death in Sunset Grove 
If I’m even half as feisty when I’m 80 as these three old ladies in a Finnish retirement home, I’ll be very, very happy. The plot is absurd (evil retirement home managers, motorbike gangs, tram rides and funerals), but the characters in Death in Sunset Grove by Minna Lindgren will have you marching out the door ready to tackle the neighbourhood bullies.


Dogstar Rising 
Dogstar Rising by Parker Bilal brings modern-day Cairo to life – the poverty, the corruption, the miserable housing conditions. It’s also a tale of immigrants and the choices they make to survive in a foreign land. I’m not sure I’ll continue reading this series, but I did enjoy the insight it gave me into life in Cairo.


Murder on Brittany Shores 
Murder on Brittany Shores by Jean-Luc Bannalec is a police procedural with a solid plot line. The detective is an outsider (from Paris) so you get an outsider’s perspective on Brittany from a German author who spends half the year in Brittany. The sea and Breton pride are front and centre. I plan to read more in this series.


 A Very Pukka Murder 
A Very Pukka Murder by Arjun Raj Gaind is set in India in 1909. The hero, Sikander, Prince of Rajpore, with his attention to fashion, good wine, and manners reminds me of Lord Peter Wimsey, but his frustration with British colonials in India turns that model on its head. The plot is convoluted with many possible suspects who Sikander gathers around his dining room table at the close of the book when all is revealed. Well worth reading. I’ll be looking for more in this series.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flavourful Saskatoon, August 21, 2017

Image
Prairie Harvest Café I was sad to learn that Prairie Harvest Café has closed its doors. It’s been one of my favorite Saskatoon restaurants since day one, and I really appreciated the fact that the chefs focused on cooking with local ingredients, many supplied by the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. All the best of luck in your new adventures. We’ll miss you. Hug a Farmer This has been a tough summer for many farmers. Prairie Sun Orchard lost their entire cherry crop to insects. Drop by their stand at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, tell them you care, and have an ice cream. My favorite is the chocolate cherry fudge, but Clare Pearson, the principal ice cream maker, says her new favorite is the salted caramel. Peppers If you’re like me, you assume that all small, skinny peppers are super hot and avoid them like the plague. But that’s a big mistake. Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens is offering two long, skinny peppers – one can be hot, but the other isn’t. Padron chile pepper
Read more

Flavourful Saskatoon, August 28, 2017

Image
The Next Great Food Business Public Tasting, Sept. 7 The Local Kitchen is hosting a public tasting with samples from each of the finalists in the Next Great Food Business competition. Finalists are: King’s Jerky, Kind Condiments , Smoke and Salt BBQ, Bannock Express , and Voodoo Van . Wine Tastings Guess the most expensive wine (Sept. 8), sample some Rhône wines (Sept. 22), or attend the 2017 Premier Showcase Wine Dinner (Sept. 28) sponsored by Saskatoon Co-op Wine Spirits Beer. Premier Showcase is also offering a Portugal with a Splash of California wine seminar (Sept. 29) and a Women & Whisky seminar (Sept. 30). Refresh and Renew I had a chat with Trent Loewen about his plans now that he has sold Earth Bound Bakery. He is heading east to visit chef friends in Ontario and then off to New Zealand to explore what's happening there. After 9 years with a single focus, it's time to explore new ideas. Interestingly enough, the bakery's new owner is a business
Read more

Spelt and Millet: Ancient Grains for Today's Healthy Diet

Image
When I was growing up, whole wheat flour and rice were exotic options. Now we have a whole range of intriguing choices – buckwheat, spelt, millet, kamut – the list goes on and on. My problem is that I don’t know very much about some of these grains, so I arranged a phone call with Nicole Davis, the Owner/Manager of Daybreak Mill near Estevan. Daybreak Mill grows and processes approximately 18 different kinds of flour, whole and de-hulled grains, flakes, cereals, and legumes. They are 100% organic. “We want people to have access to healthy, wholesome food,” Nicole explains. Two of Daybreak’s products – spelt and millet – have been nourishing people around the world for over 9,000 years. Spelt Spelt was cultivated by ancient civilizations in Europe and the Middle East for thousands of years. It grows well in poor soil and doesn’t require fertilizer. It’s resistant to frost and the thick husk protects the grain from insects. However, spelt requires more processing than wheat as
Read more

Beer: History, Trivia and War

Image
Brew North by Ian Coutts is a fascinating look at the history of beer in Canada. I particularly enjoyed the archival photos and beer labels. Here are some tidbits from Canada’s brewing history:           In 2007, Canadians drank 71.67 litres per capita with the Yukon leading the way at 139.75 litres per person, followed by Alberta at 98.54      The first criminal trial and hanging in Upper Canada was held at Finkle’s Tavern, which opened near Bath, Ontario, in 1793.      Two skeletons at the bar were props for Charles McKiernan’s tall tales (told in rhyme) at Joe Beef’s Canteen in Montreal. Customers shared the bar with a variety of animals, including a succession of beer-drinking bears.      Empty beer bottles were originally stored in crates filled with straw, a favourite spot for mice to nest. And the bottles were dark green, so it was hard to tell if the bottle was already occupied when it was filled with beer.      During Prohibition, many breweries switched to making soft dr
Read more

Artisan Cheese-Making in Saskatchewan

Image
Travel in Europe and you are immediately struck by the number and variety of local cheeses, but then you come home to Saskatchewan and there are next to no local artisan cheeses, but that situation is about to change. ( Salayview Farm south of Regina has just started making an excellent fresh goat cheese.) The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc. (Food Centre) held a two-day cheese-making workshop this past week, and it was filled to capacity with people who were eager to start making cheese as a hobby or to sell commercially. The course was led by Margaret Morris of Glengarry Cheesemaking and Erin Hiebert, the Food Centre’s Manager of Skills Development and Food Safety Programs, while Brev Chesky, the Centre’s Processing Director, assisted with the hands-on portion of the workshop. I was fortunate to join the class at the end of the workshop and to get a first-hand glimpse at the cheese-making process as well as to meet some of the participants. The Course Margar
Read more