Sunday Salon - Quarterly Brown Bag Luncheon

Once a quarter, I get to host a brown bag luncheon in my office.  Wednesday, I had a full house.  Patrons bring lunch, and I provide coffee and cookies.  Then, I talk about fifteen books.  It's one of my favorite days.  (The other is the day we have the staff brown bag luncheon, and we talk about books.)

So, here are the books I shared this month.

Aames, Avery – The Long Quiche Goodbye – It’s the grand re-opening of Providence, Ohio’s Cheese Shop, but the body stabbed to death outside the shop disrupts the festivities.

Fister, Barbara – Through the Cracks  – When a man’s conviction is overturned, the victim hires Chicago P.I. Anni Koskinen to find her actual rapist.

Fitzpatrick, Ellen – Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation - Jackie Kennedy received over 1.5 million letters after JFK’s death. It's a poignant collection of letters.

Hale, Shannon – Austenland  – What happens when women become obsessed with Jane Austen’s books? They get to go to Austenland, a resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, including Jane Hayes.

Johnson, Craig – The Cold Dish  – Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire investigates the death of a young man who once raped a Cheyenne girl, stirring up troubles again between the white and Native American communities.

Kendrick, Beth – Second Time Around  – Ten years after their college graduation, four women who were English majors are given the chance to reinvent their lives.

The Lineup – ed. By Otto Penzler –  Lee Child, Faye Kellerman, and Alexander McCall Smith are just some of the crime writers who tell the inside story of their detectives.

Mackenzie, Jassy – Random Violence - Jade de Jong returns to South Africa after a ten year absence and her father’s death, to find a violent country, and a police officer friend who needs assistance.

Malliet, G.M. – Death of a Cozy Writer – In the style of Agatha Christie, an award-winning mystery involving an English estate, an isolated family, a police team, and murder.

Rosenblatt, Robert – Making Toast – A memoir. As a result of his daughter’s death, Rosenblatt & his wife move in with their son-in-law, to help care for the children.

Shaffer, Louise – Looking for a Love Story – When her marriage falls apart, a former bestselling author turns to writing for hire.

Sharp, Zoë – Killer Instinct – The novel that introduces Charlie Fox tells of her life after her discharge from the army, before she does close security.

Underwood, Deborah – The Quiet Book - A charming picture book about the types of quiet.

Verdon, John – Think of a Number - A former homicide detective is invited to become involved when a college acquaintance receives threatening notes. Debut thriller.

Wallace, Carey – The Blind Contessa’s New Machine - A tragic story, based on the true story of the woman who inspired the invention of the typewriter.