Posts by Vicki J Kondelik

Lewis Barnavelt, a ten-year-old orphan, comes to live with his Uncle Jonathan in a 19th century house in a town which is a fictionalized version of Marshall, Michigan. He finds that his uncle and his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmermann, are wizards, and that the house has a clock buried in its walls, counting down the minutes until the end of the world. Will Lewis, his uncle, and their friend be able to stop the clock in time? This mystery/horror story is perfect for children and people of all ages.

Venetian policeman Guido Brunetti investigates a series of suspicious deaths at a nursing home run by an order of nuns. At first he can't find any evidence that the deaths were anything but natural, but when the former nun who first told him about her suspicions is severely injured in a hit and run accident, he knows that the patients must have been murdered. But how will he prove it?

Ancient Roman detective Gordianus the Finder investigates the murder of a politician on the Appian Way, supposedly at the hands of a rival. But everyone gives a different account of what happened, and Gordianus doesn't know what to believe. As he attempts to solve the murder, he faces physical danger, as well as a crisis in his family. This mystery is inspired by actual events, and features appearances by Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Cicero, and other famous Romans.

Midnight in the Piazza is a delightful art mystery written for children ages 8-12, even though anyone can enjoy it. Thirteen-year-old Beatrice Archer moves to Rome when her father gets a job there, and she falls in love with the turtle fountain in the piazza outside her apartment. Then one night she sees someone trying to steal the turtles from the fountain. Beatrice and a new friend, an Italian boy who speaks English, decide to investigate, and they discover a ring of international art thieves.

Scottish journalist Alan Taylor writes about his friendship with Muriel Spark, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, during the last decade and a half of her life. We learn about her life in rural Tuscany, her estrangement from her only son, her complex feelings about her native Scotland, and the teacher who inspired the character of Miss Brodie.

In this World War II thriller, a parachutist falls to his death in a field outside Farleigh, the stately home of Lord Westerham and his daughters. The dead man's uniform leads people to believe he is a German spy, sent to contact a traitor at Farleigh or in the nearby village. Lord Westerham's middle daughter, a codebreaker at Bletchley Park, works with an MI5 agent who is a family friend to discover who the traitor could be.

Ancient Roman private eye Marcus Didius Falco investigates a mystery involving his dead brother Festus. It seems that Festus, who died in battle, might not have been such a hero as everyone was led to believe. When a soldier who had accused Festus of involvement in a shady business deal is found murdered, Falco becomes the prime suspect. To clear his name, he must work with his estranged father to find the real murderer.

As Venice lies in the grip of the acqua alta, the high tide that floods the city every winter, Commissario Guido Brunetti investigates a brutal beating at the home of an art historian and the murder of the director of the museum at the Doge's Palace. At the same time, he worries that he has not been a good father to his teenage son.

In this fourth entry in Donna Leon's mystery series set in Venice, Commissario Guido Brunetti investigates the deaths of three prominent Venetian businessmen, as well as their connection to eight young women who died when a truck crashed in the mountains of northern Italy. Meanwhile, his teenage daughter Chiara shows signs of following in her father's footsteps, as she becomes involved in the case.

Two time travelers from a future world arrive in 1815 to retrieve a lost manuscript and letters by Jane Austen. They are forbidden to change the past, but as they come to know Austen and her family, they decide to try to save her life. Whether they succeed or not, I will not say, but this is a suspenseful and thought-provoking novel, an intriguing combination of science fiction and Jane Austen spin-off.