Serve The People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China by Jen Lin-Liu

About the author:  Jen Lin-Liu was raised in Southern California, graduated from Columbia University, and came to China in 2000 on a Fulbright fellowship.  A food critic for Time Out Beijing and the coauthor of Frommer's Beijing, she also has written for Newsweek, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Saveur, and Food & Wine.  She is the founder of Black Sesame Cooking School in Beijing.  Serve The People was published in 2008.  Check out the author's website or her Black Sesame Kitchen website for more information.

Synopsis:  As a freelance journalist and food writer living in Beijing, Jen Lin-Liu already had a ringside seat for China's exploding food scene.  When she decided to enrol in a local cooking school - held in an unheated classroom with nary a measuring cup in sight - she jumped into the ring herself.

In Serve The People, Lin-Liu gives a memorable and mouthwatering cook's tour of today's China as she progresses from cooking student to noodle-stall and dumpling-house apprentice to intern at a chic Shanghai restaurant.  The characters she meets along the way include poor young men and women streaming in from the provinces in search of a "rice bowl" (living wage), a burgeoning urban middle class hungry for luxury after decades of turmoil and privation, and the mentors who take her in hand in the kitchen and beyond.

Together they present an unforgettable slice of contemporary China in the full swing of social and economic transformation.

First paragraph in the book:  In cooking class, I learned a startling array of things: Eating fish head will repair your brain cells.  Spicy food is good for your complexion.  Monosodium glutamate is best thrown in a dish just before it comes off the wok.  Americans are fat because they eat bread, while Chinese are slim because they eat rice.  If you work as a cook in America for three years, you can come back to China and buy a house.

My take:  After reading Jennifer 8 Lee's book previously, I am quite fascinated with food writings and have fortunately and quickly found another highly recommended read by a professional food writer.  People who love Chinese food will almost certainly hunger for this book!

I have again enjoyed another culinary journey through the writings and first-hand experiences of a young Chinese-American writer and chef, and who has generously shared some of her recipes in the book, eg, Mom's steamed pork patty, steamed corncakes, fish-fragrant pork shreds and a useful step-by-step guide to making three types of noodles like "knife-grated noodles", "cat's ear noodles" and "hand-rolled noodles".  Jen's writing is down-to-earth, personal, gratifyingly honest and interspersed with entertaining anecdotes.

Serve The People:  A Stir-Fried Journey Through China, a non-fiction memoir, has been awarded the Best Chinese Cuisine Book, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2008.  You can watch a video of Jen speaking about her experiences in China here.

The Teaberry Strangler (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

Backcover blurb:  The narrow cobblestone alleys of Charleston are bustling with shoppers looking for bargains on antiques, heaping bowls of crab chowder - and of course Theodosia Browning's delicious teas.  But when the clock strikes ten, the alleys clear, except for one body - discovered by a horrified Theodosia.  It's the strangled form of Daria, the map store's owner.

Many locals have shown interest in buying Daria's shop - but enough to kill?  Plus there's the customer hell-bent on getting his hands on a certain not-for-sale map.  One can hardly throw a scone without hitting a suspect.  Most alarming, however, is Detective Tidwell's theory:  that the killer mistook Daria for Theodosia.  Because that would mean the killer's work isn't yet done...

Includes scrumptious recipes and tea time tips!  This 2010 publication is the eleventh instalment in the Tea Shop Mystery series.  Visit her website at www.laurachilds.com

Rating:  3/5

The English Breakfast Murder (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

Backcover blurb:  Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is about to embark on her first turtle crawl - and her latest murder investigation...

It is a truly exhilarating experience for Theo - helping Charleston's Sea Turtle Protection League shepherd hundreds of tiny green loggerheads safely into the sea.  But just as she's about to celebrate all her hard work with some hearty Lung Ching tea and spicy gumbo, she spots a dead body bobbing in the waves.  It turns out to be local art dealer Harper Fisk - a man with an eye for fine antiques.  Could his death have anything to do with the sunken treasure and gold bullion rumored to be somewhere near Halliehurst Beach?  Deep in her heart, Theo knows that murder is indeed brewing in Charleston - and it's up to her to get to the bottom of it before the culprit's greed stirs him to kill again...

Includes mouthwatering recipes and easy-to-follow instructions for tea dyeing!

This is the fourth instalment of the Tea Shop Mysteries published in 2003.

Rating:  3/5

Shades of Earl Grey (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

Backcover blurb:  Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is finally invited to a social event that she doesn't have to cater - but there's more than champagne bubbling...

Theo is mingling with the cream of Charleston society at the engagement soiree of the season. But as they eagerly await the dazzling young couple's arrival, the groom meets with a freak accident.  The exquisite wedding ring - a family heirloom from the crown of Marie Antoinette - is mysteriously missing.  Theodosia suspects that trouble is brewing.  But when she goes to the authorities, they treat her like she's been reading tea leaves - and that's the surest way to put Theodosia's kettle on the boil...

Includes robust recipes and entertaining ideas for a specialty tea!

This is the third book in the Tea Shop Mysteries published in 2003.

Rating:  3/5

Cure by Robin Cook

The synopsis:  Number one New York Times-bestselling author and master of the medical thriller Robin Cook returns with another heart-pounding story of medical intrigue.

With her young son's potentially fatal neuroblastoma in complete remission, New York City medical examiner Laurie Montgomery returns to work at the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, where she's been employed for more than two decades.  Worried about whether she still has what it takes after so much time away, Laurie finds her first case back to be a dangerous puzzler of the highest order, involving organized crime and two start-up bio-tech companies caught in a zero-sum game.  Against the advice of her colleagues and her husband, fellow medical examiner Jack Stapleton, Laurie is determined to solve the mystery the case comes to represent.

Satoshi Machita, a former Kyoto University researcher, is set to own a valuable patent controlling pluripotent stem cells, which are destined to spark a trillion-dollar industry of regenerative medicine.  When he dies on a crowded New York subway platform, Laurie must decide whether his death was natural - or something more fiendish.

Behind the scenes, there are people who would like to see Laurie as far away from the investigation as possible.  Despite threats against her, Laurie presses on, until they extend to the person she loves most in the world:  her son, JJ.  Suddenly, Laurie must face solving the crime - and saving her son's life.

About the author:  Doctor and author Robin Cook is widely credited with introducing the word 'medical' to the thriller genre, and over twenty years after the publication of his breakthrough novel, Coma, he continues to dominate the category he created.  Cook has successfully combined medical fact with fiction to produce over twenty-eight international bestsellers, including Outbreak (1987), Terminal (1993), Contagion (1996), Chromosome 6 (1997) and, most recently, Intervention (2009).  Cure was published on 10 August 2010.

Visit the author's website at www.robincookmd.com

Rating:  4/5

Daughters-in-Law by Joanna Trollope

Joanna Trollope introduces her new book published last month, on 3 March 2011:



She reads an excerpt from her book:



Brief biography of the author:  Joanna Trollope is the author of sixteen highly acclaimed bestselling contemporary novels.  She has also written a study of women in the British Empire, Britannia's Daughters: Women Of The British Empire, and, under the name of Caroline Harvey, a number of historical novels.

Joanna Trollope was born in Gloucestershire, and now lives in London.  She was appointed OBE in the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

My take:  Trollope is an author who writes very deftly and sagely about the complexities of the human psyche.  Read her books and you will perhaps get to understand familial relationships and the extended family structure from the other person's viewpoint so to speak.  An insightful book especially for daughters- and mothers-in-law alike.  I would highly recommend this book and also Trollope's earlier bestselling books.

To learn more about her, her latest book, her earlier works, upcoming tour dates in 2011, her videos, do not hesitate to visit her website.

Rating:  4/5

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8 Lee

From Jennifer 8 Lee's The Fortune Cookie Chronicles blog, Lee defines herself as "one woman, one great mystery, one consuming obsession and 40 000 restaurants."

This book, published in 2008, tells of the evolution of Chinese food mainly between America and China.  Written in a detailed prose style, Lee addresses the complex cultural, historical, economical and social aspects of your local Chinese restaurants, from how a hybrid cuisine evolved into a food as American as, well, hot dogs, apple pie, pizza.  It will truly open your eyes and deepen your understanding of Chinese food.

Some of the questions answered in the book are:

1)  How did General Tso's chicken come to be?

2)  What is the difference between American soy sauce and Asian soy sauce?

3)  What makes Chinese food taste so good?

4)  What actually is chop suey?

You can catch up with the author on her website called by her namesake Jennifer 8 Lee or follow-like her on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.  As this is a book documenting Lee's adventures into the world of Chinese food, there will be no ratings but I will be going out to a Chinese restaurant today.  Yum!  

The Face Of Deception (An Eve Duncan Book) by Iris Johansen

Backcover blurb:  An unidentified skull...  A trail of terrifying secrets...  And a woman whose talented hands hold the truth behind the most shocking deception of our time...

Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan has a rare gift. 

When businessman John Logan asks her to recreate a face from a skull, it seems like a routine job.  Until the skull begins to reveal its shocking identity.  And then it's too late for Eve to walk out.

What she has seen makes her the target of some very powerful enemies.  They have decided that the secret must remain in the grave - no matter who gets buried with it.

And as Eve struggles to discover the truty, she becomes entangled in a web of lies and deceit, with threads extending to the highest office in the land.

My take:  I am not sure I like this book but what I like about it is it uses dialogue to tell the story, and because of that, I may explore more of Johansen's books. 

About the author:  Iris Johansen broke through to bestsellerdom in the United States with her highly praised suspense novel The Ugly Duckling (1996).  Her success continued with Long After Midnight (1997) and And They You Die (1997)..., both available in Coronet.  She lives in Kennesaw, Georgia.  The Face Of Deception is the first Eve Duncan book published in 1998.  To find out more, you can check out her website or you can like her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Rating:  2/5

Bookshops I Came Across In Italy

Last week, I was in gorgeous Italy for a short break with my family and as an avid reader, could not resist looking out for bookshops even as my eyes were taking in the beautiful sights around me.  I came across three and there are:

1)  Libreria Mondadori, Firenze:

2)  Giunti al Punto libreria, Firenze:  There is a small English book section to the side of the store.  It is nothing to shout about but if you have run out of books to read, you can get some good ones here.  I discovered four new authors here.  My favourite store of the three.

3)  Artemisia libri&books, Pisa International Airport:  I did not see this bookshop on the day of my arrival probably because I was prowling for food but it was opened on the day I was leaving for home sweet home.

To wrap this up, I was extremely chuffed to find four previously-unknown-to-me Italian authors but decided not to get their books at the time as they cost around €11 each - only applies to the books I was checking out.  Most probably I will get them from the reliable Amazon.co.uk when the time is right as I have a huge pile of books to read before I can think of any new ones.  Here they are:

4)  The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi

5)  A Thousand Days In Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure by Marlena de Blasi

6)  I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti

7)  A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels In The Far East by Tiziano Terzani

Have you visited any of the bookshops or read any of the books I mentioned at all?

The Jasmine Moon Murder (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

I have been waiting to continue my Tea Shop Mystery series since last year when I could not get hold of one of the earlier book in the series but at last, I have the fifth book in my hand now, bought and paid for from Amazon.co.uk.  As usual, it includes delicious recipes and tea time tips.  Other series by the author are the Scrapbook Mysteries and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries.  The Tea Shop Mystery is one of my favourite cosy mysteries and I will be on the lookout for more including the latest one called Scones and Bones out in March of 2011.  If you love the combination of sipping some exotic tea and eating a tasty treat while trying to solve a mystery, then I highly recommend this series.

Book blurb:  Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning and her staff are catering an unusual Charleston society benefit - a Ghost Crawl through the spooky grounds of the historic Jasmine Cemetery.  Sadly, the doctor who thought up the event doesn't live to enjoy his own work.  He drops dead during the crawl, and it looks like foul play - but how could such a fine, upstanding citizen have any mortal enemies?  Theodosia starts stirring things up with her own investigation to find the do-badder behind this most uncharitable act.  But before long, chasing down the culprit gets her in hot water up to her neck...

Take time to read.

Rating:  3/5

Bleed For Me by Michael Robotham

Michael Robotham explains:



From The Suspect, I jumped four books to Bleed For Me and it still leaves me praising Robotham for his intelligent writing and all its dark psychological twists which will make you wonder about society and the dynamics of family relationships today.  How much is fact and how much of it is a figment of the author's imagination?  Well...

This book features the psychologist Professor Joseph O'Loughlin, a Parkinson's sufferer, who now lives apart from his wife and two daughters and lectures part-time at Bath University.  One victim, two suspects, one possible suspect, one sinister fellow who lurks in the background, one tortured dog, an attempted murder on the protagonist - what is the connection between them all and the glue that holds them together?


Bleed For Me has been shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award 2010 for Best Crime Novel.  You can follow the author on Twitter, add him as a friend on Facebook and last but not least, pay a visit to his official website for more information on this book.  Just do not hesitate to read it.  It is a bleeding good thriller - I have lost some sleep on this.

This review by a UK-based journalist, writer and lecturer is mainly positive but picks on the editing of the book.

You might want to read An Interview With Michael Robotham conducted by a book blogger shortly after the release of this book last year.

Rating:  4/5

The Payback by Simon Kernick

About the author:  Simon Kernick is one of Britain's most exciting thriller writers.  He arrived on the scene with his highly acclaimed debut novel The Business of Dying in July 2002, which introduced Dennis Milne, a corrupt cop moonlighting as a hitman. His big breakthrough came with his fifth novel Relentless (published May 2006) which was selected by Richard and Judy for their Recommended Summer Reads promotion, and rapidly went on to become the bestselling thriller of 2007.

Simon's research is what makes his thrillers so authentic.  He talks both on and off the record to members of the Met's Special Branch and Anti-Terrorist Branch and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, so he gets to hear first hand what actually happens in the dark and murky underbelly of UK crime.  To find out more about the author and his thrillers, visit www.simonkernick.com

First paragraph in the book:  As soon as the man in black walked into the cluttered little office, a briefcase in one gloved hand, a large, lethal-looking pistol in the other, Nick Penny realized that in an occasionally distinguished career of stepping on the toes of those with something to hide, he'd finally planted his size nines squarely on the wrong ones.

Synopsis:  Dennis Milne is a man with a past, and a past that involves murder.  A former cop, he's earned his living killing the bad guys - drug-dealers, corrupt business men - people who, in his opinion, deserve to die.  For the past two days, he's been in Manila, waiting for his next target:  a young woman who's made herself some poor life-choices, and some even worse enemies.

DI Tina Boyd is a woman on a mission.  Tough, spiky and determined, she's looking for the man she holds responsible for the death of her lover.  She knows this man's ruthless.  She knows he's dangerous.  He's in Manila, and she's determined to find him - before he finds her.

Two cops with pasts that haunt them - and a present that could see them both dead.  They are about to meet.  And when they do, it's payback time...

Kernick talks about Payback (just out on 17 February 2011) and reads an extract from his latest book here:





Have you read any or all of Kernick's books?  I have!  You can catch up with Kernick on his Facebook page too.  Happy read.

Rating:  3/5

The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell

Just got to share this trailer:



and an interview of Mankell talking about The Man from Beijing (published 28 January 2010 in hardback):



Favourite quote from the book:  "The truth is never simple.  It's only in the Western world that you think knowledge is something you can acquire quickly and easily.  It takes time.  The truth never hurries."


Backcover blurb:  In a sleepy hamlet in the north of Sweden, the local police make a chilling discovery; nineteen people have been brutally slaughtered.  It is a crime unprecedented in Sweden's history and the police are under incredible pressure to solve the killings.

When Judge Birgitta Roslin reads about the massacre, she realises that she has a family connection to one of the couples involved and decides to investigate.  After the police make a hasty arrest it is left to her to find the source of a nineteenth century diary and red silk ribbon found near the crime scene.  What she will uncover leads her into an international web of corruption and a story of vengeance that stretches back over a hundred years.

The Man from Beijing is a gripping political thriller and a compelling detective story and is translated from the Swedish by Laurie Thompson.

Brief biography of the author:  Henning Mankell, author of the BAFTA-award-winning BBC television series Wallander, devotes much of his free time to working with Aids charities in Africa, where he is also director of the Teatro Avenida in Maputo.  In 2008, the University of St Andrews in Scotland conferred him with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of his major contribution to literature and to the practical exercise of conscience.

My briefest thoughts:  If you want to read the usual Swedish crime fiction, then you might be let down by picking up this book because this book is more of a political thriller encompassing Europe, China, Africa and the United States from the present dating back to the 19th century than the ubiquitous crime mystery that you would expect from one of the masters of crime writing.  I do not read a lot of Mankell, this probably being the second after a long sabbatical, but if the reviews are anything to go by, the Wallander series is the usual crime fiction fare but this book, in contrast, is unusual for the simple reason that colonialism in China and a lust for revenge is Mankell's target here.  I would especially welcome authors to write outside their comfort zone and in this case, Mankell has done a super job because after a tentative start on the book, the rest is engrossing, entertaining and enthralling.  Do read it.  Highly recommended.  Also, the translation is superbly done.

I like this review by Eurocrime - always spot-on - or you can read the review by The New York Times entitled Murder Most Global.

To know more about the author, go to his website or the Inspector-Wallander website for English speaking fans where you can find lots of interesting and updated information on his books and interests and of course about the "master of the Swedish crime thriller" himself.  You can like and leave comments on the Henning Mankell's Facebook page too.

Rating:  4/5

Little Face by Sophie Hannah

You would think that every mother would instinctively know her newborn even though all newborns seem to look alike. Well, when Alice Fancourt came home one day after a short trip out, she found the front door open and subsequently, a little stranger in her two-week-old baby's cot.  She was adamant that the baby in the cot was not her newborn.  Her husband, David, did not believe her and thought she had lost it.  All at once, it became a case of David's word against Alice's.  Needless to say, with her husband acting all weird and unsupportive, how can Alice make anyone believe her baby had been abducted?  More importantly, the question is, to what lengths would a mother go to save her child?

Everyone who is a mother will feel for Alice Fancourt and root for her because it is every mother's nightmare to lose a child.  I reckon this book is flesh-crawlingly gripping especially the scenes between David and Alice where "the latter seems to understand the former's pain better than the former will ever understand the latter's."  Hannah cannot be more accurate about portraying a dysfunctional family than the Fancourts and as the review by Scotsman read and I quote part of it, "...a terrifying mystery of manipulation, counter-manipulation and finally, astounding revelation..." Manipulation is certainly the key word to this story and it is cleverly written throughout.  Enjoy it if it is your cup of tea.

Little Face (published in 2006) was longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel Of The Year Award in 2007 and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 2008.  This is Hannah's first psychological crime novel and my first introduction to Hannah's writings.  She lives in Cambridge, UK, with her husband and two children.  Her latest book, Lasting Damage, was recently released in February 2011.  To find out more about Hannah and her other books including the first chapter of Little Face, do visit her official website.

Rating:  3/5