The Literate Kitty

Two men, heading out separately for some ice-fishing in one of Wisconsin’s 15,000 lakes.   Neither will enjoy a frosty commune with nature, though... not this time.     In fact, only one will make it out of the forest alive ... leaving the other, savagely attacked, atop a deep mound of blood-soaked snow.   The police are quick to blame the survivor, who insists he’s innocent... and says he even caught a glimpse of the killer.    But his claim fall on deaf ears, once he describes what he saw... the small town of Rhinelander’s beloved mascot, the hodag—a mythological creature, sort of an ox-pig-lizard-dragon hybrid—scrambling  away from the scene of the crime.   Thus begins Annelise Ryan’s latest mystery,  Beast of the North Woods .     Door County, Wisconsin is well-known for many things—gorgeous lake views, outdoor recreation, and a plethora of art galleries, among them. But to a smaller group of folks, it’s also home to the unusual...

A popular true-crime podcaster—with secrets of her own—who focuses on unsolved crimes.   A confused, late-20s woman—recovering from a terrible accident, and grieving a pair of losses—whom the podcaster approaches about the latest story she wants to share with her eager subscribers.   An angry father, who doesn’t really understand his daughter—her choices, who she is—but is dead-set against her participation in the podcast, knowing what it will do to their family.   A grandfather—now dead—forced to leave his beloved hometown in Iceland some forty years ago and relocate to far-off California with his young son, following the tragic deaths of his wife and infant daughter.   And the small Icelandic town—Bifröst—where the tragedy still, somehow, feels fresh.    And... where another horrible event may even now be taking place.   The stage is set for Melissa Larsen’s latest mystery/suspense,  The Lost House .     When a little boy found the bod...

Widespread grumblings over religion. Questions about royal succession. And a general air of growing discontent.   Conditions were rife for an uprising... had it been anything other than the woefully ill-conceived “attack” by a paltry handful of pitchfork-wielding farmers against an army of well-armed military troops.   As for the aftermath of such folly... well, heads—and more,  so much more —were bound to roll.   But there’s always someone, on the periphery of a rebellion, seeking more peaceful solutions. Or, at the very least, trying to do serious damage control, after the fact... as in Minette Walters’ latest historical novel,  The Players .     King James II found himself already at a disadvantage, on ascending to the throne. He’d inherited the crown from his well-liked brother, Charles II, who’d been the answer to everyone’s prayers, following Oliver Cromwell’s unpopular (and Puritanical) turn as non-royal leader.    But when Charles II ...