Mutt Cafe

The Killing Time by M J Lee Canelo Historical Fiction , Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 23 Apr 2018 Review The Killing Time is a dark, disturbing mystery set against the turbulent backdrop of 1930s Shanghai, a city divided by race and nation, teetering on the brink of open conflict. Inspector Danilov, haunted by his son’s death and alienated from his wife, focuses on his job to keep the ghosts at bay. His newest case is deeply troubling. Children are being kidnapped and mur

Fires & Murmur by Lorenzo Mattotti, Jerry Kramsky Dover Publications Comics & Graphic Novels Pub Date 15 Feb 2017 Review Absolutely gorgeous. Fires and Murmur is expressionist art in the form of a surreal graphic novel. The paired stories are tantalizing, if disturbing, dreams that stir the imagination and linger in memory. Reading was like gazing at a piece of art. I found myself pausing, repeatedly looking back and thinking about what I’ve seen. Fire and Murmur is b

The Cleaner by Elisabeth Herrmann Bonnier Zaffre Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult) Pub Date 24 Mar 2017 Review The Cleaner is a one of a kind blend of mystery and espionage. It is all the more enticing because the lead is an individual without special skills, technology or backup. Judith is a cleaner, but she is smart, persistent and determined. A series of coincidences lead Judith Kepler, a crime scene cleaner, to discover that what she has been told about he

Vibrant India Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn by Chitra Agrawal Ten Speed Press Cooking, Food & Wine Pub Date 21 Mar 2017 Review I love Indian food, but like many I find this rich and complex cuisine daunting. Vibrant India makes Indian vegetarian more approachable for the novice and provides a rich assortment of recipes that even experienced chefs will treasure. Normally, I skip the beginning and jump straight to the recipes. Do not do that with Vibrant

The Private Face of Murder by John Bonett Endeavour Press Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult) Pub Date 27 Jan 2017 Review Linda Huntingdon is beautiful, vapid and extremely bored - but she isn’t smart enough to target someone other than her neighbor’s husband. Her death appears to be an accident, but aspects are suspicious, and alcoholic former actor Aubrey de Lamplugh sees an opportunity to profit. He dies not long after, crushed in a landslide which definitely l

The Executioner Weeps Frédéric Dard, David Coward Pushkin Vertigo/Random House Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: April 4, 2017 Review I know of no author whose novels epitomize the psychological thrillers popularized by Alfred Hitchcock more than Frederic Dard. Each time I pick up one of his books I know to expect the unexpected. He has a way of capturing the human psyche and taking advantage of its weaknesses allowing emotion and circumstance to trap individuals into becoming

Breaking Breads A New World of Israeli Baking--Flatbreads, Stuffed Breads, Challahs, Cookies, and the Legendary Chocolate Babka by Uri Scheft Artisan Books Artisan Cooking, Food & Wine Pub Date 18 Oct 2016 Review Variety is the spice of life and is an essential ingredient for a good cookbook, particularly one that focuses on baking. Breaking Breads definitely offers a large variety of recipes from sweet to savory. I particularly liked the sesame tahini cookies and the chees

Invisible Planets Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation By Ken Liu Macmillan Tor-Forge Science Fiction & Fantasy Pub Date 01 November 2016 Review Invisible Planets is an incredible collection of science fiction stories from mainland China. Each of the stories is a gem, multifaceted, beautiful and utterly unique. What you perceive depends on the angle from which you look at it. So many wondrous places and amazing characters. What all of the stories have in co

The Winterlings Cristina Sánchez-Andrade, Samuel Rutter Restless Books (Simon & Schuster) Pub Date: November 1, 2016 Fiction / Gothic Review The Winterlings flows smoothly, more like poetry than prose. It isn't a gothic in the traditional sense, but like in gothics women and the conception of femininity play a central role. This is a novel that will definitely appeal more to an academic audience than the general public. The story centers around two sisters who return to the

Classic German Baking The Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites, from Pfeffernüsse to Streuselkuchen by Luisa Weiss Ten Speed Press Cooking, Food & Wine Pub Date 18 Oct 2016 Review My husband's family is German and have definite opinions on how baked goods should taste. When the opportunity arose to review Classic German Baking, I jumped at the chance to try the recipes with hopes of surprising my in-laws. The first recipe I tried was the almond crescent with edges dip