Sweet Little Parlour Mysteries

I love Arturo Perez-Reverte. This fabulous Spaniard writes sweet little parlour mysteries for smarties. Literary entertainment for thinkers. I've got about six of his lush, Euro-centric novels on my bookshelf. He is probably best known for The Club Dumas, which was turned into a wonderful movie starring everyone's favorite actor, Johnny Depp. Dial-up The Ninth Gate from your movie provider and you'll be hooked. Perez-Reverte writes very well researched stories, replete with historic fact, literary references and a level of detail that gives his readers more than expected -without overburdening his prose or cluttering his plots. His characters are indelible, and very earthy. Aging Gypsy divas with spit curls; villains so despicable one can just imagine the tips of their mustaches curling up in ugly sneers; quirky sidekicks and a cast of colorful extras populate his work. And always strong women. Either as protagonists or antagonists.

If you enjoy art, read The Flanders Panel first. The resourceful protagonist in this story artfully restores the work of Flemish masters in her studio next to the Prado Museum. If you are intrigued by fencing and the fine art of the epee, then read The Fencing Master first. You'll meet a very beautiful, but dangerous, woman and learn the secret of the "unstoppable thrust" in a dying world of honor and chivalry. In The Seville Communion, an ancient church is a major character in a convoluted plot involving computer viruses and detective priests. The Queen of the South follows a resourceful drug cartel queen through adventures in Mexico, Spain and Morocco. For lovers of the sea and Explorer's Club sorts, there's The Nautical Chart which unveils a mystery surrounding an ancient and rare sea pilot's chart that is purchased at auction.

Memorable characters, including a lot of strong women; historic settings; engaging plots; and, lush, colorful prose. These titles are all good reads. That said, I know a lot of Perez-Reverte fans and all have at least one book that leaves them less than satisfied. Personally, I attribute that reaction to the fact that the author produces such consistently high-quality and enjoyable work - I'm talking four- and five-stars, that the occasional three-stars one might apply to a single book reflects a statistical regression to the mean. Hey, Johnny Depp starred in one of his elaborate tales. Nuff said.

World Fusion Bookshelf

Receding borders, political realignments, conflict-driven migration and economic necessity have driven large populations and diverse cultures across the globe. As a result, voices from the diaspora are finding their way into mainstream literature.

Non-resident Indians writing in English comprise a growing source of cultural-fusion fiction. Harvard physician, Sanjay Nigam's novel, The Snake Charmer, is a good example. Pulitzer Prize winning Jhumpa Lahiri's offerings: Interpreter of Maladies and Namesake are much celebrated in book club circles. Foothill College professor, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has contributed the Mistress of Spices to the mix.

Vietnamese Americans are also adding to the bookshelf. The Tapestries by New York dentist, Kien Nguyen, is a lush and vivid a tale of mystery and inter-generational betrayal in imperial Viet Nam. A wonderful read.

The conflict in Afghanistan is responsible for driving the family of Khaled Hosseini to California. His first novel about life in his homeland, The Kite Runner, provides readers a rare and intimate perspective on life in that war-torn hotspot.

The children of immigrants are contributing cross-cultural stories of assimilation and conflict. Amy Tan is well known. Kim Wong Keltner's Dim Sum of all Things is another novel with the Chinese-American Zeitgeist that can only be found in San Francisco. And of course, there are many more. Too many to list in a single post.

Just like some of the freshest, most creative cinema is coming from third-world indie producers; and some of the most original and melodic music can be found in the worldbeat category; the world fusion bookshelf is producing some remarkable works by unexpected talents. A good thing for those with discriminating tastes.