M. J. Lee

When I picked up M.J. Lee's The Christmas Carol, I knew I was guaranteed an enjoyable read. After all, I've been a fan of this series since the very first book (The Irish Inheritance). What I didn't expect was a mystery that's also perfect holiday reading.

Lee is a master at finding fascinating yet little-known nuggets of history that he can weave into his story, and incorporating Dickens and his inspiration for and writing of one of the most famous books in the world-- A Christmas Carol-- is show more a gold mine. As familiar as I am with the story, having both read it and watched many film adaptations, I knew very little about the story's roots in Manchester, England. As the story danced between Dickens in 1843 and Jayne Sinclair in the present day, I was almost mesmerized as the author was taken on a walking tour of Manchester. I felt like a little girl exclaiming over treasures-- That's his inspiration for Scrooge! There's Tiny Tim! There's Scrooge's long-lost love!

And watching Jayne try to identify the man to whom Dickens inscribed a copy of his book was just as special. The actual work she did to locate information was fascinating, and while she raced against the clock, she also found herself contemplating the path her life was taking, a perfect thing to do considering Dickens' story.

If you like a little mystery with your holiday reading, I've found the perfect choice: M.J. Lee's The Christmas Carol. No violence. No murders. No cheating spouses or corrupt policemen. Just a mystery and the thrill of the chase. While it will definitely put a smile on your face, don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the other books in this series. It's one of my favorites. show less

Since I am a long-time fan of M.J. Lee's Jayne Sinclair genealogical mysteries, I thought I'd give this new series a try. After all, I don't remember reading a mystery set in Chester, England before. I'm glad I picked up The Coffin in the Wall. It's a promising start to a new series that I will be keeping an eye on.

The City of Chester could be considered a character in the book, but the focus is on DI Emma Christie, the daughter of a legendary police officer who had a 100% success rate. show more Unfortunately, her father now has dementia and doesn't want to go into a nursing home. As a result, Emma has to deal with an elaborate caregiving schedule that leaves her precious little sleep at the best of times-- and this isn't one of those times.

Emma doesn't feel like she measures up to her father, and her boss's behavior doesn't help. (I wish there would be a few more caring superior officers in police procedurals. It would make a nice change.) She goes everywhere with a ledger in which she writes detailed notes of everything she sees and hears. Emma likes "bureaucratic work... It also meant she was across every inch of the investigation in case anyone asked." This detailed as-you-go narrative aids in her investigation several times, and it also saves her from some of the shark bites from the Powers That Be.

There are flashes of much-needed humor throughout The Coffin in the Wall, and I liked the characters surrounding Emma: John Simpson the civilian researcher, DC Harry Fairweather, and the pesky journalist who always seems to be underfoot. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, and here's hoping Emma will be able to get a bit more sleep. show less

I have found M.J. Lee's Jayne Sinclair series to be the perfect blend of history and mystery, with the added bonus being the fact that Jayne's life is very seldom ever in danger. (Sometimes I just don't want any blood and guts in the mystery I'm reading, thank you very much.)

Jayne is very close to her stepfather who moved to a nursing home when he was diagnosed with dementia. Once there, he met, fell in love with, and married another resident, and Jayne spends as much time with the pair as show more possible-- even planning this trip for all three of them to enjoy.

The Missing Father proves that it's never too late to learn about your ancestors, and Jayne takes readers through all the various methods to learn about your family history. Alice Taylor's case is a bit trickier since she was adopted and her name was changed but Jayne has many tricks up her sleeve and learns the truth. Finding out what happened to Alice's parents is more difficult, and I really began to wonder if Jayne was going to get the job done before the plane took off for Australia.

The Missing Father takes readers into the chaos of World War II and the fall of Singapore to the Japanese, and although Lee doesn't gloss over the facts or the horrors of war, he never goes over the top. (I do like it when authors let readers' imaginations fill in the blanks.) In one book after another, Lee has found fascinating little-known chapters of history to bring to life, and that's one of the many reasons why I enjoy this series so much.

If you like reading mysteries closer to the cozy end of the spectrum that also have a strong dash of history, consider reading M.J. Lee's Jayne Sinclair mysteries. Although it's better to read them in order, it's not absolutely necessary. Start anywhere, and don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the earlier books in the series. show less

Shanghai in the 1920s and the city is a melting pot of cultures and vices. The French control one sector and another sector is international - run mainly by the British, there are native Chinese and many Russians displaced by the Revolution. One such Russian is Inspector Danilov, a policeman who is successful but faces prejudice from the British officers, he is a lone wolf but places some trust in Strachan, a mixed race junior officer. One morning a half-naked young woman called Sally Chen show more is discovered bleeding and hysterically shouting Danilov's name, she later dies, then a body is discovered in the grounds of the exclusive Country Club and two more are discovered at a local monument. All had links to a previous case solved by Danilov, one in which he shot and presumably killed the perpetrator, but as the body count rises Danilov realises that the case was not solved and someone is out for revenge.

I had read the first in this series but not the second and I may have to go back to that book as I thoroughly enjoyed this outing for Danilov. As expressed before, I feel that the setting in Shanghai is unusual and very atmospheric, Shanghai in the 1920s was pre-Communist and quite a hedonistic place, this gives Lee a lot of scope with plot lines and also with a variety of scenarios to provide background and colour. Although this is at heart a police procedural it is a well-written one and the characters are interesting. show less