Familiar Territory

I just read two mysteries that were only average in quality, but they took place in northern California so I read them anyway. One was Lethal Vintage by Nadia Gordon, the latest in a Napa Valley/wine country series. The other was Arsenic and Old Paint by Hailey Lind, also the latest in a series, this one about art and forgery. It takes place in Oakland and San Francisco.

Both series are fun, if rather mindless, but I'm a loyal follower, especially of the second author (who is actually two authors, a team of sisters). The books are entertaining though admittedly shallow, but I enjoy their contemporary references to the Bay Area and their satirical take on the characters that one encounters here.

I love mysteries that give you a sense of place. A third series that I would recommend (I'm not sure I would recommend the previous two unless you live in the Bay Area or have time on your hands) is by Diana O'Hehir. Her books take place on the northern coast of California, in areas that closely resemble Bolinas or Point Reyes. The heroine and hero of the stories are Carla Day and her Egyptologist father who is suffering from Alzheimer's. At times these books seem more like science fiction or occult fantasies than they do mysteries, but I can assure you that O'Hehir is accurately describing the weird communities that you might find on the coast. And the Egyptologist father who has Alzheimer's is a wonderful character.

Diana O'Hehir is 82 years old so she has a different perspective on the disease than a younger person might. She writes about it with humor, love, and compassion. She is actually a poet who took up writing mysteries in her later years -- an inspiration to all of us oldsters.