228. & 229. Poison Study & Arson and Old Lace
Poison Study by Maria V Snyder - yes, I know, another first-in-series. I admit it, I can't help myself!
Our protagonist is Yelena, who has just literally been dragged from the dungeon where she has been held following the murder she committed and given an ultimatum: she can either be hanged, or choose to become the food taster for the Commander, head of the group of generals who have taken over the country where Yelena grew up. Obviously, she chooses the latter option, otherwise this would be a very short book.
The thing about Poison Study is that it starts quite promisingly, but as time goes on and Yelena proves herself not only adept in learning about poisons, but also a quick study in self-defence, the MarySue-ness of her nature starts to protrude into the story. It's not long before it's apparent to everyone except Yelena herself (who also has the requisite Tragic Past to fall back on when it comes to excusing the fact she's a murderer) that everyone is pretty much smitten with her to a greater or lesser degree.
This is particularly obvious where Valek, the Commander's somewhat psychopathic head of security, is concerned and it's that whole sub-plot which eventually leads me to wonder whether I can be bothered to continue the series (which continues with Magic Study). Valek is a self-avowed multiple murderer, though he also has a Tragic Past to try and give him reasons for some of it, and also an extremely manipulative s-o-b and yet the message is that Love Conquers All Psychological Defects, which is always a bit worrying to come across.
Arson and Old Lace by Patricia Harwin - I'm still puzzled as to why so many American writers get so completely enthralled by small English villages and desperately want to write stories set in them. This is the first book of another series (though only two books so far) of those and, as these particular books go, not too riddled with issues except in some of the dialogue of the supposed locals.
Catherine Penny has decided that the last thing she wants to do is be away from her daughter, now living in Oxford, so she moves across the Atlantic and buys a cottage in a small Cotswold village. The night she moves in, her neighbour's cottage catches fire and it's all Catherine can do to cope with the cantankerous elderly inhabitant, who seems to have mistaken her for someone else.
There are, of course, more murders per volume in these series than real Cotswold villages ever see but all in all it's not too bad - at least the author seems to have picked up some idea of how English works (knowing what a dustbin is, for example). The next book is Slaying is Such Sweet Sorrow.
