OK, so socks are a practical Christ-mas present, but books are truly the best gift of all. Here are some new publications by local authors that would make perfect gifts.
The Beacon and Other Mystery Stories is the third collection of whodunits by Coast author Elizabeth Elwood and, in my opinion, her best so far.
Elwood enjoys her summers in Pen-der Harbour and often incorporates local settings into her books, making them attractive to Coast readers. And the biggest draw is reading about the interesting and complex characters to be found in the Beary family.
Father Bertram Beary is a charming, scotch-swilling councillor with an officious wife, Edwina. Son Richard is a police detective which comes in handy for the amazing number of mysteries that this family stumbles across while daughter Philippa sings opera and has an acute eye for observation. Her character probably comes the closest to Elwood's own background as a former opera singer and performer. Elwood spends the winter season in Vancouver presenting elaborately staged puppet shows along with husband Hugh.
The title story, The Beacon, is set in the area around Indian Arm whose dark waters are illuminated by a warning buoy. In this case, it warns of murder. Among the nine short stories, The Devil May Care has Philippa at her investigative best trying to prove her own innocence to the police. Fans of Elwood's previous books, To Catch an Actress and A Black Tie Affair will be happy to know Philippa is moving on in her love life and will soon have a surprising new beau.
Elwood's story style is a sub-genre of mysteries: the cozy English style puzzler that is a tad old-fashioned and still very much loved by readers of Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. There's no gory description or flashy forensics here just tales well told.
The Beacon is available for $20 at the Woods store in Gibsons and can be ordered through Elwood's website at www.elihuentertainment.com.
Life Leaves Stains is a great title almost a poem in itself. It describes a slim book of poetry by Sechelt writer Shelley Harrison Rae.
The book includes photographic examples of the stains we all must bear the ink that smudges on the lined paper, the cup ring on the tablecloth. The images are in black and white, while the poems often use colour in their imagery. The title poem invokes a description of bright red ketchup and blue lips to suggest to the reader a more serious subject: abuse. Most of the poems are lean and intimate, wry observations on a world of lust, love, assault and heartache.
"If you still want to kiss me, my licked lips will taste bitter" she writes in Leftovers. These poems seem innocuous, but carry a sting.
Rae has also published short stories, personal essays, magazine and newspaper articles. She currently co-ordinates the Ice Gate performance project and is a director for the Coast Cultural Alliance. Life Leaves Stains is available for $15 at Talewind Books in Sechelt and Shanti Gifts in Wilson Creek. Read more on her website at www.wordlinklounge.ca.
I am in awe of the wizardry of Sechelt writer Andrew Scott who launched The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names (Harbour Publishing) this fall. It took him three years to compile the 4,000 entries in this book, a daunting task that might take mere mortals three times that long. Moreover, according to a foreword by publisher Howard White, Scott enjoyed the process. His enjoyment shows. This comprehensive guide to coastal B.C. locations blends history, geography, folklore and colour photos in a very readable reference book.
It is most valuable to boaters since they see more of the coast than others, but it's a good read for anyone interested in history and local legend. Did you know, for example, that at Mermaid Bay, mariners have traditionally carved the names of their boats on signs which they hung in the trees? And if you have family roots in B.C. you might want to flip to the alphabetical entry and see if you have a cove or an island named after an ancestor. It is surprising how many uninhabited rocks were named after early navigators.
Scott's last book was also an exploration of the B.C. coast, Secret Coastline II, a collection of essays drawn from his kayaking experiences.
The hardcover Raincoast Place Names is available for $49.95 wherever Harbour books are sold.
