Anthem For Doomed Youth & Lavender Lemonade

Kerry Hammond is here today to pair a historical mystery with the perfect drink.

Anthem For Doomed Youth is the 19^th book in the Daisy Dalrymple series by author Carola Dunn. Dunn has just finished the 23^rd book, which is due out this year, and I've always enjoyed this historical series. Daisy was born into a certain social position but has never been interested in an idle life. She works as a freelance writer and is married to a Scotland Yard Detective whose superiors are constantly bewildered at her involvement in her husband’s cases.

In this adventure, it’s 1926 and Daisy’s husband, DCI Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, is away investigating three bodies found buried in the woods. In his absence, Daisy heads to their daughter Belinda’s school for a visit. Just when you think Daisy is staying away from all police investigations, a dead body is found on campus and she is put in the middle of solving her own murder. While Daisy tries to figure out who at the school might want the victim dead, Alex is racing against time to stop more deaths from happening.

Lavender Lemonade is a great drink to go with this book, Daisy and the friends she visited the school with were always quite parched as they chased the girls around and spent time sleuthing.

Lavender Lemonade

4 oz. Lemonade (best if made from fresh squeezed lemons mixed with simple syrup)

1 oz. Lee Spirits Lavender Gin

A dash of Strongwater small batch spirits and botanicals

Pour all ingredients over ice in a glass and gentle stir.

Lake of Fire and El Diablo

Our Drinks with Reads today is Lake of Fire by Colorado author Mark Stevens.a Kerry Hammond has paired his book with the perfect drink.

Lake of Fire by Mark Stevens is the fourth book in the Allison Coil mystery series by author Mark Stevens. The book was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in 2015 and that’s when it came onto my radar; I’ve wanted to read it ever since.

In the story, a wildfire is burning through Colorado and destroying the precious land that Allison Coil treasures. A body is found at the epicenter of the fire, along with evidence that the blaze was started intentionally. The person who finds this evidence, however, does not want to report it to the authorities for fear of being apprehended. He finds Allison and shows her the skeleton, asking her to report it to the police.

What follows is an investigation into the suspicious death that coincides with an arson investigation. Allison and her friend Trudy are caught up in the inquiry when it becomes clear that the dead man is someone they both knew and liked. Duncan Bloom, Trudy’s boyfriend and reporter, helps them search for a reason for the murder. Their search brings them in contact with some scary, anti-government extremists who are on a mission to destroy more than the Colorado wilderness.

Stevens is a wonderful storyteller and Lake of Fire is a great mystery. I loved all of the characters but really admired Allison. She’s a strong female protagonist and an interesting and complicated character. I found the descriptions to be so accurate that I could almost feel the heat of the fire that was devastating the land. It was easy to get caught up in the story and hard to put the book down. This is a great series and I plan to go back and start at the beginning with book one.

The drink I chose to pair with the book had to contain tequila because Allison is a big tequila drinker. I liked the drink name because it conjured up thoughts of the devil and hell. I imagine being in the heart of the wildfire would feel as hot as hell. Luckily the drink will provide a cool and refreshing contrast to that.

El Diablo

1 ½ oz. Tequila

½ oz. Raspberry Liquor

½ oz. Lime Juice

Ginger Beer

Shake tequila, raspberry liquor and lime juice in a shaker full of ice. Strain into a glass fill with crushed ice and top with as much Ginger Beer as you like.

Eyes on You and the Stiletto Stalkertini

Lorraine Masonheimer, Crime & Beyond Book Club Member and crafter extraordiaire (you have to check out her baseball hat NCIS cake), is here to tell us about a Kate White book she paired with a tasty martini.

Someone is out to hurt Robin Trainer, a New York TV host and bestselling author, in Kate White’s stand-alone psychological thriller Eyes on You. She realizes she needs to find out who it is before it’s too late. Recently divorced and unemployed, Robin’s career is on the upswing as a co-anchor for the successful cable network talk show “The Pulse.” The chemistry between her and her co-anchor, Carter Brooks, is palpable, but Robin is focused on her career and she is now the target of an unknown adversary bent on ruining her life.

While at her glitzy book launch party, Robin finds a threatening note in her purse. Shortly after, she stumbles over a pile of her novels with a slash through her face.  As the creepy events escalate, Robin realizes her stalker is someone who knows her well. She combs through her work associates, friends and love interests for clues. Not knowing who to trust, she scrambles to find out who is doing this to her before her career is over or she ends up dead.

Set in the well-heeled world of New York media with glittering views, elegant parties and savvy political games, the story unfolds through Robin’s eyes. We learn of Robin’s traumatic childhood and its impact on her ability to deal with an unknown enemy. As a result, Robin is highly susceptible to gaslighting and begins questioning herself and losing her confidence.

I zipped through this book enjoying the twisty roller-coaster ride of plot points and suspects. The pace was tense and I was left guessing until the end when the enemy’s identity was revealed. The characters were fairly well developed and the red herrings plausible. A nice, sophisticated light read with a little romance on the side. I envisioned Robin slipping through a doorway beneath an elegant awning on a hot day to sip on a signature martini, soothing her frazzled nerves. I loved this book.

I also love martinis and I immediately thought to pair the book with a vodka martini called the Stiletto Stalkertini. It is simple, flirty and elegant—not unlike the little black dress. Both have New York flair and style reminiscent of Robin herself.

This head-turner of a drink is a soothing classy companion to Eyes on You. The ingredients are key to the drink. In the novel, with her bestselling book and highly rated TV show, Robin is labeled a double media threat and Dorda is a double chocolate threat. Dorda is made with real, melted chocolate and has just enough vodka to keep it liquid. Coole Swan imparts a very light creamy texture that is refreshing, not cloying. This drink is well balanced, not too sweet or creamy. It’s well worth finding the lesser well-known ingredients because the flavor is as explosive and the book’s ending. When I serve this drink to friends, I always hear “Wow” or Oh my god!”

Stiletto Stalkertini
2 oz Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur
2 oz Dorda Double Chocolate Vodka Liqueur
3-4 shakes of shaved white chocolate
chocolate syrup

1 napkin to wipe the grin off your face 

(Source: Dorda/Chopin Distillery)

Lightly drizzle chocolate syrup into the glass. Combine the liqueurs in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to chill. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with white chocolate shavings.  

No matter what, DON’T serve it with brownies (an inside joke that you will understand once you’ve read the book). Try a bowl of smoky, salty almonds instead. As the book fades into a distant memory, serve this drink in your little black dress at your next “uptown” party. Give me a call, I’ll grab my glass and be right over!

The New York Champagne Cocktail and THE CORPSE WITH THE RUBY LIPS

Cathy Ace is here to match her latest book - The Corpse with the Ruby Lips - to the perfect drink. Cathy has the distinction of being our most frequent Drinks with Reads contributor. You can find links to all of her posts at the bottom of the blog. 

First, a bit about the book: in THE CORPSE WITH THE RUBY LIPS, Cait Morgan is teaching a semester of courses in criminal psychology at the Hungarian University of Budapest. Without her beloved husband, Bud, at her side (he’s in Canada helping his mom recuperate from hip surgery) she finds herself feeling isolated and lonely. Bud discovers he’s ill-suited to nursing duties, and is bored to tears. 

Thus, with the aim of giving her husband something to keep his mind occupied, Cait takes up the challenge presented to her by a Hungarian student, Zsófia Takacs, to look into a cold case from the 1970s.  Zsófia’s grandmother was murdered on Cait’s own campus back in Canada but no one was ever arrested, and Cait is intrigued. Bud’s onboard in a heartbeat, and enjoys discussing the case with old colleagues from his time with the RCMP, but he’s warned off by some well-connected folks who “work for the Canadian government”.

As Cait becomes tangled in the web of denial, deceit and distrust being spun by Zsófia’s bizarre family, she wonders if she’s becoming paranoid…or is she really being followed as she visits some of Budapest’s iconic landmarks? Maybe it’s too much rich food. Maybe it’s the unwanted attention of a colleague at the university who smiles just a little too much. Or is it just the atmosphere created by zither music and gypsy violins? Whatever is causing her unease, Cait tries to ignore the signs she’s in more danger than ever before, until...

And now the drink: to pair with this tale of a cold case possibly linked to the Cold War set in a fascinating city with a troubled past, try the signature cocktail from one of the places Cait dines in Budapest, and where  Zsófia invites her to look into her grandmother’s death – the world-renowned New York Café. Built at the height of the Austro-Hungarian Empire it’s an awe-inspiring building where the chefs now lead the way in modern interpretations of traditional Hungarian cuisine. 

The mango syrup in this cocktail offsets the sour Campari, giving the drink a unique, complex flavor. An intriguing cocktail from a complicated city – totally delicious, and absolutely suited to this book. 

The New York Champagne Cocktail 

Ingredients: 

Campari, mangó szirup, pezsgő 

Campari, mango syrup (not mango puree), champagne

Add 1oz of chilled Campari, ½ ounce of chilled mango syrup to a chilled champagne glass, top up with chilled champagne. Works well as an aperitif, or with fruit (especially strawberries). 

Egészségedre! 

(That’s Cheers! in Hungarian, and is pronounced “eggy sheggy drey”.)

THE CORPSE WITH THE RUBY LIPS is the eighth Cait Morgan Mystery by Cathy Ace. You can connect with Cathy in the following ways:

Web: http://cathyace.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cathy-Ace-Author-318388861616661/

Twitter: @AceCathy

Here are links to all of Cathy's Drinks with Reads posts:

The Corpse with the Emerald Thumb and Lime Margaritas

The Corpse with the Diamond Hand and Mai Tais

The Corpse with the Garnet Face and The Holland Gin Cocktail 

The Corpse with the Sapphire Eyes and the Gin and Tonic

The Corpse with the Platinum Hair and the Tsar!Tini

The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer and the Dewi Sant

The Case of the Dotty Dowager and "Tipples"

The Vieux Carre with Blowhards on the Bayou

Blood on the Bayou is the 2016 Bouchercon Anthology, edited by Greg Herren and chock full of short stories by authors like David Morrell, Edith Maxwell and Eric Beetner. Mystery Playground's Deborah Lacy's story is included in this wonderful book and we're highlighting it here today.

Blowhards on the Bayou by Deborah Lacy takes you front and center, riding on a Mardi Gras float. Unfortunately, you have to ride with Simone Deplanter, who "was the kind of woman that men loved, and women hated." All of the women on the float have a reason to hate Simone. Find out what happens when a murder occurs in the middle of Mardi Gras, with four suspects and no evidence.

We've paired this story with a Vieux Carre, a New Orleans favorite named for the French Quarter.

Ingredients:
3/4 oz. Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz. Cognac
1 tsp. Benedictine
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Dash of Peychaud's Bitters
Lemon for Garnish

Instructions:
Place all ingredients (except lemon) in mixing glass and fill halfway with ice. Using a barspoon, stir for 30 seconds until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, rub a lemon twist around the rim of the glass and then drop it in the drink.