Recent reads

MacPherson's Lament, by Sharyn McCrumb. A lightweight but enjoyable outing from the author of the Elizabeth MacPherson Mysteries. In this outing, Elizabeth's haplessly naive brother, Bill, is the center of attention as he opens a fledging law practice in the small town of Danville, Virginia. His partner, the ferociously competent Amy P. Hill, prefers to go by the initials which shares with her ancestor, Confederate general A.P. Hill. This is partly because it distracts clients from the fact that she's cuter and blonder than successful lawyers in that part of the country are expected to be. While she tangles with officious park rangers who see fit to try to prevent her from participating in historical battle re-enactments, Bill takes on the apparently simple task of helping a bunch of charming old ladies sell the Home for Confederate Women, a pre-war mansion once owned by an official in the Confederate government. Meanwhile, the MacPherson parents have suddenly and inexplicably announced that they're going their separate ways. Complications ensue on all fronts.