Hellhound on His Trail

Hellhound on His Trail: The Electrifying Account of the Largest Manhunt in American History, by Hampton Sides; Anchor, 2011

Reviewed by Kathie Meyer

The title does not lie. Hellhound on His Trail is electrifying. This meticulously researched book puts you right there in the couple of months leading up to, the exact moment of, and the months after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1968 assassination in Memphis. The American people have never known the complete story of James Earl Ray until now. Author Hampton Sides also addresses the likelihood of the conspiracy theory. Once started, this incredible book, which is on several "best book" lists for 2011, is hard to put down.

If you like food (who doesn't?), then the authorized biography Alice Waters and Chez Panisse by Thomas McNamee will be of interest. Here's the story of how the fresh, local food movement got its start in Berkeley, Calif. in 1971 and spread throughout America. Alice Waters and her cast of characters make for a very "dish-y" read. Most restaurant owners would have given up a long time ago; the fact that Chez Panisse is still going strong is amazing. If you'd rather grow and cook your own food instead of eat out, then try Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail. Trail has a lot of ideas for the urban, apartment gardener, and the book is loaded with beautiful photographs. A few recipes are included.

The Jewel of St. Petersburg

The Jewel of St. Petersburg, by Kate Furnivall; Berkely Trade, 2010

Reviewed by Skye Raynor

Set in 1910 Russia, The Jewel of St. Petersburg highlights the struggles of the poor, the tsars, and the Bolsheviks. Rich in history, this book follows a love triangle among Valentina, Jens, and a rich Russian army captain. With the tsar and the duma at each other's throats, and the Bolsheviks drawing their battle lines, the elegance and opulence of tsarist rule are in their last days. This book is a prequel to Furnivall's debut novel, The Russian Concubine. Library Journal called it "gripping, elegant, and fierce."


The Hotel Rivieria, by Elizabeth Adler, is set in the south of France with the co-owner of the hotel, Lola Laforet, at its center. Her husband goes missing, and other people show up insisting they have claim to the hotel. With interesting characters, this is a fun vacation read. In Guy Pearce Jones's book Two Survived: The Timeless WWII Epic of Seventy Days at Sea in an Open Boat, the unforgettable true story of a ship torpedoed by the Nazis and the seven men who get away in a small lifeboat with very few supplies is told.