May Flowers--Phillip Kerr's March Violets

March Violets is the first book in Kerr's "Berlin Noir" trilogy featuring the detective Bernie Gunther.  the story takes place during the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the backdrop of the mystery is seething with anti-Semitism and the consolidation of Hitler's power. ("March violets" was a term used to describe late-comers to the Nazi Party.) If you're a fan of historical mysteries, you owe it to yourself to check out Kerr's books.

Attention Bookies--L.A. Times Festival of Books this weekend!

The annual festival takes place this weekend, April 20-21. As always, admission is free. And as always, "books are just the beginning."  This year the festival is located on the USC Campus. Writers and others who'll be attending/performing include Paul Anka, Margaret Atwood, Philip Kerr (The Berlin Noir trilogy), Elinor Lipman, and Eric Van Lustbader. See all the details here.