The Dark Maestro

This is Brendan Slocumb's "impressive third thriller" (Publishers Weekly). Here is the plot summary from Library Journal:

"Slocumb's (Symphony of Secrets) new novel, a musical literary thriller, illustrates the shady side of a life of crime but also the beauty of the strings in the symphony. Curtis Wilson is a child prodigy on the cello who received his instrument through a free school program. His father, Zippy, is a low-level drug dealer in Washington, DC, who doesn't have much time for his son. But Zippy's girlfriend Larissa sees and encourages Curtis's musical potential while gifting him the comic books he devours. While, Zippy's boss moves Zippy into a higher but sketchier business position, Curtis earns a spot at Julliard and is becoming known nationwide as a star cellist. Then his father turns state's evidence and the family is moved into witness protection, putting a hold on Curtis's skyrocketing musical career. The family comes together, however, while in hiding to create an online comic book called The Dark Maestro and to pick up where the FBI has left off on a quest for justice. VERDICT The twists of the story keep coming, and the thread of superhero comics and the Dark Maestro bring readers along on a journey that comic book fans will appreciate." 

Publishers Weekly concludes their favorable review by saying, "Slocumb effectively incorporates issues of class and race into the well-paced story, for example by prompting readers to wonder if Curtis would have to go so deep undercover if he were white instead of one of the few elite Black cellists. Though the narrative requires more than a little suspension of disbelief, it’s worth sticking around for the nerve-jangling climax. This is as stimulating as a well-played sonata."  Similarly, Kirkus offers thiese favorable closing comments: "This is an intricately plotted novel, paced perfectly by Slocumb, who keeps the book moving at a breakneck speed—but not at the expense of his beautifully drawn characters. Curtis, shy and sweet, is especially memorable; Slocumb paints a beautiful picture of the young man’s internal life. The final act of the book strains credulity, but who cares when you’re having so much fun? This novel should catapult Slocumb into the upper echelon of thriller authors. A virtuosic thriller."

Fever Beach

What to say about Carl Hiaasen's new book? It is the very definition of schadenfreude -- taking pleasure in the suffering of others. And we get to indulge this as Dale Figgo, ardent white supremacist, and his merry --and usually drunk or high-- band of brothers take a drubbing from the weather, a group of transgender performers, and wealthy eco-warrior Twilly Spree. Additional cast members are described by Booklist : "Dale Figgo, a right-wing nutcase who was too crazy for the Proud Boys; Viva Morales, who's renting a room from Dale, and whose bosses, a pair of alleged philanthropists [the Minks], are almost certainly up to no good; an ambitious and deeply corrupt congressman [Clure Boyette, "an apparent caricature of Matt Gaetz, though somewhat tame by comparison" according to the NYT]; Dale's mom, who isn't thrilled about what her son is doing with his life; and a bunch of other delightfully weird characters." They go on to close their review: "There is a serious story to be told about right-wing conspiracists, corrupt politicians, and shady philanthropists, and Hiaasen is sort of telling that story, but mostly he's making us laugh... This could be his funniest book yet."  Boyette plans to use the grant money received from the Minks to fund Figgo's group in a voter intimidation scheme, hiding this behind the public face of a home building scheme using child workers. The New York Times notes that Florida beat Hiaasen to the punch  as "the satire arrives pre-obsolesced by a reality even stupider and more depraved than the author dared imagine: The Florida Legislature recently considered a bill to legalize child labor to replace the holes in the work force left by waves of deportation." was somewhat more measured in their review, saying the book is "both feverish and beachy: a bottomless margarita...'Fever Beach' becomes finally a test of the reader’s own appetite for sanctimony and schadenfreude. As with the bottomless margarita, you’ll have to decide for yourself when enough is enough." Kirkus values what the book has to offer: "The perfect antidote for anyone who doomscrolls daily headlines: more crazed, rollicking, sharply written sendups like this." And Publishers Weekly concurs, "This funhouse-mirror satire offers welcome opportunities to laugh at the absurdities of 21st-century politics. It’s Hiaasen at his finest."

 

Wild Dark Shore

In this speculative climate fiction by Charlotte McConaghy, the story takes place on the sub-Antarctic island of Shearwater, home to the world' largest seed storage vault. Modeled on the actual island of Macquarie Island, located halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica, which does have a similar research station but no light house. The Salt family--father Dom, oldest son Raff, daughter Fen and youngest son Orly--are the caretakers of the island and have been ordered to prepare for evacuation as increasingly violent storms and rising sea levels are rapidly eroding the shoreline and taking the research facilities with them. During the worst storm they have ever experienced, they find a woman, Rowan, washed ashore and barely alive. As she is nursed back to health and becomes more integrated into the routine life of the family and the island, she forever alters the family dynamics. But everyone in this story is keeping secrets, secrets that may tear apart their newfound sense of hope. We don't get all the answers until the very end of the book. A predictable romance arises between widower Dominic and Rowan, but the ending is a surprise. The book is filled with delightful bits of obscure knowledge about plants and animals compliments of avidly curious Orly, and each member of the cast contributes their own viewpoints and experience in dedicated chapters. 

Library Journal closes their review with "As lush as it is taut with tension, this novel is filled with both the joys and ravages of nature." Publishers Weekly offers this: "McConaghy ratchets up the tension as the characters' paranoia and mutual suspicion increases and their motives are revealed,...McConaghy blends entertainment with a sobering message about conservation and the impacts of geographic isolation. Readers of climate fiction ought to check this out." The New York Times focuses on this observation: "In 'Wild Dark Shore,' we’re shown why a person might withdraw from the messiness of life after tragedy and trauma...The novel also offers its injured characters a path back to connection and community, a risk McConaghy argues must be worth taking, no matter how fraught the future, no matter how temporary the family. As Rowan reflects later in the novel: 'What is the use of safety if it deprives you of everything else?'" Kirkus opens their laudatory review with this, "The reality of climate change serves as the pervasive context for this terrific thriller..." and concludes by noting "While McConaghy keeps readers guessing which suspicions are valid, which are paranoia, and who is culpable for doing what in the face of calamity, the most critical battle turns out to be personal despair versus perseverance. McConaghy writes about both nature and human frailty with eloquent generosity. Readers won’t want to leave behind the imagined world of pain and beauty that McConaghy has conjured."

The Nowhere Man

This second installment in the "Orphan X" series by Greg Hurwitz turns the tables on our hero who becomes the victim rather than the rescuer in this episode. A very wealthy man with endless resources kidnaps Evan and demands access to the millions he has stashed away in a secure bank account. Meanwhile the calls for help from Evan impose an inexorable deadline on making his escape from the seemingly airtight and luxurious prison where he is being held. 

Library Journal concludes their short review by saying, "Though the loner-on-a-quest story line isn't new to thrillers, Hurwitz excels at writing smart characters and plots. His latest continues his track record. Fans of Jack Reacher will love Evan Smoak, a man who will do anything to aid the innocent..." Booklist gives this "brilliant sequel" a starred review and gushes with this praise: "Though the loner-on-a-quest story line isn't new to thrillers, Hurwitz excels at writing smart characters and plots. His latest continues his track record. Fans of Jack Reacher will love Evan Smoak, a man who will do anything to aid the innocent..."  Publishers Weekly also recommends this book, closing with these words: "Despite meticulous efforts to maintain his cover, Evan faces many enemies who wish him grievous harm. One of them is Charles Van Sciver, the most brutal of the Orphans, who’s now running the program and is on a mission to hunt down former members of the organization. Evan’s efforts to elude Van Sciver and company will keep readers on the edge of their seats, but it’s Hurwitz’s engaging, sympathetic characters who place this thriller above the pack."

The Mystery of the Crooked Man

This mystery by Tom Spencer (pseudonym for Tom Perrin) starts out slow but eventually pulls you into the twisty plot. The main character is a bit of an anti-hero and the ending is a surprise. Here is Publishers Weekly's review in full: 

"Spencer... serves up an affectionate homage to Agatha Christie that seamlessly blends satire and fair-play mystery. Crotchety archivist Agatha Dorn is an expert on Gladden Green, author of a bestselling mystery series featuring the Poirot-like Père Flambeau. After she's passed over for a promotion, Dorn discovers the manuscript of an unpublished Flambeau novella by Green. She convinces Green's publisher to let her write an introduction to the text, which she insists she's vetted, and quickly becomes a literary sensation. Her achievement is marred, however, when her best friend and ex-lover, Amy Murgatroyd, dies--ostensibly by suicide, but Dorn suspects foul play. Then the novella turns out to be a fake, and a disgraced Dorn starts catching glimpses of a shadowy figure who resembles a villain from another Green novel. Bruised and grieving, she sets out to solve the mystery of Murgatroyd's death. Dorn is a refreshingly acerbic and misanthropic lead, and Spencer ushers the plot through a series of wild swings without sacrificing plausibility. This witty whodunit will delight fans of Anthony Horowitz. " 

And here are excerpts from the New York Times short review: "Sometimes you know immediately that a book is going to get under your skin and stay there...Spencer’s tart debut... vaults the reader into the world of Agatha Dorn, an irritable archivist and passionate devotee of mystery fiction — particularly the work of Gladden Green (think Agatha Christie through a fun-house mirror.) ...Is Agatha 'a crazy woman, haphazardly but unmistakably drifting down and out, sick, unemployed, drunk, obsessed with solving a murder that had never occurred?' Or 'a maverick, pursuing truth and justice … even at the cost of [her] own well-being?' Maybe she’s both."

The Briar Club

This historical novel by Kate Quinn had me from the first chapter. I previously read her book The Alice Network, which was also based on some actual people as well as actual events-- the reason I love historical mysteries.  This one is set in Washington D.C. in the early to mid-50's, during the height of McCarthy's "red scare" terror campaign. Several women who live in a down-at-the-heels women's boarding house are converted from strangers passing in the night to a tightly knit group of friends by the actions of one woman, Grace March. We are provided chapters from each woman's point of view with information about their histories, their dreams and their insecurities. Nobody is fully who they appear to be and the characters are ones you will cheer for--for the most part. Also the two children in the house, Pete and Lina, mistreated by their mother and apparently abandoned by their father, are taken under Grace's and then everyone else's care. We know from the beginning that a murder or two has been committed--this current situation is being narrated by the house itself--and the rest of the book provides the backstory to the present events. Wonderful characters, rich settings, and a twisty surprise at the end. Highly recommended.

Here is Publishers Weekly's summary of plot and characters: "when widowed 30-something Grace March arrives at Briarwood. She meets Fliss, a harried new mother; Bea, a former pro baseball player; Claire, a file clerk for Sen. Margaret Chase Smith; Nora, an employee of the National Archives; and Arlene, a secretary for the House Un-American Activities Committee who’s fully embraced the hysterical rhetoric of her boss, Sen. Joseph McCarthy. As the women bond, clash, and pursue various romantic entanglements, they remain committed to holding weekly dinner parties in Grace’s room. As Quinn gradually steers the narrative back toward the violent opening scene, she elegantly explores issues of race, class, and gender, and brings the paranoid atmosphere of McCarthy-era Washington to vivid life."

 

Murder at Gull's Nest

This cozy mystery, set in 1954 along the southern coast of England, is a first in what will be the "Nora Breen Investigates" series by Jess Kidd.  Nora has recently left her vocation as a nun after 30 years in order to find out what happened to a novitiate that she cared for at her former monastery (not a convent according to Nora). She is dealing with the loss of structure that being a sister provided her as well as the overwhelming freedoms and choices presented by the outside world. Nevertheless, she has taken up residence at a run-down boarding house in Gore-on-Sea called Gulls Nest, which is where her friend Frieda last lived before apparently vanishing one night. Nora is convinced that Frieda would not have voluntarily broken her promise to write to Nora and wants the local police to treat this as a missing persons case, which they are unwilling to do. When a resident at Gulls Nest dies from strychnine poisoning, DI Rideout concludes it's a suicide but Nora and the deceased's wife are sure it was murder. Of course Nora is relentless in interviewing the motley assortment of boarders at the Gull's Nest and uncovers secrets that the police have missed. She gradually earns the respect of DI Rideout with her results and they develop a warm working relationship.

Kirkus opens their review by saying "An undercover nun tracks the fate of a lost friend and solves a dastardly murder in an English seaside town." and recommends this as "A delightful series kickoff in a cozy community primed for more murder."

Publishers Weekly calls this a "delightful series launch" and concludes their review by saying "Elegant prose, vivid characterizations, and a fascinating protagonist add up to a thoroughly enjoyable mystery. Readers will be eager for the sequel." I totally agree.

How the Penguins Saved Veronica

I've read so many good things about this 2nd novel from Hazel Prior that I was pleased when one of my book groups picked it to be on our reading list this year. Also my sisterhood fellowship decided to read it together as well. It was slow to start but then you definitely come to care for the characters and, of course, for the Adelie penguins in Antarctica. Veronica McCreedy has hardened her heart after a life full of heartbreak and loss. She is financially secure thanks to a short earlier marriage but is now alone in the world with no known living relatives. When her housekeeper, Eileen, suggests she use a service to track down possible relatives, Veronica discovers she has a here-to-fore unknown grandson, Patrick. Who turns out to be a slovenly, shiftless, drug using disappointment--or so it appears upon their initial meeting. While watching her favorite nature show on the telly one night, Veronica becomes enthralled with the threatened existence of Antarctic penguis--the Adelies. She decides she will leave her legacy of several million pounds to the research and conservation effort but first wants to see first hand what she's giving her money to. Through Eileen, she lets the small science station on Locket Island in the Antarctic Shetlands know that she is coming to visit. And she does make the long arduous trip from Scotland, in spite of the scientists attempts to discourage her. She falls in love with the penguins "joie de vivre" and then falls particularly hard for an orphaned chick which she convinces the others to take in and care for.

Booklist closes their review by saying, "A charming journey of a stubborn old lady hoping to counter her many hardships with an altruistic act...Prior's done her homework on Adélie penguins and Antarctic research conditions, immersing readers in a captivating world that's otherwise hard to reach." Kirkus offers this: "Prior...has written a story about the importance of family and love and how memories might remain long buried but, once they surface, can be just as distressing or joy-inducing as when they first occurred. The narrative, partially told by Veronica, partially by Patrick, and partially via emails, blog posts, and diary entries, explores the complicated emotions that guide people’s decisions, in both good and bad ways. Drug use, addiction, and depression are touched on, but Prior ensures that readers understand the underlying goodness of her characters and their ability to survive despite loss. While some might view the story’s proselytizing about climate change and the redemptive love of animals onerous, others will agree wholeheartedly. A light but enjoyable, optimistic tale." 

Definitely an encouraging story in these dismal times.

The Angel of the Crows

This is the 3rd book I've read by Katherine Addison and I found it equally as satisfying as the other two (The Goblin Emperor and The Witness for the Dead).  This is set in 1880's London and is a take-off on the Sherlock Holmes body of work. However, in this alternate version of London, supernatural creatures are an accepted part of the culture and vampires and werewolves have long-standing treaties with the human population that allows them to function fairly normally in society--within their own limitations. Angels are commonplace guardians of buildings but the Holmesian figure is the Angel for the entire region of London since his building was destroyed. He is often called in to consult for the police. He has the wings of a crow and is called the same. His new flatmate is Dr. Doyle who has some significant secrets to hide but needs a living space he he can afford on a retired military doctor's stipend. Dr. Doyle quickly gets involved with Crow's cases, especially the murders of prostitutes in Whitechapel.

Library Journal says of this book, " A twisting, surprising Sherlock bend in a world of angels, hell-hounds, and other supernatural beings. Readers may know the names and the stories, but here is an original tale. ...Addison ... enthralls readers with her character-driven action, intriguing expressions of identity and sexuality, and a world set in an alternate 1880s London that captures the imagination. " Similarly, Booklist concludes, "Supernatural versions of classic Holmes stories take place alongside the Ripper murders, with Doyle and Crow in the thick of them. While very different in tone from her last work, Addison's adept characterization and world building elevate The Angel of Crows above the run-of-the-mill Holmes pastiche. Highly recommended for ... anyone looking to be immersed in a well-wrought alternate historical fantasy world."

Kirkus offers a favorabld review as well: "Supernatural versions of classic Holmes stories take place alongside the Ripper murders, with Doyle and Crow in the thick of them. While very different in tone from her last work, Addison's adept characterization and world building elevate The Angel of Crows above the run-of-the-mill Holmes pastiche. Highly recommended for fans of Kim Newman's Anno-Dracula (1993) and Ian R. MacLeod's The Light Ages (2003) or anyone looking to be immersed in a well-wrought alternate historical fantasy world." 

I reallly like Addison's characters and world building and will seek out anything else she has written.

Crossing to Safety

Having already won a Pulitzer for Angle of Repose and a National Book Award for The Spectator Bird, Wallace Stegner crafted this loving reflection on friendship and the vicissitudes of life. I read this book decades ago, have recommended it to many and, in the process, lost my own copy. So I re-purchased the book and re-read it for one of my book groups. The lyrical language and the portrayal of the main characters grabbed me as firmly as they did the first time around. The first sentence is illustrative of his magic with words: "Floating upward through a confusion of dreams and memory, curving like a trout through the rings of previous risings, I surface. My eye open. I am awake."

Two couples meet in Madison Wisconsin through their husbands who are novice faculty/ instructors in the university's English department. Sid and Charity Lang come from east coast social class and money. Larry and Sally Morgan are poor westerners, yet somehow they bond, largely through the effusive and generous efforts of Charity. Both Charity and Sally are pregnant, due to deliver at the same time and so the baby delivery derby is on. Sid and Larry share long walks to talk over the multiple obstacles they face to find permanent employment in the middle of the Depression (1937). Both feel the university offers promise. Sid wants to write poetry but his wife drives him to write academia; whereas Sally supports Larry fiction writing passion. They both have to teach to earn their chops. During the good times they share, the two couples feel they are the "four in Eden.'' But, in Eden, there was also a serpent in the grass and in this case it is Charity's drive to make her husband into something he is not. "...headstrong, insufferably well-organized Charity tries to bully the passive Sid into a more aggressive mold. Charity is one of the most vivid characters in fiction; if she is arrogant, she is also kindhearted, enthusiastic, stalwart and brave--an ardent liver of life. Her incandescent personality is both the dominant force and the source of strain in the enduring friendship Stegner conveys with brilliant artistry (Publishers Weekly).

Publishers Weekly calls the book "a meditation on the idealism and spirit of youth, when the world is full of promise, and on the blows and compromises life inevitably inflicts..." and goes on to assert that Stegner "has created a believable human drama the dimensions of which reach out beyond the story's end and resonate in the reader's heart." Library Journal closes their review by saying, "This is a wonderfully rich, warm, and affecting book. Highly recommended." To be fair, I include the comments from Kirkus' less than laudatory review which opens and closes with the following: "Stegner takes a long look back—at four decades of a foursome's life—in a novel that at moments is beguiling, though at others it labors for its theme... Stegner clings to his theme of undying friendship beyond the point where his material keeps it alive, leading him to an often visibly artificial and conventionalized effort to push things along to their end. In all, less moving as a whole piece than highly remarkable for the fine penetration and achievement of some of its moments." I still thought the journey was worth it, precisely because of those moments.