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.

The God of the Woods

This book  by Liz Moore (see also my post on Long Bright River) is on so many "recommended" and best seller lists that it's hard to know where to start. The basic plot line is that at a summer wilderness camp for the rich kids, a teenage girl, Barbara, goes missing who just happens to be the daughter of the camp owners. She is a troubled girl who has threatened many times to run away and that is what most people assume has happened. Nevertheless, because of the political pull of the family, it's all hands on deck and the state police are brought in to search for her. This in turn revives the case of the same family's young son who went missing 14 years ago and was never found, although the disappearance and presumed death are blamed on a staff member who died before he could exonerate himself. There is a fair amount of ill will in the nearby communities toward the family as a result. The two story lines are relayed from multiple perspectives including the girl's mother Alice, the camp director T.J., the state investigator Judy, Louise the camp counselor, Tracy who was Barbara's bunk mate and friend, and occasionally Jacob, a serial killer who was on the loose when Bear disappeared and has escaped prison in the present context. The book jumps back and forth in time from the disappearance in 1961 of Bear to the present summer in 1975. There is a timeline at the head of each chapter to provide the appropriate chronological context.

Publishers Weekly calls it a "gripping and revelatory tale... [that] astonishes." Library Journal concludes their review favorably: "The novel's artfully described setting and the intricately interwoven plots and perspectives of its many players--some innocent and others monstrous--result in expert storytelling that is equally fascinating and devastating...Moore's novel is wild yet delicate, with complex characters and an immersive reading experience that will draw audiences. Its explorations of class, crime, and family dynamics, in addition to Moore's incredible storytelling, will appeal to readers of Lisa Jewell, Tana French, and Lucy Foley." Kirkus also provides a favorable close to their review: "Picking up on the themes of families in search of themselves she explored in Long Bright River (2020), Moore draws sympathy to characters who have been subjected to spousal, parental, psychological, and physical abuse. As rich in background detail and secondary mysteries as it is, this ever-expansive, intricate, emotionally engaging novel never seems overplotted. Every piece falls skillfully into place and every character, major and minor, leaves an imprint. 'Don't go into the woods' takes on unsettling new meaning in Moore's blend of domestic drama and crime novel." The New York Times notes, "But Moore’s novel is more than just a mystery about children lost in the woods. It concerns the relationships between parents and children and haves and have-nots." Maureen Corrigan, writing for the Washington Post, says, transports readers so deeply into its richly peopled, ominous world that, for hours, everything else falls away...Rather than a straightforward sensational yarn, Moore’s story jumps around non-sequentially from the 1950s through the 1970s and is crowded with characters: campers, counselors, the Van Laars and their tony houseguests, townspeople, and local police. Throughout, Moore’s language is unflaggingly precise...As wise as it is about the vulnerability of adolescence, “The God of the Woods” is also chillingly astute about the invisible boundaries demarcating social class...it too offers strong social criticism. As it unfolds, “The God of the Woods” becomes more and more focused on how its female characters break free — or don’t — of the constraints of their time and social class. Whatever the case, breaking free of the spell Moore casts is close to impossible."

Orphan X

I really liked this initial entry in the "Orphan X" series by Gregg Hurwitz. The character is Evan Smoak (a nom de guerre), an orphan taken in as a 12-year old to a clandestine program to train untraceable killers. He is accomplished at his job, paranoid about privacy and security, and also empathetic to human pain and suffering When the Orphans program is terminated and his mentor killed, Evan becomes a pro bono free-lance helper--a bit like "The Equalizer"-- taking on one new client at a time referred strictly by previous clients.  But suddenly he finds himself the target of another former Orphan and it will require every bit of his resourcefulness and determination to stay alive. 

Booklist gives this a starred review, concluding with "Knowing that this is the start of a series reduces tension only a sliver in this high-tech, nonstop thriller. Hurwitz, known for this kind of adrenaline-producing fiction ...adds enough humanity to the action to make this a standout, and readers should get in at the start." Publishers Weekly offers this summary and review: "Bestseller Hurwitz ... melds nonstop action and high-tech gadgetry with an acute character study in this excellent series opener. Evan Smoak, who was trained to be an assassin under the government’s secret Orphan Program, is now a rogue operator known as the Nowhere Man with a mission to help those in need. As payment, each of his clients refers him to another innocent person in trouble. But Evan becomes the hunted when he tries to help Katrin White, whose father will be killed unless she pays gambling debts. A sense of authenticity permeates the story, no matter how outlandish the tech toys or over-the-top the action. Evan is an electrifying character who chooses daily to do good. Run-ins with his L.A. condo board add a bit of levity while a growing relationship with neighbor Mia Hall and her eight-year-old son, Peter, reinforce that a normal life is just out of Evan’s reach." Kirkus is more measured in their review, concluding, "Hurwitz closes with an unexpected narrative left turn, but even though he’s painted Evan adequately, including vague hints of possible romance with neighbor Mia, a widowed single mother, Evan will need another adventure or two before he grows into an empathetic hero. With his digital-age The Avenger, Hurwitz races by minor plot holes and spins a web of relentless intrigue with bursts of tensely sketched violence." The Guardian recommends the book by saying, "Orphan X is weapons-grade thriller-writing from a modern master."

Movie rights have already been sold. I look forward to reading further installments.

Deadly Animals

This debut thriller by Marie Tierney kept me engaged and rooting for the 14-year-old protagonist, Ava Bonney. Ava is an auto-didact, widely read and filled with arcane information about a wealth of things after reading her father's collection of crime and psychology magazines. Her innate curiosity has taken a macabre turn as she is fascinated by the processes subsequent to the death of animals. She has her own little Potter's field where she studies rates of decomposition of various animals that she finds. One night on her regular clandestine rounds of dead creatures she discovers the badly decomposed body of a classmate, a bully named Mickey. This begins a series of abductions and murders of young boys and of Ava's cat and mouse game with the investigating officers as they seek to find the killer. Ava provides valuable leads and clues anonymously using a mimicry of a posh older woman as she knows no one would take a teen's ideas seriously enough. Ava is an engaging character as are her best friend John and DS Delahaye. Publishers Weekly agrees in their assessment of Ava: "Ava earns readers' investment in this macabre procedural--she's a clever, compassionate, and resourceful protagonist with series-carrying potential." Set in a relatively poor part of Birmingham, England, the details about life in such a community add color to the evolving plot.

Booklist offers a glowing review, "Tierney's debut novel is a dark, twisted story featuring a unique heroine and a haunting mystery...the book's 1980s setting lets the mystery unfold without the help of DNA or more modern forensics. Ava's relationship with the detectives is a bright spot in an otherwise intense story (even if her involvement in the case at times comes across as unbelievable). Thriller fans who like their stories on the darker side will adore this book." Likewise, Kirkus praises, "In this chilling novel, Tierney pairs the precocious Ava with an open-minded police detective named Seth Delahaye to create an unlikely—and memorable—crime fighting duo. An “eternal student” gifted with the willingness to learn from everyone he meets, Delahaye appreciates Ava’s intelligence and preternatural ability to read between the lines of physical evidence, which he witnesses firsthand when she begins anonymously calling the police station with information about the murders. Her observation that the murderer is a deeply disturbed young person who suffers from clinical lycanthropy goes against what Delahaye expects to find. But the closer the two get to uncovering the killer, the more it becomes clear that Ava’s shocking conclusions hold more truth than anyone could want or imagine. By turns terrifying and heartbreaking in its depictions of the bloodthirsty killer—and, by extension, the brutality that lies at the heart of every human being—this eloquent, darkly suspenseful debut novel will haunt the reader’s imagination. An edge-of-your-seat thriller with a savage twist."

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

I read this book by prolific and award-winning horror author Stephen Graham Jones on the basis of several glowing reviews. Here is the plot summary from Publishers Weekly's review:

"Bestseller Jones ... astonishes in this ingenious, weird western reimagining of the vampire tale. In a frame narrative set in 2012, academic Etsy Beaucarne learns of the discovery of a 1912 manuscript hidden in the wall of a Montana parsonage, written by her great-great-great-grandfather Arthur. Within lies Arthur's transcription of the personal history told to him during confession by Good Stab, a Blackfeet warrior. Decades earlier, Good Stab was bitten by a being he refers to as "the Cat Man," a caged, feral creature transported by an ill-fated expedition of white settlers. That bite endows Good Stab with supernatural powers of healing and regeneration, but also a voracious thirst for blood, which he slakes by preying on the white hunters ravaging the frontier through their profligate slaughter of buffalo herds. Good Stab's horrifying ordeal offers a dark window into the history of conflict between America's Indigenous inhabitants and its white colonizers, with Jones incorporating details of the real-life Marias Massacre of Blackfeet by the U.S. Army into the plot. Jones heightens the impact of the massacre's recounting through Good Stab's narrative voice, whose easy incorporation of lore and myth into his vernacular makes the supernatural seem believable. It's a remarkably well-wrought work of historical horror that will captivate Jones's fans and newcomers alike." 

Booklist concludes their review with this "A riveting story of heartbreak, death, and revenge, this remarkable work of American fiction, a thought-provoking tale filled with existential terror, unease, and a high body count, transforms, in Jones' deft hands, from the unapologetic horror novel it most certainly is into a critique of the entire idea of the United States--a critique that, despite the horrors, both real and supernatural, is forcefully infused with both heart and hope."

Library Journal's review and recommendation: "Etsy Beaucarne is a professor under pressure to publish more, thereby securing tenure. When a dayworker finds a 1912 manuscript written by Arthur Beaucarne, an unknown relative, she may have found a way. Arthur's journal tells of his life as a pastor while transcribing the account of Good Stab, a man from the Blackfoot Nation who says he is a vampire. These three distinct narrative voices are layered within the novel, and each voice contributes to a compelling story that draws readers forward, even as the terror increases. The horrors of historical atrocities are described while also bringing readers along in a deep exploration of identity, revenge, guilt, and the potential for hope. While this is a unique vampire story, it is also grief horror, portraying the mourning of a land and a people, inscribing profound sorrow for what was and what can never be again. VERDICT Jones... holds up past atrocities and their impact into the future. Highly recommended for those who enjoy historical horror with family history..." 

NPR calls this "Jones' masterpiece...because the prose is gorgeous and the plot is complex, engaging, and multilayered..."  The New York Times offers that Jones "...has created a novel that invites us to reflect on how the stories we tell about ourselves can be at once confessions and concealments..." Kirkus closes their review with this, "A weirdly satisfying and bloody reckoning with some of America’s most shameful history." 

Although this book is about and partially told from the perspective of a vampire, that word is never used in the book. I found the narrative of Good Stab (the native American vampire) to be very slow and even tedious in spite of the graphic depictions of his vengeful and life-preserving kills.

Fan Service

Okay, I am rarely interested in romance novels but this one was well-written and I was a bit tired of heavy reading. Rosie Danan is the author of several other steamy romance novels. I agree with Library Journal's recommendation, "This quirky, humorous romance is well-written and plotted, and readers will quickly fall in love with its interesting characters." Booklist concurs, concluding that the book is a "well-written twist on the appealing fish-out-of-water trope. Even readers who don't normally enjoy paranormal romance will find it hard to resist Alex and Devin." Kirkus also offers a positive review, "The paranormal elements in this story are fun, and Devin’s wolfishness makes the spicy scenes extra delicious. These are flawed characters and the ways they become better because of their relationship is endearing...Both playful and thoughtful, with extra appeal to readers involved in fandoms."

The book jacket provides this storyline summary: "The only place small-town outcast Alex Lawson fits in is the online fan forum she built for The Arcane Files, a long-running werewolf detective show. Her dedication to archiving fictional supernatural lore made her Internet-famous, even if she harbors a secret disdain for the show's star, Devin Ashwood. (Never meet your heroes-sometimes they turn out to be The Worst.) Ever since his show went off the air, Devin and his career have spiraled, but waking up naked in the woods outside his LA home with no memory of the night before is a new low. It must have been a coincidence that an ultrarare Wolf Blood Moon occurred last night. The claws, fangs, and howling are a little more difficult to explain away. Desperate for answers, Devin finds Alex-the closest thing to an expert that exists. If only he could convince her to stop hating his guts long enough to help . . . Once he makes her an offer she can't refuse, these reluctant allies lower their guards trying to wrangle his inner beast."

 

Nobody's Hero

C.W. Craven, an author with whom I had no previous experience has created a unique character and an engrossing plot. This  book is a sequel to Fearless, the first in his series featuring former U.S. Marshal Ben Koenig. Due to a brain anomaly, Ben is physiologically unable to feel fear, which means he is much more likely to walk into dangerous situations than even a courageous man would. He has been living under the radar ever since a peeved Russian oligarch put a $5 million bounty on his head. His CIA handler pulls him into investigating an apparent double murder and kidnapping near Hyde Park. It turns out that Ben helped the perpetrator "disappear" several years back by faking her death. Publishers Weekly goes on to say: 

"Though he still doesn't understand the full scope of that mission, he knows she's privy to ultrasensitive American intelligence. Ben and his brutally efficient CIA handler race to find the woman, unwittingly getting in the way of father-daughter assassin duo Stillwell Hobbs and Harper Nash, who have been tracking down and killing everyone involved ... Craven effectively mixes the unvarnished brutality and high body count of Lee Child with the black humor of Mick Herron (one character bludgeons another until "his skull was softer than warm ice cream"). With style, wit, and plot twists to spare, Craven cements this series as a must-read."

Booklist concurs: "Koenig is a compelling protagonist. He can kill without a second thought, yet is guided by a moral compass of his own, making this a good read for fans of Dennis Lehane's Darkness, Take My Hand (1996), Jeff Lindsey's Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004), and Peter Swanson's Nine Lives (2023). Koenig's acerbic wit plays well off his reluctant partner Draper's brand of sarcasm, bringing lightness to a book riddled with graphic murders. Fans of complex thrillers with an intriguing antihero will enjoy Craven's latest Koenig adventure."

Starship Troopers

In spite of the movie based loosely on this book, it is considered one of Robert Heinlein's best and a classic of science fiction. It's basically the story of a young man who defies his father's wishes and joins the army. This is the future, of course, and war is fought very differently, technologically speaking, against a race of insects with a hive mind which is trying to destroy the human race. The focus is on Juan Rico's journey from a "boot" to eventually becoming an officer. It is, in a sense, a coming-of-age story as his experience in the military shapes his character and his views on life.  It is heavy on descriptions of the tech and on the way that battles are fought. Along the way, we are offered some significant chunks of Heinlein's opinions on morality and human nature. Fore example, "The human race is too individualistic, too self-centered, to worry that much about future generations." Or this, "Citizenship is an attitude, a state of mind, an emotional conviction that the whole is greater than the part...and that the part should be humbly rpoud to scrifice itself that the whole may live." This is in reference to having the ability to vote vs. staying in the military and protecting society even though it meant that he would never get to vote. And this, "Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination--devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues--which a man must develop himself; if he has them forced down him, he will vomit them out."

Playground

I could not finish Richard Powers Pulitzer Prize winner The Overstory; it was just too many characters with different storylines although ostensibly they all tied together somehow in the end. And I have to say that this book also left me profoundly confused at times. The narrator is a genius programmer, Todd Keane, who has recently been diagnosed with Lewy Bodies dementia and he retrospectively tells the story of his relationship to another main character, Rafi. Inititally, it's not clear who is actually doing the narrating--is it the man who turns out to be mega-millionaire Todd Keane or is it his deep learning alter ego. And then there is Evelyne who, since the age of 12, has only ever been truly happy when she's underwater, specifically in the ocean--any ocean.  We have an account from Todd that Rafi died of a heart attack, but then he is still alive in the present time and is in fact there to witness the death of Todd. And how did Ina, the love of Rafi's life, after falling out of his life with what he sees as a irreconcilable betrayal, end up being his wife and the adoptive mother of two children they have adopted on the island of Makatea? 

Publishers Weekly introduces their review with this description of the characters and the main themes: "Powers ...delivers an epic drama of AI, neocolonialism, and oceanography in this dazzling if somewhat disjointed novel set largely on the French Polynesian island of Makatea, where a mysterious American consortium plans to launch floating cities into the ocean. The story centers on three characters: Rafi Young, a former literature student from an abusive home in Chicago who has moved to Makatea with his wife; Rafi's onetime friend Todd Keane, the billionaire founder of a social media company and AI platform whose connection to the seasteading project is revealed later; and Evelyne Beaulieu, a Canadian marine biologist who has come to Makatea just as the island's residents must vote on whether to let the project proceed. "

I think Booklist provides a good summary of the storyline: "Powers does for oceans in Playground what he did for forests in The Overstory (2018). He again assembles a cast of evocatively nuanced characters obsessed with nature, science, and games. Canadian Evelyne becomes a pioneering oceanographer (à la Sylvia Earle) who writes a book that transfixes Todd, a lonely boy in an Evanston "castle." In nearby Chicago, brainy Rafi suffers a family tragedy just as he receives a fellowship to attend an elite Jesuit high school. There he and Todd forge a competitive friendship over chess, then ascend to the more mysterious game, Go. Todd accrues enormous wealth with his social media platform, Playground. Rafi sets aside his considerable academic achievements to live a quiet Pacific island life with artist Ina. Powers tacks back and forth in time in this encompassing saga punctuated by Evelyne's marveling over the stunning inventiveness of undersea life as, now in her nineties, she dives off the coast of Makatea, in French Polynesia. Still struggling to recover from a decimating 1960s phosphate-mining frenzy, the island now faces a new threat--a seasteading startup. Throughout, Powers reflects on how innate play is to many species as a way of learning and bonding and how human technology has turned it catastrophic. Rhapsodic with wonder, electric with cautionary facts and insights, Powers' profound and involving novel illuminates the conundrums of human nature and the gravely endangered ocean deep...Readers rely on Powers to dramatize the confounding paradox of our utter dependence on and rampant destruction of nature." 

Kirkus opens "A story of friendship, technology, oceans, and a small island. Powers juggled nine lead characters in The Overstory (2018), his Pulitzer Prize–winning novel. Here he wrangles just four, but the result is almost as complicated." And closes with "This is a challenging novel, fragmented but compelling, with fine writing on friendship and its loss and on the awe and delight the ocean inspires. Along with its environmental warnings, the book carries an intriguing look at the ways people and animals play, as in the boys’ competitive chess, the antics of manta rays, the allure of computer games, and what a meta-minded author might do with his readers. An engaging, eloquent message for this fragile planet."

Rave reviews are abundant: "Soaringly imaginative yet firmly grounded in the real world, unabashedly intellectual but deeply felt, Richard Powers’ fiction deals with the most pressing issues of our time in the most wrenchingly human terms" (National Book Review). "Prepare to be awed" (Washington Post). "Powers' descriptions jump out of the water" (NPR). But the reviewers also acknowledge the flaws: "Challenges remain, though, especially for the skeptical or distracted reader. Darting among these various storylines, “Playground” can feel like the pages of several compelling novellas that fell down the stairs and were quickly gathered up" (Washington Post). "There are some audible creaks in the storytelling machinery as Powers labors to bring his multiple narrative strands together. Still, he manages to pull off a sly — and disturbing — twist in the novel's profoundly affecting climax" (NPR).

The Last One

After reading 131 pages, I still wasn't engaged with the characters and so I gave up.  The premise is that a 20'ish woman wakes in the woods near a small destitute town, nearly naked and with no memory of how she came to be there. She tracks down the thief only to be arrested for attacking the woman and demanding the return of her belongings. Scattered and strange memories start to return, e.g., her name is Kai, along with even stranger magical powers. 

Both Library Journal and Booklist gave this mixed reviews, suggesting that hard-core genre fans will  be enamored in spite of its flaws. Booklist concludes, " Intriguing themes of redefining monstrousness and owning past mistakes are marred by opaque character motivations and slipshod world building. Even so, ardent romantasy fans will devour it." Referring to the characters, Library Journal concurs, "Her [Kai] importance is found only in the last few pages, following enough twists and reversals that it's difficult for readers to know what the narrative wants from her. Romance ...is teased but is saved for upcoming books... An ambitious romantasy opener, best for dedicated fans of the genre."

The Witness for the Dead

This book by Katherine Addison is set in the same world and slightly subsequent time period as her fabulous book, The Goblin Emperor. I loved the earlier book and really liked this one as well. Character development, world building, well-woven plotting make this sequel equally enjoyable to read. The protagonist here is a small but significant character from the first book, Thara Celehar, who is a Witness for the Dead. He can, within certain time and circumstance parameters communicate with the recently dead to determine last wishes, reveal those implicted in suspicious deaths, and settle family disputes. He is now the resident Witness in the city of Amalo, distant from the royal court but unfortunately not removed from local politics, which is often more a hindrance than a help. 

Library Journal says of the book: "...Multiple well-paced plotlines weave together in a delightful story, and Celehar's personal insights and issues bring a contemplative tone that further supports the work. ... The follow-up to the acclaimed The Goblin Emperor brings back a favorite character and expands the elaborate world Addison has created.. readers--will find this novel delightful and immersive." Booklist also offers a recommendation: "...Addison's welcome return ...reintroduces readers to Thara Celehar, the titular Witness for the Dead, in a new role in the city of Amalo ...The story is an unusual blend of slice-of-life and murder mystery as Celehar... goes about his daily business in Amalo while also investigating the murder of an opera singer. There are just enough links between the murder investigation and several subplots to prevent the book from seeming disjointed. The urban underbelly setting and mystery plot of this book give it a very different tone from the imperial court intrigue of its predecessor, but the simple pleasure of reading about a kind and quietly competent character who always aims to do the right thing will enchant..." Publishers Weekly concludes their review, "...Addison’s steampunk-infused scene-setting and assemblage of characters from all walks of life combine to create a vibrant fantasy world. The story is driven more by character than plot, with Celehar’s personal and professional relationships, and unwavering duty to his calling as a Witness, taking center stage. This is more spin-off than sequel, and returning fans and new readers alike will find it easy to be swept up in Celehar’s story."

The Bear

Vaunted author Julia Phillips has written a depressing if well executed tale of two young adult sisters trapped in a deteriorating house on present day San Juan Island (off the coast of Washington) caring for a terminally ill mother while toiling away in mind numbing low wage service jobs. They share a dream of selling the house and property after they mother dies and making an escape. I read half the book plus the last 3 chapters and would summarize it thus. A grizzly bear swims to the island from the mainland and begins hanging around their house. Older sister Elena is enchanted and seeks to befriend the bear. Younger sister Sam is terrified of the beast and can't get anyone to take seriously the threat the bear represents. Mother dies. Bear eats Elena. Sam leaves home.  Apparently I was not in the right frame of mind for this book. 

Publishers Weekly calls the book "beautiful...haunting...brilliant." Booklist calls it a "brooding yet incisive tale." Library Journal offers this accurate summary: "....a strong, melancholy novel exploring the bonds and limitations of sisterhood. Sam and her older sister Elena have been caring for their mother, who is terminally ill, for years and are both trapped in minimum-wage jobs and drowning in debt. Bonded by the abuse, isolation, and pain they endured in childhood, the sisters feel that outsiders are not to be trusted and made plans years ago to leave their hometown behind once their mother died. Sam and Elena's plans are thrown into disarray, however, when a bear begins appearing near their home. Elena is entranced by what she believes is a gentle, maybe even magical creature, while Sam fears for her family's safety. As Elena grows closer to the bear, and Sam becomes increasingly wary of the animal, the sisters' bond is strained by their inability to understand one another as well as by past secrets coming to light. ... By focusing on the characters' relationships with one another, Phillips brings complicated, very human characters to life in a tale filled with sadness. Literary fiction readers looking for complicated family stories will be immersed in the novel's haunting tragedy."

 

Johnny Careless

Kevin Wade--playwright, film and TV screenwriter and producer--has turned his hand to the death of a life-long friend, Johnny Chambliss. Though they were from wildly differeent social classes, they bonded over playing la crosse and remained friends through thick and thin. Protagonist, "Jeep" Mullane is the new police chief for his home town on the North Shore of Long Island, is unable to accept the verdict of accidental death when his friend is pulled from the water, obviously the victim of being hit by a skidoo. 

Library Journal summarizes the book by saying "Mullane juggles commitment to Johnny's family, complicated feelings for Johnny's ex-wife, Niven, and pressure from local mayors to stop a car theft ring, while seeking the truth about Johnny's death... " and concluding "the central characters are rich and the plot propulsive.... Wade delivers a complicated police drama of the Don Winslow variety, written in the neo-noir style of Robert B. Parker's Spenser books."  Publishers Weekly offers this:  "Wade smoothly toggles between Jeep's present-day investigation and his friendship with Johnny, shedding light on their class differences and the events that led them to lose touch in adulthood. Wade's gift for suspense is as well honed as one would expect from his film and TV credits--the real surprise is his character work, which goes deep enough that readers will find themselves thinking about Jeep and Johnny long after they've turned the final page. Haunting and heartbreaking, this is a winner."

Cloud of Sparrows: An Epic Novel of Japan

This book by Takashi Matsuoka was an engaging and educational read. A one-page List of Characters preceeding the text was essential and a two-page map offered context for the setting, which took place primarily on Honshu island in 1861.  Protagonist Lord Genji, Lord of Akaoka and leader of the Okumichi clan seems to be the only one who is interested in welcoming the "Outsiders" and, as the book opens, 3 Christian missionaries have just arrived in Edo Bay from San Francisco. The royal greeting of the Americans is marred by an assassination attempt on Genji that mortally wounds one of the missionaries. One of the surviving missionaries is a woman, Emily, who is fleeing herself to find a place where men don't try to sexually assault her based on her beauty. Here in Japan, she is considered hideous. The other missionary, Matthew, has ulterior motives for coming and  plans to take revenge on another outsider who murdered his wife and two step-daughters.  

Publishers Weekly opens their review by framing the action this way, "Matsuoka's ambitious first novel is an epic saga of clashing personalities and ideologies in the tradition of Shogun, yet it distinguishes itself from its wide-eyed predecessor with a grimmer perspective on Japan's military culture...a land bristling with feudal clans nursing ancient grudges and a central shogunate trying to maintain control in the face of corrosive Western influences." And they conclude, "The novel boasts plenty of Edo-era pomp and pageantry, as well as some nicely convoluted court intrigue and lightly handled romance. But the author's central message appears to be a rebuke of the narrow-mindedness of the isolationist feudal tradition in Japan and its bloody track record: 'It is our duty to ensure that all looting, murdering, and enslaving in Japan is done by us alone. Otherwise, how can we call ourselves Great Lords?'" I would add that one also gets a sense of the sense of loss and dislocation resulting from a totally foreign culture wantonly destroying a centuries-old one. 

The Historical Novel Society offers these glowing words: "Cloud of Sparrows is a stunning work. Matsuoka was born in Japan and raised in Hawaii; he gives us a view of Japan from the inside out, yet his American characters are believable as well. Dialog is natural and suited to each character. The encounters between alien cultures are movingly depicted. Japan’s ancient traditions, influenced heavily by Buddhist and Zen philosophy, are contrasted with the American and Christian traditions of the outsiders. Ideas of beauty, life, death, love, and honor are subtly explored. Much more than a love story, the novel also depicts exciting battles and masterful intrigues in the last days of the proud samurai tradition."

Similarly, the Yale Review of Books offers this: "This is not a run-of-the-mill, East-meets-West story. Matsuoka’s cast is endearing; his plot, fast-paced; and his style, witty. He captures real life in ancient Japan, unshielded from violence, sorrow, retribution—and happiness. We inhabit and feel all the extremes of an untamed world in which samurai calmly commit hara kiri, but weep at the fleeting beauty of a falling cherry blossom. Though we are at first struck by the strangeness of Genji’s tradition-steeped world, Matsuoka completely transforms our perceptions and integrates us into it. The book’s direct look at all that is gruesome and beautiful about this era helps us to understand and empathize with the Great Lord of Akaoka. This novel delights with plot twists, but also imparts a real taste of a fascinating culture. It’s a must-read for anyone even slightly interested in the mysterious world of ancient Japan."

Kirkus, on the other hand, opens with this snarky comment: "Some rootin’-tootin’ shoot-’em-up and slice-’em-up for those who thought the US-Japanese trade deficit was bad." and goes on to say, "The stakes are high: It will be war at the hands of outsiders or war among the samurai clans, and 2,000 years of civilization is on the line. Unfortunately, battle sequences are written more for ambitious cinematographers than for readers, and, really, Matsuoka doesn’t have the weapons to handle the morass he’s created..."

The Goblin Emperor

This fantasy tale by Katherine Addison (pseudonym for Sarah Monette) was recommended to me by dear friend Joan Starr and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, after reading all 434 pages of the story, I still didn't want it to end. There is an extensive glossary as well as pronunciation and social address guides following which are helpful in navigating this elaborate world of the Elflands. Names and relationships can present a bit of a challenge, but the story can keep you engaged even if your mind stumbles over how to pronounce a name. I would dearly love to hear the author read all or part of this book. 

Our protagonist, 18 year old Maia, is the exiled fourth son of the Emperor. When the Emperor and his three older sons are killed in a suspicious airship crash, Maia is summarily brought to Court to become the new Emperor, addressed as "Serenity." There are those who oppose this half-goblin unknown and those who would support him. His character is richly developed and empathetic; the reader cannot help but to come to love him and root for him to triumph over all the odds. Booklist agrees, saying: " The author combines steampunk and fantasy (this is a world of elves and goblins and the like) to tell an utterly captivating story. Addison has built a completely believable world, with its own language, customs, and history, but there are tantalizingly familiar elements (such as newspapers and pocket watches) that make us wonder from whence this world came and whether it might have sprung from our own, in a distant future."

Library Journal offers this recommendation: "Court intrigue and politics are popular fodder for fantasy novels, but rarely have they been done better than in this fantastic new novel from Sarah Monette (writing as Addison). The writing is lovely, with characters who live and breathe. Maia, especially, will tug on the heartstrings of even the most hardened reader as he struggles to find kindness and allies in the imperial court." 

Publishers Weekly effuses: "Ambitious and meticulously executed worldbuilding brings an animated dazzle to this exceptional assemblage of character studies and complex encounters, while the expressive evocation of its youthful protagonist’s shyness and insecurity adds an affecting authenticity to the steampunk-infused fantasy setting. Crafted with a preternatural deftness, the elf kingdom of Ethuveraz is a multilayered masterwork. Its density of arcana, language, ritual, and protocol staggers the long-exiled 18-year-old half-goblin heir, Maia Drazhar, when he is thrust onto the imperial throne after his distant father and more favored brothers are assassinated by an act of airship sabotage. Facing ridicule, racism, and outright hostility, Maia nonetheless stumblingly shoulders the burden, his own outcast status becoming his greatest strength. Acts of kindness and empathy begin to earn him the acceptance, if not outright affection, of his courtiers and the populace. Less a novel than a series of anecdotes, this stalwart endeavor, which is fantasist Sarah Monette’s first work under the Addison name, is carried by the strength of atmosphere and Maia’s resonant good-heartedness. Readers will hope for many more tales of Ethuveraz."

I agree with Kirkus' recommendation: "Addison patiently and tellingly paints in the backdrop, mingling steampunk elements and low-key magic with imperial intricacies. There are powerful character studies and a plot full of small but deadly traps among which the sweet-natured, perplexed Maia must navigate. The result is a spellbinding and genuinely affecting drama. Unreservedly recommended."

Although Addison has not written a sequel in the strictest sense of the word -- no follow up of Maia's story-- she did write The Witness for the Dead several years later, which features Thara Celehar, a minor yet significant character from Goblin Emperor. It will be next on my list.

The Perfect Marriage

Of course this is a murder mystery so we know it wasn't a perfect marriage, but it is also the most imperfect book that I have ever forced myself to read. If it wee not a book group selection for my Mystery Book Group, I would have stopped after 25 pages. As it was, because I could not rationalize tearing out every page of a library book with something stupid on it, I had to content myself with putting mini-post-its wherever I found them. See my photo. The writing is hyperbolic in the extreme. Analogies and metaphors are totally inappropriate. They should fire this author's editor. 

The cover of the book offers this summary: "His mistress is dead. His wife [a high-powered defence attorney] is his only hope." And here is the publisher's summary of the storyline: "Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. As a named partner at her firm, life is going exactly how she planned. The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He's a struggling writer who has had little success in his career and he tires of his and Sarah's relationship as she is constantly working. Out in the secluded woods, at the couple's lake house, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. But one morning everything changes. Kelly is found brutally stabbed to death and now, Sarah must take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress."

The characters are caricatures. The woman "protagonist (and I use the term loosely), Sarah, wears only Laboutin spike heels and pencil skirt suits from Chanel, etc. and everytime I had to read one more description of what people were wearing I wanted to scream. She is certainly the most unprofessional high-powered attorney I have ever encountered in literature (or life). The use of cursing (especially "fuck") is overwhelming and unnecessary except to make the characters even more unlikeable. Her mousey assistant Anne tries to dress like her, and follows her around like a lovesick puppy. Husband and accused murderer, Adam, is the most worthless, oversexed, impulsive and out of control spouse you could ever want to imagine. Why would anyone ever marry him --except for, apparently, the great sex--and why anyone would defend him is beyond me and beyond most of the other characters as well. 

I could not even find a review of this book by reputable sources. I can't imagine why the library chose this to be a book group kit. One of the reader reviews pithily noted "Suffice to say, hideous people doing hideous things. The end." I cannot "unrecommend" this book strongly enough. 

Dead in the Frame

This 5th installment in the Pentecost and Parker series by Stephen Spotswood continues to delight the reader with intricate plotting and developing characters.  Parker is just returning from a leisurely vacation with Holly in the Catskills, when she arrives home to find the police arresting Ms. Pentecost for the murder of Jessup Quincannon. Parker is largely on her own to figure out who really killed Quincannon before Ms. Pentecost is sentenced to life in prison or dies from her MS and abuse at the hands of a vengeful guard before she even gets to trial. The evidence and motive are stacked against her but Will learns early on that Pentecost has been framed and blackmailed to solve another crime in order for the accurate evidence to be revealed. The attorneys defending Ms. Pentecost want Will to drum up evidence for other possible killers to create reasonable doubt, but when the blackmailer is found dead and the evidence of Pentecost's innocence is now beyond reach, Parker knows that the only way forward is to find the real killer.

Library Journal concludes their positive review with "A solid Pentecost and Parker installment, Spotswood's newest title takes on another closed-door mystery to great effect. He balances the tension, the red herrings, and the clues well, and fans of the series will be in for a treat. Mystery readers in general would do well to place this series on their TBR lists to enjoy the twists and turns that make these titles a joy to read."  And Publishers Weekly joins with their praise, "As always, Spotswood pairs voicey narration (especially in Will’s chapters) with a briskly satisfying fair-play whodunit." Although somewhat more measured in their review, Kirkus still offers this recommendation, "A lively period frolic whose hardboiled femmes tackle a Golden Age puzzle"

The Plot

This book by Jean Hanff Korelitz received such good reviews, but after the first half of the book, I was just bored. I almost gave up! But instead I went back and re-read the reviews, trying to figure out why I picked it up in the first place. I figured out one surprise a few chapters before the reveal. But the conclusion left me flat-footed.  From Library Journal: "Korelitz...questions the world of publishing in this latest novel. Jake Finch Bonner, a once promising youngish writer, has been reduced to taking a short-term teaching gig at a third-rate, low-residency MFA program in Vermont. During a one-on-one meeting with an arrogant student, Jake hears the student's incredible idea for a plot. When, several years later, he learns that the student has died, Jake decides to tell the story himself. He hits the best-seller lists with Crib, excerpts of which appear as a book within this book. But then emails and tweets from an anonymous sender accuse him of stealing the plot and threaten to expose him."

Publishers Weekly: "Jacob Finch Bonner, the hapless protagonist of this ingeniously twisty novel...Deep character development, an impressively thick tapestry of intertwining story lines, and a candid glimpse into the publishing business make this a page-turner of the highest order. Korelitz deserves acclaim for her own perfect plot."  Can't say I agree with the "page-turner" assessment.

And Kirkus closes their rave review: "Korelitz... knows how to blend suspense with complex character studies, falls a little short on the character end here; Jake is a sympathetic but slightly bland protagonist, and Anna has the only other fully developed personality. No one will care as the story hurtles toward the creepy climax, in the best tradition of Patricia Highsmith and other chroniclers of the human psyche’s darkest depths. Gripping and thoroughly unsettling." I would say that the book plods rather than "hurtles" but decide for yourself.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night

The title of this book by Nina Simon refers to a tradition, held by single mom Beth and teen daughter Jack, to sit down and watch a mystery show on TV every Thursday night. They live on Elkhorn Slough just off the coast of central California. Beth's mother, Lana, a formidable and well-respected commercial real estate broker in Los Angeles, was so appalled when Beth got pregnant at age 17 that they parted ways and now only see each other on Jewish high holidays. Beth has managed to support herself and Jack, becoming a geriatric nurse, while Jack is a child of the water, who paddles out into the slough every morning before going to school. She is so skilled and knowledgeable that she has become the youngest certified kayaking guide at the Kayak Shack nearby, taking groups of tourists and nature lovers on tours of the slough on weekends.

When Lana is unexpectedly diagnosed with metastasizing cancer, she requires extended treatment and care. And so, the two strong and wildly different women are forced to share Beth's tiny 2-bedroom house for months while Jack is turfed to sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room.  On one of Jack's morning tours, a father and son drift away from the group and discover a dead body floating in the mud flats. Of course Jack is traumatized by this and things go from bad to worse when a belligerent and bullying detective initially targets Jack as the likeliest suspect in what turns out to be a murder. Lana decides--to keep from dying of boredom and to protect her granddaughter--that she will figure out who the real killer is.

I wholeheartedly agree with Library Journal's glowing review: Simon's dazzling debut delivers everything a mystery fan could crave, including a realistically nuanced cast of characters, a vividly evoked coastal California setting, writing imbued with a deliciously desiccated sense of wit, and a perfectly plotted murder with enough red herrings deftly dropped in to confound the most experienced mystery reader. ...Insightful and frequently funny analysis of family dynamics wrapped up in a cleverly crafted cozy crime novel." Booklist concludes, " On the cozy side, this debut mystery is woven around family rifts and redemption, and will leave readers with warm fuzzies." Publishers Weekly concurs: "Simon stocks her layered plot with plausibly motivated suspects and convincing red herrings, but it’s her indomitable female characters and their nuanced relationships that give this mystery its spark. Readers will be delighted." Likewise, Kirkus praises, "Simon knows how to build an intriguing plot with lots of suspects, plenty of red herrings, and a handful of jaw-clenching attacks on the Rubicons designed to stop their investigation. Nancy Drew meets Columbo in this feisty-female–driven whodunit."

Piranesi

I enjoyed Susanna Clarke's earlier massive and award-winning tome, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and so I wanted to read this well-reviewed newer book; this was my 2nd try and I did finish it. It is difficult to describe and the cruelty of The Other character is distressing. Piranesi himself is charming and engaging, if clearly naive/deluded. Here is the plot summary from the book jacket.

"Piranesi's house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house. There is one other person in the house-a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known." 

As mentioned, reviews are uniformly positive.  From Library Journal: "Clarke's ... deftly written new novel is the diary of the main character...Clarke creates an immersive world that readers can almost believe exists." Booklist concludes their review with "in this spellbinding, occult puzzle of a fable, one begins to wonder if perhaps the reverence, kindness, and gratitude practiced by Clarke's enchanting and resilient hero aren't all the wisdom one truly needs."  Kirkus offers these closing remarks: "At the foundation of this story is an idea at least as old as Chaucer: Our world was once filled with magic, but the magic has drained away. Clarke imagines where all that magic goes when it leaves our world and what it would be like to be trapped in that place. Piranesi is a naif, and there’s much that readers understand before he does. But readers who accompany him as he learns to understand himself will see magic returning to our world. Weird and haunting and excellent."

And here are details offered in Publishers Weekly review. "Clarke wraps a twisty mystery inside a metaphysical fantasy in her extraordinary new novel... The story unfolds as journal entries written by the eponymous narrator, who, along with an enigmatic master known as the Other...inhabits the House, a vast, labyrinthine structure of statue-adorned halls and vestibules. So immense is the House that its many parts support their own internal climates, all of which Piranesi vividly describes... Meanwhile, the Other is pursuing the “Great and Secret Knowledge” of the ancients. After the Other worriedly asks Piranesi if he’s seen in the house a person they refer to as 16, Piranesi’s curiosity is piqued, and all the more so after the Other instructs him to hide. In their discussions about 16, it becomes increasingly clear the Other is gaslighting Piranesi about his memory, their relationship, and the reality they share. With great subtlety, Clarke gradually elaborates an explanatory backstory to her tale’s events and reveals sinister occult machinations that build to a crescendo of genuine horror. This superbly told tale is sure to be recognized as one of the year’s most inventive novels."

Cold Storage

This work of speculative fictionby Michael C. Grumley is set 2046 after the United States as we know it has suffered The Collapse. In the Prologue, a man is taken into the Himalayas by a couple of guides who discovered a large metal structure in the ice. Upon verifying their story, the client murders both guides. The main story has to do with a mortal game of cat and mouse as one side is trying to revive and protect a man who has been cryogenically frozen, while the other side wants him back to learn things about how the process affected him. But as the book expands, we are introduced to the group of nine people who are planning to freeze themselves and be revived when medicine has advanced sufficiently to keep them alive much longer than normal. Obscene amounts of wealth and the technology and security resources that that wealth can buy definitely give them the upper hand. 

Publishers Weekly offers this review: Grumley's riveting sequel to Deep Freeze successfully steers the series into full-tilt sci-fi madness. After dying in a freak bus accident, U.S. Army veteran John Reiff was revived as part of a covert research program ...Twenty-three years later, Reiff has been frozen again and stored in a cabin in Utah. His body is removed from storage by a group of his apparent allies...They've retrieved Reiff because he's become a subject of interest for a shadowy group of power brokers called "The Nine," whose members want to know if Reiff's freezing had any adverse effects. If not, they plan to freeze themselves to survive a mysterious event. Once Reiff's rescuers bring him back to life, they learn he may be connected to a bizarre discovery involving space travel, which carries massive implications for the future of the planet. Grumley tosses a lot of balls in the air, but he juggles them all nimbly, keeping the plot's many surprises well concealed without sacrificing pace. Blake Crouch fans will love this."

A Man Named Doll

Happy Doll actually. Originally kind of a joke between his mother and father, but since Hank's (the name he goes by) mother died in childbirth, his father put that name on the birth certificate in honor of her. Of course his father never called him that--usually calling him Hapless or other derogatory names.  This book is the first of 3 in Jonathan Ames' "Happy Doll" series and I plan to read them all. There is nothing slick about this character. He's former LAPD and former Navy MP, and has a bit of a hero complex--always jumping in to help the underdog. He works as a private eye, but since business has slowed he also works security at a massage parlor. And that is where he kills his first person. Things rapidly go downhill from there. 

Publishers Weekly calls this "an exceptional series launch" and goes on to praise "assured plotting, superb local color, and excellent prose. Readers will happily root for Doll, a good detective and a decent human, in this often funny and grisly outing." Booklist--which got a couple of key details wrong in their review-- offers this positive conclusion: "Ames delivers an old-school L.A. crime novel that evokes Chandler with maybe an aftertaste of Bukowski. Readers expecting action won't be let down, and the sparkling yet unpretentious language gives the whole an extra kick. Recommend to noir fans, action fans, anyone who likes a good read." The New York Times calls this book "the first in a dark new private detective series that’s a tightly coiled double helix of offbeat humor and unflinching violence." And they continue, "There will be excised body parts, kidnappings, coerced surgeries, stolen cash, people tossed off balconies, fists rammed into Adam’s apples. Wherever Hank Doll goes, no matter how strange the trip, I’ll definitely follow."

The Star-Revue offers "A Man Named Doll is an affectionate, playful tribute to the hardboiled detective genre. Set in the present day...its story is narrated by Happy in short, staccato sentences ... and contains all of the noir genre’s classic elements: the fiercely independent investigator; a beautiful, mysterious woman; bad guys; an urban location; a complex plot; and existential underpinnings—whatever case Happy happens to be investigating, what concerns him most deeply is the meaning of life."

Murder by Degrees

This debut novel by Ritu Mukerji was nominated for a couple of prestigious mystery awards and I agree that it is a fine plot, setting and cast of characters. Set after the Civil War in Philadelphia as the city is becoming a powerhouse of industry, our protagonist is a woman doctor when women in medicine still faced enormous headwinds from the field. Dr. Lydia Weston is a professor and practicing clinician at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. When a young woman patient, Anna Ward goes missing and a body identified as Anna is pulled from the Schuylkill River, Lydia becomes involved in the investigation of her death. Not only must Lydia prove herself to skeptical male doctors, but also to the police who share in the sentiment that women are not fit to practice medicine, much less help solve what turns out to be a murder.

The Library Journal asserts "On the surface, this debut by Mukerji, herself a medical doctor, appears to be a mystery about the death of a working-class servant, but it's much more, as it examines women's rights, social conditions, and medicine in Philadelphia just a decade after the Civil War."  Booklist praises "Lydia assist[s] police officers Volcker and Davies with their investigation, discovering unsavory events in some of Philadelphia's wealthy families. Lydia herself is in danger as a result. This well-researched, historical-mystery debut by a practicing physician will appeal to readers who enjoy strong female characters and graphic clinical details." 

Publishers Weekly also recommends the book. "Mukerji’s taut plotting and vivid depiction of the era’s medical practices and social customs will leave readers eager for a second installment." Kirkus compares Mukerji's writing favorably to other well know writers. "Mukerji, like Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, pulls the reader into fascinating and richly detailed forensic autopsies and blesses Weston with the instincts and determination to carry out a murder investigation as effectively as—or even better than—the police. This well-constructed narrative will also be appealing to literature lovers as Lydia finds solace in reading Tennyson, Browning, and Wordsworth. Mukerji writes with the assurance of a more seasoned novelist, and armchair sleuths can hope this is the beginning of a substantive new series. Like Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs, Lydia is a strong and indomitable woman who transcends her circumstances to become her true self and a crusader for social justice. This atmospheric novel heralds the arrival of a talented new writer and an unforgettable heroine."

Havoc

This novel by Christopher Bollen has received numerous glowing reviews such as this one from Publishers Weekly: An octogenarian Wisconsin widow faces off against an eight-year-old troublemaker in this first-rate tale of psychological suspense from Bollen (The Lost Americans). At the height of the Covid lockdown, the garrulous Maggie Burkhardt basks in her self-appointed role as social director for the guests at the Royal Karnak Palace Hotel in Luxor, Egypt--that is, until the arrival of young Otto Seeber and his mother. Though the scrawny, bespectacled Otto looks innocent, Maggie soon learns there's more to the boy than meets the eye. When Otto spies Maggie sneaking out of another guest's room, he offers to trade his silence for her agreement to upgrade him and his mother from the hotel's worst room to a $900-a-night luxury suite. So begins a dangerous chess match between the unlikely adversaries, each of whom is refreshingly drawn against type. As the mayhem mounts and the plot careens toward a genuinely shocking climax, Maggie's reliability as a narrator comes into doubt. Enriching the narrative with an evocative sense of atmosphere and playful riffs on The Bad Seed and Agatha Christie, Bollen serves up a nasty treat. It's a bracing ode to bad behavior." 

And Kirkus has this to say: "Thelma meets The Bad Seed meets The White Lotus in this Covid-19-era tale of an elderly American woman's murderous obsession with a troubled young boy at an Egyptian hotel. The 81-year-old Maggie Burkhardt left her home in Wisconsin six years ago following the deaths of her husband and daughter. Moving from hotel to hotel, she spent five years in the Alps, where she perfected her unseemly skill at insinuating herself into people's lives to cause the breakup of what she deems bad marriages. "I liberate people who don’t know they’re stuck," says the widow, whose methods include planting false evidence of infidelities and relating false rumors. After both partners in one targeted marriage die—the wife by strangling, the husband by suicide—and suspicions point Maggie's way, she escapes to Luxor and picks up where she left off....Bollen takes the art of the unreliable, self-deluded narrator to new heights. Did Maggie really have a happy marriage? Did her family really die? ... But it's still a wicked delight. A devious and deranged thriller."

The LA Times offers : "Maggie believes herself to be unrivaled in her ability to wreak havoc via an insinuation here or a planted item of lingerie there, but in Otto she’s met her match, and before long, their vicious cat-and-mouse game turns lethal. It’s a tit for tat in which one act of violence is met with another more outrageous. And the contest over which of them will break first has the effect of emboldening Otto but destabilizing Maggie, whose daily exercise routine, anti-anxiety meds and carefully constructed exterior had thus far saved her from unraveling." And continues, "Bollen can be counted on to choreograph taut, nail-biting scenes and deliver richly atmospheric descriptive passages that immediately bring a person or place to vivid life....Yet for all his panache, I wish this author had been kinder to his protagonist, who leaves little room for sympathy or understanding. There is a twist at the very end that hints at why Maggie is so haunted by her memories that she may have lost her grip on reality. It’s a devilish denouement that marks Bollen as a thriller master, even as he edges into the macabre." 

The NYT calls the book "a deliciously nasty tale of resentment and revenge...set in a once-fashionable hotel in Luxor, Egypt, where 81-year-old Maggie Burkhardt has grandly taken up residence during the pandemic. Her insatiable need to meddle in the lives of others, often without their knowledge, has already forced her to make exits from 18 previous hotels over five years.Listening to her describe her strange habits and her wacky opinions of other people is great, wicked fun. The arrival of another guest — a horrid boy of 8 with his own warped perspective and relish of mayhem — threatens to destroy Maggie’s carefully-constructed spider web of intrigue. Bollen writes with wit and style about an increasingly unhinged battle of wills between two unlikely, and formidable, opponents."

But although the book is extremely well written, as several reviewers have noted above, I found it incredibly distressing in the cruelty of acts by the two main characters, and the outcome was tragic and heart-breaking. 

The Paris Novel

This second novel from food renowned critic Ruth Reichl was strongly recommended by a good friend and I, in turn, passed on that recommendation to my book group which is now our choice for the February meeting. Library Journal offers a reasonably accurate summary of the plot line:

"Stella and her mother Celia have long been estranged. In a last, dying effort to control Stella's life, Celia wills her daughter money that can only be spent on a trip to Paris. Stella is reluctant but needs a break from her regimented New York City existence. Arriving in Paris, she lives frugally, visiting all the tourist sights until, on impulse, she stops in a vintage dress shop with a Dior creation in the window. The shop owner convinces her to buy the dress and wear it while visiting a small museum and dining in an excellent restaurant. Stella follows these instructions and meets Jules, an elderly art expert who shows her another side of Paris, opening her mind to new possibilities. She sees Manet's controversial painting Olympia and learns that the model, Victorine-Louise Meurent, was also a painter. Deep research helps Stella find and purchase a painting by Meurent, all while tracking down her own long-missing father and discovering a love of food. Reichl...creates... a search for family and self that incorporates fashion, art, and food in a setting known for all three. ...This multi-layered story will appeal to those who love food, Paris, and a happy ending."

Publishers Weekly calls it "a delectable story" and "a feast for the senses." While Kirkus offers a mixed review, which is more in line with my personal reaction to the book.

"A stiff, lonely young woman takes a life-changing trip to Paris.After suffering a miserable childhood at the hands of her narcissistic mother, Stella St. Vincent is surprised to receive an envelope labeled “For My Daughter” after Celia’s death in 1983. In it is a piece of paper that says 'Go to Paris'; the money to pay for the trip will only be released after it’s booked. This is just the beginning of a silly story with a wildly overcaffeinated plot and characters that are not even close to real people, foremost among them an annoying protagonist who can’t stop shooting herself in the foot even as she miraculously finds her tribe and discovers her extraordinary gifts for eating and cooking. Though she lacks the instincts of a fiction writer, Reichl fills her second novel with the high-flying writing about food, wine, places, and clothes that have made her nonfiction work a well-deserved success. In fact, according to an author’s note, this book grew out of her editor’s request that she expand a chapter from her memoir about trying on a little black dress in Paris. Unfortunately, a few too many ingredients have been added, including a search for a forgotten 19th-century woman painter; appearances by culinary figures like Marc Meneau and Jean Troisgros and literary figures like John Ashbery, James Baldwin, and Allen Ginsberg; a nasty Mr. Darcy–style love interest; and the search for Stella’s father, whom she either does or doesn’t want to find depending on the page. But the food writing is almost worth the price of admission, ranging from the horrific to the euphoric. ...A somewhat ridiculous novel, nicely marbled with fine food and travel writing."