Witcha Gonna Do?

This is part of Avery Flynn's romance series about the most powerful family in Witchingdom, the Sherwoods. If I had gone to her website and looked at her numerous book covers, I probably would not have checked this out, but instead I got it because I usually like books about witches. This is soft porn with witches as the main characters. Tilda Grace Sherwood grows up thinking she is an anomaly, an "outré"--without witching powers. When she starts using her godmother, the local matchmaker, to set up dates, she always gets set up with Gil Connolly, who she despises as a stuck up know it all. Predictably, her enemy becomes her lover and Tilda turns out to have one of the rarest witching skills in Witchingdom. Meh.

On the other hand, Publishers Weekly loved the book, concluding "This sexy romp of a romance is sure to win fans."

Demon Copperhead

Inspired by Dickens' David Copperfield and having lived as a child in Appalachia, Barbara Kingsolver sadly has more than enough contemporary parallels to draw upon: poverty, addiction, child labor, loneliness, social class antipathy and humankind's continuing need to find someone "other" to blame for their misfortunes. The narrator is Damon Fields, named after a father who died before Damon was born. He lives with his mother, a frequent drug user, in a tired old single wide trailer in the hollers of Lee County, Virginia. When his mother's boyfriend moves in with them, Damon's troubles are multiplied by his step-father's cruelty and abuse and his mother's subservience in the face of his behavior. When Damon's mother overdoses, the 11-year old is thrown into an uncaring and often brutal foster care system where kids are often seen as free labor and a source of money from the state. Damon is frequently hungry, cold/ hot, and exhausted. School is an irrelevance since he often can't attend. The only family that's ever been kind to him are his former neighbors, the Peggotts, and their adopted grandson, Matthew, used to be Damon's best friend. Damon calls him Maggot and is in turn called Demon. Torn away from even that minimal support system by the state, Demon runs away in desperation, seeking his paternal grandmother, who he has never met. She won't let him live with her but offers to help by finding him a good placement. And he goes to live with the coach of the local high school football team and his non-conformist daughter Angus. Life starts to turn around for him as he becomes an excellent football player, bringing him fame and popularity beyond his wildest dreams. And then his knee is injured and his life begins to spiral downward once more.

Booklist offers a glowing review, concluding that Kingsolver "revels in creating wicked and sensitive character variations, dramatic trials-by-fire, and resounding social critiques, all told from Damon's frank and piercing point of view in vibrantly inventive language. Every detail stings or sings as he reflects on nature, Appalachia, family, responsibility, love, and endemic social injustice. Kingsolver's tour de force is a serpentine, hard-striking tale of profound dimension and resonance." Likewise, Publishers Weekly characterizes the book as "deeply evocative" and praises "Kingsolver's account of the opioid epidemic and its impact on the social fabric of Appalachia [which] is drawn to heartbreaking effect. This is a powerful story, both brilliant in its many social messages regarding foster care, child hunger, and rural struggles, and breathless in its delivery."

The Madness of Crowds

This is the 17th installment in Louise Penny's  "Inspector Gamache" series. The topic is extremely timely as it addresses how a charismatic speaker can interpret actual (or alternate) facts and convince millions of people to not only believe what they're told but also act on it--even when the actions are legally or morally indefensible. The rights of the most vulnerable members of society and the aftermath of the pandemic are themes that run throughout the story as well. Gamache, as further punishment from the head of homicide at the Surete, is asked to provide security for a university professor of statistics coming to a small local university to give a talk; given that it's the holidays, it seems unlikely that anyone will turn out. When Gamache researches Dr. Abigail Robinson, however, he finds her topic so repulsive that he begs the local university to cancel the event. Dr. Robinson has concluded from her data during the pandemic that we cannot survive unless we eliminate all the non-productive people in our society--the old, the sick, the disabled. Given that Gamache has a granddaughter with Down's syndrome, this is a very personal issue. Dr. Robinson's controversial conclusions have attracted millions of followers and opposition; violence has often accompanied her public appearances. Sure enough, in spite of extensive precautions, someone shoots at Robinson during he talk and she is only saved by Gamache's fast action. Now Gamache's team must investigate an attempted murder. What complicates things further is that, on New Year's Eve, when the village of Three Pines is gathered to celebrate, a successful murder spoils the festivities. However, it is not Robinson who is killed, but rather her loyal friend and assistant. Was she killed by mistake or was she actually the intended victim. As usual, past events and their effects on the human psyche, even years later, become the focus of the investigation. And everyone seems to be hiding big secrets, even people Gamache has known for years. 

Kirkus concludes their review by saying "No one balances tight plotting, compassion for her flawed characters, and a broader vision of humanity like Penny." Similarly, Publishers Weekly offers "Seamlessly integrating debates about scientific experimentation and morality into a fair-play puzzle, Penny excels at placing her characters in challenging ethical quandaries. This author just goes from strength to strength." The New York Journal of Books goes even further: "High emotion is balanced by high intellect and a high level of craft, revealing an author at the top of her game. Don’t be surprised if she receives an award for this one."

Three-Edged Sword

Jeff Lindsay, who wrote the Dexter series, has also created a series featuring Riley Wolfe, who considers himself to be the "world's best thief"--the harder the challenge, the more Riley wants to try and steal it. This is the 3rd installment in that series and, although this book can certainly stand alone, there would be some benefits to reading the 2 previous books to better understand the relationship dynamics between Riley and his partner, art forger extraordinaire Monique, who now lies in a coma. She is the only person Riley cares about besides his mother, who has been in a coma and on life support for years. Riley is rich and can afford to keep then alive and he continues his career of crime just for the fun of it. When he is kidnapped by a ruthless CIA team leader, however, he is not amused. Chase Prescott wants Riley to steal a thumb-drive containing top secret information from a Russian spy who has taken refuge in an out-of-service lighthouse off the coast of Lithuania that now houses his extensive art and documents collections. To ensure Riley's cooperation, Prescott has also kidnapped Monique and Riley's mother. Riley thrives on challenge but not on endangering his loved-ones, especially when their captor would do anything to get what he wants.

Publishers Weekly offers a lukewarm endorsement. "The efforts of FBI agent Frank Delgado and his hacker sidekick, Miranda Shaleki, to locate Wolfe's mother add to the suspense, and the tip of the cap to Edgar Allan Poe at the climax is effectively chilling, but the constant switches in point of view chop up the narrative flow, and the chapters involving Monique distract from the main plotline." Kirkus is more positive, saying: "Lindsay supplies an effortless, weightless supply of complications apparently designed to keep the overscaled enterprise, which has a lot more than three edges, from shutting down too soon. The result is a perfect beach read for anyone bound for the islands of Lithuania."

The Christmas Murder Game

In Alexandra Benedict's very tricky mystery, our protagonist, Lily Armitage, has been estranged from most of her family ever since her mother died --supposedly by suicide-- 21 years ago. She hates the stately home, Endgame House, where the aunt who raised her still lives. When her Aunt Liliana sends Lily an invitation to the annual Endgame House Christmas Game, which this year will award the winner ownership of the house itself, Lily has no interest in returning to, much less owning, Endgame House. But Liliana has also promised to reveal secrets to Lily about the house and about Lily's mother's death. When Lily arrives, she finds her aunt has died but has left their attorney specific instructions and daily clues for the Christmas game which lasts for the 12 days of Christmas. Lily will be confined with her estranged cousins and the housekeeper/cook for the duration without any outside communication. An untimely and sever snowstorm insures that no one will be leaving anytime soon. Lily has always been the cleverest one who could solve the clues in the game, but she doesn't want the house, only the clues. So she solves the riddles but gives the keys to her favorite cousin. However, one by one, her cousins or their partners begin to die and it's clear that--unless an unlikely stranger braved the storm and broke into the house--one of her family members is responsible. 

Publishers Weekly describes the book as a "fun contemporary British country house mystery..." and recommends "Puzzle-loving readers will enjoy searching for anagrams of the gifts mentioned in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and for the titles of 12 of the author's favorite country house mysteries embedded in the text." Kirkus concludes that the puzzle-full mystery is "Super brainy in an appropriately superficial way."

Death in the English Countryside

This is the first in the "Murder on Location" series (followed by 7 more books) by Sara Rosett, who has several other mystery series to her name. The protagonist is Kate Sharp, a Jane Austen aficionado and location scout for movie makers. Her boss in this small organization is Kevin and he has gone off to  England to scout locations for a new version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. When he doesn't return to the office as planned and is not answering his phone, office manager Marci calls in Kate to track him down as she is the only other one at the agency who is aware of Kevin's past bouts with drinking.  With the help of Alex, the local location scout who was working with Kevin, she gathers information on the people who last saw him, but still can find no trace and begins to consider other possibilities. The small town, Nether Woodsmoor, with its golden stone cottages and scattered grand mansions, seems idyllic, but perhaps not as safe and quiet and the residents claim. This was a light and enjoyable read--a perfect cozy well suited to those who love English settings.

Blood Sugar

This is Sascha Rothchild's debut novel, although she is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter and a newspaper/magazine columnist. Her protagonist, Ruby Simon, is characterized as an anti-heroine or unreliable narrator by many reviewers. She is also one you may well end up rooting for --in spite of her occasional bad behavior. According to Ruby, she may be a murderer, but she is not a sociopath--that's up for debate. She loves animals and as an adult has become a successsful psychotherapist with a thriving practice. And the people she killed all deserved to die. But now she has been charged with a murder she didn't commit and all her past sins may come to light. She has lived in Miami Beach all her life and when she is brought in for questioning, word spreads quickly. Everyone believes she killed her husband, spurred on by rumors started by her manipulative mother-in-law. Her life begins to crumble and she becomes isolated and afraid because this detective is not going to let this go whether she is innocent or not. Fortunately, Ruby's former best friend, who is now a successful lawyer, owes her a very big favor and will do everything he can to keep Ruby from going to jail. This was well written and twisty mystery with an intriguing main character.

Kirkus called this "A compelling and entertaining psychological thriller." Publishers Weekly praises her "vivid prose" in this "mesmerizing thriller."

These Precious Days

Ann Patchett is a bestselling author and owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville. I have read a couple of her novels, Bel Canto and Dutch House, but I can't say I'm a huge fan based on those works. A friend loaned me this new (2021) book of essays and I started reading with lukewarm expectations. It is a very autobiographical collection of reflections on everything from knitting to a piece of family furniture, to what she learned from her three fathers, to a treasured friendship with a woman who was dying (the essay that gives its title to the book). As I read further, I became more engrossed and felt she offered me some inspiration for my own life. Two in particular, "My Year of No Shopping" and "How to Practice" helped me set my expectations for the New Year (2023). Reflecting on her role as a bookstore owner touched me as it would everyone who loves to read. She notes that "As every reader knows, the social contract between you and book you love is not complete until you can had that book to someone else and say, Here, you're going to love this." In her essay on How to Practice, she says that downsizing your belongings is a bit like writing vs. editing; you need to focus on one thing at a time, i.e., deciding what to get rid of before you tackle trying to figure out where it will go. Eventually as things were given away, she realized that "The point was no longer making sure that the right person got the right things. The point was that those things were gone" (p. 70).

Publishers Weekly says of the collection, "In this eloquent collection, novelist Patchett ... meditates poignantly--and often with wry humor--on 'what I needed, whom I loved, what I could let go, and how much energy the letting go would take.'" Booklist calls her writing "Mischievously funny and nimbly incisive..." The NYT praises her work, "Patchett’s heart, smarts and 40 years of craft create an economy that delivers her perfectly understated stories emotionally whole. Her writing style is most gloriously her own." And Kirkus says "An enviable life shared with candor, emotion, and knockout storytelling power. "

One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder

I've read several of Brian Doyle's novels, one of my favorite being Martin Marten. This is a posthumous collection of Brian Doyle's essays that I keep on my bedside table to dip into when I need emotional comfort or inspiration. I'll steal a description from the book jacket that calls Doyle's writing "a balm." There is no longer an author web page for Doyle but it's easy enough to find information about him in such works as The Oregon Encyclopedia. I had the pleasure of hearing Brian Doyle speak at the bookstore in Sisters (Oregon) some years back and was just enthralled. He was clearly an extremely observant, funny, and compassionate being who could move the audience from laughter --when telling stories about growing up in a big Irish family or his twin boys for example-- to tears --when he talked about people less fortunate who need our attention and caring. The book itself is dedicated "to the overlooked and misunderstood, to compassion and grace that conquer all division." He focuses our attention on everyday events and helps us see them in new ways that evoke such emotions as joy, wonder, outrage, sadness, ferocity... He loves to play with words in a way that makes me smile--"fistcuffery" being one of my favorites. Some of my favorite essays from this book are:

The Final Frontier --about humility

Testimonio--a diatribe about pompous, preening, narcissistic arrogance (and the importance of humor)

On Not "Beating" Cancer--but instead enduring, surviving, wielding humor if possible, fearing as appropriate, dancing

An Leabharlann--about the value of libraries

The Bullet--against guns, manufacturers, gun defenders

Everyone Thinks That Awful Comes by Itself, But It Doesn't--self-explanatory

God--on finding God all around us

His Listening--among the many fine qualities his dad had, his ability to truly listen was most cherished

Read it and make your own list. Kirkus describes his writing by saying, "Doyle’s spirituality defies categorization. He was raised Catholic and does occasionally draw from that tradition, but his catechism isn’t comprised of doctrine or theology. Rather, ... Doyle employs the ordinary to catch the reflection of a world that is 'still stuffed with astonishments beyond our wildest imagining, which is humbling, and lovely, and maybe the only way we are going to survive ourselves and let everything else alive survive us too.'” Their final recommendation is "This brilliant compendium of spiritual musings will resonate with people of any faith—or of none." The NYT was effusive in their praise, for example: "Doyle was a writer 'made of love and song and amusement.' Every living thing intrigued him and was worthy of his powerful capacity for study and his equally powerful capacity for celebration."

Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine

Janet Evanovich just keeps churning out new installments in the "Stephanie Plum" series. The plots are fairly predictable and the characters have become familiar to her regular readers--I think I have read every one. Still, they are an amusing light read. Stephanie and Lula are concerned when they come to the bail bonds office one Monday morning to find neither Connie nor her regular box of donuts are there. It turns out she has been kidnapped and Stephanie is determined to rescue Connie without anyone else learning that she's been kidnapped. Of course, Lula is along for the ride. When the kidnappers call and demand a coin that was provided as bail for a recently murdered man, things go from bad to worse, because the coin is nowhere to be found. A phone call to Vinnie, who is out of town is no help as he doesn't even remember taking the coin. Stephanie and Lula track down the coin's previous owner to get a description and then head off to a comic book convention to try and find a replacement. When that fails to satisfy the kidnappers, the threats to Connie's well-being escalate. Of course Ranger has to assist with some less than legal information gathering and with keeping Stephanie safe. This time around, more than a car gets destroyed. Publishers Weekly describes the book as "fast and fun," concluding "This fetchingly frivolous entry may not be Evanovich’s best, but it satisfies." Booklist is considerably more enthusiastic as they gush "Irreverent, raucous, bawdy, and always laugh-out-loud hilarious, this is Evanovich at her brilliant best."