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 After she's passed over for a promotion, Dorn discovers the manuscript of an unpublished Flambeau novella by Green.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.

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."