After I went to the Buckeye Book Fair on Saturday, the rest of the week has been quiet. I like days that I’m home and can read.
I’m excited about the book I’m reading right now, Loreth Anne White’s The Unquiet Bones. It’s a cold case. Imagine if a classmate disappeared when you were sixteen, and forty-five years later, when bones are found, the police suspect the body might be that of the missing girl. What if you lived with suspicion and lies for all those years, and now you’re sixty-one, with children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, a successful life, and all those suspicions and lies coming flooding back?
Sergeant Jane Munro with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has been relegated to cold cases after a few “episodes” at work. Her fiance is missing, and she’s six months pregnant. She knows what it’s like to wonder what happened to a missing loved one. So, when the body of a female teen is discovered under the floor of an old chapel, her thoughts are immediately for the family who wondered about their missing daughter for years.
While Jane and her team investigate, they’re dealing with a TV reporter who is determined to break news of the ongoing case.
The Unquiet Bones is due out in March, but it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. I’ll remind you again close to release date. It will be available in print, hardcover and paperback, but, if you have KindleUnlimited, it’s available at no cost. As I said, I’ll remind you of this book when it’s about to be released.
What about you? I hope you had a good week. And, I hope you had something good to read. Tell us, please. “What are you reading?”
A very good reading week. Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt. The newest Andy Carpenter book and a very good one. I have read every Andy book and this one was better than the last one from July. If you have read these books there is humor and action and features the same cast.
Next up was Hard Dough by Olivia Matthews, the second in a series set in NYC and features a family from Grenada who run a restaurant in Little Caribbean. I enjoyed it however it was really very much the same mystery as book one with the suspect being from the same family. Hopefully the next book will expand the story.
My third book was Blackmail and Bibingka is by Mia P Manansala.
, the third book in the series. This series is a sheer delight, the family is a hard working one with a great sense if humor. There are no cookie cutter characters and it is a large group. There is a Filipino glossary at the beginning of the books. I highly recommend this author.
Oh, I liked Blackmail and Bibingka, too, Jeannette. As you said, it’s a fun cast of characters.
I’m always happy to hear an author’s current book is better than the last. Good to know about “Twas the Bite Before Christmas.
I love a good reading week.
That book does sound good, Lesa.
I’m back on my “Wednesday night between books” schedule. Earlier today, I finished CASE OF THE BLEUS, the fourth in Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop Mysteries. I really enjoyed getting to watch the characters grow, but the plot was great with a treasure hunt added to the who done it.
Up next will be MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER by Colleen Cambridge. This book takes us to post World War II Paris and features a fictional character teaming up with Julia Child to solve a murder. I have some other first books from the author, so hopefully I enjoy this one and will like her other series.
Mastering the art of French murder sounds good Mark – I love reading about Julia Child.
I’ll be curious to see what you think of Mastering the Art of French Murder, Mark.
Just finished The Unquiet Bones, and it was terrific. Fabulous ending!
There’s a possibility of a “significant” storm here next week, so it’s time to get everything ready for winter. But got quite a bit of reading done too.
Death doulas “provide emotional, spiritual, and physical support at an intensely personal and crucial time. They assist people in finding meaning, creating a legacy project, and planning for how the last days will unfold.” THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER, Mikki Brammer’s debut novel, features a death doula as the main character. Clover is thirty six years old & her entire life revolves around waiting for strangers to die.
I found the topic interesting and the characters believable. The writing is beautiful and full of hope. However the parts about death and the underlying romance never seemed to quite mesh.
Jacqueline Winspear’s non-series THE WHITE LADY
follows retired-spy Elinor White as she is drawn into protecting a neighboring family by taking on organized crime. Set in London in 1947, the character’s backstory begins in 1914 Belgium and takes her through two wars.
From 2012, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT
AFFAIR by Joël Dicker (translated from French).
I read another book by this author earlier in the year and I admire the ingenious layering he achieves. This twisty thriller, a book within a book, features an author crippled by writers block, his mentor and a murder.
Just started the newest entry in Jesse Q Sutanto’s suspenseful rom-com Aunty series VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS. Entertaining.
Thank you, MM, for your comments about The Collected Regrets of Clover. I know I spent quite a bit of time digging into death doulas when I read the reviews of this book. I didn’t read the novel itself, but I was curious.
I do have to find time to read Jesse Q Sutanto’s series.
One of my sisters lives in Vancouver, BC and has a friend with that occupation. Fascinating career choice.
Good morning everyone. It’s a magnificent autumn day here on Deeside – blue skies and sunshine, although the cars were well iced this morning, and I could hear a neighbour scraping his windscreen long before it got light. It’s currently 41F and sleet is forecast over the next few days.
Your book sounds good Lesa, thanks for reminding us about it nearer the time of publication.
I don’t often give up on a book, but I did this week. Antonia Fraser’s COOL REPENTANCE was terrible. I’ve read some of her Jemima Shore mysteries before, and while I’ve never found them outstanding, they’ve been easy reads. This one really plumbed the depths – numerous characters so inadequately differentiated that I could not keep track at all. No character was remotely pleasant, and even the unpleasant ones weren’t interesting or convincing.
When this happens after I’ve read an author’s work in the past, I’m never quite sure if my tastes have changed or the author has just written a very poor book. Fraser would have been published anyway as she has a lot of clout in the arts world, and has written celebrated biographies. Maybe she, like my beloved Amanda Cross, just went downhill after a good start. Anyway, I gave up about a quarter of the way in and will be returning this one to the library this morning.
I think I mentioned India Knight’s DARLING – her update of Nancy Mitford’s THE PURSUIT OF LOVE – before. It’s great, I tore through it and wanted more. Mitford opened a door on the weird family lives of our aristocracy, and Knight hit all the right notes to transfer this to a family whose wealth has come from its patriarch’s rock singing career – but still with more than a nod to the upper classes today, as Sadie (his wife – now his third wife) has come from much ‘better’ stock than Matthew, and the oldest daughter, Louisa, is still intent on (and succeeds in) marrying a duke of the realm and living a Country Life sort of life in the Highlands (and yes, people like that do still live here.) Meanwhile Linda escapes to lead a wild life. modelling and generally knocking around with Merlin, now a fashion designer – until she takes a trip to Paris, and meets Fabrice, the love of her life. Though as her aunt, the Bolter, says sadly at the end ‘Oh my darling one always thinks that….every, every time.’
So now I’ve started another library book, THE AMUSEMENTS by Aingeala Flannery. So far I am really liking this one. It’s set in Tramore, a small town in the deep south of Ireland. Helen lives on a housing estate with her feckless but kind drunk of a father, her sharp no-nonsense mother, and her chancer of a brother, who works in the arcades (amusement halls) and buys dope from a local petty criminal.
Helen’s main aim is to leave Tramore as quickly as she can and go to art college. Her mother simply cannot countenance this, Helen is expected to get a local job and get married. At school (run mainly by nuns) she meets Stella, a maverick spirit who comes from the smarter side of town and gives not a jot about rules and standards. Helen idolises Stella and will do anything to please her.
The story is told from a variety of perspectives, so the first part is about Tipp Phelan, who runs the local caravan park. He employs an unreliable musician from Dublin as a caretaker. Stella visits Daithi in his caravan, and Tipp becomes obsessed with her. Then she disappears.
After Helen, the next section seems to be told from Nancy Swaine’s viewpoint. To Helen, Nancy is the stuck up and meddling mother of Stella, who has made Helen lose her summer job by falsely accusing her of stealing. It is at this point that Helen begins to realise that the town is run by the rich and the church – I thought then of Claire Keegan’s wonderful SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE, which is of course much more serious, but equally well observed, especially about the huge imbalance of power in Irish communities (though maybe it is changing now, as the Catholic church, at least in its old form, loses its sway over younger generations.)
The Amusements is also hilariously funny, Flannery has working class Irish life down to a T. For those who’ve seen it, think Derry Girls with more of a plot. It’s a short book and I’m so pleased I picked it up at random in our library – sometimes it pays to try authors you’ve never heard of, and of course it’s the library that makes this possible.
I had a wonderful day last weekend – the chair of the Friends of our art gallery and I met up to discuss admin things, then we went to see our friend Jon, who is now the manager of Peacock Printmakers, a fantastic organisation that’s about to celebrate its 50th birthday. After chatting with him in their little gallery, we went into the Printmakers itself and Ade Adesina, an artist whom the Friends have supported in the past, and who is now doing very well indeed, kindly gave us an impromptu tour of the building, showing us the printing press, the etching process, the screen-printing facilities and more. He is such a nice man – came to Gray’s College of Art to take a degree, had no money so supported himself by working night shifts at Asda then going straight into the studios in the morning.
He’s now been chosen to have a major exhibition in Edinburgh in 2026, and has had work accepted for the Scottish Royal Academy Christmas show. He’s also just won a £30,000 French art award. And he’s still working away in the workshops every day.
Then we went into the city art gallery, which was hosting a makers’ fair, to chat to an artist who will be running a workshop at our next Friends’ weekend.
We also went to a vegan bakery and café that’s opened on the Castlegate. I’d not been in before and it was great, their breads looked amazing. I remember when one of these opened in Edinburgh years ago, their cakes looked awful – but time moves on, and the ones I saw on Saturday looked delicious.
Art has continued to be a theme this week, as on Monday we had our meeting to make a final decision on the award of three micro-commissions, which are managed by the gallery but financially supported by the Friends. I very much enjoyed the selection process, it was fascinating to see the projects put forward by the thirteen applicants, and I think we made the right decisions in the end.
Then yesterday I went to look at a new exhibition about the history of the granite industry in the north east. That may sound rather dull! But they had made a film with lots of images of the working conditions in the past, with voiceovers from people who had worked in various roles, and of course the personal memories made it all much more interesting.
The largest quarry in the area was at Rubislaw, in the west end of Aberdeen – it was 400 feet deep and only closed in 1971. The working conditions were positively mediaeval, and didn’t improve much over the years. One lady who worked there recalled that her job was to receive the deliveries of dynamite, which she simply had to put in an unlined desk drawer till it was required, whereupon she’d to carry it past two coal fires to pass it on to the men outside. In some quarries the stonemasons worked outside right through our freezing winters, wrapping cut up pieces of old rubber tyres around their fingers for warmth. They had no protective clothing or masks whatsoever.
It has been so lovely to resume my walks since the rain stopped. On Tuesday I walked right up to the top of the hill at the back of Culter, from which there is a fabulous view right across to the Cairngorms. The walk then continues alongside some woodlands, and eventually descends back to the river, which I reached just in time for a glorious sunset – it’s at this time of year that we seem to get the best ones.
On Saturday evening I went down to the river after coming back from town, hoping to get a short walk in daylight – but it was already getting dark at 4.30pm, and when I arrived the river was shrouded in thick fog. It was immensely peaceful, and you could hear every ripple of the water, every rustle of the birds in the trees. Hardly anyone else around. (I did have a torch, but didn’t use it.)
On TV I finished THE LONG SHADOW, about the women murdered by Peter Sutcliffe and the long police investigation that failed to catch him for years. He was eventually arrested by two beat policemen doing routine checks on car number plates, when they realised that his were stolen. They at first had no idea who he really was. The series focused on the women, on their lives and the way that their deaths destroyed their families for decades. Many were single mothers working as prostitutes because that was really the only way they could feed their children, yet the police vilified them and treated them as if they deserved their fate.
The investigation was a shambles, with the detective in charge being totally obsessed with a tape and some letters sent to him from a man purporting to be the killer. This man had a strong Geordie (Newcastle) accent, so the detective told his team to discard any suspect who didn’t have this accent. As we know now, the tape and letters were part of a hoax, but although some people in the team raised this as a distinct possibility, George Oldfield (brilliantly played by David Morrissey) absolutely refused to listen to them. Sutcliffe actually came from Bradford in Yorkshire.
I was shocked to be reminded of the racism, sexism (a black woman victim who survived an attack is yelled at by police – ‘You were on the game! Don’t lie to us!’ [as it happened she was not a sex worker]) and misogyny of those times – although certain UK police forces are probably no better today. The only advice they gave women was ‘stay at home’ – as some of the women said, there was never a suggestion that men should be told to do so. This led to the Reclaim The Night marches that I remember taking place when I was a student. Sutcliffe’s last victim was a student walking home to her halls; she was exactly my contemporary, but at Leeds University.
Last night I started watching PAYBACK, about a woman living a comfortable middle class family life in Edinburgh when her successful accountant husband is knifed to death on the street in front of her. She discovers that he was in fact up to his neck in trouble, money laundering for a terrifying gangster (Peter Mullan, playing his standard scary role, but he does it so well) and also in huge debt – the school fees have not been paid, the house has been remortgaged…. Mullan’s people are now after her, as a vast amount of his dirty money is stuck in an offshore account that only the husband could access. They believe she has the account details (she doesn’t). Meanwhile the police have been tracking Mullan’s activities for some time, and now the trail has led them to the wife’s door.
So it seems promising so far. Have you seen it Jeff?
And now I must go to the library. I hope everyone has a good week and good books.
Rosemary
Rosemary, hi. No, have not seen PAYBACK yet but it is on our list. Mullan always plays those roles, doesn’t he?
We just watched the 3-part 2003 mini-series ALIBI with Michael Kitchen, Phyllis Logan and Sophie Okonedo. We wanted to watch Kitchen in something else after FOYLE’S WAR, but Greg is no Foyle. He has no clue that his partner and his wife (Logan) are having an affair, so when he accidentally kills the partner after the anniversary party he threw for his wife, it looks bad. But for some inexplicable reason, one of the caterers (Okonedo) helps him cover it up. Weird but watchable.
Finished BODIES and I’m glad they wrapped it up in 8 episodes without a cliffhanger.
Still watching SUSPECTS (Fay Ripley, Damien Molony). Series two (of 5) is four 2-part shows. They are London cops.
THE VICTIM (2019) is another Scottish show, with Kelly Macdonald, John Hannah, and yes, Jamie Sives again. Fourteen years ago, Macdonald’s 9 year old son was brutally murdered by a 13 year old boy, who pleased guilty and served 7 years. His identity was changed, but now someone pointed her at Craig Myers (James Harkness), and she has apparently gone online to encourage his murder in revenge. He isn’t dead, and she is now on trial for her crimes. The police say that Myers is NOT Eddie J. Turner (the killer), but one has to wonder if they’d do a four part show without a twist ending where he is.
Jeff, I am going to write all of these series down right now, as every time you mention one I mean to look for it, then of course I forget and waste an hour wandering around Netflix and I-player. Thanks for so many great recommendations.
Yes Peter Mullan does usually play these hard man roles – but one time he didn’t was in the truly wonderful series MUM, with Lesley Manville as Cathy.
Cathy’s husband has died, leaving her to cope with his ancient and difficult parents, her slightly dim son, and his well meaning but naïve partner. Mullan plays her husband’s best friend Michael, a quiet and diffident man who has been in love with Cathy for years. He is concerned about how the rest of the family expect her to do everything for them. Also in the picture are Cathy’s rich but nice brother Derek, and his appalling wife Pauline (Dorothy Atkinson.)
It’s a very gentle comedy, but it’s much more than that – we gradually learn every character’s back story, and realise that they all have reasons for their behaviour. Meanwhile Michael tries to help Cathy, and we all hope they will have a happy ending.
It really is an overlooked masterpiece. I don’t know if you can get it in the US, I’m not even sure it’s streaming here at the moment. If they ever repeat it I will have to remind myself how to work the ancient recorder and make a copy that I can keep.
Rosemary, just looked and it says MUM is streaming on Britbox here, so will check tonight if that is true. Lesley Manville is another one who is in everything lately.
That’s the second time I’ve seen someone mention Payback. The first time, the person raved about it.
Oh, Rosemary. I so appreciate your posts – the combination of books, art, a little history, and your walks. I know others who appreciate them, too, but they’re lurkers, so you’ll never know it. They have told me how much they look forward to your posts.
That’s so nice of you Lesa – when I saw my post after I’d sent it this morning, I was a bit aghast at how long it was. Madeleine (my younger daughter) says she doesn’t read my messages ‘because they’re so long! they have paragraphs! So I do feel a bit bad to see how I’ve rattled on. I’m so glad someone enjoys it!
Rosemary, we’re watching the first episode of Mum now. I see what you mean about the brother’s appalling wife.
Jeff, I do hope you enjoy it. The characters become much more nuanced as the episodes progress, especially the son’s girlfriend, and to a certain extent even the brother’s wife. And Lesley manville’s character is so subtly revealed.
Good morning. I read more this week than I have in a while and liked all of them.
DATING CAN BE DEADLY by Amanda Flower. The latest in her Amish Matchmaker series features a murder at the county fair. I like how she has a crossover with her Amish candy shop series.
HELLO, GOODBYE by Kay Bratt. This is the latest book in her Hart’s Ridge series and it’s definitely not a cozy. It’s loosely set around the true story of a husband and wife who are murdered, leaving three adopted children. The series features the ongoing saga of the dysfunctional Gray family, one of whom is the sheriff’s deputy who’s investigating the crime. This was hard to put down.
SUGAR PLUM POISONED by Jenn McKinlay. The cupcake crew is hired to provide dessert for a singer’s VIP lounge. When the singers manager is murdered Mel and Angie set out to prove she didn’t do it.
I love a good reading week, Sandy. Sounds as if you picked three winners.
I liked Sugar Plum Poisoned too Sandy. I always love it when Angie’s brothers show up.
Good Morning and Happy Thursday at Lesa’s!
I love a good Christmas story.
Christmas at the Lord’s by Hannah Langdon hit all the right notes for me.
Description from NetGalley
URGENTLY WANTED: a nanny for Christmas. Seeking an adventurous nanny to work for the aristocratic Lord family at their country estate. Must love naughty dogs, mischievous children and have a high tolerance for Christmas chaos. Room and board provided.
Penny Windlesham is stunned when her long-term boyfriend suddenly dumps her, leaving her with a broken heart just in time for Christmas. At a loose end, she accepts a job as a short-term nanny to a family she’s never met. Climbing aboard a train bound for the Dorset countryside, a tear rolls down her cheek. Alone, working and amongst strangers… could her Christmas be any less magical?
As she crunches up the family’s frost-covered drive, Penny’s spirits lift when she glimpses her home for the next month: an enormous manor house, its windows glowing with firelight and festooned with twinkling holly. And, as she settles into her role caring for the adorable Lord children, she finds herself surrounded by a quirky cast of characters, including loveably frazzled Spanish chef Pilar and the children’s grouchy uncle, Lando Lord.
Despite Penny’s attempts to avoid him, the darkly handsome Lando seems to be everywhere – hanging around like Scrooge amidst the happy present-wrapping and gingerbread baking. Apparently he wasn’t always this way… is there some secret reason he’s so cranky at Christmas?
When Lando is commissioned to carve a beautiful new Nativity scene for the local church, Penny blushingly agrees to be his model, and a sudden spark flickers between them. But it’s not long before the past comes knocking, and Penny discovers exactly why Lando left his old life behind…
A heartwarming and feel-good holiday story full of Christmas magic! Fans of Beth Moran, Donna Ashcroft and Trisha Ashley will love Christmas with the Lords.
Good morning, Kaye!
I love the sound of Christmas at the Lord’s. I”m going to have to look for this one. Thank you for sharing it!
I had a mixed reading week. I mentioned last week that I was struggling with reading several cozies. Well, I finally finished reading OVERDUE OR DIE by Allison Brook (Haunted Library Mystery Book #7). Ugh, it took me 26 days to read. I used to like this series but it’s the second book that I have had trouble getting through. I’m done.
I had much better success listening to MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by Nina Simon. It certainly doesn’t read like a debut novel. I know Nina wrote the book to help her mother deal with brain tumour surgery & lung cancer, a diagnosis her feisty real-estate mogul Lana Rubicon has to face in the book. I liked this family affair with three strong women (Lana, daughter Beth & granddaughter Jack) morphing into amateur sleuths to solve the murder of Ricardo Cruz, a young man working for a nearby land trust.
Yesterday was I READ CANADIAN DAY so I started reading CUT YOU DOWN by Sam Wiebe (Wakeland PI Book #2). Tabitha Sorenson is a bright, unstable student who disappeared in the aftermath of a scandal involving millions of dollars in college funds. Professor Dana Essex hires Wakeland to find Tabitha, with whom she is obsessed with in a not good way. I love how Sam uses the grittier & lesser known sides of Vancouver in his books.
Sam was one of the authors I saw at the Vancouver Writers Festival. Wiebe’s books have been nominated for Edgar, Hammett and Shamus awards but he is not well known outside of Vancouver. One reason may be because his books were published by a small Western Canada publisher, and are hard to find. I went to 3 Vancouver bookstores before finally buying his most recent books at a B.C. indie bookstore that has been in business for 60 years.
I agree with you, Grace. Twenty-six days on a cozy! I’d be finished with that series, too.
You’re right. Canadian authors are not usually well-known here. Their books are hard to find, and often expensive. I’m glad you made the effort to look for Sam Wiebe’s books.
I’m looking forward to reading the Nina Simon debut. I saw it in the window display of an independent bookstore last month and thought it looked like a possibility.
Grace, thanks for mentioning Sam Wiebe. I have two of his books: LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS and INVISIBLE DEAD, the first book in the the Wakeland series. But I haven’t read either yet. I will get to one of them soon. I hope.
Tracy
Oh gee! I loved going to book fairs but not here and the library book sale prices have gone to the roof here. Can’t afford them. I am envious!
I am enjoying Anne Tyler’s Vinegar Girl which would make a great romantic comedy. She got the idea from Taming of the Shrew but it very original! I have been laughing and loving it so much. Anne Tyler can be clever!
I am done to a few cozies by some favorite authors who wrote books in tiny print. After the merry ride with Vinegar Girl, will try one of them to see if my eyes can stand it.
If you only read one book by Anne Tyler, read Vinegar Girl, you will love it.
Good morning, all. Up and down weather here – warm one day, cold the next – but not too bad for November.
Jackie is finally finishing the Cynthia Eden book she’s been reading (STEP INTO MY WEB), and likes it a lot, but now has three other books lined up on the Kindle:
Heather Graham, Secrets in the Dark
Lora Leigh, In Isabeau’s Eyes
Christine Feehan, Dark Memory
Plus there is the new Paula Munier, which she will read after I finish it.
A question (rhetorical, probably): how do we determine what we read next, and more importantly, how do we decide whether we like a book or not? When Ann Patchett’s new book TOM LAKE came out, it sounded somewhat interesting to me. I’ve never read one of her novels, but I really like her non fiction books, and I like her story, so I put it on hold. It came into the library and I decided to look at it and see if it was the “chick” book it seemed, and the next thing you know I’d read 100 pages (about a third). She’s just a good storyteller and knows how to draw a reader in, at least this reader with this book. In the summer of the pandemic, Lara and her husband are at their family’s cherry orchard in northern Michigan, with their three twenty-something daughters. The daughter want to hear details about her relationship with movie star Peter Duke (who was just starting out then) when she was in her 20s. I like it.
I’ve read all of Allen Eskens’ books since the first, THE LIFE WE BURY (2014), and liked every one of them, even though I could not tell you the plot without looking back at the books. The new some, SAVING EMMA, brings back a past character, Minnesota lawyer Boady Sanden. There are two cases, one personal. He is working for The Innocence Project to get unjustly convicted prisoners released. And his ward Emma, daughter of his former best friend, suddenly wants to sever her ties with him and his wife and go live with her rich aunt. It’s not a surprise (to me, at least) that the stories become entwined. Terrific, fast moving book. You might want to go back and read Boady’s earlier cases, but it is totally not necessary, as the book tells you all the details you need to know. But then, any of his books is a good place to start.
Edward D> Hoch, THE KILLER EVERYONE KNEW. This is the new collection of Captain Leopold stories (originally published between 1981-2000) and includes his second marriage and retirement. Hoch is a master of the mystery short story and every one of his collections is worth your time, though my favorite is the Dr. Sam Hawthorne series.
I mentioned FATHER AND SON last time. Jonathan Raban’s memoir took him a dozen years to write after his 2011 stroke, but he does a nice job with it.
Up next, Paula Munier’s HOME AT NIGHT.
Good morning, Jeff! I’ll be curious to see if you liked Home at Night as much as I did.
I like your rhetorical question. Unfortunately, I usually read whatever is scheduled for review on deadline. But, if I’m reading on my own, I glance through books until something grabs me. Or, I have time, and can finally read something I’ve been waiting to read. I have no answer for how do we decide if we like it or not. If I don’t want to put a book down, I know I’m liking it. But, I have no definitive answer for that one.
I’ve only read one of Allen Eskens’ books, but his writing in that was beautiful. Nothing More Dangerous (Boady Sanden as a teen) was my favorite book of 2019.
Jeff, I’m like Lesa – I’m usually awash with review books, and if I’ve caught up with them (hahaha) I have things like our ‘(year) club’ books – the next year we are doing is 1937, and I have already found a few to pick from. Then there are the books I borrow from the library in the (often vain) hope that I’ll get around to them. Plus I try to write themed stuff for the gallery.
I was just thinking about how, when I was a young child, I used to spend all of the holidays reading anything I wanted to, with frequent trips to the library, and occasional visits to WH Smiths when I had enough money to buy a new paperback. We did not have places like Waterstones and Blackwell’s then.
As to how I decide if I like something, I suppose if I find myself bored or very confused, I know I’m probably reading the wrong book. That Antonia Fraser Jemima Shore mystery was a case in point. I was bored, I wasn’t interested in any of the characters, and I found I very difficult to remember who was who. By contrast, this Aingela Flannery book is so good I want to keep reading it and not do all the other things I need to do, and the characters are so well drawn that I’m having no trouble in remembering which one is which. Same with ‘Darling.’
Good morning! I decided not to go walking with the group this morning–too cold–so I didn’t post last night. It continues to be a fun week at the theater. Last Friday my daughter-in-law and I saw the national tour of On Your Feet (the Gloria Estefan story) at the local Harris Center, and on Tuesday night I accompanied a friend to a theater in Sacramento for Ain’t Too Proud (the Temptations story). Great music at both, as you can imagine. This Friday I’ll go back to the Harris Center alone to see Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard in concert–it’s been 20 years (!) since they came in first and second on the second season of American Idol. I saw Clay on Broadway in Spamalot in 2008. My reading seems to be slowing down for some reason, but I did finish three books this week.
The adventures of intrepid female private detectives Pentecost and Parker continue in 1947 NYC in the 4th mystery in the series, MURDER CROSSED HER MIND by Stephen Spotswood, a worthy successor to the first three. Lillian Pentecost is slowed physically by her multiple sclerosis, but her mind is as razor-sharp as ever, and her reputation is unmatched. Willowjean (Will) Parker has worked with her boss for several years now, and her troubled childhood and years of experience with a traveling circus have equipped her with street smarts and physical adeptness. The pair go all in when local defense attorney Forest Whitsun hires them to investigate the disappearance of a remarkable old woman. Perseverance (Vera) Bodine has an unparalleled memory for everything she has ever seen or heard, which made her indispensable and lucrative to the law firm where Whitsun first worked. Since Vera retired and became a self-imposed shut-in and hoarder, Whitsun has looked in on her frequently but is alarmed when she no longer answers the door. Thus begins the type of investigation Pentecost & Parker are known for–highly detailed, analytical, intuitive, and daring–involving the FBI, a high-visibility law firm, a former fortune teller, a war criminal, and other assorted supporting characters. It’s a dangerous escapade with a satisfying payoff at the end. We also get more glimpses into the detectives’ personal lives, especially Will’s concerns about a deadly past experience, a humiliating mugging, and her obsession with her new girlfriend, and something as yet unrevealed that has deeply disturbed Lillian. There are clearly unresolved issues as the book ends, including the outcome of a couple of of other cases. The author apologizes in the Acknowledgments for ending the book in a cliffhanger, but I don’t mind at all. It makes me look forward to the next installment, as the author promises, “The stakes are about to get raised for our heroines.” Bring it! (December)
Hotel coworkers Izzy and Lucas couldn’t be more different in the latest contemporary romance from Beth O’Leary, THE WAKE-UP CALL. When forced to work the same shift, their personalities clash. British Izzy is very gregarious and wears her heart on her sleeve, while Brazilian import Lucas is buttoned up and critical. But both are committed to saving the hotel from the financial ruin which could be imminent. They decide to sell off some of the more valuable items in the hotel’s lost and found, and Izzy has the bright idea of researching who might have left behind various engagement and wedding rings at the hotel, possibly years ago, When she finds one who unexpectedly gives the hotel a high-dollar reward in return, they feel they might be on to something. Throughout at all, it’s obvious to the reader that they are attracted to each other, but Lucas has laughingly rebuffed an advance from Izzy the previous year, and she has never forgiven him. It’s also frustratingly obvious that Izzy and Lucas could quickly break down their barriers by just communicating with each other, which drags down the story until the later chapters. Much more engaging are the secondary characters–other coworkers and management at the hotel and supportive friends. Thanks to them, I stuck with the story until the ultimately rewarding conclusion. My favorite O’Leary novel is still her first, The Flatshare.
I’d heard so much about Claire Keegan’s SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, among others, and I was thrilled to finally get a long-awaited copy from the library. One reviewer stated that the book is about “quiet heroism,” and that really sums it up for me. In 1985 in a small Irish town, Bill Furlong sells coal and timber to the locals. His family, which includes his wife and five daughters, is better off than many of the townspeople, with the oldest girls going to Catholic school and two others taking accordion lessons, but whether they will have enough money to replace their drafty windows this year is not a certainty. Bill likes to help out his friends and colleagues whenever he can, and when he confronts something evil while delivering coal to the nearby convent and laundry, he can’t look away. Is he willing to risk alienating the powerful Catholic church to do what he knows is right, even as his neighbors advise strongly against it? This is a short book–118 pages in the version I read–but every word resonates. Bill and Eileen’s careful consideration of one Christmas present for each of the girls, based on their letters to Santa, is just one example of how one of the “small things” of the title can be rich with emotion and significance. There’s a bit of a Christmas theme as well. Highly recommended.
Margie, I love Small Things Like These – such a beautiful, shocking story. And as I have probably mentioned before, I can confirm from having visited rural Ireland many times in the 1980s that Keegan has every detail exactly right.
Good to know, Rosemary. Thanks!
Margie, I remember you telling me about your Clay Aiken tickets, and I had him completely confused with 90’s country star Clay Walker!
I love Claire Keegan’s books, Margie. I like the endings, sometimes unresolved, leaving the reader to make up their own mind. Powerful, short books. I agree with you. Highly recommended.
Theater sometimes gets in the way of reading, but I don’t mind at all. As with Rosemary, and her art and music, I think theater goes hand-in-hand with our books. Enjoy all your opportunities!
Good morning from a rainy and wet NE Dallas.
Just checked on NetGalley and they have pulled Loreth Anne White’s The Unquiet Bones. So much for that idea.
Heard a lot of good things about Payback. Have yet to watch it, but it is on my list.
Current read is THE PERP WORE PUMPKIN. Edited by Jay Hartman, the charity anthology is raising funds for Second Harvest. Publisher sent me a copy.
I can think of a lot of things I’d like to do with pumpkin, Kevin. (blech)
Rainy & wet! That’s a change for you.
Only two books this week for me. The Beginning of Everything by Jackie Fraser. After loving her first book, I was disappointed by this one. It’s mostly a character study but I had a hard time buying the premise. Jess has run to Wales to escape an abusive relationship and finds an empty house to squat in. Gethin is the buyer of the house and when he discovers Jess, he allows her to stay. She ends up helping him decorate it and their friendship becomes closer. I didn’t really see the chemistry between the two but there were lots of 5 stars so it might have just been me.
My second book was The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman. It’s been discussed here many times. Like everyone else, I just loved it and can’t wait for the next one.
We are starting Payback after we finish Bodies tonight.
After a record high of 79 degrees in Cincinnati yesterday, we are back to more November temperatures today. We had a delicious breakfast out at Toast and Berry and a fun trip to Jungle Jim’s where I came home with more items than necessary.
Have a great day and Happy Reading!
Someday, Sharon, I’m going to make a trip to Cincinnati to see the hippos at the zoo and Jungle Jim’s.
The Last Devil to Die was terrific, wasn’t it?
It’s starting to feel like fall here, as the cool mornings are getting cooler. Hunting seasons are going on, so you gotta be alert on your walks.
This week I read:
A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly; I burned out on these WWII yarns, but this one kept me interested as the setting didn’t completely take over the novel. When a young mystery fan is hired as a typist, she shoe horns herself into the investigation run by the handsome, and oh so mysterious agent. Oh and they’re all basically living in an underground bunker.
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith; Yeah, yeah, 10 years after everybody else has read it. I was surprised by how much like an old fashioned pulp mystery all these short stories resembled. I liked it more than I thought I might.
“Tis The Season To Feel inadequate by Dorothy Rosby; Dave Barry/Erma Bombeck type stuff here, as the author writes humorous essays about most holidays, (she skips the Colombus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ day controversy), and never once mentions the drunken uncle.
Good Talk…Good Talk… by Ginny Andrews; A woman completely taken over by anxiety writes about her life. It’s funny, but I couldn’t help thinking somebody like this should not be a teacher.
Shaping The Future of Education by Nolan Bushnell; A tech billionaire tells us about his dreams for improving the education system. Some good ideas, but the teacher’s unions are going to give him a rude awakening.
Everyone thinks they can redo education, don’t they? What was wrong with the solid education I got when I was in school – all the basics, including cursive, and I learned to read. Emphasis on reading and phonics. (sigh)
I never read The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, so I’m behind you on that one.
I read the first 8 or so books in the series. I think you’d really enjoy the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Lesa. HBO did a was series. I’m only sorry they didn’t do a second after Dominic Minghella died.
Hi everyone, it has been a quiet week for me. The high point was definitely HOME AT NIGHT (Mercy Carr #5) by Paula Munier. The author does it all well–good characters you learn a little more about each time, a plausible plot, evocative descriptions of Vermont, a clever mystery and really great quotes as a bonus. For some reason I didn’t finish Amy Chua’s THE GOLDEN GATE but I’ll give it another try.
Trisha, Home at Night was better than The Golden Gate. I wouldn’t bother going back.
Last weekend we went to the local bookstore, Chaucer’s. They were having a 20% off sale and I bought five books that I did not need. My best find was the second book in a fantasy series by Robin Hobb, ROYAL ASSASSIN. This edition was in a print size I can read, although it is a huge book, close to 700 pages long. Glen limited himself to two. One of Glen’s was DEAR CALIFORNIA: The Golden State in Diaries and Letters, which sounds like a good read.
This week, I finished THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers. It is a space opera. To get away from an unhappy event in her past, Rosemary Harper (not her real name) joins the small crew of a ship that creates tunnels through space for faster travel. She is the clerk, taking care of ordering and forms and such. Some of the crew is human and others are various types of aliens. I liked the various aliens and their different gifts, needs and culture. The author did a great job with all the characters. The book is about 450 pages long and it took me a while to get through it, but I enjoyed it a lot and have already gotten the second book in the series (one of the books I got at Chaucer’s).
I read another science fiction book, ROGUE PROTOCOL, the third novella in the Murderbot Diaries series, by Martha Wells. It was a fast read, and I liked it a lot. Now I am reading a middle grade book, THE VANDERBEEKER’S OF 141ST STREET (set at Christmas).
Glen is still reading SHADOWLANDS: A JOURNEY THROUGH BRITAIN’S LOST CITIES AND VANISHED VILLAGES. He likes the topic but the writing is dry; he will finish it today.
Tracy, I need to try Murderbot sometime. I think I’d like it, and someone else told me I would.
How could you go to such a sale, and not buy books? There’s nothing wrong with that.
I like Glen’s eclectic taste in books.
Lesa, Glad you are getting some down time. I am currently reading Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom and listening to A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connelly
I needed some downtime, Katherine. Heading out soon, though. Going to dinner at my sister’s when I finish tomorrow’s blogging.
Just finished None of This Is True, by Lisa Jewell. Certainly is well titled.