I’ll be late signing on today to read the comments. My best friend, Donna, has been here this week, and she’s heading home sometime today. We’ve had a wonderful time. We toured a historic home, the Kelton House, here in Columbus. We had dinner at my sister’s with her and her son. On Tuesday, we had lunch at Delaney’s Diner in Groveport, went to the gorgeous Wagnalls Memorial Library in Lithopolis (named after the Wagnalls family of Funk and Wagnalls), and ended the afternoon at Gramercy Books in Bexley. Wednesday, my sister met us to go to the Titanic exhibit at COSI (Center of Science and Industry), followed by dinner at Woodbury’s, and then off to hear the author Anne Lamott. Since I’m writing this Wednesday morning, it’s before the Wednesday events. Just a good time with a great friend. And, two of those evenings ended with Celtic Thunder dvd marathons.
So, I haven’t read anything this week. Before Donna arrived, I did finish Anne Lamott’s Somehow: Thoughts on Love. I’m not going to review it, much too complex. But, it was wonderful if you’re a fan of the author.
What about you? Did you find something good to read this week?
It was one of those weeks when I had “games with the girls” three days in a row–it depends on when the first of the month hits during the week. So . . . Crazy Rummy, Hand and Foot, and Rummikub. And I’ve been invited to sub at a game of Samba on Friday. We also went out to seafood restaurant for younger son Zach’s 41st birthday. This week I’ve been finishing up the May issue of my newsletter for Sisters in Crime NorCal. Oh, and I also met on Zoom with someone I’m mentoring in Toastmasters. And I picked up my two new pairs of glasses yesterday and am getting used to them. I managed to finish three books this week and I’m almost finished with a fourth.
Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell Mysteries are named after the book’s narrator, who has a singular way of speaking that evokes her unique perspective on life in the Victorian era. But I wish Veronica’s lover’s name, Stoker (short for Revelstoke Templeton-Vane), were also part of the series title because it is this intrepid duo that makes the stories rich and fascinating. Victoria is a lepidopterist by occupation and by avocation–an expert on butterflies who loves her work. Dashing Stoker was a British Navy surgeon, now working as a taxidermist, and both are also employed to catalog Lord Rosemarron’s massive collection of artifacts and oddities, a never-ending task. In A GRAVE ROBBERY (8th in the series), Stoker aims to implant a wax figure with a mechanism that will make her appear to be breathing–for the pleasure of the Lord’s young daughter–when he discovers that the beautiful female figure is actually the well-preserved body of a young woman who apparently met a cruel end. Before Veronica and Stoker can stop the culprit responsible for her death, there is another murder, and the pair has to venture into a world where some would do anything to revive the dead, even if it ends in madness. I think this book is one of the best in this outstanding series, not just for the propulsive plot but also for the beauty and cleverness of Raybourn’s writing and her perfect portrayal of an extraordinary couple who don’t conform to society’s rigid expectations and, in the course of eight books, have formed a deeply romantic and lasting relationship that rings true with this reader.
Abby Jimenez’s newest book, JUST FOR THE SUMMER, starts out like a rom-com but ultimately becomes something much more serious, resulting in a story that is both entertaining and deeply affecting. Software engineer Justin and traveling nurse Emma, both in their late twenties, each have a love life that appears to be cursed. Every time either one breaks up, their ex goes on to meet their soulmate immediately thereafter. Finding each other on the Internet, the pair devises a scheme to break both curses by having a summer romance with each other, then breaking up to find their own soulmates. Emma and her roommate move to Minnesota for their next 6-week assignment, and she and Justin cautiously launch their game plan, surprised to find more of a spark than they had expected. But real life interferes with their plans, as Emma’s neglectful and unpredictable mother reappears to wreak havoc, and Justin has to take over with his three younger siblings when his mother is away for an extended period. Readers will root for Justin and Emma to overcome their problems, but Emma can’t sem to get past her troublesome childhood to open her heart to anyone. I was impressed with the way the author skillfully and sensitively handled some very serious mental health issues, making the tension excruciating. At the same time, she created some engaging and layered characters to savor–especially Justin, his children, and Emma’s supportive roommate. Emma herself is heartbreakingly portrayed and realistic. Jimenez’s books have become must-reads for me, and this one is memorable for breaking new ground in her writing.
‘Once again, in THE BURNING, the 16th book in Linda Castillo’s excellent Kate Burkholder mystery series, it all starts with an unthinkably brutal murder, and we spend the rest of the book learning about the murder victim and the numerous characters who had reason to hate him enough to kill him. Milan Swanz was Amish before he was excommunicated because of continued bad behavior. He has four children but is divorced from his wife, and he’s been fired from his regular job, picking up handyman gigs wherever he can. He drinks too much and has a volatile temper. But did he deserve to die in this horrific way? Kate, the police chief for Painters Mill, Ohio hasn’t been a part of the Amish community for years, but she is respected by them and can often get them to provide information that no one else outside the community can. When one of her brothers becomes a person of interest in the murder and Kate is relegated temporarily to a desk job to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, she can’t help getting more involved than she should. Her new husband, an agent with the state’s bureau of criminal investigation, who is also called in on the case, fears for her safety because he knows Kate’s commitment to finding the truth often puts her in harm’s way. The author has put together a compelling and propulsive story, in which we learn more about Amish culture and history, and where action scenes are explosive and harrowing. Linda Castillo is a master in this genre, and she has created a protagonist that has grown and evolved throughout the series. I hope there are more series entries to come. (July) By the way, the author “liked” my Goodreads review of the book the day after I posted it there–nice!
You had a busy week,Margie, and still managed to find time to read! I read the Veronica Speedwell, and agree. I thought it was one of the best in the series. And, I liked The Burning. I don’t see that series ending soon. Abby Jimenez is a favorite of my sister’s.
That’s great that Linda Castillo liked your post.
I took it a little easy this weekend. Next weekend, I’m taking someone to several doctor appointments that are a 50 mile drive or so.
The NFL Draft is tonight. Back in the day, I used to get Sports Illustrated, the late, lamented Sport Magazine, The special Draft predictions from The Sacramento Bee and the San Francisco Chronicle, and follow along, noting where each publication got picks right or wrong. I guess those were some of the halcyon days of yore.
This week I read:
XenoPsychology by Scott Flagg; There’s a lot of riding it around the corral before coming to the point that ET’s might well have completely different psychologies from humans, depending on the conditions of the planet they are from.
Blood on the moon by Luke Short; One of the first Noir westerns, but not as hard as some of the Frank and Jesse James Dime Novels I read. Great movie with Robert Mitchum.
Coyote Bird by Jim DeFelice; Back in the days Japan Inc. was going to take over the world, the crafty devils develop a drone plane our heroic ace has to defeat. With a little work, we could have had a G-8!
Single Cruise by George Vorre; The description called it a mystery, but it was a Hen-Lit novel, with no corpses. It was sort of like an episode of Love Boat without Isaac.
Roll Call: The ABC’s of Surviving and Thriving in Today’s Schools by Marcy Cassidy; This book just made me sad. It’s amazing how few people take education seriously in this country. Sometimes, the whole thing seems like a scam to get piece of paper at the end so you can get a job, not an institution of learning and instruction. George Washington barely went to school, but was able to become a surveyor. I wonder how many college graduates couldn’t manage the job even with all the modern computer aid.
There’s so much about today’s education, Glen, that makes me sad, and I haven’t even read Roll Call. I spent less on my entire undergrad than students spend in one year, now. And, of, course, so much more about the education itself. Just tragic, and the lack of value placed on it! I guess I could go on too long.
I’m about a third of the way into Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg. It’s about two fire investigators and a conman who get swept up in a massive wildfire. I’m about a third of the way into it, and I’m enjoying it. It’s set up, but it’s good set up. Lee is a master at keeping that moving and interesting.
I agree. Mark. I believe that Lee is going to bring the MALIBU BURNING cops together with his other current cop, Eve Ronin, in a forthcoming book.
Jeff’s right. His arson cops are coming together with Eve Ronin and her partner in the next book. Lee Goldberg’s books are so enjoyable.
My mom spent a week in the hospital and then moved into rehab two days ago. And yesterday my niece and SIL came from out of state to visit for a few days so we spent part of the day picking them up and taking them to see my mom. And we’re still working on cleaning out her house so we can sell it.
I finished WHAT COMES AROUND by Annette Dashofy, the latest in her Zoe Chambers series. County coroner, Zoe, and her police chief husband, Pete, have to untangle a web of seemingly unrelated cases, including a brutal murder. The book was hard to put down which was exactly what I needed. It’s also the second book in the series that I’ve been a character in and it’s still a bit weird reading a book and seeing my name in it.
I’m sure it’s weird to be reading along, and come across your name, Sandy!
I hope your Mom is doing okay. Sure it’s tough on all of you. Take care of yourself!
I have my uncle (my mother’s baby brother, so only eight years older than I am) and my aunt (younger than I am!) arriving in an hour to stay for four days as part of their four-week Europe trip, so this will be a short post. It would be short anyway since I’m hooked on two series that I’m catching up with, so I’m not reading much else. That means I’m currently listening to the third book in the Slough House series, REAL TIGERS, by Mick Herron, and reading BROKEN GROUND by Val McDermid, which is the fifth Karen Pirie book. I realize both of these series have been made into TV programs, but I haven’t watched them yet. Don’t want to spoil my reading Has anyone seen either of them? Any opinions?
Enjoy your family visit, Kim! I think Jeff might have seen one or the other series.
Enjoy family!
Good morning everyone,
It’s sunny here but still really cold, I’ve already been fooled into going out without enough layers on once, so today I am not taking any chances.
Your time with Donna and your family sounds great Lesa, no wonder you hadn’t time to read much! And I know what you mean about not reviewing the Lamott book – some books are just too hard to review, no matter how much we loved them. I hope the author event was good, I’m sure it would be. I have just signed up for a Crime Writers’ Association event at our central library – four authors – AJ Liddle, Adam Oyebanji, Marsali Taylor and Lydia Travers – will talk about their work. It’s something of a coup for Aberdeen to attract as many authors as this in one go, so i snapped up a ticket before they ran out.
This week I finished reading Bonnie Garmus’s LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, which I enjoyed very much. It’s rare to find a novel that highlights important social and political issues while still telling a good page-turning story, so that you never feel you’re being forced through a history lesson. It’s also very funny, and includes a wonderful dog (who doesn’t die at the end – I had to check that before I started…) I’m always a bit wary of books that have had so much hype, but this one certainly deserved it.
I’m now reading THE MAGPIE MURDERS by Anthony Horowitz. I saw the TV adaptation (with Lesley Manville and Tim McMullan) a while ago and enjoyed it, and so far the book is also very good. I’m not far in, so at the moment I’m reading the ‘book within a book’ – ie the novel by the author who’s disappeared. It’s 1955 and a funeral is about to take place in Saxby. The vicar is trying to think of nice things to say about the deceased, but is coming to realise that not many people actually liked her – she was the village busybody. I’m reading this book partly for prompt #47 in the 52 Book 2024 Challenge, ‘self-insert by the author’. I’m not entirely sure that The Magpie Murders fits this properly, but if not I plan to re-read one of my Barbara Pym novels, in which ‘a lady author’ is sitting at a table in a restaurant where the main protagonists dine – the ‘lady author’ being Pym herself.
I returned the Jeffrey Archer short story collection to the library Lesa, but unfortunately they don’t have NOT A PENNY MORE, NOT A PENNY LESS anywhere in the system. I will look for it when I next visit some charity shops. So of course I couldn’t leave empty handed, though I felt I was very self-disciplined in only borrowing two (more) books.
A FORTUNATE WOMAN by Polly Morland was inspired by John Berger’s A FORTUNATE MAN, which was about a country doctor in an English village some years ago. Morland discovered that a woman had more recently had a similar career in her own (late) mother’s village. The book has been widely praised so we will see.
The second book I borrowed is THE READING CURE: HOW BOOKS RESTORED MY APPETITE by Laura Freeman. Freeman first developed anorexia as a teenager. She credits reading about food in novels as one of the things that helped her recover. As a premise I am not at all convinced by this, but I will be interested to see what she has to say. She is a very high achiever – double First from Cambridge, now a journalist for many prestigious newspapers and journals – in fact she has every classic trait of an eating disorder sufferer. The book was on a display for World Book Night, otherwise I’d never have heard of it. World Book Night is also something I have my doubts about.
On television I have just finished re-watching the first series of BLUE LIGHTS so now can re-start the second series and not have to struggle to remember what came before. It was well worth a second viewing, it is so well written and acted. None of the actors is especially famous, but they are, without exception, excellent. I am also continuing with RACE ACROSS THE WORLD, which is engaging fun.
Last night we went to the Tivoli Theatre to see a show by Jack Docherty, the actor who plays the hopelessly incompetent (but very confident) inspector in the spoof fly-on-the-wall police documentary SCOT SQUAD. This show was not about that, but instead about his lifelong obsession with David Bowie, and all the trouble this got him into as a schoolboy in a working class home in 1970s Edinburgh. It was very funny. He took us through his first sight of Bowie on Top of the Pops (which his authoritarian grandfather immediately banned him from watching…), his first love of a girl from a wealthy family who was also a Bowie fan (and how she evenutally ‘betrayed’ him with the class thug, who later became a major criminal), his first concerts, his experiences with cannabis and Ecstasy, and his eventual hosting of a TV chat show on which Bowie was a guest. This was originally an Edinburgh Fringe show, so it was quite short and we enjoyed it.
Today I’m going to visit my friend Sue. We usually meet at Crathes Castle so that she can walk her spaniel, but this time she asked me if I would mind going over to her house (in the middle of nowhere) as ‘the kids are still quite small’ – for one moment I thought she meant her children, the youngest of whom must be 23 – then I remembered that her goats had just had babies. So I will be seeing the new arrivals, and hopefully also getting a walk nearby. I have made some walnut biscuits to repay her for all the eggs.
I’d best get going now. I hope everyone has a great week.
And Lesa, Charlie’s prospective playmate is – according to the breeder – now the largest in the litter ‘and growing every day’ – so I don’t think we need to worry about him being bullied by Charlie…..I just hope it doesn’t turn out to be the other way round!
Rosemary, thanks for recommending BLUE LIGHTS. We’re halfway (3 of 6 watched) through the first series (the only one we have so far) and it is very good. Most familiar name is John Lynch (head of the crime family. He and/or his sister Susan seems to be in pretty much every northern Ireland series.
We finally finished MUM, by the way. Can’t believe it took three series and 18 episodes until she finally told off her brother’s awful girlfriend Pauline.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying Blue Lights Jeff. Hold on to your seats in epsiode 5, it’s a real shocker.
And I agree, the actor who plays the head of the crime family did look familar; I’ve just looked him up (and discovered that whilst his father was Irish, his mother was Italian, which no doubt accounts for his striking appearance, which is not traditionally Irish at all) – he was in In The Name of The Father, Cal, Moll Flanders, Some Mother’s Son, and also many TV shows, including Peak Practice, Shetland, The Musketeers and Spooks. Most memorably for me, he was Nemo in the excellent BBC adaptation of Bleak House.
I hope you enjoyed Mum too? I agree that it took an awful long time for Cathy to stand up to the awful Pauline, but one of the many strengths of the series was the way in which every character was so nuanced. I loved the way in which we learned more about Kelly, Jason’s ostensibly ditzy girlfriend, and even Pauline had some kind of a back story. And wasn’t Peter Mullan a revelation as Michael?
Rosemary, The author event was even better than I expected. Anne Lamott does not really like to be out in public,, but she was wonderful with the audience of about 400. You can tell, though, that she would have preferred to be home on the couch with her dogs, as she said. She was wonderful.
Did you see the first three they’ve cast for the movie of The Thursday Murder Club? Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim, and Pierce Brosnan as Ron. Joyce hasn’t been cast yet. I’ll go see that one, and my sister said she’d go with me. She loved the books. Of course, it will be at least a year since they’re still casting.
I haven’t heard of The Reading Cure, but I’m looking forward to your opinion.
Oh, Charlie. He may have met his match.
Lesa, I love that casting! We both said Helen Mirren was perfect for Elizabeth. But let’s see who plays Joyce, and also Bogdan.
I agree, Jeff. Can’t wait to see it!
Oh I can empathise with Anne Lamott about that! Although I am frequently out, I’m always glad to get back to my own sofa.
I must be one of the few people who hasn’t read any of the Richard Osman books! I do have at least the first one, so I really must have a go at it. Helen Mirren is always wonderful in anything, isn’t she? And I loved Piers Brosnan in Mama Mia. Ben Kingsley is also a great actor.
Forgot to say, Rosemary, that Lessons in Chemistry was my sister’s favorite book the year it came out. She recommended it to everyone. Of course, that means I haven’t read it yet.
Lesa I’m glad you had such an enjoyable week of adventures and good company. Delightful weather here, not too hot or too cold with plenty of sunshine. A bit of rain snuck in Wednesday with more expected over the next few days.
I listened to my first Phaedra Patrick book, THE MESSY LIVES OF BOOK PEOPLE from 2022. Thanks to Margie for the suggesting the author. I shared the suggestion with my sister for a well told feel-good story.
If you haven’t read Dervla McTiernan yet you’re missing some great storytelling. Don Winslow describes her as “a wickedly gifted writer”.
Her fifth novel, WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA?, is topical and wonderfully suspenseful, with the theme of how far would a parent go for their child?
And from earlier this year, THE BUSY BODY by Kemper Donovan, updates the traditional murder mystery with a large dose of humor. Full of twists and an unlikely detective character, it’s an entertaining read.
“…the questions roiling like so much milk in my butter churn of a brain.”
MM, I interviewed Kemper Donovan as part of a panel before The Busy Body came out. Such an interesting man! I enjoyed the book, too.
Donna left half an hour ago. We had a wonderful visit.
Oh Lesa, such memories of Funk and Wagnall encyclopedia on our bookshelf at home when I was growing up. Many a book report was done by referencing their contents. I had to go and search for an image on Google this morning just to get a “fix” – their green binding with gold lettering and embossing certainly seemed to advertise that their contents held a world of knowledge.
This week, thanks to a NetGalley ARC, I read “An Art Lover’s Guide to Murder and Paris”, by Dianne Freeman. It’s 1900 and Paris is hosting the World’s Fair. Frances Wynn, and her husband George, haven’t had a proper honeymoon yet, so when George’s Aunt Julia reaches out to him that she may need his assistance with investigating a friend’s murder in Paris, they are soon packing their bags, hoping to combine work and play. Another enjoyable book in the Countess of Harleigh series. Dianne Freeman does a fabulous job of making the reader feel the excitement of the Exposition, with her deft descriptions of its sights and sounds. A variety of characters add to the excitement and mystery, including Aunt Julia, her murdered former lover, artist Paul DuCasse, Alicia Stoke-Whitney (the former lover of France’s deceased husband), Julia’s daughter Lissette (who turns out to be Paul’s love child), Gabrielle DuCasse (Paul’s wife), Christine (Lissette’s caretaker when Julia is traveling) and a new head of police to exasperate with France’s constant interference into the murder investigation. Fashionable Victorian parties, bohemian artist communities, and a World’s Fair provide a wonderful backdrop for this latest who-dunnit.
I also listened to “ The Memory of Lavender and Sage”, which has been reviewed here a few times. I thought that it was just okay. A bit formulaic in how it unfolded, and perhaps too magical for my taste.
That’s funny, Mary, because Donna said the same thing about Funk and Wagnalls. She said it was one set her father bought when she was young, and she was the only one in the family to pore over it. She said her husband said the same, that his father never bought books, but did buy that set, and he loved them.
Like you, I enjoyed An Art Lover’s Guide. The setting was wonderful! Freeman did such a good job with that book.
Having discovered these from one of your reviews, I am on my second Birder Murder Mystery.
I’m glad you found a series you like, Ann!
Good morning. Love that stone building. Weather has been up and down again – 72 yesterday, 20 degrees cooler today. At least the sun is out and no rain. Not a lot of excitement here, but that’s OK too. Got more reading done.
Jackie is reading (and really seems to be enjoying) her latest Christine Feehan book, LOEOPARD’S HUNT.
A friend reviewed a trio of three “Paranoid Fifties” science fiction books, and I realized I hadn’t read one of them, so did – Philip K. Dick’s Time Out of Joint, which took its title from a line in HAMLET. It is 1959. Ragle Gumm lives with his sister & brother in law (who works in a supermarket), and brings in money by constantly winning a newspaper contest identifying “where the little green man will land next.” But something is off. No one has heard of Marilyn Monroe. UNCLE TOM’S CABIN is a newly published book. Yet, most of the world seems as we remember in – Dwight Eisenhower is President, the Russians are our main enemy/rival. Every once in a while, Ragle gets a kind of deja vu feeling that something is off and things are not what they seem. Eventually we learn (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!) that indeed, they are not. It is really 1997 and Ragle is really saving the Earth from missiles from the Moon. (END SPOILER) It’s no MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE (Dick’s most famous book), but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
I mentioned the previous Galway-set book by Ken Bruen last time, and now I’ve caught up with his latest Jack Taylor book, Galway Confidential, which seems to have borrowed some of the previous plot (Jack waking from a coma, etc.) in the new story, otherwise the formula as usual. Psychos are on the loose in Galway, killing people. A couple of people come to Jack Taylor for help, but he can’t seem to get a handle on things and eventually becomes a target himself. More people (here, nuns and homeless men) are brutally murdered. People close to Jack are in danger (and not all survive). There are plenty of literary and cinematic references. Lots of Jameson’s is drunk. Eventually it comes to a partly satisfactory end. The books are all short and all fast reads. My biggest problem with this one was the same as the recent Steven Havill book I read – both have TINY fonts and that make it really hard for these old eyes to read. If you can get them on a Kindle, do so.
Whispers of the Dead is Peter Tremayne’s second collection (I haven’t read the first) of Sister Fidelma stories. She’s a brilliant lawyer in 7th Century Ireland who goes around solving murders. I’ve never read any of the novels in the series (there are 35 of them!), but I can really recommend the short stories. They average about 25 pages each and give a nice picture of the era as well as a satisfying mystery.
While reading the above, I was alternating it with Tremayne’s An Ensuing Evil and Others, a collection of mostly non-Fidelma short stories, also historical in nature. It included 4 Sherlock Holmes stories, mostly set in Dublin, which I didn’t think was his best work, but I really liked most of the others.
I finally went back to read Lou Berney’s last book, Dark Ride, which I had only read the first chapter of before having to return it to the library. Good book.
Jeff, I’ve loved some of Lou Berney’s books, but I just couldn’t get as excited about Dark Ride as others did. Just me, I suppose.
I may have to try some of the Sister Fidelma short stories. I know I’d enjoy the history.
Aging eyes. Just one of those added problems right now, isn’t it, Jeff?
True. Jackie had cataract surgery on both eyes and it has definitely helped,
I know you and Donna have enjoyed your time together, Lesa. ❤
I’ve read a couple of very good books recently, but I want to recommend one that I can’t say enough about
I first read Diane Thomas’ IN WILDERNESS in 2015.
After recently re-reading it, I’m back to shout its praises yet again and encourage you to give it a try. Trust me.
Just scoot down the page to see what Lee Child, Ron Rash, and others had to say.
And while scuttling about several rabbit holes in search of an autographed copy (which I did not find), I unearthed a fascinating Conversation Between Diane Thomas and Christina Baker Kline which you can read here:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/235199/in-wilderness-by-diane-thomas/readers-guide#
How the author came to write this book is fascinating.
In 1966 thirty-eight year old Katherine Reid sells her ad agency and her Atlanta home and flees to the North Georgia mountains to die.
Twenty year old Vietnam vet Danny Maclean, damaged, tortured and cunning, spies her arrival.
What happens next is suspenseful, riveting and raw.
Not an easy book to read, and perhaps not for the faint of heart, but it pulled me in from the beginning. Diane Thomas is an extraordinary writer. Her words mold and manipulate the reader’s feelings in a subtle, sure manner. There are passages of exquisite beauty, along with brutal, haunting, harrowing, gorgeous, tender, obsessive, desolate, bold, erotic, heartbreaking, and uplifting. All this – leaving me with a literary novel to be cherished. One that has moved me like few others. One that I will recommend for years to come.
I pulled the following from the Random House webpage:
For readers of Amanda Coplin and Chris Bohjalian, In Wilderness is a suspenseful and literary love story—a daring and original novel about our fierce need for companionship and our enduring will to survive.
In the winter of 1966, Katherine Reid moves to an isolated cabin deep in Georgia’s Appalachian Mountains. There, with little more than a sleeping bag, a tin plate, and a loaded gun, she plans to spend her time in peaceful solitude. But one day, Katherine realizes the woods are not empty, and she is not alone. Someone else is near, observing her every move.
Twenty-year-old Vietnam veteran Danny lives not far from Katherine’s cabin, in a once-grand mansion he has dubbed “Gatsby’s house.” Haunted by war and enclosed by walls of moldering books, he becomes fixated on Katherine. What starts as cautious observation grows to obsession. When these two souls collide, the passion that ignites between them is all-consuming—and increasingly dangerous.
Suffused with a stunning sense of character and atmosphere, Diane Thomas’s intimate voice creates an unforgettable depiction of the transformative power of love, how we grieve and hope, and the perilous ways in which we heed and test our hearts.
Advance praise for In Wilderness
“A harrowing exploration of desire and obsession, In Wilderness sends two people into a physical and psychological wilderness that becomes stranger and more terrifying the deeper they go.”—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train
“Not my usual thing, which makes me say it all the louder: I love, love, love this book—the fearless and unflinching story of two extraordinary, vivid people alone in a vast pristine wilderness, told with genuine suspense and a wonderfully empowering ending. In Wilderness is altogether spectacular.”—Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Personal
“Unforgettable: a mad, haunting, dreamlike story of love, obsession, and wildness . . . Diane Thomas mixes elegant prose with raw emotion.”—William Landay, New York Times bestselling author ofDefending Jacob
“In Wilderness is an often harrowing story of a love affair between two damaged people, but it is also a paean to the healing powers of nature. Diane Thomas has written an extraordinary novel filled with both darkness and light.”—Ron Rash, PEN/Faulkner Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Serena and The Cove
“Diane Thomas writes like a woman in a fever dream, clashing two wasted, achingly lonely souls together to create sparks that become an all-consuming wildfire. The desolate inner landscapes of Danny and Katherine stand in stark opposition to the beauty of the natural world Thomas so expertly evokes, and I found myself riveted as they stumbled in their broken way toward connection and their own humanity. Heartbreaking, bold, relentless, and intensely erotic, In Wilderness is the work of a true original.”—Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Someone Else’s Love Story
“The story—the writing—stands out as some of the most original and dynamic work I’ve ever read. In Wilderness is an intensely powerful cat-and-mouse love story as gorgeous and brutal as its Appalachian mountain setting. I devoured every word.”—Carla Buckley, author of The Deepest Secret
You convinced me – I just put a hold on it.
Kaye, Donna and I had a wonderful time together. I’m so glad my sister, Linda, was able to join us for some of our adventures. Donna and Linda are a lot a like, probably why I love both of them.
Donna would love In Wilderness. She left this morning, and I don’t know when she’ll read this post, but that book sounds right up her alley. I’ll have to remind her. Thank you!
Sounds like a fun week, Lesa. We are off to the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Art in Bloom exhibit where my neighbor has an entry. Tomorrow we are going to see the Carole King musical at the Incline Theater.
Twp books for me this week. I didn’t care for Piglet by Lottie Hazell. After curating her perfect life and wedding,Piglet finds out her fiancé has committed a transgression. She now has to decide whether to go through with the wedding.
I did enjoy A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Bayliss. Three estranged sisters with different mothers have to pull together to resurrect the village’s Winter Solstice per their father’s will. An uplifting heartwarming story.
Haapy Reading!
Enjoy the art exhibit, Sharon!
I’m glad one of the two books was enjoyable. I like the sound of uplifting and heartwarming.
Happy Reading to you, too!
Up too late! I am reading Marlene by C. W. Gortner. About Marlene Dietrich.. I won it a long time ago. A little too much sex for me and he is not going to cover the end of her life which I am more interested in. Almost finished.
Well, that’s interesting, Carol, that Gortner is not covering the end of her life. I wonder why.
He explained later on that her whole life could not be covered in one book. Her work with the USO was more interesting.
Ok. I’m glad he explained.
I am glad that you and Donna had a lovely week and all your excursions sound like fun. We had a visitor last weekend although she only stayed overnight. She had been camping in Anza Borrego and stopped at our place on her way back to Stockton.
I missed commenting here last week and I have finished three books in the last two weeks. And I enjoyed all of them, but it is amazing how soon I forget the books once I get into another one. First was THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB by Karen Joy Fowler. I don’t know when and why I decided to buy this, but I am glad I did. I wanted more about Jane Austen’s books than I got, but I liked the story of the members of the book club.
Then THE HUMANS by Matt Haig. That was definitely science fiction; the main character is an extraterrestrial who takes over a human’s body as part of a mission to earth. But it was very uplifting, almost like a self-help book, and I could not put it down.
My favorite was THE MISTRESS OF ALDERLEY by Robert Barnard. A successful actress has been set up in a country house by her lover; he visits only on weekends and she thinks she has the perfect life. I love Barnard’s style of writing; his books often have unusual or unexpected endings. This one was more straightforward as far as the mystery goes but the story had me interested, and guessing, from beginning to end.
Glen is reading HOW THE COUNTRY HOUSE BECAME ENGLISH by Stephanie Barczewski. It is very scholarly, interesting but not a compelling read. Glen has read a lot of books about country houses.
Hi Tracy, I hope your house guest made it back to Stockton safely.
I like the sound of The Humans because it was an uplifting science fiction took.
But, the Barnard sounds very good.
Welcome back!
This is my first ‘official’ post. I’m not a fast reader like most of you are (you’re all quite intimidating!) but I will attempt to post occasionally. I’d like to start by saying a huge thank you to Lesa and to all of you who take the time to contribute to the Thursday comments. I’ve gotten so many wonderful book suggestions from you, and it’s been great fun reading a bit about your lives as well. I live on the west coast of Canada, am newly retired, and my husband David and I recently moved to a new apartment in an area that has lots of great scenic walking opportunities but is also walking distance to retail for most daily living needs.
I just finished reading ‘THE NIGHT IN QUESTION’ by Susan Fletcher, easily one of my favourite books I’ve read so far this year. It centres around Florrie, a resident in an assisted living home at which there is an accident? a murder? which she tries to get to the bottom of. The cover made me think it would be a light read, but rather it is a book to savour – it has a mystery at its heart, a plot that propels you forward but in a thoughtful way, wonderfully rendered characters that you care for – even the ones that perhaps aren’t good people; but almost the best thing about the book is how it makes you think about life, and love, and all the little wise, insightful truths along the way which only add to the loveliness of the book because of the way they’re incorporated into the story. I thought this was a terrific book. I’m sorry it was one I got from the library because it is one I’d like to have kept even though I have hundreds of unread books in my home already and desperately need more space!
Welcome, Lindy! Please don’t let any of us intimidate you. I enjoyed your comments about The Night in Question. And, as many reviews as I write, I consider myself a reader, not a reviewer. I’m a passionate reader, really just expressing my opinion.
So, thank you for telling us a little about your background. You’re welcome to share as much or as little as you’d like.
Thank you for reading with us, and speaking up. Feel free, please, to comment, even if you don’t read as fast as some of us. I’m happy you joined us!