The big news this week is that Kim Hays was nominated for a Barry Award for Splintered Justice, in case you missed the blog on Tuesday. Congratulations again, Kim!
As for me, it’s been a quiet week again. Linda and I went to see the Tony Award-winning musical, “The Outsiders”, last night. Yes, it’s based on S.E. Hinton’s book that came out when some of us were in grade school. It’s that old, and so are we. What a powerful production! The staging and entire cast were great. We were a little doubtful. I didn’t really remember the book since I read it years ago. And, the ending at intermission didn’t leave us optimistic. But, the ending was appropriate. The entire production was excellent. Earlier in the week, II woke up Tuesday morning to find we were having that awful four-letter word that begins with s and ends with w. I know. It’s March, but I’m over with winter, and ready for spring.
I may be one of the few mystery lovers who never really got into the TV show “Only Murders in the Building”. According to some of the blurbs, the book I’m reading right now has traces of it. I’m reading The Primrose Murder Society by Stacy Hackney. I’m liking Lila Shaw and her ten-year-old daughter, Bea. Lila Shaw stopped trusting anyone the minute her husband went to jail for white-collar crime, taking their country club lifestyle with him. Now Lila is broke, friendless, and losing her house—and to make things worse, her true-crime-obsessed daughter, Bea, was just expelled from fourth grade. Desperate for a fresh start, Lila agrees to temporarily move in and clean out an abandoned junk-filled apartment in Richmond’s palatial Primrose building. The luxurious Virginia landmark is filled with retirees who start their days early drinking bourbon and gossiping, in that order.
Soon after Lila’s arrival, the Primrose is thrown into chaos. The owner of the building’s splendid penthouse has died and in his final days he set up a two-million-dollar reward for any resident who helps to solve the 21-year-old murder of his granddaughter at the Primrose. A fan of all detective stories and true-crime podcasts, Bea is inspired to investigate. They really could use the reward money, so Lila reluctantly agrees, in a questionable attempt at family bonding. She’s certain the killer is long-gone after all these years anyway. That is, until another resident is murdered… and Lila becomes the prime suspect.
I’m enjoying the humor. Seniors and a ten-year-old don’t seem to have filters in this book. We’ll see if I’m still happy with that aspect by the time I finish.
What about you? What have you been doing this week? What are you reading?
Lesa, I didn’t really like ‘Only Murders in the Building’ either. But I do like the sound of The Primrose Murder Society. Yet another book for my list.
Weather-wise we are in the middle of a ‘prolonged atmospheric river event’. Started Monday and is expected to continue through Friday. Relentless rain, dreariness, and blocked walking trails due to flooding. I do not like slogging through the rain for an early morning walk, but I go anyway and wade through all the lake-sized puddles. I’ve only missed one day of walking in the last fifteen months and that was three weeks ago because I was coughing so hard.
Also to deal with has been the filming nearby for the TV series ‘Yellowjackets’ for four days. This means not being allowed to park on our street due to the dozen or so large trucks; two of which arrived at midnight yesterday and were extremely loud, and then the drivers had the nerve to just idle them Rumble Rumble Rumble for a solid 45 minutes right out front. Woke us up and I was highly annoyed. My annoyance intensified during the day when the crews transported carts of equipment back and forth over the grass verge all day and made even more of mud pit out of it than it already was.
Enough complaining. On to books!
BLOOM by Robbie Couch
Lesa reviewed this book recently, the author’s first foray into adult fiction.
Morris, in his 70s, is unsuccessfully working his way through his grief after his husband Fred died. He can’t summon the will to do anything; he neglects his house, his friends, all his former interests, and of surprising import to the book – the three remaining houseplants that were Fred’s.
Sloan is the daughter of the deceased Fred. She’s supposed to be happy since she’s getting married soon but she’s desperately missing her father, and her mom is still angry at Sloan’s father for leaving her for Morris. She and Sloan’s aunt are planning the wedding but none of their ideas are anything that Sloan likes and she is feeling a little adrift and unsettled.
Since Morris ruined Sloan’s mom’s life by having an affair with Fred that resulted in Fred leaving her and marrying Morris, no one in the family acknowledged Morris at the funeral, never mind talked to him since then.
And we can’t forget about Jade, the houseplant that’s very near death’s door due to Morris’s total neglect. Charmingly yet heart-wrenchingly, several chapters are ‘narrated’ by Jade so throughout the book we are privy to her every thought as she inches closer and closer to death.
Clearly no one is happy, no one is thriving. But the road to healing begins with Sloan’s impulsive decision to visit Morris to potentially build a relationship with this man her father had loved. She doesn’t tell her family, rightly believing they would be incensed if they knew, but of course they find out eventually.
But slowly and tentatively, because of Sloan’s generosity and kindness towards Morris which is followed by his gradual awakening from grief, the characters we’re rooting for each learn to deal with their emotions, get out of their comfort zones, and only then does life, forgiveness, and goodness begin to bloom.
A short, gentle, light yet affecting story of a family torn apart then beginning to come together again.
THE RED SHORE by William Shaw
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it’s the first of a new series.
Eden Driscoll – DS with the Metropolitan Police in London, married to his job, estranged from his family since the age of 15.
Eden and his team are out celebrating the wrap up of a tricky case, when he gets a call from the Devon and Cornwall police. His sister has vanished from her sailboat, presumed to have drowned, and her 9-year-old son Finn (whose existence Eden was completely unaware of) was found traumatized and locked in a cabin on the same sailboat. Eden heads to Devon where he finds that the social worker is expecting him – as sole remaining relative – to assume the care of Finn. Eden agrees to stay for a week and see Finn settled somewhere. His inner confliction is entirely believable.
The sister’s body eventually turns up and the local police deem her death an accident. Eden thinks there might be more to it than that, seeing as how certain things don’t add up – so he does some digging despite the local police accusing him of not believing they’re up to the job, and things become much more dangerous than he expected.
This combination of emotional family drama/suspenseful mystery with lots of action and twists and turns made for a very satisfying read. It was as much about the characters as it was about the mystery. Finn and Molly were both wonderfully drawn. Eden’s backstory was revealed bit by bit, cleverly incorporated into the story in a believable way. I also liked how, even though he didn’t set out to, Eden tried his very best to do the right thing by Finn. And the setting felt like a character in its own right. This book has earned one of my coveted stars. (only books I loved earn a star).
Stay Gold, Lesa!
I didn’t like Only Murders In the Building either. It’s like we’re starting a club!
It’s warmer than usual, and my allergies are killing me.
This weekend I accomplished a mission by finally eating at the last Korean BBQ place in town, Bullta. I’d rank it about #5, I think.
This week I read:
The Blind Split by LLyn Farrell; A PI firm is hired to find a long lost heir. Of course, he owes gambling debts. Never quite makes it to hard boiled territory.
The Assassination Game by Kirsten McKay; It’s like a low octane slasher from an 80’s movie set at an elite boarding school. Personally, I think all of these types of schools should be banned. If the rich kids went to public schools, maybe education would be better in this country. I must be becoming a Jacobin in my old age, maybe a Jacobite?
Dear Mad’m by Stella Walthall Patterson; An octagenarian decides she stil has alot of living to do in the Siskiyous. I used to know old women like this, but they’ve largely faded away.
Suhwa by S Jae-Jones; I won this book in a goodreads drawing, It’s the fourth book in a series. It’s a Korean fantasy, but seems way too similar to the usual stuff.
First, Congrats to Kim!!! That’s huge.
Second, I guess I’m the oddball in this group, but I love Only Murders. The mysteries could be stronger, but part of that is TV production. They can’t have every suspect in every episode. Still, I enjoy it and really enjoy the bond between the three leads. But I’ve talked to plenty of others who didn’t enjoy it. I’ll definitely have to check out the book.
I’m sorry you have having that NO weather, especially in March. We’re having a heat wave in So Cal. Summer temps. I might not have been fully ready for it, but here we are. Got to enjoy it this weekend before we cool off to more traditional spring weather.
On the reading front, I’m working on an ARC of MURDER, LOCAL STYLE, the third Orchid Isle Mystery from Leslie Karst. I’m enjoying it. These books are set on the Big Island of Hawaii. In this book, Valerie decides to join her neighborhood orchid club, hoping to make some new friends. But when the president of the club dies at a fundraiser, Valerie starts investigating. I should finish it up on Thursday.
Hi everyone,
I am once again writing this on Wednesday evening, as I will be in Edinburgh from Thursday to Saturday. My middle daughter Anna and I are taking one of the elderly ladies from my mother’s sheltered housing out for coffee. Vicky is such a wonderful person and was so kind to my mother. She’s also had a very interesting life; I will maybe tell you more about her next time.
I’m also fitting in a meeting with one of my best Edinburgh friends. Judith and I worked together at St Mary’s Cathedral for some time; she is still nobly volunteering there, and I am really looking forward to seeing her and hearing her news.
Before I say anything else, many, many congratulations to Kim! What an amazing achievement.
This week I finally finished AT HOME IN MITFORD, which I loved. I know it’s somewhat cosy, but it still addresses many modern day issues, and I, who have no experience whatsoever of life in the American South, enjoyed all the references to things like grits and collard greens (I had to look the latter up and I’m still not entirely sure what they are. We have ‘spring greens’ – are they the same?)
I’m reading A MURDER OF QUALITY by John Le Carre. It was his second Smiley book and predates the much better known TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER SPY and SMILEY’S PEOPLE. It’s all set in a very traditional all-boys’ boarding school. The wife of one of the masters is brutally murdered. Just before her death she wrote to the ‘Christian Voice’, saying that her husband was going to kill her. The editor of the magazine is an old wartime spy colleague of George Smiley’s. Miss Brimley asks Smiley to go to Carne to visit Mrs Rode and find out why she harbours these fears – but before he can do so, the poor woman is found dead.
it’s a classic closed community mystery. Who among the staff or boys at this prestigious, exclusive school wanted Stella Rode dead, and why? She clearly didn’t fit in in this upper class, snobbish, elitist establishment – she was chapel rather than High Anglican, she wore the wrong clothes, mixed with town rather than gown, and her father’s money was made in trade rather than inherited wealth. Smiley, working with Inspector Rigby of the local police force, investigates.
As in all Le Carre’s books, the writing is excellent; his spare, incisive descriptions perfectly evoke the wintry, snow covered fields, the enclosed nature of the school, and the characters of the various suspects. It’s a very short book, only 150 pages or so, and I am enjoying it very much. I need, however, to finish it tonight, as I am too near the end to take it with me to Leith. I will have to find something similarly short, as I don’t want to be lugging a big book onto the bus.
A Murder of Quality also gave rise to a most enjoyable conversation today. I was sitting at the back of the bus on my way back from town; beside me were two adolescent schoolboys. One got off, and a short time later the other said ‘excuse me – what is the book you’re reading?’ I showed him, and asked him about his own reading preferences. He asked me when the book had been written – I was shocked to find that it had been published in 1961 – ancient history for him, and almost history for me! But he had seen the film starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth, and said that he often struggled to find a book he wanted to read, but was very interested in film.
It was so lovely to chat with him. So many people in my generation are afraid of young people, but in my experience most of them are wonderful, and this boy was no exception.
I was on my way back from a very interesting talk, given by Dr Frances Wilkins, a lecturer at the Elphinstone Institute, which is part of the University of Aberdeen. It was set up to research and promote Scottish culture, and offers a taught masters and PhD opportunities, plus a big public engagement programme.
Today’s talk was about ‘Musical Traditions of North East Sailors’. I wasn’t really sure whether this would be my thing, but I am so glad I went along as it was absolutely fascinating. Dr Wilkins told us about the musical traditions that grew from the whaling and fur industries – traditions originating in Shetland, Orkney and in the Inuit populations of Northern Canada.
The trading operations of the Hudson Bay Company also led to the exchange not only of goods but also of songs, tunes and even musical instruments. Apparently the Orkney museum has a fiddle made of tin, as the maker knew that a wooden instrument would simply rot in the very damp atmosphere. The loading lists for whaling ships included, in amongst such things as flour and brandy, ‘fiddle strings’, as every ship had a fiddle player to keep the men’s spirits up.
Dr Wilkins also played tunes on the squeeze box. She learned to play this when she was working in a fish factory on Shetland! She also lived in Aberdeen for some years, but now resides on Skye and commutes to the university when she needs to. She has travelled extensively in Shetland, Orkney and Canada (especially James Bay) researching their traditional music scenes and talking to (and recording) some of their key musicians.
It was such an interesting afternoon (and I also had coffee and a delicious scone with jam in Michies’ excellent café, a very traditional Aberdonian establishment and one of the very best places for people watching.)
This week Nancy and I walked at the Blackhall Fisheries, which is a good place for when it’s windy as it’s a sheltered path beside the river, with some beautiful scenery. The fishing season is in full swing, and there were several fishermen standing in the river, something I can’t imagine to be pleasurable, but they seem to enjoy it.
On television I am about to watch the final episode of Season 2 of THE CAPTURE, so that I can move on to the new season currently being aired on the BBC.
We’ve also been watching more episodes of Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s Gone Fishing series. It’s such a gentle, entertaining programme, with some beautiful scenery – you really don’t need to know the first thing about fishing to enjoy it (and they always put the fish straight back.) Just two aging men chatting about life, family, food and anything that comes into their minds. They are both such kind people.
Yesterday, on my solitary walk by the river here in Culter, I listened on BBC Sounds to two episodes of THIS CULTURAL LIFE, a series in which John Wilson talks with ‘leading creatives’ about their artistic influences.
I’m not always too sure about RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, but he was really good, not at all full of himself this time, and more than willing to share the disadvantages, as well as the benefits, of being born into a major musical dynasty. He was also clearly having issues with his teenage daughter, and seemed genuinely glad of John Wilson’s assurance that ‘it does get better’!
The other programme featured MARK RONSON, who was equally interesting. He too came from a very privileged but somewhat dysfunctional background; he started DJ-ing from an early age, and talked about his work with, among others, Amy Winehouse. I enjoyed both episodes; Wilson is such a good interviewer and always gets the best from his guests.
It’s well past 9pm here in Scotland, so I am off to watch TV before falling into bed.
I’ll be reading all the posts while I’m on the bus tomorrow, looking forward to hearing everyone’s news and recommendations.
Have a good week all.
PS Lesa, could you remind me when we are talking about childhood books? I hope it’s not tomorrow?!