It just doesn't get much better than sitting down with a new Andy Carpenter mystery by David Rosenfelt in hand. I know I'm in for an intricately plotted mystery with a slightly cranky, albeit dog loving, protagonist. I do so enjoy his snarky wit as he reluctantly pursues a legal case that has gone to the dogs. Collared (#698) is a perfect example.
Andy Carpenter is seriously thinking of not renewing his license to practice law. After all, he doesn't need the money. But when a border collie left at the shelter he co-founded turns out to be the "DNA Dog" missing in a sensational unsolved child abduction case from several years back, Andy is pulled into the case by his wife Laurie. The mother of Dylan Hickman, the abducted child, is a friend of hers, and a prominent businesswoman. Can the dog provide some clues to Dylan's whereabouts if the baby is still alive? What Andy uncovers turns the entire case upside down in a series of twists that I did not see coming.
I really like the way David Rosenfelt has developed his characters over the course of this mystery series. (By the way, if you haven't already discovered these books on your own, they are most enjoyable read in sequence. Fantastic Fiction is an excellent website source for checking the order of publication for book series. See the link below.) Now that Andy has a son of his own, his viewpoint on the Dylan Hickman case is completely different than it would have been at the start of this series. One thing never changes for Andy, though: his love of Tara, his golden retriever, and the canine world in general. I can't wait to hear David Rosenfelt speak at our upcoming BookMania!. If you've read his non-fiction memoir, Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure, you'll know that Andy's doggie devotion is strictly autobiographical! (See my post of 9/12/13.)
Fantastic Fiction
Monday, November 13, 2017
Monday, November 6, 2017
The Alice Network
I'm working my way through the books and authors which will be featured in the upcoming 2018 BookMania! Kate Quinn will be there to speak about her latest historical fiction novel The Alice Network (#697).
I remember trying to read one of Ms. Quinn's Empress of Rome novels previously, but was put off by the sex and vulgar language. It's still here in The Alice Network, but it serves its purpose in the plot, so I persevered and was rewarded by a fascinating glimpse of a real World War I heroine, Louise de Bettignies, the "Queen of Spies" and head of The Alice Network.
It's 1947, and Charlotte St. Clair has gotten herself into a "spot of trouble". On route to Switzerland from New York with her mother for an appointment at a discreet clinic, Charlie jumps ship when her vessel docks at Southampton. Her beloved cousin Rose has gone missing in the chaos of occupied France in 1945, and although no one has heard from her, every pretty blond girl Charlie sees is Cousin Rose. Although efforts have been made to locate her, the only link uncovered to Rose's disappearance is a name - Evelyn Gardiner - and an address in London.
Evelyn Gardiner is, indeed, the clue to unraveling the mystery of Rose Fournier's disappearance. Her fictitious role in real World War I spy ring dubbed "The Alice Network" by British Military Intelligence, proves to be pivotal here, as the story switches between the events of World War I and post World War II France. Charlie St. Clair, Evelyn Gardiner and her handsome Scottish war veteran driver Finn Kilgore make an unlikely set of allies, but each, in the end, come to find their own kind of peace and closure. A very satisfying read.
I remember trying to read one of Ms. Quinn's Empress of Rome novels previously, but was put off by the sex and vulgar language. It's still here in The Alice Network, but it serves its purpose in the plot, so I persevered and was rewarded by a fascinating glimpse of a real World War I heroine, Louise de Bettignies, the "Queen of Spies" and head of The Alice Network.
It's 1947, and Charlotte St. Clair has gotten herself into a "spot of trouble". On route to Switzerland from New York with her mother for an appointment at a discreet clinic, Charlie jumps ship when her vessel docks at Southampton. Her beloved cousin Rose has gone missing in the chaos of occupied France in 1945, and although no one has heard from her, every pretty blond girl Charlie sees is Cousin Rose. Although efforts have been made to locate her, the only link uncovered to Rose's disappearance is a name - Evelyn Gardiner - and an address in London.
Evelyn Gardiner is, indeed, the clue to unraveling the mystery of Rose Fournier's disappearance. Her fictitious role in real World War I spy ring dubbed "The Alice Network" by British Military Intelligence, proves to be pivotal here, as the story switches between the events of World War I and post World War II France. Charlie St. Clair, Evelyn Gardiner and her handsome Scottish war veteran driver Finn Kilgore make an unlikely set of allies, but each, in the end, come to find their own kind of peace and closure. A very satisfying read.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Mercury
I would probably never have found this book on my own. A friend recommended Mercury (#696) by Margot Livesey after hearing about it at a Writers' Workshop at University of the South. It's a very twisty psychological tale about obsession.
Without giving too much away, on the surface, Donald and Viv are a typical suburban couple with a couple of kids living outside Boston. Everything changes when a newcomer to town decides to board her thoroughbred horse Mercury at the stable where Viv works part time.
I think this novel works because Ms. Livesey sets up the reader from the beginning to expect something dramatic and drastic has happened to this couple by telling the story first from the husband, Donald's point of view, and then switches to Viv, the wife, (although we still don't know quite what has happened at this point), until the narrative finally is picked up again by Donald..
Nothing is wrapped up tidily with a bow at the end; we are still left wondering how the various characters will pick up their lives and go on from here. But that doesn't really seem to matter. What this novel does is prod the reader to think about the consequences of actions taken, and the role honesty and trust play in commitments not only to family, but to friends as well.
This is really an ideal book for book clubs to discuss. I'm looking forward to the conversation with mine!
Without giving too much away, on the surface, Donald and Viv are a typical suburban couple with a couple of kids living outside Boston. Everything changes when a newcomer to town decides to board her thoroughbred horse Mercury at the stable where Viv works part time.
I think this novel works because Ms. Livesey sets up the reader from the beginning to expect something dramatic and drastic has happened to this couple by telling the story first from the husband, Donald's point of view, and then switches to Viv, the wife, (although we still don't know quite what has happened at this point), until the narrative finally is picked up again by Donald..
Nothing is wrapped up tidily with a bow at the end; we are still left wondering how the various characters will pick up their lives and go on from here. But that doesn't really seem to matter. What this novel does is prod the reader to think about the consequences of actions taken, and the role honesty and trust play in commitments not only to family, but to friends as well.
This is really an ideal book for book clubs to discuss. I'm looking forward to the conversation with mine!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)