My husband and I are busy reading some of the previous books in Alex Kava's series featuring FBI Behavioral Analyst Maggie O'Dell. (See my posts of 8/11/16 & 4/27/16. ) In Exposed (#606), Maggie and one of her fellow FBI agents are lured into a trap. Promised a "Crash" at a certain address at a specific time, the FBI goes in with a SWAT team for backup. What they find instead is a little girl and her very ill mother. It seems the weapon of choice of this killer is a poison of some kind. In fact, it's actually much worse.
The killer has apparently been planning his attack for a long time, and has borrowed from previous serial killers' modus operandi for crimes both solved and cold cases. As Maggie O'Dell is confined to a government isolation hospital, can she help her partner on the outside, J.R. Tully, follow the cyber trail of clues to catch a fiendishly clever killer?
This is a very taut and plausible thriller. I sat up until late at night to finish reading this one. I must admit, Exposed did leave some ends hanging that left me feeling very unsettled about just how possible it would be to commit this kind of crime with unthinkable consequences. Kudos, Ms. Kava!
Friday, October 28, 2016
The Cat Who Wasn't a Dog
When Dame Cecile Savoy loses her beloved Pekingese, Fleur-de-Lys, on the eve of opening a revival of Arsenic and Old Lace, she is inconsolable. She summons her aging thespian friends Evangeline and Trixie from London to help her through her mourning period. In fact, Dame Cecile has every intention of keeping Fleur with her permanently by bringing her remains to a taxidermist. Alas, things do not go well in Marion Babson's humorous mystery, The Cat Who Wasn't A Dog (#605).
When the trio arrive for Dame Cecile's appointment at the taxidermy shop, it appears at first to be empty. But as they and their driver, Eddie, look around the deserted shop, a fire breaks out in several places at once. Trixie is in the office where she has discovered a charming Japanese Bobtail cat in a cage. Cho-Cho-San is very much alive, and when the fire begins in a waste basket and cabinet drawers, Trixie grabs the cat from the office and runs for the exit. Dame Cecile is relieved to see Trixie with the cage until she discovers that it contains a live cat and not her darling Fleur-de-Lys! Meanwhile Eddie has discovered a body in the shop. Who killed the shop owner, and who wanted him to kill Cho-Cho-San? And will the show go on?
Marion Babson's mysteries are delightful for those cat lovers among us. It's an easy afternoon or evening read with an interesting group of characters, with an emphasis on the "characters". If you like your British cozies with touch of humor, any of her books will fit the bill, but The Cat Who Wasn't A Dog is a good place to start..
When the trio arrive for Dame Cecile's appointment at the taxidermy shop, it appears at first to be empty. But as they and their driver, Eddie, look around the deserted shop, a fire breaks out in several places at once. Trixie is in the office where she has discovered a charming Japanese Bobtail cat in a cage. Cho-Cho-San is very much alive, and when the fire begins in a waste basket and cabinet drawers, Trixie grabs the cat from the office and runs for the exit. Dame Cecile is relieved to see Trixie with the cage until she discovers that it contains a live cat and not her darling Fleur-de-Lys! Meanwhile Eddie has discovered a body in the shop. Who killed the shop owner, and who wanted him to kill Cho-Cho-San? And will the show go on?
Marion Babson's mysteries are delightful for those cat lovers among us. It's an easy afternoon or evening read with an interesting group of characters, with an emphasis on the "characters". If you like your British cozies with touch of humor, any of her books will fit the bill, but The Cat Who Wasn't A Dog is a good place to start..
Monday, October 24, 2016
Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd
I will admit to my ignorance of the source of the title of Alan Bradley's latest Flavia de Luce mystery: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd (#604). It comes, of course, from Shakespeare's Macbeth - the opening lines of the witches' incantation.
Flavia has come home in disgrace from Miss Bodycote's Female Academy in Canada. Her stay at her mother's former boarding school proved to be a sobering experience for her. Things are no better when she arrives home to be greeted at the pier by Dogger, the family's rather mysterious factotum. Flavia's father is desperately ill from pneumonia.
Visitors are forbidden at the hospital, although Flavia's sisters and even her repulsive young cousin Undine have seen him. While Flavia awaits permission to visit him, she must do something to occupy herself, and for the moment she cannot stand to be within the walls of Buckshaw. She takes her faithful bicycle Gladys out in the frosty December taking comfort where she may. Her friend Cynthia, the vicar's wife, sends her on an errand to deliver an envelope to the woodcarver engaged in making repairs to the carvings in the church. Flavia, being Flavia, cannot simply leave it on the doorstep when there is no response to her knock. What she discovers inside is the woodcarver dead in a most bizarre manner. Figuring out the means and motives for his death is the perfect solution to keep Flavia's mind occupied!
Flavia grows up quite a bit in this novel. She sees and cannot quite believe some of the changes in herself when she begins to pay more attention to others' feelings and learns the value of discretion. Not that the old Flavia is gone! Far from it. This was one of the most thoroughly entertaining books I've read in this series. It seems Flavia's new-found maturity will be needed in the future, as the book ends in heartbreak for the residents of Buckshaw. Poor Flavia! I can't wait to find out what happens next!
Flavia has come home in disgrace from Miss Bodycote's Female Academy in Canada. Her stay at her mother's former boarding school proved to be a sobering experience for her. Things are no better when she arrives home to be greeted at the pier by Dogger, the family's rather mysterious factotum. Flavia's father is desperately ill from pneumonia.
Visitors are forbidden at the hospital, although Flavia's sisters and even her repulsive young cousin Undine have seen him. While Flavia awaits permission to visit him, she must do something to occupy herself, and for the moment she cannot stand to be within the walls of Buckshaw. She takes her faithful bicycle Gladys out in the frosty December taking comfort where she may. Her friend Cynthia, the vicar's wife, sends her on an errand to deliver an envelope to the woodcarver engaged in making repairs to the carvings in the church. Flavia, being Flavia, cannot simply leave it on the doorstep when there is no response to her knock. What she discovers inside is the woodcarver dead in a most bizarre manner. Figuring out the means and motives for his death is the perfect solution to keep Flavia's mind occupied!
Flavia grows up quite a bit in this novel. She sees and cannot quite believe some of the changes in herself when she begins to pay more attention to others' feelings and learns the value of discretion. Not that the old Flavia is gone! Far from it. This was one of the most thoroughly entertaining books I've read in this series. It seems Flavia's new-found maturity will be needed in the future, as the book ends in heartbreak for the residents of Buckshaw. Poor Flavia! I can't wait to find out what happens next!
Hidden Figures: the American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
My husband and I saw a teaser trailer at the movies for the film based on Margot Lee Shetterly's non-fiction work Hidden Figures: the American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race (#603) and I knew just from seeing that that I wanted to read the book as well as see the movie.
To say this book is the "Untold Story" is an understatement. I had no idea any women were involved in the space race, much less played such key roles in putting a man on the moon. Enough stumbling blocks were put in the way of women remaining in the work force after the vital positions they filled on the home front during World War II to make it almost impossible for qualified white women to stay on the job; imagine the difficulties multiplied exponentially if you were black and living in still segregated Virginia!
Suffice it to say that I learned a great deal from this book. I've always been interested in our space program. Now I know that there are even more people to admire for their contributions. I expect after the release of the upcoming film Hidden Figures that the fans of these female mathematicians and space geeks will become deservedly legion.
To say this book is the "Untold Story" is an understatement. I had no idea any women were involved in the space race, much less played such key roles in putting a man on the moon. Enough stumbling blocks were put in the way of women remaining in the work force after the vital positions they filled on the home front during World War II to make it almost impossible for qualified white women to stay on the job; imagine the difficulties multiplied exponentially if you were black and living in still segregated Virginia!
Suffice it to say that I learned a great deal from this book. I've always been interested in our space program. Now I know that there are even more people to admire for their contributions. I expect after the release of the upcoming film Hidden Figures that the fans of these female mathematicians and space geeks will become deservedly legion.
Monday, October 17, 2016
The Graveyard of the Hesperides
Two of my favorite mystery series have heroines named Flavia, and the most recent additions to both series are currently sitting on my shelf from the library! What could be better than that? In The Graveyard of the Hesperides (#602) by Lindsey Davis, Flavia Albia has picked up where her adopted father, Marcus Didius Falco left off when he turned his business as an informer in imperial Rome over to Flavia. She's had a number of cases under her belt now, and has literally met her match in Tiberius Manlius Faustus. He's currently serving as an aedile while trying to get his building and remodeling business launched. While he takes over the renovation of a bar in a seedy neighborhood, Flavia is desperately trying to stop their families from throwing them an over-the-top wedding without much luck.
It's a relief for her to have the excuse to go off to the building site until they catch one of Manlius Faustus' employees trying to sneak a basket of bones past him and Flavia to the rubbish tip. It's just what Flavia needed to get her mind off the looming wedding - a new case. She only has five days to solve it before the ceremony, though. To make matters worse, the one body they thought they were dealing with (the bar maid, who else?) turns into six. How could such a horrendous deed possibly have gone unnoticed for ten years? And what does the new owner of the bar know that he isn't telling?
Ms. Davis skillfully weaves a good mystery with arcana from ancient Roman wedding practises, interfering families, gangsters, prostitutes and a most unexpected commodity with a liberal dash of humor. A worthy addition to the series.
It's a relief for her to have the excuse to go off to the building site until they catch one of Manlius Faustus' employees trying to sneak a basket of bones past him and Flavia to the rubbish tip. It's just what Flavia needed to get her mind off the looming wedding - a new case. She only has five days to solve it before the ceremony, though. To make matters worse, the one body they thought they were dealing with (the bar maid, who else?) turns into six. How could such a horrendous deed possibly have gone unnoticed for ten years? And what does the new owner of the bar know that he isn't telling?
Ms. Davis skillfully weaves a good mystery with arcana from ancient Roman wedding practises, interfering families, gangsters, prostitutes and a most unexpected commodity with a liberal dash of humor. A worthy addition to the series.
Monday, October 10, 2016
The Imperial Wife
The Imperial Wife (#601) by Irina Reyn is an intriguing novel that switches between the stories of a present day Russian art expert employed by a high-end auction house in New York City and Catherine the Great's rise to power in eighteenth century Russia.
At first these two women seemingly have little in common, yet as the story progresses, the threads of their lives pull them together in surprising ways. Tanya Kagan immediately feels a connection to Catherine when she is asked to consign The Order of Saint Catherine to an upcoming auction. Much hinges on the piece being linked authentically to Catherine herself. Not only Tanya herself, but her husband and a couple of ultra-rich Russian oligarchs are equally obsessed with the jeweled ornament and its ties to Catherine. Both women struggle with their roles as dutiful wives which The Order of Saint Catherine signifies, whatever that may entail, and with gaining power to act in their own spheres of influence.
The worlds these characters inhabit are far beyond our reach, but they are interesting places to visit for a short time. The plot twist at the end supplies a satisfying conclusion to the power struggles and ultimate triumphs of its main characters. Readers of Massie's biography of Catherine the Great which was a best-seller several years ago will undoub6edly find the story of one of her possessions a diverting read.
At first these two women seemingly have little in common, yet as the story progresses, the threads of their lives pull them together in surprising ways. Tanya Kagan immediately feels a connection to Catherine when she is asked to consign The Order of Saint Catherine to an upcoming auction. Much hinges on the piece being linked authentically to Catherine herself. Not only Tanya herself, but her husband and a couple of ultra-rich Russian oligarchs are equally obsessed with the jeweled ornament and its ties to Catherine. Both women struggle with their roles as dutiful wives which The Order of Saint Catherine signifies, whatever that may entail, and with gaining power to act in their own spheres of influence.
The worlds these characters inhabit are far beyond our reach, but they are interesting places to visit for a short time. The plot twist at the end supplies a satisfying conclusion to the power struggles and ultimate triumphs of its main characters. Readers of Massie's biography of Catherine the Great which was a best-seller several years ago will undoub6edly find the story of one of her possessions a diverting read.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years
I don't know why I've been so reluctant to post on Diarmaid MacCulloch's brilliant history Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years (#600). It may have something to do with my reluctance to give it up as a close companion during the third year of EfM. Weighing in at over a thousand pages, with an additional seventy-seven pages of footnotes (and yes, there's plenty of additional information in them!) this is not a casually-undertaken read. What it does do is lay out the thinking and beliefs that prepared the world for the impact of what at first was an obscure Jewish sect, and trace how that sect grew and spread to become a major world-wide religious movement.
Ever wonder why there are so many kinds of Christianity out there, or why we don't all believe the same things? This book explores the time lines, places and people involved. It explained so many things for me, being raised Roman Catholic. It is the kind of reading that could make your head explode if you have a very narrow vision of what Christianity is, or should be. Again, this is not a book which espouses a single dogma; it is a history, and as such chronicles to the best of the author's ability what has happened in the tumultuous growth of Christian beliefs. You will meet many characters here whom you will recognize, but equally as many that you probably will not, but may wish to learn more about.
That's what I appreciated most about this book: it made me think. Over the course of the nine months I spent reading and discussing this book, some questions were answered for me. Many more were raised. I am usually extremely reluctant to mark up or write notes in any book of mine. For Christianity, I made an exception, and added several pounds' worth of additional ink to the pages as I commented on the many items that struck me. Diarmaid MacCulloch is the perfect person to lead you on this journey, if you're willing to go. He was concise, insightful, snarky, and never, ever dull for me. What better gift can an author give than to open a whole new world of thought for the reader?
Ever wonder why there are so many kinds of Christianity out there, or why we don't all believe the same things? This book explores the time lines, places and people involved. It explained so many things for me, being raised Roman Catholic. It is the kind of reading that could make your head explode if you have a very narrow vision of what Christianity is, or should be. Again, this is not a book which espouses a single dogma; it is a history, and as such chronicles to the best of the author's ability what has happened in the tumultuous growth of Christian beliefs. You will meet many characters here whom you will recognize, but equally as many that you probably will not, but may wish to learn more about.
That's what I appreciated most about this book: it made me think. Over the course of the nine months I spent reading and discussing this book, some questions were answered for me. Many more were raised. I am usually extremely reluctant to mark up or write notes in any book of mine. For Christianity, I made an exception, and added several pounds' worth of additional ink to the pages as I commented on the many items that struck me. Diarmaid MacCulloch is the perfect person to lead you on this journey, if you're willing to go. He was concise, insightful, snarky, and never, ever dull for me. What better gift can an author give than to open a whole new world of thought for the reader?
Outfoxed
Here's Boomer! Somehow, I 've always wanted to say that, but in the case of David Rosenfelt's latest Andy Carpenter mystery Outfoxed (#599), Boomer's the rescue dog who drags Andy however reluctantly, into his newest case.
The Tara Foundation has been pairing rescue dogs with prisoners at the local minimum security jail for training and socialization. Andy, as an attorney, is involved in this successful project. That is, until the day that Brian Atkins, Boomer's human prison partner, uses Boomer to make his escape. Not only has Boomer been dog napped, but Brian is a client Andy has inherited from a recently deceased legal mentor. To make matters worse, an eye witness has placed Brian at the scene of a grisly double homicide just after his break from jail. Can even Andy win such a seemingly open-and-shut case against his client? When he connects organized crime boss Dominic Petrone with the case, Andy had better be one step ahead of the mob to prevent his entire family from becoming collateral damage.
As always with Andy, dogs and family first (and not necessarily in that order, depending...) The story is liberally laced with typical Andy Carpenter humor and a cast of familiar characters. The plot twists and turns, and the body count grows as the crime seems unsolvable. I must admit, I did not see the final twist coming which reveals the motivation for the murders. It's a doggone good story. Add in an adorable cover photo and you've got the complete package for an entertaining afternoon or evening read.
The Tara Foundation has been pairing rescue dogs with prisoners at the local minimum security jail for training and socialization. Andy, as an attorney, is involved in this successful project. That is, until the day that Brian Atkins, Boomer's human prison partner, uses Boomer to make his escape. Not only has Boomer been dog napped, but Brian is a client Andy has inherited from a recently deceased legal mentor. To make matters worse, an eye witness has placed Brian at the scene of a grisly double homicide just after his break from jail. Can even Andy win such a seemingly open-and-shut case against his client? When he connects organized crime boss Dominic Petrone with the case, Andy had better be one step ahead of the mob to prevent his entire family from becoming collateral damage.
As always with Andy, dogs and family first (and not necessarily in that order, depending...) The story is liberally laced with typical Andy Carpenter humor and a cast of familiar characters. The plot twists and turns, and the body count grows as the crime seems unsolvable. I must admit, I did not see the final twist coming which reveals the motivation for the murders. It's a doggone good story. Add in an adorable cover photo and you've got the complete package for an entertaining afternoon or evening read.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Dog Medicine - How My Dog Saved From Myself
Julie Barton's memoir Dog Medicine - How My Dog Saved Me From Myself (#598) opens a disturbing window into the mind of someone suffering from clinical depression. There is such a stigma attached to mental health diagnoses that it often goes unrecognized and untreated. It's difficult to image living every day with what Ms. Barton endured before she hit bottom. She was fortunate in having parents who did their best to support her and help her to seek treatment.
As she will be the first to tell you, Ms. Barton's best treatment came from adopting a golden retriever puppy whom she named Bunker Hill. For a while, until she got a fresh start by chance and moved to Seattle, meeting new friends and finding a new attitude, she was content to unconditionally love and be loved by her dog. It was not until Bunker himself was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition and she determined she would do anything not to lose him that she was finally able to accept help from her family and friends who rallied around them both.
Julie and her dog, Bunker, truly did save each other. Neither would have survived without the other. Although at times this was a difficult read, it does show that there can be positive outcomes to both mental and physical illnesses through diagnosis, treatment and life-long follow through. That's encouraging and makes this book worth reading.
As she will be the first to tell you, Ms. Barton's best treatment came from adopting a golden retriever puppy whom she named Bunker Hill. For a while, until she got a fresh start by chance and moved to Seattle, meeting new friends and finding a new attitude, she was content to unconditionally love and be loved by her dog. It was not until Bunker himself was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition and she determined she would do anything not to lose him that she was finally able to accept help from her family and friends who rallied around them both.
Julie and her dog, Bunker, truly did save each other. Neither would have survived without the other. Although at times this was a difficult read, it does show that there can be positive outcomes to both mental and physical illnesses through diagnosis, treatment and life-long follow through. That's encouraging and makes this book worth reading.
Plain Truth
This is the first Jodi Picoult book I've read, and if truth be told, I wouldn't have read Plain Truth (#597) if it hadn't been our October Literary Circle choice. The plot centers on a newborn infant found dead under suspicious circumstances in an Amish barn.
The eighteen year old daughter of the household who at first denies ever being pregnant is defended by a distant relative, a big time city attorney who is forced under the terms of the court to live with the Fisher family until the case comes to trial. Amish and "English" values collide as Katie Fisher is charged with the murder of the infant. Did Katie really kill her baby, or is there some other explanation? While an interesting examination of Amish principles and values, as the same ground was covered over and over again I felt that the book would have been much improved by cutting out roughly half of it.
When Ellie Hathaway discovers just as the case is about to go to trial that she is pregnant herself, her attitude towards her client Katie hardens, since even she is convinced that Katie did, in fact, murder her own child, despite her close observation of the girl and her family over the course of several months. That plot twist did seem contrived.
I expect that Plain Truth will be both the first and the last Jodi Picoult novel I will ever read, and that, I guess, sums up how I feel about his author..
The eighteen year old daughter of the household who at first denies ever being pregnant is defended by a distant relative, a big time city attorney who is forced under the terms of the court to live with the Fisher family until the case comes to trial. Amish and "English" values collide as Katie Fisher is charged with the murder of the infant. Did Katie really kill her baby, or is there some other explanation? While an interesting examination of Amish principles and values, as the same ground was covered over and over again I felt that the book would have been much improved by cutting out roughly half of it.
When Ellie Hathaway discovers just as the case is about to go to trial that she is pregnant herself, her attitude towards her client Katie hardens, since even she is convinced that Katie did, in fact, murder her own child, despite her close observation of the girl and her family over the course of several months. That plot twist did seem contrived.
I expect that Plain Truth will be both the first and the last Jodi Picoult novel I will ever read, and that, I guess, sums up how I feel about his author..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)