Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

March 4, 2022

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Adam Wright is a producer of a successful string of suspense dramas. He suffers from a condition called face blindness, where he is unable to recognize anyone's face, not even his own wife. They have been married for ten years. Every year on their anniversary, they give each other traditional gifts associated with the year of marriage: paper for the first year, cotton for the second year, leather for the third year, etc. Every year on their anniversary, Adam's wife writes him a letter that she refuses to let him see.

After ten years of marriage, things aren't so hot anymore. When they win a getaway weekend to a remote cabin in Scotland (which neither of them remember entering), the Wrights jump at the opportunity to put some life back in their marriage. But one of them has other plans and arranged for them to "win" the getaway, and not just to spend a romantic weekend with their partner. Plus there is a snowstorm heading their way, and there is someone else on the property spying on them. Sounds perfect, doesn't it?

Ah, the weekend getaway to an isolated location - when will people every learn? Add in three unreliable narrators, ten years of marriage, and ten years of secrets. There is a good twist in the middle that I didn't see coming. Fans of psychological fiction will enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

March 3, 2022

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

As a mixed race child from a scandalous union, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in anywhere: her tribe, her hometown or her family. The only bright spots in her life are her BFF and Jamie, the new guy on her brother's hockey team who may be her new boyfriend. After her BFF is murdered, Daunis agrees to help the investigation by going undercover. But there are other forces at work that hit very close to home.

The author exposes some dark secrets about Native American communities: sexual assault, addiction, spousal abuse, violence against women. It is very YA in tone, with a little too much drama. But I learned a lot about Native American folklore and customs.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

September 29, 2022

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Kell is an Antari, one of the last magicians who can travel between the four Londons: Grey, White, Red, and once upon a time, Black. His home is in Red London with the royal family, while the most dangerous one is White London, ruled by the Danish Twins and Holland, their Antari. Kell has a side business smuggling magical artefacts for collectors and dilettantes. In Grey London, he encounters a pickpocket named Delilah, who first robs him and then rescues him. Together they must return a mysterious stone to the correct London and find the other half, but which London is the right London?

Colorful, weird characters, invented language, magic in many forms, all mixed with social and political aspirations. Four Londons exist in the same place but on different planes (multiverse), and Kell speculates that there may be more. I have come across the multiple city concept before, in books like The City and The City by China Mieville, where the main character crosses from one version of a city to another by going through a checkpoint. Kell cuts a doorway from one London to another by using his blood. There are two more books in the series.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

March 2, 2022

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

In June 1954, 18 year old Emmett Watson returns to his family home after serving a prison term at a juvenile work farm for involuntary manslaughter. His plan is to pick up his younger brother and then head for California to start a new life, and possibly find their mother who left them years ago. Their plan is to drive the Lincoln Highway. But two convicts from the work have followed him home and they have plans of their own. 

I loved the author's two previous books, so nobody was more surprised than me that I didn't love this one. Emmett wasn't the protagonist or even the main character, and they don't travel on the Lincoln Highway. There's a road trip but it goes toward the east coast. There are a lot of silly antics by silly side characters. The plot (if you can call it a plot) is silly, too. The whole tone of the book was off somehow - even when there is a scene that involves a beating or murder, there is a clownish tone. I just didn't connect with any of the characters or the story. Although it got a lot of positive reviews, I'd give it a miss.

All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business by Mel Brooks

February 22, 2022

All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business by Mel Brooks

At age 95, Mel Brooks has written a fabulous autobiography of his life as an actor/director/writer/producer of some of my favorite zany, irreverant films.

Love this - what a mensch!

Mel Brooks with Harvey Korman and some busty girl from Blazing Saddles

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

September 26, 2022

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

Hannah and her husband Bruce along with two other couples decide to go away for a long weekend at an isolated cabin. Hannah isn't wild about the idea since it means leaving their toddler home with Grandma, but she thinks her husband might be cheating on her and this will be a chance to reconnect. All six of them have secrets from their partners and each other. The cabin is opulent but creepy, the property is creepy, the host is creepy, even the private chef is creepy. And there's a hurricane bearing down on them. As well as a maniac.

I just finished two novels that were literary fiction, so I needed something different, a change of pace, so I decided to try Lisa Unger's upcoming suspense novel. This is the first book I've read where the plot depends so heavily on DNA technology. 

People should know better by now than to go someplace that is basically cut off from civilization, especially when your companions are more like frenemies than friends. You know it's not going to end well. What's so great about being off the grid and unable to use your cell phone or computer??? 

Most of the characters were annoying and the ending was a little too neat. There are two story lines and it was interesting to see how they tied together. Overall, I wasn't that wowed, but fans of suspense fiction will like it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

A  secluded rustic cabin, opulent but possibly creepy

China Room by Sunjeev Sahota

February 14, 2022

China Room by Sunjeev Sahota

In a rural village in India in 1929, three girls are married to three brothers in a single marriage ceremony. Because of their Punjabi traditions and their eccentric mother-in-law, the girls live separately from the rest of the family in a small house called the china room because of the decorations. They have marital relations with their husbands only when the mother-in-law decides they can, and then she decides which husband can see his wife that night, and only in the pitch dark. The mother-in-law claims that it is so the oldest brother's wife doesn't lord it over the other two wives. None of the young women know exactly which brother is her husband, although they try to figure it out when they serve meals or tea to the men, by looking at their hands and listening to their voices. Mehar, the youngest and prettiest of the girls, believes she has figured out which brother is her husband and begins meeting him in secret during the day. At the same time, unrest over India's push for independence from Great Britain swirls through the village.

In a parallel story set in 1999, a young man arrives unexpectedly at his uncle's house in India. He is about to start university, and is hoping to kick his heroin addiction by separating himself from his home and friends in England. Rather than living in the family's empty house outside of the village, he stays in the china room and becomes curious about its history.

Based on a family legend about the author's great-grandmother (which is supposedly well-known in the family's home village) and long-listed for the Booker Prize, China Room is strongly character driven. The is not much plot (like a lot of literary fiction), and women are treated as servant-wives or sex objects, which is still true in much of India today (see previous review for Honor by Thrity Umrigar). 

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout

February 8, 2022

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout

Lucy Barton's ex-husband William has always been a mystery to her. A college professor, they had been married 20 years and had two daughters when William told her that he had met a younger woman and wanted a divorce. Lucy knew that William had had other affairs during their marriage but agreed to a divorce. Nevertheless, the two remained close because of their children. When William's second marriage falls apart (he comes home to find their apartment stripped and his second wife and daughter gone - serves him right), the first person he calls is Lucy, and she helps him get his life back together. When William discovers a family secret, he asks Lucy to take a trip with him to investigate.

Strout wrote two previous books about these same characters, and I enjoy her exploration of their marriage and also their post-marriage lives. I think the two other books are stronger, or at least, this is my least favorite, probably because William doesn't treat Lucy very well, yet she is always there for him. The next book about these same two people, Lucy by the Sea, is coming out mid-2022.

Spiteful Bones by Jeri Westerson

February 3, 2022

Spiteful Bones by Jeri Westerson

London 1398 - Lawyer Nigellus Cobmartin and his companion John Rykener take on the task of restoring Nigellus' family's manor in London. When workmen unearth a skeleton from one of the walls, holding a family relic that vanished 20 year earlier, Nigellus calls in their friend Crispin Guest for help. Who do the bones belong to, and how did they end up in the wall with the relic?

This is the 14th book in the Crispin Guest series, and the author has announced that there will be one more book to finish the series. Over the course of fourteen books, Crispin has gone from traitor to tracker, from loner to family patriarch with his found family with Jack and Isabel Tucker and their children. He also has a relationship with his natural son with Philippa Walcote. 

I'm not looking forward to the end of the Crispin Guest mysteries. Maybe Jack will take over and become the Tracker 2.0?

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel

January 29, 2022

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel

The Mitchell triplets have lived all their lives in the town of Bourne, a place where nothing much ever happens. The town made national news 17 years earlier when the town's water supply turned green. The triplets watch their mother fight to get justice for the girls as well as others in the town who were damaged by the accident. Then one day, a moving truck arrives in the town, full of new people and old secrets, and things in Bourne start to change.

I didn't finish this one. I have read and enjoyed Laurie Frankel's other books, but not this one. I just couldn't get interested in the characters or their story. 

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

January 17, 2022

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Zinnia Gray has a rare genetic disorder that makes it unlikely that she will live past her 21st birthday. Her BFF Charm decides that since this may be Zinnia's last birthday, she is going to make it the best birthday ever. Zinnia studied fairy tale literature in college, specifically the Sleeping Beauty myth/legend/tale, so Charm creates a sleeping beauty fantasy in the tower of a nearby abandoned building, complete with spinning wheel, flowers, and fairy lights. But when Zinnia accidentally pricks her finger on a splinter, she finds herself falling through the multiverse into the worlds of other sleeping beauties, all as desperate to escape their fates as she is.

This novella imagines that there are countless variations on the sleeping beauty story through every age, past and future. These sleeping beauties are not weak or powerless, but determined to take control of their own situations. They want more than just some preening prince and "living happily ever after." Great cover art.

(No picture of a sleeping beauty, since I couldn't find any pictures except the princess either asleep or gazing starry-eyed at Prince Perfect.)

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

January 15, 2022

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

A group of space explorers on a long-range project sleep between stops at the worlds on their itinerary, sometimes for a decade or longer. Each time they wake up with different features, having transformed themselves in sleep. At the same time, things are constantly changing back on Earth - sometimes the astronauts wake to find that their home countries no longer exist, or that support for space exploration has morphed into a type of cult - only to find that things have changed again the next time they wake. Their goal is to study, explore, and send their findings back to Earth.

This is a stand-alone novella outside of Chambers' Wayfarers series (which I love). While I didn't love it as much as the books in the series, as always, there is great world-building, diverse characters, and wonderful writing. There are no battles or wars, no nefarious plots, not much of a plot at all, just great characters going about their day to day tasks.

A galaxy far, far away

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

January 1, 2022

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

When a dead body is found at Preservation Station (the safest place in the galaxy - for the crime rate to be any lower, they'd have to be on an uninhabited planet), why does the security staff immediately assume that Murderbot killed the dead person? If Murderbot HAD killed the dead person, he is certainly smart enough not to dump the body in a public place in plain sight. Dealing with people is the worst part of Murderbot's job - they are SUCH a pain in the ass. When security tapes show that Murderbot was no where in the vicinity, they must work with Murderbot to figure out how the murder was committed and who is responsible.

This is #6 in the Murderbot Diaries series, and I just love it.  I love the main character's narration, sarcasm, and sense of humor, also its devotion to Dr. Mensa, the head of preservation station and the first human to realize that Murderbot was a thinking being, and treat it like a person and not a thing (Murderbot is the SecUnit's name for itself). 

What Murderbot the SecUnit may look like

The Mystery of Montague Morgan by Karen Baugh Menuhin

January 11, 2022

The Mystery of Montague Morgan by Karen Baugh Menuhin

Major Heathcliff Lennox is spending a relaxing December day at his comfortable country house with his golden spaniel Fogg and cat Tubbs when his friend ex-Inspector Swift contacts him in a panic. Swift has entered into an arrangement for a broker named Montague Morgan to sell the Scotch whiskey that Swift's wife's family produces at their Scotland estate. Unfortunately, Morgan has disappeared along with Swift's money, and if they can't find Morgan, Swift, his wife, and her father will all be bankrupted. Lennox agrees to help him find Morgan, even though Lennox's wedding to Persi is just days away on Christmas Eve.

They look into Morgan's background and discover that he is a charming and successful rogue, ruthless in business at times. But recently, Morgan found the love of his life and has been making plans to take his lover away to faraway lands with Morgan's ill-gotten gains. But Swift isn't the only one who wants his money - there are dangerous people who want their gold back and will stop at nothing to get it. They track Morgan to his country house and get trapped there in a snowstorm, with a mixed group of people also looking for Morgan. What happened to Montague Morgan? Will Swift get his money for the whiskey that Morgan sold? And will Lennox solve the mystery of Montague Morgan and get to the church in time for his wedding?

Too much fun from #7 in the Heathcliff Lennox series. Wide cast of characters in this one, although the faithful Greggs, Fogg, and Tubbs all accompany Lennox as always (Greggs finds romance in the kitchen, as usual). Next installment coming out Summer 2022.

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

September 23, 2022

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

Smita is an Indian American journalist who lives in New York and works for a major U.S. newspaper. When the local journalist is hospitalized due to an accident, Smita is assigned to cover the story of an Indian woman named Meeta whose brothers murdered her husband and left her horribly disfigured. Because Meena is a Hindu and she married a Muslim man, her brothers were outraged at how she disgraced their family honor, and their honor in their village. Although she was born in India, Smita has not been back for over 20 years, and while the cities are quite modern, rural areas like the village where Meena lived are the same as they were a hundred years ago, except for the village head man. The case forces Smita to revisit the secrets in her own painful past. At the same time, she finds herself increasingly attracted to an Indian man named Mohan. Smita can't help contrasting her own ability to have a love affair with Mohan, against the sadness of Meena's love story.

Wonderful writing, well narrated, horrible story. Meena's story is just so sad. From everything that I've read and seen about India, it sounds like a terrible place to live if you are a woman. It is incomprehensible that two men would murder their sister and her husband just because of some ancient notion of honor. At the beginning of the story, Mohan expresses his belief that India is the most wonderful place in the world. He has lived all his life in the city of Mumbai, and the closest he has been to a rural area is his family's country estate. The way Meena and her sister lived was like a revelation to him. The contrast between city life and rural life in India could not be greater - Indian villages look virtually the same as they have for hundreds of years. I did like the way Smita's story worked out, even though the novel reinforced my belief that India is one of the places that I have no desire to visit.

Mumbai, 21st century

Rural India. 21st century

Sword of Shadows by Jeri Westerson

January 6. 2022

Sword of Shadows by Jeri Westerson

London 1396 - When Crispin Guest and his apprentice Jack Tucker visit a swordsmith's shop, they run into a Cornish artefact hunter. He tells Crispin that he has a map that he is convinced will lead him to Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur, and he persuades Crispin to help him find the sword. Traveling to Cornwall, Crispin unexpectedly meets an old flame who is also hunting for the sword. But when first one body turns up, and then a second one, the treasure hunt becomes the search for a killer.

Crispin's stories always focus on relics, but this time, he is seeking a historic artefact, rather than a religious relic. As always, there are plenty of twists and turns. His old girlfriend is trouble on two legs, and if Crispin was smart, he would run the other way. The local villagers are suspicious of Crispin's group, and also of the druids who live in the forest and practice the old religion. #13 in the Crispin Guest series.

Excalibur, King Arthur's mythical sword in the stone

Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham

December 30, 2021

Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham

Stan Carlisle is a young carnival worker, on his way up in the world. He hooks up with Zeena, another carnival worker who has a mind reading act, and learns how to fool an audience. He leaves the carnival with Molly, a girl who has an act with the circus freak show, and together they develop a mind-reading stage act that does reasonably well. When he realizes how much money people will pay to contact their loved ones in the next world, Stan morphs into the Reverend Stanton Carlisle, spiritualist and medium. His church contacts lead him to an unscrupulous psychologist named Lilith, who helps him gain access to wealthy and powerful men. But he takes his act one step too far and his life begins to spiral out of control, until it comes full circle and he returns to the carnival life where the story began.

Dark, disturbing, atmospheric, bleak, with great characters. The 2021 movie adaptation is well done.

Carnival sideshow

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

September 22, 2022

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Bird Gardner is a mixed-race child - his mother, the poet Margaret Miu, is a PAO, a person of Asian origin. Three years earlier,. she vanished one day, and her disappearance devastated the family. Bird's father gave up his position as a linguistics professor and now shelves books at the university library, while he and Bird live in one of the dormitories. One day, Bird receives a communication that could only have come from his mother. He sets out to find her and ask her why she left them.

Set in the near future in a dystopian. post-crisis world where Asians are viewed with hatred and suspicion for causing everything afflicting the U.S., this is an old story retold that could easily happen again. There are themes of racism/racial purity (think Nazism), cultural homogeneity. fear and suspicion. But there is also bravery, especially among a group of librarians who are determined to continue making information accessible (as we have always done). It will keep you thinking long after you finish reading it. Really great cover art. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Deeds of Darkness by Melvin Starr

December 26, 2021

Deeds of Darkness by Melvin Starr

When the Bampton coroner is found dead on the Oxford road, surgeon and bailiff Hugh de Singleton is tasked with finding the killer. He soon discovers that there is a band of goliards committing crimes in the area of Bampton Castle. Hugh must find the killer and bring justice for the coroner's family.

Goliards were medieval students or clerics who, for a variety of reasons, did not complete their studies. It may have been a matter of funding or boredom or poor scholarship or loss of patronage. Many of the goliards were younger sons of wealthy or noble families. While many goliards were traveling musicians, some formed gangs that went on crime sprees. Their prominent families them from punishment.

This is #10 in the Hugh de Singleton series. While the mysteries are relatively simple, the daily customs, characters, and atmosphere are the real draw of this historical mystery series. You can get lost in the 14th century - other series that take you back to the Middle Ages are the Crispin Guest noir mysteries and the Matthew Shardlake books.

Goliards

Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson

December 26, 2021

Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Petersen

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Queen of Halloween, reveals all in this entertaining autobiography. From her childhood in Kansas to being a showgirl in Las Vegas to comedienne, and finally to late-night hostess of vintage horror films, we travel with Elvira as she meets iconic celebrities, works at comedy clubs, and creates her now-famous image.

Scarred as a toddler by burns, Elvira shows us that whether scars are physical or emotional (and she had both), they can be a blessing or a curse. At 70 years old, she still looks great and enjoys what she does, and has at long last found real love.

Fun, heartbreaking, honest and shocking, this is Elvira at her campy best. Fans of celebrity bios will enjoy this honest look at a Hollywood legend.

Elvira (aka Cassandra Peterson)

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

December 22, 2021

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

Following the death of his father, Benny Oh begins to hear voices. Not just any voices - he hears items like a shoe, vegetables, furniture, and Christmas decorations speaking to him. His depressed mother develops hoarding tendencies, which doesn't help Benny's situation. He finds solace in the quiet of a large public library, where the books speak to him but in an orderly fashion, and he meets a variety of street people who also take refuge there. 

Although I liked the story and it held my attention, it's very difficult to categorize or describe. The narrator is a book that tells Benny's story. As a librarian at a public library for 30 years, I recognized many of the characters that Benny encounters at his public library. Libraries are safe havens for many people who otherwise don't fit in or have nowhere else to go. Books and libraries can save us by finding a way out of our own heads - I have always known this. It's also about how we fill our emptiness. Some people fill their emptiness with alcohol or drugs or excitement; others lean toward books, art, and objects.

I really like the author's previous book, A Tale for the Time Being. Ozeki tends to write in an experimental style. While this isn't for everyone, readers of literary fiction will find a lot to think about.

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

December 16, 2021

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Evie, her brother Will and Will's friend Tom have been friends since childhood. When Will and Tom are shipped off to serve in France during World War I, Evie promises to write to both of them. Evie is a prolific letter writer, and she also writes to her BFF Alice. Both Alice and Evie want to do more for the war effort than knit socks for the soldiers (despite the protests of their families). Evie gets a job delivering mail and the dreaded telegrams to her community, and she also begins to write a column for the local newspaper about life on the home front and the hardships that the soldiers are enduring in France. Along the way, she and Tom realize that their feelings for each other are stronger than just friendship.

Told through letters between the characters, the book's themes focus on the roles of women during wartime, PTSD (or "shell shock" as it was called then), and the realities of trench warfare. I usually enjoy epistolary fiction (who doesn't like reading someone else's letters?), but this had a little too much romance for me and I found the storyline predictable. But romance readers will love it, especially if they like historical romances.

Epistolary fiction has been around for a long time. Dangerous Liaisons was one of the very early books written in this style. If you want to try another epistolary novel, try The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which is set during and just after World War II and is a much better book, IMHO.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

September 19, 2022

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Linus Baker is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY). He visits orphanages that house/confine children with unusual magical talents. Once he completes his visits and submits his reports, he rarely gives a thought to how his findings might affect the children who live there. He follows the official RULES AND REGULATIONS to the letter. Other than his cranky cat Calliope, he lives a solitary life. But then one day, he is selected by Extremely Upper Management to visit and report on a group home that he has never heard of, run by a man named Arthur Parnassus. Linus finds himself thrown completely off balance by the residents and the philosophy of the master, causing him to rethink his whole life and his job.

This is a delightful charming story, filled with hope, joy, sadness, and love! The characters are wonderful and draw the reader in immediately. It does have a YA feel to it, and there is a strong theme of inclusivity, so there are LGBTQ characters as well as characters with extreme magical gifts. The closest comparison might be to the Harry Potter books. I was sorry to see it end, but I couldn't put it down. Put this one on the top of your TBR pile (which I heard someone call Mount TBR). Beautiful cover art. Highly, HIGHLY recommended. A best book of 2022.

A phoenix (yes, a phoenix plays a part in the story)

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

December 10, 2021

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

Megs Devonshire is a scholarship student at Oxford, studying maths. The other love of her life is her younger brother George, who is gravely ill and not expected to live much longer. George becomes fascinated with a book called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and when he learns that the author, C. S. Lewis, is an Oxford professor, he begs his sister to go see Lewis and find out where Narnia came from.

Megs manages to meet C. S. Lewis (known as Jack in his family) and his brother Winnie, who are two of the kindest men who ever lived. Rather than tell her outright about Narnia, Jack tells her about growing up with Winnie, and Megs brings the stories home to tell George. 

This was one of the most heartfelt books that I read in 2021. Yes, you'll need a box of tissues. It's sad at times but oh so lovely. Megs is the best sister ever. Highly recommended.

C. S. Lewis

The Kilns, C. S. Lewis' Oxford home

Traitor's Codex by Jeri Westerson

December 7, 2021

Traitor's Codex by Jeri Westerson

Crispin Guest, aka the Tracker of London, is enjoying an ale at the Boar's Tusk, his favorite tavern, when a stranger drops a package on his table, with a remark that Crispin will know what to do with it. When he opens the packet, Crispin finds an ancient text written in an unknown language. He inquires of a priest friend, who directs him toward the secret Jewish community in London. A hidden rabbi tells him that the book is the gospel of Judas, a forbidden gospel account that challenges the foundations of Christianity. The rabbi is later found dead, and Crispin discovers that a lot of people want the book, mainly to destroy it.

This is #12 in the Crispin Guest series. Like previous books, the characters, history, and atmosphere of 14th century London draw the reader in immediately. Judaism was forbidden in England, yet there was a thriving community who practiced their religion in secret, much as Catholics continued to follow their religion after it was outlawed in the 16th century. The Gospel of Judas does exist, although most traditional biblical scholars dispute its authenticity - naturally, it offers a different slant than orthodox Christianity does. If you're interested in different views of Jesus, you may want to try The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd, which tells the story of Jesus from the viewpoint of his wife (yes, at the time Jesus lived, as a Jewish man, he would have been expected to marry) or The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin (written from the viewpoint of the Virgin Mary, Jesus' mother).

As in all the Crispin Guest books, there are a number of different threads that come together at the end. Highly recommended.

An example of a 14th century codex

The Gospel of Judas does exist, although some scholars dispute its authenticity

Bloodless by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs

September 18, 2022

Bloodless by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs

On their way back to New York following the successful completion of a case, FBI Special Agents Aloysius Pendergast and Armstrong Coldmoon are diverted to Savannah to investigate an unusual death. The body of a hotel manager has been found completely drained of blood with no rational explanation how it was done. When a second body, a college student, is found a short time later in the same condition, the media quickly dub the killer The Savannah Vampire. Yet there seems to be a connection to the FBI's oldest unsolved case. The investigation takes the two agents and Constance Green, Pendergast's mysterious ward, on a desperate hunt through Savannah's landmark buildings and cemeteries.

This is the 20th book in the Agent Pendergast series (I missed #19 somehow and have it on order at the library). I always enjoy the Pendergast novels, especially the audiobooks. The narrator gets Pendergast's intonations just right. Although the books are classified as mysteries, there are frequently supernatural overtones, and this one leans pretty far into the paranormal. It sounds like the next book may involve time trave back to the 19th century.

Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, where some of the action takes place

The statue of the girl with the birds that two of the characters are trying to find at Bonaventure. The statue graced the cover of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," one of my all-time favorite nonfiction books. The statue was moved out of Bonaventure over 20 years ago.

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

September 17, 2022

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

It's New Year's Day, and almost everyone in the small Welsh town of Cwm Coed has turned out for the traditional lake plunge. There was a massive New Year's Eve party the night before at the exclusive lake community called The Shore, and some people are hungover while others are still drunk. But the annual event is abruptly cancelled when a body is found floating offshore. Since the border between England and Wales runs right down the center of the lake, a detective from each side is assigned to the case. It seems like everyone in the community has something to hide or someone to protect, as well as a reason to want the victim dead.

This was a very good modern mystery. There was a twist in the middle that I did not see coming. Quite honestly, the murder victim was a thoroughly reprehensible person and needed killing. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys contemporary mysteries.

Lake country in Wales (not the lake in the book, which is fictitious)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore

November 30, 2021

The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore

Mirielle West lives a glamorous Hollywood life as the wife of a silent film star. When she is diagnosed with leprosy, she is forcibly confined to the Carville Lepers Home in Louisiana. At first, she hopes her stay will be brief and that she will be able to return to her life in Hollywood soon. But there is no cure, and Mirielle attempts to escape, only to be captured and returned to Carville. She tries every experimental treatment that comes along, even one of her own devising. Eventually, if Mirielle is to save herself and her sanity, she has to redefine the meaning of her life and find a new purpose and sense of community.

I enjoyed this book very much since it is based on a little-known aspect of American history. Mirielle is a fictional character, but the Carville Lepers Home, the only leper colony in America, really existed. Leprosy has been around since biblical times, and was greatly feared since it was believed to be highly contagious. In the Middle Ages, lepers were forced to carry a bell to ring if anyone came close to them, while also covering themselves from head to foot to hide their disfigurement. Years later, leprosy was determined to be a bacterial infection. It is now treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed in the early stages. Very good historical fiction, well-researched and highly recommended.

Carville Lepers Home in Louisiana (no, I'm not showing you pictures of people disfigured by leprosy)

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

November 23, 2021

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

When 29 year old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital after a drunk driving accident, she has no choice but to move back home to her family in New York. It's an awkward situation to say the least, since she ran off five years earlier with no explanation to her family or fiance. 

I picked this up since it was supposed to be similar to another book that I read and really enjoyed (Say Again, Yes). But the characters are all boring, and Sunday's reason for leaving in the first place was really stupid. There's too much drama and the story line is predictable. Disappointing - I really should know better by now.

Death in Delft by Graham Brack

November 19, 2021

Death in Delft by Graham Brack

When three girls from vastly different backgrounds go missing in the normally quiet city of Delft, only one body is found buried in a shallow grave. The archbishop sends Master Mercurius, a cleric from the university, to investigate. With the help of the artist Vermeer, Mercurius works to track down the killer before another child goes missing.

This is the first book in a new series, with a likeable protagonist, although even the negative characters are sympathetic. Mercurius has a secret of his own that he very much wants to keep hidden. He is a kindly, intelligent man. There is a good mixture of historical and fictitious characters. The artist Vermeer is a particularly good character, with his large family. I hope he appears in future books.

Vermeer's painting of Delft in the 17th century