48 Clues Into the Disappearance of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates

April 20, 2023

48 Clues Into the Disappearance of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates

Marguerite Fulmer, known to her sister as M, leaves for work one morning and vanishes. Her family, co-workers, former boyfriends, and the police are baffled. M's sister Georgene (G or Gigi) begin collecting clues that the police have missed, dismissed, or ignored. Or that G has hidden from them.

Psychological fiction with a truly unreliable narrator and not a single likable character, except maybe Lena the housekeeper. JCO is a master of this type of ambiguous story. It's not going to appeal to everyone - you have to enjoy having your mind messed with.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

April 19, 2023

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

The country of Prospera consists of three islands: the main island of Prospera where citizens live, work, and play; the Annex, where support workers live, commuting back and forth to their jobs in Prospera; and the Nursery, the island where Prosperans are recycled to new existences. Although it seems to be Utopia for Prosperan citizens, not everyone is happy with this arrangement, and revolt is brewing among the residents of the Annex. Or is it?

The first 2/3 of the book is fabulous; I read it in a single day and could not put the book down. But the last third - not so much. We find out that the first 2/3 of the book is just a dream, a fantasy world created by the characters. Been there, done that, used to have the t-shirt (am I the only person who watched LOST or St. Elsewhere? Or the old TV show Dallas, where mercifully at least only one season was a dream? Maybe the author is figuring no one over 20 reads his books, so they've never heard of a dream sequence before). The it-was-all-just-a-dream is a copout when a writer doesn't know how to finish up a story in a satisfying manner. And there is more than one ending - what is this, choose your own story? Really disappointing after such a great start.

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

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

April 16, 2023

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Luz Lopez and her brother Diego live in 1934 Denver with their aunt. Denver proves to be a dangerous place for both of them, and for all non-whites and mixed race people. Diego is caught with a white girl and forced to leave town to become a migrant worker. After working as a laundress with her cousin for several years, a local lawyer hires Luz as his clerk. Luz frequently has prophetic visions and reads tea leaves to make extra money while dreaming of a better future for herself. She catches the attention of a local handyman who is an aspiring musician, while also fending off the advances of her boss. Luz tries to navigate the confusing time and place where she lives, while waiting for her brother to return home.

A slow moving saga following five generations of a family, moving back and forth from late 18th century American West (aka the Lost Territory) and 1934 Denver. It could have used a little more plot, a little less wandering around and fewer characters. Too many wandering threads that only sort of come together at the end. I expected a better story.

The main drag in 1935 Denver

The Postcard by Anne Berest

April 14, 2023

The Postcard by Anne Berest

In 2003, a Jewish woman living in Paris receives a postcard, bearing only the names of four family members who died at Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942. Years later, she tells her daughter Anne the story of her grandparents and about receiving the postcard. Anne becomes obsessed with tracking down the postcard's sender, exploring her family's history while also musing on what it means to be a Jew today as well as historically.

Part family history, part French history, part Jewish history, part mystery. This is a profoundly moving story of lost loves, survivors, and a family missing vital parts. Not an easy read, but one that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished. This title is sure to win literary prizes and appear on best-books-of-the-year lists. Highly recommended. 

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Prisoners at Auschwitz, the main death camp, where the author's family perished

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg

April 13, 2023

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg

Merritt Fernsby is working on his second novel when he unexpectly inherits a house on a lovely but remote island off the coast of Rhode Island. Estranged from his family and living in New York, he had no idea the house existed or that his grandmother owned it. Although empty for many years, when he arrives, he is pleasantly surprised to find the house in excellent condition. But the house holds dark secrets, and fortunately Mrs. Hulda Larkin from the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms (BIKER) arrives to help him manage the house's whims. But they learn that there is a lot more magic going on than they first suspected, and Hulda and Merritt must join forces to keep the dark out.

I previously read and loved the author's Spellbreaker/Spellmaker duology, but didn't care for the Paper Magician series as much. This book is a return to the magic and fantasy of Spellbreaker, with the same splash of romance. It is actually the first book in the Whimbrel House series - the next book sees Merritt exploring his own history and magical gifts. Recommended for readers of historical or urban fantasy, such as the Soulless books by Gail Carriger or the Glamour in Glass series by Mary Robinette Kowals.

An island similar to the one where Whimbrel House sits (a whimbrel is a heron-like bird)

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

April 10, 2023

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Constance Green, Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast's ward, has traveled back in time to 19th century New York City, to save her siblings Joe and Mary, and also her younger self. Not only has Constance gone back in time, she is in a parallel universe, so she is able to encounter herself as a child. When Pendergast realizes what Constance has done, he has the time machine reassembled (it was destroyed at the end of the previous book) by an eccentric scientist named Gaspard Ferenc. Enlisting the help of his old friend Vincent D'Agosta of the NYPD, Pendy follows Constance back to 19th c. New York, because although he knows Constance is deadly, he also knows that his ancestor Dr. Leng is absolutely a match for her.

Meanwhile, Special Agent Armstrong Coldmoon, Pendy's sometime partner, is tracking down a killer who has been trafficking in Native American artifacts, substituting fakes for the real thing (like Sitting Bull's peace pipe). His investigation takes him to New York, where he learns that his case is tied to a murder case that Vincent is working on. He traces the artifacts to a Colombian drug lord living in Ecuador and sets up a sting operation to draw the man back to the U.S. The sting goes off without a hitch, but there's something not sitting right with Coldmoon. 

And then the book ended.

Damn. So this is only the first half of the story, and the conclusion will be another book (this one was close to 600 pages). I was really irritated when I got to the end, and there's this semi-apology from Douglas saying they're writing the conclusion as fast as they can. Not nice, Douglas and Lincoln. I put that in my Goodreads review so that other readers are aware that they're going to be left hanging, probably for another year. Also, Pendy still hasn't gotten around to telling Constance that he loves her - maybe at the end of the next book. Although considering that Constance has killed several people, it might be prudent to review the situation first.

Blackwell Island, New York, now Roosevelt Island - prison, workhouse, and insane asylum

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

April 6, 2023

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

Set in post-World War II Paris, American expatriate Tabitha meets budding chef Julia Child, who lives in the building across the street. Tabitha lives with her grandfather and "uncle" and tutors students in French and English while enjoying the Parisian nightlife. When an actor is found murdered in the basement of Julia's building after a late-night party at Julia's apartment, Tabitha feels compelled to find the killer.

Since I credit Julia Child's television show and cookbook with the fact that I can cook well, the title of this book screamed my name (my mother didn't allow anyone in the kitchen while she prepared meals, although I did learn from my grandmother how to boil canned asparagus for 45 minutes until it was gray slime as a special Thanksgiving treat). It's a decent mystery but unfortunately the narrative is slow-moving. The main character has to explain everything in detail, usually more than once. It's more interesting to show the action rather than describe or explain. I started skimming about halfway through. The author does get Julia's voice right - you can almost hear her talking - and there are fun cooking tips along the way (like how to make the perfect mayonnaise).

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

Julia Child in the tiny kitchen in her tiny Paris apartment, circa 1949

An Argumentation of Historians by Jodi Taylor

April 2, 2023

An Argumentation of Historians by Jodi Taylor

The historians of St. Mary's (aka disaster magnets) are back. Hawking Hanger has been repaired after villain Clive Ronan nearly destroyed it (see And the Rest is History), young Matthew Farrell is safely in the future with the Time Police, and Max's husband Leon is slowly recovering from injuries sustained at the destruction of Constantinople. With their pods repaired and ready for service, Max and her fellow historians are off to observe Henry VIII's disastrous joust in January 1536, then on to Persepolis while setting a trap for Ronan. But things go disastrously wrong (no surprise there) and Max finds herself separated from her people by several centuries.

Very entertaining series, just what I needed after finishing a really depressing lit fic title. This is book #9, and one of the differences from previous books is that while the historians are usually in and out quickly, Max has an adventure that lasts much longer. They still haven't captured Ronan and we still don't know if Markham and Hunter are married and/or if they are pregnant. I guess I'll have to get the next book.

Life in a medieval town