Category Archives: Book Reviews

Reviews of Books

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The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill ***slight spoiler***

Laying in the backyard, watching the grass grow long past the point where it needs to be mowed,   and drinking a bottle of Jersey Peach wine, I finished this book.  If you would have asked me, up to around Chapter 40 I would have have said, “Great mystery, good read, 4 stars.”  Unfortunately I continued reading for another 14 chapters and the book dropped down to a 3 star.

The main character Simon Serrailler is almost incidental in some ways, he is not the main investigator for the crime, but this is the first in the series so that might account for that.  He is a good character, isolated somewhat from his family due to his life choices, divided into policman and artist, and afraid of commitment or maybe just unaware of the possibility.  He comes across as an good police officer, a fair boss, an all round decent human being.  Other characters are equally appealing, Freya, Nathan, and Cat to name a few.

The issue for me is that the reveal (to the reader anyway) occurs in a separate piece just prior to Chapter 39, but then the book goes on and on, until chapter 54 and in the end we still really don’t know why.  It most definitely was the author’s purpose to leave it that way, making the statement that we never really know another human being and often we are in the dark about people’s motivations, but it just didn’t work for me.   Certain segments in the book are told in a form of a final confession letter/journal written by the villain and so hints of his motivations, mad though he may be, are peppered throughout them.  It just was frustrating to me that they were not followed up on or resolved.  On the last page Simon is thinking about the murderer and has this one thought that made it clear that this was all very purposeful of the author:

“Cat had said that his kind could only be left to the understanding of God.  Simon wondered.”

Interesting characters and a page turner, but frustrating to me as a reader.

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Library Read-a-thon Wrap Up & Posted to Death by Dean James

I have quite enjoyed this Library Read-a-thon and I finished quite a bit of reading of library books as well.

In total I read:

  1. File M for Murder by Miranda James 
  2. Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason,
  3. The Blackhouse by Peter May
  4. In Sickness and in Death by Lisa Bork
  5. For Richer, For Danger by Lisa Bork
  6. Without Trace by Katherine John

and finally this morning:

7. Posted to Death by Dean James

Hope everyone else enjoyed the read-a-thon!

Now just a quick note about Posted to Death.

 

This is a series new to me…however, I have read books by the author under another name, Miranda James.  I found this series because I enjoyed the Miranda James’ A Cat in the Stacks Mysteries so much that I was looking for other books by “her”.  I then found out Dean James writes under the names of Miranda James, Honor Hartman, and Jimmie Ruth Evans.  So, there is lots to read by him.

Anyway, Posted to Death was great!  Funny, well written, full of quirky characters and a very interesting take on the traditional English village mystery.  I wouldn’t call it a parody, just a humorous take on the paranormal cozy genre.  The big twist is that the Dr. Simon Kirby-Jones, our sleuth is a man, just like in the Cat in the Stacks mysteries and he is also gay and a vampire.  The character is done so well; I really enjoyed it.  It could have been over the top bordering on ridiculous but it doesn’t go there.

The other village characters are traditional examples of village life with secrets to hide and reputations to protect. Very much centered around village committee life and the small political battles that entails.  That aspect reminded me of the BBC series Clatterford (US title) or Jam and Jerusalem (UK title).

I will definitely read more in the series and more by Dean James in all his incarnations.

 

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Library Read-a-thon Day 6 & File M for Murder

Today’s prompt for the Library Read-a-thon was to think of library words.  Here are mine:

  • data
  • information
  • Page
  • classes
  • community
  • service
  • meetings
  • magazines
  • newspapers
  • clubs

I actually went back to my library today to drop off File M for Murder and to pick up some of my holds that came in:

 

I finished File M for Murder by Miranda James this morning.  This is the 3rd book in the series.

I love the characters in this series, particularly Charlie Harris, his son Sean, and Diesel, his Maine Coon cat.  Characters are definitely the main strength of  the  “A Cat in the Stacks” mysteries.  The setting and all the auxiliary characters are becoming more fleshed out as the series has progressed.  Charlie’s daughter has arrived in this book and we get to know her as well.  I love that the main protagonist, Charlie is a man and that gives this cozy a little bit different feel.  I also like that he is not involved in a love triangle that occurs in so many mysteries.

I did figure out the mystery prior to the reveal, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.  I don’t know exactly why this one was easier to solve than the others but I just had a hunch right away upon meeting the culprit that something was off about them.  There is a major misdirection in the form of a new character but that seemed a little to obvious to be anything but a red herring.

An enjoyable, quick read and I will continue to read more in this series.

 

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Library Read-a-thon Day 5

 

I have to say that I know most of my librarians to see them but I don’t know their names.  They are always happy to see patrons and really helpful.  Most of the ones who work the desk know me because I’m always in picking up stacks of books at a time:)
In fact today, I jut picked up:

 

 

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Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason

 

Another library book for the Library Read-a-thon.   I have been looking forward to this one for a while so I am happy I finally got to it.  I enjoyed the Icelandic setting and  Inspector Erlendur is a great character.  

This is the first of Arnaldur Indridason’s books that I have read and I love his style of writing.  Throughout the book are episodes of dry humor and plain speaking.  An example from early in the book is:

“Perhaps he did not know his assailant well.  Perhaps the visitor had attacked him without any preamble, the moment the door opened.  Without taking off his shoes.

Can you murder someone in your socks?

Erlendur looked all around and  told himself he really must organize his thoughts better.”

Another is :

“”Isn’t this your typical Icelandic murder?”…

“What?” said Erlendur, engrossed in his thoughts.

“Squalid, pointless and committed without any attempt to hide it, change the clues or conceal the evidence.”

“Yes,” said Erlendur.  “A pathetic Icelandic murder.””

As an overview, the characters were well drawn and developed, even likable, which was surprising in the case of Erlendur’s daughter, a drug addict.   At first, I didn’t really see the point of her story but it was connected seamlessly in the end.

The only weakness was in the actual main mystery itself.  I figured it out about half way through and   in my opinion it was somewhat improbable.  There is just so much else good in this book, that I would still recommend it and will read more in the series.

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Library Read-a-thon Day 4 & The Blackhouse by Peter May

The prompt today from Rachel Turns Pages for the Library Read-a-thon is:
Interesting timing because I just came back from dropping off books at the library.  My new reads aren’t in yet.  Generally, I check out  6 or 7 books, a mixture of genres, lighter and heavier reads.  Usually though I have 1 or 2 still at home so on average I have about 8 books out at any one time.
My library is awesome technology wise.  I generally order books all from home and then just go in and pick them up.  Days that I have time, I do like to peruse the shelves and see if anything just catches my eye.
If a book is due and there is a waiting list (like Under the Dome), can’t renew it and haven’t read it, I usually return it and put it back on hold, that is if I haven’t started it at all.  If I still have a day, I push through it and finish it so I can return it.  I’ve been known to set my alarm clock extra early, so I could finish a book.  This is usually not an issue for me unless I am struggling with a book (see Under the Dome), because generally I am a  fast reader, my kids are pretty much grown – a senior and a college sophomore, and I don’t have a significant other so my time is my own – except for that pesky job I have to go to:).
This morning I finished Peter May’s The Blackhouse
I loved this book.  The mystery kept me turning the pages.  The setting was almost a character in its own right.  The descriptions were so well wrought that I could easily picture the action in my head.  There were really clever episodes of misdirection that were intriguing and kept me guessing.
Really masterfully written and very suspenseful.  One of the biggest  strengths of this book is the characters.  All of the significant characters are multi-dimensional and not through an overabundance of words.  Peter Mays made every word count.  I love that style of writing, especially in a thriller or mystery  when the setting is so stark and isolated that  it very fitting to the mood of the book.
The characters  all seemed like real people and even when I couldn’t understand how they could behave in such a way, they still seemed realistic.  A great example of this is when Fin Macleod goes to visit a paraplegic weaver in the village, he learns of an entirely different side to the victim.  I  won’t say anything more but I felt that was an example of excellent character development.
So, having said that,  I returned The Blackhouse to the library and put books 2 & 3 on hold.

 

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For Richer, For Danger & In Sickness and in Death by Lisa Bork

 

Insomnia strikes again so I put it to good use.  Here are two more titles for the library read-a-thon.  These two are books 2 & 3 in  Lisa Bork’s Broken Vows Mystery series.

I finished For Richer, For Danger and it left off the story of the characters Jolene and Ray at such a place that I just picked up the next one and kept going.  Both of these books have good mysteries and the character’s stories are so interesting that I just wanted to know more.  Not a typical cozy in that their are some pretty devastating personal things going on that don’t necessarily end all nice and neatly (or happily).  I don’t want to give anything else away.

Besides the main characters there are some other recurring characters that we see more  of, especially Erica and Cory.  Both of them are now well developed characters with lives and stories of their own that weave with Jolene and Ray’s. The mystery is engaging and well crafted, however it is almost overshadowed by the personal crisis stuff.  In other words, rather than being a mystery with a chick lit feel, it is more of a chick lit with a mystery plot line.  I thought that it really worked well.  The only criticism that I would have to say would be Jolene’s business.  The fact that it manages to stay afloat just seem highly improbable to me, but I find that in many cozy mysteries.

The author also manages to sensitively deal with some social concerns without beating you over the head with her message.  One of the main characters is gay and openly dating, there is another character in book 3 with gender issues, and the issue of adoption/foster care is a focal point in both books.   the great thing is the normality with which the author addresses all these points.  Some books seem so self conscious and almost make a parody of social issues with their treatment.  On the whole, a well written mystery series with good character development.

 

 

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Book, Line and Sinker by Jenn McKinlay

 

I picked this up from the library which only seems appropriate since it is book 3 in a “Library Lover’s Mystery” series.  For some reason I had a hard time getting into this book, I picked it up and  put it down a few times and that is unusual for me.  It may have been that I was trudging,  er…I mean reading through Stephen King’s Under the Dome at the same time.

Anyway, today after my errands I had a lunch out on the patio with my mom of  salad, a delicious pate, some wonderful olives and fresh bread along with a bottle of Jersey White wine.  I brought the book along and after we finished eating I sunk into my sun lounger  to read.  This time I got right into it.  There was more than one mystery going on in the story, an older unsolved mystery and the current one.  Pirates (ahoy matey, eye patch and all), treasure and eco-warriors abounded, all great fun.

I did find some of the dialogue stilted or even trite and I was concerned about the return of an old love interest creating the classic “love triangle”, but there was an interesting twist on it.  We see more of Sully in this book and I like his character.  I enjoy this type of plot, in which there is an old crime and a new crime that are connected and we just have to figure out how.

Cute mystery that is a quick, fun read for anyone who likes book themed cozies.

Now I am working on:

 

This book has sucked me right in and I will probably finish it tonight.

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Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

 

I’m not going to repeat the blurb, basically the book’s plot is centered around immigration and repatriation.  A group of young people from a small Mexican village sets out for America to bring men back to their small town.  I am reading it for a book club and I picked up my copy from the library.

Into the Beautiful North includes bits and pieces from several story types, romance, buddy story, road trip story, women’s fiction, YA, parable, political statement and thriller, although you never get to the  “thrill” part.  The book seemed to suffer an identity crises.  There was not enough of any one genre to satisfy me as a reader.  The girls’ characters felt flat.  In contrast, some of the men were cartoonish in their extremes, which could work in a parable, but not so much in romance or women’s fiction, and we never see a resolution to the the thriller part of the plot.  The road trip is somewhat monotonous and the political statement is very shallow, just a cursory overview of the issue.  No real depth there.

Urrea does excel at description of place and his prose is clear and engaging.  I did enjoy that about this book.  It was a quick, very easy read,  struck me as something one would read in high school, thus the YA reference.  The main theme of the book was love in all its forms and it  presents some very  positive messages in that light.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

 

Finished this in one sitting tonight, very quick read, but not light by any stretch of the imagination.  This book is very graphic with details of animal torture, experimentation on humans, murder of children…not light stuff.  Seriously, I have problems reading about animals being tortured and this was beyond what I would normally read but I kept going because I HAD to know what was going on.  The story is about a young teen, who lives with his…eccentric father, was abandoned by his hippie  mother and has a brother who just escaped from a mental institution and it just gets darker from there.  I don’t want to say to much and give away any twists and turns in the plot but I will say I thought I had it figured out and I was completely wrong.  I didn’t see the twist at the end coming.

Very well written, elements of black humor amid all the gore.  I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it because it more horrified me than anything. A fascinating story that kept me turning the pages against my better impulses that were telling me to just shut the book and walk away.