The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

One evening Li Lan's father comes to her with a strange question.  He asked if she would like to become a ghost bride.  A ghost bride was a living woman married to a man who had already died.  The family of Lim Tian Ching had inquired of her father if he and Li Lan would be amenable to this request.  The Lim family was quite wealthy and Li Lan would have no material worries if she agreed.

But, she had no desire for such an inhuman mating.  Indeed, she had fallen in love with Tian Ching's cousin, Tian Bai, and he had been promised to her earlier before Ching had died.  The family now wanted to cancel that engagement and marry her to the dead man they missed so much as a son. 

Soon, Ching began haunting Li Lan's dreams, showing her the palaces and feasts she would have as his wife.  Scared, she got medicine from a medium, but one night when she was more terrified than normal, took too large a dose and her spirit slipped out of her physical body.

Li Lan goes to the Plains of the Dead, to try to determine how to get back into her body and how to ward off her unwelcome suitor.  While there, she tiptoes between those who would help her such as her own deceased relatives, and those that wished to do her harm.  Will she manage to get back into her body before demons claim her?  Can she ward off Ching and find happiness with her first promised mate, Tian Bai?

This is the debut novel by Yangsze Choo, and she shows promise of an intriguing career.  The writing is dreamy, captured in the mists of Chinese beliefs and superstitions.  The reader is caught up in Li Lan's quest, and cheers for her to gain what she most wants in life, someone to love who can love her back.  This book is recommended for readers of historical fiction and those interested in literary fiction.

The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo

Life is different for Inspector Harry Hole, but he is trying.  He has a new boss, as his old boss has been transferred to a quieter location than the Oslo murder division.  The new boss is spit and polish, by the book, and that means either he or Harry will need to change, and change isn't something one associates with Harry.  Harry is also trying sobriety, and that is also something the verdict is out on.

But one thing never changes and that is crime.  It becomes clear that there is a paid assassin operating in Oslo.  The strange thing is that he seems to be targeting Salvation Army officials, who seem an unlikely target for organized crime.  The bodies start to mount, and it becomes clear that this is a Croatian assassin, trained in the wars that tore his country apart.  A war where he got his nickname 'The Redeemer' for his agility and ability to kill the Croatian enemies in the brutal civil war that tore his country apart. 

This is a worthy opponent for Inspector Hole.  He tracks the killer, barely missing him over and over, while he tries to unravel the motives behind the crimes.  There is also a new woman in Harry's life, and perhaps this one will be the one to calm his soul and bring him happiness.  Can Harry find the assassin before he kills again?

This is the sixth of the ten Harry Hole novels by Jo Nesbo.  Fans of the series will be fascinated as always by the intricate plotting and the ways that Harry maneuvers in his job despite his personal failings.  The pace is jolting, and Nesbo spares no one in his storytelling.  This book is recommended for mystery lovers whether they have read prior Nesbo novels or not.  Those who pick up this book are in for a compelling read that will leave them breathless and satisfied.

Lowcountry Bombshell by Susan M. Boyer

Things are heating up in Liz Talbot's life.  After her grandmother's murder, she moved back to the small South Carolina island where her family has lived for decades, and decides to pursue her private investigator career from her home town.  Her new case promises to be challenging.  When she opens her door, her first instinct is shock.  Standing on her porch is Marilyn Monroe, or at least it seems that way.

Calista McQueen not only looks like Marilyn, she shares disturbing similarities to her life.  She was born at the exact date and time as Marilyn, her mother named her Norma Jeane, and she spent her childhood in foster homes.  Her second marriage was to a ballplayer, Joe.  Now Calista is worried that she will be murdered on the anniversary of Marilyn's death, and wants Liz to help her escape what she fears is her fate.

There are plenty of suspects.  There are her birth mother and her mother's best friend, the women who made it their lives' work to remake Calista into the spitting image of Marilyn.  Her first husband has been searching for her for years since she moved away.  Liz isn't happy about the current people surrounding Calista either.  There is a yoga instructor who is in and out of the house, a doctor who seems much too interested in his patient, and a housekeeper with ties to the island but who no one knows much about.  Strange things are occurring as the anniversary gets closer, and Liz is determined to find out who is behind them.

Liz's personal life is heating up also.  Her partner, Nate, has finally realized that they should be partners in life as well as business.  In the meantime, Matt, her ex, has decided to try to win her back.  Nate is her dream but comes at a price as he wants to move her off the island and back to 'civilization'.  Who will she choose?

Susan Boyer has written an engaging mystery that will have readers reaching for a glass of sweet iced tea as they relax on their porches.  Liz is the typical Southern belle, which means her charming exterior masks a steel interior and a determination to win whatever contest she engages in.  The mystery is intriguing, and the denouement is surprising.  This book is recommended for mystery lovers.

The Old Rectory by Julia Ibbotson

As Julia Ibbotson and her husband took stock once the children were gone, they decided that they wanted a change.  They decided what they really wanted as their lifestyle was to move to a more rural setting in England, one where they could be close to the land and its rhythms, where life was slower and easier to savor.  After an extensive search, they found what they thought was the perfect house.  A former rectory, it had been built in the late 1800's and offered the space and location they wanted.

The Old Rectory details the Ibbotson's acquisition and renovation of their dream house.  As one might expect, the house had significant flaws that had to be fixed; dampness and mold as well as antiquated wiring.  The couple wanted to not only modernize the house, but restore it to its original Georgian style.  They also wanted to restore the grounds to their former glory.

Julia is a woman who adores cooking, and each chapter details various traditional English dishes appropriate to the season in which the chapter is written.  The reader will learn how to make such dishes as the traditional English roast, lamb with mint jelly, lots of various fruit puddings, and other wonderful meals. 

As the couple worked on the house, they also became part of village life.  Soon they were involved in various village functions such as choirs, craft classes, a walking group and a group that went on outings.  They made new friends who shared their love of English culture and thought it worth fighting for. 

Ibbotson has written a charming account of how life can be changed as one moves into the later stages of one's life.  The renovation and research into the house's history are interesting, and the recipes are enticing.  American readers need to take extra care with details such as oven temperature and measurements and be sure they have correctly translated the measurements into their American equivalents.  This book is recommended for readers who enjoy cooking as well as those interested in history or how to enrich one's life after the work of raising children is over.

The Turk Who Loved Apples by Matt Gross

Matt Gross began his travel writing career right out of college when he took a job that required him to move to Vietnam for a year to work as an English teacher.  He found he loved living in a foreign country, figuring out the best way to maneuver the streets and find food and friends.  He wrote a few articles and soon found himself with a marvelous offer.  He became the Frugal Traveler for New York Times for several years.  This required him to pick up at a moment’s notice and travel all over the world, identifying ways that his readers could travel economically.  After that job ended, he found other jobs that continued to pay him to travel and document his adventures for those who enjoyed reading about travel or needed guidance for their own trips. 

While the book contains elements of traditional travel writing with lists of various places and experiences and sights he encountered there, the thrust of the book is more of a memoir, how travel changed him and how he came to view travel over the years.  It is more an explanation of what traveling is than a blueprint of how to handle travel.  Some of the interesting chapters included traveling with family which gave the story of his courtship and marriage as well as the family relationships that he enriched with travel and one on prostitutes and other stranger individuals he encountered over the years.  He talks about the difference between a traveler and a tourist, about how one reconciles the immense poverty and misery encountered in foreign lands with the wealth we are surrounded with, and how his goal as his travels progressed was to get lost to recapture that new to him feeling of a new city or country.   

Matt Gross has written an engaging look at the world of travel writers.  For those who enjoy this genre of writing, The Turk Who Loved Apples is a perfect addition to their travel writing library along with books by Bill Byson, Paul Theroux, Bruce Chatwin, Mark Twain and other travel writers.  He is obviously a well read individual who enjoys Zola and William Vollman (a Booksie favorite), as well as an enthusiastic foodie who seeks out regional food and delights in trying anything.  This book is recommended for memoir and travel writing readers and will be a wonderful addition to anyone’s reading list who is curious about the world and how other people live. 

The Boo by Pat Conroy

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As  most readers know, Pat Conroy spent his formative years after high school at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston, SC.  The Boo is Conroy's first book, recently re-edited by him.  It is a memoir of that time, but especially of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Nugent Courvoisie, the Commandant Of Cadets, nicknamed 'The Boo' by the cadets he oversaw.

Courvoisie was in charge of cadet behavior, and he was feared and respected in equal measures by those young men.  Although those who broke the rules lived in fear until caught by him, he was also capable of great kindness and sometimes even leniency to those in his care.  He thought of the cadets as lambs and he was their shepherd.  He had to be tough to get them through the perils of Citadel life, which would either crush a young man's spirit or toughen him up and give him self-respect for life.

The Boo is a series of vignettes about various infractions that The Boo discovered and the punishments given out.  There are many written explanations in the cadets' own voices, explaining their behavior and asking for forgiveness.  Although punishment was almost always sure, the men were in awe of The Boo and they recognized that he cared deeply for them.  Many spent years afterwards asking for his advice, knowing that he would always be there for a cadet who needed help, no matter how many years had passed.  He was enormously popular with the cadet corp, and when the administration decided to strip him of his job, it was an incredibly unpopular decision.

Pat Conroy is one of America's national treasures, an author whose every book serves to identify and explain the male psyche to the world.  In particular, he has a particular skill in explaining those men with military backgrounds, and those who grew up with alpha fathers and who spent their lives trying to be a success for these men.  The Boo is his first book, and it is raw, but what is noticeable above all is the raw talent that would make Conroy a beloved author.  This book is recommended for Conroy fans, fans of Southern literature, and those interested in what makes a man. 

The Thinking Woman's Guide To Real Magic

Nora Fischer's life is not going well.  She is stuck on her doctoral thesis and her advisor is making hints about a probation.  Her boyfriend has come home, not to propose as she thought, but to announce he's marrying someone else.  Distraught and fed up with life, she wanders off on a mountain walk and inadvertently falls through a door into another world.

As Nora walks, she comes upon a gorgeous country estate.  The owner, a beautiful, sophisticated woman who reminds Nora of those 60's women like Jackie O, seems delighted to find Nora trespassing and insists she stays for a party that night.  Somehow, that party stretches into weeks, and before Nora knows it, she has fallen in love with the woman's son and they are married.  However things are not what they seem.  For she has fallen in with fairies and the enchantment she is under falls apart when she sees her husband for what he is, and he tries to kill her.

Escaping by the wiles of a magician she had met, she realizes what had happened to her.  The magician is an man of vast age, charismatic and known throughout the land as the greatest magician ever, but he has his faults.  He is often remote, surly at times and not one to suffer fools gladly.  Then there are the rumors about how his own marriage ended, and the rumors aren't good.  Nora comes into his household as a servant but slowly begins to become his student and learn magic herself.  When the chance to go back to her own world opens up, which world will Nora choose?

Emily Croy Barker has written an engaging, charming fantasy.  It is full of dangers and romance, evil and good, battles and spells and alliances.  Who could resist a world where hungry ice demons can be warded off with poetry or where one starts to learn magic by putting back shattered plates?  Nora is a believable heroine and the reader will fall in love with her, while the magician, Aruendiel is a man any woman would love to meet.  This book is recommended for fantasy lovers and those English majors who suspect that there is more to life than books.

Early Decision by Lacy Crawford

Anne is the 'application whisperer'.  Her specialty is shepherding high school senior through the college application process and there are plenty of parents willing to pay handsomely to make sure their child gets into one of the Ivy League schools.  These are the helicopter parents, who have been overseeing their child's extracurricular activities and schoolwork for over a decade with the singular goal of making sure their application will be ones of those accepted at the school of their choice.

This year's crop of seniors is no different.  There is Sadie, whose whole life has revolved around service to others, a goal her parents have pushed aggressively.  The family spends weekends and vacations serving others around the globe, although the parents can't quite seem to work actually spending time with Sadie one on one into their schedules.  There is Alexis, the rare child who is so stellar that she could get in anywhere, but her anxious parents just can't believe she can make it without professional grooming.  Hunter is a nice boy, not a straight A student but one rung down, whose dreams vary from what his parents regard as acceptable.   William wants to study drama, but his parents insist on a profession that is safer and more likely to lead to financial success.  Cristina is the one who makes it all worthwhile, a Hispanic student who would have no chance at college despite her amazing mind and grades, without the help of someone like Anne to find the financial resources she will need.

While arranging the lives of others, Anne lets her own life stay on hold.  She left graduate school, not sure where she was headed and why she was there.  Her boyfriend, older by more than a decade, has commitment issues and the relationship seems stalled.  How can Anne know what to do for everyone else and be so unsure of her own way?

Lacy Crawford has written a novel that will strike fear into the hearts of every parent.  Once parents are sure their children are healthy and doing well, the drums start beating about getting into college so that they can be successful in life.  Everyone I know is caught up in this game to varying degrees, and willing to make sacrifices to increase the odds of getting into a 'good' college.  It is believable that parents so invested in their children's lives would hire someone like Anne to make sure that their children are launched successfully.  Whether this is a path one should pursue or whether children should be left to their devices is one of the questions this novel raises.  This book is recommended for parents facing this dilemma as well as those interested in modern life for families.

Gallows View by Peter Robinson

Chief Inspector Alan Banks has just moved North from London for a quieter life.  Crime in Eastvale, in the Yorkshire district, isn't as brutal or common as in his former job, leaving more room for his marriage and family.  But things have been heating up lately in Eastvale.

First, there is the Peeping Tom.  Blonde women have been his target, and several have caught him spying on them as they change clothes and get ready for bed.  Then there are a series of break-ins.  Those seem like teenage crimes, with vandalism thrown in along with the robberies.  Finally, Eastvale has seen a murder.  An elderly woman apparently opened her door at night to the wrong person and ended up dead.  Banks has his work cut out for him.

Then there are the family complications.  He and Sandra have a strong marriage, one that can accommodate his hectic work life and his sudden enthusiasms.  His latest passion is opera, but no one else in the family can stand the music that he plays constantly.  A more serious issue is the lovely psychologist the department has hired to consult on the Peeping Tom crimes.  There is an immediate attraction between her and Banks, and he isn't sure how to handle it.

Gallows View is the first Inspector Alan Banks mystery in Peter Robinson's long running series.  Readers will recognize him from the BBC series about his cases, and will enjoy reading how the entire series got started.  The crimes are run of the mill, until they suddenly come together in a stunning climax.  This book is recommended for mystery lovers.

The Execution Of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth Silver

Ten years ago Noa P. Singleton committed a murder. Her current location is Death Row, mere months before her scheduled date of execution. Noa was a bright woman, who was salutatorian of her high school class, and offered scholarships to college. Although she was raised by a single mother who was more interested in men and her own well-being than Noa, she seemed well on the way to making a successful life for herself.

Then something went awry. Noa dropped out of college after one semester and has spent her life in meaningless jobs. At her trial, she didn't say a word in her own defense, and she has never talked about her crime or its victim, Sarah Dixon. Now, she receives a visit. Oliver is a newly minted lawyer, and he is determined to save Noa, if only she will tell him what really happened.

Noa isn't fooled. Oliver is there only as the catspaw of Marlene Dixon, Sarah's mother and the woman totally determined to see Noa dead. Her testimony at Noa's trial was probably the main reason Noa got the death penalty. Now Marlene is holding out the promise of filing a clemency motion with the governor to save Noa's life, if only Noa will talk.

Elizabeth Silver has created a memorable battle of wills between two strong women. Noa is a character the reader will long remember; her story slowly revealed giving the details of what really happened the day two young women lost their lives. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes

They are everywhere, in large cities and small villages.  They are women, men, young, old, black, white, rich or poor.  The unseen ones.  The people who for whatever reason are all alone in the world.  If they have families, they are out of touch with them.  They walk through life as if they don't exist.  Those who work with them occasionally pass a comment but they aren't included in office parties.  They don't have clubs or nights on the town.  Instead, they go home to silent houses where they spend their time waiting for that night and the next day to pass, just as all the days before have passed.

But in Annabel's town, a killer has noticed the unseen.  Annabel is a police analyst, and she is the person who notices that there have been too many unexplained cases of people who have died in their homes and not been found for quite some time.  There is no one to miss them; those who barely notice them have assumed the person has moved when they stop appearing at work or in the shops.  Most of the cases have been put down to natural causes, but that is the killer's delight.  He manages to target and victimize these individuals without laying a finger on them.  He gains their trust and talks them into dying; just refusing food and water until they pass away.

But now the killer is upping the ante.  He is determined to gain the recognition he so richly deserves and he finds that his past actions no longer satisfy him.  How will he change to gain even more excitement from the deaths that surround him?

Elizabeth Haynes has written a chilling mystery that will have the reader afraid to put down the book, afraid to stop before they know what is being done and how it will all turn out.  The killer is a new kind of criminal, more horrific for his calm demeanor as he wrecks havoc around himself.  This book is recommended for mystery readers who enjoy psychological suspense.

The Prodigal by Michael Hurley

Aidan Sharpe is one of the best lawyers in Raleigh.  When opposing counsel walk in and see him behind the defendant's desk, their hearts sink, as Sharpe has the ability to make juries see things as he does and rarely loses a case.  He is the primary practicing partner at one of the most respected law firms, and is highly compensated.  Life is his for the taking.

But things are not going as well as they seem.  His marriage fell apart a few years ago and he has been hesitant to form another relationship.  Trials are too easy these days and he is starting to phone it in.  His drinking is getting out of control.  Then comes the ultimate moment; one moment when a bad choice takes away everything he has worked for all these years.

Stunned, he flees to Ocracoke Island, the most remote island on the North Carolina Outer Banks.  It takes a lot to live on Ocracoke, and those who manage to survive there are not too quick to worry about other people's sins or judge them too quickly.  Aiden moves in with the priest who has watched over the island for years and starts to rebuild his life.  He spends his days now doing manual labor at the local boatyard, his friends a collection of other individuals who are also looking for a way to survive.

There is Father Marcus, who was shipped to Ocracoke for his deviations from church theology and his personal issues.  Ibrahim is fleeing from his past, but the best ship worker Ocracoke has seen in years.  Bobbi is fleeing a bad marriage and her addiction to alcohol and men.  Molly is a tugboat captain, determined to make it in a man's world.  Sarah is, well no one is sure what Sarah is.  She washed up on shore nude several years ago.  Father Marcus watches over her, but she remains a remote figure who speaks to few and is closer to fewer. 

Together this group of individuals learn to support each other and work towards finding redemption.  That redemption may come from a surprising source.  They discover a sailboat floating as scavenged goods; it has apparently been floating in the ocean for several years.  It is an amazing boat, obviously an ancient one built with care and love.  Is it the mystical Prodigal that is the source of so many legends over the years and can it help this group find themselves as they attempt to win a race that means everything?  The race is small against large, islanders against those with money and power, a race to prove that character means something even in boat races.

Michael Hurley has written a fascinating look at the issue of flaws and redemption.  Ocracoke Island is the perfect setting for the characters to find themselves; the land itself has to rediscover and reclaim itself all the time as the ocean attempts to overwhelm it.  Readers from the South will be especially pleased to read about this North Carolina treasure.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and those interested in the chance to start anew, regardless of what has come before.  Hurley lives in Raleigh, NC, and is quickly on the way to becoming another North Carolina treasure. 

Sworn Sword by James Aitcheson

The year is 1069, the location England, three years after the Battle of Hastings.  The Normans won possession of the kingdom that day, but even three years later, not all the land is subdued.  Tancred a Dinant, a sworn sword, or knight, pledged to a lord, fought at Hastings.  He saw the carnage there and the slaughter of all the men that occurred that day as the English usurper, Harold Godwineson, was defeated and killed.

Tancred is sworn to Robert de Commines, and has been for more than fifteen years.  Robert found him in Normandy where he had fled a monastery at age thirteen.  He pledged his life and sword to Lord Robert that day, and has fought at his side ever since.  He followed Robert to England and plans to stay with him forever.  But fate has different plans. 

The English are rising up in the North, desperate to throw off the Norman yoke.  They are led by yet another English king.  The two forces meet in Durham and Lord Robert is killed.  Shocked and disillusioned, Tancred is not sure what to do with the rest of his life.  When he is injured and sheltered by another Norman lord, Malet, he agrees to serve him.  Malet gives him an assignment; to shepherd his wife and daughter to London to safety. 

Along with his knight friends, Tancred sets out to escort the women.  They barely make it out of town before the opposing forces take the city where Malet is in charge.  Although Tancred wants to return and fight the English, he is sworn to his task.  While fulfilling it, he learns a secret; a secret that reeks of betrayal and could change the course of history.  How will Tancred reconcile his calling as a knight with his torn loyalties?

James Aitcheson has written a stirring historical novel.  It is strong in its depiction of the life of a knight and how battles were fought in this early period.  Life was finely balanced in those days, and the loyalties a man chose were often enough to either make his fortune or cause his death.  The history is well researched, and the reader readily identifies with Tancred and his band of knights.  This book is recommended for readers of historical fiction.

A Conspiracy Of Faith by Jossi Adler Olsen

Things are much the same in Department Q in the Copenhagen Police Department.  Detective Carl Morck is still the grumpy policeman shuffled off to the basement and given cold cases to solve; cases no one expects he can make progress on.  His assistants are the same ragtag bunch of misfits.  Hafez Assad, hired as a janitor and an immigrant whose papers wouldn't stand much scrutiny, is overqualified for his job and sees connections no one else does.  Rose, a policewoman so hard to get along with that she has been given to Carl, does what she does, mostly nothing with occasional flashes of brilliance.

The latest case couldn't be much colder.  Department Q is given a message.  Apparently it was found in a bottle.  The bottle drifted to Scotland, where someone found it and put it on a shelf.  Years later, the message was taken out and it was determined to be a plea for help from someone who claimed to have been kidnapped.  This message, at least a decade old, is now Carl's job to decipher and decide if a crime has been committed.

Thus opens one of the most challenging cases the department has ever seen.  As they work on the case, they determine that indeed a kidnapping had taken place.  Two children, one a brilliant young man, had been kidnapped.  The gifted man had written the note.  Only one returned home.  The crime was never reported.  Even worse, as the case is unraveled, it soon becomes apparent that this was not a solo crime.

There is a serial killer working in the murky underground.  He targets fundamentalist religious families, who typically have large families.  His plan of attack is to kidnap two of the children then demand a ransom.  Once the ransom is paid, he kills one child and returns the other, saying that he will know if the crime is reported and will return to kill more of the children.  The terrified families tell their friends that the missing child has broken religious laws and has been excommunicated and sent away.  The killer has struck over and over through the years and it is up to Carl, Assad and Rose to stop him.

Jossi Adler Olsen exploded on the crime scene several years ago with this series.  Readers are quickly entranced with the characters and the mysteries that twist and turn, but eventually are solved by Department Q's unconventional methods.  This third mystery is another stellar contribution to the rapidly expanding field of Nordic noir.  A Conspiracy Of Faith is recommended for mystery readers.

Luther, The Calling by Neil Cross

Luther is the kind of detective you definitely want on your side if a crime has been committed.  He is brilliant, intense, totally dedicated and he won't give up until the criminal has been brought to justice.  These same qualities make the people around him nervous.  His wife, Zoe, worries about his health and stress levels and the marriage isn't good these days.  His commander worries about what Luther will do to bring justice and which day he steps over the line might be his last. 

London needs Luther's skills badly in the newest case.  A man is targeting perfect families.  He wants a child of his own and is convinced a child from a perfect family is the best bet.  There are a series of home invasions where he takes the child and leaves the entire family behind dead.  His latest target is an eleven year old child, Mia.  He has her but as the net tightens around him, he threatens to kill her rather than lose his freedom.  Can Luther and the rest of the squad find her before time runs out?

Fans of the BBC America TV series, Luther, will be thrilled to see that Neil Cross has brought his creation to the printed page.  The reader is taken inside the police investigation and the nerve-ratcheting suspense that a major investigation creates.  They are also taken into Luther's life and learn what it is to be the best in a job that is slowly ruining everything you love.  The pace is heart stopping and the reader can't help but cheer on this tormented man who is the best at what he does.  This book is recommended for mystery lovers.

Domestic Affairs by Bridget Siegel

Olivia Greenley can't believe her luck.  Her good friend, Jacob, campaign manager for Presidential candidate Landon Taylor, has recommended her to be the new chief fundraiser.  It is Olivia's dream job.  Taylor is her perfect candidate; a man who is in politics to make things right and whose campaign she would be honored to work on.  She is overjoyed when she is hired, especially at the knowledge that she is the youngest chief fundraiser around.

As the campaign progresses, Olivia spends hours each day on the job.  She moves from fundraising event to event, hobnobbing with the rich and famous.  Her job is to convince them to lend their support in whatever fashion they can.  For some, that is hosting an event and committing to raising at least two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.  For others, it is loaning the campaign private jets or picking up tabs for luxury hotels and amazing meals.  Above all else, it is her job to convince everyone she meets to give money, tons and tons of money.

The weeks fly by and the campaign progresses.  Olivia discovers the truth of political campaigns; the staffers are paid almost nothing and expected to work pretty much around the clock.  Dream candidates don't seem quite so dreamy when you spend all your time with them and learn their secrets and personality flaws.  Still, one can't give up the perfect job, can one?

Bridget Siegel has written an entertaining political insider's view of a campaign.  She is a veteran of several campaigns herself such as Kerry-Edwards, Obama-Biden, Hilary Clinton and others.  She raises the questions of whether American politics demands too much of the candidates and if it is possible to remain pure in politics.  Is the entire system flawed?  This book is recommended for those readers interested in politics and what the electoral system does to the participants. 

Mr. Monk Helps Himself by Hy Conrad

Fans of the TV show Monk will be thrilled to read another of his adventures in Hy Conrad's latest novel, Mr. Monk Helps Himself.  In this one, Monk's assistant, Natalie, has decided its time to make a name for herself.  She is about to take the private investigator's exam and when she gets her license, she and Monk will form a partnership where they will be peers instead of him always calling the shots.

But events get in the way.  One of Natalie's heroes, self-help guru Miranda Bigley, commits suicide publicly in front of her audience.  Natalie is sure it can't really be suicide, since that is opposed to everything Miranda taught, but everyone else thinks Natalie just can't face the truth.  Monk won't help her as he is involved in a case with the police.  A clown has been killed.  Clowns are high on Monk's list of his top one hundred phobias, so he is determined not to engage, but the police are adamant.  Monk determines the clown was involved in some dirty dealings that probably led to his death, but continues to try to avoid the scene or anything having to do with the victim.

Hy Conrad has written an engaging, lively mystery that falls on the cozy end of the mystery genre, one of the reasons the TV show enjoyed its huge success.  Monk's obsessions and foibles are front and center, and readers will enjoy the interplay in the relationship between him and Natalie.  The mysteries are satisfactorily solved, with the logic so plain to Monk and so hidden from others.  Hy Conrad was one of the original writers on the TV series, staying all eight years of the show's run and serving as coexecutive producer for the last two.  No one could write a more valid Monk mystery than Conrad.  This book is recommended for mystery readers and fans of the TV show.

Big Brother by Lionel Shriver

When Pandora goes to pick up her brother, Edison, for a visit, she doesn't recognize him when she sees him at the airport. Edison has put on several hundred pounds since she saw him and is obese. Pandora knew he was down on his luck; that's the purpose of this visit, to give him time to regroup as well as time for them to catch up. But she had no idea about the weight gain or the changes in Edison's personality that the weight had made.

Edison is a jazz pianist, or as Pandora finds out, was a jazz pianist. Her husband, Fletcher, is not happy with the visit. He makes high end furniture and is a food fanatic; one of those people who watches every bite he puts in his mouth and is prone to fad diets; gluten free this week, a raw diet next week. He is totally repulsed by Edison, even more as Edison cooks huge meals, uses up all the food in the house and expects handouts. After two months, Fletcher puts down his foot. Pandora must put Edison back on the plane to New York if she wants to maintain their marriage.

But Pandora sees someone in need, someone who needs her more than Fletcher and her two stepchildren. She makes a deal with Edison. She will move in with him into an apartment and together they will go on diets. She estimates that it will take Edison a year to lose the extra weight and is willing to keep up this lifestyle for that period of time.

Lionel Shriver has linked into the issues that we all have surrounding weight. The obese are easy targets, and sometimes feel that they are the last minority group it is safe to discriminate against. She also covers the issues of body image, family relationships, and what one will do for a family member. She covers all the diets and the realization by one who loses a great deal of weight that it is an accomplishment, but not one that can make a life. Readers will find this a thought-provoking read that will make them examine their own attitudes about weight and self-image. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and those interested in family relationships.

Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins

In Battleborn, Claire Vaye Watkins shares the West with readers.  This is not the West of glitz and glamour.  It is the West of the desert, of unrequited longings, of lives that just don't seem to go anywhere.  It is the West where people must be strong to survive, but survival doesn't always mean successful.

There are ten stories.  The locales differ, but all have ties to the West, especially the desert.  There is a story about two brothers who are caught up in the Gold Rush.  Another is about a man who manages a brothel in Nevada, and the boy who comes there every day while he waits to see if his friend who is lost in the desert is rescued.  Two sisters fight the residual effects of their mother's suicide, trying to carve out lives for themselves that rise above her despair.  Three friends visit Virginia City as they decide what their friendship means and if it will endure.

One of the most chilling stories is the first, called "Ghosts, Cowboys".  It tells the story of George Spahn, a farmer from Pennsylvania who came to California and bought a farm that was used by many of the famous Western movies as a movie set.  After it fell out of favor, Spahn let a group of hippies who followed a leader called Charles Manson move in.  The rest of the story is well known, the crimes the Manson family committed iconic features of the seventies.  Paul Watkins was Claire Vaye Watkins's biological father, although she was raised by an adopted family.  He was also one of Manson's main followers his role recruiting teenage girls to join the cult.  The knowledge of what he did influenced her life, as it would any of us.

Readers will long remember the stories in this novel.  Watkins writes fiercely, telling the story of those who dare to have the strength to survive and the mechanisms they employ to do so.  She also tells the stories of those who fall by the wayside, not able to overcome the blows of fate that come their way.  This book is recommended for readers who enjoy short stories, and those who are interested in fresh new voices that will be influential for many years to come.

Fiji by Lance and James Morcan

The year is 1848, and a ship is making its way to the land of Fiji.  On board are two missionaries, Susannah Drake and her father, determined to bring the word of God to the Fiji natives.  Nathan Johnson is also on board bound for Fiji, but his purpose is not to save the natives but to trick them into trading him goods that will make him immensely rich.  Nathan has had to make his own way in the world and he has learned to look out for number one.  He is attracted to Susannah, but her father finds him crass and shelters his daughter from Nathan.

When the ship arrives in Momi Bay, the missionaries move into the mission house built by the missionaries they are replacing, while Nathan goes to the tribe's village to strike a deal.  He is pleased to get the terms he wants, trading muskets to the natives in return for sea slugs, a delicacy he plans to sell in China for a large profit.  While dealing with the natives, he finds himself trapped in the village when the Qopa tribes' enemies, the Outcasts, attack.  The Outcasts are just that, escaped slaves and those who have committed crimes against the tribe.  They are headed by Rambuka, a son of the Qopa chieftain who was shunned for attempting to kill his brother so that he could become the chief one day.

With Nathan's help and that of his muskets, the Qopa managed to repel the Outcasts, but not without losses.  The chief is killed, and the new chief, Joeli, vows revenge on his half-brother, Rambuka.  Nathan is also injured and as he is nursed back to health by Susannah, his feelings for her, and hers for him, grow, although neither is willing to admit to their love.  Suddenly, tragedy strikes again.  Rambuka stages a raid and kidnaps Susannah.  He has already kidnapped many tribal women and a band of Qopa and Nathan are determined to track them down and rescue the women.  Can they find their women before they are killed by the Outcasts?

Lance and James Morcan have written a stirring adventure.  Their research into the customs of the Fiji culture are evident.  There is cannibalism, firewalking, shark calling, amazing hairstyles, and tribal warfare techniques.  The clash of the native and English cultures is strange at first, but the men of each culture come to appreciate each other.  This book is recommended for readers of historical fiction and those interested in how the island cultures handled life.