The Chosen And The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

 

This novel is a retelling of The Great Gatsby but with a twist.  All the characters are the same as are the main plot elements.  Jay Gatsby is the rich, fascinating tycoon with an air of mystery.  He loves Daisy Buchanan who is unfortunately married to Tom Buchanan.  Daisy's cousin, Nick Carraday, is a charming young man fresh from World War I.  Then there is Jordan Baker, Daisy's friend and Nick's romantic interest.

But everything in this book has been turned on its edge.  In addition to the romantic entanglements, there is now a queer element introduced.  Jay loves Daisy but he also loves Nick.  Jordan loves Nick but she also loves Daisy.  Jordan is the book's main character and the story is told from her viewpoint.  She is rich and moves in the top social circles, but is never quite inside.  Jordan is an adopted Vietnamese child who was brought to the United States as a baby and has grown up as a native.  But a different face and sexuality is never quite accepted at the top.  

This novel was a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 and a Best Of Summer Pick by many publications.  The writing is lush and tugs the reader along, anxious to see what this author has done with the classic tale.  Sexuality imbues the prose as the characters mix and match in different combinations.  Yet those familiar with Gatsby know that the ending is tragic while expected.  I listened to this book and the narrator was great.  My only quibble was that I didn't like Daisy's voice, which was hesitant and high-pitched.  It seemed a bad match with a woman whose overriding characteristic was her demand that her will be done.  Jordan's voice was perfect and the reader is swept along on a tide of passion and action.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Her Honor by LaDoris Hazzard Cordell

 

In 1982, Governor Jerry Brown named LaDoris Hazzard Cordell to be a judge on the Municipal Bench.  Cordell remembers her first ever case.  It was a small claims case and the participants were both African American women as was she.  The case concerned a claim of nonpayment for service by the plaintiff and the defendant claimed that the service, braids, was done sloppily and didn't deserve payment.  Judge Cordell had the women come forward and she checked the integrity of the braids herself.  Finding them lacking, she awarded the plaintiff a reduced amount and both women left satisfied. 

In 1988, Judge Cordell won election to the Superior Court and served there until 2001, rotating through a variety of assignments.  She discusses such topics as juvenile cases, marriage, divorce, custody, adoption and name changes.  She discusses juries and their decisions,  The judicial election process is discussed along with judicial misconduct and disagreements with rulings, which sometimes rise to the level of attempts to recall judges.  She discusses her time with rulings on mental cases, usually middle-aged women petitioning against involuntary confinement, or being forced into shock treatments or drugs with massive side effects.  Cordell talks about the three strike rule, it's disportionate effect on minority defendants and the whole plea bargain process which allows the courts to get through their huge caseload but often means innocent people plead guilty.  Cordell ends the book with suggestions on how the judicial system can be reformed.

I listened to this book and the narrator was Cordell herself.  Her voice was the voice one would think of as a judge's; dispassionate, calm and logical.  One of Cordell's main points was the effect that her appointment as a minority woman had on the defendants who were amazed to see her there and given hope that someone like them was overseeing the process.  The cases she uses throughout are fascinating and the reader will gain more understanding of the judicial process than they had starting out.  This book is recommended for nonfiction readers, those interested in legal procedures and those interested in the story of a strong African American woman.

Matrix by Lauren Groff

 

The year is 1158.  The countries of Europe are mired in conflict but royal alliances abound between the countries.  There are only a few royal families so their influence spreads through intermarriage and wars.  The latest Crusade to recapture Jerusalem has failed; this one a disastrous attempt by women and children.  Marie is one of those from the failed Crusade.  She has returned, a child of sixteen but her mother died in the attempt.  Through various marriages, Marie is a half-sister of Queen Eleanor, a woman of grace and beauty.  Eleanor has some responsibility for Marie but when she sees the ungainly almost woman, tall and broad, lacking in all feminine wiles, she despairs of marrying Marie off, much less gaining more power through doing so.

Instead, a plan is made to ship Marie off.  She is to sent as prioress to a convent in England although it is unclear the extent or even existence of her religious belief.  It is an unpopular choice for all.  The existing nuns resent the intrusion of this teenager who will have authority over them.  Marie is appalled at the small convent where the nuns are slowly starving and dying of illness.  Eleanor is the only one glad, glad that she has managed to discharge an obligation at little cost to herself.

Marie spends the rest of her life at the convent, a long life extending into her seventies.  She finds that the convent is the perfect place for her to create a life and to build something that cannot be taken away from her.  She transforms the place over the years and decades into a thriving sanctuary where all are taken care of and where women and their dreams are allowed to exist and grow.  Although it was never her intent, Eleanor has indeed placed Marie into a place where she can bloom.

This is not the book most readers would have anticipated from Lauren Groff.  It is very different from her other novels yet shares an interest in women and their creativity.  It is a fascinating character study and an exploration of the ways women have managed to blossom over the years in settings designed to repress them.  It is a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction and is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

A Distant Grave by Sarah Stewart Taylor

 

Long Island detective Maggie D'Arcy and her teenage daughter Lily are still grieving the death of Lily's father and Maggie's ex-husband recently.  Maggie isn't sure where life will lead them next.  She has fallen in love with an Irish man, Connor, but is it realistic to even think of a future this soon?  Maggie has returned to work and while it is familiar which is soothing, the nature of being a homicide detective is grueling and unlikely to provide much positive reinforcement to offset her chaotic personal life.

Then the news comes in that a man has been shot and killed at a local marina.  When Maggie and her partner Dave arrive there isn't much to go on.  He has been shot execution style and his personal effects such as his wallet and phone are missing.  There doesn't seem to be a car he was driving.  They don't know how he is and identification is the first order of the day.

But the victim's identity makes the case more puzzling than not.  The victim is an Irish man, apparently visiting the United States for some purpose.  What is he doing here?  Who did he come to meet?  Is the case about him or was he the victim of random gang violence as Maggie's supervisors believe?  When the bullet is matched to another gang shooting it seems clear but Maggie isn't sure.  She was already slated to go to Ireland on vacation and it's agreed she will coordinate with the Irish police to see what else can be learned about the man.

Maggie learns a lot.  The victim had several links in his past that could be related.  He had been kidnapped in Afghanistan along with several other hostages and rescued in a murky operation that could have left issues behind.  He had grown up as the son of an unmarried teenage mother which left its mark but more recently had discovered that he had an older brother in the Long Island area.  Did he come to meet his brother?  Did his past abduction leave issues?  As the investigation progresses, it is clear that whoever the killer is, he has turned his attention on Maggie and her team.  Can they solve the case before more tragedy strikes?

This is the second book in the Maggie D'Arcy series.  The first investigated another case with Irish ties and it is unclear where the next book might go as the ending is left purposely vague as Maggie must make some decisions about her life going forward.  Will she choose a new life in Ireland with the man she has come to love or will she stay in America and fight to keep her job and raise her daughter?  This book is recommended for mystery lovers looking for a new series.

The King Of Infinite Space by Lyndsay Faye

 

When Horatio gets a call saying that his best friend, Benjamin Dane, is in trouble he packs his bags and heads from London to New York.  The two met in college and have been best friends since although Horatio wishes that there could be more.  Benjamin's father has died a month or so ago and Benjamin is not dealing well with the blow.  He is a fragile sort at best and the ending of his relationship with his fiancee, Lia, had almost done him in.  Benjamin had an uneasy relationship with his father and when he finds out that his mother has married his father's brother within weeks of the death, it all becomes more than he can handle.

When Horatio gets to New York, he finds Benjamin in a bad way.  But he manages to get him to pull things together a bit.  But Benjamin has an idea that he can't let go.  He believes rather than his father having overdosed on purpose that he has instead been murdered.  But who would have done it?  His uncle, now stepfather?  Paul, who was his father's right hand man and Lia's father?  His mother?  A business rival?  Benjamin is determined to find out the truth and a gala given at the theatre his father started is his stalking ground for the killer.  Can he determine the truth?

This is a masterful novel.  It is obviously a retelling of Hamlet in modern times and what a retelling it is.  The characters are fully developed and each is intriguing.  The reimagining of the main character discovering his queer roots gives a new depth to the story.  The three witches are imagined as having  a New Orleans background and there is a figure that brings chaos wherever he appears.  The writing is fantastic and the pacing grabs the reader and takes them along on a terrifying ride.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.  

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

 

The setting is spectacular for what should be the society wedding of the season.  Jules, the bride, is the founder and editor of an online magazine that reports on what is in and what is out.  The groom, Will, is the main character in a TV survival show and a celebrity.  They are both stunning in looks.  The wedding will be held on a remote island off the coast of Scotland.  Will's old school chums are coming.  Jule's best friend, Charlie, is coming with his wife.  This should be perfect.

But will it be?  As the guests gather, tensions start to emerge.  We get glimpses of the deadly secrets behind the scenes from a variety of sources.  There is Jules herself.  Aiofe is the wedding planner who has seen it all and owns the island venue along with her chef husband Freddie.  Olivia is Jules's little sister and is a neurotic girl whose life has been shattered by an event she won't share with anyone.  Hannah is Charlie's wife and not as excited by his friendship with Jules as the both of them are.  Johnno is Will's best friend from back in their childhood days at a strict boarding school that it's alumni refer to as a modern day Lord Of The Flies.

As the secrets emerge, the tension rises.  Will all the secrets be revealed?  Will their revelations spill over into violence?

This is the first Lucy Foley novel I've read.  It was exciting and the way the backstories were slowly revealed was enticing.  By the time the climax of the book arrives, it is difficult to see any other way it could have ended.  Foley worked as a fiction editor in her early career and has written several historical novels in addition to the mysteries she is now known for.  This book is recommended for thriller readers.

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

 

When you're a single mom, you don't get many nights out but Louise has just that tonight.  She is in a bar having a few drinks when she meets David.  They have an instant connection and before she knows it they are sharing a passionate kiss.  When she goes into her office the next day where she works as a receptionist, she is shocked to discover that David is her new boss, the new psychiatrist the clinic has hired.  Worse, he is very much married to the elegant Adele.

Louise can't afford to lose this job so she and David agree that last night was a mistake caused by drinking and that it won't affect their work.  A few days later, Louise runs into Adele while walking home from dropping her son off at school.  Adele is friendly and confesses that she hasn't made any friends.  Louise and Adele become friends although Louise knows it is a bad idea, especially when it becomes clear that she and David aren't going to be able to forget their first night.  Soon she is in an affair with David and is Adele's best friend.  How is she going to get out of this one?

Sarah Pinborough has written a psychological thriller that will instantly draw the reader in and refuse to let them go until they have read the last shocking page.  Each of the characters is caught in the triad of manipulation and secrets and it is almost impossible to determine who is lying and who is telling the truth.  The novel ends with a twist that I never saw coming and which makes this a memorable book that won't soon be forgotten.  This book is recommended for thriller readers.

The Abduction Of Pretty Penny by Leonard Goldberg

 

In this series, Sherlock Holmes left a daughter, Joanna, to carry on his work.  She grew up and married the son of Dr. Watson and together the two form a team to solve those mysteries which come their way with the assistance of Dr. Watson who is still alive.  Their newest case comes when the owner of the Whitechapel Players, the local theatre group, comes to Joanna to ask her to find their star actress, Pretty Penny.  She has disappeared and there is fear that she has been abducted.

Just like twenty-eight years ago, young prostitutes are being killed on the streets of Whitechapel.  Has Jack the Ripper returned to take back up his grisly task or is there a copycat?  Is there a chance that he could have Pretty Penny?  The investigation shows Penny had a wealthy suitor who insisted on remaining anonymous and that the pair had been quarreling.  Could he have done something to Penny?  Several doctors who work at the local charity clinic and who are also actors at the Players are suspects due to their surgical skills.  

The stakes are raised even higher when Joanna receives a letter that makes it clear that her son, Johnny, has been targeted by the serial killer.  The Watsons need to find the killer both to protect their son and to solve the mystery of Penny's disappearance and possible death.  Can they do so?

This is the fifth book in this series.  At first I was worried that I wouldn't like it since I love the original Sherlock Holmes stories so much but I was quickly drawn in and found myself entranced.  The characters are finely drawn and the premise is believable.  The setting seems very realistic and the author's research detailed.  I listened to this title and the narrator was cool and collected as the entire Watson team was.  This book is recommended for mystery readers and Sherlock Holmes fans.

At The Wolf's Table by Rosella Postorino

 

Rosa Sauer finds herself alone in war torn Berlin during WW II.  Her husband Gregor is off fighting on the Russian front and communications are few and far between.  Her parents have been killed in the constant nighttime bombings.  Food and other daily necessities are getting scarcer.  

Rosa takes up the invitation of Gregor's parents to come to live with them on their farm out in the country away from the city.  She decides to do so thinking that it will be a refuge from the daily reminders of the war.  But she is there almost no time when the SS come calling.  They inform her that she and nine other women have been chosen to become Hitler's food testers when he is in residence at Wolfsschanze, the Wolf's Lair which is his country retreat.

The women are taken to the residence three times a time.  An hour before Hitler eats, they must taste everything that will be served to ascertain if his food has been poisoned.  If they are all alive and not sick at the end of the hour, he is served.  Rosa is an outlier here.  Most of the women are locals and most have children and families.  They see her as an interloper and don't get close to her.  But there are others who would love to get closer to her.  Soldiers stationed away from home are always willing to find a new woman and Rosa gets her share of attention.  Can she survive until Gregor gets home or if the worst occurs, until the war is over and she can pick up her life?

This is an interesting historical fiction.  Rosa's story transports the reader to a time and place very unlike their daily lives and asks the question what would one do in order to survive?  Are marriage vows to be honored when each day could be your last?  What will you do to provide for those around you who are dependant upon you?  This book is recommended for readers of historical fiction.

A Dark And Secret Place by Jen Williams

 

Heather Evans returns home for the first time in many years after her mother's death.  A former journalist, Heather is baffled by her mother's suicide and determined to find out what led to it.  As she reconnects with old friends, she learns that the area is once again being haunted by the disappearance and murder of young women.  Even worse, the murders are an exact replica of murders that plagued the area years ago, those of The Red Wolf.

As Heather investigates her mother's death, she learns a secret her mother hid for years.  Her mother was a correspondent of The Red Wolf for years.  How could that be?  Was her mother one of those women who idolize serial killers?  What would draw her to this man, Michael Reaves?

Then another surprising call.  DI Ben Parker tells Heather that Michael Reaves wants to talk to her.  The police suspect that the new murders are being done by a copycat killer who idolizes Reaves but he refuses to talk to them.  He insists that he will only talk to Heather.  Will Heather find the courage to talk with Michael?  Will she find out how her mother was involved with him?  Can she find out what Reaves knows about the copycat?

Jen Williams has written a taut thriller that will keep readers involved.  The mystery is revealed in surprising pieces and the book goes in directions that can't be expected.  Heather is not a heroic character; indeed the reader may not like her much at all.  But she is the character that is in a unique position to discover the secrets around the The Red Wolf murders both past and present and Williams does a great job keeping the reader in anticipation throughout the book.  This book is recommended for mystery and thriller readers.

The Crossroads Of Twilight by Robert Jordan

 

This is the tenth novel in the Wheel Of Time series and it feels like a novel where Jordan caught his breath and set the stage for the climatic novels that would follow.  The band of individuals who left the Two Rivers so long ago are all separated although tied together in their minds by fate.  Each is pursuing their own destiny in this edition of the story.

Perrin is distraught as his wife, Faile, who he loves more than life itself, has been kidnapped.  He has been tracking her kidnappers for days and is finally in striking distance of the captors but dismayed to discover their numbers.  Will he have to align with enemies in order to have a chance to save her?

Egwene, the true Amyrlim of the Aes Sedai, is gathered with her army outside the White Tower.  She is trying to dislodge the false Amyrlim without leaving the Aes Sedai totally decimated and weakened since they are the hope of helping Rand heal the world.  She is considering the radical step of aligning with the Asha'man, the male half of the Aes Sedai so that they can be controlled and play their part in the final conflict to come.

Mat has taken the Daughter Of The Nine Moons, the Seanchan Empress, with him on the road.  At first it was to prevent her raising the alarm when he freed several Aes Sedai but his fate tells the story that this will be his wife one day.  It seems unlikely as she alternately scorns and intrigues him and he is determined to escape all the follows him and trust his luck.

Elayne is in Andor.  She does not yet have the Lion Throne that should be hers but is maneuvering in order to claim it.  She is also pregnant with Rand's twins but few know that story.  Can she secure her throne?

Rand is not in this novel very much but when he is, he plays a huge role.  He has done something no one thought could ever be possible and cleaned the male half of The Power from its taint.  Now Asha'man will not go mad by channeling but his accomplishment doesn't change the fact that he is surrounded by enemies wherever he turns.

This book is recommended for fantasy readers.

Typical by Padgett Powell

 

This slim anthology of stories was published in 1991.  Powell is probably best known for his novel, Edisto, published in 1984 and a finalist for the National Book Award.  These stories reflect his focus on life in the South although many are character sketches that could occur anywhere.  

The collection starts with longer stories; the book title Typical, Letter From A Dogfighter's Aunt, Deceased, and Irony.  The bulk of the book showcases very short stories, often no more than a page and a half.  The last story, titled The Winnowing Of Mrs Schuping, returns to the longer form and is my personal favorite.

Powell is highly praised by his peers but his stories might not find a wide audience in the general reader population.  The stories are full of irony and surrealism that makes them less approachable than many anthologies.  The shortness of many of the stories can leave the reader wanting more.  This book is recommended for anthology readers and those interested in exploration of the short story format.

Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee

 

Miranda and Lucia are the daughters of a Chinese immigrant.  Miranda is the older sister, born in China while Lucia came to America in her mother's womb and was born as an American citizen.  Their mother had to work many jobs to support them and Miranda served as a second mother to Lucia for years.  Due to these roles, Miranda has always been the stable responsible sibling while Lucia was carefree and impulsive, a free spirit who did whatever felt best at the moment.

The first problem came when Lucia was about to enter her twenties.  The carefree antics start to tip over the line towards mania.  She begins to hear voices, what she calls her snakes.  Miranda and her mother see that Lucia needs help but she resists it until she has a full blown breakdown and has to be hospitalized.

Thus starts the rest of the sisters' lives.  Miranda spends her time trying to convince Lucia to stay on medications and live responsibly.  Lucia makes an impulsive marriage, then leaves her husband to have another man's baby.  The birth of her baby causes another breakdown.  By now Miranda has married and moved overseas so the responsibility for overseeing Lucia falls to her husband, Manny, who is unprepared for such a responsibility.  An undocumented immigrant from Central America, he takes Lucia and the baby back home where he has family and no worries about being deported and the family lives there as their daughter grows.  

Mira Lee has written a heartbreaking yet sensitive novel about mental illness, the stigma it carries and the lives it tears apart.  Those around Lucia feel compelled to try to oversee her behavior which leaves Lucia feeling trapped and resentful.  Can a person suffering from mental illness be left to make their own decisions and where is the line where those who love them must step in to prevent catastrophe?  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham

 

Detective Alisha Barba is facing a lot of things at work.  A year ago, she didn't know if she would ever walk again after a struggle with a suspect went badly and she ended up in the hospital with multiple back bone breaks.  Her parents hate her job and her new supervisor is making noises about transferring her to a desk job.  Her boyfriend, who is also a detective, is starting to talk about marriage which petrifies Alisha.  The last thing she needs is a high school reunion.

But she decides to go when her best friend from those days, Cate, sends her a message begging her to come.  She hasn't spoken to Cate for ten years although they had been inseparable.  But a friendship betrayal put paid to their friendship and now Cate is reaching out.  Alisha goes to the event and is shocked to find her old friend heavily pregnant.  Before she can find out what Cate wants from her, Cate and her husband are mowed down by a hit and run driver and killed.  

Cate's death is just the first shock.  It turns out that she is not pregnant at all but wearing a device to make her appear so.  As Alisha starts to investigate, she discovers that Cate was infertile but desperate for a baby and willing to do whatever it takes to get one.  The investigation takes Alisha to Amsterdam where she uncovers a trade in sexual exploitation and slavery as well as baby marketing.  Cate had multiple failed IVF attempts but had her last two embryos sent to Amsterdam where they were implanted in a female refugee as the price for her freedom.  Can Alisha find Cate's babies?  Can she stop this horrific network of human trafficking?

Michael Robotham is a master at the thriller genre.  I've been reading his books for many many years and always expect a wonderful read.  I was not disappointed as this book was thrilling while shedding light on another horrible example of human exploitation of other humans.  Alisha with her Sikh background is an interesting character who has played a role in other Robotham novels.  This book is recommended for thriller readers. 

The Dead Husband by Carter Wilson

 

Rose Yates moves back home with her young son after the unexpected death of her husband to a drug overdose.  Since she is a mystery author, Rose figures she can live anywhere and perhaps it's time that her family gets to know her son, Max.  But soon after she arrives, she starts to wonder what ever possessed her to make this decision.  Her father is still the wealthy tyrant who expects everyone in the family to obey him at all times while her sister is still cruel and cutting as is her daughter, Max's new playmate.  Rose had run from this home years ago after a family tragedy and she knows in her gut that coming home was a mistake. 

It turns out to be more of a mistake than she could have expected.  The tendrils of the long ago tragedy seem to be coming to life while Rose has captured the attention of a detective from her old hometown.  Detective Colin Pearson becomes suspicious of Rose after reading her most recent mystery.  In it, the husband in the story is murdered while his wife, the murderer, is able to pass the death off as an overdose.  Did Rose write the book as a subconscious confession?  Is this what happened to her husband?

Colin decides he needs to interview Rose.  She is initially willing to talk to him but as he returns again and again, Rose cuts him off.  This makes his suspicions grow and as things back home go badly he becomes more and more determined to use Rose to make his career a success.  Rose decides to leave the town again but things spin rapidly out of control.  Will the truth emerge this time?

Carter Wilson is known for writing compelling psychological thrillers.  In this novel, the reader is drawn into Rose's life and the way she keeps fighting back against the blows life constantly throws in her existence.  I listened to this novel and the narrator was perfect, conveying the increasing tension as old traumas emerge to demand attention.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.

The Fifth Elephant by Terry Prachett

 

Sam Vimes is doing exactly what he wants, serving as Commander of the Night Watch in Ankh-Morpork.  But he did marry Lady Sybil and as such is now part of the royalty.  Due to this, he is sent to Uberwald to attend the coronation of the dwarf new Low King, an event that has the potential for many issues as there are charges of theft of royal artifacts and attempted assassinations.  Sam doesn't want to go but Lady Sybil has already packed so off they go.

Some of the Night Watch goes along.  There is Cheery Littlebottom, a transgender dwarf, scorned by the dwarves in Uberwald.  Angua has gone ahead of them.  As a werewolf, she is worried about her brother who will kill anything in his path.  Gavin, king of the wolves, is attracted to Angua as is Captain Carrot, a six-foot dwarf.  Gaspode is a talking dog who feels that he is six foot tall also and lives his life as if he was rather than being a very small terrier.

Sam finds lots of dissension in Uberwald.  There are three factions of dwarves and the proposed Low King is a compromise between them so has little true support.  Along with the werewolves, there are influential vampires, the reigning authority among them being one of Lady Sybil's former classmates when they were girls.  There are kidnappings, murder, theft and lots of other crimes that need solving, even if Sam is not there as a policeman.  Will it all come right in the end?

This is the twenty-fourth novel in the Discworld series.  It is fun and full of wonderful characters and events.  While the plot gets complicated, all is resolved satisfactorily in the end.  Sam Vimes is a marvelous character and readers will fall in love with him.  This book is recommended for fantasy readers.

The Therapist by B.A. Paris

 

When Alice and Leo meet, Alice wants to take it slow.  She hasn't had a relationship with a man in several years plus it will be a long distance one since Leo lives in London and she lives an hour or so away.  Alice is a therapist and leaving her clients behind would be a wrench.  But the relationship seems to work out and thrive and after a while, the couple starts looking at houses.  It's almost unbelievable when they find a marvelous house in a gated community that is everything they would ever want.  They buy it and move in.

Leo still has to travel for his work so Alice is left there to meet the neighbors and start a new life.  She notices that some of the neighbors are very standoffish and she wonders what she could have done to attract that.  Slowly the secret emerges.  There was a murder in their wonderful new house which is why the price was so low.  While Alice is reeling from this discovery, she makes a worse one.  Leo knew all about the murder and just didn't tell her so that she would agree to move and live there with him.

Alice is appalled and unsure about the future of her relationship.  She decides that she will discover the truth about the murder and the couple who lived there before.  Obviously they had relationships with her neighbors and she needs to know what those were.  As Alice starts to delve into the past, she begins to encounter resistance from the neighbors and spooky things around her house.  Did she really hear someone moving around the house during the night?  Have things disappeared and other things appeared?  What other secrets does she not know?

B.A. Paris has written an unsettling portrayal of upper class suburbia.  There are many layers of secrets and betrayals.  I had a hard time sympathizing with Alice.  She seemed incredibly naive and obtuse for someone who supposedly made her living 

The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister

 

Martha is overwhelmed.  She never thought she would be able to realize her dream and start an overseas charity to help the refugee children who needed so much but things fell into place and suddenly everything is happening.  She gets a huge grant and really needs to be overseas on the ground to get things started but there's an issue.  Martha has just had a baby, Layla.

Martha's husband Scott is an IT consultant with a busy schedule also that has him traveling.  Layla is a demanding baby with colic who can cry for hours and often does, leaving Martha completely drained.  She needs help but who can she trust?  When her sister Becky offers to quit her minimum wage job and become Layla's nanny, Martha and Scott jump at the chance.  Who could they ever trust more than Becky?

But at age nine months, on a night when both Martha and Scott were traveling, Layla doesn't wake up one morning.  Becky can't account for every minute of the night before and her actions and soon she is charged with Layla's murder since the autopsy shows that it was not a natural death.  Could this be?  Could Martha's sister have done this thing?  As the trial progresses, Martha remains sure that the truth will emerge and that Becky will be found innocent but as Becky's secrets are dragged out into the light, it starts to appear more likely that Becky is indeed guilty.  Can Martha ever forgive her?  Can she forgive herself?

Gillian McAllister has written a page turner that strikes at the fear of every parent.  How can you protect your child?  Who can you trust to love them?  Will anyone be as careful with them as you would be?  McAllister has written about the fears and loyalties that can tear a close family apart and how when tragedy strikes it is difficult to ascertain the truth.  This novel is recommended for women's fiction readers.

Booksie's Shelves, September 14, 2021

 

The calendar says that summer is waning but here in the South where wearing shorts on Thanksgiving is a common occurance it's hard to tell.  But the days are getting shorter and soon the heat won't be oppressive.  Leaves will turn and then fall and we will move into the autumn and winter.   In the nation, covid rages on with the Delta variant spiking numbers again.  My husband and I got our vaccinations back in late January and early February but we both got breakthrough cases.  Due to our vaccinations, both cases were fairly mild although my husband was sicker than me.  My case was never much more than a bad cold and boredom at isolating in my bedroom for ten days to try to insure my daughter didn't get it.  Still, lots of time for reading and I've been busy.  Here's what's come through the door:

1. Honor, Thrity Umrigar, literary fiction, won in contest
2. Those Across The River, Christopher Buehlman, horror, purchased
3. Wish You Were Here, Jodi Picoult, literary fiction, sent by publisher
4. Hello, Transcriber, Hannah Morrissey, literary fiction, sent by publisher
5. Apples Never Fall, Liane Moriarty, literary fiction, sent by publisher
6. Ghost Wall, Sarah Moss, literary fiction, purchased
7. The Mermaid And Mrs. Hancock, Imogen Hermes Gowar, literary fiction, purchased
8. Number One Chinese Restaurant, Lillian Li, literary fiction, purchased
9. Fleishman Is In Trouble, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, literary fiction, purchased

Here are the ebooks I've purchased:

1. Piranasi, Susanna Clarke, literary fiction
2. No Good Deeds, Laura Lippman, mystery
3. Under The Pendulum Sun, Jeannette Ng, fantasy
4. A Room Full Of Bones, Elly Griffiths, mystery
5. The Forty Rules Of Love, Elif Shafek, literary fiction
6. Crack Down, Val McDermid, mystery
7. Clean Break, Val McDermid, mystery
8. The Golden Rule, Amanda Craig, legal thriller
9. Child Of The Night Guild, Andy Peloquin, fantasy
10. The Informant, Thomas Perry, mystery
11. All Adults Here, Emma Straub, literary fiction
12. The Hunting Party, Lucy Foley, mystery
13. Less, Andrew Sean Greer, literary fiction
14. The Things We Do For Love, Kristin Hannah, literary fiction
15. A Familiar Sight, Brianna Labuskes, mystery
16. A Better Man, Louise Penny, mystery
17. Splinter The Silence, Val McDermid, mystery
18. Janesville, Amy Goldstein, nonfiction
19. Bloody Genius, John Sandford, mystery
20. Serpentine, Jonathan Kellerman, mystery
21. Perfect, Rachel Joyce, literary fiction
22. Spirit Of A Kyrie, T.L. Rese, fantasy
23. How We Disappeared, Jing-Jing Lee, literary fiction
24. The Warmth Of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkinson, nonfiction
25. Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake, nonfiction
26. These Toxic Things, Rachel Howzell Hall, mystery
27. Fidelity, Thomas Perry, mystery
28. Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi, literary fiction
29. Tantamount, Blain Pardoe, true crime
30. A Town Called Solace, Mary Lawson, literary fiction
31. Winter Counts, David Weiden, mystery
32. Red Country, Joe Abercrombie, fantasy
33. The Shadow Of The Gods, John Gwynne, fantasy
34. The Keeper Of Happy Endings, Barbara Davis, literary fiction
35. Ball Lightning, Cixin Liu, science fiction
36. Fool Moon, Jim Butcher, science fiction
37. Snuff, Terry Patchett, fantasy

Here's what I'm reading:

1. Typical, Padgett Powell, anthology
2. Night Ferry, Michael Robothom, mystery
3. Everything Here Is Beautiful, Mira Lee, literary fiction
4. Behind Her Eyes, Sarah Pinborough, mystery
5. Crossroads Of Twilight, Robert Jordan, fantasy
6. The Moonflower Murders, Anthony Horowitz, mystery
7. The Dead Husband, Carter Wilson, mystery
8. Gospel, Wilton Barnhardt, literary fiction

Happy Reading!

Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney

 

In this new novel, Sally Rooney follows a group of friends.  Alice and Eileen are best friends and have been from college.  Alice has struck it big with her first novel and is now courted by the literary world.  Far from being excited about it, she has had a breakdown and is recovering.  Eileen has worked at various entry level jobs in publishing since university.  She dated a man for several years and is still grieving the end of their relationship.  She is flirting with Simon, someone she knew growing up and who is a bit older.  The timing has never been right for them to be involved romantically but maybe it is now?

This first chapter draws the reader in quickly.  The characters are mysterious but fighting to figure out their lives and are typical of young people in their late twenties.  They aren't sure of their work, their attraction to others and what their lives will look like in the future.  Fans of Rooney's earlier novels will be excited to read this new one.  Overall, though, I found it a bit unsettling.  These characters are quick to engage in sex with partners but then find it impossible to make real connections with them, hesitant to assume that the sex means anything in relation to an ongoing relationship.  It just seemed very sad to me.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and those interested in those searching to find their way in the world.