Trump's win, coupled with his first round of appointments, left me feeling the need to escape. So I downloaded The Nature of Beast, put on my headp3.5
Trump's win, coupled with his first round of appointments, left me feeling the need to escape. So I downloaded The Nature of Beast, put on my headphones, and let Louise Penny carry me to the Canadian Village of Three Pines. In the series 11th installment, Chief Inspector Gamache and Company must solve two murders and find the written plans for a giant missile launcher that they discovered hidden in the woods outside Three Pines. The novel is fast-paced, cleverly plotted, and full of interesting well-drawn characters. It was a great escape....more
Tana French's The Searcher is a novel that contains a crime. Although she borrows familiar mystery tropes, the hunt for a missing person, a rough-edgeTana French's The Searcher is a novel that contains a crime. Although she borrows familiar mystery tropes, the hunt for a missing person, a rough-edged, hard-boiled detective who is a loner with an ethical code, the novel's focus is character, relationships, and the internal workings of Irish village life.
Cal Hooper is 48, recently divorced, and has just retired from the Chicago police force. He has purchased a house in an isolated village in western Ireland that needs renovation. He views nature and manual labor as a salve for his troubled soul.
However, when Trey, a troubled 13-year-old, learns that Cal is a retired detective, he seeks help locating his 19-year-old brother Brendhan, who has disappeared. Cal reluctantly agrees to help the kid and gradually encounters the underside of village life.
I listened to Roger Clark's outstanding narration of this novel on a road trip. While driving through country roads in the pouring rain, I heard vivid scenes of pub life in an Irish village where the locals came to life, and the village itself became a character in the novel. French's skill at writing nuanced dialogue helped to create a sense of menace. At the same time, her compassionate portrayal of Cal and Trey's evolving relationship demonstrated the possibility of healing despite life's traumas.
3.5 I have been having trouble sleeping lately and hoped an audio bedtime story might be the cure. I decided on Louise Penny. It has been over a year s3.5 I have been having trouble sleeping lately and hoped an audio bedtime story might be the cure. I decided on Louise Penny. It has been over a year since I listened to her previous work. Yet, the familiar characters, setting, and excellent narrator, Ralph Cosham, worked like comfort food or, more aptly, melatonin.
In A Long Way Home, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie, retired to the village of Three Pines. However, his respite is interrupted by his old friend, artist Clara Morrow, whose husband, artist Peter Morrow, is missing. Gamache, his son-in-law, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, who works as an inspector at the Suerte de Quebec Clara, and her close friend Myrna, a psychiatrist, engage in a search for Peter that is both psychological and physical.
Penny typically intertwines character study with mystery. The search for Peter also examines artists' nature and the art world's eccentricities. Her account of the characters' search along the St Lawrence River is a bonus. Her vibrant descriptions of the Quebec countryside made me want to visit and explore the region.
I enjoyed the book; however, the ending was too melodramatic. Still, I would recommend the novel. It is a clever mystery and a great bedtime story.
"A woman suffering from severe neurosis went to Freud and asked if he could cure her. Freud said no, he couldn't do that, but he believed what he coul"A woman suffering from severe neurosis went to Freud and asked if he could cure her. Freud said no, he couldn't do that, but he believed what he could do was restore her to a state of normal unhappiness."
John Banville's April in Spain is a subtle mystery filled with irony and richly developed imperfect characters. The 8th book in his " literary mystery series" centers on Dublin pathologist Quirke, who is vacationing with his psychiatrist wife Evelyn in San Sebastian, Spain. A freak accident lands Quirke in the local ER, where he encounters an Irish doctor who resembles his daughter's close friend, April Latimer, a member of a prominent political family. April's brother had confessed to murdering her four years ago before driving over a cliff. However, her body was never found.
The doctor's strange behavior heightens Quike's suspicions. He calls his daughter and asks her to come to Spain, setting off a tragic chain of events. Banville is a master at pacing and slowly building suspense. The story would make a great Hitchcock film. I highly recommend April in Spain if you want to escape and enjoy a well-done thriller....more
3.5 Ireland- In the early 1950s, just after the end of World War II, Rosa Jacobs, a 27-year-old graduate student at Trinity College, is found asphyxiat3.5 Ireland- In the early 1950s, just after the end of World War II, Rosa Jacobs, a 27-year-old graduate student at Trinity College, is found asphyxiated in her car at her lock-up (parking garage) outside Dublin in what looks like a suicide. However, Medical Pathologist Dr. Quirke finds marks on Rosa's mouth that indicate that someone gagged, anesthetized, and placed Rosa in the car with the motor running. Quirke and DI Strafford must figure out why.
Booker Award winner John Banville creates an intricate plot that examines Rosa's connection to the family of a wealthy German emigre and the hit-and-run death of an investigative reporter in Tel Aviv. While the storyline is well designed, Banville's greatest strengths lie in the development of character and setting. Both Quirke and Strafford are finely drawn, flawed, and very human, and very much of their time. Not only are the characters contextualized, but Banville captures the ambiance and mood of post-war Dublin.
It is a well-done mystery and a perfect summer (or fall) escape. ...more
I read this over 30years ago. I recognized his name on Alan Teder's review of the book of forgotten authors.I read this over 30years ago. I recognized his name on Alan Teder's review of the book of forgotten authors....more
In the Woods, Irish- American Tana French's award-winning debut is a cut above the traditional pol3.5
Winner 2008 Edgar Award for a Debut Mystery Novel
In the Woods, Irish- American Tana French's award-winning debut is a cut above the traditional police procedural. It is a psychological thriller focusing on the gradual unraveling of the novel's narrator, protagonist Rob Ryan, a troubled detective on the Dublin murder squad. Ryan must investigate two possibly interconnected cases.
Twelve-year-old Katy Devlin's body has just surfaced in the woods near a small town outside Dublin in the identical place where two children went missing twenty years ago. Rescuers found their friend, Adam Ryan, covered in blood and without memory of what happened. To complicate matters, unknown to everyone but his partner, our detective narrator Rob Ryan is Adam Ryan, the child survivor. The story moves back and forth in time as Ryan mentally struggles to come to terms with what happened in his childhood and the current crime.
French's writing is subtle, low-key, and realistic. Her characters are flawed and complicated, especially Ryan, and she does an excellent job with the plot. If you are looking for an escape from the news, this is a book I'd recommend.
In the Book of Cold Cases, Simone St James attempts to mesh detective fiction with paranormal gothic a la Daphne de Maurier. But, unfortunately, th1.5
In the Book of Cold Cases, Simone St James attempts to mesh detective fiction with paranormal gothic a la Daphne de Maurier. But, unfortunately, the book didn't work for me. There was too much melodrama, and much of the dialogue was choppy. I also found the climax too long and over the top.
However, in all fairness to the author, I selected this book because I wanted a page-turner to listen to during my colonoscopy prep. So, while I should have read about the book beforehand, I just responded to the title and pushed the audible button. I was expecting a detective story where mere mortals solve cases without the aid of ghosts. But that's me. Fans of horror would like this more than I did....more
The Twist of the Knife is the latest addition to Anthony Horowitz's tongue-in-cheek detective series featuring Hawthorne, a quasi "hard-boilGreat fun!
The Twist of the Knife is the latest addition to Anthony Horowitz's tongue-in-cheek detective series featuring Hawthorne, a quasi "hard-boiled" Sherlock Holmes, and Horowitz as his Watson. In addition to writing himself as a character in the fourth novel in the series, Horowitz becomes the chief murder suspect.
When Horowitz's play Mindgames premiers at the West End, it receives a scathing review from Harriet Throsby, a theater critic well-known for her viciousness. Circumstantial evidence points to Horowitz as the killer. To find out "whodunnit," Hawthorne and Horowitz must figure out who would want to frame Horowitz.
The subsequent investigation follows and spoofs on the conventional detective story format a la Agatha Christie. My husband and I listened to the novel on a road trip, and neither of us could figure it out. The Twist of the Knife is great fun and highly entertaining. I highly recommend it if you feel the need to escape!
3.5 The Man Who died Twice, a clever cozy mystery that playfully parodies the genre, is the 2nd installment in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club ser 3.5 The Man Who died Twice, a clever cozy mystery that playfully parodies the genre, is the 2nd installment in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series. Set at an upscale retirement community near Fairhaven, England, the series features four seventy something amateur sleuths who meet each Thursday and attempt to solve cold cases. The would- be detectives bring a wide range of skills from their pre-retirement lives. Elizabeth was a spy, Joyce, a nurse, Ibrahim, a psychologist and Ron a union organizer. When Joyce receives a strange letter from her ex-husband, the group again becomes involved in a real case that involves stolen diamonds and murder.
As in the first book, much is tongue-in cheek, yet there is intricate plotting surprising twists and turns and a cast of well-developed and likeable characters. While I enjoyed the first book, I felt this was better. Osman seems more comfortable with his characters, and they come alive, spunky, quirky, filled with insights on aging and life. The Man Who Died Twice is a light highly entertaining read and a wonderful escape. I listened to the audio and recommend it for mystery buffs or anyone looking for a few hours respite from this troubled world. ...more
2.5 Nita Prose’s debut mystery Is based on an unusual premise- could an individual on the autism spectrum, someone unable to read social cues, be manip2.5 Nita Prose’s debut mystery Is based on an unusual premise- could an individual on the autism spectrum, someone unable to read social cues, be manipulated by a perpetrator and misunderstood by the police to such an extent that she could be framed for a crime.
Molly Gray is a maid at the Regency Grand a five-star hotel in an unspecified city. Molly, age 25, is neurodivergent, most likely on the autism spectrum and a bit OCD. She has always had difficulty reading social cues and consequently has been the focus of bullying and teasing throughout her life. Molly’s grandmother, her only close relationship recently died, leaving Molly alone in the world. When Molly finds a wealthy guest murdered in one of the suites, she cleans she becomes a prime suspect. Prose writes the novel from Molly’s point of view and the authors uses Molly’s misreading of perpetrator and police to build tension as this likeable, yet unlikely protagonist digs herself into hole after to hole.
The book starts off strong and then it begins to lose its moorings as it moves from mystery to morality tale that gushes with maudlin sentimentality. First off, Molly is surrounded by a cast of one- dimensional stock, stereotypical characters, many of whom are all good or all bad. Then, there is Molly herself, a kind of Pollyanna on the spectrum whose difference becomes the source of her goodness and finally there is the fairy tale happy ending and the nonsensical final twist.
Fredrick Backman, the king of feel- good novels, understands that quirky, misunderstood characters, be they curmudgeons (Ove) or on the spectrum like Britt-Marie are flawed flesh and blood human beings like the rest of us. That’s what makes us root for them. That what makes them real. Molly, while she has her charms, seems more like a character out of a fairy tale.
The Plot is a fast-paced and highly entertaining mystery/thriller. It centers on Jacob Finch Bonner, a once-promising novelist who suffers from writer'The Plot is a fast-paced and highly entertaining mystery/thriller. It centers on Jacob Finch Bonner, a once-promising novelist who suffers from writer's block. Bonner is supplementing his income by teaching in a Vermont-based low residency MFA in creative writing, and here he meets a student who shares his plot idea for a sure-fire hit novel. Three years after the meeting, Bonner learns that the student has died of a drug overdose, and he decides to use his plotline for his next novel.
The novel is a huge success. It makes the New York Times bestseller list, is selected by Ophray Winfrey's book club, and is under contract for a film adaptation by Steven Speilberg. Then Bonner begins to receive e-mails that accuse him of stealing his plotline. So he takes the role of amateur detective to track down his accuser.
The novel is well-written and cleverly satirizes the literary world and low residency creative writing programs. I enjoyed the characters, the pacing, and the humor. However, I figured out the mystery early on and kept waiting for the protagonist to get past his anxiety and guilt and do the same. However, I enjoyed the book despite its predictability. I listened to it on audio, and it was great fun....more
Another entertaining pastiche by Anthony Horowitz! In this inventive series, Horowitz writes himself into the book and plays Watson to"consuGreat Fun!
Another entertaining pastiche by Anthony Horowitz! In this inventive series, Horowitz writes himself into the book and plays Watson to"consulting detective" Hawthorne, a hardboiled British Sherlock Holmes. Here Horowitz and Hawthorne go to a literary festival on the Channel island of Alderney to promote their first book, where of course, murder (s) occur. In typical Horowitz fashion, he satirizes the genre while providing a compelling mystery rife with clues and red herrings. A Line to Kill is an excellent read if you want to escape for a while.
Paula McLain's debut thriller focuses on a search for missing girls who have suffered from trauma or abuse. McLain, who experienced childhood trauma aPaula McLain's debut thriller focuses on a search for missing girls who have suffered from trauma or abuse. McLain, who experienced childhood trauma and grew up in foster homes, says in the book's afterword that she created detective hero Ana Hart with a similar backstory. In addition to Ana's early trauma, her high school friend Jenny was abducted and killed at 18. At the book's start, Ana has returned to her hometown of Mendocino, where a 15-year old has been reported missing.
Like other fictional detectives who have been victims of childhood trauma, Ana Hart is obsessed with her work. She is a woman on a mission. McLain has done her homework and equipped Anna with in-depth knowledge on trauma's impact on its victims' subsequent behavior, which she uses with great skill throughout the investigation.
While I liked the book overall, I had a problem with the ending. I have read and viewed many mysteries. I guessed the end early on because I have read and seen similar stories where the relationship between the victim and perpetrator was identical to the one in this book. The writers similarly hid the perpetrator's identity as well. I am also tired of the climactic battle between the hero and the perpetrator that inevitably comes near the end.
However, in a sense, I feel that I am unfair to Paula McLain. When the Sky Grows Dark is a finely written and well-developed first mystery. The problem lies with me and my overfamiliarity with the genre....more
I remember reading this and seeing the film with Chevy Chase. However, it was so long ago that I don't remember much else. I remember reading this and seeing the film with Chevy Chase. However, it was so long ago that I don't remember much else....more
Deadline in Athens is a well-crafted, gritty work of noir detective fiction. In addition to an intriguing storyline, Markaris provides an interesting Deadline in Athens is a well-crafted, gritty work of noir detective fiction. In addition to an intriguing storyline, Markaris provides an interesting portrait of Athens in the 1990s. I want to thank GR friends Berengaria and Violeta for the recommendation!...more
Anthony Horowitz's Mayflower Murders is one of the most creative detective novels I have read. Two years ago, Horowitz introduced his innovative book Anthony Horowitz's Mayflower Murders is one of the most creative detective novels I have read. Two years ago, Horowitz introduced his innovative book within a book format in The Magpie Murders. In The Moonflower Murders, Horowitz brings back protagonist, mystery editor, Susan Ryeland and perfects the new structure that he had previously originated.
At the opening of the "outer" book, Susan Ryeland has left the London publishing scene and opened a small hotel in Crete with her boyfriend/ fiancée Andreas. Lawrence and Pauline Treherne, proprietors of a posh hotel in Sussex, arrive in Crete. Eight years ago, there was a murder at their hotel on the night of their daughter Cecily's wedding. The murder was ostensibly solved. One of Susan's mystery writers, Alan Conway (deceased), used the case in one of his novels, Atticus Pund Takes the Case. On reading the book, Cecily realized that the wrong man had been imprisoned. She confided this to her parents in a phone call and disappeared shortly afterward. The parents want Susan to find the clue to the killer's identity that their daughter had recognized in the book and offer her 10,000 pounds to return to London and assist with the investigation.
The Moonflower Murders' first quarter consists of Susan's investigation of the eight-year-old, murder, and Cecily's disappearance. Once Susan and the reader have gained sufficient background, we read the book within the book, Atticus Pund Takes the Case, a humorous pastiche of Hercule Poirot and the golden age of detective fiction that on the surface appears to have little resemblance to the eight-year-old murder. Of course, in the last quarter of the book, Susan solves the crime.
Horowitz's writing is lively and humorous. He continuously pokes fun at the conventions of the detective genre. At the same time, he provides twists, turns, and provocative puzzles that continually throw .the reader off-base. Horowitz clearly enjoys the game he is playing with his readers.
I listened to the book on audio. It was great fun!...more
The Beautiful Mystery is a locked room or rather a locked monastery mystery: the prior and musical director of a remote, 24 member monastery in rural The Beautiful Mystery is a locked room or rather a locked monastery mystery: the prior and musical director of a remote, 24 member monastery in rural Quebec in murdered. The question is, which one is the killer? Although the plot line sounds familiar, the book’s strength lies in its rich historical detail. The monastery is renowned for its Gregorian chants, which become the focal point of the mystery. Louise Penny skillfully intertwines the history of chants, their relation to the history of music, Catholic spirituality, and the role of religion in the Quebecois's lives. She also uses the remote setting as a place where the ongoing series characters Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir confront their demons. The intricate plotting, historical detail, and character study make for a satisfying read and a much-needed escape....more