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Mystery Monday Review – A Murder of Quality

Monday, October 17th, 2022

A Murder of Quality by John le Carré

Review by Matt B. (BuffaloSavage)

 

This 1962 mystery was the second novel of the author of the Karla Trilogy. At only about 150 pages, A Murder of Quality lacks elbow room. That is, it feels like the novelist had to restrain himself from exploring themes such as the lingering effects of WWII on those that had to fight it; the suffocating environment of public schools (that is, private schools); and the deceptiveness of mere appearance and persona. Retired spy George Smiley, for example, looks like “the very prototype of an unsuccessful middle-aged bachelor in a sedentary occupation.” But the inoffensive appearance masks the fact he has, one colleague observes, “the cunning of Satan and the conscience of a virgin.”

Smiley is contacted by a wartime co-worker who has received a strange letter. A woman who lives in a public school town writes that she afraid that her husband, one of the masters there, has designs on her life. Smiley recalls that Terence Fielding, brother of one of Smiley’s colleagues in intelligence during the war, teaches classics at the school. However, Smiley hears that the letter writer has been murdered. Smiley is invited by the local police to investigate since the local chief of police knows a little of Smiley’s WWII exploits, wants to hold off Scotland Yard, and the middle class chief is not comfortable investigating the quality that are connected to the public school.

Like Maigret in a Simenon novel, or Campion in an Allingham novel, Smiley finds himself investigating the crime in a world with its own rules of conduct. Also in the whodunnit manner, there are red herrings and odd characters galore. This early novel is well-worth reading for fans of le Carré, Alan Furst, and whodunit writers with a little edge like Tey, Marsh, Innes and Highsmith.

 

 

 

Science Fiction Review – The Long Sunset

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022

The Long Sunset by Jack McDevitt
Review by Cyndi J. (cyndij)

This book is the 8th in “The Academy” series, but I see no reason a new reader couldn’t pick this up and still enjoy it. Read in order, there’s a clear timeline, but each book is a stand-alone science-fiction adventure.

Priscilla “Hutch” Hutchins is a top-notch interstellar pilot, specializing in exploratory missions and the survivor of quite a few hair-raising adventures. But the political climate of the world right now is that humans can’t afford just to go exploring, there’s no money and besides, what if they meet something scary? Space is now the province of a couple private companies who do tours and one that’s working on terraforming a new planet for humans.

But then a signal from many light-years away is received, and it’s so compelling that a researcher decides they have to go look. He puts together a team with Hutch as the pilot, and they manage to get underway even as the stop order is hitting their comms.

I found this first part of the book slow going. The conversations about how the team might run into aliens determined to follow them back and wipe out humanity are repeated over and over. A thing I like about McDevitt is the idea that advanced civilizations are going to realize there’s no point in being automatically hostile. I don’t know that I believe it (just like some characters in this book!) but I want to. But the same question just gets hammered on too many times.

As in most of the Academy novels, there’s no straight line between the goal of the mission and  how they get there – much sightseeing is involved. McDevitt is great at throwing in fictitious books and plays his characters have experienced, so we get a lot of that too. Eventually,  Hutch and some of the crew are going to get a crash course communicating with a different set of aliens than they were looking for.  McDevitt isn’t one to come up with fantastically strange life-forms – his aliens are pretty much like us in terms of what they want out of life. In this case they apparently also invent instantly recognizable items, like telephones. It’s actually pretty funny that this crew from more than 200 years in our future knows what a 1970s telephone looks like.

There’s a huge disaster looming over the alien civilization, which the humans know about and the aliens don’t. The solution is overwhelming. Should they tell? Can they even figure out a solution? Can they find help? How to persuade Earth, given that space travel is now seen as unnecessary? There was a great big whopping idea early on, and I was disappointed when McDevitt only gave it one line of recognition later.

The dialogue is occasionally pretty clunky, and I don’t find much difference between the five members of the crew, but well-rounded characters has never been McDevitt’s strongest thing. It’s told exclusively from Hutch’s POV except for a few diary entries from the others. Don’t forget to read the little media headlines.  And I think he failed to give the reader a sense of real danger; there’s conflict but except for the return to Earth (that was tense) it didn’t catch my emotions. But what was very satisfying is a big discovery regarding the Monument Makers, the mystery that begins the very first in the series. Also, it’s hopeful – we’re left with the satisfaction that people can empathize with strangers, and given all the information, we’ll do our best to do the right thing. If McDevitt wanted to end this series, this wouldn’t be a bad place to do it.

 

 

Young Adult Historical Fiction Review – The Hummingbird Dagger

Tuesday, July 6th, 2021

The Hummingbird Dagger

The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey

Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)

England, 1833.  Young Walter Ellerby is out cavorting with a friend near his family’s estate and is involved in a frightful accident with a strange carriage. A young woman from the carriage is injured in the accident and the men with her seem cagey and uncooperative.  The young woman is taken back to Hardwick Manor by Walter’s older brother, Lord James Ellerby, and the men from the carriage make their escape.  Thus begins the mystery of The Hummingbird Dagger.

The family is deeply concerned about the young woman’s welfare and takes responsibility for her care; however, there is more than physical wounds to recover from- the young woman has no memory of who she is or why she was traveling in the carriage. The Ellerbys begin calling the young woman Beth and they all develop an attachment to her and do what they can to protect her and help her regain her memory. Throughout Beth’s recovery she is plagued by nightmares of a bloody dagger with a hummingbird carved into the hilt. In addition to the nightmares, there are other kidnappings, secrets, murders, and attacks that make Beth’s story even more confusing to herself and the Ellerbys.

The Hummingbird Dagger is the first novel I have read by Anstey and I found it a solid 4-star young adult mystery novel. I thought the characters were endearing (I rather loved Caroline, Lord Ellerby’s sister, and Dr. Brant), but I could have used a little more character development. I thought the pace of the novel was good and I did not unravel the mystery early but, in hindsight, there were a few breadcrumbs left along the way. The novel was wrapped up well and I think there is the opening for other novels featuring some of the same characters.  I, for one, wouldn’t mind another visit to Hardwick Manor.

 

 

 

Historical Fiction Review – The Lost Apothecary

Thursday, June 24th, 2021

The Lost Apothecary

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)

It was hard to determine a genre category for The Lost Apothecary.  Shifting from past to present, Penner weaves together the lives of 21st century historian Caroline and 18th century apothecary Nella.

Nella’s mother was a well-known apothecary with a little shop off Bear Alley in 18th century London.  After the death of her mother, Nella begins to run the shop herself. Later she is fueled by her own loss and heartache and becomes known for helping women who are the victims of oppressive men. By developing poisons that are easily-disguised, Nella gives strength, freedom, and hope to the women who request her services.

Caroline has arrived in England angry and confused after learning of a betrayal within her marriage.  During what is supposed to be a romantic getaway for her and her husband, Caroline is alone and trying to decide on how to move forward.  She crosses paths with Bachelor Alf and his mudlarking group and decides to see what historical objects the River Thames might provide to distract her from her real life.

Caroline finds a glass vial while mudlarking and she is taken on a journey of discovery into the mysterious apothecary and shop. The reader learns more about Caroline, Nella and Eliza, the young maid of a wealthy woman who demands Nella’s services.  Nella and Caroline’s stories of betrayal bythe men they love are paralleled in the story and their reactions to those betrayals change the course of their lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Apothecary.  I thought it was a unique story (I’ve never even heard of mudlarking before, but I’ve learned it really is a thing and it seems so very interesting) with characters who were complex and relatable.  The sense of magic and mystery come together to provide an engrossing tale and I am not surprised this debut novel by Penner became a New York Times bestseller. I highly recommend this vivid and rich novel when you want to lose yourself in the pages of a good book.

 

 

 

 

Historical Fiction Review – Titans

Thursday, July 23rd, 2020

Titans

Titans by Leila Meacham

Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)

Meacham has created a literary enjoyment with Titans!  A novel about how family secrets can bring both heartache and redemption, Titans is an emotional and bittersweet journey.

Texas in the early 1900s is on the edge of discovery.  Oil has been found and methods of locating deposits and extracting it from the land are being developed.  Some homes are getting telephones and there is talk of a motorized conveyance replacing horses for travel.  In the Dallas/Ft Worth area, three families will come together as long-held family secrets are slowly exposed.

The Gordons are building an empire with their cattle ranch. Their adopted daughter Samantha is their joy and she has given up her dreams of an advanced education to be more involved with the family ranch. The Holloways have a wheat farm and their son Nathan has a deep connection to the land. Nathan is looking forward to the day he can run the farm and has a close relationship with his father.  Trevor Waverling is a wealthy manufacturing businessman who is no friend to either family, but he is about to meet Nathan and set everyone on a course of change.

Meacham weaves together the lives of these three families with a deft hand and the way the plot comes full circle offers a satisfying and thorough conclusion. Filled with complicated family histories and challenging family relationships, Titans delivers on several levels and I give it 5 stars.  The plot is well thought out and developed, the characters are not predictable but they are relatable, and the way the story comes together is seamless.

 

 

 

Nonfiction Review – The Rural Diaries

Wednesday, July 8th, 2020

The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm
The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton-Morgan
Review by: Mirah W (mwelday)

I am not quite sure how The Rural Diaries came up in my suggestions, but I am so glad it did! Hilarie Burton-Morgan is an actress best known for her roles in One Tree Hill, White Collar, and is the darling of holiday movies on networks like The Hallmark Channel. While I am a fan of her work, I have not followed her career closely and wasn’t even aware she had written a book until I saw a post about The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm on Instagram. I thought the synopsis sounded fun so I got a copy and I honestly thought Hilarie’s book was a pure delight to read.

In The Rural Diaries, Hilarie is open and charming as she takes the reader through the ups and downs of her marriage, having children, creating their dream farm, losing loved ones, and finding purpose in her community. She delves into the parts of life that can be complicated and challenging. She honestly addresses her Hollywood experiences that resurfaced during the Me, Too movement. Dispersed throughout her story are asides with recipes, renovation and gardening tips, and beautiful personal photos.

One thing  I was not expecting was the kinship I would feel to Hilarie as she told her story. Who knew there was someone else out there who could love Lonesome Dove as much as me? So much so that she would name her son after one of the main characters, Augustus. I mean, she had my heart with that. And the naming of Mischief Farm, while the perfect name for her family, has a connection to a beloved pet that actually made me a little teary. (I’ll leave that story as a mystery in the hopes that you’ll pick up a copy of The Rural Diaries for yourself.)

The Rural Diaries really does come across as a love letter, which is how Hilarie describes it. It’s not a love letter in the sappy, unrealistic way; it is a love letter that is honest, messy, funny, and tender. I give this love letter 5 stars.  I enjoyed Hilarie’s story, I found her to be forthright and tough, and I was disappointed when I reached the end.

 

 

 

Fantasy Review – The Empire’s Ghost

Tuesday, May 26th, 2020

The Empire's Ghost: A Novel

The Empire’s Ghost by Isabelle Steiger

Review by Mirah W (mwelday)

I don’t often read fantasy adventure novels, but I was looking for a new series and the synopsis for The Empire’s Ghost was unlike anything else I’ve read so I decided to give it a try and I am glad I did!

The Empire’s Ghost is an epic fantasy adventure that centers around various kingdoms seeking control over neighboring lands, but with magic and cunning rulers, who will have the upper hand and who will be victorious? As I read, I became partial to Prince Kelken, who is the underdog in this story, but who knows if I will still like him later in the series.

The imagery is quite exquisite throughout the novel and the locales seem to become characters themselves.  There are a lot of characters to remember, especially since characters are referred to by more than one name or title, but after sticking with the novel, they became clearer in my mind and I could picture each one in every scene. The characters slowly reveal more and more about themselves as the novel progresses to provide more depth and understanding to their choices and actions. Magic and the use of magic is a thread throughout the plot, but does not control or distract from the plot.  The ending is definitely not a conclusion but, rather, an opening to another book set in this epic world.

I am giving The Empire’s Ghost 4 out of 5 stars. My reasons for the 4 star rating are primarily the amount of time it took for me to get invested in the novel and the difficulty I had following some of the intricacies of the plot.  The second half of the book definitely seemed to come together more solidly than the first half.  The action was easier to follow and the characters easier to delineate. I think a multi-faceted novel like The Empire’s Ghost would have benefited from a map and character list/tree at the beginning to give the reader some perspective. For a debut novel, I think Steiger created an amazing story with memorable characters. If you are looking for a sweeping, epic fantasy to transport you to a different world, The Empire’s Ghost is the novel for you.