My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira

Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)

My Name is Mary Sutter sat on my bookshelf for over a year before I finally picked it up to read it. I ordered it through PBS because I heard so many positive things about it but I just never seemed to be in the right mood to take it on. Reading about medical treatment during the Civil War just doesn’t sound like that uplifting of a read.  But I was wrong.

Mary Sutter is a strong-willed young woman coming into her own at the beginning of the Civil War. Mary is an accomplished midwife, taught by her mother and revered by many for her strength and tenacity. But being an excellent midwife is not enough; Mary wants to be a surgeon.  All she needs is someone in the medical field to believe in her and her abilities.  She searches for a surgeon who will be willing to teach her.  After being repeatedly rejected, she decides to join the movement of Dorothea Dix and serve as a nurse to the injured soldiers of the Civil War.

Before leaving her home in Albany, Mary suffers several losses.  Her father passes away and she loses her love to another.  She doesn’t want to suffer the loss of her dream and takes every action possible to see that doesn’t happen.  She embarks on a journey that will see her grow as a woman, a medical professional, a sister, and a daughter.

While some passages of this novel were difficult to read because of the nature of the topic, the overall scope of the novel is one of hope.  In the difficult passages, the reader is taken back to the horrific days of suffering during the war.  The sheer volume of injured soldiers so few men and women were capable of treating is staggering.  But through the suffering and turmoil there were people giving all they could give to make a positive difference.  And not only did they give of themselves, and sometimes all they had, some of them remain unknown.  My Name is Mary Sutter allows the reader to think about some of those unknown heroes of the war: the ones who don’t have monuments dedicated to their service and didn’t have family to keep their stories alive.   The character of Mary Sutter embodies the memory of all of those men and women and gives them the recognition they so richly deserve.

Deadly Stakes by J.A. Jance

Review by Kelsey O.

I have to say that this is the first Ali Reynolds mystery that I have read. I know eight books into a series that there would be a lot of background information that I would be missing out on. As I was reading, I didn’t feel that I needed all that information. It would have helped me understand the main characters’ actions but wasn’t necessary to the storyline.

Former reporter Ali Reynolds learns that someone she knows is suspected in the killing of her current boyfriend’s ex-fiance. Lynn Martinson, the suspect and former victim of Richard Lowensdale, who Ali helped bring in. Ali is asked by Lynn’s mother to help her daughter because she knows that someone else was responsible for Gemma Ralston’s murder.

Not only has Gemma’s body been found but also another man’s body was found not far from her. With the possibility of the two deaths related, the police and Ali try to connect dots that don’t seem to be matching up. And so starts another plot line in Jance’s novel. This one involves a boy named A.J. Sanders whose father was a criminal but who mysteriously shows back up and buys him a car for his 16th birthday and tells him of a secret box that holds the key to paying for his collage. On his quest to find this chest he stumbles upon a woman dying and in the hopes of saving her he sends a text to 911 only to realize if he is found at the crime scene then his mother will find out about his skipping school and his father’s secret stash. A.J. leaves the scene of the crime leaving behind his shovel.

As the clues keep piling up the reader starts to wonder if this case will ever get solved. With several plot lines weaving in and around each other I was left confused because of the amount of heavy details that seemed to have no reason for being added except maybe to confuse the reader, I had to give this a little lower rating. But in the end, this was a nice light mystery read and I think if you are a devoted J.A. Jance fan you won’t be disappointed. I for one will be looking to start this series from the beginning because I want to know more about Ali’s life.

3 BUTTERFLIES

Once Upon A Tartan by Grace Burrowes

Review by Issa S. (Issa-345)

Honor or happiness ‑ he can’t have both.   Tiberius Flynn may be every inch an English lord, but smart, headstrong beauty Hester Daniels has no use for his high‑handed ways‑‑no matter how handsome, charming, or beguiling he is. They only see eye to eye in caring about the feisty little girl who is under their protection.   Tiberius’s haughty insistence that his wealthy estate in England is a better place for the child than her beloved, rundown Scotland home sparks Hester’s fierce protectiveness, and the battle lines are drawn.

There was the blurb.  Short and sweet.

The feisty girl is Fiona who we meet, along with her family in the Bridegroom Wore Plaid.  Fiona’s mother Mary Fran and Fiona’s father married in a handfasting ceremony not recognized by her father’s family.  When her father died, his family had nothing to do with him and Mary Fran moved in with her brother, Ian MacGregor, the Earl of Balfour.  But Fiona is not fading away in Scotland, she’s been looked after by her uncles.  Mary Fran marries Matthew, brother of the Countess of Balfour and the two of them are out of country on vacation when Tiberius comes calling.  I do not recall if we met Hester but she is the sister of Matthew, so an aunt but not by blood.

Back to the story, the plot is one seen many times before.  That alone didn’t scare me off, the simplest of romance tropes can be good if written well.  This one has its moments.  Tiberius is here to take Fiona back to the family seat based on his father’s orders.  He falls for Hester and vice versa and the relationship moves at a predictable pace with the inevitable lies, evasions, and betrayals.  Burrows had potential with this one, but too many weak points made it unsalvageable.

What worked: The dialogue.  Tiberius has a way of speaking that drew me in…flat tone with big words with subtle wit.  Tiberius’s discussions are full of amusements and slights of phrase.

Hester.  She s a well rounded character who avoids falling into a doormat role.  She makes unusual choices and shows more strength than I would have expected.  I wanted a happy ending for her.

Earl and Countess of Balfour: Ian and August appear again and they continue to be two of my favorite Burrows characters.

Now for what doesn t work.

Tiberius the character: Despite his sexy speech, I couldn’t warm up to him.  He’s the doormat of the story.  The one that falls in line with his father’s orders to take the child knowing he’s taking her from a loving environment.  The reason why stunned me as well as Hester and my opinion of him plummeted even further.

The MacGregors.  Despite the unity they had in the previous book, they are all gone here (except Ian) and there is no explanation why Fiona’s mom never responds to Ian’s wires about the problems with her daughter.  Their absence was a shadow over the story.

Tiberius’s father: There s a whole side story to Tiberius’s father, his mother, and what drove his father to do what he did.  I found it childish and a painful addition to the book.

Pacing: When it becomes clear what Tye’s intentions towards Fiona are, we wait and wait and wait for the inevitable to happen.  There s a good 50 pages I could have yanked out and with little impact on the story.

I give this one three stars.  An okay story, not a bad read, but easily forgettable.

Making Masterpiece: 25 Years Behind the Scenes at Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery on PBS
by Rebecca Eaton

Review by  Charlie M. (bookaddicted)

If you are a fan of Masterpiece or Mystery! on PBS this is a wonderful read. Ms. Eaton has had the enviable job of being Executive Producer of Masterpiece for 25+ years and tells you what the job entails plus insider scoops about the shows and the stars. Her writing style is friendly and approachable. This is not one of those dry, plodding memoirs or the-making-of tomes that not only bore you but, sour you on the subject. She writes with honesty and humor, never afraid to let you know when she made a mistake in either passing on a show or making a faux pas in dealing with a sponsor, director, or actor.

She gives some insider info without resorting being salacious and mean. Some of the inner workings of how PBS actually works was eye-opening. Certainly in these tough economic times we have all heard how much money has been withdrawn from government funding of the arts and especially public television. Ms. Eaton really lets you know what struggles an organization like PBS can go through in order to keep bringing popular programs like “Downton Abbey”, “Foyle’s War”, “Midwives”, etc to your screens. She discusses how the changes in viewing habits, the digital age, viewer demographics all have impacted PBS, Masterpiece, and bought changes to her role in bringing programs to the public.

Whether you are familiar with PBS from the 1970’s airing of the original “Upstairs, Downstairs” or have just become tuned in because of the uber-popular “Downton Abbey” there is much to be learned and appreciated in this book. (Even if you just want to know Jean Marsh’s comment to the late Princess Margaret with respect to “Upstairs, Downstairs” read this well written, graciously presented book.)

Playback by Raymond Chandler

Review by Matt B. (BuffaloSavage)

Critics, readers and profs regard Raymond Chandler as the co- founder of hard-boiled detective fiction, along with James M. Cain and Dashiell Hammett. This final novel starring Phillip Marlowe, one of the world’s most famous fictional PI’s, has its strengths. However, its weaknesses make me warn novices to read The Little Sister, The Long Goodbye, The High Window or Farewell, My Lovely if they want to read Chandler for the first time.

One strong point in Playback is an evocative feeling for place (tawdry Southern California). As usual, Chander uses language with flair: “The subject was as easy to spot as a kangaroo in a dinner jacket.” Chandler parodies snappy talk in noir novels and directs well-aimed smacks at the Mickey Spillane School of Hard Knocks and Violent Socks.

Some interest is generated by tangents. A beautiful receptionist demonstrates her broad-minded views of the relations between the sexes in a couple of hot chapters. I’m not complaining too hard but the “good parts” don’t advance the plot or reveal more about our hero Marlowe. One geezer gives a monologue about the filthy rich and another codger goes on about love, death, and god-concepts. We duffers into stoic philosophical systems may wonder if these characters are stand-ins for Chandler. But, to repeat myself like old jossers will, the monologues don’t advance the plot or deepen characterization.

Even tolerant readers who don’t hold whodunnits to the same literary standards as novels may be disappointed. The weak mystery doesn’t provide narrative interest. The reveal is easy to figure out, given the small cast of characters. The lack of plot obviously shows that this was written first as a filmscript and later fleshed out, probably under pressure of illness or time or stress. Chandler was widowed and lonely, timeworn, ill, alcoholic, and hard-pressed when he wrote this novel. The flaws reminded me of Erle Stanley Gardner’s last novel, All Grass isn’t Green (1970), written when he was 80 and battling what folks used to call “The Big C.”

So, Playback is only for readers who like to read everything by an author. I’m glad I read Playback, because it made me respect Chandler more than I had previously. I hadn’t read him since I was in my twenties (in the 1970s). With the snottiness of youth, I had dismissed him as not as serious as Ross Macdonald and rather pretentious and not reliable at tying up loose ends (who killed the chauffeur in The Big Sleep?). I was wrong. I mean, even at near the end of his career, at less than his best, Chandler was still very much aware of language, getting the right words the right places. And he was still creatively experimenting with technique. He was still thinking hard about somber themes. I have to respect a writer with so much grit, so much soul.

The Taker by Alma Katsu

Review by Kelsey O.

With her blend of history and fantasy, Alma Katsu comes blazing out of the gates with her first novel. The best aspect of this novel is the fact that the fantasy part of the story is very obtuse. You don’t really know what the main character, Lanny McIlvrae is except that she is immortal. With Lanny’s beginnings told in flashbacks to Dr. Luke Findley, the reader is drawn into this story of doomed love and dark desires.

Dr. Luke Findley has hit rock bottom. His wife has left him and he feels trapped in the small Main town of St. Andrews. When he clocks into his night shift he never dreamed he would find himself on the run with a mysterious woman named Lanny who was brought in by the police as a murder suspect. As Lanny explains her life, from her humbled beginnings to why she murdered the only man she has ever loved, Luke finds himself falling for this petite damaged woman.

Even though this story says it is a love story, I didn’t feel there was much romance between these pages. This love story is what I stated above, doomed love. From Lanny’s childhood crush on Jonathan that turns into an obsession to her dark tormented relationship with Adair, the man that gave her immortality. Lanny’s life is full of darkness and sadness.

I would definitely recommend this story to anyone that liked Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. The world building is exceptional and has the potential to be an amazing trilogy. It will consume the reader until the very final pages and leave you desiring the next installment. I am so glad that I took the advice of my local bookstore employee and picked this one up. I think I found a new author to add to my favorites list!

The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War
by James Carl Nelson

Review by Thomas F. (hardtack)

So what happens after the shooting stops and the flags are furled? Most people just go back to their lives. But for many others, their lives stopped; sometimes permanently, sometimes for weeks, months and years, when their loved ones were killed in the fighting.

The author is one of those who went ‘searching for the bodies’ and the stories, decades after the end of Would War I.  He tried to discover why his grandfather was so emotionally distant. So after his grandfather’s death, he went looking for experiences in a war that shaped his grandfather’s life. While on that ‘trip’ he also discovered the stories of the men who fought and died within the same company. He also discovered the stories of men who tried to find their sons and brothers, and mothers who never gave up hope that their sons would be discovered, or at least their bodies recovered.  In many cases, the author follows the men from their lives as civilians before the war, to their adventures after enlisting and in training camps, and then their mind-numbing experiences in combat.

World War I is mostly forgotten now. I believe the last American WW I veteran died recently. As a former Marine and a Civil War reenactor, I am familiar with the stories of casualties in numerous wars. But I have never been able to understand the terrible loss of life in World War I. You would think that our so-called great generals of this war would have learned from the stupid mistakes of the idiot generals who had been bleeding their countries dry for the three years before we got into the war, but it didn’t happen.

That is the sad side of this interesting story, the unbelievable casualties that Company D and hundreds of other companies suffered because our generals wanted to prove that Americans could die just as well as Europeans. The other side is the pride we should feel, after reading these stories, for the men who willingly went to war to make the world ‘safe for democracy.’ Many of those who died were not born citizens of the United States, but went to war in Europe to ensure that war would not come to America. Maybe we should make this book required reading for members of Congress so they would hopefully understand how stupid their political games look against this backdrop of human sacrifice.

If you ever visit the National Museum of the Marine Corps (free admission) in Quantico, Virginia, make certain you see the short film of the Marines assaulting across a French field into Belleau Wood. After seeing that film, I thanked God I was in the Marines during Viet Nam and not during World War I.