Marianne Perry's Blog
December 16, 2018
Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou
Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou
This is a psychological/domestic thriller about Penny Grayson and her three years younger sister, Hattie. Their father abandoned them and mother died from an unknown allergic reaction to a bee sting. Hattie was in the house and hence, this emerges an issue between the sisters.
Penny weds Buddy Collerfield. An abusive husband, he dies in a fire. The reader is led to believe it started by Penny but is challenged whether this true throughout the book. The secret as to what happened keeps the sisters together while tearing them apart.
The book is divided into three sections. It opens with a Prologue about the fire. As the sister at the scene is referred to as “she,” the mystery begins. Part One culminates in Penny giving birth to a boy; ostensibly a surrogate for Hattie who is unable to conceive. She believes this is a result of wrongful deeds committed. A teacher, Jameson Leung comes to town. Both have “relationships” with him and in time, Hattie and Jameson wed. He is the father of the child they name Elliot. Part Two concludes when Elliot is aged ten. The conclusion is a twist; plausible and compelling.
With respect to shortcomings, I felt the passage of time poorly conveyed and the ending, rushed.
Despite the above, the plot was riveting and the author’s phrasing of universal issues particularly noteworthy.
I cite some examples:
Ch. 4: Penny: “When something changes your life, you remember everything. The colours are brighter, the sounds louder, the emotions greater. And you keep those things, all the small things, in your memory, for years.”
Ch. 14: Penny: Dark Humour: “Funny thing about murdering your husband:you can never really make friends after that.”
Ch. 21: Penny: “It’s difficult to reinvent yourself. There are parts of you that won’t change: made of something hard like a bone that just won’t bend another way.”
Ch. 23: Penny: “But there was something. In the same way you can tell, sometimes, when someone is in a house, you can also feel it when they’ve gone.”
The novel captures the complicated sibling relationship of sisters. Penny and Hattie’s story and the larger issues the author addressed stayed with me long after I finished the final chapter. This is an unforgettable book. Thank you Laurie Petrou. (less)
This is a psychological/domestic thriller about Penny Grayson and her three years younger sister, Hattie. Their father abandoned them and mother died from an unknown allergic reaction to a bee sting. Hattie was in the house and hence, this emerges an issue between the sisters.
Penny weds Buddy Collerfield. An abusive husband, he dies in a fire. The reader is led to believe it started by Penny but is challenged whether this true throughout the book. The secret as to what happened keeps the sisters together while tearing them apart.
The book is divided into three sections. It opens with a Prologue about the fire. As the sister at the scene is referred to as “she,” the mystery begins. Part One culminates in Penny giving birth to a boy; ostensibly a surrogate for Hattie who is unable to conceive. She believes this is a result of wrongful deeds committed. A teacher, Jameson Leung comes to town. Both have “relationships” with him and in time, Hattie and Jameson wed. He is the father of the child they name Elliot. Part Two concludes when Elliot is aged ten. The conclusion is a twist; plausible and compelling.
With respect to shortcomings, I felt the passage of time poorly conveyed and the ending, rushed.
Despite the above, the plot was riveting and the author’s phrasing of universal issues particularly noteworthy.
I cite some examples:
Ch. 4: Penny: “When something changes your life, you remember everything. The colours are brighter, the sounds louder, the emotions greater. And you keep those things, all the small things, in your memory, for years.”
Ch. 14: Penny: Dark Humour: “Funny thing about murdering your husband:you can never really make friends after that.”
Ch. 21: Penny: “It’s difficult to reinvent yourself. There are parts of you that won’t change: made of something hard like a bone that just won’t bend another way.”
Ch. 23: Penny: “But there was something. In the same way you can tell, sometimes, when someone is in a house, you can also feel it when they’ve gone.”
The novel captures the complicated sibling relationship of sisters. Penny and Hattie’s story and the larger issues the author addressed stayed with me long after I finished the final chapter. This is an unforgettable book. Thank you Laurie Petrou. (less)
October 8, 2018
Fear The Dark by Kay Hooper
Set in small town Serenity, Tennessee, psychic investigators from the FBI's Special Crime Unit assist Jonah Riggs, the Police Chief in finding six people who have disappeared within one month during the ordinary course of their days. They include: two eloping teens, a judge, new mother, 10 year old girl and young man. A female police officer is killed and they are tasked with solving this crime, too. Hopeful the disappeared are still alive, investigators attempt to establish a common link in an attempt to rescue them.
At the end of the book, the author includes agent bios, definitions of psychic terms plus a time line pertinent to this series. Practical for first time readers (like myself) and hence, noteworthy.
An intriguing plot, the crime is complicated with technological invention, energy bursts, hacking of security systems, mind manipulation and references to a "dark hungry force."
Quotes such as the following from Chapter Seven prompt reader contemplation on larger issues:
"Evil hides," Sam reminded him. "More often than not, behind something familiar, something nonthreatening. That's its ace, being able to hide....SO they aren't looking for one (monster), especially close to home."
"It only has to make sense to him," Dante spoke up to say. "A madman has his own mad logic."
The twist of psychic characters was interesting but I rated the common link Chief Riggs shared with the disappeared "obvious" and a weak point in the novel. The conclusion was laced with tragedy yet satisfactory.
At the end of the book, the author includes agent bios, definitions of psychic terms plus a time line pertinent to this series. Practical for first time readers (like myself) and hence, noteworthy.
An intriguing plot, the crime is complicated with technological invention, energy bursts, hacking of security systems, mind manipulation and references to a "dark hungry force."
Quotes such as the following from Chapter Seven prompt reader contemplation on larger issues:
"Evil hides," Sam reminded him. "More often than not, behind something familiar, something nonthreatening. That's its ace, being able to hide....SO they aren't looking for one (monster), especially close to home."
"It only has to make sense to him," Dante spoke up to say. "A madman has his own mad logic."
The twist of psychic characters was interesting but I rated the common link Chief Riggs shared with the disappeared "obvious" and a weak point in the novel. The conclusion was laced with tragedy yet satisfactory.
September 13, 2018
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
Multiple murders and strange deaths in an isolated New York State inn during a weekend storm cutting guests and owners off from the world. Every time I thought I knew who the murderer was, Shari Lapena proved me wrong. Perhaps, I asked myself while reading, the crimes committed by the wealthy New England heir; the husband who secretly loathes his wife; the author of true crime books; the attorney cleared of murdering his wife; the war correspondent suffering PTSD; or the owner's son with a drug history. Lapena duped me with character revelations and unexpected events. I could not stop reading this mystery novel. Told from the various perspectives of guests during a period from Friday to Sunday afternoon, Lapena begins each chapter with day and time indicated. Clever tactic to maintain suspense and reader engagement. The identity of the murderer and the final twist were masterful.
Thank you for a great read.
Marianne Perry
www.marianneperry.ca
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Multiple murders and strange deaths in an isolated New York State inn during a weekend storm cutting guests and owners off from the world. Every time I thought I knew who the murderer was, Shari Lapena proved me wrong. Perhaps, I asked myself while reading, the crimes committed by the wealthy New England heir; the husband who secretly loathes his wife; the author of true crime books; the attorney cleared of murdering his wife; the war correspondent suffering PTSD; or the owner's son with a drug history. Lapena duped me with character revelations and unexpected events. I could not stop reading this mystery novel. Told from the various perspectives of guests during a period from Friday to Sunday afternoon, Lapena begins each chapter with day and time indicated. Clever tactic to maintain suspense and reader engagement. The identity of the murderer and the final twist were masterful.
Thank you for a great read.
Marianne Perry
www.marianneperry.ca
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
August 16, 2018
The Showrunner by Kim Moritsugu
The Showrunner by Kim Moritsugu
The novel is a behind-the-scenes exploration of the twists and turns drama of those involved in the production of a Los Angeles television show entitled The Benjamins. The central characters include Ann Dalloni, the sixty-two year old head of production. Aging horribly, she is suffering secretly from wet macular degeneration. Married to John Nelligan, an older history professor, she discovers he is having an affair with a gal from the entertainment industry. Angry, desperate and frightened, she commits to doing whatever necessary to maintain power. Stacey McCreedy is Ann’s thirty-one year old former protégé. They have worked together for seven years and formed the production company, Two Women Walking. Stacey believes she is the mastermind behind the show's success. Weary of playing the subordinate role, she is determined to eliminate Ann and assume the superior position. Ann is the “showrunner” but Stacey covets to usurp her. Thrown into this bitter mix, is the twenty-eight year old once-upon-a-time actress, Jenna Kuyt whom Ann has hired as her assistant. Jenna manipulates both Ann and Stacey seeking to advantage both, raise her status and promote her floundering career. In return, Ann and Stacey manipulate her. A trio of toxic characters, for sure.
In addition to imagining a histrionic yet engaging plot, the book highlights Stacey’s complicated relationship with her doctor parents who dismiss her career. She has a convenient sort-of boyfriend and affection for a sick neighbor’s dog. The book also remarks on Jenna’s conniving choice of a partner, Andrew Medway, a make-do rich lawyer she co-ops until a better option emerges. Complicating matters between these emotional corrupt women, Stacey and Jenna become smitten with the same love interest. Doing so succeeds in adding depth to the characters; a clever author.
The Showrunner is an entertaining story concluding with a horrific and in my regards, shocking event. Well-done Kim Moritsugu. Thanks for a good read! (less)
The novel is a behind-the-scenes exploration of the twists and turns drama of those involved in the production of a Los Angeles television show entitled The Benjamins. The central characters include Ann Dalloni, the sixty-two year old head of production. Aging horribly, she is suffering secretly from wet macular degeneration. Married to John Nelligan, an older history professor, she discovers he is having an affair with a gal from the entertainment industry. Angry, desperate and frightened, she commits to doing whatever necessary to maintain power. Stacey McCreedy is Ann’s thirty-one year old former protégé. They have worked together for seven years and formed the production company, Two Women Walking. Stacey believes she is the mastermind behind the show's success. Weary of playing the subordinate role, she is determined to eliminate Ann and assume the superior position. Ann is the “showrunner” but Stacey covets to usurp her. Thrown into this bitter mix, is the twenty-eight year old once-upon-a-time actress, Jenna Kuyt whom Ann has hired as her assistant. Jenna manipulates both Ann and Stacey seeking to advantage both, raise her status and promote her floundering career. In return, Ann and Stacey manipulate her. A trio of toxic characters, for sure.
In addition to imagining a histrionic yet engaging plot, the book highlights Stacey’s complicated relationship with her doctor parents who dismiss her career. She has a convenient sort-of boyfriend and affection for a sick neighbor’s dog. The book also remarks on Jenna’s conniving choice of a partner, Andrew Medway, a make-do rich lawyer she co-ops until a better option emerges. Complicating matters between these emotional corrupt women, Stacey and Jenna become smitten with the same love interest. Doing so succeeds in adding depth to the characters; a clever author.
The Showrunner is an entertaining story concluding with a horrific and in my regards, shocking event. Well-done Kim Moritsugu. Thanks for a good read! (less)
August 7, 2018
A Gathering Of Secrets by Linda Castillo
A Gathering Of Secrets by Linda Castillo
A Gathering of Secrets is a crime novel taking place during the current time in Painters Mill, an Amish community in Ohio. It begins with a grisly Prologue during which Emma Miller, a seventeen year old Amish girl, hangs herself in the family barn. Chapter One occurs six months later. Daniel Gingerich, an eighteen year old Amish boy, has received an anonymous note from an admirer to meet at midnight. While awaiting the mystery lass, he is locked in the tack room of his family’s barn. The building is set on fire and he suffers a gruesome death. This is the chapter’s final paragraph:
“With a final hideous roar, the fire swept over him. Red-hot teeth tearing into him, chewing him up, grinding flesh and bone into a molten ooze, and sucking him into its belly.”
The reader is compelled to solve the mystery as to who and why someone had murdered Daniel and its connection to Emma’s suicide.
Chapter Two introduces Kate Burkholder, the Police Chief and a former Amish whose sister has remained a member of the church. Evidence confirms arson; dental records identify Daniel the victim; and an investigation launched. John Tomasetti, an agent of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Kate’s clandestine lover plays an integral role. He helps clarify police procedures and through the dynamics of their relationship sheds light on the reasons Kate disavowed her Amish upbringing.
Chapters Three to Twenty-Five unfold in twists. The author introduces several families and a range of characters whose history with Daniel advances plot. Disturbing truths and long protected secrets are exposed revealing Painters Mill not exactly an idyllic community.
The author provides excellent insight into various Amish sects, the traditional Swartzentruber and more modern, Beachy Amish. The interjection of Pennsylvania-Dutch during Kate’s conversations with the Amish contributes to authenticity as do portrayals of livelihoods and lifestyles. Understanding the Amish enables readers to grasp the significance of tradition; conflicts between sects; challenges for males and females plus the younger generation; and the manner in which problems are addressed and settled.
A Gathering Of Secrets prompts contemplation about issues such as loyalty and honour. This Chapter Six excerpt addresses murder causing one to question the motivation of what done to Daniel:
“Some people say murder is a senseless act, I don’t agree, There’s no doubt murder is a brutal act. It’s a cruel act. An immoral act. It’s wrong in the eyes of the law. A sin in the eyes of God. Murder is an unthinkable deed in the mind of any decent human being. But murder is rarely senseless.”
Chapter Eight is noteworthy depicting the relationship between Neva Lambright, Viola Stutzman and Ina Yoder, three young Amish women whose lives interwoven with Daniel’s and altered by his death. Neva’s family is Beachy Amish and owns The Mercantile, a craft shop and small bistro. The others are traditional. This excerpt is specific to Neva Lambright and speaks to Linda Castillo’s skill in penning descriptions:
“…Raven hair. Peaches-and-cream complexion. Eyes the color of cognac. Not a stitch of makeup and she’s cosmetic-commercial pretty. She’s wearing a pastel pink dress with a white, organdie head covering that tells me she’d Beachy Amish.”
In the end Daniel’s murder is solved and those responsible brought to justice; nevertheless, the resolution is tinged with sadness. There are many victims associated with the crime committed. And sadly, it seems Kate has yet to fully escape from her darkness. This excerpt from Chapter Sixteen speaks to her tragedy:
“I dream of Daniel Lapp. I’m fourteen years old and I still believe the world is a safe place where nothing bad could ever happen. I’m innocent and carefree and I have no concept of the violence that is about to shatter my sheltered and protected life….I scream for help, but no one comes. No ones comes. And the shame that follows makes me want to die….”
A Gathering Of Secrets is an excellent book. Thank you, Linda Castillo.
A Gathering of Secrets is a crime novel taking place during the current time in Painters Mill, an Amish community in Ohio. It begins with a grisly Prologue during which Emma Miller, a seventeen year old Amish girl, hangs herself in the family barn. Chapter One occurs six months later. Daniel Gingerich, an eighteen year old Amish boy, has received an anonymous note from an admirer to meet at midnight. While awaiting the mystery lass, he is locked in the tack room of his family’s barn. The building is set on fire and he suffers a gruesome death. This is the chapter’s final paragraph:
“With a final hideous roar, the fire swept over him. Red-hot teeth tearing into him, chewing him up, grinding flesh and bone into a molten ooze, and sucking him into its belly.”
The reader is compelled to solve the mystery as to who and why someone had murdered Daniel and its connection to Emma’s suicide.
Chapter Two introduces Kate Burkholder, the Police Chief and a former Amish whose sister has remained a member of the church. Evidence confirms arson; dental records identify Daniel the victim; and an investigation launched. John Tomasetti, an agent of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Kate’s clandestine lover plays an integral role. He helps clarify police procedures and through the dynamics of their relationship sheds light on the reasons Kate disavowed her Amish upbringing.
Chapters Three to Twenty-Five unfold in twists. The author introduces several families and a range of characters whose history with Daniel advances plot. Disturbing truths and long protected secrets are exposed revealing Painters Mill not exactly an idyllic community.
The author provides excellent insight into various Amish sects, the traditional Swartzentruber and more modern, Beachy Amish. The interjection of Pennsylvania-Dutch during Kate’s conversations with the Amish contributes to authenticity as do portrayals of livelihoods and lifestyles. Understanding the Amish enables readers to grasp the significance of tradition; conflicts between sects; challenges for males and females plus the younger generation; and the manner in which problems are addressed and settled.
A Gathering Of Secrets prompts contemplation about issues such as loyalty and honour. This Chapter Six excerpt addresses murder causing one to question the motivation of what done to Daniel:
“Some people say murder is a senseless act, I don’t agree, There’s no doubt murder is a brutal act. It’s a cruel act. An immoral act. It’s wrong in the eyes of the law. A sin in the eyes of God. Murder is an unthinkable deed in the mind of any decent human being. But murder is rarely senseless.”
Chapter Eight is noteworthy depicting the relationship between Neva Lambright, Viola Stutzman and Ina Yoder, three young Amish women whose lives interwoven with Daniel’s and altered by his death. Neva’s family is Beachy Amish and owns The Mercantile, a craft shop and small bistro. The others are traditional. This excerpt is specific to Neva Lambright and speaks to Linda Castillo’s skill in penning descriptions:
“…Raven hair. Peaches-and-cream complexion. Eyes the color of cognac. Not a stitch of makeup and she’s cosmetic-commercial pretty. She’s wearing a pastel pink dress with a white, organdie head covering that tells me she’d Beachy Amish.”
In the end Daniel’s murder is solved and those responsible brought to justice; nevertheless, the resolution is tinged with sadness. There are many victims associated with the crime committed. And sadly, it seems Kate has yet to fully escape from her darkness. This excerpt from Chapter Sixteen speaks to her tragedy:
“I dream of Daniel Lapp. I’m fourteen years old and I still believe the world is a safe place where nothing bad could ever happen. I’m innocent and carefree and I have no concept of the violence that is about to shatter my sheltered and protected life….I scream for help, but no one comes. No ones comes. And the shame that follows makes me want to die….”
A Gathering Of Secrets is an excellent book. Thank you, Linda Castillo.
June 15, 2018
Full Disclosure by Beverley McLachlin
Full Disclosure by Beverley McLachlin
Full Disclosure is a legal thriller written by Beverley McLachlin, the former Chief Justice of Canada. Set in Vancouver, Canada, it is about the murder of Laura St. John Trussardi. A forty year old woman of privilege, her husband, Vincent Trussardi is the primary suspect. Fifteen years Laura’s senior, he refers to his wife as a “do-gooder” because of her charitable work. Laura is found dead in the marital bed; killed by a bullet from Vincent’s gun. Police are unable to locate the weapon. Vincent contacts Jilly Truitt, a thirty-four year old defense attorney and asks her to take his case. The prosecutor is Cy Kenge, Jilly’s former mentor. Vincent attests sailing at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club during the time Laura killed. The alibi is weak, however, and the lawyers wage a courtroom battle to prove whether him innocent or guilty.
The book has fifty-nine short chapters and is divided into three acts. Act One and Act Two introduce us to the cast of characters, detail background information and clarify conflict. Act Three centers on the trial, verdict and aftermath. The writing is measured; dialogue, crisp; and description, spare yet essential to profile character, convey mood and establish place. The relevance of the title is made clear.
Throughout the novel, McLachlin explains the criminal investigation process: role of the defence attorney and crown prosecutor, jury selection, evidence collection and admission, cross-examination techniques, tunnel vision, reasonable doubt, compartmentalizing as the key to a lawyer’s sanity, etc. This adds gravitas to the story.
The author merits credit in the creation of an authentic Jilly Truitt. A person who manifests strengths and flaws, she was an orphan who endured a cycle of dark foster homes. She descended into self-harming behaviour but eventually received “parental” love and evolved into an accomplished lawyer. Nevertheless, Jilly continues to struggle with demons. Her relationships are complicated especially that with Michael St. John and, as such, the reader develops empathy for and emotional closeness with Jilly. At the end of Full Disclosure, we are concerned as to what will happen to Jilly because of the startling truths revealed.
With regards who murdered Laura, McLachlin challenges the reader to weigh possible perpetrators. Was it Trevor Shore, the house architect and ex-lover who vanishes after Laura’s death? Or the troubled youth, Damon Cheskey whom Jilly successfully defends of a drug-related murder charge? She befriends him and we learn he had a questionable relationship with Laura. Or perhaps it was Vincent’s older sister, Raquella. Confined to a wheelchair after a horrific sports-accident, she has affection for Laura and animosity for her brother. Raquella declares to Jilly she believes him the villain but what if this an intended lie or simply an innocent falsehood? Then again, based on Cy Kenge’s compelling prosecution, how can it be anyone other than Vincent Trussardi? The ending is a twist; plausible, shocking and tragic on many levels.
Beverley McLachlin weaves references to Canadian Inuit and Indigenous art and the country’s history throughout the book. The insights provide valuable context and enhance the readers’ understanding of people and place. For example, Jilly’s associate, Alice Leung has Chinese ancestry and Vince Trussardi’s parents emigrated from Italy. She also highlights Vancouver’s diversity by weaving the plot through different sections of the city: Gastown, Hastings, Downtown Eastside, Stanley Park, etc.
Beverley McLachlin excels at penning passages prompting reader contemplation about the justice system. The following excerpts serve as examples.
This is an exchange between Jilly Truitt and Vincent Trussardi from Chapter Five:
“I expect you want to know if I killed my wife.”
“Not unless you want to tell us,” I say. Why do they always think it’s about the truth? “Our job is not to decide whether you’re innocent or guilty-it’s to give you the best defense we can.”
This is an excerpt from Chapter Forty-Seven when Jilly Truitt outlines the theory of the defense to the jury:
“The Crown’s case,” I go on, “rests entirely on what the law calls circumstantial evidence. Great caution is required before convicting on circumstantial evidence, which has been the source of countless wrongful convictions. For this reason, the law places a special obligation on the prosecution in such cases. The prosecution must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that there is no reasonable explanation except that Mr. Trussardi committed this crime. There is no onus on Mr. Trussardi to show that he didn’t commit the crime, nor that someone else committed it. It is for the prosecution to eliminate all other reasonable possibilities….”
Finally, Full Disclosure concludes powerfully and poignantly with Jilly’s comment to Damon in Chapter Fifty-Nine:
“Sometimes, Damon, the law doesn’t matter a damn.”
Congratulations Beverley McLachlin on an excellent first novel.
Full Disclosure is a legal thriller written by Beverley McLachlin, the former Chief Justice of Canada. Set in Vancouver, Canada, it is about the murder of Laura St. John Trussardi. A forty year old woman of privilege, her husband, Vincent Trussardi is the primary suspect. Fifteen years Laura’s senior, he refers to his wife as a “do-gooder” because of her charitable work. Laura is found dead in the marital bed; killed by a bullet from Vincent’s gun. Police are unable to locate the weapon. Vincent contacts Jilly Truitt, a thirty-four year old defense attorney and asks her to take his case. The prosecutor is Cy Kenge, Jilly’s former mentor. Vincent attests sailing at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club during the time Laura killed. The alibi is weak, however, and the lawyers wage a courtroom battle to prove whether him innocent or guilty.
The book has fifty-nine short chapters and is divided into three acts. Act One and Act Two introduce us to the cast of characters, detail background information and clarify conflict. Act Three centers on the trial, verdict and aftermath. The writing is measured; dialogue, crisp; and description, spare yet essential to profile character, convey mood and establish place. The relevance of the title is made clear.
Throughout the novel, McLachlin explains the criminal investigation process: role of the defence attorney and crown prosecutor, jury selection, evidence collection and admission, cross-examination techniques, tunnel vision, reasonable doubt, compartmentalizing as the key to a lawyer’s sanity, etc. This adds gravitas to the story.
The author merits credit in the creation of an authentic Jilly Truitt. A person who manifests strengths and flaws, she was an orphan who endured a cycle of dark foster homes. She descended into self-harming behaviour but eventually received “parental” love and evolved into an accomplished lawyer. Nevertheless, Jilly continues to struggle with demons. Her relationships are complicated especially that with Michael St. John and, as such, the reader develops empathy for and emotional closeness with Jilly. At the end of Full Disclosure, we are concerned as to what will happen to Jilly because of the startling truths revealed.
With regards who murdered Laura, McLachlin challenges the reader to weigh possible perpetrators. Was it Trevor Shore, the house architect and ex-lover who vanishes after Laura’s death? Or the troubled youth, Damon Cheskey whom Jilly successfully defends of a drug-related murder charge? She befriends him and we learn he had a questionable relationship with Laura. Or perhaps it was Vincent’s older sister, Raquella. Confined to a wheelchair after a horrific sports-accident, she has affection for Laura and animosity for her brother. Raquella declares to Jilly she believes him the villain but what if this an intended lie or simply an innocent falsehood? Then again, based on Cy Kenge’s compelling prosecution, how can it be anyone other than Vincent Trussardi? The ending is a twist; plausible, shocking and tragic on many levels.
Beverley McLachlin weaves references to Canadian Inuit and Indigenous art and the country’s history throughout the book. The insights provide valuable context and enhance the readers’ understanding of people and place. For example, Jilly’s associate, Alice Leung has Chinese ancestry and Vince Trussardi’s parents emigrated from Italy. She also highlights Vancouver’s diversity by weaving the plot through different sections of the city: Gastown, Hastings, Downtown Eastside, Stanley Park, etc.
Beverley McLachlin excels at penning passages prompting reader contemplation about the justice system. The following excerpts serve as examples.
This is an exchange between Jilly Truitt and Vincent Trussardi from Chapter Five:
“I expect you want to know if I killed my wife.”
“Not unless you want to tell us,” I say. Why do they always think it’s about the truth? “Our job is not to decide whether you’re innocent or guilty-it’s to give you the best defense we can.”
This is an excerpt from Chapter Forty-Seven when Jilly Truitt outlines the theory of the defense to the jury:
“The Crown’s case,” I go on, “rests entirely on what the law calls circumstantial evidence. Great caution is required before convicting on circumstantial evidence, which has been the source of countless wrongful convictions. For this reason, the law places a special obligation on the prosecution in such cases. The prosecution must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that there is no reasonable explanation except that Mr. Trussardi committed this crime. There is no onus on Mr. Trussardi to show that he didn’t commit the crime, nor that someone else committed it. It is for the prosecution to eliminate all other reasonable possibilities….”
Finally, Full Disclosure concludes powerfully and poignantly with Jilly’s comment to Damon in Chapter Fifty-Nine:
“Sometimes, Damon, the law doesn’t matter a damn.”
Congratulations Beverley McLachlin on an excellent first novel.
May 4, 2018
12 Rose Street by Gail Bowen
12 Rose Street by Gail Bowen
Joanne Kilbourn is the main character in this crime novel written by the Canadian author, Gail Bowen. A former political science professor, she is managing the mayoralty campaign of her second husband, Zack Shreve, a paraplegic lawyer. The action occurs in the present during the month of September prior the election. It is set in the impoverished north central district of Regina, Saskatchewan. Solving the murder of a complicated “sleaze slumlord” and the mystery of a home located on “12 Rose Street” drives the plot.
There are nineteen chapters in this three hundred and some paged book. The beginning is weighed down with excessive characters, background information and onerous details. It proves a tedious start but the pace improves in Chapter Six with a murder and twists. Though there is a tendency for filler, in particular Chapter Fourteen’s excessive description of a Thanksgiving weekend, 12 Rose Story tells a compelling tale that succeeds in maintaining reader interest.
With regards other comments, Gail Bowen describes the mechanics, various people and range of responsibilities in an election campaign with clarity. I did find it a shortcoming, however, that the use of social media other than references to computers, twitter and cell phones underplayed. The reference primarily to television and radio tended to present an out of date understanding of modern electioneering.
The author deftly portrays the complex relationship between Joanne Kilbourn and Jill Oziowy, a Nation TV reporter and family friend. Though the resolution a tad unrealistic, the dynamics were well-captured and poignantly expressed. Her depiction of Joanne Kilbourn’s friendship with Liz Meighen, the woman’s suffering over the loss of her daughter, Bev Levy plus the manipulation of her developer husband, Graham Meighen and the psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Goetz is also noteworthy. And finally, the author’s description of the poverty-stricken warehouse district and those who live on the edge were brilliantly rendered.
Despite shortcomings, 12 Rose Street is a recommended read.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
Joanne Kilbourn is the main character in this crime novel written by the Canadian author, Gail Bowen. A former political science professor, she is managing the mayoralty campaign of her second husband, Zack Shreve, a paraplegic lawyer. The action occurs in the present during the month of September prior the election. It is set in the impoverished north central district of Regina, Saskatchewan. Solving the murder of a complicated “sleaze slumlord” and the mystery of a home located on “12 Rose Street” drives the plot.
There are nineteen chapters in this three hundred and some paged book. The beginning is weighed down with excessive characters, background information and onerous details. It proves a tedious start but the pace improves in Chapter Six with a murder and twists. Though there is a tendency for filler, in particular Chapter Fourteen’s excessive description of a Thanksgiving weekend, 12 Rose Story tells a compelling tale that succeeds in maintaining reader interest.
With regards other comments, Gail Bowen describes the mechanics, various people and range of responsibilities in an election campaign with clarity. I did find it a shortcoming, however, that the use of social media other than references to computers, twitter and cell phones underplayed. The reference primarily to television and radio tended to present an out of date understanding of modern electioneering.
The author deftly portrays the complex relationship between Joanne Kilbourn and Jill Oziowy, a Nation TV reporter and family friend. Though the resolution a tad unrealistic, the dynamics were well-captured and poignantly expressed. Her depiction of Joanne Kilbourn’s friendship with Liz Meighen, the woman’s suffering over the loss of her daughter, Bev Levy plus the manipulation of her developer husband, Graham Meighen and the psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Goetz is also noteworthy. And finally, the author’s description of the poverty-stricken warehouse district and those who live on the edge were brilliantly rendered.
Despite shortcomings, 12 Rose Street is a recommended read.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
April 29, 2018
A Boy From Botwood by Bryan Davies and Andrew Traficante
A Boy From Botwood
by Bryan Davies and Andrew Traficante
A Boy From Botwood is the personal account of the World War One experiences of Private Arthur W. Manuel; a common soldier in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Born 1895 in the “impoverished rural village” of Botwood, Newfoundland, Canada, Arthur’s formal education ended in Grade Seven when he began working at a sawmill. He enlisted in 1914. Of the ten volunteers who’d joined with him, Arthur was one of three who survived to return home. He fought at Gallipoli (1915), Beaumont-Hamel (Somme July 1916) and Passchendaele (August 1917). A German prisoner of war, he was discharged in 1919. Arthur died in London, Ontario in 1984. During his life, Arthur refused to discuss the war. In 1980 and without anyone’s knowledge, however, he recorded his stories. By chance in 2011, his grandson, David Manual, discovered the tapes and transcripts in an unmarked shoe box. Arthur left no explanation as to his reasons for having done this. Though the authors’ verified his comments for accuracy and added valuable information to provide a framework for the book, they changed Arthur’s words little and hence, it is his story they have brought to life.
Through Arthur’s perspective, A Boy From Botwood details the grim conditions to which soldiers subjected, the horrors of trench warfare, the dreadful casualties incurred, the failures and incompetence of campaigns fought and the brutality of German labor camps.
I found this book incredibly emotional and have highlighted a few poignant examples.
This section in Chapter Four: Beaumont-Hamel, July 1916 on page forty-eight speaks to a solder-sniper:
“No special courage is required to shoot at someone who is already shooting at you and your friends, or who is coming at you with a bayonet. It is either his life or yours…….Having the head of some poor unsuspecting man or boy lined up in the sights of a powerful telescopic rifle,….Not only could it cause a sensitive, conscientious person to feel sick and dirty for days and weeks, it could haunt and torment him for as long as he lived.”
This section in Chapter Six: Passchendaele, August 1917 on page eighty-eight speaks to conditions in German labor camps:
“Nothing, unless in some way connected with food, has meaning. Not even the loss of a loved one or something as dreadful as a worldwide disaster would be drastic enough to take his mind from the constant and continual craving for something to eat….Starving, he thinks only of crusts of bread, fats, drippings, and all the precious scraps of food being thrown in the many garbage cans by the very fortunate people who prepared and cooked more than they could eat.”
And finally, I’d like to note Chapter Nine: Armistice, November 1918. Arthur addresses the difficulties soldiers confronted when discharged with respect to the lack of mental health services, the absence of programmes to ease integration, no government pensions or financial assistance as well as obstacles to finding work in the face of a changing employment sector complicated with mixed social attitudes.
The following quote about a discharged soldier from page one-hundred forty-six speaks to the effects of war:
“The fresh and carefree look of youth had long since disappeared; young men had suddenly become old men and had missed all the pleasures of life in between.”
Private Arthur W. Manuel has given us his version of certain events during and after World War One. A harrowing telling of a period in our collective history, it compels the reader to contemplate the purpose of war plus question why it continues to plague our world.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
by Bryan Davies and Andrew Traficante
A Boy From Botwood is the personal account of the World War One experiences of Private Arthur W. Manuel; a common soldier in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Born 1895 in the “impoverished rural village” of Botwood, Newfoundland, Canada, Arthur’s formal education ended in Grade Seven when he began working at a sawmill. He enlisted in 1914. Of the ten volunteers who’d joined with him, Arthur was one of three who survived to return home. He fought at Gallipoli (1915), Beaumont-Hamel (Somme July 1916) and Passchendaele (August 1917). A German prisoner of war, he was discharged in 1919. Arthur died in London, Ontario in 1984. During his life, Arthur refused to discuss the war. In 1980 and without anyone’s knowledge, however, he recorded his stories. By chance in 2011, his grandson, David Manual, discovered the tapes and transcripts in an unmarked shoe box. Arthur left no explanation as to his reasons for having done this. Though the authors’ verified his comments for accuracy and added valuable information to provide a framework for the book, they changed Arthur’s words little and hence, it is his story they have brought to life.
Through Arthur’s perspective, A Boy From Botwood details the grim conditions to which soldiers subjected, the horrors of trench warfare, the dreadful casualties incurred, the failures and incompetence of campaigns fought and the brutality of German labor camps.
I found this book incredibly emotional and have highlighted a few poignant examples.
This section in Chapter Four: Beaumont-Hamel, July 1916 on page forty-eight speaks to a solder-sniper:
“No special courage is required to shoot at someone who is already shooting at you and your friends, or who is coming at you with a bayonet. It is either his life or yours…….Having the head of some poor unsuspecting man or boy lined up in the sights of a powerful telescopic rifle,….Not only could it cause a sensitive, conscientious person to feel sick and dirty for days and weeks, it could haunt and torment him for as long as he lived.”
This section in Chapter Six: Passchendaele, August 1917 on page eighty-eight speaks to conditions in German labor camps:
“Nothing, unless in some way connected with food, has meaning. Not even the loss of a loved one or something as dreadful as a worldwide disaster would be drastic enough to take his mind from the constant and continual craving for something to eat….Starving, he thinks only of crusts of bread, fats, drippings, and all the precious scraps of food being thrown in the many garbage cans by the very fortunate people who prepared and cooked more than they could eat.”
And finally, I’d like to note Chapter Nine: Armistice, November 1918. Arthur addresses the difficulties soldiers confronted when discharged with respect to the lack of mental health services, the absence of programmes to ease integration, no government pensions or financial assistance as well as obstacles to finding work in the face of a changing employment sector complicated with mixed social attitudes.
The following quote about a discharged soldier from page one-hundred forty-six speaks to the effects of war:
“The fresh and carefree look of youth had long since disappeared; young men had suddenly become old men and had missed all the pleasures of life in between.”
Private Arthur W. Manuel has given us his version of certain events during and after World War One. A harrowing telling of a period in our collective history, it compels the reader to contemplate the purpose of war plus question why it continues to plague our world.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
March 9, 2018
Book Notes
The Dry by Jane Harper
The Dry is a crime fiction written by Jane Harper. Set in the rural town of Kiewarra, Australia near the city of Melbourne, the area has endured a two year drought. Circa three-hundred pages , the book is organized into forty-two chapters and has an excellent Reading Group Guide. The story unfolds through third person narration primarily from the main character, Aaron Falk’s POV.
The plot revolves around Luke Hadler’s alleged suicide after having shot his wife, Karen and their seven year old son, Billy. Oddly, their infant daughter, Charlotte is unharmed. Aaron Falk, a federal agent from Melbourne, receives a mysterious note prompting him to return to his hometown. Past friends, Aaron and Luke, implicated in the unsolved drowning of their teenage friend, Ellie Deacon twenty years ago. The townsfolk and Ellie’s father, Mel Deacon whom most suspect suffering early dementia, plus her bullish cousin, Grant Dow have vindictiveness for Falk and his deceased father, Erik. Convinced them responsible for Ellie's death and Luke Hadler guilty of the murders, they try to force Falk to leave Kiewarra. It is revealed this animosity had driven Luke and Erik out of Kiewarra after Ellie's death.
Barb and Gerry Hadler, Luke’s parents believe their son innocent. Quasi-surrogate parents to Falk, they entreat him to prove this true. Gerry Hadler admits to having sent Falk the note. Falk with the assistance of the local cop, Sergeant Greg Raco, agrees to investigate.
Stirred into this main conflict is an unresolved romantic relationship between Falk and a former school friend, Gretchen Schoner; the possibility Luke fathered Gretchen’s young son, Lackie; the discovery of missing funds by the school’s bookkeeper, Karen Hadler; the enigmatic school principal, Scot Whitlam who showed up in Kiewarra last year and has a gambling problem; lingering rumours Mel Deacon abused his daughter, Ellie Deacon; the domino effect of a clandestine gay relationship between a young farmer, Jamie Sullivan and the local GP, Dr. Patrick Leigh; and Asian interests in purchasing the Hadler-Deacon property.
Yes, there is much happening! Cleverly imagined, Jane Harper concludes each chapter with a page-turner that keeps the reader riveted. This Chapter 5 excerpt serves an example:
“Raco,” he (Falk) said. “There's something about Luke you need to know.”
In addition to a string of suspenseful incidents, Jane Harper paints vivid images of the drought ravaged area. This Chapter 13 excerpt serves an example:
“The huge river was nothing more than a dusty scar in the land. The empty bed stretched long and barren in either direction, its serpentine curves tracing the path where the water had flowed. The hollow that had been carved over centuries was now a cracked patchwork of rocks and crabgrass….”
The author layers her characters by articulating universal themes compelling reader reflection. This Chapter 25 excerpt of a conversation between Aaron Falk and Rita Raco re Falk’s difficult relationship with his deceased father serves an example:
“…But surely that doesn’t make it any less true. Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not.”
With regards a criticism, I found the interjection of flashbacks from the POV of other characters such as Ellie Deacon and her father, Mel, awkward. The insights afforded were valuable and integral to the story’s integrity; nevertheless, the passages appeared “dumped” and often with poor transition. Hence, the rhythm and flow broken and the style rendered a tad choppy.
In the end and specific to the final fifty pages, however, Jane Harper weaves everything together delivering a plausible conclusion. This is a good read.
The Dry is a crime fiction written by Jane Harper. Set in the rural town of Kiewarra, Australia near the city of Melbourne, the area has endured a two year drought. Circa three-hundred pages , the book is organized into forty-two chapters and has an excellent Reading Group Guide. The story unfolds through third person narration primarily from the main character, Aaron Falk’s POV.
The plot revolves around Luke Hadler’s alleged suicide after having shot his wife, Karen and their seven year old son, Billy. Oddly, their infant daughter, Charlotte is unharmed. Aaron Falk, a federal agent from Melbourne, receives a mysterious note prompting him to return to his hometown. Past friends, Aaron and Luke, implicated in the unsolved drowning of their teenage friend, Ellie Deacon twenty years ago. The townsfolk and Ellie’s father, Mel Deacon whom most suspect suffering early dementia, plus her bullish cousin, Grant Dow have vindictiveness for Falk and his deceased father, Erik. Convinced them responsible for Ellie's death and Luke Hadler guilty of the murders, they try to force Falk to leave Kiewarra. It is revealed this animosity had driven Luke and Erik out of Kiewarra after Ellie's death.
Barb and Gerry Hadler, Luke’s parents believe their son innocent. Quasi-surrogate parents to Falk, they entreat him to prove this true. Gerry Hadler admits to having sent Falk the note. Falk with the assistance of the local cop, Sergeant Greg Raco, agrees to investigate.
Stirred into this main conflict is an unresolved romantic relationship between Falk and a former school friend, Gretchen Schoner; the possibility Luke fathered Gretchen’s young son, Lackie; the discovery of missing funds by the school’s bookkeeper, Karen Hadler; the enigmatic school principal, Scot Whitlam who showed up in Kiewarra last year and has a gambling problem; lingering rumours Mel Deacon abused his daughter, Ellie Deacon; the domino effect of a clandestine gay relationship between a young farmer, Jamie Sullivan and the local GP, Dr. Patrick Leigh; and Asian interests in purchasing the Hadler-Deacon property.
Yes, there is much happening! Cleverly imagined, Jane Harper concludes each chapter with a page-turner that keeps the reader riveted. This Chapter 5 excerpt serves an example:
“Raco,” he (Falk) said. “There's something about Luke you need to know.”
In addition to a string of suspenseful incidents, Jane Harper paints vivid images of the drought ravaged area. This Chapter 13 excerpt serves an example:
“The huge river was nothing more than a dusty scar in the land. The empty bed stretched long and barren in either direction, its serpentine curves tracing the path where the water had flowed. The hollow that had been carved over centuries was now a cracked patchwork of rocks and crabgrass….”
The author layers her characters by articulating universal themes compelling reader reflection. This Chapter 25 excerpt of a conversation between Aaron Falk and Rita Raco re Falk’s difficult relationship with his deceased father serves an example:
“…But surely that doesn’t make it any less true. Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not.”
With regards a criticism, I found the interjection of flashbacks from the POV of other characters such as Ellie Deacon and her father, Mel, awkward. The insights afforded were valuable and integral to the story’s integrity; nevertheless, the passages appeared “dumped” and often with poor transition. Hence, the rhythm and flow broken and the style rendered a tad choppy.
In the end and specific to the final fifty pages, however, Jane Harper weaves everything together delivering a plausible conclusion. This is a good read.
February 8, 2018
the woman in the window by A.J.Finn
Book Notes:
the woman in the window by A.J.Finn
A thriller set in New York City, the woman in the window spans from October 24th to the end of December. Organized in one-hundred chapters, the action of several unfolds on specified days. The chapters are short and the plot moves fast.
Dr. Anna Fox is a thirty-eight year old child psychologist. Trapped in her home the past ten months, she suffers from agoraphobia; an anxiety disorder defined by fears of public places. Her recent affair caused marital discord. On the verge of separation, she, her husband, Ed and their eight-year old daughter, Olivia were involved in a horrific vehicular accident. The incident precipitated her current situation.
An alcoholic, she lives alone, talks regularly to her husband and daughter, watches old movies, counsels others via an on-line group and spies on her neighbors, the Russell family, who live across the street by using her camera. Believing she has witnessed the husband, Alastair murder his wife, Jane and their teenage son, Ethan endangered, Anna alerts the police. Given her mental condition and almost constant state of inebriation, the authorities doubt her testimony.
A, J. Finn explores universal themes including depression, loss, adoption, mental health, infidelity and post traumatic stress. His story resonates with twists and turns. On many occasions, the solutions I concluded to the dilemmas presented were proven false. With respect to surprises, I cite chapters forty-one, seventy-three and ninety-four in particular.
A. J. Finn also masters dialogue. He partners Anna's comments with internal monologue to reveal her jumbled and tormented state. Chapter sixty-six in its retelling of the vehicular accident serves an example of the author's vivid descriptive writing.
With respect to novel shortcomings, I felt Anna's drinking excessive in the sense the reader eventually numb to it. Perhaps less might have made it more effective character trait. I also believed it a stretch that given her constant inebriation, Anna able to have such detailed recall of certain events. And the final chapters drawn out and, as such, the drama diminished.
On a final note, I thought the selection of the surname “Fox” brilliant for a fox is a cunning, solitary mammal. Chapter one hundred is a satisfying and acceptable conclusion. Congratulations to A.J. Finn. This is a great read and I look forward to his future books.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
the woman in the window by A.J.Finn
A thriller set in New York City, the woman in the window spans from October 24th to the end of December. Organized in one-hundred chapters, the action of several unfolds on specified days. The chapters are short and the plot moves fast.
Dr. Anna Fox is a thirty-eight year old child psychologist. Trapped in her home the past ten months, she suffers from agoraphobia; an anxiety disorder defined by fears of public places. Her recent affair caused marital discord. On the verge of separation, she, her husband, Ed and their eight-year old daughter, Olivia were involved in a horrific vehicular accident. The incident precipitated her current situation.
An alcoholic, she lives alone, talks regularly to her husband and daughter, watches old movies, counsels others via an on-line group and spies on her neighbors, the Russell family, who live across the street by using her camera. Believing she has witnessed the husband, Alastair murder his wife, Jane and their teenage son, Ethan endangered, Anna alerts the police. Given her mental condition and almost constant state of inebriation, the authorities doubt her testimony.
A, J. Finn explores universal themes including depression, loss, adoption, mental health, infidelity and post traumatic stress. His story resonates with twists and turns. On many occasions, the solutions I concluded to the dilemmas presented were proven false. With respect to surprises, I cite chapters forty-one, seventy-three and ninety-four in particular.
A. J. Finn also masters dialogue. He partners Anna's comments with internal monologue to reveal her jumbled and tormented state. Chapter sixty-six in its retelling of the vehicular accident serves an example of the author's vivid descriptive writing.
With respect to novel shortcomings, I felt Anna's drinking excessive in the sense the reader eventually numb to it. Perhaps less might have made it more effective character trait. I also believed it a stretch that given her constant inebriation, Anna able to have such detailed recall of certain events. And the final chapters drawn out and, as such, the drama diminished.
On a final note, I thought the selection of the surname “Fox” brilliant for a fox is a cunning, solitary mammal. Chapter one hundred is a satisfying and acceptable conclusion. Congratulations to A.J. Finn. This is a great read and I look forward to his future books.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
