What Are You Reading? Reviews: April - June 2018

[Kimberly]

The Sisters, David Grafton

★ ★ 1/2

After reading "The Swans of Fifth Avenue" I simply wanted to know more about the Cushing Sisters: Mary "Minnie" Astor Fosburgh; Betsey Roosevelt Whitney: & Barbara "Babe" Mortimer Paley: which led me to this, "The Sisters".

Their mother, Katherine "Kate" Crowell Cushing was a formidable social climbing force in the lives of her daughters. The most important lesson was to marry well, $$$$< & upward, no matter if your husband was a loving one or not; just as long as he provided wealth & the accompanying life-style.

The "Sisters" had two brothers, but little if anything was said about them in this book; one died early on in his teens and the remaining one was around for family gatherings & weddings.

Many of the people written about were not very likable, but I suppose it's the $$$$$ that counts. Although, of the 3 sisters' six husbands: Betsey's 2nd husband, John Hay "Jock" Whitney, was the one husband who cared & worked the most for the improvement of the not-so-fortunate, the others' husbands were self-absorbed.

Very little was said about the sisters' children until towards the end. Minnie had no children; Betsey had two daughters from James Roosevelt, who were later adopted by Jock Whitney; and Babe had six, two from her first marriage, two with Bill Paley, & two from his first marriage. From what I read, it seemed as a mother, Babe was unavailable, she had very little to do with her children. So, although, she was certainly not as close & controlling to her children as their mother was to them, it scarred them in a completely different manner.

There was a few chapters on Truman Capote's relationship w/ Babe & Bill Paley, which basically portrayed him as he was, a self-destructive, self-loathing, viscous gossip.

The book said little about the Sisters' friendships with the other Swans: C.Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness, Marella Agnelli, Slim Kieth, & Pamela Churchill Harriman. But there is so much information about these 3 society Mavens how could one possibly put it all in one book?

The end was mostly about which Sister left what in her will to whom.... Jewels, jewels & more jewels.....

What I wanted? More Photos & more personal information. I do believe I would have preferred 3 books in one, or simply 3 books each focusing on one particular sister.

[Kimberly]

Murder in Mayfair, D.M. Quincy

★ ★ ★ ★

Very well written, fast paced, and compelling read.

Atlas Catesby & his friend Charlton are resting from a long journey in a pub, when they hear a commotion outside. What they find is a most disagreeable man holding an auction for his high-spirited wife. Sensing a damsel in much distress, Atlas opens & ends the bidding w/ an offer of £30.

Thus begins the friendship & quasi-romance between Atlas & Lilliana Warwick... but as it turns out, Lilliana is anything but a demure country wife of an abusive haberdasher.

When the haberdasher attempts to regain possession of Lilliana, Atlas again defends her.... When the haberdasher is found dead, both Lilliana & Atlas are suspected of murder and it is up to them to discover the murderer.

That's the short of it.... I found the book to be very interesting, rarely (if ever) dull, and I must admit the opening scene & its continued plot line was one I have never read before.

The characters are likable, intelligent, & realistic. I am most looking forward to another in the series.

[Kimberly]

The Curse of la Fontaine, M.L. Longworth

★ ★ ★ 1/2

Actually 3.5 Stars

Judge Antoine Verlaque & Marine Bonnet have just gotten married. He is a Magistrate of Aix (France) and she is a Professor of Law who has just finished writing a book on the relationship between Beauvoir & Sartre. They share two apartments, but it is Marine's that overlooks the garden & "La Fontaine".

La Fontaine is the source of water for those living around its garden and is said to be cursed due to the hanging of a French peasant who refused to hail Louis XIV and the murder of two WW II partisans by the Nazis. Whenever murders have taken place, La Fontaine has stopped flowing until justice has prevailed.

When the new tenant, Chef Sigisbert "Bear" moves in & opens a small restaurant, the past is stirred. While working in the restaurant's herb garden the skeleton of a young man is dug up, and La Fontaine immediately stops flowing. To further add to the mystery, Bear begins to receive threatening letters, the local racists & pro-nobility group gets riled up and begin making threats as well...

There are other quasi-interesting sub-plots, but for those you must read the book.

At first I really didn't know what to think about the book... It was odd in the fact that I really couldn't be sure that this was a mystery; Antoine's & Marine's life was just going along just fine (I was like: "where the heck is the murder?") and then in the 8th-9th chapter the bones were dug up in the garden. From that point, the book picked-up and became much more interesting, which gave it the extra 1/2 star.

The writing has a nice comfortable flow and it held my interest. Although I enjoyed the characters, I held no pronounced feeling for them one way or another.

[Kimberly]

Bewitching Boots, Joyce & Jim Lavene

-★

Seriously?

There was so much going on, so much supposition.....

The main character, Lady Jessie was Weak, she didn't know herself, she didn't trust herself, she was supposedly highly intuitive (she could see & talk to ghosts) but too dumb to make use of her gifts or even acknowledge & use those gifts. In my opinion, based on the fact that this is the 6th book in this series and there is magic all around her, she's either a loser or else she is incredibly stupid & naive or maybe even all the aforementioned.

So, this series takes place in a permanent Renaissance Faire Village. Jessie is the curator of the museum & married to the Village Bailiff, Chase. Chase was once the swain of Princess Isabel, a really beautiful, shallow, mean-spirited woman and Isabel has never forgiven him for marrying Jessie.

Chase is also in charge of training the tournament knights; the newest knight, Katerina (a red headed fiery beauty) has her sights set on Chase which causes trouble in "Adventureland".

Then much to the surprise of Adventureland's inhabitants, Isabel flies off her terrace and dies after putting on magical dancing shoes, made by the new Cobbler who happens to have "elf magic"....

At the same time, Isabel's swain, is messing with another woman, Rita, from the castle kitchen. Rita was in the garden smoking when Isabel hit the ground & died in front of her. Rita later is also attacked.

Isabel's ghost shares visions w/ Jessie until Jessie is able to deal with the murderer.... and then when all is said & done, Isabel apologizes to Jessie? What kind of Carp is that?

I Hated this book. I hated the characters (no redeeming or likable qualities). I hated the laissez-faire writing. I hated the story lines.

So how about a Minus - Star?

[Book Concierge]

Little Fires Everywhere – Christine Ng – 4****
I cannot help but wonder what Ng has against determined mothers, first in her debut novel, and now with Elena Richardson. I was struck by how the Richardson kids had a mother who believed she was giving her kids everything, but in fact they knew little about how to deal with life. While Mia, unable to give her child much in the way of material goods, had given her the tools for living – self-reliance, observation, determination.
LINK to my review

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City of Bones – Michael Connelly – 3.5***
Book eight in the popular Harry Bosch detective mystery series. I really like this series, partly because I really like Harry Bosch. He’s a great detective and does his best to circumvent the political minefield of a big-city police department. The action is fast paced and Connelly gives the reader enough red herrings to keep anyone guessing.
LINK to my review

[Book Concierge]

The Beauty of Humanity Movement – Camilla Gibb – 4****
The novel focuses on a group of residents of Hanoi. Told from multiple points of view, and moving back and forth in time, it requires some attention by the reader. I found it very atmospheric. I’ve been to Vietnam and her descriptions of the sights of Hanoi – the markets, the new construction, the lake, the restaurants and art galleries – were exactly what I remember. Gibb also perfectly captured the noise and bustle, the traffic (crossing the street!!!), the torrential rains, and the smell of pho.
LINK to my review

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Dark Places – Gillian Flynn – 4****
Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered. Twenty-five years later she’s asked to revisit that night and help uncover the truth. Flynn knows how to write a suspenseful psychological thriller. Here she explores memories and psychological trauma. I was caught up from the beginning and held on tight through all the twists and turns the story took.
LINK to my review

[Kimberly]

The Case of the Green Dressed Ghost, Lucy Banks

★ ★

Kester's mother has died with the instruction that he is to go see Dr. Ribero.

It turns out Ribero is Kester's father and a once famous "ghost-buster" . Kester's mother was Ribero's lover and had the skill of opening spirit doors that would pull the ghost back into the spirit world. Kester also has the same ability as his mother.

Dr. Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural is declining, they have more competition than they can successfully deal with until they are hired to deal with the malevolent spirit of the Green Dressed Ghost.

The spirit, loves human men but destroys their wives. A part of the spirit's story is told in the journal of Emmaline, whose husband falls in love with the spirit via her portrait, which Emmaline eventually destroys.

The new owner of the house, found the destroyed portrait in the attic & had it restored, allowing the spirit's return and it is now attempting to destroy the new owner's wife. She calls in Dr Ribero & his crew requesting that they get rid of the spirit.

The story itself is compelling and it held my interest (I wanted to know about the Green Dressed Ghost), but it started off excruciatingly slow and it annoyed the hell out of me. Seriously, it took the author Six (6) pages to get Kester into the agency once he found the street it was on.

More annoying was Kester's defeatist continual self-talk and even more annoying than that were two Kester's co-workers, they were nasty, mean, ugly people, and they constantly spewed negativity on every page they were on. In short, I disliked Kester, but I absolutely hated his two co-workers.

The reviews on the back of the book were way off:
* "Recommended for readers interested in modern-day ghost stories or edgier cozy mysteries" --Library Journal There was nothing remotely "cozy" about this book
* "...fun and compelling" -- Booklist I failed to see anything "fun" in this book, I don't believe mean nasty characters are "fun", unless written by Carl Hiaasen or Elmore Leonard

So, no matter how good the story, I had to knock off stars for: the hateful characters, the defeatist negative self-talk, & the first two dreadfully slow chapters.

[Kimberly]

Murder in Union Square, Victoria Thompson

★ ★ ★
I like this series and I'm always happy to read another...

Sarah Brandt & Frank Malloy hire a lawyer in order to formally adopt Catherine, the young child of a now deceased Actress. Catherine's father passed and left the bulk of his estate to Frank for caring for Catherine and he left instructions that the Malloy's have the right to adopt her.

When the Malloy's hire an attorney they are told that they can not adopt Catherine, as her mother was married to Parnell Vaughn & the State regards Vaughn to be Catherine's legal father, no matter he is not her biological father.

Vaughn is more than happy to sign Catherine over to the Malloy's as he knows she is loved & well cared for... and with him not being Catherine's biological father and an actor, he believes he has no claim.

Vaughn's alleged "fiancée", Eliza, insists that the Malloys give Vaughn $1,000 as compensation, which Vaughn does not want. When Frank goes to meet w/ Vaughn he finds the actor dead in his dressing room.. Then Eliza walks in, in order to make sure she get's the $1,000 and begins screaming. She also immediately begins lying saying that Malloy murdered Vaughn & that she saw him do it... Malloy is immediately arrested & taken to the Tombs by a former jealous co-worker in order to make his job easy.

Thus begins the investigation of the theater company: Leading Woman, Adelia Hawkes was having an affair w/ Vaughn (he was the leading male); Mr. Hawkes, bankrolls the the group as they are not a part of the Theatrical Syndicate and it is the only way for Adelia to remain the "leading lady"; Eliza, Adelia's understudy soon ends up w/ the lead for all matinées; Armistead Winters, Eliza's former fiancée ends up w/ Vaughn's role; & their agent, Wylie Dinsmore, Adelia's former lover, who also ends up dead.

The regular characters are all involved, to one extent or another: Maeve, Sarah's street smart ward & now assistant; Gino Donatelli, former police officer now working for Malloy (who is rather dim & in love w/ Maeve); Mother Malloy, Mrs. Ellsworth, Mrs. Brandt, Sarah's mother, & Sarafina Sratface the medium.

There was one clue early on that gave away the entire crime and another one late in the story. I actually paid attention and caught them both!

I liked the story, I basically like the characters; Sarah Brandt Malloy & Maeve are champs as is Sarah's mother, but it did get a little slow/boring in the parts where the Malloys & assistants would sit and discuss the case, their findings, & suppositions.

[Book Concierge]

Dead, Bath and Beyond – Lorraine Bartlett with Laurie Cass – 3***
This is book # 4 in the Victoria Square series. It has all the hallmarks of a cozy mystery – an amateur sleuth who cannot keep her nose out of police business, a colorful cast of supporting characters, a fun business venture that keeps our heroine busy, and some love interest. It held my attention and I was entertained.
LINK to my review

[Kimberly]

Dog Dish of Doom, E.J. Copperman

★

I've read Copperman's Haunted Guest House series & I'm hooked on that. Then I read her Asperger's series & that began well enough, but I disenchanted with it.

I was searching the Library Catalog hoping to find more of the Guest House series, but that was not to be. What I did find was this book and I figured (incorrectly) I might like it.

A former child performer, turned attorney, turned theatrical agent for animals, who now has her "showbiz" parents staying with her, is asked by the police (highly unlikely) to help discover who in the theater might want to murder the owner of the dog she just placed in a spin-off of Annie. As the story slogged along, someone began sending threatening texts & messages to both the dog-walker & the agent to hand over the dog or else.

Then the agents Mother & Father take an interest in the case & decide to join in detecting.

There was very little, if anything, written about the murder of the dog's murdered owner until the end.... He seemed to be unimportant, except to introduce the dog.

The characters were barely tolerable with the main character seeming to be rather dim-witted throughout the book. The plot was completely meshugga, jumping from idea to idea, from happening to happening...Nor was the writing appealing.

What an enormous let down.

[Kimberly]

A Magical Match, Juliet Blackwell

★

I seriously never thought I'd give Blackwell 1 ★

Lily Ivory, owner of Aunt Cora's Closet Vintage Clothing & witch is about to get married to Sailor... but first she must discover who took on Sailor's physical appearance & killed Tristan Dupree, a man from her past who at one time was her father's protege & evil cohort, plan a neighborhood fund raiser for the local woman's shelter, and figure out how she is bound to a magical prophecy of great proportions as the communities of power align for or against in good vs. evil.

Helping Lily to clear Sailor is his Romany cousin & thorn in Lily's side, Patience, and Aiden one of the main practitioners in San Francisco. In addition, Lily's grandmother, grandmother's coven, & mother are on their way for the wedding all with intent of their own.

That being said:

Although I really enjoy paranormal & magical realism, genre books.... What I Do Not enjoy is when an author has a long-term character, who has powerful gifts and remains a dummy-head....

I guess there are people like that, who just half-arse their gifts, but I then want to know why would that be? These type of books contain mystery, murder, power, & romance, and the characters continually are involved in the first two, which would mean that their gifts only grow stronger (which they do), but the characters seem to get dumber & dumber as their power increases... So that confuses me.

There are several flaws in this book and several loose ends, which also bothered me. The fact that the main character, still questions herself & her knowing is annoying, as well as the fact that when she has to chastise her protege & her familiar, she feels guilty and back-pedals. So I'm thinking that this will be the end of the series for me.

[Book Concierge]

OH no ... two "dogs" in a row. Better luck with your next book, Auntie!

[Book Concierge]

Espresso Tales – Alexander McCall Smith – 3***
Book two in the “44 Scotland Street” series about the residents of a particular apartment building in Edinburgh. The novel is a sort of ensemble piece, with chapters alternating among the characters. It’s not great literature but it is fun to read. Reminds me of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series.
LINK to my review

[Laurie]

I started reading this last night and had to force myself to go to bed.This is a fascinating concept for a story and it pulls you in from the beginning.Never read Jodi Picoult before either.

[Book Concierge]

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee – 5***** and a ❤
Is this the quintessential American Novel? Will it stand the test of time as Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has done? Time will tell. I do know this, however. This is a singularly powerful novel that has touched generations of readers in the 50-something years since it was first released and remains high on many “must be read” lists. It’s a well-paced novel, a fast read with elements of suspense, family drama, humor, and moral lessons.
LINK to my review

[Book Concierge]

Mad Love – Suzanne Selfors – 2.5**
Okay, I knew it was a YA romance going into it, and I definitely see the appeal for the target audience. You have all the elements for a successful romance, including “meeting cute,” attractive characters, a nemesis that shows some redeeming qualities in the end. Add a dash of Greek mythology and a sprinkle of magical realism, and you have a pretty good idea for a teen romance. It’s just not my cup of tea.
LINK to my review

[Book Concierge]

Island of the Blue Dolphins – Scott O’Dell – 5*****
This is fast becoming a classic of children’s literature. O’Dell has crafted an enduring story of strength, courage and resilience. Karana, a young Native American woman left behind on an island off the California coast when her tribe departs, is practical and brave, resourceful and creative. She works hard at survival, but she works “smart” as well. The book won the John Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature.
LINK to my review

[Kimberly]

Lady Regenades, Rachel Hawkins

★

The last of the trilogy, "Rebel Belles" was a let down.... I suppose there was only one of two ways to end this, and Hawkins chose the one that would make readers the happiest.

Harper is the class president, cheerleader, prom queen, school paper editor, over achiever, & Paladin (one who protects the Oracle). Her best friend Bee is also a Paladin. Bee's boyfriend & Harper's ex is a Mage and Harper's missing Boyfriend, David is the Oracle turned rogue.

As David became more powerful, the adult super-powers fought over who would control him, they are all dead. David is on the run, the Oracle in him having visions that Harper will soon drive a sword through him, thus killing him.

With only 4 weeks before their senior year begins; Harper, Bee & Blythe (another Mage who once tried to kill Harper) have joined forces & given themselves 2 weeks to find & save David.

Honestly, there wasn't much to the story, 3 girls arguing through a Road Trip, fighting off other female Paladins trying to kill Harper...

This last book was seriously lacking.

[Kimberly]

Death at the Château Bremont, M.L. Longworth

★ ★ ★ ★

The fist book in the Verlaque & Bonnet series has a well written & interesting beginning, reuniting the couple who had broken off their relationship prior to the book being written.

Judge Antoine Verlaque, wine & Cuban cigar connoisseur, is called upon to investigate the death of Etienne Bremont, a well known maker of documentary films (the latest one on the Russian mob), who it seems had accidentally fallen out of an attic window of the family château. The only clue being a receipt for 2 brioche from 1954.

Upon further investigation of the attic w/ the grounds-keeper, Jean-Claude Auvieux, a childhood friend of Etienne & his brother Francois, the heavy locked suitcase that was off-limits to children is now empty, all of its contents mysteriously gone.

Verlaque calls upon law professor, Marine Bonnet, for information & help, as she was a close childhood friend of Etienne and the Bremont children, thus making her an important part in the investigation & reuniting her w/ Verlaque.

Much to Verlaque's dismay, the day of Etienne's funeral, his brother Francois, is found dead in the château's fountain... Francois turns out to have been a gambler, working for a Russian mob boss & Russian model agency on the Cote d'Azure, who recently attempted to throw a polo-match he was playing in.

There are other characters all with something to hide: Etienne's wife, his sister-in-law, Jean-Claude's sister, the Russian mob boss's wife, & a polo-playing police officer.

The underlying theme was a comment made by the brothers' mother to their father: "It's as if one brother received all the good and the other all the bad", which was overhead by Marine when they were all children.

I like Verlaque & Bonnet, their characters are well written as are those of Verlaque's co-investigator Bruno Paulik, Marine's friend Sylvie (who loathes Verlaque) & Marine's distant mother.

I find the books (I've read others) rich w/ descriptions of Aix-en Provence, food, wine, cigars, interiors of historic buildings turned apartments, & the overall setting of France.... It makes me want to visit.

[Kimberly]

Murder in the Rue Dumas, M.L. Longworth

★ ★ ★ ★

Le Judge Antoine Verlaque & law professor Marine Bonnet are progressing quite well in their renewed relationship, when two murders take place at a local theological school, where Marine's distant mother has a connection.

The school's department head, Professor Moutte liked to play his students & professors against each other.

After Professor Moutte has announced his retirement and has promised each of the candidates they would be the one chosen (the lifetime department head position included a large top-floor apartment in a formerly grand historical mansion). The night of his retirement party, Moutte announced that he had changed his mind & would not be retiring as planned.

Moutte had been responsible for awarding the top prize, a fully-funded scholarship & apartment to a top theology student as well... The four students in contention for the prize, were also played off against each other.

After the party, two of the students break into the Moutte's office, searching for the file that would contain the name of the award winner, only to find Moutte dead on the floor, coshed in the head.

While searching Moutte's apartment, Verlaque & co-investigator Bruno Paulik, come across a shattered art glass vase, which turns out to be a forgery that send Verlaque & Marine to Italy in search of a suspect (who was in the running for the department head position).

There was quite a bit going on in this book, but once again this was a smooth read filled with rich details of food, wine, & life in both France & Italy.

[Kimberly]

The Circus Train Conspiracy, Edward Marston

★

Not liking the major players in a book has a profound effect on me... I take away stars, in this case Minus 2 Stars for the too many unlikable characters and Minus 2 Star for the story itself, which was mostly all Red Herrings. One or two Red Herrings really enhance a murder mystery, but in this case the guilty parties (there were 3 mysteries) were not introduced until the summation of the book, making for all the alleged clues in the book misleading & false.

A circus train derails, but no one is hurt, the only loss being an Arabian horse. Immediately after the derailment, Jocko, the Capuchin (monkey) runs off into a copse of trees. When Jocko's human (a former policeman who has worked w/ Colbeck) finally catches up with Jocko he find the monkey waving the hand of a corpse, which turns out to be that of a widow who was very popular w/ the married men of her town.

At the behest of the local MP & police, Inspector Colbeck & Detective Leeming are sent off to determine who derailed the circus train and why; and to shed light on who was the corpse and how she came to be buried out in the countryside.

As the circus continues its way to the next town, it is plagued by ever increasing acts of sabotage and tempers fly as both Colbeck & Leeming are obliged to split their time between both crimes.

Meanwhile back in London, Colbeck's wife, Madeline, is providing shelter for a long-time friend who is being stalked.

There are no end of suspects (Red Herrings) and really no clues as to whom the criminals are. I really believe that Marston just pulled the bad guys out of nowhere in order to complete the story. As for the title: there was no "conspiracy" in the story.

Overall I was very disappointed with the story, thankfully neither Leeming nor Colbeck's father-in-law were given to as many fits of whining as in the past, that would have earned this book a Minus Star.

[Book Concierge]

Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins – 2.5**
Book two in the Hunger Games trilogy. Fast-paced formula continues with the characters facing numerous challenges and struggling with whom to trust and which alliances to forge in order to survive and win. I thought Collins was stretching things out to fill the pages.
LINK to my review

[Kimberly]

Dead Bath & Beyond, Lorraine Bartlett

★ ★

I wanted to like this book, I really did.... Someone gave it a decent review, and it has a nice cover (La la la la la).

I'm not quite sure how this got good reviews, but it must be from readers of "cozy" mysteries....

The main character ( I'll call her M.C. ?), was about to get divorced, but her scummy-ex died, leaving her in possession of a Crafts Mall, which she is slowly making a go of. She was working for an arrogant jerk (A.J.) of an Insurance agent, but M.C. finally had enough verbal abuse and quit.

M.C. meets up w/ A.J. on the dock as she & her attorney are coming back from a day out on his boat.... M.C. calls A.J. an arrogant jerk & people hear her, but she does Not threaten him.

So here we are, M.C. lives upstairs of her boyfriends Pizza Place, across the street is a B&B her good (gay--because I have to mention this, right) friends are renovating and where she has a view of the entire Victoria Square (her business is there too). The A.J. was staying at the B&B for FREE, as his wife kicked him out (she's kissing on her attorney), until he's found dead in the bathtub. He drowned, but not in the tub, in Lake Ontario, and was moved to the B&B's bathtub.

So the crux is: A.J. has a 330 ft. Yacht he's attempting to sell to almost every male M.C. is friendly with, and there is an insurance scam involved, which gets A.J. killed, so there is no lack of suspects. M.C. is so hyper-sensitive (and this is what ruined the book for me) that all she does is worry about if she is the main suspect, and her worry is stated over & over and made for "Enough Already, Get Over It"...

So, I skipped to the end, which was inventive for a cozy and for this earned a 2nd ★.

[Kimberly]

Runemarks, Joanne Harris

★ ★ ★ ★

Excellent story... Gods & Goddesses come to life to once again fight the evil they fought 500 years prior.

Maddy, outcast of her village w/ the Rune of Ash Tree, taught by Odin, in hand w/ Loki helps fight the Whisperer, the one who would conquer the world & become the one most powerful god; destroying all others....

527 pages of intense reading, that I had to take a rest from for hours at a time....

I am cutting off 1 ★ because I found the book to be overly long, in places tedious, and lacking where I wanted to know more.

Apparently there is now a prequel & a sequel to this. I'm satisfied with the ending of this and have no desire to read another.

[Book Concierge]

Laurie wrote: " currently readign THE STORYTELLER by Jodi Picoult.I expect to finish it tonight.I can honestly say this book will NEVER leave me."

Picoult is coming to our area for a book signing in July (I think). But it's a ticketed event, so I'm not going this time.

[Kimberly]

Death in the Vines, M.L. Longworth

★ ★

The owner of the winery that Helene Paulik works for has discovered that random bottles of wine are disappearing, some very rare, some not-so rare, and they know it is an inside job. Judge Antoine Verlaque hires a former wine thief turned connoisseur to help investigate.

A young woman is found raped & strangulated, while recovering in the hospital she suddenly dies from heart failure; an older woman w/ the onset of Alzheimer's who causes an untold amount of problems for her neighbors goes missing, eventually to be found dead (coshed in the head w/ a rock) in the aforementioned vineyard; and third woman is found dead, also raped & strangulated in her apartment.

Verlaque requests the aid of his girlfriend, law professor, Marine Bonnet with investigating the disappearance of Marine's neighbor, the woman w/ Alzheimer's.

I can not quite put my finger on why I didn't particularly care for this one; I think maybe it was incomplete.

We were never told much about the two women who were raped & murdered; there wasn't enough story of the missing wine; and the thing I found really off was when one of the suspects turned out to be the newest member of Verlaque's cigar club, another member got very nasty rude w/ Verlaque for doing his job and questioning the man.

This book also lacked the rich dining experiences & personal touch between Verlaque & Marine.

From my experience, every series has it's disappointing installment, so far as I have read, this is the one. I have 2 more remaining in the series.... I hope the others read better.

[Kimberly]

Murder on the Ile Sordou, M.L. Longworth

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Judge Antoine Verlaque, law professor Marine Bonnet, & her friend Sylvie (whom I dislike) are vacationing at a once popular revitalized seaside hotel, Locanda Sordou, off the coast of Marseilles.

As the book begins we are introduced the guests & the small hotel staff. The guests include; Bill & Shirley Hobbes, an American couple; Eric Monnier, a retired professor & poet; Clement Viale & his wife, a school friend of Verlaque & hotel investor; Alain Denis, an egotistical-over-the-hill actor; his long suffering wife, Emmanuelle; and her son Brice.

The hard-working staff include: Maxime & Cat-Cat Le Bon, owners of the renovated hotel; Nikki, office, desk, concierge; Marie-Therese, shy waitress, hostess, & kitchen girl; Emile, the nouveau chef who uses fresh ingredients found & grown on the island; Hugo, handyman; Mme Poux, the housekeeper; Serge, the bartender; and Prosper, the light-keeper & purveyor of fresh game,whose family have lived on the island for generations.

The tension between the Denis family is palpable, making for discomfort among the guests. After arguing w/ Alain, Brice runs out of the hotel and disappears. When a single shot is heard all are assured it is Prosper who is out hunting rabbits... but the next morning Alain is found dead on the beach from a single gunshot to the head.

Verlaque immediately calls for Inspector Bruno Paulik who joins the investigation & questioning of the guests all of whom, as eventually revealed, have something in common w/ the murdered man.

The story was very interesting and engaging, I could see myself among the guests, drinking in the bar, eating the lushly described meals, sunning myself on the beach... I was entranced by the richness of description, which is what I love about this series. Odd thing is, the romance of this series reminds me of the 1920's not the current modern era in which it takes place.

[Book Concierge]

Trans-Sister Radio – Chris Bohjalian – 3***
The novel is told by four central characters: Dana, Allison, Carley and Will. One of them is transgender. Bohjalian tackles blended families, small town politics, prejudice, marriage, relationships, and the idea of “love conquers all” in this novel. The story forces the reader to examine (and re-examine) the labels we assign to people and the knee-jerk reactions we have to those labels. I was intrigued and it held my interest, but I don’t think it’s Bohjalian’s best effort.
LINK to my review

[Kimberly]

Walled Flower Lorraine Bartlett

★ ★

I read this because it was in my pile.... I will not read the other two by the same author, they are going back into the Library return bag.

I really dislike stupid wishy-washy main characters. Are they suppose to be endearing? How do they escape being killed off by the bad-guy?

Main character, Katie, her husband died (no great loss) & the $$$ she had set aside to purchase the Victorian mansion across the street to be opened as a B&B (all the antique furniture she bought is in storage), he used to buy the money-losing craft mall across the street (without telling her) instead.

Katie goes in to visit the new owners of the mansion & they offer her the sledge hammer to remove a wall... inside the wall is the skeleton of a young woman who disappeared 20 years ago.

The current sheriff is the same one who took the missing report 20 years ago and blew it off, never following through, because he was (and still is) a lazy chump.

The girl's ex-boyfriend, now movie director comes to town & she questions him in front of the press, he is later killed by a sniper.

The ex-best friend of the girl, is also killed after meeting w/ Katie, before she tells Katie anything, she gets spooked & runs away.

Also: there is problems w/ a nasty seller in the antiques mall; Katie stupidly agrees to be a maid-of-honor for another vendor she barely knows and gets stuck w/ wedding favors & parties two weeks before the wedding; and she has lost her lease w/ 2 days to move and no prospects.

Whatever....

[Book Concierge]

Ethan Frome – Edith Wharton – 4****
I love Edith Wharton’s writing. I love the way she explores relationships and unfulfilled desires. The tension is palpable, the yearning almost unendurable. The setting is Starkfield, Massachusetts, in winter; as if the reader needs a reminder of how depressing and lacking in color Ethan’s life is. Though I was reading in the midst of a summer heat wave, I felt chilled.
LINK to my review

[Kimberly]

Book Concierge wrote: "

Ethan Frome
– Edith Wharton – 4****
I love Edith Wharton’s writing. I love the way she explores relationships and unfulfilled desires. The tension is palpable, the..."

I read this in college, I hated it.... A group of dishonest, unlikeable, & weak characters...

[Kimberly]

The Mystery of the Lost Cezanne, M.L. Longworth

★ ★ ★


Rene Roquet, a retired postal worker, lived in Paul Cezanne's former apartment. He was a disagreeable & miserly man with a secret. Pierre, a former neighbor of Rene & friend of le juge Antoine Verlaque, calls Verlaque when he is unable contact Rene.

Entering Rene's apartment, Verlaque finds Rene dead and a young American woman, Rebecca Schultz, (well known Yale Art Historian, who happens to specialize in the work of Cezanne) searching the apartment, which is in disarray. Rebecca claims that she did not kill Rene, that she found him dead after entering the apartment via the open door.

After questioning Rebecca, Verlaque allows her to leave, but to remain in Aix-Provence... of course Rebecca disappears. Soon thereafter Verlaque finds the missing portrait in the possession of Momo, the young street vendor & friend of Rene, whom Rene gave it to for safe keeping.

While Verlaque searches for the murderer & providence of the painting, his girlfriend, law professor marine Bonnet, her father, & her friend Sylvie research the life of Cezanne, the possibility of an affair w/ the woman in the portrait, & the history of Michaud's Bakery where Cezanne purchased his baked goods.

In alternating chapters, the story goes back in time to 1885, to tell the story of Paul Cezanne & (for the purposes of this book) the affair he had w/ Michaud's counter girl, Manon Solari, the fictional sister of Cezanne's real life friend Philippe Solari and the enigmatic portrait. [I hope that made sense]

At one point the, while Verlaque is traveling w/ the painting to have it authenticated by a well known art professional, the painting is stolen from the train by Rebecca, who later returns it...

While the story has an excellent premise and the portion about Cezanne & Manon being well written, the book held my interest; however, I found the introduction of Rebecca (whom I never did warm to) & her actions very convoluted. Therefore -★.

[Kimberly]

The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche, Longworth

★ ★

Well I really do not know, I'm torn 50-50....

This was written from 2 different points of view and takes place in Aix-en-Provence July 2010 and New York September 2010.

The former is the version w/ Antonie Verlaque, Marine Bonnet, Bruno Paulik & his family, which I always enjoy, but was not enough to save the book.

The latter is the first person account of a well known writer, with a huge secret, about what happened in his life & how it all culminated in July 2010.

I did not like September 2010's first person narration by the famous author.

Here goes: A famous Author (for me that is his name) moves into Le Bastide Blanche, which is next to the Pauliks... The Bastide has a haunting past that effects Lea, the Paulik 11 year old daughter.

The Author's past does a good job of haunting him as well; his wife a famous ceramicist, died several years before, falling off of a boat in foul weather... and the presence in the house of ghostly night-time visits & dreams in addition to the Lady in Pink portrait (which was left unresolved) lends to the mysterious history of the house.

Antoine & Marine (now married) once again join forces investigating the still open case of the death of the Author's wife.

Bruno, investigates the kidnapping of the Author's stepson (which seemed like filler & was poorly executed/thought out/written).

Marine's mother investigates, the letters & college papers of the Author's wife.

Sylvie is as inconsistent & selfish as ever.

The descriptions of the meals & wines was as wonderful as always...

What made this difficult for me to like, was that I didn't like the Author, in telling his story his arrogance was more than evident , and it was obvious that the friendship that Antoine, Marine, Bruno, Helene, & Lea bestowed upon him was unappreciated & for naught.

With the task of tying two p.o.v. together to fit one story, I think Longworth lost her usual steady flow.... Her attempt at melding the two p.o.v. to make a coherent ending was awkward and left too many things unexplained. I feel like something HUGE is missing.

I'm pretty sure I didn't like this book.

[Misty]

I'm on book 35 for the month

[Book Concierge]

Misty wrote: "I'm on book 35 for the month"

Wow, Misty!

[Book Concierge]

Days Without End – Sebastian Barry – 4****
Historical fiction that looks at America in the mid-19th century, through the eyes of Thomas McNulty, an Irish immigrant teenager. Beautiful, poetic, powerful writing that tugs at my heart and alternately disturbs me and cradles me in a loving embrace.
LINK to my review

[Kimberly]

Misty wrote: "I'm on book 35 for the month"

So, where are the reviews? We'd love for you to share them....

[Kimberly]

Auntie Poldi & the Sicilian Lions, Mario Giordano

★ ★

The plot/story was a cute idea, but the narrator's voice, in the book, didn't do anything for me. Needless to say I was very disappointed.

I didn't warm up to any of the characters, they didn't feel alive... I was also confused in the beginning with Auntie Poldi's various names & nick-names.

This is a popular book, there is even a waiting list at the Library of people wanting to read it. I'd like to know what they think about it.

Synopsis:

"On her sixtieth birthday, Auntie Poldi retires to Sicily, intending to while away the rest of her days with good wine, a view of the sea, and few visitors. But Sicily isn’t quite the tranquil island she thought it would be, and something always seems to get in the way of her relaxation. When her handsome young handyman goes missing—and is discovered murdered—she can’t help but ask questions . . .

Soon there’s an investigation, a smoldering police inspector, a romantic entanglement, one false lead after another, a rooftop showdown, and finally, of course, Poldi herself, slightly tousled, but still perfectly poised.

This “masterly treat” (Times Literary Supplement) will transport you to the rocky shores of Torre Archirafi, to a Sicily full of quirky characters, scorching days, and velvety nights, alongside a protagonist who’s as fiery as the Sicilian sun."

[Laurie]

review-My first book by Jodi Picoult. This story was powerful and horrific. I will not give away any spoilers.The nightmare story of Holocaust survivors and (victims), the evil perpetrators,forgiveness and moral and ethical dilemmas. A generational family story for the Singer's and Josef Weber. This story will NEVER leave me.I thought of the book whenever I was NOT reading it. I am still thinking of the different aspects of it all.if given the chance,would you assist the death of a Nazi soldier or actually kill him,if he wanted to die? Ms. Picoult did her research.I read abt this horrific subject and I still learned things in this book.The story was well written.I have to agree with others,there was too much info on the logistics of baking and more time needed developing the friendship between Sage and Josef Weber.I did NOT expect the twist ending! That made me gasp aloud!!!!! For me this had 3 surprises at the end of the book. The unexpected twist, a surprise with the "final outcome",and a "little bit of a "hanging end" with a relationship,more lies and secrets for Sage.I would give this book 10 stars if i could.I have a feeling that any Picoult book I read now,will pale in comparison. Now on to THE SUNFLOWER by Simon Wiesenthal,since it was acknowledged in the book.If you read abt the Holocaust,this is a MUST read.

[Kimberly]

Laurie wrote: "review-My first book by Jodi Picoult. This story was powerful and horrific. I will not give away any spoilers.The nightmare story of Holocaust survivors and (victims), the evil perpetrators,forgive..."

I posted your review onto our BOOKCHAT FB page....

[Kimberly]

The Resistance Man, Martin Walker

★ ★ ★

I liked the book/story, I liked the writing, I liked the characters, I liked the description of the meals w/ wine.... But Lord, this took me forever to finish (4-5 days).

There was so much going on, that I don't even know where to begin.... I now know what is meant by "police procedural" as there was a lot of explanation of what was going on by each police person involved, what their position & level of authority was, what they planned & did and why... very complete.

So let me see if I can explain: A French Resistance man died, there are two old Franc notes on him that date back to 1944 and a train robbery.... His grandson, Paul is involved in bringing to light the truth of the stolen Francs, but is also allegedly involved in the murder of his male lover & business partner, who was about to marry another man. Paul is also the linked to a past scandal, where a group of French fathers beat the hell out several gay English men for being with their sons.

Paul, his dead lover Francis, & a few others (past & present) are involved in French & English antiquities burglaries across France & England, except in this book, they have burgled a semi-retired English operative.

The main character, local police investigator, Bruno, is involved on several levels and in more than one aspect of the case and with two different women.

There is also a goodly portion of the book dealing with French politics, elections, & Franco-American nuclear arms deal, which left France the in control of the u.s.

I'm not sure if the book dealt w/ the homosexuality as a moral issue, there was a wee bit of that, but there was mention of gay marriage, aids, & abortion....

Three stars, because although I liked the book, it took me too long to read.... There was too much angst going on.

I chose the book from the Goodreads suggestions.. "Others who read... also liked/read...."

[Kimberly]

The Skeleton Paints a Picture, Leigh Perry

★ ★ ★

Dr. Georgia Thackery (?) is an Adjunct English Professor at Northeastern Art School, who is up for tenure; Georgia is also good at solving murders, but Georgia has a skeleton in her closet. The Skeleton's name is Sid.

Sid has been living with Georgia & her family for 20+ years; Sid however, is not just any skeleton, Sid is animated, which means he thinks, talks, walks, is able to use technology, and loves shoveling show & using the snow blower to clean the driveway & walks (which he does in the dead of night: No Pun)

Georgia has rented an out-of-the-way bungalow in the town where she is teaching and receives two mysterious packages, one of which contains Sid. During one of Sid's snow-blowing forays he stumbles upon a car that has been stashed behind Georgia's house, with Georgia in tow they come across the body of a young woman. It turns out that they young woman was working in the writing lab at the college, but had secretly also working on solving the case of art theft from two of the students.

Together Georgia & Sid suss out the thief, the murderer, & a creep who attempts to frame Georgia out of the race for tenure.

Some of the dialog was long and a bit tiresome, but I like the premise of a skeleton, rather than a ghost (although the ghost would have made for the PBT tag) and the story line & plot was interesting.

[Book Concierge]

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter – Erika L Sánchez – 4****
Fifteen-year-old Julia narrates this coming-of-age story set in Chicago. The novel opens shortly after her sister has died. Her mother and father are absorbed in their grief, and Julia feels smothered by their over-protectiveness. I really like Julia; she’s talented, bright, resourceful and tenacious. But she’s also a hurting teenager and risk for major depression.
LINK to my review

[Kimberly]

Assassin in the Marais, Izner

★ (almost got a minus)

From Goodreads: "Parisian bookseller Victor Legris finds a new case to investigate very close to home, when his business partner's apartment is burgled. Curiously the only item stolen is a decorative goblet of little value. But on learning that two people have been murdered who were connected to to the goblet, Victor becomes convinced of its secret significance. How quickly can he recover it and end the killing spree, in a city beset with terrorist activity? In this fourth case for the bookseller sleuth, Claude Izner offers a convincing portrait of a Paris shaken by anarchist bombings in the spring of 1892."

I want to tell you, that I didn't understand this book, nope not at all.... It was all very mysterious, by that I mean: some guy (we don't know who) goes to visit an old lady, he asks her for something (we don't know what), but she has given it away so he leaves... The next paragraph has someone climb in her window & kill her: BANG! Shot dead!

So then there are some men talking about bombs.... Meanwhile some weird guy writing in a journal, and we're told that another person is found dead in connection to the missing item (?)...

It was just too weird & jumped around... As I said, the author was trying too hard to be mysterious & it got to be annoying & too jumpy.

Also, there was a poem in the beginning of the book, in French & then it was translated into English, but I know for a fact that it was not translated exactly, because I can read a tiny bit of French....

[Laurie]

My first book by Jodi Picoult. This story was powerful and horrific. I will not give away any spoilers.The nightmare story of Holocaust survivors and (victims), the evil perpetrators,forgiveness and moral and ethical dilemmas. A generational family story for the Singer's and Josef Weber. This story will NEVER leave me.I thought of the book whenever I was NOT reading it. I am still thinking of the different aspects of it all.if given the chance,would you assist the death of a Nazi soldier or actually kill him,if he wanted to die? Ms. Picoult did her research.I read abt this horrific subject and I still learned things in this book.The story was well written.I have to agree with others,there was too much info on the logistics of baking and more time needed developing the friendship between Sage and Josef Weber.I did NOT expect the twist ending! That made me gasp aloud!!!!! For me this had 3 surprises at the end of the book. The unexpected twist, a surprise with the "final outcome",and a "little bit of a "hanging end" with a relationship,more lies and secrets for Sage.I would give this book 10 stars if i could.I have a feeling that any Picoult book I read now,will pale in comparison. Now on to THE SUNFLOWER by Simon Wiesenthal,since it was acknowledged in the book.If you read abt the Holocaust,this is a MUST read.

[Laurie]

This was a very light and enjoyable read.Good character development and how can you go wrong with a woman that buys a huge truck to sell books on the road? Lovely story line. Nina packs up and moves from Birmingham to far north Scotland. She meets quite a lot of great people who are skeptical of her,she has romance and in the end wants to stay put. This story line developed nicely a lot of time spent on details and characters and scenery and BOOKS.What bothered me most was that as she finds her true love and they START to settle in to a new life, I turned the page and BOOK IS OVER! The ending was so abrupt! I actually thought I missed a few pages.I did not. The ending was so hurried after such a great paced story! Overall a lovely read but not fond of the speed track ending.

[Laurie]

Kimberly wrote: "Laurie wrote: "review-My first book by Jodi Picoult. This story was powerful and horrific. I will not give away any spoilers.The nightmare story of Holocaust survivors and (victims), the evil perpe..."
Thank you Kimberly!!!!!!

[Kimberly]

Laurie wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Laurie wrote: "review-My first book by Jodi Picoult. This story was powerful and horrific. I will not give away any spoilers.The nightmare story of Holocaust survivors and (victims..."

you're welcome, happened to me too.....