Author: BookBarmy

To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie

61Lh-8TuLeL I have followed this series from the first installment, A Share of Death in 1995, and have eagerly awaited each new installment in Ms. Crombie’s intelligent, well-crafted British mystery series.

Now if you are unfamiliar with Deborah Crombie  – you will enjoy this latest mystery in her series, but I urge you to go right now to your library and check out a Share of Death. Then read each of her series in order… I’ll wait right here until you do so.

OK now you’re with me on the series and her latest, To Dwell in Darkness, does not disappoint.

From the Back Cover:

Recently transferred to the London borough of Camden from Scotland Yard headquarters, detective superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his new murder investigation team are called to a deadly bombing at historic St. Pancras International Station. By fortunate coincidence, detective sergeant Melody Talbot, Gemma’s trusted colleague, witnesses the explosion. The victim was taking part in an organized protest, yet the other group members swear the young man only meant to set off a smoke bomb. As Kincaid begins to gather the facts, he finds that every piece of the puzzle yields an unexpected pattern, including the disappearance of a mysterious bystander.

The bombing isn’t the only mystery troubling Kincaid. He’s still questioning the reasons behind his transfer, and when his former boss continues to avoid him, those suspicions deepen.

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Ms. Crombie does her research and always chooses a lesser-known London area site to center her mysteries – in this case, St. Pancras train station.  As a special treat, the hard copy books include hand-illustrated maps of said location.  Here’s a sample – click to view larger.

map_dwell St. Pancras is the setting for a very current and news-worthy event – a public bombing…and the perpetrators aren’t who they seem.  Duncan Kincaid has been demoted from his high-powered post with Scotland Yard and transferred to Holburn.  D.I. Gemma Jones is investigating the kidnapping, rape and murder of a 12 year old girl.   Melody Talbot plays a key role in this case, while jugging  a new relationship,  and there are kittens!

Sounds like a mess, but as in all Ms. Crombie’s novels the pacing is superb, while she builds tension yet gives us breaks with glimpses into the loving family of Duncan and Gemma.  Their relationship continues to delight and I just adore the descriptions of their home life  – so chaotic (did I mention a litter of abandoned  kittens?) yet warm.

 

In the previous installment (Sound of Broken Glass) we were left hanging on why Duncan was demoted and transferred  —  this installment does not resolve that or even shed any light on that question.  That’s twice now, where I’ve turned the last page/last chapter only to face the “about the author” blurb…totally surprised there wasn’t more .

I fear Ms. Crombie may be using the television series trick – stringing us along to her next new book — but that’s alright with me. I’ll go anywhere she wants to take me.

 

Three Things you Need to Know About Rockets by Jessica A. Fox

indexJessica Fox was living in Hollywood, an ambitious 26-year-old film-maker with a high-stress job at NASA. Working late one night, craving another life, she was seized by a moment of inspiration and tapped “second hand bookshop Scotland” into Google. She clicked the first link she saw.

A month later, she arrived 2,000 miles across the Atlantic in Wigtown, on the west coast of Scotland, and knocked on the door of the bookshop she would be living in for the next month .

This book had me from the above back cover copy.  Could it be because it takes place in a bookstore or because I spent time in Scotland during college and still have a soft spot for its enchantment or a certain young Scotsman?  Nonetheless, this memoir is a fun, escapist read…and you’ve got to admire a writer who dares bring such a title to a publisher.

It takes awhile for the story to take off (i.e. going to Scotland), but the background of L.A., NASA, and film writing was interesting.  Her melt-down and eventual lay off were nicely developed.  But I was finally glued to the book once Jessica is actually in Scotland, working at the bookstore and experiencing much of what I did – deciphering the accents, dealing with “American” stereotypical reactions, experiencing the gorgeous countryside and getting to know and understand  the  hard to get to know and understand people.

Jessica’s voice starts out a bit youngish —  after all she is in her twenties, but at times she seemed adolescent in her actions and thoughts.  Her boyfriend Euan is a whiny, wimpy – dare I say – nutso boyfriend, whom I would have dumped,  fast. But Jessica forges ahead with trying to make the relationship work – despite his passive-aggressive behavior.  I found myself rooting for her while also secretly hoping she tells him off and slams the door behind her.  It’s a slow delight, to watch her mature during her time in Scotland, her reactions to things, her voice, her moods all grow and enlarge as the book progresses.  That’s a real challenge in memoir writing —  to realistically reflect one’s own voice expanding and growing.

I underlined some great sentences:  ” Grant’s house was something he was constantly working at but never quite completing — like Sisyphus attempting DIY”; “You’re so American, always wanting to talk about feelings”;  “(Outings) reminded me of childhood where outings, no matter where or with whom, were filled with possibility and opportunity for excitement.”.

A small joy — each chapter starts with a quote from a book and its location in the Wigtown bookstore – (aptly named “The Bookshop”).

In the end nothing is totally resolved – except she is staying in Scotland.  An enjoyable memoir whose storyline interested me on many levels – her NASA career, adapting to Scotland, the used bookstore, the town, and of course the story of her relationships with not only her crazy boyfriend, but also the quiet and hard-working locals.   I also enjoyed the very realistic glimpse into rural Scotland and the used book business in Wigtown.

 

The Book of You by Claire Kendal

 The Book of YouHis name is Rafe, and he is everywhere Clarissa turns.   What could have been a formula stalker thriller, is luckily so much more.  It’s a creepy, often graphic read, and with my husband out of town, I checked the door was locked and read with several lights on in the house.

Clarissa, as the main character, develops as the book progresses.  She hides, cowers and seems vulnerable , but the reader will cheer the bravery in her relentless gathering of evidence against Rafe.  Upon police advice, she keeps a small journal “The Book of You” detailing every stalking move Rafe makes.  And while repulsed, she also keeps all his “gifts” and lurid photos – all in the hopes of gathering enough evidence to have him arrested.  The story is told interspersed between her journal entries and current time. 

The stalking soon becomes part of her everyday as she attends jury duty, meets another man and tries to carry on a normal life.  She keeps Rafe’s stalking, her journal and her fear a secret from everyone – adding to the suspense of the book.

Most compelling was how the author, little by little,  lets the reader fall into the mind and feelings of a stalking victim, how they try and maintain normalcy, how their lives are turned into a mine field of psychological terror, and how even the simple things that brought them joy (Clarissa’s sewing) can be made dirty.  This is what sets this debut thriller apart from the standard.   The ending was so good, I raced through the last few chapters and then  the next morning re-read them to savor the twists of the plotting.

In several instances the narrative breaks down and defies logic, and the dialogue can be stilted and poorly crafted – especially from the neighbor lady  — “You think I’m just a sweet old lady, Clarissa, a kindly spinster who knows nothing and has experienced nothing….”  arghhh.

But those two minor critiques did not stop me from devouring this chilling read and it still lingers in my mind.

Advanced Reading Copy provided by Harper Collins

 

 

 

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

WeareallReview copy provided by Penguin Group via NetGalley.

I’d been hearing the ravingly positive reviews of this novel and so was thrilled to receive an Netgalley review copy.  I started the novel and was immediately bogged down.   The novel begins in the center of the story and through flashbacks the secrets are revealed.  I stuck with it and learning the (not-so-secret) surprise that our narrator Rosemary was raised with a “sister” Fern who happened to be a chimp and disappeared when Rosemary was five years old.

This reveal turned out to be the most interesting part of the novel

Now I was intrigued but still having trouble slogging through the flashbacks, and overly complex story lines.

I get that this unusual chimp fostering  experiment had a long armed impact on various members of the family — especially Rosemary and often the writing is magical, funny and warm — but I could not finish this book.

I had trouble relating to any of the characters and found the this ever-churning tale of family loss, coming of age, and animal abuse extremely sad.   Beware — the last part of the book involves gut-wrenching and sickening animal experiments and that is where I stopped reading.

 

 

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

indexI heard Roz Chast talking about her newest book on NPR and bought this memoir the next day.  I strongly recommend getting this book in the hardback  versus the electronic version, as you want to experience her cartoons and text laid out as she intended.

I inhaled this book in two sittings.  I’ve long been a fan of Roz Chast’s cartoons in the New Yorker and elsewhere, so this was an insight into a moving part of her life.

This is a cartoon (with prose) memoir of her aging Jewish parents – well into their 90’s and, although always independent and self-sufficient, now in decline.  As their only child, Ms. Chast tries to muddle through their needs – wanting to respect their pride, while still caring for them with their weakened health and memory issues.

Sounds dreary?  Wrong!  This is a funny, moving and soulful accounting of caring for aging parents that is in fact deeper and more insightful than a cartoon memoir might appear.

Some of the humor is laugh-out loud funny, other times I found myself laughing uncomfortably but through her cartoons,  Ms. Chast is able to assure us that the negative, frustrated feelings in this difficult situation are as important and valid as the positive, loving feelings. It shows the complicated emotions dealing with aging parents – especially when they’re resilient, resistant and proud.

If you’re a fellow baby boomer (hate that term, but OK) and dealing with these issues or already have – you will gain insight from this book.  The ending is devastating and emotional, but the entire memoir is TRUE and honest – frightening and yet lovingly funny.  Yes, that’s it – lovingly funny, honest and true.  Read it.

roz 2

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

I’d had this book on my shelf for ages and could never get past the first few chapters,  so donated it to the Friends of the SF Public Library and forgot about it.

Then, I discovered I was going to be in Maine, so checked it out as a Kindle book from the library – that’s just how I roll folks.

TMainehis novel tells the tale of three generations of Kelleher women;  Alice – the cruel matriarch, Kathleen –  flawed, recovering alcoholic, Anne Marie – duty-bound daughter-in-law, and Maggie – the young hapless victim.

Because I planned to read this while at a friends camp (cottage) on a lake in Maine, I thought this would be the perfect novel.  But, turns out Maine (the state) does not really have any role or influence on Maine, the book.

Despite the back cover/inside flap copy this book is NOT a fun beach read about a family’s enjoyable summer days spent at their summer house in Maine — there’s no fun in this Maine. Where’s the lobster dinners eaten outside while slapping the mosquitoes, the chilly early morning swims, or the lazy hot afternoons reading on the porch?

Maine is a dark and grim expose of women joined by dysfunctional drama.  Told in alternating narratives, each chapter is the voice of a different character.   The author sets up the plot of past hatreds and buried secrets and then lets each character delve into their viewpoints, resentments and pain.

The book is extremely well-written and really starts to take off halfway through, when the women come together in Maine at the family summer house.  But, I found it hard to relax and just enjoy this book.  This is a book where motives have to be analyzed and resulting actions dissected  – a good book group discussion could result from the family dynamics.   And as a bravo to Ms. Sullivan, much of the family dysfunction is made real and familiar for anyone with a family — issues or not.

Perhaps  that’s what Ms. Sullivan meant to achieve – an deep, unflinching look into a flawed and dysfunctional family.

So, don’t be mislead by the book’s “summer beach read” promotional copy and do read Maine if you want a well-written, darkly real and unflinching family saga.

Quote:   “…Ann Marie sat at every family dinner and listened to them tell the same stories over and over.  She never met a family so tied up in their own mythology.”