Lessons - Ian McEwan

 Lessons - Ian McEwan

Release Date: Sept. 13, 2022

She read

At age 11, Roland Baines is sent from his home to boarding school where his relationship with a piano tutor shapes his entire life. We follow him through the birth of his son, the desertion of his first wife, family relationships and secrets, the deaths of his second wife as well as key family members, and eventually his old age. As his somewhat uninspiring and uneasy life unfolds, McEwan chronicles global political and cultural events and the reader sees how some of them may affect our lives while others occur without touching us. 

The adjective that most comes to mind in thinking about this book (and there is a lot to think about) is sprawling.  It is at times melancholic, disturbing, reflective,  tranquil, hopeful. It also explores the affects of pedophilia on a developing child’s psyche as well as lifelong after effects.

Lessons is a rich, ambitious story; I have only touched upon selected portions in this brief review.  There is so much more that is included: the White Rose movement in Nazi Germany, the literary process and what is needed to be successful, the inevitable aging process. It is the journey of an entire generation. 

Thanks to #netgalley and Knopf Doubleday for the ARC.

****

The Night Watch - Neil Lancaster

 The Night Watch -    Neil Lancaster 

Release Date: September 8, 2022

She read

This is the third of the DS Max Craigie series; it is the second I have read. 

A noted gang enforcer for hire whose case was “not proven”in court is found dead, as his attorney.  A tip to a journalist ties these murders to others and the possibility of the involvement of someone within the police department.   Craigie and his team investigate the department as well as try to find the serial killer.  

Gritty, fast paced, engrossing, this is a solid police procedural, ringing true not only in the actions of the characters but also their camaraderie and their friendly mockery of each other.  For added enjoyment, there are some very colorful Scottish expressions.

Although this further develops the characters introduced in the prior novels, I think it can work well as a standalone.   

Thanks to Netgalley and HQDigital for the arc.

****

Her Final Confession - Lisa Regan

 Her Final Confession - Lisa Regan

I really like the detective Josie Quinn series.  Having recently finished #14 in the sequence, I was excited when I saw this offered on NetGalley,, thinking I had somehow missed the latest book. After reading a few pages, I realized something was out of sync, double checked, and found that this is a reprint in paperback of #4.  No matter,  I had missed the earlier stories, having only discovered Josie Quinn at #6.  

It was a little disarming at first to go back in time especially knowing Josie’s future, but I enjoyed filling in more of her back story, especially the beginning of her relationship with Noah and why she and Gretchen are such good friends and supporters of each other.

Taking place in Central Pennsylvania, this story finds Gretchen, a fellow police detective,  under arrest for the murder of a young man  her front yard.  When she admits she is responsible, Josie refuses to believe her guilt and sets off to prove her innocence. 

If you like well written, fast paced police procedurals/thrillers with good character development, and are not familiar with Lisa Regan, I would recommend her.  I can’t wait for #15.

Thanks to @Netgalley and @grandcentralpub for the ARC.

****

The Marsh Queen - Virginia Hartment

 The Marsh Queen - Virginia Hartman 

Release Date: Sept. 6, 2022

Loni Murrow has escaped her childhood existence in the humid swamp/marshlands of Florida to work as a bird portraitist at The Smithsonian in Washington DC.  She is called back home to attend to her mother who has developed dementia. Her return unlocks secrets about her father who she thought committed suicide when she was twelve years old as well as her arduous relationship with her mother. 

Beautifully written and exquisitely detailed, the mystery is slow to unravel and there are a few different story lines. The descriptions of Loni’s canoe trips along the mangroves in search of a purple gallinule were so vivid, I felt I was there with her seeing the glorious flora and fauna of the area. Her characterizations of some of the locals were equally striking.  I especially liked the man with the “barbecue belly”!

This is not an edge of your seat thriller. Read it not so much for the suspense, but rather for the eloquent depictions that transport you to the unique and primeval marshlands of Florida.

Thanks to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for the ARC

****

One Hot Summer - Anita Waller

 One Hot Summer - Anita Waller

She read

Release Date: August 25, 2022

DI Laura Hensall  and  DS Will Peters, who are beginning a personal relationship, are called to the scene of a fire that has killed two local teenagers.  Soon, there are other fires throughout the city as well as a ransom note.  They and their team race to stop the arsonists before there is a major catastrophe. 

This is a solid mystery/police procedural.  The story is well written; it pulled me into it and I spent most of the day reading.  Even though the “who done it” was evident a little more than halfway through the book, I still couldn’t put it down.  The characters are well developed and inspire empathy in the reader.

I’d love to see this become a series.  

Thanks to netgalley and boldwoodbooks for the ARC.

*****

Lucy by the Sea - Elizabeth Strout

 Lucy by the Sea - Elizabeth Strout

Release Date: Sept. 20, 2022

Lucy by the Sea continues the story of Lucy Barton. William, her former husband, whisks her off to a house in coastal Maine to escape the beginnings of the Covid pandemic.  He is a parasitologist and sees the warnings of impending disaster before many others. She leaves her beloved New York behind and is achingly separated from her married daughters.  

Told from Lucy’s POV, Strout’s unique writing style chronicles people living their lives in the surreal era of pandemic isolation.  She observes life and life passing, poignantly capturing the thoughts, feelings, and experiences so many of us had these past two years. There is sadness and joy, despair and hope.  “I did not know where to put my mind.”  “It is a gift in this life that we do not know what awaits us.” Strout, through Lucy, is profound in her simple observations. 

This is a beautiful novel…well thought out and well written.  

Loved it!

For fans of Strout’s books: Without mentioning names because I don’t want to be a spoiler, one character from Strout’s prior works makes an appearance and another earns an occasional mention.  

*****

All Good People Here - Ashley Flowers

 All Good People Here - Ashley Flowers

She read

Release Date: Aug. 16, 2022

The townspeople of Wakarusa, Indiana will never forget the disappearance and death of young January Jacobs.  Twenty years later,  another child is kidnapped.  Margot Davies, a crime reporter, is back home to take care of her uncle who has dementia; January had been a friend of hers growing up. Haunted by January’s death, she doggedly pursues what she believes is a connection between the two cases.  Like most small towns where going to church on Sunday is a requirement, there are secrets to be revealed in Wakarusa.  

The author is host of a true crime podcast which I have never heard.  Her writing is can’t put down riveting.  There are twists, turns, red herrings here.  The story is told in alternating timelines from different POVs. 

The ending was not a typical tie up all the loose ends.  There were some things left a bit unresolved.  I was a little uncomfortable with it as I wanted to know what comes next! 

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse #bantambooks for the ARC.

****

What She Found - Robert Dugoni

What She Found - Robert Dugoni  

She read

Release Date: Aug. 23, 2022

I always look forward to Robert Dugoni’s Detective Tracy Crosswhite books and count on them for a solid mystery/police procedural.  This one did not disappoint.

The ninth in this series finds Tracy as a one person division working  cold cases, investigating a twenty five year old case of a missing reporter. Her inquiry

puts her at odds with her chief and her career in jeopardy.  Good thing she is so capable as well as having a supportive husband and darling baby daughter at home.

Dugoni’s books are well written, with intriguing plots and good character development.  As with all his others, this was a can’t put down for me. 

What She Found certainly can be read as a standalone, but if you enjoy it, go back and read some of the prior books in the series. I can’t wait for #10.

Thanks to @netgalley and #thomasandmercer  for the ARC.

****

With Love from Wish and Co - Minnie Dark

 With Love from Wish and Co - Minnie Darke

She read

Publication Date:  August 16, 2022

Marnie Fairchild owns a successful personal shopping business that she hopes to expand by purchasing the heritage building that once housed a store run by her grandfather.  However, a mixup in which she inadvertently switches gifts meant for a Brian Charlesworth’s wife and mistress puts all that in jeopardy.  As she scrambles to make things right her plans are interrupted when she meets and falls for Brian’s son. 

I had just read a couple of disappointing mystery/thrillers in a row and felt maybe it was time for a change of genre and the description of this book appealed.  Yes, it was  somewhat formulaic and predictive, but it was just what I needed pull me out of my reading slump.

This is a sweet, fast, light read with interesting and compelling characters. It was a nice change of pace also to have an Australian setting. 

****

The Blame Game -- Sandie Jones

 The Blame Game - Sandie Jones

She read

Publication Date: Aug. 16, 2022

Naomi is a psychotherapist who has gotten too close to her client, Jacob.  When he disappears, suspicion is turned to her.  Is it trauma in her family history come back to haunt her, or is something else going on?

There is an audience out there for this book.  Unfortunately, it was not me. From the outset, I had problems with all of Naomi’s unprofessional and unethical behavior.  The list goes on and on:  telling her husband about a case to accepting gifts to blurring boundaries over and over to lying to the police.  Her crossing the boundaries would do nothing to help clients; it would only made them more dependent. There are social workers and agencies that could provide assistance.  Why did she not encourage her clients to seek the appropriate professional intervention whether it be social or legal?

Sorry about the rant, but it really bothered me (perhaps because I am a former mental health professional).  That said, I tried to overlook it all, saying “it’s just fiction” and buy into the story.  It was a very slow burn and I found myself skimming a lot.  There were many places the plot could have gone, but the final resolution was just too scattered.  

I do think the author is a good writer and I would be interested in reading some of her other works. Again, there are many who will like this book, I am just not one of them.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress @minotaurbooks for the ARC

**

The Last to Vanish - Megan Miranda

 The Last to Vanish - Megan Miranda

She read

Due to the disappearance of 6 hikers over the years, Cutters Pass has been called “the most dangerous town in North Carolina”.  What secrets are the citizens of this tight knit community hiding? Abigail Lovett has been working at a local inn for 10 years, yet she still has not been fully accepted by the locals.  When the brother of one of the missing shows up at the inn, separately and together they are caught up in solving. the mystery.

Miranda’s writing conveys a good feel for the call of the mountains for those who love it so.  The story does get bogged down a bit in trying to get to where it was going and there were a few too many convenient coincidences, but, overall,  it was an engrossing, finished in one day read.  

Thanks to @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for the ARC

***