Pay Dirt Road - Samantha Jayne Allen

 Pay Dirt Road - Samantha Jayne Allen

Faced with no job prospects and no money for grad school, Annie returns to her hometown in hardscrabble Texas where she waits tables at the town diner.  When a fellow waitress goes missing and is found dead, Annie gets caught up in an investigation.  

It took a while to get into the pursuit of the mystery, but the beginning  (and throughout)  was a good character study of small town Texas.  Extremely atmospheric, I could see the spray painted stop signs, the trash in the alleys, the weeds growing up through the concrete.

The entire book is very descriptive…the sights, the smells….while the case is slow to unfold.  If you want to savor these, it is not a fast read.  There really are two stories here.  The primary seems to be more Annie’s family and her background history in her small town, with the murder almost secondary.  

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the DRC 

***1/2

True Biz - Sara Nović

 True Biz - Sara Nović

What an excellent, worthwhile book.

The book opens with three high school students who attend a school for the deaf who are missing.  It then goes back a few months as we learn about them, their hearing and non hearing families, and staff at the school.  

The story is riveting, heartbreaking, tender; the characters well developed and compelling.

Beyond the narrative, though, this book is so much more.   For those who have never worked in the field or known a deaf person, it is good introduction into the reality of the hearing world’s reaction to and treatment (and often, sadly, mistreatment) of the deaf.  It is also instructive in the history of deaf education and the use of ASL, as well as the racism that has permeated the world of the deaf.  

There have always been a lot of controversies involved in the education  and treatemtn of the deaf and Novic introduces the reader to the complexities of some of them with sensitivity and knowledge. 

The ending was a bit abrupt and left me wanting to read more about these characters and their lives. 

I highly recommend True Biz…read the book and find out what that term means!

*****

Shadows of Berlin - David R. Gillham

 Shadows of Berlin - David R. Gillham

She read

Shadows of Berlin is an apt title for this book as the shadows of the atrocities and betrayals visited upon the Jews in Germany (and elsewhere) follow Rachel to America and affect all the days of her life. She marries, but her survivor guilt and what is now called post traumatic stress infiltrate this relationship.

It took me a while to get into and appreciate this book.  It is at its best with its detailed descriptions of New York in the 1950s and when Rachel’s reflects back to the unimaginable horrors of Berlin under the Nazis.  Characterization was well developed, although I felt the husband was quite unlikable, presented almost as  a caricature.  

This is a well written, worthwhile book.  If you have initial difficulty reading it, I encourage you to stick with it.  

The past few years, I’ve read quite a bit of historical fiction about the World War II era and its after effects.  At first, I saw them as lessons for our times, but now, with what is going on in the world, I keep asking: How can this be happening again?

Thanks to #netgalley and #sourcebookslandmark  for the DRC. 

****

Girl on the Run - Carolyn Arnold

 Girl on the Run - Carolyn Arnold

She read

Publication Date: April 6, 2022

Three women are shot in a coffee shop in a train station.  While investigating, Detective Madison Knight becomes convinced that one of the victims is a friend of hers from college who disappeared fifteen years ago.  There are a number of suspects as the complex mystery is  unraveled. What happened to the enigmatic girl with the orange backpack who may have triggered the incident and what does it all have to do with Madison’s history with the Russian mob? 

This is the eleventh in the Detective Madison Knight series. Although I have read other works by Carolyn Arnold, this is my first in this series and it worked well as a stand alone.  

Madison isn’t the most likable character, but she is good at her job. She is tenacious, a bit impulsive, and has a strong sense of justice and loyalty.  

This was a fast, engrossing read, sure to please fans of police procedurals and mysteries.  

Thanks to #netgalley and @HibbertStiles for the DRC

****

The Darkest Game - Joseph Schneider

 The Darkest Game - Joseph Schneider

She read

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Tully Jarsdel is not your typical homicide detective, much to the consternation of his more traditional partner.  A former academic, he is cerebral and introspective.  In this case, the third in the series, the detectives investigate the murder of a museum curator, traveling to Catalina Island to help unravel the mystery.

I have read the first two Jarsdel books and really enjoyed the first one.  This series is not for everyone, especially if you want a fast paced, action packed thriller.  Character development is interesting and there are many esoteric references such as “Phineas Gage”  and “Joseph K”.  If these names mean nothing to you, you may not enjoy this book unless you want to spend a lot of time Googling or just skipping over the unknown. If you enjoy well written,  character driven works that are different from the typical run of the mill, this is for you.  Oh yes, there are also family relationships and cultural and moral issues that are explored as well as modern day pirates!   There is some violence as well.  

This could work as a standalone, although reading the prior ones will give a little more background information.  

There is something about Tully that I like and I will certainly read the next installment. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for the DRC. 

****

Ways and Means - Roger Lowenstein

 Ways and Means - Roger Lowenstein

She read

I’m not a big fan of non fiction, but I heard Lowenstein interviewed on NPR and found what he had to say quite interesting so I tried his book in which he outlines the influence of economic strategies on the progress and outcome of the Civil War.  I found it fascinating.  Well written, Lowenstein took what could have been a dry subject and kept my interest throughout.  He explained some complex subjects in a way that made them easily understood.  It is all here…the role of the central government, the differences between what is tolerated in the north and the south, finances, services, taxation. I gained more insight into not only the Civil War era, but also into some of our politics today.  

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguinpress for the DRC

*****

Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus

 Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus

She read (and recommends he read)

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

This is a different kind of book and I loved it.  It is quirky, amusing, and painfully honest.  

Elizabeth is a brilliant scientist with a distinctive personality.  She encounters obstacles and makes waves wherever she goes.  The story is set the early 50s through the early 60s and reflects the reality of that time for so many women (and, unfortunately, some of the reality that continues today).

Character development is entertaining with very unique players here….some charming, some hateful.  Dealing with them all, the indomitable Elizabeth forges ahead, no matter the challenges she meets.

Read this book just to find out why she always wears a number 2 pencil in her hair…but also to enjoy a delightful and perceptive story. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #Doubleday for the DRC.

*****