Review: Bittersweet

Bittersweet by Susan Wittig Albert
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not one of my favorite China Bayles books. Sam, married to China's mother Leatha, has been hospitalized just before Thanksgiving. Despite this, Thanksgiving dinner at the ranch is still on. Leatha and Sam had been planning to open their ranch up as a resort for birders' but Sam's uncertain prognosis is jeopardizing their plans. A young woman, Sue Ellen, has come to help Leatha, but she disappears after confiding to China that her soon-to-be ex husband is involved in some criminal activity.

The book describes the game ranching industry in Texas, and the plot involves the smuggling of animals onto some ranches, and the multimillion dollar breeding of game animals. China is involved of course in putting the pieces together that result in justice being done, but the ending of the novel is abrupt and unsatisfying.

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Review: Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles

Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles by A.L. Herbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! Halia Watkins owns "Sweet Tea", an upscale soul food restaurant in Prince George's County, MD. One evening, she and her cousin Wavonne discover the body of Marcus Rand in her restaurant with one of her cast iron skillets next to it. Rand is an investor in the restaurant, as well as someone involved in less than above board business deals. Halia panics, and she and Wavonne move the body out into an alley. Halia goes about her daily business, waiting nervously for the discovery of the body which doesn't happen. She eventually goes back to the alley only to discover that the body is gone. Halia proceeds, with the help of Wavonne, to investigate what happened.

This is a cozy and humorous story with great characters and food descriptions that make you hungry. Wavonne is a terrific character who reminded me a bit of Lula from the "Stephanie Plum" series - a larger than life, dramatic personality with attitude. I am looking forward to the publication of the second book in this new series.

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Review: Stone Cold

Stone Cold by C.J. Box
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just when I was thinking that perhaps it was time for Joe Pickett to retire, this book comes along. In this installment, Gov. Rulon sends Joe up north to Medicine Wheel on a "black ops" reconnaissance mission. Ostensibly Joe is going to deliver some ring necked pheasants for restocking, and help the incumbent game warden, Jim Latta, with some public relations work. In reality he's supposed to snoop around and find out all he can about a mysterious wealthy landowner named Wolf Templeton. Templeton has become the biggest landowner and power in the county, but the Feds are certain he's up to criminal activity. Joe is working with FBI agent Coons and he's told not to get involved with anything, report, and return. Of course, Joe can't not meddle. This was fast-paced, and there were a few surprising twists. I really enjoyed this one.

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Review: The Cuckoo's Calling

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that grows on you. I had a hard time getting into it. Cormoran Strike, ex-military police, is now a private investigator. He lost a leg in Afghanistan, and is now trying to make ends meet, living in his office eating Pot Noodles and sleeping on a camp bed. His new client, John Bristow, claims that his supermodel sister Lula Landry, did not commit suicide despite the police investigation concluding that she did. Strike is asked to prove that her death was in fact a murder. The other main character is Robin, a secretary sent by the temp agency, who is secretly thrilled to be working for a private investigator. I had a hard time warming up to Strike. His characterization as a down and out loser was almost too strong. My opinion eventually changed, and I was definitely surprised by the twisty ending.

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Review: Brooklyn

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to admit this is one of the few times that I saw the movie before reading the book. In fact, I wasn't aware there was a book until I saw the movie. I LOVED the movie, and I LOVED the book. It's also one of the few times that the movie was as good as the book.

Eilis Lacey emigrates to the US in the early 1950's from her small village in Ireland where there is little work or opportunity. She has the help of Father Flood, a Catholic priest who has arranged for her to live in an Irish boarding house and had found her a job in a department store. He also arranges for her to go to night school where she studies bookkeeping and accounting. Eilis is at first extremely homesick but when she meets an Italian boy named Tony, she gradually adapts to American life. They begin to court, and he asks her to marry him. However, tragedy at home in Ireland strikes, and Eilis must make some difficult choices.

The writing is spare, but beautiful, and the author creates compelling characters. He also creates a definite atmosphere which mixes reality with compassion and charm. I applaud the screen adaptation of the book for capturing the same atmosphere.

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Review: Knit Two

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This continues the story of the knitting group that gathered at Walker and Daughter. Georgia Walker has died, and this book picks up several years later. Each of the people introduced in the previous novel are dealing with their grief in their individual ways, but few have "moved on", including Georgia's daughter Dakota. It took me a while to reconnect with the characters, and at a few points I wanted to shake a few of them into their senses. It was an okay read.


Updated: Another book I've re-read without remembering I'd already read it. Liked it a bit better than the first time, though once again, it took a long time to reconnect with characters. Too many characters reflecting on the past, and not enough moving forward.

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Review: Garden Spells

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book! It reminded me of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic with its magic realism and theme of embracing who you are. The Waverly family has always been considered a little odd; plants from the gardens surrounding the house can be used to manipulate feelings and events, and there's an apple tree that will foretell your future. Claire Waverly is the current occupant. Abandoned by her mother at age 6, she and her sister Sydney were raised by their grandmother, and the two sisters grew up resenting each other. Claire has no attachments since everyone she loves eventually leaves her. Sydney ran away from home after graduating from high school but suddenly returns with her daughter Bay, when her life takes a disastrous turn. The story evolves around the two women as they struggle to discover the truth about the past, and as they develop a new relationship together.

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Review: Billy Boyle

Billy Boyle by James R. Benn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's 1941 and newly-minted Boston police detective Billy Boyle finds himself in the army attached to his Uncle Ike's staff in London. Uncle Ike happens to be General Dwight Eisenhower, and he's really a cousin of sorts, rather than Billy's uncle. Billy is an easy-going young man, always looking for the angle that best suits him, and he soon discovers that he has a whole new way of life to learn. Billy is sent to Beardsley Hall where Norwegian forces are stationed. The American and British leadership suspect that a spy for the Germans has been inserted into the Norwegians, and Billy's assignment is to uncover the traitor if one exists. Not long after he arrives at Beardsley Hall, one of the Norwegian officers is murdered. Billy's job becomes more complicated as he's put in charge of that investigation also.

I enjoyed this book. Billy is a very likable character who has a lot of maturing to do. The plot was twisty enough to keep me interested, and I also liked the WWII setting. I liked the way the totally fictional plot was set into a real military operation, Operation Jupiter, and I felt that the author had done a good job of researching the time period. I am looking forward to reading more in the series.

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Review: An Old Betrayal

An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of the things I like about this series is its faithfulness to its continuing story line. Yes, you could read these books as stand alones, but the development of the characters and the ongoing conflicts enrich each of them. Lenox has risen quickly to the front benches of Parliament, and has had great success working across the aisle with members of the opposite to pass social legislation. He still hungers for involvement in detective work, however, and in this case he is helping his protege John Dallington. One of the queen's assistant social secretaries has asked for help. As Lenox and Dallington investigate, they uncover a plot that threatens national security. In his personal life, Lenox is also concerned about the marriage of their friends Toto and Dr. McConnell, and allegations that his secretary is taking bribes. The resolution of that last issue leads to the Lenox's decision about his future in a very satisfying manner.

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Review: The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain

The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain by Bill Bryson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy Bill Bryson's books. I especially like the way his stories meander while still getting to the point. In this book, Bryson is traveling from southern Britain to northern Britain, somewhat along what he calls "The Bryson Line" - from Bognor Regis on England's south coast, to Cape Wrath on Scotland's north coast. He manages to cover all of Britain's regions, mostly visiting places he didn't visit in his first travelogue around Britain. I enjoyed traveling with him, and once again, was pleased with his penchant for seeking out information about forgotten people, places, and events. There was an air of melancholy throughout the book, as he realized how much the country has changed, and what purely British norms and traditions are being lost. It was also fun to see some of the places that I've been through his eyes.

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Review: The Forgotten Garden

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! Kate Morton tells the story of Eliza Makepiece, author of book of fairytales published in the early 1900's, Rose Montrachet, spoiled invalid daughter of a Cornish aristocrat, Nell, found abandoned on an Australian dock in 1913, and Nell's granddaughter Cassandra. Cassandra has lived with her grandmother most of her life, and when Nell dies in 2005, Cassandra discovers that her grandmother had been adopted. Nell has left her a cottage in Cornwall as well as journal in which Nell has recorded her research into her family history. Nell goes to Cornwall to try to discover the truth about her grandmother's life. The narrative is told from the viewpoints of the 4 women, and jumps backwards and forwards from the early 1900's to 2005. I was spellbound by the story; Morton created an atmosphere of mystery and magic emanating from a hidden garden. I loved the inclusion of Frances Hodgson Burnett's fictional visit to the hidden garden and the hint that her book "The Secret Garden" was inspired by the visit. This was one book I was sorry to finish, because it was so good.

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Review: The Innocent

The Innocent by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! Kate Morton tells the story of Eliza Makepiece, author of book of fairytales published in the early 1900's, Rose Montrachet, spoiled invalid daughter of a Cornish aristocrat, Nell, found abandoned on an Australian dock in 1913, and Nell's granddaughter Cassandra. Cassandra has lived with her grandmother most of her life, and when Nell dies in 2005, Cassandra discovers that her grandmother had been adopted. Nell has left her a cottage in Cornwall as well as journal in which Nell has recorded her research into her family history. Nell goes to Cornwall to try to discover the truth about her grandmother's life. The narrative is told from the viewpoints of the 4 women, and jumps backwards and forwards from the early 1900's to 2005. I was spellbound by the story; Morton created an atmosphere of mystery and magic emanating from a hidden garden. I loved the inclusion of Frances Hodgson Burnett's fictional visit to the hidden garden and the hint that her book "The Secret Garden" was inspired by the visit. This was one book I was sorry to finish, because it was so good.

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Review: The Funeral Dress

The Funeral Dress by Susan Gregg Gilmore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A terrific book! It's the 1970's, in a small Tennessee mill town. Emmalee Bullard is an unmarried mother trying to raise her new infant in the unheated tar paper shack she was raised in. The Bullards are considered "white trash" by the townspeople, and her father goes out of his way to alienate anyone who tries to offer them assistance. Emmalee's hopes for a better life are raised when Leona, a woman from the mill where they work sewing collars onto dresses and shirts, offers her and the baby a home. Her hopes are dashed when Leona dies in a tragic accident. Emmalee feels the only way she can honor Leona is by sewing her a dress to be buried in. Emmalee's stubbornness in pursuing the task changes her from someone who allows life to batter her into someone willing to make her own future. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Emmalee is a compelling character as is Leona, whose own story is told in flashback. It's a hopeful story too, despite the bleakness of Emmalee's circumstances. The author captures the complexities of life in a small town well too.

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Review: A Girl's Guide to Moving On

A Girl's Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nichole Patterson and her mother-in-law Leanne Patterson have something in common - both are trying to re-establish their lives after the failure of their marriages. The two women remain good friends despite the break up of their marriages, and together they form their own support group and cheering squad as they attempt to find a new normal for themselves. The story is told in from parallel viewpoints as the chapters alternate between Nichole's story and Leanne's. I liked both women, but found the male characters to less believable. Their ex-husbands are portrayed as flat, bad-guys, and the new men in their lives are a little too good to be true. I have to admit that I like Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street books better and more believable.

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Review: My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't think I've ever read a cookbook before, though this is more of a cooking journal than a cookbook. After Ruth Reichl's job as editor of Gourmet magazine came to an abrupt end with its folding, she spent the next year or so, cooking at home and keeping notes about what she was thinking and feeling at the time. She's compiled her notes and journal into a record of that grieving time and this book is the result.

I loved the photographs in the book, and the excerpts from her notes about the season. With each recipe she provides the context for when and why she chose to cook it. While I doubt I'll prepare more than a couple of them, almost all of them made me want to try them. She stresses the importance of using fresh ingredients, from local sources as much as possible, and using food in its season. It's hard for a lot of us, budgets may not allow us to purchase some ingredients, and for many of us, where we live dictates what's available. I'd love to frequent my local butcher or fishmonger, but the only "butchers" where I live are in the grocery store where the meat comes prepackaged. But that's beside the point of this book. I will admit that my "staples" list closely resembles hers. I don't regularly keep heavy cream and sour cream in the fridge, and I may only have 3 kinds of vinegar and canola, olive, and peanut oil on hand, but I was surprised that I had so many of the same things on hand.

This is a book to savor, pun intended.

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Review: The Queen's Poisoner

The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a Kindle First offering which can be hit or miss for me. This was definitely a hit. I was surprised to enjoy it so much. Owen Kisskaddon is eight years old, and when his father refuses to support his king in battle, Owen is sent as hostage to live in the royal palace at Kingfountain. Owen is terrified by his new life; King Severn is considered a monster by many of his subjects. His day includes breakfast with the king and a host of other young hostages, where the king purposely attacks their vulnerabilities and fears. The king is "Fountain Blessed" with the power of persuasion, and he gathers his power by these attacks. Owen soon makes some powerful friends, including a mysterious woman know as the Queen's Poisoner. She suspects that Owen is also Fountain Blessed and begins to help him discover the depths of his power.

The story was inspired by England's War of the Roses, and King Severn is Wheeler's Richard III. I liked the way history and fantasy were woven together, and I liked his main characters, Owen and Elizabeth Victoria Mortimer. This is billed as a "Teen and Young Adult" novel on Amazon, but it's definitely one of those books that isn't confined to one age group. I will be reading the next volume in the trilogy when it's published.

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Review: A Pitying of Doves: A Birder Murder Mystery

A Pitying of Doves: A Birder Murder Mystery by Steve Burrows
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am really enjoying this series; this is #2. DCI Domenic Jejeune is still conflicted about his job. He is a brilliant detective, but doesn't find the job at all fulfilling. He would much rather be researching birds. In his newest case, the caretaker of a local bird sanctuary and young Mexican diplomat are found brutally murdered in a locked bird cage at the sanctuary, and two birds are missing. Jejeune's thought processes and investigative methods don't usually follow the norm, so his superiors aren't very happy when he refuses to put a lot of priority on obvious suspects. The investigation becomes complicated when a chief suspect is murdered and a police officer is injured.

This book has a dark, moody atmosphere which seems to reflect Jejeune's inner conflicts. As in the first book, the author does a good job of evoking the setting, and in sharing interesting information about birds. There is a not-so-subtle conservation message underlying the books too, but it's not intrusive.

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Review: The Last Anniversary

The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed Liane Moriarity's books, and while I did like this one, I like others better. In 1932 a young couple, Alice and Jack Munro, living on a Scribble Gum Island, mysteriously vanish, leaving behind an infant. Sisters Connie and Rose Doughty find the infant, name her Enigma, and raise her. Along the way, they build a family business based on the great unsolved mystery of the Munro disappearance. Seventy years later, Sophie Honeywell, ex-fiancee of Connie's nephew, inherits Connie's house, and goes to live on the tiny island. As other members of Connie's rather eccentric family get involved in Sophie's life, a long-held family secret is eventually revealed.

I liked the premise of the book, but Sophie was a rather annoying character. She's almost 40 but had the reactions/mindset of a fairly immature woman. I also figured out the long-held secret fairly easily. However, it was an easy read, and it filled the bill at the moment.

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Review: A Death in the Small Hours

A Death in the Small Hours by Charles Finch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Charles Lenox is now a well-regarded member of Parliament, and has just been asked to deliver the keynote address at the opening of Parliament, an extremely great honor. When his uncle Frederick invites him to Everley to look into some reports of vandalism in the village, Lenox and his wife jump at the chance of a few days in the country. Lenox knows that he will be able to concentrate on writing his speech away from the hustle and bustle of London. Of course, the village vandalism is the just the tip of the iceberg, and before long a villager is murdered. As is the case in previous books, Lenox manages to untangle quite a web of deceit and criminal activity. Throughout the book, Lenox is also wrestling within himself; he knows he is an effective legislator but his heart is in the detective work he has largely given up. I'm looking forward to the next in the series as I think a decision may be looming.



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Review: Open and Shut

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finally finished listening to this book! I really found it hard to find uninterrupted listening time, but when we went on vacation in February, I made it a point to restart it. I really liked it, and the narration was excellent.

Attorney Andy Carpenter agrees to represent Willy Martin, convicted of murdering a young woman, when his case is reopened. As Andy and his team build their defense, Andy discovers a secret his father had kept for almost 40 years. This secret, represented by a photo of some very powerful men as college students, threatens Andy; he is harassed and attacked legally and physically. Andy eventually untangles a tightly woven knot of lies which directly impacts his court case.
All in all, this was an engrossing listen.

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