It's been a nice, cool Thursday. I had a good run this morning and breakfast. Then Jo and I had mini-quiches from a recipe she found on line when we started dieting. They are excellent and make a nice low calorie, tasty meal.
I finished two books since my last reading update. It's been a slowish month so far but I do have a few tomes on the go. I'll provide my reviews of them. I'll also provide the synopsis of the next book I'm trying. Then I'll continue with my ongoing look at Women Authors I've been enjoying. (Some books to lead you into the weekend)
Just Finished
"It's been a couple of years since I've read one of Ann Cleeves Shetland series and it was nice to get back to it with the 3rd book, Red Bones. My wife and I have enjoyed almost the complete TV series based on the books and both the TV show and the books are excellent. The big difference between the books and the series is that DS Alison (Tosh) McIntosh has yet to appear in any of the books. I'm assuming she is a TV addition. She's a great character but the books are excellent even without her.
This third book finds us on Whalsay, one of the outlying isles off of the main Shetland island, also the home of DC Sandy Wilson. Sandy could not wait to get away from Whalsay as a young man, didn't want to be a crofter and he now lives in Lerwick as one of DI Jimmy Perez's detectives. However in this story, we see Sandy visiting Whalsay at the request of his Gran, Mima. She had indicated that she wanted to talk with him. But before Sandy gets to her 'house', she is killed and Sandy finds her body. Initial investigation seems to indicate that Sandy's best friend, Ronald Clouston may have shot her by accident, tipsy and hunting rabbits at night. A group of two young female archaeologists, Hattie and Sophie, are also involved, working a dig in Mima's yard, although they were not on site when Mima was found.
The death brings DI Jimmy Perez into the picture and while the death appears accidental, and even though the Procurator Fiscal (kind of the local AG for the island) wants it closed as an accidental shooting, Perez has his doubts. And with this background, he begins his investigation, with the help of Sandy Wilson.
It's a very interesting case and story, involving a very closed community, especially the Wilsons and the Cloustons. Perez, originally from Fair Isle (sweaters), another of the outlying islands, finds the whole situation claustrophobic, and leaves Sandy on the island to keep up the investigation while he makes trips back and forth. Jimmy is also dealing with his feelings for Fran and her daughter Cassie, both of whom are visiting friends and family in London.
The case revolves around the archaeological dig, maybe around an old WWII incident, maybe around family jealousies, and maybe around 'money'! The WWII story is particularly interesting. Fishermen from Whalsay had helped the Norwegians in the struggles against the Nazi occupiers, building small boats for use by the Norwegian freedom fighters. Is this bit of history somehow involved in the death of Mima? She was around at the time. What about the bones discovered at the archaeological dig? There will be another death(s?) as this story progresses. What about the past relationship between Hattie and her boss, Paul Berglund? There are issues and are they related?
It's a fascinating character analysis, overbearing mothers, filial conflict, neighbour friction, frustrated women who want more out of life than just being wives and mothers, stresses because of monetary issues and competition between island families. Perez must sort this out and try to get the most out of Sandy, who has his own family issues to deal with. The story moves along at a satisfactory pace. The characters are well - developed and rich and the island is at times bleak and at other times inviting. The mystery itself follows many tangents and ultimately is resolved quite satisfactorily, even if there is a bit of a leap from, 'where do we go from here'? to yup, that's it and all she wrote. But still satisfying. I've enjoyed this series and also Cleeves George & Molly books and her Vera series. Now it's back to Vera (4 stars)"
"Locke & Key, Volume 3: Crown of Shadows is the 3rd graphic novel in the Locke & Key (obviously) series by horror novelist Joe Hill and his illustrator partner Gabriel RodrÃguez. I got hooked on this series quite quickly once I decided to give it a try.
Like the first two books, it's a page turner, scary, emotional and so well-drawn. The three Locke children Tyler, Kinsey and young Bode continue to grow and develop as people and characters while their damaged mother continues to cycle down into drunkenness and darkness. 'Evil spirit' or whatever he / she is continues his search for the key to the Black Door (what will that key do) and engages the help of Shadows to scare the Locke kids into giving it up. We do find out another interesting fact about Dodge, although I guess it'll have to wait until one of the next chapters to find out what it means.
We also get some new characters; the two geeks who become friends of Kinsey and take her to the place where her father had inscribed his name on the walls (risky time that). The basic story in this chapter is Dodge's search for the key to the Black Door and his battle with the spirit of killer Sam, who wants a body to use and likes Dodge's. By the end of this story we will see eight keys and their purpose, one that will help Tyler protect his brother and sister from the Shadows and one that offers interesting potential.
It's too fascinating to try and explain and, really, you should just get the 1st book and try it. Trust me, you will be hooked by the great characters, the fascinating story and excellent artwork. TRY IT! (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"When DI Vera Stanhope finds the body of a woman in the sauna room of her local gym, she wonders briefly if, for once in her life, she's uncovered a simple death from natural causes. But a closer inspection reveals ligature marks around the victim's throat - death is never that simple."
New Book(s)
"Iraq War vet Ellie
McEnroe has a pretty good life in Beijing, representing the work of
controversial dissident Chinese artist Zhang Jianli. Even though Zhang's
mysterious disappearance has attracted the attention of the Chinese
authorities. Even though her Born-Again mother has come for a visit and
shows no signs of leaving.
But things really get complicated
when Ellie's agrees to help out an old Army buddy with his search for
his missing brother. Ellie finds herself entangled in a conspiracy that
may or may not involve a sinister biotech company, eco-terrorists, an
art-obsessed Chinese billionaire, and lots of cats—a conspiracy that
will take her on a wild chase through some of China's most beautiful and
most surreal places."
Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Tana French
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| Tana French |
"A very thoughtful, well-crafted mystery. I will admit that at times I thought it was maybe a hundred pages too long, but in the end everything belonged and made the mystery complete. I liked the main characters, Rob Ryan and his partner Cassie Maddox, and how they changed as they got deeper into the investigation. All in all, I enjoyed this story and will look for the other books by Tana French. (4 stars)"
"Faithful Place by Tana French is the third book in her Dublin Murder Squad series and the 2nd that I've read. This book features Undercover cop, Frank Mackey.
Mackey's life is turned upside down with the discovery of a body in an abandoned house on the street, Faithful Place of the title, where he grew up. It turns out to be the body of his old girl friend, who he had planned to leave for London with when she disappeared. Frank left his neighborhood anyway and became a member of the Guard.
Frank is a troubled and angry man. He has issues with his ex-wife Olivia, long-term issues with his family back in Faithful Place. He's not been back since he left 20 years ago. The only member that he is in contact with is his younger sister, Jackie. His father was an angry drunk who beat his wife and kids and had issues with his neighbour across the way. (the reason will come out later in the book.) Of course, Rosie Daly, Frank's girl-friend is the daughter of this neighbor, who refused to let Rosie and Frank see each other.
Returning to Faithful Place to find out who killed Rosie is fraught with tension and memories for Frank and his siblings. Who killed Rosie and dumped her body in the abandoned house; her father?, his father? someone else?
Frank is told to stay away from the investigation by the investigating officer from the Murder Squad, 'Scorcher' but, well you know, he can't do that. Frank continues his own private investigation and also uses a young member of the Murder Squad to keep him informed. Another death / murder adds further impetus to the investigations.
I readily admit I struggled with this book. Frank wasn't sympathetic to me whatsoever; his anger is off-putting at times and often seems irrational. When he finds out that Jackie and Olivia have been letting Frank's daughter meet his family, I felt his reaction was unreasonable. But then again, I've not been in that situation. The investigation is part of the story but the more important part is Frank's dealings with his family and his ex-wife and his own internal feelings about his past and present. I liked Olivia and there daughter, Holly and actually liked Jackie and Frank's other sister Carmel and Frank's younger brother, Kevin. But Frank made it difficult for me to really love the story. Still worth reading and I will look for French's other books. (3.5 stars)"
"In Broken Harbour,
a ghost estate outside Dublin – half-built, half-inhabited,
half-abandoned – two children and their father are dead. The mother is
on her way to intensive care. Scorcher Kennedy is given the case because
he is the Murder Squad’s star detective. At first he and his rookie
partner, Richie, think this is a simple one: Pat Spain was a casualty of
the recession, so he killed his children, tried to kill his wife Jenny,
and finished off with himself. But there are too many inexplicable
details and the evidence is pointing in two directions at once.
Scorcher’s
personal life is tugging for his attention. Seeing the case on the news
has sent his sister Dina off the rails again, and she’s resurrecting
something that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control: what
happened to their family, one summer at Broken Harbour, back when they
were children. The neat compartments of his life are breaking down, and
the sudden tangle of work and family is putting both at risk . . ."
The complete listing of Tana French's works can be found at this link. Check it out. Enjoy the rest of your week. Take care. Stay safe. 😷
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