Finn

Clinch, Jon. Finn. I don't think I was far off in the comments I made after reading only about 20 pages: "Clinch's writing is almost like reading a nightmare, beautiful and frightening. A study in wickedness. Evil under a microscope. Whitewashing. On page 11, Clinch introduces a morbid echo of the whitewashed fence in Tom Sawyer. The "whited sepulchre" -- a new approach to The Heart of Darkness."

Now that I've finished: Is this a novel about racism or about a psychopath? Both ideas are prominent. Huck's pap was a wicked fellow, and Clinch elaborates on the wickedness with great detail.

There are certainly hints about Finn's childhood, his cold parents whose cruelty followed different routes of emotional abuse. Finn's brother Will is also damaged, but relatively normal, yet Clinch doesn't adequately explain why Will manages to become a functioning human being, and Finn does not. Hints are provided, but not clearly delineated. Despite Clinch's eventual efforts to gain sympathy for Finn, his attempts to do so seem disjointed and don't appear to have his full attention.

The dialogue often repeats phrases that become echos or mantras. They are, perhaps, to illustrate the way uneducated and/or illiterate people are limited in their expressions of thought. It makes me wonder how it limits the thought itself, and not simply the expression.

The whitewashed room from the first few pages of the novel took on importance for me as I mentioned earlier. The covering up of corruption, physically and emotionally, is interesting. So, too, is the obsessive compulsion Finn has in marking over the newly cleaned space with new evidence of his crimes. The corruption seeps through the cover up, on the walls and in Finn's mind.

Apples appear in at least three scenes, almost like little vignettes, but the symbolism seem a bit more complicated. Did Clinch want them to be symbolic? Each episode seemed to stand out immediately and the repeated use of "apple" rather than another fruit would seem to indicate that Clinch used the apples deliberately, but that may not be the case. At any rate, apples have several symbolic meanings: temptation, health, harvest, fruitfulness, seduction, sexuality. Whatever their purpose, if Clinch intended one, the mixed message implied by the apples made me wonder about their purpose. The mixed symbolic message suits the novel.

Finn dominates. Huck, Mary, and the Widow Douglas are merely appendages to Finn's story, not even Mary seems to exist in her own right. The Judge, Finn's mother, and Will are also subjugated to Finn in the narrative, but influential in his thinking and behavior.

As repulsive as Finn is, both physically and spiritually, he seems to have a strange attraction for people. I had some difficulty believing this, but over and over-- in contrast to the fear he evoked-- he also evoked sympathy or pity from some of the least likely people.

Finn is doomed, but not even Twain would have imagined the sins that Clinch devises for Finn. In Huckleberry Finn, Huck rebels and escapes his father. Finn rebels, but never escapes.

After all of these wandering comments, what did I think of the book? I did not enjoy it. I will not soon forget it. The graphic images will remain with me, as will a kind of pondering similar to the worrying of a loose tooth. I've not covered half of the things that occurred to me as I read...

Fiction. 2007. 283 pages.

A Pretty Folly and Strangers at the Gate

A Pretty Folly by Charlie Garratt is the second in a series set just prior to the outbreak of war in 1939.  Although there are a couple of mentions to the previous book's mystery, this one works as a stand-alone.  

Inspector James Givens is Jewish, but doesn't practice, although he is very close to his parents.  Assigned to stop the attack on Jewish businesses in Coventry Givens interviews the victims and searches for the perpetrators.  Then a case closer to his home in Kenilworth divides his attention.

The body of a young woman is discovered in the ancient crypt of a chapel on the grounds of a charity school.  The body has been laid out in a staged manner and the conditions of the crypt preserved the body, but who she is and when and how she died presents problems.

I liked the setting with all the tensions of the period before England enters the war and the traditional style of the writing and investigation.  Givens is an interesting character, and I look forward to more in this series.

NetGalley/Sapere Books
Historical Fiction.  Oct. 7, 2019.  Print length:  268 pages. 


Catriona McPherson's books have consistently chilled and intrigued me.  Strangers at the Gate makes the fifth of her intense mystery/thrillers that I've read.  Each one is a stand-alone, which is unusual for such a prolific writer.  

Strangers at the Gate proves the old axiom "Too good to be true."

Paddy's new job results in a new job for Finn, and the rent free gate house on the boss's estate is an added bonus.  Paddy is enthusiastic, Finn less so, but when opportunity knocks, turning down so many advantages proves too difficult.

Simmerton is located in a valley and the mountains that surround it make sunlight brief; combined with the lack of sunlight, Finn is uncomfortable with the oppressive atmosphere of the surrounding woods.  

Shortly after moving in, Paddy and Finn are invited to have dinner with Paddy's boss and his wife.  The Dudgets, Lovett and Tuft, live in a grand dower house called Widdershins, a short walk through the woods from the gate house.  Finn is reluctant to go, but once there, she has a surprisingly good time.  Tuft is irrepressible and funny, and Finn enjoys the evening.  

As Paddy and Finn are walking home after the dinner, Finn realizes she has forgotten her bag.  The two return to find that in the short time they were gone, Lovett and Tuft are dead.  Finn tells Paddy to call the police, but he persuades her to wait until the return to the gate house where they discuss their shock and horror.  We also discover why Paddy would rather not call the police at all and why Finn finally agrees.

As they wait for the deaths to be discovered by someone else, the strain on Finn and Paddy increases.    

Was it a suicide or murder?  The suspense and twists increase when an email from Lovett to his office was after the time Paddy and Finn found the couple dead.  Finn makes some too rapid assumptions about what has happened and there are a few connections that don't feel coherent, but I was glued to the pages until the end ignoring a few details (or lack thereof) that bothered me.  McPherson is a master of suspense, and I was along for the ride.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Suspense.  Oct. 22, 2020.  Print length:  368 pages.

What Happened to the Week?

We left Tuesday for a quick trip to Houston and got back yesterday.  The combination of all the yardwork from the weekend and the five hour drive there and back has left me so stiff!  I look at the garden and see what needs to be done...and groan.  

On the positive side, the cuttings I've been taking from rosemary, coleus, and sweet potato vine have all rooted.  I especially love the chocolate drop coleus:  it is happy in sun or shade, has a trailing habit, beautiful foliage, and is easy to propagate.  Today, I will take some more cuttings, do a little clean-up of shrubs, and note some chores that I can accomplish later.  I have dug up the monkey grass about half-way around one bed, but that is too strenuous for today.  I simply don't have the energy to tackle that today.

Most of my day will be writing letters, reading, and writing a couple of reviews.  :)

Dear Amy by Helen Callagan.  

Margot Lewis teaches at a private school; she is also an "agony aunt," an advice columnist for a local paper.  Not all of the letters she receives are genuine, and usually Margot spots them quickly, but when she receives a letter from a girl who says she has been kidnapped and is begging for help, Margot isn't sure whether or not the letter is a hoax. 

The police dismiss the letter; Bethan Avery, the girl who purportedly wrote the letter, has been missing for years and long presumed dead.  But more letters arrive, and a cold-case criminologist becomes interested because the letters have details that were never released.

A suspenseful psychological thriller, Dear Amy has plenty of twists!

NetGalley/Penguin UK

Psychological/Mystery/Suspense.  June 16, 2016.  Print length:  352 pages.

The Traitor's Story by Kevin Wignall.  

Finn Harrington is a historian (rumored to be a former spy).  Returning home after a research trip, he learns that his girlfriend has left him.  He hasn't had a chance to really consider why she left and whether or not her absence is permanent, when a neighbor appears at his door asking for his help--her fifteen-year-old daughter is missing.  

Finn initially brushes her off.  A reticent and withdrawn man,  he has his own circumstances to consider.  After some thought, however, he agrees to look into the situation.  Finn's search for the missing girl intrigues him and somehow initiates Finn's reinvolvement with himself and others.  

The story moves from present to past, allowing the reader to become privy to the events in Finn's past that have led to his disengagement with others and his almost total withdrawal into his writing.  Gradually, Finn becomes more approachable, more engaged with the world and those who inhabit it.

Some of the detail in the sections about the past could have been abbreviated.  While past circumstances are crucial to the plot in the present, this portion sometimes interrupted the pace.

Nevertheless, The Traitor's Story was a compelling read about a complex individual who must come to terms with his past and his present, and I really enjoyed it. 

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer

Mystery/Suspense.  June 21, 2016.  Print length:  384 pages.

The Wages of Desire:  An Inspector Lamb Novel by Stephen Kelly is set in a small English village during the early years of the war.

Although this might fall into the cozy category, it is a much more complex version.  The characters have depth and individuality, and the plot is a knotty tangle of threads that reach back into the past.

 Secrets abound in the bucolic English countryside; the title is significant in more than one way.

I haven't read the first in this series, but I liked Inspector Lamb and the way Kelly managed to pull everything together.

Reviews on Goodreads run the gamut, but I found all the twisting threads fascinating and would eagerly read more of Inspector Lamb.

NetGalley/Pegasus Books

Mystery.  July 4, 2016.  Print length:  352 pages.

As usual, NetGalley is hit or miss, and I have had quite a few misses lately, but the above three novels kept me engaged and are worth all of the NetGalley e-books that hit the metaphoric DNF pile.

The Blackhouse by Peter May

Sometimes you just luck up on an author that you have never read and find yourself immersed in a world or a character that demands your full attention.  

The Blackhouse is the first in The Lewis Man trilogy by Peter May.  Set on the Isle of Lewis, the most remote of the Scottish islands, the novel weaves past and present together as Edinburgh detective Finn McLeod returns to the island after a sixteen year absence.  His only other return was a brief visit to attend his aunt's funeral.

After investigating a brutal murder in Edinburgh, Finn is sent to the Isle of Lewis to see if he can make a connection to a hauntingly similar murder there.  He is wary of returning to the island and confronting old friends and enemies, and he is not welcomed by the DCI in charge of the investigation.

The victim, as it turns out, is someone Finn knew well--the island bully and bad boy.  As Finn investigates (he already feels sure that this murder is a copycat, not connected to the Edinburgh case, but he keeps that to himself), he finds himself returning to childhood memories.  

Alternating between the first person perspective of Finn's memories and the third person perspective dealing with the investigation, it is clear that the memories will somehow become crucial to solving the case.

I'm not going to go into the plot any further, but it is a rewarding one with some surprises.  The characters are three dimensional and complex, the atmosphere and landscape are beautifully depicted, and  the traditions and culture of the isolated island community are skillfully related.  

This is not simply a murder mystery or a crime novel--it is much more.   I will be looking for the sequel and some of the other novels by Peter May.  Highly recommended.

Some information about Peter May (via this source):

Peter May is the multi award-winning author of:

• the internationally best-selling Lewis Trilogy set in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland;
• the China Thrillers, featuring Beijing detective Li Yan and American forensic pathologist Margaret Campbell;
• the critically-acclaimed Enzo Files, featuring Scottish forensic scientist Enzo MacLeod, which is set in France;
• and several standalone books, the latest of which is Entry Island (January 2014, Quercus UK).

Every book in the series has won prestigious awards.

A beautiful video of the Isle of Lewis:


   
NetGalley/Quercus Books

Mystery/Suspense/Psychological.  2013.  Print Length:  401 pages

The Thief of Auschwitz

The Thief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch is an ARC sent by Kelley & Hall.  Clinch took an unusual step in self-publishing this novel: could have been risky-- but maybe not, because he had already made a name for himself with his first novel Finn, which was "named a best book of the year by  the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune and the Christian Science Monitor."  Other critical acclaim came from the ALA, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Kirkus.

I can't say that I "liked" Finn, but I appreciated the quality of the writing and the content.  It is one of the rare novels that you don't exactly enjoy (I mean, Pap Finn is a wicked protagonist), but you recognize its worth and admire the author, and you know that it is a good book and are exceedingly glad you read it.

The Thief of Auschwitz, however, shows Clinch's versatility as an author.  The protagonists in this novel are people you care for, the loving and compassionate Rosen family, who show courage and loyalty in the midst of the hell in which they find themselves.

Clinch relates the Rosen family's journey, before and during their incarceration in Auschwitz, in two different narratives.  Max Rosen, a famous artist, is preparing for a retrospective at the National Gallery in Washington, and we have Max's voice in the present, a survivor who has met with remarkable success.  The alternate narrative of the family's experiences in Auschwitz is the heart of the book.  Max, now an old man, knows the importance of remembering what happened, and his voice in the present is vital, irreverent, and aware of the importance of remembering and honoring those who perished, and how, and why.

I feared it would be a tear-jerker, but it wasn't.  While Clinch lets us know the atrocities of which man is capable, he does it in a way that avoids sentimentality and mawkishness.  There is a sense that Clinch genuinely cares for these individuals, he is...solicitous?  Yet he doesn't manipulate our emotions, and there is definitely a trick to that.  Especially when dealing with the Holocaust, it is difficult to tell a story without exploiting the many avenues of tragedy, but Clinch manages to involve us deeply with the characters without excessive sentimentality.
He somehow mingles sadness and hope

OK - This one is worth your time.

Thanks to Jocelyn at Kelley & Hall for sending me a copy.

Literary Fiction. 2012.  258 pages.

Failing Our Brightest Kids by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Brandon L. Wright

Failing Our Brightest Kids:  The Global Challenge of Educating High-Ability Students

Book Description:  
In this provocative volume, Chester E. Finn, Jr., and Brandon L. Wright argue that, for decades, the United States has done too little to focus on educating students to achieve at high levels. The authors identify two core problems: First, compared to other countries, the United States does not produce enough high achievers. Second, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are severely underrepresented among those high achievers. The authors describe educating students to high levels of achievement as an issue of both equity and human capital: talented students deserve appropriate resources and attention, and the nation needs to develop these students’ abilities to remain competitive in the international arena.

American Education has focused on equity for several decades--on making sure that children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds reach a minimum level of proficiency. And there has been some success in closing that gap.

On the other hand, bright and high ability children are often neglected with the assumption that they will do fine anyway.  The authors are concerned with those children for whom the minimum provides no challenge.  How have these children been served?  And how do our most capable students stand in relation with students from other countries?

In 2012, 27 of 34 countries did better than we did on the math section of the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) exam.  (More information about the findings can be found here.)  And this is just one assessment that reveals our less than stellar educational results compared to other countries.

While the authors make a strong case for better opportunities for all children with high ability or who are high achievers, they are even more concerned about the neglect of high ability students from disadvantaged homes in which academics are not a priority, students whose parents are unaware of what is offered or don't have the financial means to take advantage, students who live in areas where transportation to a better school is not available or practical, and of students who speak another language at home.  Untapped and neglected potential that we cannot afford to waste.  Why are other countries doing better at reaching these students than we are?

OK--I knew this was going to be a problem.  How to review a book that has so much information and that I've highlighted perhaps over-zealously?  (I had to keep switching highlight colors to bring out important details in important passages.)  There is so much information to ponder!

In spite of the numerous acronyms for educational programs and assessments, the book is surprisingly readable.  I enjoyed reading about the way the eleven countries in the study handled the problems of trying to provide both equity and excellence, their strengths and weaknesses, and what the U.S. might learn from their efforts.

To avoid bogging down in details that I find fascinating, I'm going to direct you to reviews that might give you a better idea about the importance of the book:

NPR review

Wall Street Journal review

NetGalley/Harvard Education Press

Education Theory.   Aug. 28, 2015.  Print length:  312 pages.  

catching up

Things have been very hectic around here lately. Spent Thursday seeking medical attention for my father at Quick Care (ha! quick?) for a stomach virus. Then Friday, spent the entire day over there. I'd hoped to have those two days for house cleaning as my daughter and her family came in last night, but hey, things don't always work out the way you plan and there are worse things than a dirty house.

Thursday, as we waited at Quick Care, I finished Finn. Hours of awaiting are only hours of reading, right? I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to review it because Thursday and Friday were spent over at Laddie's, then frantically cleaning house. Our Mila is watching Barny right now, so I've got a few minutes to catch up email and comments.

Finn is going to require a little more thought than some books. It is one that will, like it or not, remain with me for a long time, and I just don't have time now to review it.

Just Finished, Just Started

I've finished Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs and will review it later.

Right now, two books are in process, but I'm not sure if Charles J. Shields' Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee is going to make the cut. The introduction is terrific, but the first chapter gives me pause. This is an unauthorized biography, and Harper Lee refused to communicate with Shields. While I found the intro extremely promising, the first chapter is setting my teeth on edge, counteracting those positive feelings. Well, I've not really given it a chance, and will set it aside for a while to see if my attitude changes. This was going to be my monthly biography, but we shall see.

I've also begun Finn by Jon Clinch, a novel about Huck Finn's Pap. Whoa! Clinch's writing is almost like reading a nightmare, beautiful and frightening. A study in wickedness. Evil under a microscope. Whitewashing. On page 11, Clinch introduces a morbid echo of the whitewashed fence in Tom Sawyer. The "whited sepulchre" -- a new approach to The Heart of Darkness. This novel is going to be intense and will probably require many short sessions with lots of time to think in between. Lisa at Bluestalking Reader reviewed the novel with great enthusiasm a while back, and when I saw it on the New Book Shelf at the library, I whipped into my book bag without a second thought. Having read fewer than 20 pages, second and third thoughts (and more) are already whirling in a maelstrom.

My thanks to Sam at Book Chase for listing me in The Thinking Blogger Award meme. I particularly appreciate Sam's nomination as I enjoy his blog. As for participating (the rules are listed in the above link) and nominating 5 more blogs, well, check the side bar. Many of these blogs have already been nominated. I just can't choose. :) I've always had difficulty naming 5 or 10 (or whatever) of my favorite books, movies, etc. I'm too wish-washy! The internal debate goes on and on and my frustration with my inability to make up mind, to leave one out, to prioritize-- just grows and grows. I try to link any blog that has grabbed my attention, entertained me, intrigued me, made me curious, but I don't always remember to do so. I will try to be more conscientious about showing appreciation for blog posts in the future, but there are so many entertaining and informative blogs and blog posts...

River Secrets by Shannon Hale (Once Upon a Time Challenge)

River Secrets continues the Bayern cycle that Hale began with The Goose Girl.  It is another fine  novel by Hale, filling in the niche between children's books and YA novels for the older set.


Young Razo is chosen to accompany the group from Bayern that travels to Tira in an exchange of ambassadors.  Razo is young, small for his age, and without the skills or the strength that others in the expedition possess.  He is a goofy, Bantam rooster kind of  kid, with great personal charm, an interest in other people, and unusual powers of observation, but he feels inferior and doesn't know why he has been chosen for this mission.


All of the members of the group are aware of the danger that threatens their mission in Tira (recently defeated in the war with Bayern).  Not all of Tira's citizens are over the grief and outrage of their losses, and some are actively calling for a return to fighting. 


When Razo discovers a burned body on their journey to Tira, no one is sure who caused the death and their concerns increase, only to multiply when they are actually ensconced in Tira itself and more burned bodies are discovered.


 Enna (of Enna Burning, the second novel in the series) is also part of the group.  Although she has come a long way in conquering her gift of fire, Razo and Finn worry about her for several reasons: they fear that she is not yet fully in command of her powers, they fear the Tirans discovering that she is responsible for so many of the Tiran deaths during the war, and against their wills, her friends fear that Enna may be the one who has burned the bodies they find.


I loved The Goose Girl and liked Enna Burning, but Razo's personality marks this book in a different way.  It is a coming of age story about a rather delightful young man and is lighter in tone (despite the many dangers) because of Razo's outlook on life.


The beginning is slow, and it took me a while to become fully invested in the story, but once there...a pleasure and a very fast read!


Fiction.   Fantasy.  2006.  310 pages.

Busy Weekend

It has been a busy weekend. Lots of company, good food, and no let up of talk. The grandchildren are always a delight and keep every moment filled with activity.

I'm off to another appt. for Laddie this morning, but hope to catch up on emails and comments this afternoon. I also want to review Finn.

Library Haul

From the library:

Still working on Citizens of London, but abandoned Walking to Gatlinburg which became predictable in its oddness.  At first, I really liked it and began equating it with Mark Twain's Huck Finn  (Walking is also a picaresque novel with lots of strange characters), but the short little episodes and weird characters became less interesting and less suspenseful.  Seemed more formula than content, more caricature than character.

Last night, I turned to a used Diana Wynne Jones book, Witch Week.  Written for older elementary or middle school children, Witch Week was a quick and enjoyable way to spend the evening. Jenny at Jenny's Books has had several posts recommending DJW, and I've noticed that other bloggers have also enjoyed her works, but I'd never read anything by her.

While browsing through a used book store a week or so ago, I found a copy of Witch Week and decided to try it.  I liked it!  It was funny and charming!



Jenny is hosting a Diana Wynne Jones Week, August 1-7.  Check out this post.  I think I'll save my review for that week, and I might even fit in another DWJ book since they are such fun and such quick reads!

How many of you are fans of DWJ's books?

Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper

 Devastated by the loss of the fishing industry, the folks of the small Newfoundland village of Big Running gradually abandoned their homes to find work elsewhere.  The Connors, however, have hung on, trying to wait for the cod to return to their waters.  Our Homesick Songs is a beautiful tale of  tradition, the power of songs, and mythic family stories.  Loved it.

The above paragraph is from a short mention I made of this book on my other blog, and I intended to write a longer review here, but really, that paragraph encapsulates my feelings.

The writing style is a little unusual, but it doesn't take long to adjust and become part of the story.  Hooper's style works beautifully, almost melodically.  The characters are wonderful--all of them, but Finn and Cora are especially inspiring for their faith in a future they go about working for in different ways.

I savored the experience of reading this magical and ultimately hopeful tale of a vanishing way of life and the struggles to hold on.  It is one of my favorite books this year.

Highly Recommended.

Read in May; blog review scheduled for July 31.

NetGalley/Simon & Schuster

Literary Fiction.  August 14, 2018.  Print length:  336 pages.

Smoke and Mirrors and A Season to Lie

:) It is always interesting to see what attracts a person to a book.  Author?  Topic?  Genre? Setting? Cover?  

I requested Smoke and Mirrors because the main character is the sister of P.T. Barnum (at least in fiction), and Evie Barnum works at her brother's museum.  Of course, I couldn't refuse even a fictional look at the workings of the museum with all of its exhibits and oddities. One of Evie's friends is the bearded lady, the most popular exhibit is the Fiji mermaid.  

A murder, a secret past, and an arrogant and annoying sister-in-law all woven in this first book in a new series.  Was it all that I hoped for?  Not quite.  Too much takes place outside of the museum.  Nevertheless, I look forward to more of Evie Barnum's adventures, and I expect that a character who was introduced and then dropped will make a return in the next book.

Light and entertaining.  
Read in August; blog review scheduled for 8/27/17.

NetGalley/Severn House

Historical Mystery.  Nov. 1, 2017.  Print length:  224 pages.

OK, I requested A Season to Lie because of the cover.  The splash of the red scarf on the white snow proved irresistible, especially in a hot and humid Louisiana summer.

As Colorado police officer Gemma Monroe complained about the freezing temperatures, I thought about giving her an earful about the kind of July weather that fogs your glasses when you open the door.  Not really, but the cold that hampered Gemma's investigation was a pleasant imaginative escape for me.

Just back from maternity leave, Gemma and her partner Finn are called out in blizzard conditions after an anonymous caller phones in a report of a prowler at an expensive private school.  Expecting a student graffiti prank, instead they discover a murdered man with a message stuffed in his mouth.

Worse yet, the man is a famous author who, under an assumed name, was functioning as a writing coach for the school as a favor to a childhood friend.  

There are other unpleasant undercurrents at the school, but how are they connected to the death of the author?  Or are they?  

I enjoyed the mystery and the setting of A Season to Lie.  I haven't read the first book in this new series, but I will be checking the library for Inherit the Bones.  

Read in July; blog review scheduled for 8/27/17

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Mystery/Police Procedural.  Nov. 13, 2017.  Print length:  336 pages.

Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman and Safe House by Jo Jakeman

I had looked forward to this one, and at first, I thought I might like it.  

That didn't turn out to be the case.  The behavior of the main character was off-the-wall questionable from the first chapter and became more questionable with each succeeding chapter.  

More filler than thriller.  And then there was the conclusion.  

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer
Feb. 1, 2020.  Print length:  314 pages.  

I really liked Jo Jakeman's previous book (under two titles at the time I read it--Exes' Revenge and Sticks and Stones), and I was excited about Jakeman's Safe House.

from description:  The morning after a terrible storm, a woman turns up in a remote Cornish village. She calls herself Charlie, but it's a name she's only had for a few days. She keeps herself to herself, reluctant to integrate with the locals. Because Charlie has a secret.

Before her ten months in prison for supplying a false alibi for her boyfriend, Charlie was Steffie Finn.  Now with a new name and hopefully a safe place to live without the burden of anyone knowing her past, Charlie is trying to come to terms with who she really is and fit into her new name and new life in a small village.  While in prison, Steffi received twisted hate mail, blaming her for the deaths of the two women her boyfriend killed. It is difficult for her to feel safe physically and she fears exposure that would incite more threats.

Part of the suspense is not knowing who it is that has made such an effort to find her.  Part of the suspense is waiting to see what the twist will be. Jakeman keeps the reader uneasy.

I liked  speculating about this and that possibility.  Until the author wants the reader to know, the guessing game is intact.  Written in past and present and in various perspectives, Safe House was a satisfying psychological thriller, although the conclusion felt rushed.  

NetGalley/Berkely Publ.
Psychological Suspense.  March 10, 2020.  Print length:  336 pages.

January and the Latest "New Beginning"

Favorites Books from 2019.  This is hard because I read so many mysteries and looking back, I don't want to struggle with decisions about favorites.  Goodreads lists 177 books that I've reviewed, but I never got around to reviewing all of the books; some are still in draft form, some I may not even bother with reviewing at this point.

Nonfiction Favorites:  

The Lost Words by Robert MacFarlane and Jacki Morris (poetry and art)

Fiction Favorites:

There were so many good mysteries and thrillers this year, even if I don't want to take the time to decide which ones I liked best.  I hope to list some favorites each month in 2020 to make it less time consuming to decide on favorite mysteries and thrillers.


Goals/Resolutions.  January always seems a little fraught for me because I have the urge to organize and clear out, make lists, make decisions.  Probably many of you feel the same urges.  Thinking about what you want from the new year can result in long, long lists that seem impossible to achieve, so I'm keeping it simple as far as goals.  (Which doesn't mean I won't be checking on the many other things I'd like for 2020 (more patience, less procrastinating, recycle-reuse and be more environmentally conscious, etc., but I won't feel pressured by them.)

 I have only 3 easy to achieve goals:  1)  renew my yoga practice by just committing to get on the mat every day, 2) walk more, and 3) get out more to do things I enjoy (quit being such a hermit).  I've had a successful first week.  Fingers crossed on the rest of the month. 

None of my goals have anything to do with reading, but I do look at the various reading challenges posted and add books to my TBR list.  

Reading Itineraries.  I've taken reading itineraries most of my life--sometimes deliberate, sometimes not even realized until some way down the road.  After reading about a person or event or place in a book of fiction or nonfiction, I often follow up on that in other books.  Mary Tudor as a minor character in a historical mystery might lead to an interest in Jane Gray, or Elizabeth I, or persecution of Protestants, or Philip of Spain.   It is kind of a one-thing-leads-to-another thing, but with various digressions to explore along the way.  Historical fiction often encourages me to find out more about historical characters and events.  

 I'm a third of the way through The Idea of the Brain:  The Past and Future of Neuroscience by Matthew Cobb, which reminded me of the brain/science/learning itinerary I started several years ago.  I read a number of these one year, and then continued to look for interesting books in the category.  

The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
The Secret Live of the Mind by Mariano Sigman
How We Learn by Benedict Carey
The Wisdom Paradox by Elkhonon Goldberg
The Three Pound Enigma by Shannon Moffett
The Vigorous Mind by Ingrid E. Cummings
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
The Intention Experiment by Lynne Taggert
How Children Succeed by Paul Tough
Failing Our Brightest Kids by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Brandon L. Wright
Learned Optimism by Martin E.P. Seligman
The Body Has a Mind of Its Own by Sandra Blakeslee and MatthewBlakeslee
Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Human Mind by V.S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee

Another nonfiction itinerary that has continued for years is a yoga book itinerary.  I've reviewed some, but not all of these, and since I took these pics several years ago, I'm not sure what I've added since then.  The bottom stack are my favorites from all the piles.

I don't see me buying any new books in this category right now, but several of my favorites bear another rereading, especially since I'm trying to renew my practice this year.

Stitching.  I've finished the second panel for 25 Million Stitches, and now I'm darning holes in a sweater and finishing up some UFOs from the last two years.  

Listening.  To some interesting podcasts while I stitch.  

Planning.  Next year's garden and enjoying my salad garden.  I mean it feels like spring here with temps in the 60's and 70's!

2007 Reading update (updated 1/1/08)

December 10 books (106 total for the year)

The Yiddish Policeman's Union. Michael Chabon. Mystery? Alternate history? 2007. 411 pages. My review.

The Whale Road. Robert Low. Historical novel. 2007. 338 pages. My review.

The Wheel of Darkness. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Mystery/supernatural. 2007. 385. My review.

Tips for Quilters. Rachel T. Pellman, ed. Nonfiction. 1993. 234 pages. My Review.

Your Handwriting Can Change Your Life. Vimala Rodgers. Nonfiction. 2000. 167 pages. My review.

Vivaldi's Virgins. Barbara Quick. Historical fiction. 2007. 278 pages. My review.

Shadows & Lies. Marjorie Eccles. Mystery. 2005. 333 pages. My review.

The Indian Bride. Karin Fossum. Mystery. 2005. 297 pages. My review.

The Chinese Alchemist. Lyn Hamilton. Mystery. 2007. 257 pages. My review.

Kept: A Victorian Mystery. D.J. Taylor. Historical mystery. 2007. 351 pages. My review.



November 7 books (96 total)

Friend of the Devil. Peter Robinson. Mystery/suspense. ARC 2008. 372 pages. My review.

A Boy Named Shel: The Life and Times of Shel Silverstein. Lisa Rogak. Biography. 2007. 223 pages. My review.

The Warrior. Kinley MacGregor. Historical Romance. 344 pages. My review.

Ghostwalk. Rebecca Stott. Mystery/supernatural . 2007. 284 pages. My review.

The Cliff House Strangler. Shirley Tallman. Mystery. 2007. 320 pages. My review.

On Borrowed Wings. Chandra Prasad. Fiction. 2007. 310 pages. My review.

Without a Map: A Memoir. Meredith Hall. Memoir. 2007. 220 pages. My review.


October 5 books (89 total)

Stolen Magic. M. J. Putney. Fantasy. 2005. 337 pages. My review.

60 on Up: The Truth About Aging in America. Lillian B. Rubin, Ph.D. Sociology. 2007. 172 pages. My review.

Waiting to Surface. Emily Listfield. Fiction. 2007. 307 pages. My review.

The Lace Reader. Brunonia Barry. Psychological/supernatural. 2006. 353 pages. My review.

Renfield: Slave of Dracula. Barbara Hambly. Gothic. 2006. 306 pages. My review.


September (12) 84 total

The Zookeeper's Wife. Diane Ackerman. Biography. 2007. 323 pages. My review.

Homebody. Orson Scott Card. Supernatural. 1998. 432 pages. My review.

Rebel Angels. Libba Bray. YA. 2005. 548 pages. My review.

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch. Joseph Delaney. YA. 2005. 343 pages. My review.

The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives. Michael Buckley. YA. 2007. 284 pages. My review.

The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins. Mystery. 493 pages. My review.

Long Ago in France. M.F.K. Fisher. Nonfiction. Memoir. 1997. 159 pages. My review.

Season of the Witch. Natalie Mostert. Gothic mystery. 2007. 395 pages. My review.

Dissolution. C.J. Sansom. Historical mystery. 2003. 390 pages. My review.

A Great and Terrible Beauty. Libba Bray. YA. 2003. 403 pages. My review.

Bridge of Sighs. Richard Russo. Fiction. 2007. 527 pages. My review.


August (6) -- 72 total-- (**decided not to bother reviewing 2 of the books)

The Millionth Circle. Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D. 1999. 87 pages. **

The Spanish Bow. Andromeda Romano-Lax. Fiction. Historical. 2007. 554 pages. My review.

Mademoiselle Victorine. Debra Finerman. Fiction. Historical. 2007. 289 pages. **

An Ocean of Air. Gabrielle Walker. Nonfiction. Science. 2007. 238 pages. My review.

Among Other Things, I've Taken Up Smoking. Aoibheann Sweeney. Fiction. Coming-of-age story. 2007. 257 pages. My review.

Elizabeth of the German Garden. Leslie De Charms. Nonfiction. Biography. 1958. 424 pages. My review.

The Blue Castle. L.M. Montgomery. Romance. 1993/1926. 218 pages. My review.


July ( 13) 66 total

the guy not taken: stories. Jennifer Weiner. 2006. 279 pages. My review.

The Janissary Tree. Jason Goodwin. Mystery/historical. 2006. 299 pages. My review.

Elizabeth and Her German Garden. Elizabeth von Arnim. Semi-autographical memoir. 1898/2007. 175 pages. My review.

Stealing the Dragon. Tim Maleeny. Mystery. 2007. 365 pages. My review.

The Black Sun. James Twining. Mystery/thriller. 2006. 416 pages. My review.

Echoes of Honor. David Weber. Science fiction/ space opera. 1998. 569 pages. My review.

In Enemy Hands. David Weber. Science fiction/ space opera. 1997. 530 pages. My review.

The Sonnet Lover. Carol Goodman. Mystery. 2007. 350 pages. My review.

Messenger of Truth. Jacqueline Winspear. Mystery. 2006. 310 pages. My review.

The Chess Machine. Robert Lohr. Historical. 2007. 344 pages. My review.

Half Broken Things. Morag Joss. Suspense. 2004. 303 pages. My review.

Sandstorm. James Rollins. Adventure. 2004. 569. My review.

Shadow Cities. Robert Neuwirth. Nonfiction. Journalism/social criticism. 2005. 315 pages. My review.


June (7) 53

Sword & Blossom. Peter Pagnamento and Momoto Williams. Nonfiction. Biography/history/ memoir. 2007. 310 pages. My review.

Abandon. Pico Iyer. Mystery. 2003. 354 pages. My review.

The Book of Fate. Brad Meltzer. Political thriller. 2007. 616 pages. My Review.

Killer Weekend. Ridley Pearson. Mystery. 2007. 323 pages. My review.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Kate Bernheimer, ed. Nonfiction. Essays. 1998. 358 pages. My review.

Police at the Funeral. Margery Allingham. Mystery. 1931. 252 pages. My review.

The Gyrth Chalice. Margery Allingham. Mystery. 1931. 191 pages. My review.

May (5) 46

Mystery Mile. Margery Allingham. Mystery. 1930. 254 pages. My review.

Water for Elephants. Sara Gruen. Historical/mystery. 2006. 331 pages. My review.

Jubilee Trail. Gwen Bristow. Historical romance/adventure. 1950. 564 pages. My review.

Inkheart. Cornelia Funke. YA Fantasy. 2003. 534 pages. My review.

All Creatures Great and Small. James Herriot. Memoir. 1972. 437 pages. My review.

April (15) 41

Mistakes Were Made (but not by me.) Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. Nonfiction. 2007. 236 pages. My review.

The Honor of the Queen. David Weber. Science Fiction. 1993. 422 pages. My review.

On Basilisk Station. David Weber. Science Fiction. 1993. 419 pages. My review.

The Road. Cormac McCarthy. Futuristic. 2006. 241 pages. My review.

Off Armageddon Reef. David Weber. Science ficition. 2006. 592 pages. My review.

The Lizard's Bite. David Hewson. Mystery. 2006. 417 pages. My review.

The Orchid Shroud. Michelle Wan. Mystery. 2006. 336 pages. My review.

The Silent Tower. Barbara Hambly. Fantasy. 1986. 369 pages. My review.

Coraline. Neil Gaiman. Fantasy. 2003. 162 pages.

The Amulet of Samarkand. Jonathan Stroud. YA Fantasy. 2003. 462 pages. My review.

Summers at Castle Auburn. Sharon Shinn. Fantasy. 2001. 342 pages. My review.

Mistress of the Art of Death. Ariana Franklin. Mystery/Historical. 2007. 381 pages. My review.

Evil Genius. Catherine Jinks. YA Fantasy. 2007. 486 pages. My review.

Spirit Gate. Kate Elliott. Fantasy. 2006. 445 pages. My review.

The Book Without Words. Avi. Fable/fantasy. 2005. 200 pages. My review.

March (9) 26

The Rossetti Letter. Christy Phillips. Mystery/historical. 2006. 383 pages. My review.

Blind Submission. Debra Ginsberg. Mystery. 2006. 328 pages. My review.

Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee. Charles J. Shields. 2006. 285 pages. My review.

Finn. Jon Clinch. Fiction. 2007. 283 pages. My review.

Break No Bones. Kathy Reichs. Fiction. Mystery. 2006. 237 pages. My review.

Silent in the Grave. Deanna Raybourn. Fiction. Mystery. 2007. 509 pages. My review.

The Shape-Changer's Wife. Sharon Shinn. Fiction. Fantasy. 1995. 215 pages. My review.

Palace Walk. Naguib Mahfouz. Fiction. Foreign Culture. 1956. 498 pages. My Review.

Break, Blow, Burn. Camille Paglia. Poetry/Criticism. 2005. 242 pages. My Review.

February (11) 17

(in progress: Palace Walk; Break, Blow, Burn; The Shape-Changer's Wife)

Quilted Memories. Lesley Riley. Nonfiction. Quiliting. 125 pages. 2005. My review. (very brief)

40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts. Evelyn Sloppy. Nonfiction. Quilting. 2005. 159 pages. 2005. My review.

The Physics of the Buffyverse. Jennifer Ouellette. Nonfiction. 283 pages. 2006. My review.

Weight. Jeannette Winterson. Myth. 151 pages. 2005. My review.

Candide. Voltaire. Satire. 113 pages. 2003. My review.

A Corpse in the Koryo. James Church. Mystery. 280. 2006. My review.

Traveler. Ron McLarty. Fiction. 280 pages. 2007. My review.

The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden. Catherynne Valente. 483 pages. 2006. My Review.

Written in Bones: How Human Remains Unlock the Secrets of the Dead. Paul Bahn, ed. 185 pages. Nonfiction/Archaeology. 2002. My Review.

The Winter Child. Margaret Maron. 324 pages. Mystery. 2006. My review.

The Poe Shadow. Matthew Pearl. 367 pages. Historical mystery. c. 2006. My review.

JANUARY (6)

The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop. Lewis Buzbee. 216 pages. Memoir, history. My review.

Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Qyeen. Joanna Denny. 327 pages. Biography. My review.

Phantom. Terry Goodkind. 587 pages. Fantasy. My review.

Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found. Suketu Mehta. 542 pages. Journalism, travel, memoir. My review.

The Rest Falls Away. Colleen Gleason. 347 pages. Fiction. My review.

Voltaire Almighty. Roger Pearson. 420+ pages. Biography. My review.