Jane Harper is what I call a gentle mystery writer. Her novels are not cozy as they all contain some traumatic event, a mystery to be solved and some relationships in need of work but she guides us quietly to the conclusion while letting us get to know the characters fully. A new mom goes missing at a festival leaving her newborn behind . This is so out of character that her friends and family are stunned and even more shocked when there are no clues as to what happened. A year later at the same festival and another plea by the family hoping for a lead. Those same friends are there to christen a new baby and while Detective Aaron Falk is there as Godparent he can't help but get pulled into this mystery and another unsolved event. What Tana French does for Ireland Jane Harper does for Australia, showing us the beauty of the remote areas as well as the resiliency of the people who live there. This one like her others quietly works itself under your skin. 4 stars
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Being a fishing Captain in Iceland is not high on my list of ideal professions with the harsh climate and even tougher economic conditions not to mention that it is not something most women do. This is exactly what one woman did in the late 1700's and excelled making her one of the most talented and heroic fishing Captains of all time. The living conditions were miserable and her family along with others in a very remote part of the island were struggling between starvation, disease and freezing. Conditions and the danger of fishing were considerable as well and many men were lost each season at sea.
This story is just as much about fishing as it is what life was like for women during this time. Not an easy read for those who can get tangled up in Icelandic names but fascinating. 3 stars Victor Green was working as a New York postman in 1936 when he saw the need for an informative directory of safe places for black travelers. Not only did The Green Book list favorable motels, restaurants and service stations with usable restrooms but also included Negro colleges and schools to visit and vacation resorts- all updated regularly and only 25 cents. He sold , delivered and updated his published guide through word of mouth and mail. We all make a checklist before a trip making sure the car is ok, hotel reservations are made and a clear route is picked out and if something goes wrong we can adapt easily enough. For black families, musicians and businessmen no trip was this easy. You left the house before sunrise to avoid as much interaction as possible, packed shoebox food for roadside picnics and made sure you were off the road and not in a sundown town by nightfall plus you made sure your car was travel worthy as any detour could bring danger. Just like owning a car this guide gave them freedom and peace of mind. This is a riveting roadtrip in two parts - the first is a historical sense of what life was like for travelers and a visit to many of the towns along the way and the second is a personal accounting of The Great Migration and Civil Rights Movement. For all the personal stories of happy family roadtrips there are also horrific accounts of racism and injustice nationwide not just in the deep South. 4 stars
Based sadly on an island community in mid 1800's Maine this is the story of a brave group of mixed race families who settled on an island hoping to create a haven away from the mainland hate and prejudice. Cut off from the mainland with the exception of a missionary who lived there in the summers and an occasional care package these islanders built crude homes and lived for generations before the outside world ripped them apart. When one of their own shows artistic talent and is convinced to go to the mainland to pursue his art and has a doomed relationship with a servant, the fragile island house of cards topples. Told in spare New England prose but with emotionally rich characters and setting, this is another historical example of bigotry and fear destroying a community.
This will appeal to readers of non traditional communities as well as Annie Prouix. 3 1/2 stars The annual Halloween scary maze and party is usually the neighborhood highlight of the year but this year will be very different and not just because it will be the last. Adults behaving badly as well as some of their kids create enough drama but the addition of the strange terrified children asking to be hidden from the Cunning Man tops the list. As the clock gets closer to midnight the Cunning Man will begin to take what he came for. The usual neighborhood adult drama, families in crisis and the ultimate Boogyman will make this a Halloween none of them will forget. Classic scary stuff for those who grew up inhaling Stephen King. 3 1/2 stars
Happy book birthday to EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE by Benjamin Stevenson
The most fun I have had with a crime novel in quite some time. A family reunion at a ski lodge down under sounds like fun but not when your soon to be ex is arriving along with the brother you sent to prison and that is before the bodies start piling up. A refreshing twist on classic whodunnits with the campy fun of "Knives Out". An Australian family is in deep snow with a killer who may be part of their group but definitely has it out for them. You know the story will be good when the author and possible unreliable but lovable narrator tells you to dog ear the page that talks about "the Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction". While the twists happen fast and furious the story and unveiling of clues is first rate. So put on your little detective caps Mate and settle in for a one sitting read. Fans of Anthony Horowitz and Carl Hiassen will appreciate the humor and setting. 4 1/2 stars Happy book birthday to HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE by Grady Hendrix
An estranged brother and sister reunite to sell their childhood home after the sudden death of their parents. They do not have fond memories of their childhood nor each other but they do share DNA and the desire to get rid of the house that might not want to be sold. When their mother's puppets and dolls become the star attraction of their nightmares they band together. This is classic Stephen King's THE SHINING and IT or Shirley Jackson's THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE told in the frighteningly funny wit of Grady Hendrix. Keep all the lights on with this one and clear out the stuffed animals and puppets first. 4 1/2 stars Three sisters all very different search for their own version of independence just as India is breaking away from British rule and its own future as an independent nation. Priya longs to be a doctor just as her father was which is almost impossible for a woman, Deepa wants to marry the man she loves not the man her family would choose for her and Jamini loves someone who will never be hers and seeks an independent future through her talented quilt making. The country is going through deep trauma and violence which affects all of them and their future. The tug between the old ways and this new generation of a future of change and new beginnings creates a family split. A rich story of family, religion, sibling rivalry and loyalty as well as the historical importance of what seeking independence will cost them. 4 stars
Happy book birthday to MR. BREAKFAST by Jonathan Carroll
Everyone wonders what would their life had been like if they had made one decision over another, gone to a different school, started a different job etc. Graham Patterson is a comedian on the way out so he takes a road trip to clear his head and on a whim gets a tattoo that he sees in a window. The unusual tattoo artist tells him that the "breakfast tattoo" has the power to show him three alternative lives and at the end of road testing them he must pick one to finish out. As with any fork in the road decision some of his lives went well and some not so much. The story gets a bit more muddy after he finds choosing just one life version a bit more complicated. The moral of this story may be that sometimes we are better off not knowing. For fans of magical realism, Matt Haig's time travel stories and HOW HIGH WE GO IN THE DARK. 3 stars The murder of a teen girl after a party immediately and forever changes the lives of the other teens who were with her as well as the parents of this quiet upper end neighborhood. Everybody is friendly until it is their kid that is threatened and as the detectives begin to round up a suspect and witnesses the three families involved circle the wagons screaming innocence. Friends who you shared wine with the day before are now accusatory and no one believes their child is capable of any wrongdoing. Who is lying, who was really responsible and how well do they really know their kids all play out in this expertly crafted drama. For fans of BEARTOWN, DEFENDING JACOB and LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE this one is for you. 4 stars
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