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This one, like the title, started off as simmering coals and then went straight to inferno as we would expect from Paula Hawkins. Laura hasn't been the same since she was the victim of a hit and run as a child, Miriam is a nosy houseboat neighbor with secrets of her own and Carla has lost much including the murder victim. All three women knew the man who was found dead on his boat. All three are hiding things. Who killed him and why? The book is constructed in the format we have come to expect - a twisted plot and unreliable narrators who are damaged but the story within the story is complicated. Of course, Ms. Hawkins keeps you guessing until the bitter end. Her fans will enjoy this as a solid thriller. 4 stars 
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A sweet story about the power of libraries and books as well as standing up for what you believe in. In a small English village there lives a little library that was once run by June's mom until she passed and where June still works as a Library Assistant. She feels keeping things exactly the way they have been but deep down she is starting to realize that she has stopped living her life. The situation changes when a plot to shut down the library by the city council spurs everyone to action. June must find her voice and stand up for the people who will miss the library the most. As June acts more like HORTON HEARS A WHO, she begins to believe in herself. A must for every librarian! 4 stars  The race to get to the arctic circle was run on foot and in the air by zeppelin in the 1920s. This was not without great risk as we know by the number of expeditions who turned back or disappeared. One of these expeditions was the Italia who Roald Amundsen crewed to be the first ship to land on the North Pole but instead ran into a huge storm where they lost some of the crew and were left to try to survive as best they could. Even though a huge rescue operation was launched they had little means of finding them out in the vast polar region. An exciting adventure that pits men against the most extreme elements and with basic means of surviving. The pace is good but I did get lost with the extra information about the bad blood between Noble and Amundsen. 3 1/2 stars  A sweeping story of a young woman Ailey trying to find her place and her ancestor's stories that make up her rich heritage and multi- racial background. In beautiful prose (which we would expect from the author's previous poetry) we jump from Ailey and present day back and forth to stories of her genetic pool and all the horrible conditions in which they lived and their joys. This weighty tome spans from Colonial slavery to present day. Jumping from many characters back and forth did take me some time to follow but it feels very lyrical and once you adjust to the rhythm it gets easier. 4 stars  Peter Heller always presents a strange mix of natural beauty and violence. Jack is running away from his old life so when an opportunity to become a fishing guide at a swanky lodge in remote Colorado happens he jumps. The scenery is beautiful , the fish are plentiful and he is enjoying being around his first client a superstar singer who is really a nature girl. Soon however the ideal job feels fishy and Jack and Alison begin to explore the area around the lodge a bit more. There seem to be more big fences and security than one would think necessary for a fishing lodge and they see things they shouldn't. They realize that they have waded into deep water but it may be too late. Readers will be hooked from the first page. Peter Heller is Gary Paulson for adults. Readers of high adventure and mystery in natural settings will enjoy this. 4 stars  Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an atmospheric writer who pulls you into the underbelly of political unrest of Mexico City in the 70's. Maite is a lonely young woman who lives out an exciting imaginary life through the romance serials she loves but that is far away from the life she lives in her real life. She agrees to help a neighbor but when Leonora disappears, Maite as well as some dangerous people begin to search for her and Maite discovers there is much more to Leonora than meets the eye. Another lonely soul, Elvis is also searching for Leonora. He and Maite bond over their love of music and the search for what happened to Leonora. Set firmly in crime noir, this story explores loneliness and longing mixed with protest, politics and violence. The author included a playlist at the end which adds much to setting the tone of the book. 4 stars  I was a big fan of one of his earlier works - A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN SIX GLASSES and this journey is all about wheels. From one of the first documented pictures of a wheel around 3500 BCE to the start of automobiles and the post car years ahead, this journey began with a way to get from point a to point b easier. It progressed to faster and now every point in-between. The author does a great job of connecting the dots between how one idea led into another and includes a bit of trivia into his well researched points. For transportation historians, engineers or lovers of moving faster and easier through life. 3 1/2 stars  In 1911 a worker at the Louvre museum takes a painting off the wall and walks out the door with it hidden under his shirt. He holds the painting hostage and demands a ransom from the museum. This is Luke Perrone's ancestor. Luke is fascinated by his family's hidden history and jumps at the chance to see an unknown diary written by his great grandfather in Italy. He obtains the proper papers and because he is an art professor, is given permission to view documents from a famous library in Florence. There he meets a beautiful art student with secrets of her own. As Luke seeks answers to clear his ancestor's name and find out if the painting is a forgery or the real thing, others are searching as well. Danger in some of the most beautiful art capitols of Europe and a solid cat and mouse mystery balanced with a touch of romance and the seedy side of art collectors - this is a sure bet for art historians, readers of art crimes and Dan Brown style mysteries. Armchair travel doesn't get any better than this and the author's own experience as an artist, attempts at forgery and crime novelist makes this feel authentic and well researched. 4 1/2 stars  A romp through London during wartime where a young female journalist gets her feet wet by turning a longtime advice column into a current piece helping the women who are entering the wartime work effort. Emmy works at a lady's magazine that might be past its prime until a new column begins offering better advice than making your meat rations last a week and starts a political tempest. Women are being called to work in factories to help the war effort but they are not prepared for not being given the same benefits and childcare. With new and old friends in tow, Emmy lifts up her voice to help these women and stands up to factory management, politicians and other journalists. She is able to raise awareness and gains self confidence. Historical fiction lovers will enjoy this but also readers of strong women enduring tough times and female friendships. 4 stars  Harper finds her husband dead of a suicide and calls her brother in a panic. Needing the insurance money the two stage the scene to look like a break in. Lane is a kind soul and he takes in Harper and her two kids until things get sorted. Not everyone is happy with this arrangement. Lane has just married Candace after a very fast courtship and Harper and Candace are oil and water. This puts Lane in a tough spot as referee to one cat fight after another and they both have secrets. This shows family at their best and worst. The ending was one I did not see coming. Fans of crazy family drama and books like HE STARTED IT will enjoy.  |
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