Welcome to the

Random words, pictures and thoughts of one who always wishes to be on the mind's road to discovery!

About Me

My photo
Connecticut River Valley, New England, United States

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Review: Murder on Bedford Street

Murder on Bedford Street (A Gaslight Mystery)Murder on Bedford Street by Victoria Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is with sadness that this review is written. 27 installments of the life of Sarah Brandt Malloy and her husband, Frank Malloy and the series is coming to an end. Not ending as did the Irish stories of Patrick Taylor who decided to retire from its writing, but rather curtailed by the death of Victoria Thompson. I've always written her note when finishing the latest episode to share with her my memories of my mother's and grandmother's stories of their lives in turn of the century New York City. I will miss that short but sweet flurry of notes.

I don't remember any mention of Ward's Island and its mental asylum so perhaps our notes would be much shorter. It does not come as a great surprise, however, that committal into such a place by a vengeful husband would be a tool used against women at that time, they had so very few rights. What was even more surprising was the fact that once placed there being released was such an involved process. And yet, as shown here, money talks and so in some circumstances, if the bribe is big enough, short cuts are available. No matter, the determination of sanity was a very fluid diagnosis. Some patients really were insane or at least a danger to themselves and/or others.

The problem in this tale to to determine if that is the case with the young wife of a prominent and very private member of society, who has had Julia sent to Ward's Island. Her Uncle and Aunt do not believe she is insane and have hired Frank to prove her perfectly fine so that they can get her released. They are mostly concerned about the scandal if her placement were to become public knowledge. They have a daughter soon to have her debut and such a situation would surely destroy any chance she might have to gain a suitable husband. Ah, yes, as always in society, reputation is all.

View all my reviews

Monday, November 18, 2024

Review: Shamed

Shamed (Kate Burkholder, #11)Shamed by Linda Castillo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Each time I read another Kate Burkholder case I learn more about the Amish community. By now I know that there are several levels of practice of the tenets of the religion but one thing that is true, no matter how strict the family, the Bishop is to be obeyed unconditionally. He is the arbitor of all things Amish and will determine what is right according to God's will and cannot be questioned under pain of excommunication--banning and shunning by all others,including one's family.

Imagine then a case in which two Bishops and a Midwife determine the fate of a newborn. Seven years later their decision will lead to tragedy and anguish and grief for many. Despite the events, however, the Amish keep secrets and refuse to allow the Englische police to know what has transpired. Although Kate is former Amish she is still and outsider and only the Bishops are arbiters of the Ordnung and its rules.

Now, there is a missing child and the case goes nowhere with the Amish either unknowing or unwilling to share what they know with the police.

View all my reviews

Review: Acqua Alta

Acqua Alta (Commissario Brunetti, #5)Acqua Alta by Donna Leon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Interesting case involving art theft and art fakes. It must be so challenging at times to recognize a piece that is not original. Even more fascinating are the methods used to smuggle art works throughout the world and the types of people that will go to any lengths to own a masterpiece,even if they are unable to allow it to be seen my anyone other than themselves. Makes me wonder, once more, where are the painting stolen from the Gardner in Boston.

On another theme, the city that is Venice. I've read about the stench of the city and know that the Plaza in front of St Mark's is often swamped but never realized the depths to which the water rises at times and the necessity to wear waders to navigate one's way through the city. There must be incredible mold damage and growth in those buildings! Wasn't interested in seeing it before reading this book, certainly don't want to go now that I know just how musty and damp it must be.

View all my reviews

Monday, November 11, 2024

Review: Retreat from Nuala

Retreat from Nuala (The Inspector de Silva Mysteries Book 14)Retreat from Nuala by Harriet Steel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As time has gone on, Shanti de Silva, the police chief of Nuala has found that his two officers are quite capable of running the office on their own. Jane, his wife, is always interested in new ideas and travel. When the local parish hosts a Buddhist monk, Soma, to speak of his belief and his mountain monastery home, she is sufficiently curious to ask Shanti if they might visit there for a short vacation.

Checking first with his British superior, Archie, Shanti takes leave and they head to the lofty place in the mountains. She is looking forward to exploring the practices of meditation and yoga and he is looking forward to rest and relaxation with a few hikes in the cool mountain air.

Upon their arrival, after a challenging hour's hike they meet their fellow guests--a retired clergyman, Arthur, a flamboyant romance novelist, Madelaine and a young couple, Alec a student of Buddhist history and his wife, Belinda. Two monks are assigned to provide them all with whatever they may require, Anwan and Chatura, neither of which have much to do in the story but provide the dahl and water that appears to make up all the meals the visitors receive. The last person they meet is the older monk and head of the monastery, Gunananda.

Despite Janes purported interests in monastic life, very little is mentioned or described in the book, which is rather disappointing. The days are spent hiking to the lake farther up the mountain, sitting in the garden reading or doing crossword puzzles, eating their meals and interacting with each other the way traveling strangers do. Once, Shanti and Jane did attend one of the prayer times of the monks. This rather relaxed and almost boring time passes uneventfully until one morning when the librarian notices that an ancient and, perhaps valuable, manuscript disappears from its locked and hidden box.

At last, a mystery to liven things up and so Shanti and Jane start their search for the manuscript and its thief. So many possibilities, so much nefarious activity--which are true leads and which red herrings? Happily, this crime, unlike others that have taken place in this series, seems to be devoid of a bloody death or two along the way--well, seems may be the key word here. Still, it is an interesting story since the manuscript deals with some interesting questions--where did Christ spend his years between 12 and his 30's? Was he in Britain? Did Joseph of Arimathea spend time in Britain working among the miners of tin in Cornwall? Did he bring Jesus with him back and forth on his business trips? And what about that Virgin Birth of Mary's? Could she have gotten pregnant from a British Prince while she visited Britain with her uncle, Joseph? Hmmm, seems the manuscript would cause a bit of a stir were it to reach the outside world. So what does the thief intend to do with it?

As always, the culprit it found about twenty pages short of the book's ending and the character's stories are all sorted by then, too. And as always, getting to the solution is as much fun as one of Jane's crossword puzzles!

View all my reviews

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Review: Going Home

Going HomeGoing Home by Tom Lamont
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a review of an ARC provided by BookBrowse for that purpose.
Lia is gone but she's left a 21/2 year old toddler behind. Teo was babysitting Joel when Lia was discovered and so by default he becomes his temporary guardian. But what does a 30 year old bachelor know about taking care of a kid in diapers who speaks his own private toddler language? Not much, as it turns out. What does Teo want to learn about taking care of said child? Not much, either. No one seems to know who Joel's father is so therefore finding him is problematic. For the time being child services think Joel is in good hands--Lia trusted Teo to baby sit after all, Teo is stable with a good job from which he can get leave, and has a home with his father, Vic, for the duration. He can go back to his London flat when either Joel's family or a foster family can be found for him. Preferably, Jewish since Joel and Lia were Jewish. Teo doesn't practice but his father a Scot Catholic, widowed from a Jewish wife, has been active in the local synagogue.
Teo is surrounded by his old group of school friends to which Lia belonged -the only female. His best friend, Ben, is rich, unemployed and lives in a mansion that has been his since his 18th birthday. Whenever Teo came home he fell right back into the care-free card playing, drinking, partying, clubbing lifestyle they've shared since they emerged from childhood. Their relationship is old and fraught with the stresses that familiarity and established roles that over time have developed. Ben is the star, the leader, the jock and Teo is the shorter, quieter, steadier follower. He is also the one of the group that has broken free of the hometown--he's moved to London and only comes home once a month to visit his sick father, Vic. A toddler certainly changes the dynamic.
I loved the book because, despite the circumstances, a child alters everything about the life led by its caretaker before its arrival. It is funny, having had a child, to see the situation from the aspect of a male in charge. Though people think women are born knowing exactly how to raise children that isn't true. What is true, however, is that women from early on are more involved with children--younger siblings, cousins, and as teens babies for whom we babysit, then as we get older our friends' or older siblings new babies--we just are around them all the time and usually are interested in them even in their earliest stages. Men just don't pay that much attention and so if they find themselves in charge, they are really at sea. To see Vic attempt to make up for what he sees as shortcomings in his role as Teo's father, and Teo try to determine how much TV is acceptable and Ben try to avoid the whole situation is fun but serious, too.
In the end, since everyone cares about Joel and wants him to be safe and happy all three of them figure it out and somehow a new life develops for them all.
Interwoven with the questions of parenting are also the concepts of faith, jew vs jewishness and the process of maturing from our foot in adulthood 20's into 30 year olds with a touch of awareness of one's future.
One of the characters, new to the community,is the young rabbi, Sybil. Her affluent family considers themselves to have assimilated in the English community and are upset at her choice of career. This was only mentioned in passing but it was an idea that was a bit jarring, especially in the present time with the worldwide problems in nations finding themselves dealing with an influx of immigrants. She, too, as the religious leader becomes involved in the question of what to do with Joel. Also, being close in age to both Teo and Ben, she becomes involved in their relationship as well.
Closing the book brings with it a sense of satisfaction that the characters are on a path of success leading to lives filled with possibility.

View all my reviews

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Review: The Redbreast

The Redbreast (Harry Hole #3)The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not only Harry Hole was running around in circles trying to figure this one out. Frustrating, confusing and yet, at the end, startling clear. All the clues were scattered throughout--but that scattering made it terribly hard to pull the characters together. Love a mystery that is a mystery and makes you think but that at the end makes perfect sense. Don't think of Scandinavia often, which is why this book is so interesting. The way Norway and Norwegians handled Nazi occupation both during and after the war is fascinating and totally new to me.

Harry Hole is Dirty Harry and Bosch mixed together. His appearance in my mind never fits the flashes of description in the book so it is always a shock to return to the Scandinavian blond/blue-eyed ness of him or his size but it is pleasant, too. It makes the book that much more foreign to my experience in real life. I like him though he can be rather irritating and smug at times but he is so vulnerable at othertimes, which also is a jolt when it appears. Jo Nesbo is a one of a kind writer and refreshing.

View all my reviews

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Review: A Gathering of Secrets

A Gathering of Secrets (Kate Burkholder, #10)A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is murder ever justified? Should the character of the victim be taken into consideration? Should the damage the victim has done to others be motive enough to ignore the murder--is it even a crime? Sometimes it is a hard call but is it really??

View all my reviews