Book Reviews

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The White Queen
Aug. 23, 2010

One of my favorite authors of historical fiction is Philippa Gregory. Among all of her novels perhaps the best known is The Other Boleyn Girl, probably because of the Henry VIII connection. Less known but no less interesting are the houses of York, Lancaster, and Tudor and what has come to be known as The War of the Roses in 1464. Gregory has brought this Middle Ages drama to life in The White Queen.
 
The White Queen is Elizabeth Woodville, a recent widow with two sons who wins the heart of Edward IV of England. For various reasons the king marries Elizabeth in secret, which sets off a whole set of future problems when cousins decide he is really not the rightful heir to the throne so therefore his sons have no rights.
 
There is all kinds of palace intrigue with allegiances coming and going and foreign governments becoming involved. The Queen is often left alone as her husband, ever the warrior, is off fighting in all parts of England. At one point the Queen must barricade herself and her family in the Tower of London for safety. No one is ever secure; treachery is everywhere, not to mention barbarity.
 
Although there are more battle scenes than I care to contemplate, there is also plenty of time spent on Elizabeth as a devoted mother, wife, daughter, and especially a well-meaning queen. It’s Edward’s nasty brothers and cousins who won’t leave her alone.
 
The recent popularity of The Tudors on cable TV for the past several years  makes me all the more curious about the British monarchy. They are certainly an interesting group. This slice of little-known history may not be as popular but is dramatic nonetheless. In addition the role played by Philippa Gregory in researching all of this information must be acknowledged. She is remarkable.
 
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy The White Queen.
 
I give the book 3 7/8 crown jewels.
 
Happy reading from Beverly!

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Little Bee
July 23, 2010

When considering a new book to read, I have often relied on the summary on the dust jacket to give me an idea of what I am letting myself in for. This holds true especially when an author whom I’m unfamiliar with  comes out with a potential gem. In the case of Little Bee by Chris Cleave, the dust jacket tells you nothing. It’s all a big mystery, for good reason. So with a leap of faith and the fact that the book is on the best seller list, I set forth.
 
The story itself is riveting and unfortunately all too believable. It concerns a Nigerian refugee girl who finds herself in a British immigration detention center. There seems to be no possible way for her to be released, so she spends her time learning to read through newspapers and becomes familiar with the Queen’s speech mannerisms. Little Bee is the most charming and hopeful innocent.
 
Sarah, a British magazine editor, has her own problems. She’s not getting along all that well with her husband and questions her goals. The way these two dissimilar women meet and affect each other’s lives moves the story. Some chapters are told from Little Bee’s viewpoint and others from Sarah’s. This shift in voice is very effective and shows Cleave’s skill.
 
Not since Barbara Kingsolver have I experienced an author with such a feel for language, often with a touch of humor and always with humanity. The addition of Sarah’s young son who always wears his Batman outfit to fight off the “baddies” is a touch of levity that counterbalances themes that are more than troubling. The best moments are written through Little Bee’s eyes, and she comments on everything. Her observations about fellow detainees and guards are candid and guileless. She knows she is in a no-win situation, but her coping skills get her through.
 
Cleave is really quite remarkable in his ability to see life through the eyes of two completely dissimilar women who eventually come together and help each other through horrendous circumstances.
 
If this review seems light on actual incidents, read the book and you’ll know why. It may not be a perfect book, but ‘twil do for now.
 
I give the book 4 bon mots.
 
Happy reading from Beverly!

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The Girl Who Played with Fire
July 6, 2010

What is more compelling – a character that could keep a psychiatrist busy for years or the fact that readers will only have one more chance to learn about her? This is the drama within a drama in Steig Larsson’s second book, The Girl who Played with Fire.
 
“The girl” is, of course, Lisabeth Salander,  whom we met in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. During the events of the current book, more is revealed about her younger years and why she was at times institutionalized and sent to foster homes. She has a mind like a steel trap and is more comfortable puzzling over mathematical theory than doing a sudoku or crossword.
 
On the other hand, the second main player in this intricate web, Mikael Blomkvist, is still searching for her. She disappeared mysteriously at the end of the last book when it appeared to her that Blomkvist didn’t care for her as much as she had hoped. Monogamy and faithfulness are not strong points in these novels.
 
As it happens, three murders occur very closely together: a journalist couple who are about to reveal government cover-ups, and Lisabeth’s financial guardian. Lisabeth’s fingerprints are on the weapon and much of the book is spent with the police trying to hunt down this elusive creature. Blomkvist is in the minority when it comes to believing that Lisabeth would have a motive .
 
If there is a fly or two in the ointment, it would be that Larsson is too detail oriented. Not only are we told of Lisabeth’s shopping lists and menus, but the time and effort spent on police procedurals are close to mind-numbing. In addition Lisabeth and Mikael don’t interact in this book very much. It is basically Internet communication – in code, of course. That being said, the last quarter of the book ramps up the action to a fever pitch, and it is impossible to look away. (Actually there are portions of this book when I probably should have looked away.)
 
In my edition of The Girl Who Played with Fire, there is a chapter from the third book in the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. I’m so hooked.
 
If this series interests you, it makes no sense to start in the middle. The fun is watching how the author unravels the mystery that is Lisabeth Salander. Readers will only have one more chance  to learn about her. Steig Larsson died at age 50 and never knew the phenomenon he started.
 
I give the book 3 ¾ guilty pleasures.
Happy reading from Beverly!

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This Body of Death
June 23, 2010

I have run out of superlatives when it comes to Elizabeth George and her Inspector Thomas Lynley series. (I like to call him Tommy.) In her current book, This Body of Death, the crime scene is an old cemetery as opposed to, say, a heath. It’s all very English with the various quaint hamlets, local jargon and afternoon tea, which is rather odd since Elizabeth George is American and lives in Washington State.
 
Be that as it may, what the reader has to contend with and hopefully enjoy is a huge 689 page opus with plots, subplots, parallel plots, back-in-history plots, and the fun of putting it all together.
 
The book opens with a story from the past involving three pre-teen boys with time on their hands and mischief on their minds. It doesn’t take long before they become involved in a situation that gets completely out of control. The author inserts this plot throughout the book, and it is only at the conclusion that the two main story lines come together.
 
Meredith Powell is trying to find friend Jemima Hastings to make amends but to no avail. Jemima is soon found murdered in a local cemetery. At this point New Scotland Yard becomes involved, and we are introduced to a new department chief, Isabelle Ardery. Thomas Lynley has returned from bereavement leave and is helping out with the investigation. His old colleague, Barbara Havers, is re-introduced, and Ardery is not impressed by Barbara’s fashion sense and personal grooming. I found this segment a break from the drama of the death investigation and very amusing. It doesn’t hurt that George has a sly sense of humor.
 
There seems to be many suspects including Gordon Jossie, a thatcher working in New Forest. He used to live with Jemima until she left him for London. It didn’t take long before a new woman entered his life, Gina Dickens. It becomes clear slowly but surely that Gina is not what she appears to be.
 
There are many more minor characters who join the parade, and George uses them deftly. After all is said and done, all the i’s  are dotted, t’s are crossed, and we have a perpetrator.
 
If you are interested in an intelligently written (and long-winded) murder mystery by the ace of the genre, be sure to try This Body of Death.
 
I give the book 4 altered identities.
 
Happy reading from Beverly!

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Caught
June 2, 2010

Living in the suburbs may give a false sense of security. Harlan Coben takes this premise and expounds upon it in his latest suspense/thriller, Caught. What ultimately ties the suburbs to the rest of the world is the Internet, where there is not only  information and the exchange of ideas but often the chance of lies being told, bullying, and defamation of character. In the case of Caught the Internet is shown to be the playground of sexual predators.
 
Wendy Tynes, a widowed mother with a teen-aged son, is a reporter on a TV show where such predators are caught at a pre-arranged rendezvous. She is happy to have caught Dan Mercer, a social worker, but he is eventually set free by the courts only to be hounded by irate citizens. Wendy has pangs of conscience and begins to wonder if this is all a set-up.
 
In addition to the Dan Mercer story line, there is a missing teenager, Haley McWaid. While the whole community continues to search for her, her cell phone is found under a bed in a motel room where Dan Mercer had hidden. All of this seemingly damaging evidence against Mercer gives Wendy pause. She begins to believe there are other forces involved and delves into Mercer’s background, especially his college days. She finds that unfortunate events seemed to follow Dan’s suitemates at Princeton. The plot thickens to the point of coagulation.
 
There are more twists and turns in this novel than can be found on Brigham Hill Road, but eventually Coben pulls the rug out from beneath the reader with eventualities that weren’t even considered before.
 
The author intimates that the search for the truth is a serious matter because what initially seems so black and white is not so at all. Coben warns the reader in his narrative about the dangers of vigilantism and ruining a person’s reputation with unfounded accusations. Even if proven false, the damage to a reputation cannot be repaired easily.
 
Upon reflection, Caught is a much better and thought-provoking book than I originally thought. See for yourself after you leave your chat room.
 
I give the book 4 Spam sandwiches.
 
Happy reading from Beverly!

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31 Bond Street
May 17, 2010

At last--a complex, satisfying novel of reasonable length has come to my attention via a fellow reader I met at the town elections. 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan is subtitled A Novel of Murder, Innocence, and Power in New York City. The fact that the book is based on a real crime in pre-Civil War New York only adds interest.
 
Dr. Harvey Burdell is a society dentist living very well in lower Manhattan, and very early in the novel he is brutally murdered in his office. It is through a series of flashbacks that we learn of his other interests, including shady deals in real estate and returning runaway slaves to the South. He is quite the fellow.
 
His lodger/housekeeper, Emma Cunningham, thinks he is a catch, however, and does everything  in her power to lure him into marriage. She is a widow who has run out of money, looking for a soft place to fall. Initially Burdell is attentive, but as his interest wanes, Emma becomes desperate. After all, she has two daughters, one of marriageable age, and she must place herself at a good social level to lure prospective suitors. Of all the characters in the book, she is the most complex and ultimately most tragic.
 
Of major importance is her defense attorney, Henry Clinton, and although we are treated to a certain amount of legal wrangling and courtroom drama, he comes across as a very human character with a supportive wife. Added to the list of characters is Samuel, the carriage driver for Dr. Burdell who is very concerned about being sent back South. He is involved with Native Americans Katuma and Quita, whose way of life is slowly being eroded. They play a key role in carrying out  hiding and escape plans.
 
What I liked about 31 Bond Street was that in addition to telling a story in an engaging fashion, the author gave a clear picture of New York City in the late nineteenth century and its place in history. Knowing what we do about the issues leading up to the Civil War only makes the novel more relevant and believable.
 
What a coup for author Ellen Horan for writing such a stellar first novel.
Keep the suggestions coming…..
 
I give the book 4 gas light lamps.
Happy reading from Beverly!

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The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
April 26, 2010

Patience is a virtue. I have waited for what feels like a long time for my turn at reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, a wildly popular book. It was worth the wait.
 
Translated from the Swedish, The Girl for short, has at its heart the story of 25-year-old Lisbeth Salander. She is a pierced and tattooed young lady who is eventually abused by a court-appointed guardian who controls her finances. Lisbeth is very savvy in the ways of technology, however, and can hack into the most sophisticated computer systems. It is this ability, together with a photographic memory, that brings her into the life of Mikael Blomkvist. He is a journalist who recently lost a libel case but has been approached by a very influential family to solve a 40-year-old  disappearance case. So now we have Lisbeth’s strange situation, Mikael’s involvement with the prominent Vanger family, a high level economic scam that could bring down the Swedish stock market and what entwines them all. Fasten your seat belt; it’s going to be a rough ride.
 
Some of the situations in this book are most unpleasant, so if the reader is expecting a light, innocuous read, this is not the book for him. If, on the other hand, you wish to be immersed in an unusual murder mystery with trappings that feature memorable characters, the opposite is true. 
 
The requisite Swedish names and locales in this book have to be dealt with, but I chose to ignore the whole Vanger family tree and let the story flow. It’s not necessary to try and figure out all the relationships in this somewhat cursed family. The author obviously knows about the publishing world, financial markets, and technology. Unfortunately he died in 2004 shortly after he presented three manuscripts to his publisher. I eagerly await reading the second, The Girl Who Played With Fire. I trust it is a continuation of the first featuring Lisbeth Salander, a very scary girl.
 
I give the book 3 9/10 smorgasbords.
 
Happy reading from Beverly!

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The Crimson Rooms
April 1, 2010

Another period piece set in England in the aftermath of World War I has hit the reading shelves in a big way. It’s called The Crimson Rooms by Katharine McMahon.
 
The main character, Evelyn Gifford, is an attorney in a society that doesn’t give female attorneys much meaningful work. In this case, however, she is given two cases that the other lawyers don’t want. One concerns a wounded veteran, Stephen Wheeler, who is accused of murdering his young wife, a crime punishable by hanging. The other case involves Leah Merchant, a single mother who has lost custody  of her children to the state. Not only does Leah not trust a female attorney, she fears that if she cannot reclaim her children, they will be sent to Canada to work on farms. Evelyn has her work cut out for her with these two cases.
 
In addition, a young woman appears on Evelyn’s doorstep with a young boy in tow. She is Meredith, and the child Edmund is the son of Evelyn’s brother James who recently died in the war. All of this is quite a surprise to the family who must now take this little family in and care for them.
 
As though that is not enough to keep Evelyn busy, she is approached by Nicholas Thorne, a lawyer who seemingly wants to help her with her cases. He is fashionably elegant, and Evelyn is charmed by the way he pours tea and the cut of his shirt cuffs. It’s a love thing.
 
As one would expect in this type of murder/mystery novel, complications, new evidence, and emotional entanglements arise all over the place. The author does a good job balancing all these elements with a surprisingly shocking ending.
 
Since one aspect of this tale concerns the aftershocks of the Big War, the whole issue of post traumatic stress disorder is very prominent. The plight of the soldiers in the foxholes, basically fighting hand to hand, is made clear through Evelyn’s investigation.
 
This is the sort of book that is better than the sum of its parts.
I give the book 4 doughboys.
Happy reading from Beverly!

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