Agnes and the Hitman - Jennifer Crusie

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a pleasant surprise. It's a great mix of chick lit and suspense. Full of murders, cooking, mobsters, and wedding prep - a combo that worked, believe it or not, and gave me plenty to chew on, keeping track of it all. It even earned a few chuckles from me - which is not easy, since I hardly ever get things that are supposed to be funny.

Season of Storms - Susanna Kearsley

Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a bit different from Kearsley's other books, but I still enjoyed it once it got going. I could tell it's one of her earlier works. The past timeline doesn't mesh with the modern one very much. It's not well developed at all, but is presented just through occasional flashbacks. These answer questions for the reader rather than driving towards something that needs to be discovered in the present.

The mystery and all the drama are in the modern time, so this reads more like a contemporary romance (but light on the romance) with a bit of a ghost story. It doesn't really seem to matter what happened to the other actress 70 years ago. It seems like just a backdrop or a side note.

Fans looking for Kearsley's distinctive flavor may find yourselves disappointed unless you alter your expectations beforehand.

The Rabbi - Noah Gordon

The Rabbi by Noah Gordon
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed Noah Gordon's style in his Historical Fiction books. There's an earthiness to his writing that makes the past feel immediate and his characters real.

Unfortunately, I like those qualities much less in a contemporary setting. Even though The Rabbi focuses on a way of life that is less familiar to me, that earthiness becomes too realistic and depressing - and even boring - in a setting that is too close to current day for my comfort. Contemporary here is the 1960s, but it feels very much like the type of contemporary that I read in school and ran away from as fast as I could once reading it was no longer required.

I will continue to pursue Gordon's other historical work, but I'll be steering clear of anything set in the 20th Century or later.

The Thief Lord - Cornelia Funke

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Set in contemporary Venice (around the time of both answering machines and cell phones), this is not exactly what I expected, which was a historical fantasy with lighthearted, adventurous thieving in it. What I got was a more realistic tale of runaways and orphans trying to make it in a contemporary city. Still, bonus points for Venice!

There was a little bit of thieving, but it was more desperate, the group of kids scraping by while living in an abandoned movie theater. It was sad, but heartwarming as well because of the friendships that they found. It honestly took me a while to warm up to it, until the second half when the focus shifted away from their sparse lives and into more of an adventure - what I'd been expecting in the first place.

There's a little bit of magic to it towards the end, enough to shake things up. There's payback that doesn't end up being malicious, and wishes coming true that end up not being quite what was hoped for. That made a bittersweet ending for some of the characters, and an arguably happy one for others, whether they deserved it or not. I like how it wasn't all black and white.

One drawback for me is that it was told in a very juvenile tone - it's definitely for middle grade readers. That, and some of the word choices in the translation didn't fit and were distracting (for example, "darn it" was used a lot). I'd probably give it 2 stars, given how much I don't usually enjoy contemporary, realistic stories. But it was good for its target age group, and I probably would have loved it when I was younger, so I'm bumping it up a star.

The Shadowy Horses - Susanna Kearsley

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shadowy Horses was another quick, enjoyable read by Susanna Kearsley. It's not a time-slip like the others that I've read, but more of a contemporary ghost story, although it's really not what you would call a chilling one. I expected a bit more of an eerie, Gothic atmosphere, and got more Scottish flavor instead (which is really not a bad thing).

The story centers on an archaeological dig in an old fishing town where a mad old scholar believes he's found the final resting place of the Roman Ninth Legion. I enjoyed the details of the dig and the cast of characters involved. I even liked the romance aspect of it. All-in-all, it was just the kind of escape I was looking for at the beginning of my summer holidays.

Be Buried in the Rain - Barbara Michaels

Be Buried in the Rain by Barbara Michaels

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I really enjoyed this Gothic suspense novel. I was afraid it might be cheesy, especially since it was published in the 1980s, but it wasn't. I also didn't know what I would think of a Gothic novel set in contemporary Virginia, but the old manor house, its occupants, and the surrounding woods were broken down, overgrown, and eerie enough for a mystery of old bones.

The atmosphere was all you could wish for in this kind of book. It reminded me of Susanna Kearsley without the dual time periods, except this was more creepy (I think it was the bones). It was creepy enough to disturb me in the dark the last couple of nights - not that that's saying much, since I am easily affected by such things and avoid horror like the plague.

Also, I really enjoyed the dog.

I'll definitely be reading more of this author's work. I'm glad to see there's plenty to choose from.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I should have paid more attention to the reviewer who said that this is not a mystery. It's not. And that's what I was after. This is a collection of tales about people and their problems. The main character solves their problems in unconventional ways, and so maintains a private detective agency.

It is told in simplistic language, distancing me from the stories, which are rambling and random. There is little cohesion to the plot. It's a more realistic ebb and flow of lives that cross each other once and probably won't again. There are some sad, heartwarming, and amusing stories, but I felt like I was listening to an old man recounting tales that mean more to him than to me.

So for me, this was just ok. Several times it peaked into slightly interesting, but mostly not. I don't intend to read more of the series, and now I'm going to go find myself a real mystery, which is what I wanted in the first place.

Review: Ice Blue

Ice Blue by Emma Jameson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is a contemporary New Scotland Yard procedural mystery in London with some quite gruesome murders and gritty details making this not what I would call a cozy mystery. Involving the elite class, which I didn't realize was still so... elite these days, the mystery was interesting with some good misdirection and a satisfying reveal.

For those who like a bit of romance in their mystery, there is the start of a romance between the 60 year old chief and a detective half his age, which surprisingly didn't seem too weird. There was some insta-love there, and not enough explanation of why the chief is suddenly in love with his subordinate. The romance took a back seat to the mystery, so it didn't take over the entire plot, but it could still be too much for some readers - there was more than a trace of it.

I enjoyed the mystery in spite of the blood and guts, so I'll be checking out the next book in the series for sure.



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Review: Mariana

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Susanna Kearsley is becoming my go-to for light Gothic dual-time historical fiction / romance. I don't read this type of book often, but when I need something a little different from my usual fare, I find that Kearsley's books hit the spot. There's just the right mix of history, romance, mysterious ghostliness, and an ephemeral sense of times past and present.

Even though the format of Kearsley's books remain similar to each other with the time-slip discovery narrative, the situations that are explored in both time periods are still unique. The similarity is familiar and comforting enough that I'm actually hoping for it when I pick one up, but I also wouldn't recommend reading them back-to-back.

Mariana was the book that launched Kearsley's career, so it wasn't as good as the later ones I've read, but still very good for a debut novel. The time-slip aspect is almost exactly like the one in A Winter Sea, but this was not as polished or satisfying. Both time periods could have used - something - more to make them more compelling. And the present-day romance was not as good as it could have been, and not well tied into the earlier timeline.

Still, it did hit that spot with the dreamy, ghostly echoes of the past trying to make itself heard in the present.



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Review: Midnight on Julia Street

Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This is another of those books that I probably wouldn't have picked up if it hadn't been on sale - and had a lovely cover, which doesn't match the book at all. (I know I'm not supposed to judge books by their covers, but sometimes they do catch my eye and the synopsis sounds good!) But at 475 pages, I think this might be the longest contemporary romance novel I've read, and I just don't like them that much.

I know, it was also about historical preservation in New Orleans, and there were flashbacks to a previous time period - something that either works or it doesn't. Unfortunately the time-slip aspect was choppy, and it took forever for the earlier timeline to capture my interest.

On top of that, the modern reporter storyline felt exactly like a romance novel even though it was also heavily invested in a battle over some historic buildings. Sometimes I'll read this kind of romance for a change of pace, but I expect them to be quick - especially if they're in contemporary settings. This one dragged on until the last hundred pages, when I did finally get more interested in the whole preservation showdown. It just took too long to get there.



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Review: The Book of Lost Fragrances

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



First of all, I hate it when I think there are 50 pages to go and it ends up being a Glossary. I turn the page and - oh no, that was the end! It totally messes up the level of commitment left over.

In spite of feeling like there should be more, this was an evocative, sensuous read. Looking back, I would rate the suspense story as a 3, but the language was thick with such vivid scenes that I felt it was more as I was reading. From the mouth-watering scent of Parisian bakeries to the stench of death in the catacombs, the descriptions are lush.

It is full of scents and elusive memories, echoes of past times and lost loves. Coupled with the mystical experiences of scent and memory, the modern-day struggles of the Tibetans and their reincarnated lamas become much more than political. The mystery and intrigues surrounding an ancient Egyptian artifact coalesce in Paris, a city with layers of history. This is a mesmerizing tale of suspense brought to life by the intricacies of perfume.



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Review: A Cottage by the Sea

A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This is closer to 3.5 stars. It's a good time-slip romance / historical fiction set in Cornwall, with smugglers' caves and secret passageways in the background and a lot of drama in the foreground. There's a messy, public divorce, family conflicts, dealing with the death of loved ones, child-rearing philosophy, cultural differences between modern Americans and Brits, career upheaval, tea drinking, gardening, and crystal ball hypnosis. A strange mix of 90s psycho-babble and historical romance / tragedy.

It's also very long for this kind of story, and felt like it at times. My favorite time-slips so far are by Susanna Kearsley, and hers feel much less weighted down and less all over the place with romance novel themes. Still, I did like it even though the drama got to be a bit much at times. I do wish there was more time spent in the tunnels and caves, and by the sea, but in spite of the setting, the sea was just a backdrop, and the smuggler aspect was definitely not the focus.



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Review: Easy

Easy by Tammara Webber

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was a lot different than most of the stuff I read. It's contemporary, and it's romance. I enjoyed the change, and I really enjoyed the college setting. I really can't think of anything else I've read that is in college rather than high school, so I felt like I was reading something new.

It is mainly a contemporary romance, and there is plenty of attention to the physical and emotional aspects of falling in (and out of) love. It's definitely for the more mature audience. There is sex, and although it's not very graphically described, there are other things that are quite explicit.

In spite of the heavy focus on romance, that's not all there is to this book. If it was, I probably wouldn't bother with writing this review because it would have been just a quick fluff read not worth thinking about. But there was enough here to make it more than that. It's also about the experience of college - classes, parties, the process of separating from parents, finding out who you are, etc. It also involves attempted rape, rape, and the social pressures surrounding the reporting of such assaults, so there is some pretty serious stuff in there. I am still thinking about it, so that tells me it's not just brain candy (not that I'm opposed to reading fluff when I'm in the mood!).

It was refreshing to read something other than the norm for me, and I also enjoyed indulging in a true romance for a change.



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Review: The Rose Garden

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I read the Winter Sea first, and at the beginning of this book was afraid it was going to be the same story with different people. Some aspects are indeed similar, including the Jacobite setting in the past, but Kearsley pulls it off again. I loved the mix of contemporary Cornwall and its smuggling past. The language is atmospheric and pulls you under almost immediately. And the love story is wonderful.



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Review: Madapple

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This book was confusing until the end. I wouldn't say I liked it, but it's well written. The main character, Aslaug, is confused until the end, and the main story unfolds as she experiences it. Interspersed with her first person narrative are court scenes that offer an outsider view, contrasting modern reality with the weird world that Aslaug lives in. The contrast keeps you wondering what's real and shows how social constructs shape people's understanding of events.

Much of the first person narrative feels surreal. Aslaug is brought up without any knowledge of society, laws, norms, etc. It's an interesting view of how different the world can be to a child that is completely isolated and indoctrinated by her mother and the rest of her family. Once reality finally clicks, it's as if she comes out of a drug-induced haze, bringing the reader out of it with her.

Weird and dark, with issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, family abuse and dysfunction, mis-use of religion, incest, etc., it's well-written and thought-provoking after the final page. Definitely different than anything else I've ever read.



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Review: Lost - Gregory Maguire

 

Lost is a somewhat postmodern work. The main character is a writer who travels between Boston and London, so there were lots of cultural references for me to recognize and smile at, as well as many literary references (especially Dickens, etc). So from that standpoint, I definitely enjoyed it. I appreciated the craftsmanship of it, and even liked the philosophizing... and yet somehow it simultaneously left me feeling incredibly dissatisfied.

I've figured out that it's not because I'm not postmodern myself, but because I am, that I don't want to immerse myself in the chaotic craziness of the world when I step into a book. 'Lost' itself even confirmed and solidified this same idea that I've had for a while now. Here's a lengthy quote about Alice in Wonderland that I can't trim down any further because it just says it all:

A reading child back in those early days, corseted, even strait-jacketed by Victorian certainties, could delight in a story stuffed with nonsense. Time was malleable during a mad tea party in which there could be jam yesterday and jam tomorrow, but never jam today. Creatures could shift shapes, a sheep into an old lady, a baby into a pig. Fury could win out over reason. In the nineteenth century, reading Alice was refreshing because it was an escape from strict convictions about reality.

But now? Now? Children... hated the Alice books, couldn't read them, and why should they? Their world had strayed into madness long ago. Look at the planet. Rain is acid, poisonous. Sun causes cancer. Sex = death. Children murder each other. Parents lie, leaders lie, the churches have less moral credibility than Benetton ads...

No wonder Wonderland isn't funny to read anymore: We live there full-time. We need a break from it.
So Victorian kids turned to madness to escape the strict stuffiness of their world, and I turn to the Victorian times or other fantasy worlds to escape the madness of my own. The wheel of time turns...

Escape. It's great. But, if it doesn't trouble you to read postmodern works... try this one. You'll probably love it.