The Alice Network

The Alice Network
By Kate Quinn
Harper Collins, 2017, 503 pg., Historical Fiction

In 1915 Eve Gardiner was asked to join a secret spy network in France. Run by a woman named "Alice" the network spied on the German's to help end the Great War. Eve became Daisy and posed as a waitress in the restaurant Le Lethe where she was able to eavesdrop on German officers and pass along secrets that could help end the war - but it all came at a price. By the end of the war the Network had collapsed and Eve is left wrecked to live out her life in London.

In 1947 Charlie St. Clair is trying to save her family from the ravages of World War II, but she feels like she is continually failing everyone. Now she has run away from her mother, who insists she must go to Switzerland to take care of her "little problem," and she is looking for a woman named Eve Gardiner. Eve Gardiner may be the only person who can help Charlie find her cousin Rose, who disappeared in France during the War.

This is a fantastic novel, which explains why it was picked as part of Reese Witherspoon's Book Club. Based on the true story of the real Alice Network and "the queen of spies" Louise de Bettignies, this is a story of two wars that destroyed lives and changed the world over and over again. It is the story of women and their friendships, heartaches, loves, and loses. It is a story of survival, sturggle, and courage in all its forms. This is great for anyone who loves World War stories, but also may appeal to fans of The Nightingale, or Secrets of a Charmed Life. Readers should be aware that this book deals with violence, drugs, swearing, death, and sex.

Twenty-one Days

 

Twenty-one Days
(Daniel Pitt #1)
By Anne Perry
Ballantine Books, 2018. Fiction. 303 p.
Daniel Pitt is a young lawyer in London in 1910.  His father was the head of London's Special Police branch and Daniel has inherited some of his father's penchant for detective work.  Right after his first big victory in a murder case, Daniel is thrown into another case, one that is more complicated.  Russell Graves, a singularly nasty fellow, had been found guilty of murdering his wife and then burning her body.  Daniel and a crusty veteran lawyer who is working on the case with him, have just 21 days to find sufficient reason to call for a retrial. As Daniel digs deeper into the evidence, he soon finds that the suspect has underhanded dealing that touch Daniel personally.  Should he continue to investigate, or let the person who is threatening all the thought he knew about his life hang for a crime Daniel is beginning to believe he didn't commit?

Here is the first in a new series by Anne Perry.  This one is more of a courtroom drama than some of the other books by Perry that I have read.  It has a complex plot with a lot of evidence, red herrings, and unexpected twists and turns.  I was impressed that, with all the details Perry introduces as evidence, I didn't really lose track of what was on the table.  She has a way of gently reminding the reader of what has gone on before, without making the story line drag.  This story, as the others I have read by Perry, could be enjoyed by a man or a woman.  It is less gory and cleaner than something by Michael Crichton or James Patterson, but it has enough suspense and thrills that it doesn't feel like a "cozy mystery."

Eventown

Eventown
By Corey Ann Haydu
Katherine Tegen Books, 2019, 328 pg., Youth Fiction

Elodee and Naomi are twins, but sometimes they are more alike on the outside and less alike on the inside. Elodee never cared much about this before, they fit together and their differences made them closer. However, once they move to Eventown things begin to change and it seems like Elodee and Naomi are not alike at all - and Naomi seems to hate all those things that are different about her twin. Moving to Eventown was supposed to be a fresh start for their family. A fresh start where people didn't stare, or whisper, or frown at them and wish they could be the Elodee and Naomi from Before. But now people in Eventown are starting to stare at them too. Elodee thought that it would be great living in a town with no cars, perfect sunsets, and the best ice cream ever! Yet, Elodee can't help noticing that they only ever learn one song in music class, there are only three kinds of ice cream, she can't remember things from before Eventown, and nobody likes Elodee's questions at all.

I will admit that this is a book that will surprise you. It is different and doesn't easily fit into any standard genre, which is fitting since it is a story that discusses a lot of the pros and cons of fitting in vs. standing out. The story follows a family that moves to Eventown, a place where everything is perfect all the time. But I would argue that message of the story is that our emotions and memories - both good and bad- are makes our lives so wonderful. If we never knew sadness they we would never really know joy. It is also about how wonderful our lives are when they are filled with different people and that is okay if we are not exactly like everyone else - even those who we are closest to. This book is intended for 8 -12 year olds, but adults might also enjoy it. However, readers should know that the book does discuss suicide (the suicide happens before the book begins, but characters discuss their memories of the event) and depression. A minor character in the book has a lesbian couple for parents, though their relationship is not discussed. There is also one incident where a child uses a swear word.

The Library Book

 

The Library Book
By Susan Orlean
Simon & Schuster, 2018, Nonfiction, 319 p.

In 1986 there was a terrible fire in the Los Angeles Central Library.  Over 400,000 books either burned or were destroyed by water and over $2,000,000 of damage was done to the building.  Fire investigators thought the fire was the result of arson, and believed that a man, Harry Peal, was the one that held the match, but there was never enough evidence to convict him.  Thirty years later the library has been rebuilt and expanded, but the mystery remains. In this engaging nonfiction Ms Orlean has done an amazing amount of research to lay all the evidence before the reader.  She also gives an fascinating history of one of the US's most innovative libraries, and a peek into what life at the LA Library is like today. Part mystery, part love song to public libraries, this is a great choice for anyone who ever felt at home with a library book in their hand.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

 

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
by Andrew McCall Smith
 Anchor Books, 2002, Fiction. 235 p.

At thirty-five years old, Mma Ramotswe has survived a bad marriage, the loss of a child, and her beloved father's death. Now she must find a way to support herself.  She takes her inheritance money and sets up a small detective agency in her hometown of Gabarone, Botswana.  It is a risky undertaking in a country where women are rarely professionals, but with her hard won wisdom and comfortable personality, she soon has a reputation as someone who "knows what's what."  Her clients range for poor grocers to wealthy business owners, and she hardly ever disappoints.

This is a book that was hugely popular when it came out in 2002 and now there are now more than 20 in the series.  I think the charm of the book is Smith's great characterizations, and the authenticity of the setting. As you read the book, you feel that you could walk into a town in Botswana and the people you would meet and the things you would see would be just as Smith describes.  Mma is strong, confident, and funny, though not a beauty or a super woman. If you love a good comfortable mystery and reading about other cultures, this is the series for you.

A Christmas Escape by Anne Perry

A Christmas Escape
by Anne Perry
Ballantine Books, 2015. Fiction. 157 p.
James Latterly is mourning the death of his wife and decides to spend Christmas in a remote area of Sicily.  There he connects with the proprietor and one of the visitors, a young 14-year-old orphan girl who is under the care of an elderly uncle.  The other visitors are not so pleasant and it is soon apparent that there are serious personal issues underneath the vainer of civility. All these concerns, however, are dwarfed by the increasingly ominous rumblings coming from a nearby volcano.  When one of the residents is found dead, Latterly realizes that it the volcano may or may not be the most dangerous thing on the island.

Here is a thrilling Christmas read that is short enough to finish in a few days.  Anne Perry is a master of historical mysteries.  This one has an unconventional plot, but still has Perry's characteristically endearing characters and lots of suspense.  I was also charmed by the sweet father/daughter like relationship that develops between James and Candice. As of this posting this one is on the shelf at Highland.  Drop by and pick it up or one of Perry's other Christmas mysteries. (157, 2015)

Winterhouse

Winterhouse

by Ben Guterson

Henry Holt & Co, 2018, Intermediate Fiction, 370 p.

Elizabeth Sommers is an orphan who lives with an uncaring and lazy aunt and uncle, so she is totally surprised when they tell her she will be going to a posh resort called Winterhouse for Christmas while they go on a separate vacation.  At Winterhouse she soon finds a friend, Freddy, who shares her love for puzzles and word games.  She also finds a book in the resort's vast library that is more than it seems.  Soon she and Freddy are caught up in a dangerous mystery that promises to shine a light on the past, but that puts everyone and everything at Winterhouse in peril.

Here is a great middle grade thriller to read at on a chilly winter's evening.  Elizabeth and Freddy are charming word nerds and young readers will enjoy the word games the two are forever playing.  Winterhouse is a magical place and the plot twists and suspense will keep readers turning pages. 

Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Olsen
J.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018, Fiction, 379 p.

Kya is the youngest of a large family in the marsh lands of North Carolina.  Even though she has a loving mother and siblings, her father is abusive.  In the face of his violence the members of her family leave, one by one, until only Kya and her father are left.  Then he leaves and Kya, age 10, is left to fend for herself.  She learns to survive on her own, leery of establishing relationships because of fear of further abandonment.  Then Tate enters her life, teaches her to read, and opens for her the world of science and love.  Years later the body of a local hotshot is found on the ground below a fire watch tower.  Kya becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation.  Can Tate, and the others who have come to know Kya, overcome the town's prejudice against the "Marsh Girl?"

Here is another book that has been on the top of the reading charts for months. It is an atmospheric murder mystery/romance with a lot of lush detail and a twisting plot.  Most of all it is a"coming of age" novel that tells how Kya learns to stop being a victim and take control of her own destiny. 

(Readers should be aware that this book contains images of physical and sexual abuse that might be offensive to some.)

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book
By Neil Gaiman
Harper Collins, 2008, 312 pg., Young Adult Fiction

"Sleep my little babby-oh
Sleep until you waken
When you wake you'll see the world
If I'm not mistaken...

Kiss a lover 
Dance a measure,
Find your name
And buried treasure...

Face you life
Its pain,its pleasure
Leave no path untaken"

Nobody Owens began his life as a totally normal boy. But soon his life changed. When his family is murdered in their beds Nobody is adopted by a ghost couple in the local grave yard. He is given the freedom of the grave yard and is protected by those who "live" there. A boy who lives in the graveyard has many great adventures, from encountering ancient spirits, to dancing the Macabre, befriending witches, and falling through Ghoul Gates. But someday Nobody will have to meet the  man Jack who killed Nobody's family ... and who still wants to kill Nobody Owens.

There is a reason why this book won the Newbery Award in 2009. Neil Gaiman has crafted a story that is both spooky and heartwarming. This book was inspired by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. One thing that I really enjoyed in this book was how much research Gaiman did about death rituals and beliefs throughout history in England. I also enjoyed that this book was spooky and creepy without being grisly horror novel. In fact the only truly bloody part is at the beginning. The Graveyard Book also has some fascinating lessons about life and what gives it meaning. This would be a great book for adults, teens, and some older children who enjoy a good ghost story.

School of the Dead

School of the Dead
By Avi
Harper , 2016, 276 pg., Youth Fiction

Tony never understood Uncle Charlie. Growing up all the cousin's asked "What's the deal with Uncle Charlie?" But, when Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony and his parents, Tony realizes that Uncle Charlie is really fun. They become best friends. Uncle Charlie tells Tony about the school he went to as a kid, Penda School, in San Francisco. When Uncle Charlie suddenly dies, Tony is left feeling alone and missing his friend. Uncle Charlie left money so that Tony could attend Penda, but there are no openings in the school. Then suddenly a spot opens. However, when Tony gets to Penda he starts seeing Uncle Charlie everywhere - he also starts seeing "the Penda boy," the only child of Mrs. Penda the schools founder. Penda was founded because the Penda boy died. On top of all this Tony soon learns that the real reason he was able to go to Penda was because the boy who had his spot disappeared; but nobody will say what happened to him. Except for the Weird History Club. Tony realizes that if he wants to find out what is really going on at this school that the weird history club, and its leader Jessica, are the only ones who know.

I first decided to read this book because I love Avi's writing. If you have not read anything by him yet - you should. If you have, and you really liked his books, and you haven't read School of the Dead yet - you need to. Avi is a great storyteller, and his book's can be appreciated by all ages. At first I was surprised and disappointed because the story seemed so slow in the beginning, so many details that seemed pointless. I never should have doubted Avi. As the action increased in the book I found myself recalling all those seemingly pointless details. Each detail was designed to create a complex net that pulled tighter and tighter around the main character.  I actually listened to this book on a road trip with my family(Highland Library has this book available in book format, as well as E-Book and E-Audio book through Overdrive/Libby). The narrator for the audio book did a really good job. I liked how he put stress or emphasis on words that really heightened the tension and suspense. Me, my parents, and my teenage sister all really got into the book. We kept pausing to discuss details and predict what happened next. School of the Dead is a fun and suspenseful mystery that is perfect for Halloween.

Parents should know that this does contain elements of the supernatural and deals with death - but not in a graphic way. There is also mild and infrequent swearing.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
Bantam Books, 2010, Fiction, 385 p.
Flavia is an 11-year-old girl who lives in a venerable old house in England. Her mother has died, and she lives with two sisters, her father, and some domestics.  Flavia is obsessed with chemistry and is never happier than when she is distilling poisons in her great uncle's laboratory.  One day she hears an argument in her father's study, and then finds a man dead in the house's culinary garden. Could her father be a murder?  The police think so and it is up to Flavia to prove them wrong, if she can.

The charm of this book is Flavia's complex personality.  She is at once intrepid and vulnerable, cold blooded and compassionate.  Bradley has caught the essence of per-pubescent exuberance, still unfettered by hormones or social consciousness.  On top of that, Bradley has created a host of other interesting characters, a charming setting, and a well crafted plot.  This is an older book, but definitely worth trying if you haven't already.

Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdads Sing
By Delia Owens
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2018, 370 pg., Fiction

Kya remembers the day her mother left. After that, one by one, so did her siblings and finally her father. Alone in the marsh she learns how to survive on her own. The marsh is her home. It is her family, her world. No one knows the marsh like her. Kya only ventures into town when she has to and people there call her "the marsh girl." Very few ever reach out and even less care about her - until Chase Andrews shows up dead. Suddenly the whole town focuses on Kya, Chase's murder, and the brutal quest for justice.

There is a reason this book has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for 50 weeks.  First let's talk about the setting. This book is set on the marshes of the North Carolina Coast in the 1960's and 70's. It is a time of racial and social prejudice. It is also a remote landscape - human wise, but the animal and plant life abound and the marsh is a character in itself. Now let's talk about the language. Owens is practically poetic in her descriptions of the marsh. Sentences echo their subject - from lush march grasses, the flapping seagulls, to rhythm of ocean tides. Owens has captured the what the human senses would describe were the reader to actually visit a marsh - and she has put it on paper. Next let's discuss her characters. Kya is of course the main character and much of the book focuses on Kya's character development, but she also builds each and every other character alongside Kya, piece by piece. While it may seem to be aggravatingly slow each character emerges so complete that they are all but tangible. Owens tops this off with a rich and captivating story line. Chapters move back and forth between the present - Chase Andrews murder - and the Kya's past in order to tell the story. Both story lines move side by side until they intersect; the overarching question being "who killed Chase Andrew's?" I was positively captivated by this book. There is no other way to describe it. It is a must reader. Readers who enjoy historical fiction/drama, mystery,  or coming of age stories.
Reader's should know that this book does contain mature romance, abuse, and strong language.

Sold on a Monday

 

Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris
Sourcebook Landmark, 2018, Fiction. 352 p
Ellis is a want-a-be reporter in Chicago during the depression.  He is stuck writing for the society page, but dreams of getting his big break.  He is also a budding photographer, and when he snaps a picture of two boys with a sign that says, "2 Children for Sale" he has no idea where the picture will take him. Lily works as a secretary at the same paper, but she, too, has hopes of a more illustrious writing career.  She also has a secret and when she starts working with Ellis to find out what happened to the kids in his picture, her own life threatens to unravel.

I picked up this one because it was a New York Times Best Seller when it came out last year.  It started out feeling like a straight forward historical fiction, but turned into a mystery with a little romance at the end. The author has a great way of throwing in historical details that put the reader right into the depression era.  The main characters are interesting and appealing.  There are a lot of complicated and sympathetic relationships.  If you are a historical fiction lover, this may be your next favorite read. (2018, 352 p.)

The Department of Sensitive Crimes

The Department of Sensitive Crimes 
by Alexander Smith McCall
Little Brown, 2019, Fiction. 229 p.
Detective Ulf Varg is part of the Department of Sensitive Crimes in a small police agency in Sweden.  He, along with two colleagues, investigates cases that are unusual or have elements that require that they be handled discretely.  In this book, Ulf and his partner, Anna, along with Blomquist, a regular officer, deal with three different cases that are funny and interesting. Beneath the plot line, Ulf carries on a pensive exploration of the meaning of love, friendship, and kindness.

This is by the author of the outrageously popular series, The #1 Ladies' Detective Agency.  This first book in a new series is more of a "cozy mystery" than an action adventure. None of the mysteries the detectives encounter are especially tricky or thrilling. Some are kind of funny, but even the humor is rather subtle.  The characters are quirky and endearing and the mood of the book is relaxing, almost soothing.  It would be the perfect read for someone who was fed up with their anxiety-filled life and wanted to escape for an afternoon into an interesting but completely non-confrontational world.   I rather enjoyed it.