Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that this is my least favorite of Jane Austen's novels. Her character, Fanny Price, is just a little too humble and nice. I think everyone would like her better if she just got angry with the way she was treated from time to time. She was a niece of her mother's sister who was taken in by the family when she was about 11. Her own mother did not marry well and the poverty of her home and the large number of siblings prompt her Aunt Norris to suggest to her sister that Fanny come to live at Mansfield Park. Fanny begins her life with the four Bertram cousins, and while she is educated, she lives a life of a half-servant, waiting on her Aunt Bertram.

As the novel progresses, we see the superficiality of her cousins and their parents as well as the interfering hypocrisy of her Aunt Norris. Sir Thomas has made his wealth by dealing in slavery, his wife is so indolent and self-absorbed that she neglects her children and does not seem at all interested in developing their character, which leads to disastrous consequences as the book progresses. As with most of Jane Austen's books, the main focus of the book is marrying someone wealthy.

Fanny somehow has managed to have a deep moral sense and spirit of humility and stands in contrast to her cousins. The only one whom she has a relationship is her cousin, Edmond, the youngest son. His desire is to take Holy Orders and, unlike most wealthy young men of his class, does it from a true desire to minister to the people he is called to serve.

Into this mix come a brother and sister who are visiting the local Vicar. While they are superficially charming, they are extremely shallow and amoral. Edmond falls in love with Mary and while she tells him that she will never be a clergyman's wife as there is no prestige or income, she flirts with him outrageously and tries to change his position. Her brother is very attached to the two older sisters, but eventually decides to flirt with Fanny to amuse himself and ends up falling in love with her.

I have to admit that this is my least favorite of Jane Austen's novels. Her character, Fanny Price, is just a little too humble and nice. I think everyone would like her better if she just got angry with the way she was treated from time to time. She was a niece of her mother's sister who was taken in by the family when she was about 11. Her own mother did not marry well and the poverty of her home and the large number of siblings prompt her Aunt Norris to suggest to her sister that Fanny come to live at Mansfield Park. Fanny begins her life with the four Bertram cousins, and while she is educated, she lives a life of a half-servant, waiting on her Aunt Bertram.

As the novel progresses, we see the superficiality of her cousins and their parents as well as the interfering hypocrisy of her Aunt Norris. Sir Thomas has made his wealth by dealing in slavery, his wife is so indolent and self-absorbed that she neglects her children and does not seem at all interested in developing their character, which leads to disastrous consequences as the book progresses. As with most of Jane Austen's books, the main focus of the book is marrying someone wealthy.

My objections to the book are that it sags in the middle under the weight of too many examples of the superficial details of the main characters lives. Fanny is appalled at their behavior and that redeems her, not because she is a prig, but because she stands alone against overwhelming derision. Her own background in her parents home is chaotic at best and she could hardly have learned such virtues there or at Mansfield Park. I think it is this strength of character that keeps her from being a simple character in a morality play. While this is a harder book to read that any of Austen's other works, it is still filled with the kinds of things we expect from her works.


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The Cold Dish (Walt Longmire, #1

The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this book in my GPS on the way home from Mississippi. This is a new experience, but it worked very well. The book was fairly well written although it dragged a bit in the middle. One thing I objected to was the language. When you are reading a book, you can skip over it, but in an audiobook, especially in the car, you are forced to just sit there and be assaulted.

The story begins with the murder of a boy who was the ring-leader of a group of 4 boys who raped and abused a Native American girl who suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome. They received very light sentences and two of the boys showed very little remorse. Someone has murdered the most obnoxious boy and there is a strong feeling that the murder has taken justice into his/her own hands. When another boy is killed, the sheriff is desperate to protect the two remaining boys.

The book is interesting, but there are some supernatural scenes which become tedious. The ending also could have been foreshadowed or at least some groundwork done to make it fit the book better.


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The Body Snatcher and Other Tales by Robert Louis Stevenson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a collection of three very different short stories by Robert Lewis Stevenson. The first is a story about medical students and the grim work of the resurrectionists. It is set in the 1800's in Scotland and involves the action of young medical students and their secret work of digging up fresh graves to provide corpses for dissection. The very action of learning often compromises their own morality when the cause of death is suspiciously opportune and the identity of the corpse is known. It reminds me of Burk and Hare trials in 19th century and I think it has been the basis for several movies.

The second tale is completely different and reminds me of something out of Grims' Fairy Tales. It deals with the greed of an old woman and the results of her choices for her family. Like most old tales, there is a strong sense of morality and justice in it.

The last is also a folk story about a shaman/magician and the greed of his son-in-law. The old shaman needs his son-in-law's help and reveals the source of his wealth to be a magic island. The son-in-law returns to the island to steal the money and becomes ensnared in the magic of the island. Again, there is a strong sense of morality and revenge.

All of these tales are similar to those of Hawthorne and feel like they are based in true legends and morality tales. Each is complete and I could feel like I was sitting around a fire listening to an old sage reveal the legends of the ancestors.







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Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has been a while since I read this and we were talking about books most re-read and this was mentioned. This has always been one of my favorite books and every time I read it again, I see something new.

The story is set in the 19th century and centers on an extremely proud and wealthy young man, Mr. Darcy and a strong minded, intelligent young woman, Elizabeth Bennett, who forms a strong prejudice against Darcy because of his pride and hurtful manner.

Elizabeth's family is a complete disaster. Her mother flutters over her five daughters and thinks only of getting them married off to wealthy men. She is unbelievable silly and most of the time offensive. She allows her silly and fickle younger daughters to flirt with any prospective young man and when that leads to absolute disaster, she still doesn't see what she has done. Elizabeth's father, while intelligent and kind is no match for his frivolous wife and younger daughters, and rarely interferes, no matter how distastefully they behave. He is only attached to Elizabeth and the kind and lovely oldest daughter, Jane.

Mr. Darcy's friend, Mr. Bingley, has fallen in love with the beautiful Jane, but his snobbish sisters, and Darcy himself are determined that there should be no match which would end in any relationship with the horrible Bennett family no matter how respectable Elizabeth and Jane are. The middle of the book is a saga of offenses, cross purposes, and star-crossed love.

As with all of Jane Austen's books, the plot is not the most important aspect. It is her ability to draw carefully constructed characters who grow and change throughout the book which makes her works classics. Along with the dynamic main characters, there are a number of unforgettable minor characters who are memorable and drawn to perfection. These include, the impossible Mrs. Bennett; the silly and flirtatious sisters, Kitty and Lydia; the supercilious, but somehow redeemable, clergyman, Mr. Collins; the scoundrel Mr. Wickham; and the kind, intelligent, but flawed and lazy Mr. Bennett. Sometimes I think it is the minor characters that draw you in and keep you reading while the more dynamic characters wrestle with their flaws and eventually emerge wiser and more mature; and, since this is Jane Austen, in love with each other. These minor characters are so real, you find yourself trying to figure out who they are reminding you of. Of course, they are an exaggeration, but only in that they are an amalgam of more real traits than are usually found in one person. All their actions ring true and if Mr. Collins would walk into the room, you would know him in an instant.

I know there are many who don't like Jane Austen because there is too much description, too many words and "flowery language," and main characters too concerned with money and getting married, but this is the world she was writing in. Her writing is like a hidden camera on the 19th century. Unfortunately, many people miss learning about this world and human nature because they don't want to do the work necessary to unlock what Jane Austen has to say.
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Emma

Emma by Jane Austen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a re-read, probably for about the 5th time. It is always fresh no matter how many times I read it. There are so many things that I find that I have missed.

The story is set in England in the 19th century. While the village is only 17 miles from London, it is deep in the country. Emma, the bright, clever, pretty and beloved daughter of one of the first families in the district, has been spoiled dreadfully in her upbringing. She has no social equals and after the loss of her governess and friend, she sets to work to manipulate the lives of others in the village by attempting to make matches between the people she knows. The only person who has ever not spoiled Emma is the local, most eligible, bachelor, George Knightly. While he cares deeply for Emma and her father, he has always tried to bring some semblance of discipline into Emma's life by speaking the truth plainly to her.

As with almost every book by Jane Austen, there are plots and subplots, innuendo, misinformation, and wrong assumptions. Even though the elements of her stories are similar, the characters stand out almost as real people. In fact, next to Dickens, I believe Jane Austen created the most memorable characters in English Literature. Sometimes I think I re-read this book just to encounter the deliciously obnoxious Mrs. Elton.

Emma is a dynamic character and I found myself very irritated with her for the first half or more of the book. She meddles in people's lives and thinks she knows what is best for them. She has a deep seated snobbishness but a kind heart and, where she has found favor, a lack of class consciousness. In other words, she is a complex character who is basically kind and loving, but the petting and spoiling of her early life has led her to believe that everything she believes is right. She cheerfully meddles in people's lives and then is chagrined when the desired outcome does not work the way she intended.

There are some rough places in the book, especially when listening to an audiobook. The silly, boring and incredibally talkative Mrs. Bates, can be easily be skimmed over in a book, but she is hard to skip in an audiobook. She goes on and on and I am sure Jane Austen meant for her readers to experience just how boring she could be. There is also a lot of description which may irritate some readers, but to me evokes a time when lives moved at a slower pace and the concerns of the people were more mundane and closer to home. The endless discussions of what people should eat, or the superiority of the local doctor by Emma's father were similar to conversations I listened to in the 60's on the isolated Eastern Shore of Virginia. Where there is very little that changes, conversations center on the tiny details of daily life and family and this is what Jane Austen shows us. As with all of Jane Austen's book, in the end the threads are gathered together, all ends well, and dear Emma has come out a wiser and happier young woman.

This is classic #10 for the year. Fifteen more to go.
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Cure

Cure by Robin Cook

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not my favorite kind of book. I love the forensics and the medical mystery but I do not like anything to do with Mafia or other crime organizations, spies or anything of that sort. First, they are always callously "bumping people off", and second, they are all such unpleasant people who are usually only two dimensional.

Unfortunately, this not only has New York crime organizations, but two rival organizations from Japan. It seems as if the Mafia has turned over a new leaf, at least in New York. There is sort of a bargain with the police; if they quit murdering people right and left, the city will not look too closely at the drug operations. How cynical is that???

The action picked up in the second half of the book and, while there is still a lot Mafia operation, this part of the book was more about the medical and personal side. The conclusion is good and keeps you turning the pages.


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Cain His Brother (William Monk, #6)

Cain His Brother by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was another good book in this series. William Monk has a case that involves twin brothers who are like Cain and Abel. When Angus, the proper family man, turns up missing, his wife knows that his evil twin, Caleb has murdered him. She engages Monk to find out for certain that Caleb has murdered him and turn up the body, or have him declared dead so that she can either get a new manager for his business or sell it while it is still profitable to provide for herself and her five children. When everything the woman says appears to be true, Monk looks in earnest for the murderer and Angus's body.

At the same time, typhoid fever has broken out in the slums and Hester, Lady Callandra, and the missing man's stepmother work ceaselessly in the same area Monk is searching for Angus and Caleb. As usual, the cases intersect and Hester becomes involved with Monk’s search for Caleb. To add to this mix, Monk has gotten involved with a person who is determined to extract revenge for something that he did early in his career and for which he has no memory.

At one point, the book seems to drag, but then another plot thread begins and the book is takes off again. As usual, Monk runs into his former callous self and has no memory of things he has done and people he has wronged. One of the interesting things about Monk and the way Perry has developed him is that he is still basically the same person he was before he lost his memory, but he has seen himself and wants to change. So, while he does not want to treat people in his old callous way, he finds himself being inconsiderate and thoughtless towards Hester, only now recognizing it and feeling guilty. This is the main reason I like the Monk books better than the Pitt series. I think that Monk is changing in the way a real person would, two steps forward, one step back.


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The Woman in White

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've read this several times in my life and I am reading it again for a group I belong to. I had forgotten how good it was. It has all of the elements of a Gothic mystery. There is a spooky old mansion with a lovely and rich young girl, an earnest but poor young man who loves the girl but can't marry her, a capable older sister, a weird, reclusive old uncle/guardian, a mysterious suitor/husband, a creepy Count and the mysterious "woman in white" who appears and disappears throughout the story.

Of course, the beautiful young girl, Laura, marries the mysterious suitor, Sir Percival Glyde, who turns out to be a cruel monster, terribly influenced by the Count Fosco and his wife, who happens to be the sister of the reclusive uncle and is bitter about her lack of inheritance. Her sister, Marian Halcombe, comes to live with Laura and tries to protect her from her husband and Count Fosco. Her devotion to Laura knows no bounds and there is a wonderful scene where she proves her mettle by climbing on the roof of the mansion and listening to an important conversation between Sir Percival and Count Fosco in the pouring rain. The poor young lover, Walter, comes back into the picture after he returns from a long time in the jungle in Ecuador, where he attempted to recover from his devastation over the loss of Laura. Walter then attempts to solve the mystery of the Count and Sir Percival and their machinations.

The two best characters in the story are Marian and Walter, and that was one of the things that bothered me about the book. When Walter first meets Marian, he sees her at a distance and she appears to have an especially beautiful figure and presence, but when she turns around, he sees that she is ugly. When he meets Laura, he finds her beautiful and falls in love with her even though, Marian is, by far, stronger, more intelligent and interesting of the two. As the book proceeds, Marian becomes his friend, partner and confidant and yet all his love still goes to Laura. I am sure I am being unfair to Collins, as he was a product of his time, but to my way of thing Marian was a much better candidate for a life companion!


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Gourmet Rhapsody

Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Pierre Athens is a renowned food critic who is givin 48 hours to live. He remembers something that he tasted years ago when he was a youth, long before he became a food critic. The taste was the single thing he has been looking to find again for years and now that his life is ending he is desperate to find it.

After reading The Eloquence of the Hedgehog, I was anxious to read this. The story was written after Eloquence, but it takes place before it in the same apartment building. So far it is pretty good.

You can't read this book very fast. The sentences are complicated and there is an abundant use of metaphors that need to be understood and related to in order to get any meaning. The writing is very precise with each sentence often written to evoke a specific image without which, there is no meaning to the text. I have to stop myself and reread some passages because I realize that I have not kept up with the metaphors and have no idea where the text is going. At first, this seems tiresome because I want to finish the book and then I remind myself that this author is trying to create, for her readers, all of the sensory details of the taste of a food.

I've learned something from this book. Here's an example. When I was a child and visiting Mississippi one year there was a bumper crop of watermelons. There were so many that we went in the fields and broke melons open and only ate the heart. I have since eaten scores of watermelons and none ever tasted that good no matter where I got them. From this book I realized that it wasn't just the melons, it was the combination of sensations that made them the best I would ever taste. I was young and playing in the fields and creeks and I brought to the watermelon a desire for the taste, the wetness and the coolness that I will never have again. The watermelon was at its peak and had just been plucked from the vine. There was a wild abandonment in breaking it open on the sandy ground and digging out the heart that I will never experience again. It wasn't just the taste of the watermelon that I would need to create, it would be the whole experience. That is what Pierre Athens is looking for.

This was extremely interesting. At first, I didn't think the conclusion worked, but after thinking about it, it was perfect. The language was beautiful. There were so many sentences I wanted to read again and again just for the sheer pleasure of the words. This is not a book for everyone, but I enjoyed it and I think it left me changed.


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Mysteries of Winterthurn

Mysteries of Winterthurn by Joyce Carol Oates

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have read the first two books in this combined novel. I have to say I have been disappointed. There are so many loose ends in the books and so much is left to the reader to explain. I understand that the author started from the idea that crimes do not all have tidy endings, but some major plot elements, even ones that lead to the conclusion are just left dangling. I could write a "locked-room" mystery if I didn't have to explain how the murder was committed or who did it, and I am not a writer. I expected more from this author and I think if this were her first novel, it would never have been published.

There are vivid characters and plot elements that are developed and concluded, so the books are not a total waste, it is just better to go into them prepared that to keep expecting that everything will be revealed.

I have finished the third book in the series and I can't say that I am much more enlightened. I understand the third book and perhaps the ending, but a part of me wants to say, "What was the point?" There may be some who like mysteries written like this, but I am not one of them. This was pretty much a waste of time...and the waste of a good story. By that, I mean that there was a good plot going if it had just come to a better conclusion. I felt like I should give this 3 stars because Oates is such a good writer, but I just can't...so, alas, it's two.


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Little Women

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this when I was a child and loved it. Reading it again at this stage of my life, I still enjoyed it and I can see why it is a classic.

It is the story of the four March sisters and what happens to them as they become young women and adults. It is autobiographical and most of the story elements represent what happened to Louisa and her sisters.

Jo is Louisa and she tells the story of her family and her early writing. Her writing is so vivid that it makes the characters seem to be friends and I found myself identifying with each of them. What happens to Beth seems as poignant today as it was when I read it so many years ago and I found myself crying once again.


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The Double Comfort Safari Club

The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love this series so I bumped this up to the top as soon as it was available in an audiobook. It was another beautiful visit with Precious Ramothswe and her friends and family. In this story we learn a little more about Mme Makutsi when her fiance is injured in an accident. When Mme Makutsi meets up with a ferocious Auntie it seems as if she might be defeated.

In the midst of her troubles, Mme Ramothswe decides that the two women need to make a journey to the other side of Bothswana, the Okavango Delta, to a safari camp where they attempt to locate a guide who has done such a good job that an American woman has left him a legacy. The adventures at the safari camp reminds us that the tame and pleasant city life is only a small part of Bothswana.

The 50% Violet Sephotho is back again with another clever scheme to defraud someone and build her life at the expense of another. Without giving away the plot, suffice it to say that Mme Makutsi enjoys her encounter with Violet at the end of the book. Mma Potokwane puts in an entrance to the delight of everyone and helps resolve a very sticky situation.

I enjoy the beauty of the language of Alexander McCall Smith and the common sense he gives to his characters. When I finish the book, I long for the next book so I can visit with these wise and charming people again.
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A Darker Place

A Darker Place by Laurie R. King

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't like this as much as the other books by Laurie King. The premise wasn't as interesting and there were long periods of soul searching by the main character that I found to be very boring. Still, it did have some very interesting twists and turns and was worth reading. King is just such a good author, I think I was expecting too much.

The story is about Professor Anne Waverley, a university religion teacher and expert at infiltrating cults for the FBI. As a young woman, she and her husband and small daughter were in a cult and when she left for some soul searching, all the members committed suicide leaving her with tremendous guilt that has been somewhat assuaged by working with the FBI. She adopts a different persona and infilterates the cult giving the FBI information that helps to establish if the cult is dangerous or not.

Several times throughout the book there are exerpts from books or lectres she has written for the FBI for their training in understanding cults. To me this was the most interesting part of the book. There was a fascinating discussion as to what makes a cult leader explode with violence and what are the danger signals. She also talks about the difference between a small break-away religious group and what we know of as a cult.


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Daddy Long-Legs

Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this a long time ago and found it to be so entertaining as is its sequel. It is an old book, written in 1912, but still delightful. Jerusha Abbott has been raised in an orphanage, but one of the trustees noted that she was very bright and arranged for her to go to college to study to become a writer. The only thing he requires of her is that she not know who he is and that she writes to him monthly. He only responds to her through his secretary. The only thing she ever saw of him was his legs which were very long and she took to calling him "Daddy-Long-Legs." She writes letters in a cheerful and engaging way as she details her life in college. Her benefactor is very generous and as she meets young people and is invited places, he provides her with clothes and the things she needs. She doesn't like to take his money and is determined to pay him back, so she writes stories to sell to magazines.

This is such a sweet story and very entertaining. The reader is able to get an idea of who Daddy Long Legs is and watches "Judy," as she calls herself, develop. The ending is never in doubt, but since her benefactor never writes back to her there is still some question as to how it is all going to work out.


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The Unbearable Lightness of Scones (44 Scotland Street, #5)

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Unfortunately this book is finished and I have to wait for the last one to come by Interlibrary Loan. I enjoy being with the people in these books so much and I miss them when they are "gone."

This story sees Bertie joining the "Cub Scouts" much to his mother's dismay. Occasionally Bertie's father prevails, and this is one of them. Alas, girls may join the cubs now and Olive has caught wind of it and she shows up to torment Bertie and Tofu. If you want to know what Bertie's horrid mother was like as a child, just look at Olive.

Bertie's therapist has moved to Aberdeen and he has a new one from Australia and for a while it looks as if Bertie might graduate out of therapy. This new doctor is not a fan of Melanie Klein and not, seemingly, Bertie's mother, but unfortunately, something happens to make him keep Bertie...at least for a time. Personally, I'm glad. Poor Bertie needs a good therapist to help him cope with his mother.

The rest of the neighbors are back in full force. Matt is swept out to sea on his honeymoon and I won't tell what happens next. Angus and Domenica are playing thief and then police which is a new role for them, and narcissistic Bruce undergoes the greatest change of all...but can he truly reform?

These delightful stories are about real people leading everyday lives that Alexander McCall Smith manages to find humor, pathos and comfort in. It is his genius that makes us see them as we hopefully see ourselves with all our faults and all our goodness.


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The World According to Bertie (44 Scotland Street, #4)

The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bertie is just about my favorite character and in this book we see a lot of him. His biggest problem in this book is, of course, his mother and we have the addition of a baby brother, Ulysses, who looks suspiciously like Bertie's therapist. Bertie, who doesn't lie, mentions this a couple of times. His mother has decided that he should have his good "friend" Olive over to play with him weekly and he is in despair, not only can he not stand her, but his mother has painted his room pink again.

Pat is having her heart problems again. She and Matt have begun a relationship when the unbeliveably and narcissisticly handsome Bruce is back in Scotland. Matt is sweet and kind and...Pat is confused again.

One of the biggest problems in the book is that Angus Lordie's dog, Cyril, has been arrested for biting people and is in the pound awaiting trial. He is almost sure to be put down and Angus is beside himself. How can he get Cyril out of jail?

Reading this book is like visiting old friends.


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Love Over Scotland (44 Scotland Street, #3)

Love Over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is another visit with the characters in and around 44 Scotland Street in Edinburgh and are introduced to two new and very promising characters; a very shady character from Glasgow who is a special friend of Bertie's and anthropologist Domenica Macdonald's friend who has come to stay in her flat while she is studying pirates. In this book we find Bertie managing to rebel against his horrid mother a little more with the help of his father. He also manages to get loose in Paris to his intense delight, and manages very well. Bruce sells his flat and Pat has to find someplace new to live which manages to usher in the "love" over Scotland Street, but not in the way she imagines.

I love these books because they charming without being trite. Smith has a wonderful way of creating characters that are real and likeable even with all their faults. I feel like I am catching up with old friends and when I finish a book, I feel a real sense of sadness. I find myself wanting to know how they think and feel about my world and I find myself changing because of some of the subtle bits of philosophy that resonate with me.


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Espresso Tales (44 Scotland Street, #2)

Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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I loved 44 Scotland Street and this was just as good. It is the characters that make this series so rich, as it is in all Alexander McCall Smith's books. I feel like I'm visiting people I know. Undoubtedly, Bertie is the best character. He is the not quite 6 year old prodigy who is now ready for the Steiner school, when he really wants to go to a nice Rugby playing school. Bertie wouldn't be Bertie if it wasn't for his awful mother...the character you love to hate. And then there is Lou, the big-hearted coffee-shop owner whose loyal customers fill these pages. And her opposite, the narcissictic Bruce who can't pass a mirror without looking in it. Pat, Matthew, Dominica, Angus and his beer drinking dog Cyril round out the main characters, although Bertie's dad, Stewart, is making himself known. They are wonderful, charming, entertaining and thoroughly real. Like his other series, you don't read the "44 Scotland Street" series for its plot. The books are about the characters and I love them all.


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Deception on His Mind (Inspector Lynley #9)

Deception on His Mind by Elizabeth George

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just finished this for the second time. I couldn't remember all the details of the end, so I decided it was time to enjoy it again. I love the books in this series that involve Taymullah Azar and his delightful daughter. They are both very good characters.

The plot of this book, like most of her work, is pretty complex. A Pakistani man was murdered on the beach and the Pakistani community is up in arms because they feel that a white person has done the crime and that the local police will try to pin it on someone from their own community. They call in Taymullah Azar from London, who is a relative of the slain man's brother in law. Barbara Havers is on leave because of a beating she took and she follows Azar to the seaside town thinking the University Professor won't be able to take care of himself. When she gets there she finds a friend is leading the investigation and leads Emily to believe she has been sent from Scotland Yard to give some help. She neglects to mention that she knows Taymullah Azar. Emily gives her the job as liaison between the police and the Asian community leaders led by Azar and his cousin.

This story is filled with twists and turns and a lot of red herrings, and it does slog a little in the middle, but the conclusion is exciting and for the most part satisfying.


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The Fate of Katherine Carr

The Fate of Katherine Carr by Thomas H. Cook

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wouldn't call this a mystery book. It is a story within a story. The first is the story of George Gates, whose 8 year old son was kidnapped and murdered. His young wife also died and now he is alone. He was a travel journalist who specialized in places where people disappeared, but after the tragedy, he became a reporter for a small newspaper. A retired detective got him involved in the disappearance of a poet, Katherine Carr who had previously been assalted and left for dead.

So many people have reviewed this that I am not going to add much more to the plot. It is essentially a novel about dealing with tragic deaths, especially with violence. I think the main question posed, after the immediate, "Why?" is "Why do they get by with it?" In an earlier generation it would be the question that the man screams at God with his fists raised. Why does a serial killer die in his bed of old age when his victims died too young and too horribly?

I figured out where the book by the poet was going fairly early and thought that it was a novel ending and fairly satisfying although many would not feel that way. It is a story about people who can't believe in God trying to reconcile the world they find themselves in when faced with atrocities.

I listened to an audiobook for this title and I would not recommend it. There are two different narrations; George Gates and Katherine Carr. Because both deal with abduction and tragedy, it is easy to forget who is speaking and I found myself having to backtrack when I was in the mindset of the wrong character. Other than that, I found it very well written, if disturbing. When dealing with violent deaths the usual practice for most people is to try to keep the details OUT of our minds, but this book dwells on them quite a bit and that was disturbing at times. It is not for the squemish.


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Great Expectations

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is at least my 4th reading of this book and each time I see new things in it. Young Pip is orphaned and living with his short-tempered sister and his friend and brother-in-law, Joe Gargery. There are two events in his childhood that shape the rest of his life. While he is out on the moors, he is accosted by an escaped prisoner and made to bring him some food under threat of death. He does this, but the consequences in his home are dire.

The next event comes about when he is summoned to meet Ms. Haversham and her ward, Estella in a setting so creepy that it would take the imagination of Dickens to come up with it. Pip is to come to tea and visit with Estella whenever he is summoned.

Years later, as a young man, he is summoned by a lawyer and told that he has "Great Expectations" and that he is to be sent to London and raised as a gentleman. It seems apparent to Pip that his benefactor must be Ms. Haversham and that he is destined to marry Estella. He feels that this must by why she had him come and visit when he was a child.

The rest of the story revolves around the education of Pip in not only schoolwork, but in life. He makes new friends and loses them and he leaves behind old friends and mourns their passing out of his life too late.

I love Dickens. There is no other author who has given the world such well known and instantly recognizible characters. His books are filled with characters so real that we feel that they must have existed in the flesh. How can Scrooge or Tiny Tim not have existed? There are people who feel that Dickens is too wordy, which may be true if your goal is to just get to the end, but Dickens is to be sipped and savored. His characters need to live in your imagination and act of their own accord. Taking up Great Expectations is like visiting an old friend.


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The Innocence of Father Brown

The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Father Brown, that innocent cleric, always has the answer because he is used to dealing with good and evil and is able to see it more quickly than his more jaded companions. It also helps that he has an amazing intellect and keen observation.

These stories are so much fun. A crime is committed and no one can see how it could have been done. Father Brown gives 3 or 4 explanations and his companions are stupefied. He explains that they said there could be no explanation and he has provided 4, none of which is correct. Then this innocent innocuous little priest explains exactly what happened.

As you would expect, he is always completely moral and concerned more about the spiritual condition of the criminal than the offense to society. He has some interesting ways for the criminal to be reconciled to God though and than makes these stories even more interesting.


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The Devil's Half Acre (Mysteries of Winterthurn #2)

The Devil's Half Acre by Joyce Carol Oates

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book of the Winterthurn series and is marginally better than the first. The plot centers around a small plot of land with an unrepentant sinner buried on it and a reputation for sinister happenings. Five shop or mill girls end up being murdered there by what they call the "Gentleman Suitor." It is pretty easy to figure out who the murderer is as the reader follows the young detective, Xavier Kilgarvan around his home town of Winterthurn. Even getting the proof of the murders is not too difficult, but the trials are something else. There is a lot that doesn't ring true and while Xavier solves the crime, the reader is left very unsettled.

I found this book to be more satisfying to read than the first one until the end of the trial. From then on, I felt like the book unraveled. As with the first of this series, the book could have been good, but it just doesn't quite make it. The author may want to demonstrate that in real life, crimes don't always wrap themselves up neatly, but if that was what I wanted, I would read true crime, which I also enjoy. The best true crime writers, however, manage find as much background as they possibly can to attempt to explain the workings of the criminal's mind and to present as much of a resolution as is possible. I feel like good fiction should go even further since the murderer is known to the author and has been created with a personality which should follow a kind of logic, even if it is twisted, at least as it applies to the most important aspects of the crime.


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The Virgin in the Rose Bower (Mysteries of Winterthurn #1)

The Virgin in the Rose Bower by Joyce Carol Oates

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was very stange. I have read everything I could find on the web to get an idea of what I was missing. Apparently it was written this way in the misguided idea that rarely in real life to we have all the answers in a mystery. What this means is that the reader is struggling to figure out what the various strange happenings and murders in the Honeymoon bedroom mean, who did them, why, and most importantly, how. Well, you are never quite sure of most of the above, especially the "how."

I also read that is was a parody on the Gothic mystery, but I wasn't really satisfied with that. I agree with one reviewer that it needed to be either a parody or a Gothic mystery, but not both. On the other hand, the book was very interesting. It had the feel of The Moonstone and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins and I think it could have been as good if there was an explanation of the mystery. I did like it and I figured out enough of the solution to feel somewhat satisfied, but it could have easily been a great book.


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Silas Marner

Silas Marner by George Eliot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this in about the 8th grade and I liked it, but there were parts I didn't understand. I can see now that I didn't have the vocabulary or the understanding of the time period to see the hints that were given in the book. I also remember it taking a long time to read, but the audiobook takes 8 hours to read! How things have changed!

This time I found it delightful. It is one of those very satisfying classics where things have a good conclusion and yet they are unexpected. Silas Marner lives in a small community and belongs to an austere religious sect. When something is missing, they draw lots to determine who is guilty and the lot comes up to Silas. He is forced to leave the community and he comes to another "country" which is actually another village about 30 miles away, but of an entirely different sort. (Most people of the time period never traveled more than 8 miles from the place they were born and many no more than 3) Embittered, he sets up his successful weaving business and hoards the gold coins he earns. He has no friends and does not go about the community. All that changes when his gold is stolen and is "replaced" by a little "golden headed" orphaned toddler. The story takes a completely different turn and we see the redemptive power of love.


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Belgrave Square (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #12

Belgrave Square by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thomas Pitt is called in to investigate the murder of a money lender and blackmailer because the murder may involve a member of the "inner circle," a powerful secret society pledged to support each other whenever called upon. There are two lists left at the money lender's house; one of the debts of poor struggling souls and another of upperclass men who are more likely to have been victims of blackmail.

Thomas finds himself investigating people whom he knows and in many instances, people who are very admirable. He has to dig deep to find the secrets they are hiding and each discovery pains Pitt as it could end promising careers and many good works.

At the same time, Emily's new husband, Jack, is attempting to run for Parliament and, since she is in the early stages of pregnancy, Charlotte has to stand in for her at some of the social events important to Jack. As usual, Emily and Aunt Vespasia become Charlotte's confidents and attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery.

I found this book to be one of the best of Anne Perry's Pitt novels. As usual, the ending is abrupt and in this one, the ending is not my favorite, but the clues do fit and explain the trail of clues.


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Highgate Rise (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #11

Highgate Rise by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As this series progresses, Anne Perry is going into some of the worst excesses of the Victorian age. This book centers on two aspects that were hotly debated at the time. The book begins with a terrible fire which kills the wife of a very outspoken local doctor. She had been quietly become involved in trying to breach a system of rental property law which allowed investors to charge extremely high rents for tenements in horrible conditions without anyone being able to tell who the property owner was. The poor were forced to live in such crowded and unsanitary places and they were also leased as brothels, opium dens and sweatshops. Many a righteous upper class families fortune was build on the backs of the wretched poor without anyone being the wiser. Neither of the Pitts can decide if the doctor or his wife was the intended victim.

When another fire errupts at the home of the doctor's friend with whom he is staying, the focus returns to the doctor however, the friend was an outspoken proponent of liberal Fabinism, which was also a source of contention in the village. While Thomas Pitt explores the motives relating to the doctor, Charlotte, Emily, Jack and Aunt Vespasia concentrate on the work the doctor's wife, Clemency, was doing. It appears that she had managed to trace the landlord of a despicable tenement and was surprised and appalled by whom she found as the owner.

While this plot was convoluted, all our main characters were engaging as usual and Charlotte's maid Gracie made an enterance as a detective also. She was an entrancing addition and a breath of fresh air, especially as various characters engage in some very long winded philosophical speeches which strain the patience of the reader.


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Bethlehem Road (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #10

Bethlehem Road by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was one of the more complex of the Thomas and Charlotte series. The story begins when a Member of Parliament is found on Westminster Bridge with his throat slit. There seems to be no reason for his death until a second Member of Parliament is killed in the same way. Suspicion falls on the suffragettes and especially one woman in particular who has been greviously wronged by one of the victims, her estranged husband.

As this series continues, Anne Perry is giving a riviting description of the state of women during the Victorian era when husbands had complete control of their wives including their money and children. At the time of this novel, laws had just been passed to consider a woman in her own right and not as chattel to her husband. She was also in control of her own money, but things were not a whole lot better. The prime suspect has had her children taken from her including her 6 year old daughter and was cast out without any resources never to see her children again. She was considered an unfit mother because she was a suffragette and, because she did not have independent means, was left to the mercy of friends or a life on the street. Some of the most extreme Victorian attitudes are fleshed out in this story making for some very interesting reading.


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Silence in Hanover Close (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #9

Silence in Hanover Close by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thomas Pitt begins an investigation on a 3 year old murder at the request of the diplomatic service. A talented young diplomat is on the verge of marrying the wife of a murdered man and the Home Secretary wants to be certain that she was not involved and that there is nothing that can jeopardize state secrets. Thomas finds it very difficult to get to the bottom of the murder. Nothing about it makes sense. As he delves further, he finds hints of a mysterious woman in a cerise gown who is seen mysteriously appearing in the night. Then a maid is killed and Thomas is implicated in another murder. Charlotte and Emily become involved as only they can.

This book turned out to be very interesting and events led to a startling conclusion, but it bogged down in the middle. There are long passages of suppositions that become tedious and don't lead anywhere. It does however, have an interesting conclusion and it worth puting up with the slow pace for a time. I listened to this as an audiobook, but if I had been reading, I'm afraid I would have just skimmed a chapter or two and not lost anything.


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Cardington Crescent (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #8

Cardington Crescent by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lady Emily and her husband, Lord Ashton are visiting a rather unpleasant set of relatives when it becomes apparent that George is falling for the lovely wife of their host's son. Emily is distraught, but with her pluck, she attacks the problem with her usual sense. George and the young woman have a terrible scene and he and Emily are reconciled. The problem is that no one knows this and when George is found murdered, Emily is suspect. The detective on the case is Emily's brother-in-law, Thomas Pitt and Emily's sister, Charlotte is there to help. Emily and Charlotte were both born into society but Emily married far abover her station and Charlotte married the only man she ever found who interested her, Inspector Thomas Pitt, who was tutored with a gentleman's son, but was far below her in social standing.

This unlikely pair have had enormous success with Charlotte moving in society and giving Pitt the kind of information he could never glean from interviews, while he brings a suprising intellect and shrewdness and disarming good manner. Finding out who murdered George is more than a little difficult this time because so much is at stake. Charlotte and Emily peel back the hidden layers of this families relationships aided by George's indomitable Aunt Vespasia.



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Death in the Devil's Acre (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #7

Death in the Devil's Acre by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When a doctor is found in Devil's Acre, dead and horribly mutilated, Thomas Pitt is called to the scene, but that is just the beginning of the murders. One after another, men who don't belong in the area are found mutilated in the same way. When some of the men killed are known to Charlotte and Emily's circle, the two sisters once again attempt to find the clue that unites them and provides the solution.



As things escalate, Charlotte and Emily are exposing themselves to ever increasing danger and Thomas himself is not immune. What can the upper crust have in common with this seamy side of town? Once again, Anne Perry gives us a glimps into the Victorian mindset and times. Women, relegated to the endless round of visits and social occasions, strike out to find some excitement and put themselves in danger, both social and even physical.



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Bluegate Fields (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #6

Bluegate Fields by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When the naked body of a young boy of good family appears in the sewers of Bluegate Field, Thomas Pitt has the task of finding out where and why the boy was killed. The crime is a despicable one and the upper class close ranks to hide the scandal. When an innocent, but unpleasant man is arrested for the crime, Pitt has to battle with his superiors and his conscience and is in danger of losing his position.



This is one of the better mysteries of this series. Anne Perry takes us into the brothels of Bluegate Field and the unspeakable practice of selling young boys into male prostitution. She also details how many of the upper class close ranks and stifle justice in order to protect one of their own even at the expense of the innocent. The veneer of impeccable manners and codes of honor often cover a base dishonesty and injustice.





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Rutland Place (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #5

Rutland Place by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This fifth mystery in the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series begins with the loss of a locket by Charlotte’s mother. Alarmed by her mother’s unexplained concern about the locket, Charlotte agrees to pay calls with her mother and see if she can determine if anyone knows about it. As time progresses, Charlotte becomes aware that there is more to the locket than her mother wants to admit. Anyone finding it will be sure to realize that the picture inside is not her husband. The mystery deepens when on of the women returns home after a series of innocuous calls and is dead within minutes after drinking poisoned wine. Apparently, she has been spying on her neighbors and has learned more than she should.

This book ended rather abruptly for my taste. I was listening to an audiobook and saw that I only had 8 minutes to go and still the murder hadn’t been explained. I felt that there should have been more clues planted during the earlier parts of the book to have provided a basis for the conclusion.

As with all her books, Anne Perry gives us a glimpse into Victorian society and the strict roles of men and women. There are some wonderful scenes in the book and this is one of the more amusing of Perry’s books.





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Dracula

Dracula by Bram Stoker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a librarian, I introduced this book in our book club and a number of people read it. The consensus was that it was the scariest book they had ever read. Note that was "scariest" as opposed to "gross." Too many horror novels today are overly concerned with gore and not with plot development. I think this is a classic because the suspense builds and builds while there is a pervading sense that the protagonists may not be able to survive. They have already lost one of their number and she was not a "disposable" character that the readers hadn't invested much in.

I homeschool my 7th grade grandson and had him read this book for Literature. We both enjoyed it and I was surprised at how much he learned from it. We studied the Gothic novel, Eastern European geography, living standards in Victorian times and a great vocabulary.


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The Sins of the Wolf (William Monk, #5

The Sins of the Wolf by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Hester Latterly is offered a job to accompany an elderly lady on a railway journey from Scotland to London it seems like a pleasant journey and an opportunity to see a part of the country she has not been in before. Her only real duty is to administer her patient's heart medicine. When her patient turns up dead of a double dose of the medicine, Hester is arrested and charged with her murder.

She turns to Oliver Rathbone to defend her and William Monk to find out who actually murdered the woman and why, but is dismayed to find out that Oliver cannot represent her in Scotland. Always her champion, he hires the best lawyer in Scotland and comes there to help him defend Hester. William is also there by her side and the two manage to nearly get killed before the murderer is unvailed.

In this book, the relationship between Hester and Monk and Rathbone heats up and takes a leap forward, but will it be permanent or will things go back to normal after the strong emotions of the case are over?


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A Little Princess

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful story of a little girl, Sara Crew, who is the apple of her widowed father's eye. She has lived in India all her life, but she is forced to go to an exclusive boarding school, Miss Minchen's Seminary in London to be properly educated. She becomes the prize pupil when Miss Minchen discovers how incredibly wealthy her father is. Sara and her father are unusually close because her mother died when she was very young and he treats her as a little princess. Fortunately, she has been also taught to behave like a princess and to be patient, kind, good natured and polite.

Sara needs all of those attributes when it is found that her father has invested all of his money in diamond mines in South Africa and they have failed. Not only that, but he has died from a brain fever brought on by the devastating news. Miss Minchen finds out the new status of her pupil and promptly makes a drudge of her. This is really where the story begins. Sara has been well brought up and has a wonderfully vivid imagination and these things help her to endure her wretched life. She has always been kind to the little scullery maid and now finds her a friend and helper.

One of the nicest things about this book is the way it encourages reading and imaginative play as well as good manners and real integrity. Sara has to find ways to deal with her reduced circumstances without becoming bitter or giving up. If you have seen the Shirley Temple movie or one of the other versions, you may be surprised at just how much Hollywood has changed this delightful book.



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Resurrection Row (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #4

Resurrection Row by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This reminded me of an old movie called "The Trouble with Harry." Harry can't seem to stay buried. In this case, an elderly man is found propped up and dead in an cab in Victorian London. The problem is that he is not only dead, but he has been already been buried. The family gather's together to bury him again and a few days later there is another corpse that turns up posed as if he were living, but unfortunately dead and buried. By this time he is getting really hard to identify, but the family gathers together once again to bury him. When the next body turns up and the next, Thomas Pitt begins to get an idea that there is more to this than a gruesome prank. The solution to this is not obvious and it takes a joint effort of both Thomas and Charlotte to figure this one out.


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Paragon Walk (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #3

Paragon Walk by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the third adventure with Thomas and Charlotte Pitt. A young woman is butally raped and murdered in elegant Paragon Walk. She is a quiet retiring young woman and no on can figure out how this tragedy happened in such an upscale Victorian neighborhood. Nothing is making sense when even more people are found murdered. Charlotte and her sister, Emily help Thomas Pitt by moving in society in ways he never could.

The story is good, but the best thing is the introduction of Aunt Vespalia, Emily's husband's aunt. She is delightful and a wonderful addition. As usual, the Victorian society assumes that the murder is done by one of the servants and that the murdered young woman must have been immoral even though there isn't a shred of evidence to suspect that. They engage in a frustrating circular argument which goes something like this. If the girl was raped, she must have been immoral. Even though she seems to be sweet, chaste and virginal, we know that she must have been immoral because she was raped. None of the upper class should be questioned in this matter because they don't come from the strata of society that committs crimes; they are upper class hence, they must be innocent.

The ever patient Thomas Pitt has to tiptoe around the upper class sensibilities in order to get any information at all, but he never falters. The help of Charlotte, Emily and Aunt Vespalia is vital in getting around barriers as they drink tea and engage in the gossip that brings out the elusive clues.


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Defend and Betray (William Monk, #3)

Defend and Betray by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a little more obvious that the others I have read. A man is murdered and his wife immediately confesses to his murder and offers no defense. It seems that she is shielding someone, but whom? It appears that it may be her fiesty daughter who has quarreled with him, but she can’t possibly have done it. In fact, the wife is the only one who could have done it, but why? Even in jail, she won’t tell her lawyer anything or help in her defense.

William Monk is brought in to determine what is going on and Oliver Rathbone takes on her case. Hester Latterly can move freely through the house and is best placed to find out what the poor woman is hiding. It doesn’t take long for Hester to find that the General was not what he seemed to be and that something has been very wrong in this household for a very long time.

I really enjoy these characters more than in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series even though I like them all. Hester is a likeable because she stands in stark contrast to the world she lives in. Her experience in the Crimean War with Florence Nightengale has given her experience and confidence mixed with quite a lot of outspoken brashness. That is what grates on the nerves of William Monk and yet, he values her help in getting vital evidence within the families.

Then there is poor William Monk who was in a terrible carriage crash and woke up not knowing anything about his past. As he tries to gain knowledge through observations he begins to learn that he was not a very admirable person although no one can say that he was not an excellent detective. Snatches of memory come back and he spends part of each book tracking down his clues to his own identity.





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Callander Square (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #2

Callander Square by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two infants are found while some digging was done on Callander Square. The coroner can't tell if the infants were dead before they were born or if they were murdered. One thing is for sure, one of them was badly deformed. Thomas is forced to painstakingly interview the upper class inhabitants of Callander Square who unquestionably believe that the babies must have belonged to one or even two different servants. When none of the young maids seems to be likely candidates Pitt is forced to begin the sensitive work of interrogating his betters.

His wife, Charlotte, and her sister Emily are intrigued by the case and begin to work their way through the round of daily calls and gossip to find some of the vital information that Thomas desperately needs.

Again, we are given a wonderful view of Victorian life and the unfortunate position of women during that era. However; we are also privy to the ways women got around the male restrictions in their lives. This is one of the better of Anne Perry's mysteries, however; as one reviewer mentioned, it does end rather abruptly.


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The Cater Street Hangman (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #1

The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the first Charlotte and Thomas Pitt book and I thought it was excellent. Suddenly, several young girls have been killed with a garrote and all were found on Cater Street. Two were servants and two were young ladies who lived on Cater St. It seems to be the work of a madman, but possibly the madman may not even know he or she is the killer.

The story is told mainly from the point of view of Charlotte and like other of Anne Perry's other main characters, she is spunky, reasonable, bright and often outspoken and aggressive. Young Thomas Pitt is the policeman in charge of the investigation and as the book progresses, we see him admiring Charlotte more and more. Of course, he is not of her class...merely a "tradesman." But the book makes apparent that many of the upper class are selfish, immoral and unfaithful. The character of Thomas is a sharp contrast.

Everyone is becoming increasingly frightened about the murders and the inability of the police to find the culprit. What is most horrible is that the killer must be a person people are familiar with on Cater St. There have been no unknown characters on the street and it is apparent that the killer can walk up and down the street because he belongs there. Families look at each other with suspicion.

I did figure out who was the culprit near the end, but is was a clever, yet reasonable character. I found myself becoming attached to the characters and when one in particular is killed, I had a feeling of personal loss...something that is rare in books of this genre.



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Sudden, Fearful Death (William Monk Series #4)

A Sudden, Fearful Death by Anne Perry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this fourth of the William Monk series we find Prudence Barrymore, a nurse with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea, murdered in a local hospital. She was talented and even desired to be a doctor. Nurses of that era had reputations little better than prostitutes, but Prudence was skilled enough to work with the city's best surgeon. How did she end up dead then?

William Monk, a private detective, had taken the case and Hester Latterly has agreed to go to work at the hospital and work under cover. This turns out to be a big mistake which ends with Barrister, Oliver Rathbone, fighting for her reputation and maybe even her life.

In this book, we are beginning to see signs of respect for Hester in both Monk and Oliver Rathbone. In fact, it is hard to see anyone Oliver respects and admires more and he shows it, albeit discreetly. Monk is also beginning to change his opinions about women after looking into more of his past.

This book is engaging as far as the mystery goes, but it is even more fascinating as it describes the restrictions on women in the Victorian era and the unfairness of the law. The old cast of characters also includes Oliver Rathbone who must really work to make sure justice is served and the wrong person is not executed.

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The Face of a Stranger (William Monk, #1)

The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Imagine wakeing up in a hospital and not knowing who you are or anything about your life. People come to visit and you have no idea who they are. William Monk wakes up in the hospital to find that his body is healing, but his mind is blank. From the Superintendent who comes to visit, he learns that he is a detective and that his cases are being handled, but Monk has no memory of the cases. He does know that he wants his job desperately and he can't let anyone know he can't remember anything.

Back at work, he is given the case of a Crimean War hero who has been beaten to death in an apartment. It becomes apparent that no one entered the building who can't be accounted for and that the culprit must be an acquaintence or family member.

Hester Latterly was a nurse with Florence Nightengale and has come to nurse an elderly gentleman in the household of the slain soldier. Her views on women's rights and her brash opinions set Monks teeth on edge, but he finds her assessment of the family invaluable in determining the family dynamics.

As Monk continues to investigate, he finds that, while he was a brilliant detective, his brusk manner and arrogance have left him with no friends and the enmity of Supt. Runcorn, his senior officer. He also finds out that he does have a sister, but he has been quite insensitive there also. His only help comes in the form of an assistant whom he has never worked with before, but in whom he sees great promise.

This is one of Anne Perry's best books. The whole premise of an amnesiac detective has wonderful possibilities and she makes the most of them. The reader is as anxious to pick up clues to Monk's history as he is himself. This is a very good read.


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Nearer Than the Sky

Nearer Than the Sky by T. Greenwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This novel deals with the frightening mental illness called Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. In this sickness, a parent, usually the mother, brings the child into the hospital or to the doctor for a variety of illnesses or accidents in order to either get the attention of the medical community or to gain importance from seeming to rescue her child from horrifying accidents.

This story is written from the point of view of another sibling who watches this pattern develop between her mother and sister and sensitively, but harrowingly describes the effect on all the family. When this sibling suspects the pattern is beginning in another generation, she has to deal with long surpressed emotions and decide what she will do for her family and in her own life. The story is told with sensitivity and depth and gives a window into this terrible sickness.


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Book Goal for 2011 - 150 books, 25 Classics

I've joined the "52 Books in 52 Weeks" again for this year and since I read a lot when I am knitting and love listening to audiobooks, I am going to make that 150 books. Last year I logged 85 book reviews, and I didn't enter any from late November when Dad went into the hospital until January 13th even though I read at least 10 books, I think 150 books and reviews for this year would be a good challenge. I also want to read or reread a number of classics this year including:

Silas Marner and Middlemarch - George Eliot
Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
Bleak House and Pickwick Papers and Nicholas Nickleby- Charles Dickens
Finish reading Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Pud'nhead Wilson, The Mysterious Stranger

I've got more to put on the list, so I'll say 25 classics for the year.

Blacklands

Blacklands by Belinda Bauer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When the book opens a young boy is digging holes out on the moor. There is something determined, and yet frantic about his digging. He has been digging for his uncle Billy Peters body. Billy was killed by a serial killer when he was about 12, the age of Steven, the digger. His body was never found. Steven lives with his mother and grandmother and it is his grandmother he is trying to find Billy for. The family is disfunctional and Steven thinks that if he can find his uncle's body, his grandmother will begin to live in the present again and pay attention to his mother who has been pushed to the side in her mother's obsession with finding Billy.

This is a well crafted story with an engaging protagonist. It deals with several disturbing subjects, but it is fast paced and well crafted.

It also delves into the story that never makes the headlines...the story of what happens to the family left behind, the family that never has closure. I enjoyed this very much.


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Need to update

Due to the death of my father and the complications of Christmas, I have a backlog of books to put on my blog. Hopefully I'll get time to update my blog soon.

Pudd'nhead Wilson

Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was such a treat! I love the way Mark Twain creates memorable characters and his wonderful use of dialect. This is the story of a young lawyer who stumbles over a local social taboo and is dubbed Pudd'nhead from then on. He never gets to practice law and spends his time taking fingerprints and even reading palms. For the first part of the book, he is just a periphal character, but it is he that wins in the end.



While that is happening, there is a spoof on slavery where the almost white slave has a son who is only 32 degree colored and is almost identical with the son of the master. When his mother becomes wet nurse to the son of the house, who has been born at the same time and whose mother died in childbirth the situation is set. The babies are nearly identical and there is no doting mother around the young master so the slave mother switches the babies.



Then into the town comes a set of twins who write ahead for accomodations explaining that they are Italian Counts and will only need one room and one bed. The reason is apparent as soon as they arrive...they are conjoined twins. The addition of the twins makes the story hilarious, but in the end, there is a serious point made and Pudd'nhead Wilson is the hero of the day.



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A Christmas Visitor (Christmas Stories, #2

A Christmas Visitor by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was one of the best of the Christmas series. We meet again Henry Rathbone from the William Monk series who is the godfather of Antonia whose husband has just been murdered. All of the brothers are to come home from far away places to the Dreghorn family home for Christmas. Poor Henry has to meet each at the station and break the sad news that their brother is dead and appears to be murdered.

The plots has many twists and turns and you find yourself hoping that none of people are to be found guilty, but each one has a secret to hide and, as in so many mystery novels, it is their little secrets that cause them to act in a suspect manner.

The book is short but interesting enough to remember who the characters are and what they have been doing as your reading time is shortened by the rush of Christmas.


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A Christmas Secret: A Novel (Christmas Stories, #4

A Christmas Secret: A Novel by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a light, easy to read story which was perfect for the rush of Christmas when I read it. In fact, I read all four of this series over the Christmas holiday. It was interesting and moved at a fast enough pace, but not too deep.

Dominic Cord and his wife, Clarice are sent to the village of Cottisham to take over for an elderly Vicar who has gone on vacation. The villagers are very nice and the young couple fall in love with the place...that is until they find a body in the basement. There are plenty of suspects, most of whom you don't want to see found guilty and several others you would like to be the murder, but it seems as if they couldn't be. The answer is clever and comes after some little bit of danger and a lot of suspense. A great Christmas read!


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Track of the Cat (Anna Pigeon Mysteries, #1

Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of Nevada Barr's better mysteries. I love the setting for this one and the plight of the mountain lions whose territory has deminished to smaller and smaller areas and even on Federal land are still vulnerable.

Someone is killing the big cats and the fear is that there are poachers who are leading hunters onto the wilderness areas of the park in order to hunt for sport. Anna puts her life at risk to find out who the poachers are and how they are getting in.

This book is especially filled with some very dark people and is a little creepier than most, still I enjoyed it.


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Because of Winn-Dixie

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This delightful book depicts the story of a lonely girl who has moved with her preacher father to a new location. They have left their friends and church family and Opal is also dealing with the desertion of her mother years earlier. While shopping in Winn-Dixie Opal rescues a dog that is roaming the aisles and is destined for the pound. In sympathy, she claims the dog and calls him Winn-Dixie.



As the summer proceeds Winn-Dixie seems to be constantly widening Opal’s circle of unusual characters and leading her into adventures which help her to become part of her new community and grow in her understanding of her parents and human nature.





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