ExLibris

Book Reviews & Recommendations.

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SCANDANAVIAN MYSTERY GIRLS

First of all, all the Nordic crime must be read with a sweater on.  Winter has come there and all the narrative about weather and snowy landscapes makes you chilly, even if poolside. 

My first fave is Helen Tursten, whose Swedish character is Inspector Irene Huss. She's a working Mom with a chef husband and two daughters balanced with being a very thorough police person.  He cases are absorbing - very unlike crime fiction where the detective rushes through "the first 48".  Huss is all about the basic work - following up leads to dead ends and then starting over. No instant CSI results - just grunt work and good intuition and sometimes foreign travel. She and her colleagues seem almost idealized policeman - they worry about victims and keep slogging away until they figure out what's going on. Tursten's stories are contemporary - cyber crime and human trafficking are in the mix.  Specific Recommendations:  The Golden Calf and The Beige Man. 

Then we come to Norway's Karin Fossum.  Her protagonist is Inspector Sejer, whose beat is sometimes rural.  Sejer usually works with a younger partner (Skarre) and is very introspective. He has a quiet home life with a canine companion and is very retrospective. The Drowned Boy is particularly intriguing. since he is very sure he knows caused a child's death, but has no way of proving it. Nor can he, until the last page, almost by accident. 

Liza Marklund is another Swedish author, whose mystery solver is a journalist, Annika Bengtzon.  Annika evolves during the books devoted to her - from a young mother to a divorced mom.  Her journalist role evolves also, as newspapers succumb to newer media.  It makes her complicated but also reinforces her stubbornness when chasing a story. The best title: Lifetime, where what seems to be an open and shut murder case involving a celebrity policeman turns into a much more complicated miscarriage of justice. Annika has police contacts but stays one step ahead in figuring out who did what and why.

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STATION ELEVEN (Emily St. John Mandel)

A brief mention - since this is Santa Monica's citywide read. 

Starts out like a YA dystopian novel. It reinforces the need for music and theater to enrich lives. Refutes the idea that patriarchal religions are reassuring and/or necessary to the spiritually lost. Ends up on a hopeful note, that to consider and act on a  possibility can be most rewarding.

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Gary Indiana & Alysia Abbott

I especially liked this thought, from the frontspiece of Gary Indiana's recent memoir:

In the Philippines, almost every week, someone is killed in a karaoke bar for singing  "My Way", by someone else who doesn't like his singing."My Way" is, of course,a hubristic and self-congratulating song, as many Frank Sinatra standards are. But "My Way" is a particularly abrasive song for people who have to listen to someone else singing it.  A person who thinks he did it his way is often mistaken, but even if he really did, it's sometimes prudent not to sing about it.

Can't really recommend the autobiography I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE to a general audience since it's framed by Indiana's sexual encounters.  There is a lot of triste in the chapters about life in Cuba over the past 15 years.

A less abrasive memoir of gay life is Alysia Abbott's FAIRYLAND about her growing up with a gay and single father in San Francisco.  As most children, she was not aware of her father's inner life and became more aware when she read through  his papers after his death and she was able to appreciate his struggles to raise her and maintain a social life. She includes journal entries, poems and letters and really brings her dad alive. So the memoir seems more like his than hers.

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The 3 Year Swim Club - Julie Checkoway

(The title refers to the DIY swim club and each members commitment to the club and its rigorous training procedures.)

Recipe for drama: The romance of pre-statehood Hawaii. Poor Japanese American children learning to swim in an irrigation ditch .A teacher/coach who can hardly swim himself yet dreams of the Olympics. Local bigwigs trying to co-opt the swim club when its members perform well. Mainland prejudices. Crowded and crowd pleasing swimming competitions garnering headlines. Obscure history lessons. Triumph over adversity.

The focus character is Soichi Sakamoto, a teacher who had the singular vision to create a swim team on a DIY basis with the goal of Olympic competition. His students came from Maui's underclass, farmworkers' children. They were willing to swim in filthy ditch and exercise with homemade weights. They had one towel for all to share. When a scrawny 15 year old Kiyoshi Nakama beat two seasoned pros, one an Olympic medalist, in a local meet, the team hit the spotlight. Team members broke long-standing records and seemed poised for the 1940 Olympics, which were cancelled. Internment camps and army service beckoned. And finally in the post-war Olympics, an Hawaiian 3YSC member won a gold medal.

This true life saga is being promoted as a cross between Unbroken and The Boys In The Boat. What they have in common is characters striving for the Olympics circa World War II. Sadly, Checkoway is not as compelling a writer as the other authors. mostly because she lacked direct access to the pivotal character, Sakamoto. Lots of fact reciting but little personal insight.

The story details are interesting - from how Sakamoto created homemade weights to how Jim Crow laws affected team travels and how the swimming establishment treated outliers. There is an inspirational aspect - the journey of the swimmers proved more important than the outcome. But a much better story if Sakamoto had been able to contribute.

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Inspector Van Vetteren

This Swedish series by Hakan Nesser begins with two engrossing police procedurals. Detective Chief Inspector Van Veeteren is old school, solving his cases through basic trial and error, not fancy forensics. He's a bit of a misanthrope but it works for him.

"Minds Eye" starts slowly, with the Inspector first appearing in Chapter 5. The third person narration includes the killer's perspective but not his/her identity. The investigation into multiple murders proceed slowly but keeps circling round until all is revealed, including the sad motivation for the killings.

"Borkmann's Point" also involves multiple murders by a serial killer dubbed "The Axeman". Van Veeteren is sent to assist a small town police force. The investigation is all very civilized, and leading nowhere, when a female detective disappears but no body is found. The killer is found but proves a likeable fellow.

What's interesting about these stories is that the killers are not run of the mill irredeemable bad guys, but people set adrift from reality through personal circumstances. Van Veeteren likes to smoke and drink and spends a lot of time by himself thinking. He's not a big sharer with bosses and subordinates and he likes to vent when things aren't handled precisely as he wants, but he gets the job done, setting personal deadlines. Quirky but likeable crime solver - good tales. Recommended read.

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More Peter Lovesey

Just read the most recent Peter Diamond adventures back to back.

2014's THE STONE WIFE tells you more than you need to know to pass high school English about Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales but is still a good read. The mystery involves a botched robbery at an auction house. The object of desire is a stone carving, reputed to be Chaucer's Wife of Bath.

2015's DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN takes Diamond to a new jurisdiction, Sussex, temporarily partnering his annoying supervisor, who's been asked to handle an internal affairs matter for an old friend. The friend turns out to be a frenemy, but Diamond manages to link an old cold case to a recent disappearance. No spoilers, but the villain's body disposal method will be familiar to Dexter watchers.

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Art in Non Fiction

Sharon Waxman's LOOT from 2008 is subtitled "the battle over stolen treasures of the ancient world" which pretty much sums up her narrative. Topics include: the Elgin Marbles, Napoleon in Egypt, robber baron acquisitions, grave robbers and more. She raises questions about the preservation or lack thereof by second world countries of their artistic heritage, museum policies and politics and covers both sides of ownership issues. Very informative.

More recently, Nancy Moses' STOLEN SMUGGLED SOLD covers specific controversies regarding cultural heritage and their resolution, if any - ranging from Nazi "acquisitions" to recent thefts from Iraq to Ramses I's mummy. Her topics move out of the ancient world and involve some specifically American items - the Bill of Rights, a Ghost Dance shirt, a Pearl S, Buck manuscript and so on. The chapters are short but include notes. What Moses also touches on is the business side of such treasures, the worth of cultural items which is undoubtedly why these topics have become of general interest.

And then there's Robin Brooks' THE PORTLAND VASE, a tale specific to an object, a Roman vase. It's a history of one glass decorative item, which includes provenance through the centuries and the many colorful characters who touched base with the object over time. There are many scholarly theories about which mythological figures are portrayed on the vase, which Brooks covers and he also describes the restoration of the vase. Helpful photos and illustrations can be repeatedly referred to as you read. A fine read.

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Death and White Diamonds

This novel by Jeff Markowitz is the mystery equivalent of the film Weekend at Bernie's.

Man has dead body, tries to hide it, part of the body is stolen by inept crooks, killer not real smart himself...

Easy to guess outcome, but many funny sequences.

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Characters & Their TV Counterparts

Reed Farrell Coleman continues with the life and times of Robert B. Parker's character Jesse Stone in the new-ish THE DEVIL WINS. (Think of Tom Selleck who stars as Stone in the occasional TV movie as you read through this one and you'll pass the time pleasantly.) A cold case turns red hot when bodies are uncovered and the unravelling of the mystery goes back to Molly's time in high school. Coleman gets the characters and delivers nicely in this one. The TV characterization follows the novels, so its equally enjoyable to read and/or watch Stone in action.

Kathy Reichs' SPEAKING IN BONES is the latest about forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Reichs is a good story teller and her books keep developing a mature character very unlike the one in the TV version of her novels. In this one, Brennan interacts with web sleuths who populate chat rooms and theorize about unsolved cases. It's an interesting premise and she follows through well. Read, don't watch.

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Murder in Montmartre (Cara Black)

Part of a great series featuring sleuth and cyber genius Aimee Leduc; each set in a separate arrondisement in Paris. WHAT HAPPENS: As always, Aimee has great taste in clothes, loyal friends and tips us off to great places to eat when in France. Other books in the series reference her long dead father, a policeman, and this one contributes even more to his back story. Aimee assists a female police pal - apparently the French police are pretty misogynist too.

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The Maine Massacre (Janwillem van de Wetering)

Part of a long running series about Dutch policeman Grijpstra and De Gier. WHAT HAPPENS: Amsterdam Municipal officers are in a fish out of water setting, in Maine as a relative has died. Even though their US counterparts seem more technologically advanced, our heros establish that murders have taken place and come up with the guilty party. THOUGHT: Too bad the Maine policeman aren't working in small towns in Texas and/or Missouri. They've taken the time to know their locals and deal with them non-violently.

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Summer & Fall Heavy Hitters

Books from the big names in women's suspense. All good for a beach or porch read.

Quick notes: COP TOWN by Karen Slaughter What's it like to be a white female cop in Atlanta in the seventies? The force couldn't be more misogynistic and corrupt. So Maggie (a police legacy) and Kate (wealthy and pretty) team up. There's a cop killer on the loose. Takes place over 8 days. Suspenseful and enjoyable.

SECRET SISTERS by Jayne Ann Krentz I'm liking this - quick read, few surprises but engaging characters. Two best pals (Madeleine and Daphne) have been separated since they were pre-teens and one was almost assaulted. They're brought back together 20 years later when Madeleine revisits her childhood home (a hotel) to find a dead body and the suspicion that there's a bigger mystery that needs to be investigated. Did I mention the hunky brothers who're helping them? The characters make it happen.

NINE LIVES by Wendy Corsi Staub The first of a series set in Lily Dale, NY - which we're told is a town almost entirely populated by psychic mediums. A single mother and her son are stranded there while on their way to a fresh start with an obnoxious relative. They're taken in and nurtured by the townsfolk, and the heroine (Bella, just like in the Twilight books) finds work running a B&B, which is all good. The mystery involves what happened to the inn's previous owner. Lots of distractions when the locals make psychic pronouncements that turn out to be true.

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Not My Blood (Barbara Cleverly)

Her creation is Joe Sandilands who operates in London as a police commissioner between the World Wars. Not overtly political; not catch your breath suspenseful, good historical setting. WHAT HAPPENS: Joe investigates crime at a boys boarding school. The boy may be his son.

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For Austenites

With the exception of MURDER COMES TO PEMBERLY, most of the Jane Austen sequels and prequels are dull..

Here are some of the not so bad.

Jo Baker's LONGBOURN is all about the servants from Pride & Prejudice who work long, strenuous hours with little gratification and little hope of a change in status. It's interesting because of the detail and it makes one glad to have modern appliances.

I can recommend BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN, as a fun read. It's an HQN anthology of stories featuring Austen's characters in paranormal settings. (Authors are Mary Balogh,Colleen Gleason, Susan Krinnard and Janey Mullany). Balogh's tale "Almost Persuaded" is the best, not surprising since she's the best writer in this bunch. Her tale touches on reincarnation.

Joanna Trollopes' SENSE AND SENSIBILITY sets Austen's characters in contemporary times. The characters all have the same names and predicaments, colored by the 21st century. Mrs. Bennett is a hippie. It's a bit coming-of-age, a bit satirical and very funny.

Warning: Christian fiction but not so heavy handed as most of that genre --- Katherine Reay's DEAR MR.KNIGHTLEY is episolatory in nature. WHAT HAPPENS: an impoverished student who's been entranced by Austen (her novels are touchstones for the girl's life) trying to make her way through college and beyond. She writes letters to her benefactor so we see her inner thoughts. It takes little imagination to figure out who Mr. Darcy is and yes, there's a happy ending.

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Alert (James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge)

Yet another quickie in Patterson's oeuvre featuring character Michael Bennett of the NYPD, the one with the ten kids and no wife. Plot involved baddies trying to create a tsunami that will destroy New York City. Yet another novel when a regular guy gets involved in a huge conspiracy and brings down the villain practically singlehandedly even though its an international conspiracy. Quick read. No better or worse than any of the others in the series.

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MURDER AT CAPE THREE POINTS - Kwei Quartey

A detective inspector in Ghana - what's not to like!

  The latest in this series starring D.I. Darko Dawson. Interesting history, politics and culture mixed with a family feud create an engrossing story.

  Recommended.

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A STRING OF BEADS - Thomas Perry

If you haven't read any of her other adventures, Jane Whitefield is a "rescue artist" who helps people disappear, a witness protection program for those who can't really rely on the government.

  The latest Jane novel finds the heroine at her ingenious best. She relies on lessons learned in her Seneca upbringing as she assists a childhood friend who's been falsely accused of murder.  A little more introspection and reliance on modern technology than usual and even a brief communication with law enforcement add to the drama as she parries with small territory Mafiosi.

  Enjoyable, a fast read, a great character - check out DANCE FOR THE DEAD, my favorite in the series.