Board Stiff / Annelise Ryan

 

3.6 out of 5 stars 

After the debacle of the last book, I am pleased that things seem to be going in the directions that I like better. Mattie has challenges to deal with and they are heavy, life changing issues, but they are fair. The things that everyone deals with—family problems, communication faux pas, not being able to say no, the past impinging on the present.

After four books of uncertainty, it seems that Steve Hurley really cares about Mattie, but his ex-wife and the daughter he never knew about show up at a critical juncture. Mattie has been thinking about returning to work at the hospital to enable an above board relationship but circumstances intervene. It's messy and they are a bit reckless. You know, honesty is difficult. We want what we want and we aren't too good to lie a bit to ourselves and others in order to get it.

This series is addictive for me. I've got an enormous stack of library books, not to mention the unread novels in my personal collection, but all I want to do is grab the next book.

Lucky Stiff / Annelise Ryan

 

2.5 out of 5 stars 

Although I am enjoying this series, I really struggled with this installment. Mattie is an intelligent woman. She is an experienced and knowledgeable nurse and she has an instinctive grasp of how to investigate a crime. Plus she is obviously attractive, as she seems to garner the male attention she craves wherever she goes.

And there's the rub for me. Why is this attractive, intelligent woman acting like such an idiot? Her foolish gambling in this book really offended me. And, yes, I realize that otherwise competent people get short circuited by the lure of the casino, but Mattie should have been able to learn from her first painful loss. I really hated Ms. Ryan for this plot point. Especially when she then upended a whole bunch of shit on our main character following this financial disaster.

Things can only get better in the next book, right? OMG, I just can't take another debacle like this one!

The Future / Naomi Alderman

 

4 out of 5 stars 

If this book interests you, I would suggest that you read Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires first. Get a little data on billionaires and their doomsday bunkers. It will set you up nicely to appreciate Naomi Alderman’s The Future.

The billionaires in this tale have their origins in known public figures. There’s one obvious Jeff-Bezos-like guy and one with definite Elon Musk vibes. Under normal circumstances, these guys would expect to be the main focus of the story--they've spent the last however many years being the star around whom the planets circle, caught by their gravity. That's why I love that Alderman takes an unlikely group of folks close to them and sets them conspiring at the centre of the novel. There's the ousted CEO, the personal assistant, the soon-to-be-ex-wife and the nonbinary child who hasn't bought in to their mother's plans. They don't sound powerful, but these four know enough and are close enough to the action to make real change.

The personal assistant, Martha Einkorn, is an especially inspired creation. Her father ran a survivalist cult which Martha escaped from as a young woman. But like father like daughter—she is a respected (if anonymous) member of a survivalist internet group and delivers biblically based sermons on that forum. She points out that you can't really survive alone and that leaving society isn't all it's cracked up to be. She is also the link to Lai Zhen, an internet-famous survivalist, after their hook-up at a conference. Zhen gets caught up in the billionaires’ survival plans to their consternation.

You know those stories about time travel to the past, where someone accidentally kills some small creature and when they return to their own time, they are met by lizard people? Or the butterfly effect, where a butterfly flaps its wings in a tropical forest and a hurricane is created in another hemisphere? This book explores how some people make such an impact on our society that their absence would change history's course. The Marxist who wrote Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires would agree with Alderman, that we are better off fixing the world we actually live in rather than trying to engineer personal escape plans to bunkers or off planet.

Do Your Worst / Rosie Danan

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

I am generally not a romance reader, so I'm not sure how this book ended up on my TBR. I wasn't sure that I would finish it when I picked it up. To my surprise I read it in record time. 

I require more complexity than just a romance plot line and the curse on a Scottish castle combined with Riley's attempt to break the curse provided the extra interest that cinched the deal for me. Riley comes from a family line of curse-breakers and needs a significant project to establish her bona fides and kick start her business. Clark, on the other hand, comes from a family of archeologists and has a firm belief in the scientific method. After a disastrous expedition, he is desperate to rehabilitate his reputation and putting up with a woman who believes in curses is unacceptable, even if she is distractingly attractive.

Having said that romance isn't really my thing, I have been lured to the dark side often enough to know that my favourite romantic trope is enemies to lovers. When I realized that Riley and Clark were set up by the author to clash, I knew I was going to enjoy the novel. Both parties have personal issues to overcome with help from the other. But Danan doesn't allow that to happen too quickly. They must struggle with the question of whether they hate each other or are wildly attracted to one another.

So, still unsure how this ended up in my reading queue, but quite glad that it did and that my library purchased it.

Instinct: an Animal Rescuers Anthology

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Book 13 of the 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge

I couldn't interest my library in ordering this anthology and I eventually knuckled under and paid for my own copy. It is typical of the urban fantasy genre, with some of the stories being well told and intriguing while others seemed to merely be filler. It felt severely overpriced for what I got. I realize that part of the price was a donation to an animal rescue charity which makes me seem like a nasty bitch, but I would prefer my money to go to charities in my own country and I would appreciate being able to donate directly, choose the recipient, and receive a tax receipt. It's like being asked at the cash register if you want to donate to some worthy cause. I never do and I'm impervious to guilt, as I know that the store will get the tax benefits, not me. Bah, humbug!

As per usual, I enjoyed the stories written by authors whose work I am familiar with more than the ones unknown to me. The exception to this was Junkyard Rex by Sam Knight. I loved that he ignored the obvious cats and dogs as fictional subjects and chose dinosaurs instead. How smart were dinosaurs? Knight has some ideas about that!

Seanan McGuire wrote a interesting very short piece on the relationship between cats and people, plus the reason cats have nine lives. A bit sentimental, but cat lovers will appreciate it.

The final story is by Patricia Briggs and concerns the tortured kitten rescued from Elizaveta's house during Storm Cursed. This one gives us Sherwood Post's view of that event and it is the origin story of Sherwood's cat, Pirate. It fits into this anthology perfectly. Of course I am greedy for more Mercy Thompson material, so I would have loved it to be longer, but I have to admit that Briggs achieved her purpose here—giving us some insight into Sherwood's amnesia and the opportunity to witness his feelings about his condition. I will never turn down another story in the Mercyverse, especially one dealing with one of my favourite characters, namely Sherwood.

My advice to you: borrow this if you have the chance to. If you, like me, decide that you must pay for it, gird your loins for the dent in your book budget.

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder / C.L. Miller

 

4 out of 5 stars 

That was a debut novel? Darling, C.L. Miller is going to be fabulous! Common advice to authors is ‘write what you know.’ Miller comes from an antiques background, making this field a natural attraction for her. Plus, international art crime is right up there with illegal arms, drugs, endangered animals and their parts, and human trafficking as a high stakes business. This lends weight to the dangers faced by our main character, Freya Lockwood.

Miller doesn't confine herself to just one narrator, though. We get information from several view points, filling in the reader without having to have Freya witness every little thing. Although the murder of Arthur Crockleford and the settling of Marc Metcalf's estate are ostensibly the centre of the plot, the heart of things is truly Freya's shattered trust and her frozen emotional state. Arthur knew that she needed to escape from a bad marriage and the anchor of the marital home, to find out what truly happened in the past to estrange the two of them, and to regain her thrill in the adventure of life.

His method is complex and complete. Arthur has complete confidence in his former protégé and her aunt and his beloved friend, Carole. If Freya is an avenging angel, Carole is an aging glamour girl with definite ideas about how life should be lived, that is to say to its fullest. They may seem mismatched but they complement each other nicely.

There is nothing yet to indicate that there will be a series, but these characters are too good to abandon now. Especially with the promise of further antique expert roles for Freya and her inheritance of Arthur's shop. Not to mention the notice of a certain FBI agent. I do hope there will be more adventures featuring Freya and Carole. I, for one, will be signed up to enjoy them.

Winter Lost / Patricia Briggs

 

4 out of 5 stars 

This is the 14th book in the Mercy Thompson series and I am still into it. My only disappointment in this one was the complete absence of my favourite vampire, Stefan. However, the tale wasn't completely vampire free, as we got Elyna, a lone vamp, unrelated to the Tri-Cities seethe.

I like that Briggs wrote this from multiple points of view. It gives both some additional complexity and the opportunity to dole out more details. This is a Fae-heavy tale and, although I am not as excited about the Fae as I used to be, I still appreciate Briggs' version and her Fae characters who have become familiar. I was pleased to realize that this volume would involve the snow elf who frequents Uncle Mike's bar, aka the frost giant, Ymir, and his brother, Hrimnir. I love when Norse mythology impinges on my urban fantasy. An added plus was the role of my favourite werewolf, Sherwood Post.

If you aren't reading these books as they are published, this might not be the place to jump in. Mercy and Adam are still dealing with fallout from the previous five books, which is a lot. They have assumed responsibility for the safety of everyone within their territory and been turned loose from the official werewolf hierarchy by the Marrock. Mercy has been kidnapped by the baddest vampire in Europe, Bonarata, and brought her Coyote chaos to his plans and life. They have dealt with a coven of invading witches, losing their ally, Elizaveta, who cursed Adam as she died. They have arranged the destruction of an evil artifact, dropped into their community as revenge by Bonarata, who expected it to achieve much more destruction. Mercy, who had been unwillingly linked to this Soul Taker, is still suffering from the wounds that it inflicted on her psyche as this novel opens. Adam is worried after Bonarata made it clear that he is the better brawler of the two of them. As I said, a LOT.

Some things get solved, some things make progress, others get started. I sped through the first reading, then turned to the beginning and enjoyed it with more attention, slowly. This series remains a favourite and I'll be purchasing a paperback copy of this installment for my permanent collection.

Robin Hood / Nick Rennison

 

3.25 out of 5 stars 

***2024 Summer in Sherwood***

Having brushed up on my knowledge of what we currently think of as the tale of Robin Hood, it was now time to consult with a nonfiction author to begin to sort out the whys and wherefores of the Robin myth. Rennison points out just how old the references are, beginning with ballads and the plays which seem to have been a staple of May Day celebrations, well before Richard the Lionheart or King John. Perhaps there was an actual person around whom the story details began to accrete, but the full fledged myth is the product of many generations of tale tellers adding their own innovations. Like any good improv actors, they accepted what was on hand, saying, “Yes and….” (Much as the mythology has accumulated around King Arthur, who may or may not have actually existed, but was certainly much different from our modern concept of him if he lived).

Rennison points out that the violence in most versions is portrayed as absolutely normal. Robin meets someone new in his territory and immediately challenges them to a fight. The combatants whack one another until one is bested (and often it is Robin Hood who comes out the worst). Having sufficiently established their masculinity, the two usually become great friends and the newcomer is incorporated into the Merry Men. Robin seems to be proficient at accepting defeat and recruiting the superior fighter to his cause. It is no surprise that the Disney cartoon version of Robin was a clever fox.

So was Robin Hood a revolutionary, subverting the class system? Was he a brave Saxon, resisting the incoming Normans? Was he a jaded Crusader, returned from the battlefield? Was he an impoverished and swindled nobleman extracting his revenge? Is he a Peter-Pan-like figure, playing happily in Sherwood Forest? Or was he an actual brutal outlaw with a price on his head for good reason? He has been portrayed as all of these things in various works over the years.

It is no surprise that the myth remains popular today, in this time of libertarianism and distrust of authority. The Sherwood outlaws see themselves as moral people who hold the corrupt Church and state to account, much as militias and doomsday preppers today see themselves as removing themselves from a corrupt civilization. On the other end of the spectrum, it is easy to interpret Robin Hood as the original social justice warrior, robbing the rich to provide for the poor. He is the OG anti-hero. Each era puts their own spin on the story, ensuring that the adventures of Robin Hood will live on into the future.

The Adventures of Robin Hood / adapted by John Burrows

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

***2024 Summer in Sherwood***

I have always found that if I want to know about something quickly, it is useful to pick up the children's version. This book was based on Howard Pyle's The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood which was published in 1883 and has the old-fashioned language to prove it. Wanting to refresh my memory of Robin Hood and his Merry Men a little more easily, I requested this one from the library.

It's all here. Robin Hood as outlaw, his acquisition of his band of Merry men, and the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. We meet Little John, Alan a Dale, Will Scarlet and Friar Tuck. King Richard the Lionheart appears in the final story, devising a stratagem to meet Robin Hood and ending up recruiting him.

This is written for children, so the politics are kept pretty simple. Robin may be an outlaw, but he cares for his community. He and his men help those in distress and hold up those who are obviously too rich for their own good. Much of the focus is on outwitting their opponents rather than killing them. Life in the forest is depicted as merry, filled with feasting, archery tournaments and adventures.

I recently attended a short class in medieval history including the events leading to the Magna Carta. I suddenly realized that this was the King John who featured in the Robin Hood tale. Duh! Crusades? I should have added things up, but I guess Robin was more myth to me than part of history. I have a nonfiction book on King John requested from the library and will look forward to reading it in conjunction with my Summer of Sherwood.

A Pocket Full of Rye / Agatha Christie

 

4.25 out of 5 stars 

Book 12 of the 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge

I do love Jane Marple! She doesn't enter this story until the action is well underway and Christie uses a rather unlikely excuse to get her ensconced at Yewtree Lodge. But her mission—to avenge the murder and disrespectful treatment of Gladys Martin's body—is a righteous one. Gladys is the plain and none too bright girl that Miss Marple has trained. Gladys' credulous nature has left her vulnerable to a clever criminal who kills her to cover his tracks, after which she is discarded like she was nothing. No wonder Jane Marple is incensed.

Christie writes unlikable characters with great gusto. Rex Fortescue is a swindler and a bully, his wife Adele is an unfaithful gold-digger, his son Percival is an underhanded ferret, and the other son Lance flaunts his bad-boy status. Adele’s lover, Vivian Dubois, is a weasel too. As a reader, I felt quite okay with any or all of them coming to grief. But Christie can do charming characters too, like Lance's wife Pat, the housekeeper Mary Dove, and to some extent Jennifer Fortescue. Christie has a certain affection for her criminals, often making them attractive and competent. I bet that the villains are the most fun to write!

Detective Inspector Neele is a fabulous creation. An intelligent man who can think in the convoluted way necessary to pursue a complicated murder inquiry, he has the wit to seize the assistance that Miss Marple offers. Between the two of them, they figure out the smartie pants killer who thinks they will escape unscathed. I was leaning in the right direction, but Christie provided a last minute red herring that distracted me away from the correct solution. I could wish that Neele had been given more books to star in.

I will be pleased to add this novel to my permanent collection.

Scared Stiff / Annelise Ryan

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Fun! This series tends more towards slapstick than I usually find desirable, but I like it anyway. I like Mattie Winston despite her impulsive decisions and her tendency to ruin and lose clothing in the course of doing her job. She ends up shirtless fairly frequently to the delight of the policemen, EMTs, and other first responders around her. Since she is the deputy coroner in her small town, this tends to get her noticed.

Mattie has a serious crush on Detective Steve Hurley, but you know the reputation of cops—taciturn and cynical. It's hard for Mattie to know whether he's interested or just an onlooker to her gaffes. Her soon-to-be ex-husband is trying to pitch reconciliation, but Mattie's pretty sure that she'll never be able to trust him again. Hurley is too tempting.

There are murders to be solved, a “new" car to be obtained, a couple of rescue critters to care for, not to mention mastering the new job. Just life for this newly single, rather klutzy deputy coroner. I have the third book cued up and ready to go.

The Dark Angel / Elly Griffiths

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

This installment of Ruth Galloway was not quite as satisfying as the previous volumes, possibly because all the players are waiting for the other shoe to drop (or at least for Michelle to give birth). Ruth herself is still the independent woman that I appreciate. She is building an academic reputation and has become a recognized forensic anthropology expert. This expertise results in her involvement in an archeological site in Italy and dealing with a former lover, Angelo Morelli.

This is the book where I came to the conclusion that Harry Nelson is much more interested in Ruth than I had realized before. He is brought up short when he turns up at a site where bones have been found and is confronted with Ruth's manager Phil, who is filling in for her. Harry is immediately pissed that he doesn't get to see Ruth and that she and Kate have gone to Italy without telling him. Despite the fact that his wife is pregnant, not feeling great, and about to undergo a prenatal scan, when there is an earthquake in Italy Nelson buys a plane ticket and hares off to make sure they're okay. This seems to also cinch things for Michelle.

Needless to say, Ruth has distinctly mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, she was quietly sad at Dave Clough's wedding at the beginning of the novel. However she has no desire to have anyone trying to run her life, which Nelson would surely try to do (even more than he already does).

Griffiths gives us good, tense situations in both Italy and Norfolk. They both provide the momentum driving the plot, while she further tangles the personal relationships. The whole Ruth-Harry-Michelle-Tim conundrum gets altered irrevocably by book's end, but we get no closer to knowing how things will shake out. That's an excellent hook to get me invested in the next book, although (as usual) I will try to hold out as long as possible before grabbing it.

Death is But a Dream / Christpher Kerr, Carine Mardorossian

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I heard the doctor author of this book interviewed on the radio and knew immediately that I wanted to read it. He is a hospice doctor. All of his patients are there to die. He has learned a lot from the patients and the staff that look after them. His first intimation that the later stages of death were worth paying attention to began with a conversation with a nurse. When he suggested several interventions for an AIDS patient, she told him, “It's too late. He's dreaming of his dead mother. He is dying.”

As he became more experienced, Kerr became convinced that when life-saving treatments were no longer relevant, medicine and doctors abandoned patients to their own devices. But that's where the process gets interesting. He firmly believes in managing symptoms to allow dying people to do the important work of preparing for death.

As that nurse pointed out, one of the signs on an impending death is having visions of dead loved ones, relatives, friends, spouses, children, or pets. They may just be reassuring presences, they may speak, they may even feel as if they are physically interacting with the patient. Kerr feels it's important not to pathologise these experiences and not to try to medicate them away. Another recurring theme is travel—packing to go somewhere, trying to procure tickets, striving to get out of bed, to GO. That's easy to interpret, they will soon be leaving.

These dreams and visions seem to allow dying people to process the unfinished business of their lives. Some work through PTSD. Everyone examines their relationships. Perspective is gained. Often peace is achieved. That result seems to be irrespective of religious belief of any kind. I found my eyes filling with tears as I read the case studies. It is a comforting idea. I was reminded of some reading I did a couple of years ago about the clinical use of psilocybin for resolution of long standing personal issues.

I must dream regularly as we all do, but I do occasionally dream of dead relatives and these are the dreams I remember. I love it when I get a brief reunion with my mother. She and my dad were killed in a car accident about 30 years ago. I got to be with Dad as he passed and it was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. His brain injury didn't allow him to speak, so I don't know if he had any of these visions, but I hope he did. I hope not to die anytime soon, but I will know what it means when these things start happening and I certainly don't dread it.

Nevada / Zane Grey

 

R

3.5 out of 5 stars 

Well, I think I see why this was a favourite book of mine during my teens. Even then I appreciated a complex plot. This western has it all—wild country, horses, cowboys, gamblers, horse thieves, cattle rustlers, gun fighters, not to mention plots of both the good guys and the bad ‘uns.

Following on from Forlorn River, this book promises in the title to be about Nevada, whom we know to be Ben Ide's pard in California and the love of Hettie Ide's life. But at the end of the first book, he shot three men and headed out to the wild country, hoping that he had dealt with Ben's problems for him. No longer known as Nevada, he has resumed his real name, Jim Lacy. Lacy has a reputation as an honourable gun fighter who is death to his opponents.

The first half of the novel deals with the Ide family, who decide to sell up their California ranch and move to the wilder Arizona. Both Ben and Hettie secretly hope to find Nevada again. Ben has bought land and cattle from Cash Burridge and has found that the cattle count is wildly inaccurate. But he has good neighbours, one of whom is a judge. These two neighbours put their heads together and turn to one of their foremen, Texas Jack. Yet another alias for our main man Jim.

The second part of the book follows Lacy as he infiltrates the criminal element. Can he ingratiate himself with the rustlers and ascertain who leads the infamous Pine Tree Outfit? Can he achieve justice without running into Ben or Hettie? He must play his role with care and keep his gun loose in its holster as he attempts to clear his name.

I could only access this title as an audiobook and it was a frustrating experience. Even sped up, it took much longer to listen to it than it would to read it. Plus, hearing it read aloud, I realised how Grey overused some words, others have changed meanings, and still others reveal the prejudices of the times. Nevertheless it was an enjoyable trip down memory lane (not that I actually remembered what I read 50 years ago). Worth the time spent.

The Lonely Heart Attack Club / J.C. Williams

 

2 out of 5 stars 

2 stars—it was okay.

This book had a great premise. So many of these mid-life reinvention novels centre around women. I was interested to read one about a man, written by a man. It unfortunately didn't come close to meeting my expectations.

On the very first page, I was confused about who the main character was, Jack or Geoffrey, Jack’s father. (The illustration on the cover pointed toward the older gentleman.) Then, when I realised that Jack was the choice, I was completely unimpressed. Now, I know that I was supposed to feel that way, giving Jack room for a redemptive arc, but he is soooo unlikable! He is very, very selfish. A very low bar indeed. I did not wonder why Helen had left him, only why Emma could possibly be interested in him. I just could not fathom her devotion to him. He gets excited by their new business neighbour, not because she's a pleasant person, but because he wants to have sex with her. Talk about male privilege—he doesn't consider whether he has anything to offer to her, it's all about him. Emma unfathomably remains attracted to him. There must be a drastic shortage of men on the Isle of Man.

Then there was the writing, which I will call basic. Honestly, it was like I had tried to write a novel and trust me, I'm a complete amateur. All of the characters are rather two dimensional, but the women are particularly undifferentiated. The author obviously had little interest in them beyond as sexual interests for Jack. The only notable elderly women from the club are made to look silly because they are still interested in men at their age. Yes, Jack ends up more likeable at the end, but his arc only went from boorish to barely decent behaviour. I remained skeptical of Emma’s attraction to him. 

The very obvious message of the book is a worthwhile one. Doing things for other people is not only charitable but improves the life of the giver. Both Jack and the celebrity Kelvin discover this by book's end. You can't miss it, as the author clubs you over the head with this theme. Nevertheless this thought was the only reason that I added a second star to my rating. 

Filthy Rich Vampire / Geneva Lee

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

When I requested this book from the library I expected a paranormal romance. What surprised me was that I got an amusing screwball comedy as well. Mix a financially challenged young woman with a filthy rich vampire and what do you get? A lot of ridiculous shenanigans, that's what.

Thea is a music student. She has student debt and her mother's medical bills to worry about. She is a talented cellist and plays in a quartet as one of her jobs. Her group is hired to perform at a vampire event, although they don't realize the nature of the crowd. Julian is a vampire from an old, established family. He has been recalled from hibernation because he is the eldest son and vampire society has reinstated the Rites. It is his turn to choose a wife and produce children. He wants none of it! But there is a beguiling cellist performing at the opening party….

Julian is out of touch with contemporary society due to his hibernation. Thea has no idea that vampires exist. He finds that he's unable to enthrall her. She can't understand why he's being such a dick. They manage to break her cello and he swears he will replace it. Thea receives a priceless instrument that she's scared to touch. Ancient vampire has no idea how to deal with a 21st century woman. Modern woman has no idea how to drag the truth out of old vampire.

These two fool themselves into believing that they can spend a year together: Thea agrees to be Julian's “girlfriend” for a year to exclude him from the marriage market. In return he will pay off her debts and they will part, both getting what they want. What could possibly go wrong? (Spoiler alert: Lots.)

If this had just been a straight up PNR, I don't think it would have been nearly as much fun. But watching this pair try to find their equilibrium as they learn more about each other was highly entertaining. Thea may be an innocent and a mere mortal, but Julian finds himself discombobulated dealing with her. How can a young woman in her 20s shake his control so easily? Fast and fun. Perfect for us vampire fans.

Murder You Employer / Rupert Holmes

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Mystery Book Club 2024

Who among us has been lucky enough to never have had an annoying manager or an irritating coworker? You know, that person of whom you say, “If I could chip him/her off a bridge when no one was looking, I'd do it.” Rupert Holmes takes this idea and runs with it, creating the extravagant McMasters Conservatory of the Arts. The deadly arts that is.

So you’ve decided to commit a murder.
Congratulations. Simply by purchasing this volume, you’ve already taken the all-important first step toward a successful homicide of which you can be proud, one that would gain you the admiration of your peers, were they ever to learn of it.
This book will see to it that they don’t.

We are introduced to three McMasters students from wildly different circumstances and get to follow their education and plans to “delete" those who stand in their way at work. Holmes writes with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek. After a couple of chapters of this arch approach, I was starting to weary of it and thus was relieved when he relaxed that conceit (although never truly abandoning it) and got into the convoluted planning of these three deletions. And he writes convolutions with the best of them. It is a pleasure to watch these graduates attempt to finish their theses.

Mr. Holmes obviously has a lively sense of humour and a twisty mind! I would dearly love to know how long he spent dreaming up this novel and writing it. Did it happen in a hurry or did it percolate in his brain for years before he poured it out on the page? I suppose I shall never know, but speculating is great fun.