Planet of the Apes / Pierre Boulle

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Wow, time has not been kind to this novel. Space travelers find a message in a bottle and read it. It describes a small group of humans who travel from Earth to Betelgeuse and land on a planet that they name Soror. Their first encounter with other beings is with a beautiful woman who runs around naked, can't speak, and doesn't act very human despite her appearance. The three men eventually find themselves pursued and captured by gorillas in clothing and carrying guns. Ulysse, the narrator, finds himself confined in a laboratory, where he attempts to display his intellect and his distinction from the Sororan version of human.

Ulysse is an educated white man who suddenly finds himself treated like an animal, a nonentity, and it enrages him. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to occur to him that he may have treated others that way back on Earth (i.e. women and POC). I doubt that the author had animal rights in his mind as he wrote this novel, but I'd like to think he was commenting on class structure and possibly colonialism. The gorillas in particular reminded me of the British in Africa or India.

There were several zoological details that bothered me. The first was Ulysse referring to his captors as monkeys. I spent some time teaching natural history and helping people sort out the differences between monkeys and apes. This really rubbed me the wrong way. Secondly, the chimpanzee Zira, who believes Ulysse, states that gorillas eat meat and love hunting. In our world, gorillas are gentle vegetarians. It's chimpanzees who hunt monkeys avidly and relish eating meat. I've had to remind myself repeatedly that Boulle wrote this before the ground-breaking research by Jane Goodall and Diane Fossey.

The revelation at the end elevates the novel from 2 to 3 stars. Anyone who has seen the original 1968 movie will have a pretty good idea of what happened, although the movie makers gave it their own twist. This may be one of the rare movies that is better than the source material.

Green Rider / Kristen Britain

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Not a bad little novel. It is very obviously a first novel, suffering from a clunky plot and thin characterization . Our main character, Karigan, is expelled from her school for besting a boy of the nobility in a sword contest. But for the winner of such a fight, she seems absolutely clueless when she next picks up a sword.

Kari stumbles across a dying Green Rider during her trip home. He manages to convince her to take up his task—to deliver a message to the King. Reluctantly, Kari agrees, pins on his brooch, picks up his messenger bag, and catches his horse. She is the typical reluctant questor, learning things as she goes. The brooch turns out to fill much the same role as the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings , allowing Kari to fade out of view when necessary. Like A Game of Thrones, there is a magically enhanced wall to keep the darkness at bay, but someone messes with it (in the first chapter), loosing evil on this world.

Bumbling she may be, but Kari always lands on her feet and is successful. The author seems to have believed that making her reluctant and shy will substitute for character development. Several of the numerous ghosts in the story have more personality than Kari. And yet, the captain of the Green Riders wants to recruit her and the king takes notice of her.

The plot is interesting and that's what saves the novel. I found myself pulled along despite the very basic writing and jerky pacing. It's nice to have a young woman at the centre of things, even if she does flip between having good ideas and being clueless. There are no obvious love interests, though there are a couple of possibilities. There are at least seven more books in the series and I can only hope that Britain's writing style smooths out in later volumes.

Paranormal Payback

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

I've been anticipating this collection of stories and am pleased to report that I enjoyed all but one of them. Of course some appealed to me more than others--that's the nature of these collections.

Jim Butcher's contribution was a small visit to Harry Dresden's Chicago. I've noticed that his short stories tend to explore the criminals of this world, which must be an entertaining change. I've heard that writing villains is fun.

I haven't yet read Holly Black's The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, but her story here takes place in that world. Perhaps I liked it as much as I did because her protagonist is an older woman. I think I may backtrack to the novel.

Tanya Huff has become one of my favourite authors. Her story is set in Henry Fitzroy's Vancouver. I have her Smoke Trilogy on my shelf, waiting. This story convinced me that I need to find room for it in my reading plans.

Another favourite is Faith Hunter and the world of Jane Yellowrock. It was fun to be reminded of those books and even inspired me to go to Libby and sign out Skinwalker. (This is is why my reading queue is so crowded. It's my rereading habit.)

Those were my highlights. Your mileage may vary. A worthwhile book for the urban fantasy fan.

Too Old For This / Samantha Downing

 

3.25 out of 5 stars 

I'm not sure what I expected this book to be, but it didn't square with those nebulous expectations. I guess I wanted it to be more humorous. Instead I got a rather serious examination of the indignities of aging.

Lottie is a retired serial killer. She just wants to spoil her grandchildren, attend her son's second wedding, go to church on Sundays, and maybe win at bingo now and then. Instead, a young woman shows up on her doorstep, wanting to film a docuseries about people wrongly accused of crime. What Plum can't know is that Lottie wasn't innocent, just good at disposing of evidence and keeping her mouth shut. When Plum gets persistent in her interest, Lottie decides she knows exactly what to do.

Unfortunately for Lottie many things have changed. She's no longer as strong as she once was, her balance has deteriorated, and her memory for detail isn't as sharp as it once was. Plus technology has changed and she keeps forgetting that her phone can track her. What started out as a straight forward murder spirals out of control, as two detectives, Plum's boyfriend, and Plum's mother show up at her house. It's tiring for an old woman.

During the whole shitshow, Lottie realizes that she could conceivably die and rot in her big old house. She  begins to research senior communities and consider how to get top dollar for her run down home. She relaxes her wardrobe and simplifies her bingo night food contributions, which worries her friends.

I struggled a bit to finish this novel, but eventually I made it to the remarkably peaceful ending. I am doubtful that I will read any of the author's other works. My TBR is long and there are many more appealing novels to spend my time on.

Second Chance Romance / Olivia Dade

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

The second book in the Harlot's Bay series centers on Karl Dean, the grumpy, antisocial, loudly profane baker who runs his successful business in the town. In the first volume, Athena worked for him briefly and was highly amused by his blasting of audiobooks over the bakery's sound system before they opened for the day. Mostly because the books in question were monster romance novels. In this book we learn that Karl isn't really into monsters--it's just that the narrator was the love of his life and the books are his only connection to her.

Molly Dearborn left Harlot's Bay behind in her last year of high school and has never returned. She's recently divorced, lives in California, and earns her keep as a voice actor. Two events cause her to take a break and return to Maine: her house requires significant renovations and her author friend sends her Karl's obituary. Obviously, the obit is the result of a misunderstanding, but Molly and Karl discover they still have chemistry.

I loved Karl in the first book, with his murder threats against anyone who annoyed him, his profane mutterings, and his obvious soft heart and care of the people that he reluctantly allows into his life. I like Molly well enough to begin with and warmed up to her as I learned her circumstances. Neither of them wear their hearts on their sleeves and communication is their big obstacle.

Fiction is comforting when you know what the outcome will be. The conclusion is predictable, the big question is how the characters will get there. I didn't enjoy this novel quite as much as the first one, but it was still very enjoyable. Should Dade produce more entries in the series I would definitely read them.

The Forget-Me-Not Library / Heather Webber

 

4 out of 5 stars 

This was just what I wanted right now—a gentle story of friendship and love with low stakes problems. I could tell from the first few pages where the plot was headed, but I was perfectly okay with that. It was just a lovely walk in a familiar garden.

I loved the magic of the town of Forget-Me-Not, that crippled the cars of those who need emotional help of some variety and ensured the car repairs wouldn't be completed until they are ready. If they're not meant to go, the car will break down again as they're leaving town.

Juliet is recovering from being hit by lightning while walking with her beloved grandfather. She survived with some amnesia, but her grandfather did not. She is searching for peace and wants to regain her memory. Tallulah has returned to live with her Papaw in Forget-Me-Not following her divorce. She is juggling two children and a job and is dismayed when Juliet’s car breaks down in front of their big old house and the rest of the family welcomes her right in. They gradually learn to trust each other and they both build relationships in the community.

If you like the idea of good friendships in a small Southern town, this is the book for you.

The Tokyo Zodiac Murders / Soji Shimada

 

DNF @ 26%

I tried. This novel began with a simultaneously horrible and boring fantasy of a would-be serial murderer. Eventually I learned that he died before he could kill his daughter, step-daughters, and nieces to construct his perfect imaginary woman. They each represented a sign of the zodiac governing a particular body section.

I read far enough to get past the potential killer's diary. It was then revealed that the young women were systematically killed after his death and those cases remained unsolved. The narrative consisted of two men discussing the cold cases. One of them has studied the evidence and is describing it to the other, who appears to be a Japanese version of Hercule Poirot, who will solve the mystery solely by analyzing the evidence second-hand. 

Two men sitting, talking to each other, just didn't have the juice to hold my attention. My only regret is that this novel was chosen by my book club. I haven't attended a meeting since September 2025 and they will have forgotten me entirely.  

At First Spite / Olivia Dade

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I have been on a romance novel reading jag for over a month now. Me, who wouldn't have picked up a romance five years ago. I usually need an injection of mystery or fantasy to help me enjoy a romance book. At First Spite has neither of those things, but I knew when I read the description that I needed to read it.

Athena has been jilted by her fiancé Johnny, largely because of his judgmental brother Matthew. She had already purchased Johnny's wedding present, the Spite House, a 10 foot wide addition built onto Johnny's house by a historical brother taking revenge on his selfish sibling. She's made the deal and can't afford to move away. Besides, shouldn't she try to get a bit of revenge herself? As she's moving in, she discovers that the insufferable Matthew lives in the house next door, the one that she could almost touch by leaning out her window.

The ironic thing is she and Matthew met at her engagement party and really enjoyed their banter until they discovered each other's identity. And despite having kiboshed her wedding, Matthew continues to be a kind, thoughtful neighbour. Significantly, however, he neglects to tell her why he objected: that he thought she was too complex and intelligent to be satisfied with Johnny for the long haul.

So, this is an enemies to lovers story, as well as a proximity romance. I came to truly love the stiff and proper Matthew, who never got a childhood, ran himself ragged as a pediatrician, and acted more like a father than a brother to Johnny. When Athena sinks into a deep depression, he does what he has to and makes sure she gets the help she needs, all the while longing to be touched and touch in return. It was a pleasure to see this gentle man, who had never taken time for himself, learn about popular culture from the ebullient Athena.

In truth, this novel reminded me of another, one that my grandmother had handed off to me when she finished with it. So I was 11 or 12 when I read The Pretty Witch, which also featured a woman engaged to a younger brother, but being more attracted to his handsome older brother. It was an anemic romance but for some reason, I fixated on it and reread it a lot. (I wish to goodness that I had never given it away.) I think At first Spite benefited from this mental association. It clicked that “formative romance" pattern in my brain.

I stayed up far too late reading this and I'll admit that my eyes leaked at several junctures. Do men like Matthew exist? I have never met one. But the romance genre can provide that fantasy, which hurts no one, and I'll continue to enjoy it.

The Murder on the Links / Agatha Christie

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

2026 Re-Read

I stand by my original review. This novel is all about capable women and one very irritating Arthur Hastings. I think I vote this the most irritating version of Hastings, and that's saying something.

Original Review

Popular opinion would have you believe that women are the sentimental, romantic gender and that men are rational and matter-of-fact. How Ms Christie must have enjoyed turning this notion on its ear! This may be only the second Poirot novel, but we are already familiar with Captain Hastings, who has never seen an attractive woman that he wasn't dazzled by and who simply cannot believe that women are capable of crime!

The contrast between Hastings and Poirot was a brilliant idea. Dame Agatha gives us the emotional Hastings as our guide to these adventures, a deliberate hampering of our own deductive abilities. As we identify with him, we are as confused and off track as he is. I think her talent for misdirection is what makes it so difficult for me to finger the correct criminal so frequently in her novels.

And contrary to popular belief, the women in this novel prove to be cold and calculating (Mme Dubreuil), strong and smart (Mme Renaud), daring and manipulative (Mlle Dubreuil), and strong and good hearted (Mlle Duveen). They don't back down from challenges and they are pretty clear about what they want and what they are willing to do in order to get it. Compare that to our narrator, who “falls in love" with a girl whose name he doesn't know, compromises a crime scene to gain her favour, and falls for a simple ploy which results in the theft of the murder weapon. Then he spins himself a story about this Cinderella and tries to thwart Poirot with it!

I was warmed by the obvious affection that Poirot has for Hastings. We can overlook many weaknesses in our good friends (even if Poirot does comment at one point that his friend should have a harem!) And the two men share a good moment when the French detective who wants to be Sherlock Holmes gets his comeuppance.

The Blonde Identity / Ally Carter

 

4 out of 5 stars with sprinkles on top

If The Blonde Identity was a candy, it would be SweeTarts. Sugar loaded, sure, but with a great sour pucker too. Ally Carter writes a witty, rom-com version of The Bourne Identity. The first two sentences set the stage perfectly.
”Here's the thing about waking up with no memory in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of Paris: at least you're waking up in Paris. Or so the woman thought as she lay on the cold ground, staring up through a thick layer of falling snow at the Eiffel Tower's twinkling lights.”
No accident that the novel is set in Paris, a city closely associated with romance. Also no accident that the guy with a gun who appears and tells her to run is the hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen. Events unfold and it becomes obvious that the hot guy, the CIA, and the Russians all think she is Alex, her twin sister. Who she also doesn't remember.

I loved how Zoe (because that's what she and Sawyer figure out her name must be) kept trying to describe their situation in romance-trope terms. And Sawyer keeps telling her not to. “Oh, is this enemies to lovers?” When they are pretending to be a honeymoon couple, Zoe is saying, “ Oh, fake marriage! Oh, only one bed!” So by halfway through, I figured that she must be a romance author.

Sawyer keeps trying to maintain his distance. He knows her badass sister, but Zoe is nothing like her. Zoe is sweet and sassy, but also a lot tougher than she looks and smarter than he gave her credit for. She makes him smile despite himself. (She's very funny throughout.) So we know where this ship is headed—the question is whether they will all survive to the end.

Delightful! A wonderful palate cleanser before heading into a couple of more serious mysteries. I have The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold on hold at the library and I can hardly wait to get my hands on it!

Femina / Janina Ramirez

 

4 out of 5 stars 

”It wasn't just rich and powerful men who built the modern world. Women have always been a part of it, as has the full range of human diversity., but we are only now beginning to see what has been hidden in plain sight.”

Just as the victors write the history books, researchers can influence how we think about the past through what they choose to focus on or to leave out. It seems that one can learn a great deal about Medieval women from the records if you are willing to pay attention. In addition, archaeology is providing new views of life in the Middle Ages.

Of course there are more records available for women in the role of ruler or nobles. Ramirez introduces us to women like AEthelflaed, daughter of King Alfred the Great. She seems to have absorbed statecraft from her parents and was a force in the Anglo-Saxon world. Another prominent ruler was Jadwiga, crowned King of Poland, who led a fascinating life. Hild of Whitby chose the route of religion and became a highly respected advisor to male rulers from her convent. Hildagard von Bingen of Germany pursued this same path and produced prodigious amounts of music and other writings which have survived the centuries.

Archaeologists have revealed the complexities of gender roles among the Vikings of the time. A number of warrior burials have been DNA tested, proving the warriors to be women. There is a wonderful chapter on this research. The Loftus Princess from Northern England had an elaborate burial topped with a substantial mound, which placed her at the very centre of the surrounding graves. Her grave goods tell a tale of the conversion of England to Christianity.

Last but not least, the book of Margery Kempe was dictated by that woman and describes her life as she strove for status and wealth. Her father was the mayor of Kings Lynn, so she grew up in relative security, but it appears that her ambition was to be recognized for her own accomplishments.

The more I read about Medieval history, the less foreign the people of that time seem to me. They are complex and perplexing, just as contemporary folks are. I look forward to the ideas that future research will inspire.

City of Stairs / Robert Jackson Bennett

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I am finally finished this book! It was a very good book, but so many things got in my way as I tried to finish it. Other books, with urgent due dates. Family events which required my presence. Events which I had signed up for and truly wanted to attend. Even regular household maintenance, which requires my attention much more frequently than I desire. I have much more sympathy now for the people who complain that it takes them a long time to read a book. They are absolutely right—it is difficult to properly appreciate a novel when you can only read it in bits and snatches.

I have very much enjoyed Bennett's latest two novels and I can see where this earlier work was a training ground for their production. He is very skillful at creating original and somewhat menacing environments for his characters to navigate. City of Stairs explores the nature of colonization from both sides the question, conquerors and conquered. It poses interesting possibilities concerning divinity, it's limitations and requirements.

I recognize that this is a very good novel and my star rating matches this belief, even if I didn't actually get the full benefit of it. That is my unfortunate fault, being distracted as I was. Will I finish the trilogy? If I can find a lull in life that provides the unbroken time, I will definitely pick up the next volume.

Trace Elements / Jo Walton and Ada Palmer

 

3.77 out of 5 stars 

This is a collection of essays which I wish I could have taken more time over. But library books have due dates and I've found myself in quite a traffic jam of library books recently. Ideally I would have read one or two essays and paused to digest them before moving on. As a result, I got much more out of the first half of the volume, when my mind was fresher.

If you're a writer, you have probably thought about many of the concepts discussed in these essays, and if you're a reader, you have at least felt some of the boundaries of genre when you've rubbed up against them. Walton and Palmer discuss the author-reader contract: what we as readers expect from each genre and what the author is “contractually obliged” to give us. Fantasy gives us swords and horses, while science fiction gives us lasers and robots and mysteries produce a body, some clues, and a detective. The author may deliver a surprise that subverts the expectations or produce an extremely proficient product according to specs. ”We might compare such novels to gymnastics, in which the mystery with a deeply original structure is like a uniquely choreographed floor routine, while the formulaic mystery is like the athlete doing a specific vault, fun because we are watching a master of the art perform a set of formulaic motions with outstanding excellence."

Experienced readers of a particular genre have acquired a feel for the order of events and the pacing of that genre. When switching genres, you must adjust your expectations until you have enough experience to know what to expect and how to enjoy it. A committed romance fan may not know what to make of a hard science fiction novel, and may bounce off it, not because the SF novel is bad, but because the novice reader is unfamiliar with the conventions of SF. This is one of the reasons that reviewers of literary fiction give poor reviews to SF literature—they haven't the right reading history to be able to properly appreciate it. Once you've read a certain amount in a genre, you get a feel for which details are important and which you should not get hung up on. For example, faster-than-light space travel is often present in SF and you must accept it rather than demanding an explanation if you are to enjoy the novel it appears in.

I remember when I first began to try cozy mysteries. They have particular conventions (no gore, lots of personal details of everyday life, often a sub-plot of romance) with which I was unfamiliar as a reader of Scandinavian noir. With each cozy that I finished, I knew better what to look for and came to like the genre better. Now, many books later, I have a soft spot in my heart for a well written cozy.

The authors don't stick to SF&F. There was a chapter on manga and anime, which was a new subject to me. So far I haven't picked any flowers in that garden. However, the chapter on the romance genre was extremely well done, explaining the mechanics required of authors quite clearly. I found the concept of romances being based on economic issues particularly intriguing. The authors also point out that this genre is aimed at women, hence its denigration by the elite literary reviewer. (Just as SF&F is downgraded as being aimed at “geeks and nerds.”)

The authors have also finally provided an explanation that makes sense to me of the difference between fantasy and magical realism. One big difference between genre fantasy and magical realism is that the genre fantasy contract promises that the consequences of the fantastic element will be deep and significant, consistent through the world, while in magical realism the fantastic element will not affect the larger world and serves mainly as an allegory to help character(s) undergo character development.
If nothing else, I am glad to have this distinction cleared up!

Platform Decay / Martha Wells

 

5 out of 5 stars 

Book 8 of the 2026 Read Your Hoard Challenge

Barish-Estranza is the gift that just keeps on giving. Murderbot is on a mission to retrieve some humans being held on an enormous torus-style space station, while dodging B-E flunkies. The torus is split into lots of sections, each with its own governing corporate body and security. Murderbot and Three have a plan, but no plan survives contact with the enemy. As Murderbot says, you can't trust humans to behave in sensible ways.

We quickly learn that Murderbot has a new mental health module. This module queries regularly, asking how our bot is doing. Murderbot is also attempting to be more honest with itself and its clients. The combination of these two factors were amusing to me. Plus, Murderbot is still trying to calibrate its risk assessment module.
Risk assessment just hit the roof.
I'm not sure I like having risk assessment be more accurate. It keeps scaring the shit out of me.

The book has a familiar pace and tension to the plot. However, I felt like there was a little magic missing from the secret sauce. I haven't yet identified the change for sure, but it might have to do with Murderbot's internal dialogue. It felt like there were fewer parenthetical comments than in previous books. I also feel like Murderbot is either less angry or maybe more in touch with other emotions. It's evolving and I'm resisting change? Don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but it may take another repetition or two until I come to terms with this installment.

In the acknowledgements Wells states that “It's been another hard year,” perhaps an indication of why this book feels different. It has been three years since the last Murderbot offering, so she also thanks her audience for “still being there.” Where else would we be, Ms. Wells? You've created a beloved character. I hope this year is a better one for you.

Excellent Women / Barbara Pym

 

5 out of 5 stars 

2026 Re-Read

This was the very first Barbara Pym novel that I ever read and it completely sold me on her. I ordered as many of her books as my local bookshop had available. What a treat to revisit this delightful novel.

There were so many details that I missed on my first pass. Of course, I had no idea who Archdeacon Hoccleve was, when he appeared in Mildred's local church to give a Lenten sermon. Now I can appreciate this character from Some Tame Gazelle showing up again here.

I had also forgotten Everard Bone's mother's hatred of birds:
"I eat as many birds as possible," said Mrs. Bone when we were sitting down to roast chicken. "I have them sent from Harrod's or Fortnum's, and sometimes I go and look at them in the cold meats department. They do them up very prettily with aspic jelly and decorations. At least we can eat our enemies."
My youngest sister would thoroughly approve, having had a bird phobia all of her life and delighting in eating them!

This time, I took more notice of the number of men buzzing around Mildred, our excellent woman. First there is her clergyman friend, Julian, who takes her absolutely for granted. Then there is Rocky Napier, the downstairs neighbour, who is fighting with and separating from his wife. He is willing to be charming to get Mildred's household assistance. There is William, the civil servant and brother of Mildred's former roommate. They lunch occasionally and platonically. Plus, there is Everard Bone, the anthropologist that Mildred meets via the Napiers.

Julian's engagement to Allegra Grey startles everyone—apparently everybody in the church assumed that he would eventually marry Mildred. So the evening when Mildred finds both Julian and Rocky in her livingroom for tea, and the two men start to resent each other's claim on her attention, is hilarious. She retreats to the kitchen sink to get away from them, and when that isn't enough, she goes downstairs and washes the Napiers' dishes.

Pym was such a sharp observer of people, just as Mildred is. I love her spinster characters and feel like I am one of them.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me / Ilona Andrews

 

4.5 out of 5 stars 

I follow the Ilona Andrews blog and I have watched this novel progress from a wishlist item to a freshly published work. If you have read the Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series, you will be aware of the Baylor family's fondness for Asian media. It reflects the interests of these authors. When they began working on Maggie, they were guided by isekai, a sub-genre of Japanese high fantasy fiction. According to Wikipedia, in isekai the main character is a person transported to another world, gaining powers or importance that they did not have in the previous world.

Maggie wakes up, cold, wet, and naked, in the world of her favourite fantasy novel. She has read it so many times that she feels somewhat at home in Kair Toren. It quickly becomes evident that she can be killed but is rapidly resurrected and soon is fine again, her new special power. Plus, she realizes that her encyclopedic knowledge of this fictional world can give her a big advantage. She plunges into action, starting to assemble the found family that Ilona Andrews heroines typically acquire.

Shame on me, to doubt the magic of the Andrews team, but when I first perused the ideas and snippets about TKWNKM on the blog, I doubted. I thought this might be a vanity project that misjudged the loyalty of the Book Devouring Horde. Boy, was I wrong! I picked the book up late in the evening, thinking I'd get a few pages in, just to see what it tasted like. At midnight I had to fight myself to put the book down and go to bed, dammit. I was well and truly hooked.

Never have I been so happy to be wrong! I adore Maggie and which woman wouldn't be delighted to have either Everard the Sleepless Duke or Lord Doran Arvel dancing attendance on her? (Honestly, I feel like Doran is an upgraded version of Arland Krahr from the Andrews' Innkeeper Chronicles.) Because I follow the authors on social media, I was prepared for a cliffhanger ending, but the nature of it was mindblowing! Book two is underway, thank the Aspects!

My first reading was a library book, but I now know that I must own a copy. This will require numerous rereadings. How wonderful.

A Ghastly Catastrophe / Deanna Raybourn

 

4 out of 5 stars 

This installment of Veronica Speedwell pleased me very much. Deanna Raybourn’s cheeky tone is perfect. Fans of her Lady Julia series will be delighted to have that woman and her Nicholas Brisbane make an appearance to help with the investigation. Veronica appears to be taken with the couple, so it seems that the two storylines may be merging.

Raybourn has previously written a gothic novel with hints of vampirism (The Dead Travel Fast). Her research from that novel serves her well as Veronica and Stoker debate whether revenants are a thing and if their current case involves one. Stoker is an emphatic NO to both questions but Veronica is more willing to entertain the possibility.

There are some grand lines. The reporter J.J. loses her job and declares, “I shall have to live on stale crusts and cheese stolen from mousetraps. I will be forced into degrading work like prostitution or standing for Parliament." (Many Canadians feel similarly about our House of Commons.)

Later, Veronica and Stoker find the body of a wealthy American after breaking into his home. Veronica explains why they must not report the murder. “Once news of Von Hilsing's death is known, the press will descend like vultures. Our British newspapers are bad enough, but just consider, dearest--"
"The Americans," he said hoarsely. His face had gone very white, and he slumped into a chair. "It will be awful. They will accuse us of terrible things and they shall do so ungrammatically."

Raybourn, as a Texan, can get away with twitting her countrymen in this fashion. The names she uses have purposeful similarities to characters in Bram Stoker's Dracula, providing another layer of amusement for fans of that novel. Thoroughly entertaining and worth the wait.

The Keeper / Tana French

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Just when Cal Hooper thinks that the village of Ardnakelty has become home, the death of a young woman changes everything. It turns out that Rachel Holohan is well liked, despite her relationship with Eugene Moynihan, the son of the local big man. Tommy Moynihan is used to running things the way he wants them and is willing to use his connections to make life miserable for those who don't cooperate.

The village is divided on many issues, but prominent is this book are those pro and con the Moynihans and on whether Rachel was a murder or a suicide. Cal is part of this community now and his background as a detective (and his role in the two previous books) means that his friends are expecting his involvement. The teenager, Trey, that he has been mentoring, is ready to poke her nose into it, determined to make Tommy pay for his role in Rachel's death.

Cal finds himself explaining to Trey and to his farmer drinking buddies that killing Tommy won't likely prevent the developers from pursuing their plans to scoop up farm land and build some enormous complex of some kind. They've got to be strategic—Tommy has to be alive and capable of scuppering these plans.

French writes a very atmospheric and tense story here. The mystery is less “who done it" and more the mystery of the human condition. Cal and Lena have different ideas of what to do and who to involve. It unexpectedly causes some emotional distance between them. Cal's immediate neighbour and frenemy, Mart, is used to being the leader of whatever is going on. Lena intensely dislikes Mart and wants nothing she knows to help him. If you've ever lived in a small community, you will recognize the undercurrents in Ardnakelty. Long standing grudges and prejudices still shape the present debates. Habitual patterns are hard to disrupt. Politicians are used to being obeyed promptly.

The ending here, while not completely happy, is at least comfortable for Cal, Lena, and Trey. French has wrapped things up to the place where I believe that she is done with Cal. It remains to be seen what she chooses to write next. Sign me up, Ms. French. I'll be waiting.

Crowbones / Anne Bishop

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Anne Bishop is a mysterious woman. There is next to no information about her online, something that is difficult to achieve these days. Why was I being nosy, you ask? I wanted to know what kind of person is writing the fiction that I am enjoying. The two series in the World of the Others feature women who are very naïve and, through their rather innocent way of looking at the world, attract the favourable attention of the fearsome Others.

The relationship between humanity and the Others ranges from uneasy to hostile. Neither side knows enough about the other and shitty humans keep messing up the lines of communication and cooperation. Some of the terra indigine have short tempers (and long memories), but it is undoubtedly the humans who get too uppity for their own good, rather like a stone age tribe taking on a nuclear power. Human hubris is the bane of their existence.

Vicki has survived a horrible marriage to a brutal man who convinced her that she was completely unattractive, unintelligent, and incapable of doing anything worthwhile. Of course we, the readers, and the Others and Vicki's friends don't see her that way, but programming like that is difficult to overcome. Vicki is easily panicked by critical or loud men, retreating into anxiety attacks at moments when she would be much better off keeping her wits about her. However, she is kind and supportive to her staff of Others. They recognize her worth and her human friends soon realize they can recruit these powerful entities to help to keep her safe.

If I have any frustration with this book, it is that Vicki hasn't made more progress towards better self-esteem by the book's end and this appears to be the last volume of the series. The illogical human assumption that they can ignore the Others is also annoying. It makes for an interesting study of prejudice (by both populations) but is a rather simple equation, what with belligerent humans always being the cause of conflict. I came out of it frustrated by the tribalism that I see all around the real world.

MaddAddam / Margaret Atwood

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

Book number 541 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

Oh Margaret, tell us the story of Zeb and his brother Adam. Tell us how Zeb came to be with God's Gardeners. Give us hope, oh Margaret, that we may survive in some shape or form!

Ten years after publishing Oryx and Crake, Ms. Atwood produced the last volume of this dystopian world. The Crakers, who we met in that first volume, become an integral part of the community, along with MaddAddamites and former members of God’s Gardeners. Most humans have been swept away, leaving this little group isolated and vulnerable to attack by a pair of Painballers (convicted killers).

A young Craker named Blackbeard becomes intrigued by the humans, especially Toby. Jimmy the Snowman is very ill and unconscious, so Toby has been recruited by the Crakers to tell them the tales of Oryx and Crake. And the tale of Zeb, who interests them very much. Toby is fond of Zeb and this is her excuse to learn about his life.

Atwood gives us a backstory to the previous volumes. We learn about the relationship between Zeb and AdamOne and Zeb's adventures before joining God's Gardeners (in book two). Is this important in a world where humanity is phasing out? It is significant to Toby, so it was interesting to me too.

I continue to appreciate all the detail in this world. As Atwood has said, all of it has a basis in fact. Amazing and disturbing, but put together logically and believably. One reviewer of her autobiography said that Atwood’s father was an entomologist and she learned from him to observe humans as if they were interesting insects. I get that vibe strongly from this book.

Whose Body? / Dorothy L. Sayers

 

4 out of 5 stars 

2026 Re-Read

It has been nine years since I first met Lord Peter Wimsey and it has been an entertaining acquaintanceship. Knowing him better, as I do now, I am impressed by how much of his character is shown in this very first adventure. We quickly become familiar with Mervyn Bunter, who is a friend as well as the valet to Peter. In the beginning, Sayers gives their relationship a rather Jeeves and Wooster flavour, but this doesn't last long. Wimsey is not the happy fool that Bertie Wooster is and Bunter is not the all-solving Jeeves either. Instead, they are quite the team.

We also meet Charles Parker of Scotland Yard, Peter's friend and accomplice in investigation. Another educated man and of a steady disposition, he is the ideal partner in crime fighting. However, it is Bunter who cares for Wimsey when he has a session of PTSD, having served in the war with Peter. It is he who calls the Dowager Duchess, Wimsey's mother, when such an occurrence indisposes him. She is a delightful character, calm, quick witted (when dealing with unexpected church donations and proposed speakers for a nonexistent bazaar), kind (when dealing with a deaf old woman in need of care), and she does it all with a twinkle of humour in her eye.

In all, this is a good introduction to Lord Peter Wimsey and I am glad to have revisited it. I am bumping my rating up to 4 stars, knowing as I do how much enjoyment I have derived from Ms. Sayers' creation.