April Reading from Book Chat

There was a good mix of mysteries, thrillers plus some historical fiction at Book Chat, and among it all very few duds.

One reader picked up a nice new reprinted edition of Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie. It’s easy to forget these classic authors, but the nice new cover looked good, and the story was thoroughly enjoyable too.  This Hercule Poirot novel sees our detective receive a request for help in the mail when an elderly woman begins the fear for her life. Did she really fall down the stairs because the dog left his ball there? By the time Poirot gets to her country house, she is unfortunately already dead.

Continuing with the mysteries was Knife in the Back, the fourth in Karen Rose’s New Orleans series. In this story, former cop Naomi has spent five years in prison for a crime she didn’t do. The people who framed her demand more, threatening her teenage son, so she turns to a private investigator for help. This was another really enjoyable read that was so good, our reader is seeking out more in this series.

Waterfall Village is another book in the Murder in the Pacific series by Matt Francis. Our reader has enjoyed the previous books but found the new book not quite as good. Still the story of cliff diving in Vanuatu was interesting. A new case for Long and Oli begins with the discovery of a body at the base of one of Pentecost Island’s iconic land-diving towers – an American volunteer. This threatens to become an international incident so the pressure’s on.

Another mystery that was highly recommended was Legacy by Chris Hammer, the fourth in the series about journalist Martin Scarsden. Here our hero is suddenly on the run when he’s targeted with a bombing at his book launch. Heading outback, he has to both lie low and find out who wants to kill him and why. The story brings in two explorers from a 19^th century expedition, which adds to the intrigue.

The Doctor’s Wife by Fiona Sussman follows two couples: Stan and his wife Carmen, who has a brain tumour; their friends, Austin and Tibbie, who help however they can - Austin as Carmen’s GP, helping the family deal with Carmen’s change in personality. When Tibbie’s body is found, DS Ramseh Bandara is assigned the case along with his partner DC Hilary Stark in a very clever murder mystery.

If you like a story with plenty of red herrings, It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica is worth a look. A family holiday turns to disaster when a scream erupts in the middle of the night and Courtney finds her brother and sister-in-law dead, her teenage niece missing. During the police investigation, secrets are all set to emerge. An enjoyable, suspenseful read.

We love a new mystery series and Holy Island by L J Ross didn’t disappoint. We were reminded a little of the Ann Cleeves Vera novels with this Northumberland setting. DCI Rya abandons retirement to investigate the murder on Lindisfarne of a young woman found dead in the priory ruins. Joining Ryan is Dr Anna Taylor for whom the case stirs up a difficult past. Our reader enjoyed the story, saying the ending is one you’d never guess, with more to be revealed – perhaps in the next book.

From mysteries to thrillers, The Persian by David McCloskey is the story of Kamran Esfahani, a Stockholm dentist, who agrees to spy for Mossad in Iran to pay for a new life in California.  When he’s captured, he must write his life story. A clever and propulsive story with a great twist at the end, this wasn’t an easy read but shows a good perspective of the regime.

Fern Michaels’ Sisterhood series has been going so long that we’re now up to book number 37. Which is just as well, because our reader enjoyed Code Blue so much she wants more.  The series follow a bunch of women with different areas of expertise who get together to put injustice to right. In the new book, dodgy goings-on at a nursing home are the problem when Theresa becomes worried about an aunt and is denied access. Asking questions soon puts her life in danger.

Meredith is the wife of a man convicted of defrauding millions through his ponzi scheme in Elin Hilderbrand’s novel, Silver Girl. Unaware of his dealings over the years, she escapes the fallout with old friend Connie to Nantucket, but trouble seems to follow them there. Meredith becomes reacquainted with Toby, Connie’s brother, and the life that she could have had. This was an enjoyable early novel from this author.

Remember The Light Between Oceans – the best-selling book that spawned a movie? Author M L Stedman has at last released a new book. A Far-Flung Life takes us to Western Australia 1958 and a terrible accident that affects a sheep-farming family. This is a very sad book, also at times philosophical, making you think about issues like love and duty and what’s right or wrong.

Emma Donoghue’s novel The Pull of the Stars takes us to a Dublin hospital in 1918 during the Spanish flu epidemic and a special ward set up for expectant mothers with the virus. Julia is the nurse put in charge of three beds. The only help is a young volunteer sent from the orphanage and the occasional visit from doctors, one of which is Kathleen Lynn, a character based on an actual historical figure. The three women bond over the difficult cases they have to deal with, while hugely iniquitous social conditions are revealed.

Another reader loved One Woman’s War by Rosie Goodman, the middle book in a trilogy that began with The Rag Princess, and can’t wait for book three. This one picks up Annie’s story as World War One arrives, and our heroine signs up as a VAD nurse. In the chaos of the battlefields of France, she meets an officer and love blooms.

With The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly we are in the aftermath of another war, WWII this time, as two former spies, American Sophie Anderson and Frenchwoman Arlette LaRue hunt for a doctor accused of war crimes. Both were imprisoned in Ravensbrück during the war, and Arlette will do anything to find her missing son Willie. A powerful story, well researched.

The second in Laura Purcell’s Silent Companions series, The House of Splinters was a bit spooky, with its bewildered heroine and creepy manor house setting. Belinda hopes her husband’s inheriting the family seat will be a new start for her family, but her young son soon picks up on spooky happenings in the house, and weird wooden figures turn up at unexpected places. Our reader found the book gothic, different and fascinating.

Dilly Court is always dependable for a light historical read so The Wild Rose was eagerly snapped up. This follows spirited Rosina, who leaves home because of a conniving stepmother and heads for Dartmoor and Moonshadow Manor, the home of her aunt. But Aunt Jane has problems too in a home of secrets and mystery. This was another brilliant story where the house is a character in its own right.

Several stories had plots that moved through different eras. One such book was Held by Anne Michaels, which was described as very poetic by our reader. The story begins when John is hurt in the trenches, his return home and the effects of his war on his mind. Subsequent generations of his family pick up the story, with links to other characters as the story moves through the decades. A sad but beautifully written novel.

 A Haunting at Venus Bay by Julie Brooks follows Cass who leaves London to live in Australia, purchasing a house on the Victorian coast, sight unseen. But things go bump in the night. The story flips back to an earlier time when Albert marries Minna, someone to work full time on his farm, while Minna yearns to be a writer. Mystery surrounds their fate, unlikely to be solved until Cass finds a diary, in what was a very enjoyable read.

Bog Queen by Anna North takes us deep into the past when a body from 2000 years ago is found preserved in a northwest England bog. We’ve got two stories – that of Agnes, an American forensic anthropologist and the mystery she’s drawn to of the Iron Age woman in the ground. While this was an interesting read, our reviewer found the book a bit depressing.

Finishing on a high note, The Names by Florence Knapp, has been recommended by many readers. It’s the story of Cora who has a dilemma when it comes to registering her baby son: Gordon, the traditional name of his father’s family; Bear, the choice of her daughter; or Julian the name Cora would choose. The novel follows three lives for the same child, jumping between Julian, Bear and Gordon, in chapters seven years apart.

Flaxmere Library Book Chat meets every second Tuesday at 10:30 am - new members welcome.

Posted by JAM

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