Category: Books

Genre: Book

Grade: A

Notable People: Kristin Hannah

Title: Nightingale

Review: Two French sisters trying to live ordinary lives in France in 1939, become major players in the French Resistance. This book is a bombshell…..brilliantly written and conceived…and absolutely illuminating account of the war from inside the destruction and torment of small village France. The characters are marvelous, the Nazi brutality staggering, the French resolve far beyond belief. Could only read in small segments, as I wept throughout. Hannah is known for her catalog of “romantic novels”, but she apparently really broke the mold on this one. This book is not easy to read….but I would not have missed it for the world.

Genre: Book

Grade: B+/B

Notable People: Steve Hamilton

Title: Exit Strategy

Review: this is Hamilton’s second effort in his new Nick Mason series- after his ten plus year run with his Alex McKnight books. I thought the first in the series (The Second Coming of Nick Mason) was an absolutely extraordinary kickoff novel…..but this one faltered a bit for me. In the first book, Mason scraped his way through some very dangerous situations; in this one the scenarios just seemed way too unbelievable…so crossed the reality line for me. That said, the book is extremely well written, as always with Hamilton, and Nick Mason is an utterly compelling character. You want to know Irish culture in Chicago…this is quite the education. The story of a small time criminal taking the rap for his friends , and getting a 25 year stretch – only to be handpicked by an imprisoned gangland kingpin to get his freedom back in trade for enslavement to his outside immoral bidding…is hard hitting and at times, riveting. I’d just prefer some shackles of reality be aped. Hoping for a better third installment.

Genre: Book
Grade: A
Notable People: Martin Walker

Title: The Body in the Castle Well
Review: The most recent is another absolutely splendid addition to in the fantastic Bruno: Chief of Police series. Like France? Like culinary extravaganzas? Like good wine? Like history? Like humdinger of a mystery? These books are can’t miss. Bruno is a magnificently complex character-surrounded by the rich people, place and history of the Perigord Region of southwestern France. Each of these books is finer than the one before….and, oh the recipes you can transcribe. Mon dieu! Start at the beginning and read them all- you won’t be disappointed.

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Tony Dunbar

Title: The Crime Czar

Review: Hard to put these books down. Like jaded lawyers? Like young woman in distress? Like plots to take down big, big, bad guys. Like self-depreciation? Like getting into the underbelly and the inside wonders of N’Awlins? Then, these books are for you. Dunbar is actually a Big Easy lawyer and he clearly knows the city’s grift and graft….and all the best places to eat, drink and be merry. this is the fifth in the series-each one has been better than the last. Hope it goes on forever. Gotta love Tubby Dubonnet.

Genre: Book

Grade: A

Notable People: Steve Hamilton

Title: The Second Life of Nick Mason

Review: The new series from Steve Hamilton-the acclaimed noir author of the Alex McKnight series. What a start!!!!! This book is fabulously written, dark and mean in the underbelly of Chicago. Prison lifer gets his sentence dismissed after five years through the influence of incarcerated mob boss, but has to spend 20 years at the boss’ whim as his outside hit man. Mason is a complicated and troubled character surrounded by goons and evil. this book is made for a movie treatment. I’m all in on this series which currently has two more volumes available.

Genre: Book

Grade: B+

Notable People: Linda Castillo

Title: Down a Dark Road

Review: The ninth in the Kate Burkholder Amish mystery series is quite the tale. As usual, set in the fictional town of Painters Mill in Holmes County (very real) in Ohio Amish territory, this one went a bit too far on the drama side for me. Lord, how much bad shit can happen in one Amish community…and to one very small town Chief of Police? That said, it is exceedingly well written, the characters are rich and Castillo (who lives in Texas) knows the Amish country and culture really well. It does appear that the Amish have a lot more dirty secrets than one might imagine????? Not the best of this series…but I must admit I read 300 pages in four days…so can’t pan it either.

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Jon Talton

Title: Bomb Shelter

Review: the ninth installment in Talton’s Phoenix Deputy Sheriff/History Shamus, David Mapstone. This one is a barn burner. Talton is obsessed with the Californication of Phoenix and /Arizona-and displays an extraordinary historical sense of the area. This book is a no holds, no stop race to the finish line that left me believing that Barry Goldwater was a mobster. Talton’s series is one of the best in the genre. Long live El Jeffe Peraltha.

Genre: Book

Grade: B+/B

Notable People: Paul Doiron

Title: Widowmaker

Review: another in the long running series featuring Maine Game Warden, Mike Bowditch. Who knew there was such mayhem in rural Maine? Well written, great sense of place, evolving characters in this series. The plot on this one rambled a bit and the ending seemed abrupt and without focus. Still a very fun and very quick read. Overall, this is a great series.

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Howard Frank Mosher

Title: Waiting for Teddy Williams

Review: after three of his books, I am now convinced that Mosher surpasses all other living writers, as the reigning King of Vermont and New England-centric literature (yes, even surpassing Steven King). This is another in his series on fictional Kingdom County in far remote Vermont (really the Northeast Kingdom)- and it’s a humdinger. I suppose having some interest in baseball makes the book more accessible, but even if you don’t…it’s keeper. Young EA (Ethan Allen,…you get the picture) lives with his mother Gypsy Lee and his Gran. Mom runs a one person and legendary escort service in the NE kingdom, and Gran is a gun toting “Mammy” type who has not walked since the 1978 shot heard round the world, when the Yankees’ Bucky Dent hit a ninth inning pop fly home run to send the hated ones to the world series over the beloved Red Sox. This book is both a coming of age story and tribute to the fierce will of northern New Englanders (not to be confused with ,say, Connecticut types). And, yes, there is an actual Teddy Williams, though not the Red Sox immortal outfielder. Grand ol’ Opry tunes from Gypsy, lunatic homicidal bothers on the loose, the biggest excavating machine in the world and the taking statue of the real Colonel Ethan Allen all come together to make this a subtly hilarious read. Vermont loves Mosher….and I’m getting there.

Genre: Book

Grade: B+

Notable People: Archer Mayor

Title: Bury the Lead

Review: In the 28th book in the extraordinarily long -running Joe Gunther series (28 years- since Archer produces a book each year….every October), Archer takes some major turns with his loyal cast of characters. As always, the books are wonderful representations of a wide swath of Vermont life. Archer’s sense of place remains amongst the very best in modern fiction. His long consistent group of characters that support and conflict with Joe around the fictional Vermont Bureau of Investigation (VBI) continue to be complex and engaging…..especially the legendary Willy Kunkle and the now love-interest Dr. Beverly Hillstrom, the state medical examiner. And, Arche is a talented and thoughtful write, using the mystery genre to also reflect on much of the human condition. Despite all those qualities, I thought this his weakest book in some time. The plot meandered back and forth, hardly believable in places and got wrapped up in a too neat bow at the end. I was disappointed in this offering, but still would not have missed it for the great characters and sense of place- my grade is elevated by those factors.