I wanted to like this series

Book Review:  By Book Or By Crook (A Lighthouse Library Mystery) by Eva Gates

A proposal from her long-time boyfriend prompts Reference Librarian Lucy Richardson to reevaluate her life.  Although she loves her job, she doesn't love Ricky or the social circle she's allowed herself to be part of for so long.  She leaves Boston for North Carolina's Outer Banks and is thrilled with her new life.  Things are going exceptionally well until a priceless first edition Jane Austen novel on loan to the library is stolen, and a library board member is found murdered inside the library.

A librarian who has a small room above a library in a lighthouse?  And the library has a cat?  I wanted to like this book.  Wanted to but didn't.  I love the details about the library and the setting itself.  Gates establishes a sense of place well.  Character development, not so much.  Gates offers a potentially interesting assortment of characters, and tells us a lot about them, in a gossipy sort of way.  At this point, the first book in the series, they seem like caricatures.  There's no depth, which is a shame, because it's characters' backstories that make for a compelling read.

I will give the next book in the series a try before calling it quits.  


Book Review:  Booked for Trouble (A Lighthouse Library Mystery) by Eva Gates

Lucy's mom comes to visit (and presumably convince Lucy to return to Boston).  Because only the best will do for Suzanne Richardson, she stays at the most expensive hotel in the area, where she snubs her former classmates who work there.  Suzanne and former bestie, Karen, have a loud argument in front of several hotel guests, during which Karen threatens to tell everyone about Suzanne's past.  Which, of course, makes Suzanne a person of interest when Karen is found murdered soon after.

I'm done.  There's potential here but there are too many books on my TBR list to see if it ever comes to fruition.  Even if I don't like them, I need characters to feel real.  Not a single character in this series -- and there are several to choose from -- feels like anything more than a caricature.  Reviewers have praised the colorful cast, and I agree that Gates has assembled a quirky group -- but there's still no depth.  Worse than that, characters change their behaviors overnight, with nothing to make the change believable.

Apocalypse Soon?

Book Review:  The Skaar Invasion by Terry Brooks

The second book of The Fall of Shannara series begins with Paranor existing in a type of limbo, sent there by the Druid Clizia Porse.  Trapped inside, Drisker Arc roams its shadowy halls, seeking a way to return it and himself to the Four Lands.  Tarsha returns to Backing Fell and discovers the damage Tavo left behind.  And, Ajin d'Amphere, leader of the invaders, schemes to draw the Elves and the Federation into conflict with each other.  She intends to claim all of The Four Lands for her people, the Skaar.

Terry Brooks has been one of my Must Read Authors ever since I first read The Sword of Shannara when I was in high school.  That said, I wish he'd stop trying to write major romantic storylines into this series.  As I've mentioned before, he does well enough with it when it's a plot complication, but he doesn't do well with it otherwise.  Ajin, ruthless leader of the Skaar, determined to secure a new homeland for her people, determined to secure her father's respect, determined to ensure that her reputation is unmatched, spends her downtime speculating about Dar Leah as a potential mate.  Really?  And Dar!  I know he's conflicted about his career because the Druids are a hot mess without the leadership of Drisker Arc, but he's still spot on when it comes to making good security decisions.  Or he was.  Suddenly, when he realizes that the person who orchestrated the deaths of so many, including his beloved Zia, is a gorgeous young woman, he's incapable of action?  WTH???  He rationalizes it to himself later as a) well, she let him escape once so he owes her one and b) he doesn't have time to deal with the leader of an army that has wiped out two tribes of Trolls, plus the Druids, and is likely just getting started.  I ask again -- WTH???

All that aside, there's still reason to see this series through.  The mystery about Kassen Drue aka Kol 'Dre deepens.  Whereas most characters described him as unusually pale and blond in The Black Elfstones, his commander Ajin describes him as having a dark complexion, brown hair, and brown eyes.  We learn that he's been scouting The Four Lands for years and I wonder if he has anything to do with Fluken.  I am intensely curious about Kassen.  Is he the driving force behind everything?  If so, why?  

As much as Brooks appears to be revisiting aspects of the Shannara timeline that have engaged us from the beginning, one element missing so far is a driving supernatural baddie presence.  With the exception of the The Defenders of Shannara, in which a rogue Druid was the lead bad guy, our heroes have always been pitted against an assortment of demons, shadowen, and the like.  What if Kassen is something of that sort, manipulating Ajin?  If you look back to The Word and The Void series, it was this sort of manipulation that led to the apocalypse which transformed the world we know today into the world of Shannara.  If Kassen is a driving force behind the Skaar invasion, did he have anything to do with the weather-creating machine Rocan Arnas believes can change the world for the better?  Who will Shea Ohmsford find when he reaches Tindall's cell in Assidian Deep?

I'm anxious to see what happens with Tavo and Tarsha.  I still believe that Fluken is a key player, rather than an figment of of Tavo's imagination, but that question remains unanswered for now.  And I believe that Tarsha is critical to the outcome of the story.  My only hope is that she doesn't spend the better part of the next book mooning over Brecon Elessedil.  (I like an element of romance in my books -- Brooks just tends to be a bit heavy-handed with it.) 







 

The beginning of the end

Book Review:  The Black Elfstone by Terry Brooks

An army is approaching from the north and they have the ability to magically shift from one place to another in an instant.  Two tribes of Trolls, seasoned warriors, are annihilated by this army.  Who are they?  What do they want?  Why are they intent on destroying everyone in their path?   Under the leadership of a paranoid, self-serving Ard Rhys, Paranor is a shadow of its former self.  Still, the Druids attempt what no one else has -- they send a delegation to learn what they can about the invaders from the north.

In the small town of Backing Fell, the magic of the wishsong appears in siblings Tarsha and Tavo Kaynin.  Although younger, the magic appears in Tarsha first and it seems a gentle thing, readily responding to her wishes.  Tavo has suffered from black moods for years when the magic emerges in him -- and when it does, it's violent, destructive, and uncontrollable.  

There's a lot of drama in this first installment of the projected four-part conclusion to the Shannara series.  The Tarsha/Tavo storyline is classic Shannara and represents what I feel is the heart of the series: a sheltered youth whose actions will determine the fates of many.  Tavo presents a new exploration of this theme:  is he volatile because the magic within him is volatile, or is the magic destructive because he is destructive?  That said, I think there's another question to be considered as well:  Has there been an outside force exerting its influence on Tavo from a young age?

Back in the Ilse Witch days, Grianne Ohmsford was groomed by the Morgawr, and committed horrible acts before being turned around by the efforts of her brother, Bek Ohmsford, and the Druid, Walker Boh.  So, there's precedent for suspecting that Tavo has been deliberately molded by a malevolent being, for its own purposes.  Tavo is an unreliable narrator, so it's hard to know what can be taken at face value, but he remembers that he wasn't always like he is now.  Things seemed to drastically change around his fifteenth birthday.  He became subject to sudden rages and feelings of hostility towards everyone, most of the time without reason.  And years later, leaving carnage in his wake, Tavo mentions his only true friend, Fluken.  No one else can see this individual.  It's possible that Fluken is just a figment of a deranged imagination but I suspect he's real.  Tavo remembers Tarsha looking at him oddly, from time to time -- did she sense something shadowing her brother?  The world of Shannara is filled with beings who show themselves only to those they choose. 


To help her brother, Tarsha seeks out Drisker Arc, former Ard Rhys, now reclusive exiled Druid.  Drisker is impressed with her initiative and her skill; he agrees.  However, when two separate groups of assassins come for him, their agreement is interrupted.  A journey to Varfleet reveals that someone within Paranor ordered the contract.  It also introduces Drisker to a resourceful young orphan named Shea Ohmsford.

It wouldn't be a Shannara story without a Leah.  Dar Leah is the High Druid's Blade.  He is part of the delegation sent to investigate the invading army.  There is way too much drama between him and his former lover, a Druid named Zia.  I get that working with an ex you still have feelings for is awkward, but this storyline felt overwritten.  I think it would have had more impact if Brooks had focused more on a glance here, a terse comment there, rather than paragraphs of introspection and endless arguments.  It felt like I was being told repeatedly that these two characters still had feelings for one another -- but I never actually felt their turmoil.  Brooks writes romance best when it's a plot complication rather than a storyline (Amberle and Wil in The Elfstones of Shannara).


As there are three books yet to come, several questions remain unanswered.  Three of the biggest questions I'm most intrigued by are:  What is the leader of the invading army's interest in Dar Leah?  Is Fluken real or imaginary?  And who is Kassen Drue, truly???  Separate characters, each of whom we can trust to be attentive to detail, describe him differently.  Some see him as smooth-faced, unusually pale, and quite blond -- and at least one describes his face as showing some weathering and much exposure to the outdoors.  Two of these different perceptions occurred on the same day -- why so different?  And does it have anything to do with the statement, "Like I do the life within me" (in response to the question of whether he loves a girl -- just before he kills her).  What is he??? 

Up next:  The Skaar Invasion

A cursed painting. A puzzling theft. A suspicious death.

Book Review:  The Black Painting by Neil Olson

Arthur Morse, an avid art collector, enjoyed the dark reputation of the painting hanging on his study wall but he seemed to fear it as well.  He kept his back to it and never allowed his grandchildren into the room. It was one of paintings produced by Francisco José de Goya at a time when the artist believed he was possessed by a demon; legend had it that anyone who looked at the painting would suffer madness or death.   After the painting is stolen and his young grandchildren are the crime's only witnesses, accusations fly and the family becomes estranged.

Several years later, the grandchildren, now adults, are summoned to their grandfather's house. Teresa finds her grandfather dead when she arrives, a look of terror on his face.  Once more, accusations and suspicions rise among the family members.  As the police investigate, Teresa and a P.I. investigate as well, uncovering long-buried family secrets.

As compelling as the premise is, this book simply didn't resonate with me.  It's a solid mystery with a supernatural, creepy atmosphere but there's something lacking with the character development that I just can't pinpoint.  Most of the characters are unlikable and the narrator is unreliable, but I loved Gone Girl and you don't get much more unlikable and unreliable than that. Meh.  Onto the next book.


 

Warning: you'll want to read this book again

Here's a look at the second book I remember re-reading immediately after reading it the first time. 

Book Review:  Planetfall by Emma Newman
 
“Someone’s coming toward the colony.  From outside.”

Lee Suh-Mi felt called to establish a colony on a world far beyond Earth and 1,000 people felt called to join her.  Something happened when they arrived at the planet in Suh-Mi’s vision however, and a couple of decades later, Ren is still haunted by it.  She and Mack are the only two who know the truth; whatever happened was considered so potentially devastating that the other members of the original landing team were murdered to prevent them from telling the other colonists.  Or were intended to be murdered.  When Suh-Mi’s  twenty-something grandson approaches the colony, it’s clear that at least some members of the team managed to survive.  What’s not immediately clear is what Sung-Soo knows.

Sung-Soo’s close resemblance to Suh threatens Ren’s ability to continue playing along with Mack’s carefully constructed tale.  Told from Ren’s perspective, hints at what happened are slowly revealed, as she reflects back to the beginning of her relationship with Suh, what she left behind back on Earth, and the events of that first Planetfall.

There’s a lot to love about this story.  To begin with, it’s beautifully written and stunningly subtle.  Set in the future, it features advanced technology including 3D printers capable of printing everything a self-sustaining colony requires, and chip implants capable of connecting individuals to the web and to each other.  It also features an environmentally-friendly, successful colony established on an Earth-like planet.  It’s not a utopia — while there are advantages to being as connected as they are, the story points out that there are disadvantages as well.  And people will always be people.  Add a mysterious alien structure,  a slow reveal from a character slowly cracking under the burden of guilt, and a twist I didn’t see coming, and you have a story worth reading again and again.

The question of religion versus science underlies the story but the reader isn’t pushed one way or the other.

I was exasperated by Ren but that’s not a bad thing.  Tormented by whatever happened, she can’t face it directly, but the arrival of Sung-Soo won’t let her continue to bury it.  Hence the slow reveal.  I like having to work for my mystery so I was hooked even though I was never able to connect with her.   I didn’t pick up on her illness right away and when Sung-Soo discovered it, I knew it was important but I didn’t realize how important it was — I was mostly stuck on not understanding the illness itself. 

I love it when an author can genuinely catch me off-guard and Newman did just that when the book hit its climax.  The clues were there — I just didn’t pick up on them.  Stunningly subtle.  Reading the book through a second time, I couldn’t believe that I’d missed what was so obvious.

I did have a few quibbles with the book but they were minor.  There was a detail that seemed like it would be bigger than it was — ah well.  In addition to Planetfall, there was another “event” that was mentioned but never really fleshed out.  And for all of the description provided, there wasn’t any about the local wildlife — it’s mentioned on a few occasions, so you know it exists, but that’s it.  I want to know what’s roaming the grasslands and why nothing ventures close to God’s City.

The first time I read the book, I thought the ending felt rushed.  The second time, I appreciated it more.  I would love to see a sequel.

*Originally posted on my first blog (Lighthearted Librarian) in February 2016.

The Perfect Ghost? The Perfect Twist

Here's a look at the first book I remember re-reading immediately after reading it the first time.

Book Review:  The Perfect Ghost by Linda Barnes

Em Moore is painfully shy.  As the silent partner of a successful writing team, she’s able to live a mostly solitary and self-sufficient life; she does the writing, her partner Teddy does the information gathering and the PR.  When Teddy dies in a mysterious car accident, her world changes drastically.  Determined to finish their last project together, the biography of reclusive movie director Garrett Malcolm, she leaves the safety of her apartment and resolves to complete the interviews with the man himself, despite everyone’s doubts.

The story unfolds slowly but deliberately, told by Em and addressed to Teddy in absentia.  Details from her past seep into the narrative and they aren’t pleasant.   Em is a survivor, but will she fall victim to a fatal accident herself?  Malcolm clearly has secrets, and it seems more and more likely that Teddy’s accident wasn’t an accident at all.  Did he discover something scandalous?  Was he up to something scandalous himself?

This book was impossible for me to put down and the ending caught me by surprise — I love it when an author can do that!  I immediately began re-reading and became even more impressed.  It takes a lot of skill to show readers everything they need to know but lead them in an entirely different direction.  Linda Barnes just made my “Must Read” list.

*Originally posted on my first blog (Lighthearted Librarian), December 2014

Three parts, four twists, one gripping read

Book Review:  The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
 

There are four books that I've re-read immediately after reading them for the first time.  This is one of them.

Richard is Vanessa's ex-husband and Nellie's fiancé.  The Wife Between Us begins with alternating chapters between Vanessa and Nellie, each detailing their relationships with Richard.  It's obvious that he is a charismatic but controlling partner.  While his manipulations appear considerate on the surface, they are not.  Richard has a dark side that Vanessa is well-acquainted with and Nellie is soon to discover.

Despite the warnings to assume nothing, there is one assumption that I believe every reader will make and it will lead to Twist 1.  I loved Twist 1 the first time I read the book.  I liked it the second time.  It's a good twist; the only reason that I went from loving it to liking it is that we're dealing with an unreliable narrator.  When I read the book again, immediately after finishing it the first time, I was expecting to notice clues that I'd missed the first time. Instead, I discovered that the version of events was inconsistent -- at least it appeared that way.  Going back through my notes now, as I'm writing this review, I'm reminded that the inconsistency was largely due to my interpretation of the narration.  Very little means what you think it means in this novel.  I may give this book a third read, to fully appreciate the dexterity of the authors in leading us astray.

Twist 2 is closely related to Twist 1.  If Twist 1 was clever, Twist 2 is brilliant. 

Readers more attentive than I may suspect Twist 3 as they are reading.  There are a few hints regarding Twist 4.  There's one more revelation that some might count as a Twist but it's fairly small and it didn't have a huge effect on events, so I'm just counting it as a reveal.

Highly recommended!