Blood Red Summer

Blood Red Summer by Eryk Pruitt
5/14/24; 407 pages
Thomas & Mercer
Jess Keeler #2

Blood Red Summer by Eryk Pruitt is a very highly recommended investigational Southern noir thriller following a true crime podcaster.

After her successful debut podcast, Something Bad Wrong (also the title of the first book in the series) Jess Keeler  has been asked to join a documentary crew as the producer for a true crime TV show. When a stranger approaches her in Lake Castor, Virginia, with an idea for an investigation, she's intrigued, but the real question is if the idea will interest the investors enough to actually finance the search, with an eye on ratings.

The case is about the Lake Castor sniper who struck in 1984. The sniper terrorized the back back, a historically Black part of the old mill town, and claimed five lives. The suspect arrested and charged, Ricky Lee Patience, may not have been the actual perpetrator. There was no real look into the first four murders, but the fifth person shot, journalist Hal Broadstreet, did capture the attention of the police and community. But did they get the right man? As the investigation continues, two retired sheriffs suggest that Jess should investigate the unsolved murders from that same summer in the apartment of bootlegger Jim Fosskey and two other men.

The narrative is very compelling and will hold your attention to the end. The story unfolds between the present day point-of-view of Jess and that of Hal Broadstreet in 1984. Both are looking to solve the crimes but Hal has some insight Jess doesn't. This makes the narrative in both time periods very satisfying and equally interesting. There is a third voice that adds depth and complications to both timelines.

The writing is excellent and presents the complicated plot with what feels like ease as you are reading. The action propels the plot forward in both time periods. The suspects and characters to look into are numerous. Each new revelation and detail expands the investigation into different areas, including corruption and racism, and the twists abound. Even though it is about a podcaster, which admittedly is becoming a bit tiresome, this one is worth your time.

Blood Red Summer is going to hold your rapt attention from beginning to end. This one can stand on it's own, but the first Jess Keeler novel, Something Bad Wrong, is worth your time too. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Last House

Last House by Jessica Shattuck
5/14/24; 336 pages
HarperCollins

Last House by Jessica Shattuck is a recommended generational family saga that spans nearly eighty years.

In 1953 Nick Taylor, a WWII veteran, is married to Bet (Elizabeth) and they have two children, Katherine and Harry. Nick and Bet met each other before he shipped out in the 1940's when she was an English major who worked as a code breaker for the war effort. Now she is raising their children while Nick is a lawyer for American Oil and travels to the Middle East. They bought a vacation house they call Last House, a secluded country home deep in the Vermont mountains. It is a place you could survive WWIII. In 1968, the second part of the novel follows Katherine facing the challenges and turbulence of the times. The novel continues to follow the family to 2026.

At its heart, Last House succeeds as a literary family saga more than historical fiction, although it does cover generations in the plot. The narrative unfolds through the points-of-view of Nick, Bet, and Katherine. This perspective showcases the differences between generations. Nick and Bet are more nuanced characters than Katherine, but she is portrayed as vehemently following her beliefs. At the forefront are generational differences, but life is made up of such and things change through the years.

All of the characters follow their personal beliefs concerning political, social, environmental, and human rights through the times in which they live. Admittedly, while I found the quality of writing excellent, I struggled to keep my interest or even care about these characters. This novel may not have been a good fit for me; it felt like it was trying too hard. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

A Fatal Inheritance

A Fatal Inheritance by Lawrence Ingrassia
5/14/24; 320 pages
Henry Holt & Company

A Fatal Inheritance: How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Deadly Medical Mystery by Lawrence Ingrassia is a very highly recommended deeply personal memoir of a family's medical tragedies merged with a medical thriller of cancer research as scientists work to discover answers.

Lawrence Ingrassia's family story is one where death from cancer is prevalent. In his family Ingrassia lost his mother, two sisters, brother, and nephew to different kinds of cancer at different points in their lives. In the 1960s his family became one of several that intrigued Dr. Frederick Pei Li and Dr. Joseph Fraumeni Jr. in their research into why some families experienced so many deaths by cancer. They began collecting records and analyzing data to understand cancer clusters in some families.

They published their results in a paper which showed that there was likely a genetic component involved and this discovery was named the Li–Fraumani Syndrome. Their paper was first published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, and wasn't widely known. Later genetic researchers were intrigued by the syndrome and with help from Li and Fraumani and the samples they collected from families they were able to discover a mutation in the p53 gene. This inherited mutation is responsible for the higher risk of cancer. Its discovery was groundbreaking in cancer research and offers hope for potential future research.

Ingassia does an excellent job sharing his family's and others deeply personal and emotional stories while also covering how the cancer research of Li and Fraumeni’s and others evolved. The merging of the personal tragedies with the ground breaking discoveries work well together and help create a tension and anticipation for some hopeful discovery for a future cure. The question of genetic research in regards to ethical considerations and personal privacy is also considered. Thanks to Henry Holt & Company for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Demon of Unrest

The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
4/30/24; 592 pages
Crown Publishing

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson is a highly recommended in-depth look at the months between Lincoln’s November 1860 election and the surrender of Fort Sumter which lead up to the Civil War.

Larson brings to bear his penchant for presenting extensive historical research in a vivid, compelling manner in the telling the story of a deeply divided nation and the events leading up to the start of the Civil War. "At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between them. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous secretary of state, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable—one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans."

For those who enjoy any and all historical accounts surrounding the Civil War, The Demon of Unrest will be a welcomed addition to your library. This has been hailed as one of the most anticipated books of the year. Personally, ever since I read Isaac's Storm, still a favorite, reading any new Eric Larson book is a necessity. The presentation was compelling and the research is extensive, but I'll sheepishly admit I wanted the narrative to move along just a little bit faster. However, I know several Civil War buffs who will revel in the details.

In the opening Larson does write, “I was well into my research on the saga of Fort Sumter and the advent of the American Civil War when the events of January 6, 2021, took place.” Rather than be so specific and pinning the current ideological divisions on one day, it might have behooved him to simply say that turmoil and division between Americans is present again. Thanks to Crown Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

When She Was Me

When She Was Me by Marlee Bush
5/7/24; 400 pages
Poisoned Pen Press

When She Was Me by Marlee Bush is a highly recommended atmospheric murder mystery featuring sisterhood, obsessions, and many secrets.

After a traumatic incident in their past, twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable. Now they live permanently in Cabin Two at an isolated Tennessee campground where they keep to themselves and Cassie films a true crime podcast. Lenora is agoraphobic and stays inside as much as possible, with the exception of careful trips to the bathhouse. After the owner of the campground dies, it is sold to a new owner who is going to allow the sisters to continue their long-term lease. Then cabin three is rented to a family with a teenage girl who later goes missing. As the search is on, the carefully cultivated life of Cassie and Lenora begins to unravel.

The twins are enmeshed in their own heads, while carefully watching others around them and each other. With a creepy, anticipatory atmospheric setting, this is a very slow paced and somewhat repetitious novel for a good portion of it, but it does make the tension rise keep rising ever so slowly until the action finally starts toward the end. The isolated camp surrounded by woods plays a major part in creating the eerie atmosphere.

The narrative is told through each sister's point of view with added "then" chapters disclosing their past. The contrast between the sisters is evident from the start and readers will want to know what happened to them in the past and how it impacted them. I can't honestly say that there are any likable or relatable characters present. There are strong themes involving the bonds between sisters and dysfunctional families.

Once the tension begins to increase, readers who have made it that far will be much more invested in the outcome. There is a twist at the end which is surprising. When She Was Me is a well written, excellent debut novel by Marlee Bush. Thanks to Poison Pen Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Downloaded

The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer
5/7/24; 192 pages
Shadowpaw Press

The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer is a so-so light science fiction novel set in 2059 featuring cryogenic freezing and quantum computers.

"In 2059 two very different groups have their minds uploaded into a quantum computer in Waterloo, Ontario. One group consists of astronauts preparing for Earth’s first interstellar voyage. The other? Convicted murderers, serving their sentences in a virtual-reality prison. But when disaster strikes, the astronauts and the prisoners must download back into physical reality and find a way to work together to save Earth from destruction."

The plot and, sadly, the writing are just okay in The Downloaded, and, honestly it was disappointing. Science fiction is a genre I generally enjoy, but what I really like is hard science fiction with all the facts and details concerning the real science supporting the story line. That is absent here, perhaps because it is a very short book. What is present is another lecture wrapped around a short story. The light plot and tedious lecture series insured I would lose interest quickly.

Yet again I need to caution an author to keep their personal political/social views on contemporary topics to themselves as it diminishes and dates the novel. There were multiple examples of this lecturing on several different topics, including numerous times those who didn't mask or vaccinate for COVID were demonized. I'm reading fiction for entertainment and escapism. If I want a lecture on social topics, I'll select the nonfiction books and topics. Thanks to Shadowpaw Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Counting in Danish

Counting in Danish by Celia Berggreen
5/28/24; 360 pages
Cranthorpe Millner Publishers

Counting in Danish by Celia Berggreen is a highly recommended coming-of-age story following a grieving, surviving twin on a journey.

Twins Jess and Sophie have always known that their father, Mike, isn't their biological father. Their mother, Laura, told them that their father Per Jacobsen was from Denmark and left before they were born. Jess and Sophie were planning to travel to Denmark and find him. Now Sophie, the more confident of the two, is dead and the whole family is deeply grieving. Jess, who frequently counts to ground herself and fight off panic attacks, is seeing and talking to Sophie. She needs to make the trip to Denmark in her sister's memory to overcome her fears and hopefully find closure.

The writing is very good and does an excellent job capturing the emotional impact that a death and withheld secrets can have on a family. The only character that is really explored in any depth is Jess, and she can be an enigma because of a secret she holds that is eventually revealed. Traveling to Denmark marks an accomplishment, especially as Jess undertakes it without Sophie, that will eventually bring emotional closure for her and the whole family.

The story behind the publication of Counting in Danish is as much an emotional journey and love story as the novel itself. Sadly, author Celia Berggreen lost her battle with cancer before publication. Her Danish husband Kristian Berggreen made it his mission to see the novel through publication and fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a published author. Thanks to Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.