The Real Mrs. Tobias

The Real Mrs. Tobias by Sally Koslow
9/13/22; 336 pages
HarperCollins

The Real Mrs. Tobias by Sally Koslow is a highly recommended domestic drama about mothers- and daughters-in-law.

This mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship story is set in NYC in 2015. The plot follows three women in the Tobias family. The matriarch, Veronika, is a psychotherapist; Melanie (Mel) is both a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law and a counselor; and Birdie who is newly married to Mel's son, Micah,is mother to Alice. When Micah does something irresponsible and stupid, all the women chime in with their opinions on what he should do and how he should respond. Since they have already been having marital problems, after a visit from the police, Birdie takes Alice back to her parents house in Iowa.

This is an entertaining look at how strong, determined women ostensibly keep families together but the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship story is also full of stereotypes. For the most part, each chapter was narrated by one of the Tobias women, Veronika, Mel, or Birdie. The focus on a multi-generational family and all the problems inherent in their lives allows for the plot to build drama and tension. The characters are portrayed as real people with flaws and shortcomings, but with a rather light touch.

Those who love family dramas will likely enjoy The Real Mrs. Tobias. The writing is excellent and Koslow does a good job providing drama and humor in the plot. Since I enjoyed it but didn't love it, I'm a bit of an outlier. Admittedly, I'm becoming rather tired of novels that are set in NYC, let alone portraying all Mid-Westerner's as stereo typically stoic. This could be a good choice for books clubs that focus on women's fiction since there are plenty of topics and plot points in the novel that beg discussion.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via NetGalley.

I Walk Between the Raindrops: Stories

I Walk Between the Raindrops: Stories by T. C. Boyle
9/13/22; 288 pages
HarperCollins

I Walk Between the Raindrops: Stories by T. C. Boyle  is a very highly recommended collection of thirteen imaginative and irresistible short stories.

The stories range from the reactions of a wealthy couple amidst a variety of experiences, passengers quarantined on a cruise ship, a society controlled by a social credit system, a man kills a rattlesnake in his yard, an author faces his paternity of a young man, a man makes a deal with an elderly woman, a man being evicted by his parents and more. 

Boyle writes excellent short stories and I Walk Between the Raindrops is a superb addition to his oeuvre. The writing is impeccable, providing concise descriptions of characters and situations while establishing the plot and setting. The stories cover both realistic situations and surrealistic ones and are set both in the past and the future. They can be simultaneously funny and serious. Some of the stories are idiosyncratic character studies, others veer toward social commentary, and some are futuristic. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via NetGalley.

The Final Equinox

The Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne
9/13/22; 336 pages
Thomas & Mercer
A Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood #2

The Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne is a very highly recommended thriller with a world traveling science fiction theme.

After opening with an interesting autopsy in Atlanta attended by computational biologist Dr. Theo Cray, the plot takes a turn to New Mexico. Billionaire Thomas T. Theismann has been spending a fortune and years on trying to find extraterrestrial intelligent life in the universe and when he believes he has received an alien signal, Cray is one of the experts he hires as an advisor. In the meantime, Cray's girlfriend, magician-turned-FBI-agent Jessica Blackwood is on another case when she learns information, the death of David Ikeda, which has her very concerned for Cray's health. Blackwood finds a way in to join Cray and take a deep look into what is happening in Theismann's companies and the two face dangers that seem to be other worldly.

The discussions and interactions between Cray and Blackwood as they both use their intelligence and skills to uncover what is happening is absolutely riveting. Their interactions and insight is what makes this a wonderful thriller for action as well as perfect escapism as they both logically examine what is going on. I highly recommended their first collaboration in Mastermind, but The Final Equinox is even better. This is really a fascinating, compelling thriller and kept me glued to the pages throughout.

Both Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood are fully realized characters. Their individual expertise, background, and strengths are fully established and clearly portrayed in the plot. Following the logical threads of the investigation through their unique personalities and outlook is irresistible.

Cray and Blackwood pursuing the clues and investigating where the signals are coming from and what could be really happening is where the action is at and worth your time to read. The collaboration between Cray and Blackwood is what pushes this novel to my highest recommendation. I totally loved this second outing of Cray and Blackwood together. Their thought processes and dialogue is pitch perfect. Hopefully I'll see another complicated  and intricate case set before the pair.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.

The Rising Tide

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves
9/6/22; 384 pages
Minotaur Books
Vera Stanhope Series #10

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves is a highly recommended murder mystery and procedural.

For fifty year a group of friends have been meeting every five years for reunions at Pilgrims’ House on Holy Island. They all first met on a school trip when they were sixteen and have remained friends since. From the original group, Phillip, Annie, Lou, Ken, and Rick are present. When Annie finds Rick is dead, apparently by hanging himself, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope and her Northumbria Police colleagues are called in to investigate. When an autopsy reveals someone smothered Rick before faking the hanging, Vera and her team must uncover the hidden truth behind the crime.

In this excellent, complex procedural expect to find a plethora of suspects and motives. Although this is the tenth book in the series, it most certainly can be read as a stand alone.  It is vastly entertaining to follow the investigation while fine tuning your own list of suspects based on the information and background uncovered. There is a real sense of danger as the fast paced plot moves forward.

This is a character driven drama, so the most important thing to do is pay attention to the descriptions of the many characters while suspecting everyone as you follow Vera's investigation. Even the setting provides plenty of opportunities for problems with the tides and the fog. As each character is introduced and more information is revealed about them, keep track of everything. Vera does and details are going to matter. Cleeves provides all the information you need on each character and then proceeds to surprise you with where that information is going.

If you enjoy well-written procedurals, The Rising Tide will be a great choice. It will keep you guessing and considering suspects right up to the end.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Macmillian via NetGalley.

The Bad Angel Brothers

The Bad Angel Brothers by Paul Theroux
9/6/22; 352 pages
HarperCollins

The Bad Angel Brothers by Paul Theroux is a highly recommended psychological drama.

Brothers Frank and Cal Belanger are complete opposites in this drama of sibling rivalry and betrayal. Cal's older brother Frank has always been the favorite child of his mother, which left Cal as his father's, who passed away young. As Frank went on to become a lawyer, Cal pursued his dream of prospecting for gold and other precious minerals around the world. Frank, who craved control and money above all else, took advantage of Cal, asking for loans and even appropriating Cal's stories and telling them as his own. Cal's dream was only to leave their New  England small town and his greatest mistake was coming back and not severing all contact with Frank.

The novel opens with Cal returning from a mining venture only to find his wife distant and seemingly too friendly with Frank. Then the narrative jumps back in time to when the brothers were younger and, after college, when Cal took off to look for gold. While Cal is only interested in making enough to get by and finds real joy in the search, Frank is envious of his wealth, asks for loans, and seriously looks for ways to scam his brother. After an incident in the desert where Cal saves another man, he is welcomed into a family where he feels wanted for the first time. At this Cal should have cut ties with Frank and his mother and disappeared.  But he didn't.

The plot goes on to cover Cal's prospecting and work in various locations, including the desert South West, Alaska, Colombian, and Zambia. Admittedly, this large portion of the novel will be engaging for those who enjoy geology and learning about different areas in the world. For some it will seem to be a bit too slow. But, as Cal is traveling for his work, he is also sharing more hints at the psychological campaign that Frank is waging. He is clearly scheming, manipulating, and planning some nefarious but legal downfall to afflict Cal.

The writing is excellent and the characters are finely drawn. Cal shares some of his own imperfections while also detailing those of Frank. There is a question that will arise continuously: why didn't Cal cut off all contact with Frank after college? If a sibling has shown they wish you ill, especially to this extent, why continue any relationship?

When you get close to the end of The Bad Angel Brothers, you will not be able to read and turn the pages fast enough while you are mentally telling Cal what to do. When he finally comes to the realization (that most readers will have reached much earlier) the novel is over. This is a novel that will stick with you, but also ends so abruptly that it will leave you wanting some closure.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.

On the Rooftop

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
9/6/22; 304 pages
HarperCollins

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton is a highly recommended historical fiction novel set in the 1950s.

In 1953 the changing Black San Francisco neighborhood, Vivian's three daughters, Ruth, Esther, and Chloe have been singing and dancing in harmony since they could speak. Vivian's husband has passed away, and she dreams of her three girls reaching stardom. On stage, the three girls are known as The Salvations. Now in their 20's, they are becoming well known, especially due to their weekly appearances at the Champagne Supper Club, and a talent manager has contacted Vivian hoping to help them reach the pinnacle of success. However, things are changing, both in the lives of the girls and the neighborhood.

The writing is a descriptive delight in this novel and it depicts both the good and the bad of the many events the family goes through. Chapters are from the point of view of Vivian, Ruth, Esther, or Chloe. Readers can follow Vivian's dreams for her girls and the plans the girls have for their own lives. Also detailed are the changes occurring in the neighborhood. Complex relationships reign in this novel, and they are what makes the narrative interesting, with the relationship between the mother and her daughters a main depiction.

The descriptions of the mother and sisters are all clearly delineated and each character represents an individual with dreams of her own. The experiences of the sisters are removed from those pf the mother, yet the mother's experiences ultimately effect the daughters too, although with  a modicum of restraint.

Normally historical fiction isn't a choice of mine, but this novel represents an excellent choice for anyone who understands the dreams a mother may have for her children and then the alternate paths the children take. On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton was inspired by Fiddler on the Roof, and that comparison is apropos.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via NetGalley.

American Demon

American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America's Jack the Ripper by Daniel Stashower
9/6/22; 352 pages
Minotaur Books

American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America's Jack the Ripper by Daniel Stashower is a highly recommended account of the life of Eliot Ness.

In Cleveland during the Great Depression over a period of four years, starting on September 5th, 1934,  the dismembered remains of twelve bodies were discovered. The killer became known as the Cleveland’s Torso Killer, or the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run. This case was handled by Eliot Ness, the new director of public safety. Ness came to Cleveland after he and the Untouchables ended Al Capone’s bootlegging empire. For better or worse, this case redefined Ness's career and tried to clean up the corruption in the police force.

As it cover his time in Cleveland and his involvement in the investigation into the case, American Demon acts as a biography of Ness's life . Although he didn't catch the killer, he did achieve cleaning up corruption in Cleveland. Stashower portrays Ness realistically showing his strength and flaws. He also credits those who helped solved the case, which was beyond the skills Ness had.

This is an interesting, well written account about Eliot Ness, covering his life in Cleveland. As a historical true crime novel, it covers the investigation into the serial killer as well as many other occurrences during this time. Part of the interest is in how an investigation was covered in the past and the bizarre details of the case.  Notes, a Bibliography, and Index are included.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Minotaur Books via NetGalley.