Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
HarperCollins: 4/14/20
advanced reading copy; 352 pages
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles is a very highly
recommended historical fiction novel set in Texas at the end of
the Civil War.
In March 1865, Simon Boudlin is a twenty-three-year-old itinerant
fiddle player who, due to his youthful appearance, avoided conscription
into the confederate army until almost the end of the war. After the war
ends when he plays for a group of officers and their families he
notices the lovely Doris Mary
Dillon. Doris is an indentured girl from Ireland who has committed
to three years as a governess to the daughter of Colonel Webb of
the Union Army. While Simon travels around Texas with his band
mates and fellow veterans making money playing music, he has plans to
buy some land in Texas and to marry Doris once her service comes to an
end.
Simon the Fiddler is a beautifully written, richly detailed,
atmospheric story that perfectly captures the time, place and setting as
Simon and his mates travel and play across Texas. Jiles vividly
describes their travels and experiences across the Texas landscape
during this turbulent period in time. Along with Texas, music plays an
even more vital role in this novel. In order to play the music that he
loves and is committed to, he has to carve a way to do so during a
rugged and wild time. For those who love music, the songs mentioned in
the novel will be a treasure to encounter along the way and should
provide you with an internal playlist as you read.
The characters are wonderfully well-developed and realistically
portrayed. Simon certainly knows his faults and will tell you what they
are even before we see them displayed. But his drive and determination
along with his talent and love for music is also clearly shown. Doris is
also a strong young woman enduring a difficult situation. The two
manage to correspond through a clever deception and you will be rooting
for their eventual reunion as you follow Simon's travels and Doris's
struggles.
There is some exciting action and drama toward the end of the novel
and a satisfying conclusion. This would be a great choice for book
clubs, especially those who enjoy discussing historical fiction.
Including songs mentioned in the book would be a fun bonus to add for
members.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
All Adults Here by Emma Straub
Penguin
Random House: 5/4/20
eBook review copy; 368 pages
All Adults Here by Emma Straub is a so-so family drama.
After 68-year-old Astrid Strick witnesses a school bus accident in
the center of Clapham, N.Y., she realizes that life is uncertain
so she decides to share with her family her big secret. She is bi-sexual
and for the last two years she has been in a romantic relationship with
her hairdresser, Birdie. But her three grown children and her
granddaughter have plenty of secrets of their own. Her daughter,
thirty-seven-year-old Porter, is pregnant via a sperm bank but has
started a affair with an old boyfriend. Elliott, the oldest son, has
some secret business deal in the works and he and his wife are trying to cope with hyperactive toddler twins.
Nicky, the youngest son, and his
wife have sent their only child, 13-year-old Cecilia, up to
live with Astrid after an incident at her Brooklyn school
involving online pedophilia. And Cecilia's new friend in town,
August, wants to be known as Robin, but middle school is tough enough
without coming out as a transsexual.
Straub throws just about every social issue she can into this novel,
much to the detriment of the actual narrative and character development.
Issues touched upon include: aging, sexuality, gender identity,
abortion,
bullying, in vetro fertilization, sexual predators, adultery, and
parenting issues - to name a few. The characters are dealing with so
many issues that they are all one-dimensional characters. This approach
left this reader wondering if the whole point of the novel was to have a
cursory introduction of every possible issue Straub could add in lieu
of an actual well-developed plot and fully developed characters.
The novel starts out strong and the writing had moment of great
clarity, but then yet another social issue was added. The story began to
meander. I wish Straub had focused on a few of her characters in depth
and fully developed them while examining the effect their secrets had on
their relationships and the family. I struggled to finish this one. I
felt that Astrid's revelation about her and Birdie's relationship along
with the stories of Cecilia and August would have been enough. It might
have made a nice comparison between grandmother and granddaughter
dealing with their feelings and relationships and allowed more
development of their characters along with plot advancement.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Penguin
Random House.
The Perfect Daughter by Joseph Souza
Kensington; 4/28/20
eBook review copy; 368 pages
The Perfect Daughter by Joseph Souza is a recommended mystery set in Shepherd’s Bay, Maine.
High school juniors Katie Eaves and her friend Willow Briggs fail to
come home after a night out. When Katie still doesn't come home and
Willow's parents haven't seen the girls, Katie's mother Isla is very
worried, especially since another teen is still missing after several
months. Isla contacts officer Karl Bjornson and search parties are
organized. When Katie is found battered and with no memory of what
happened. Isla is thankful her daughter is okay, but hopeful that she
will remember something to help her friend Willow.
A huge division is already present in the town where long-time
residents are resentful of the affluent newcomers who have bought up all
the waterfront property, and, well, puttin' on airs because of their
wealth. Katie is a townie, her mother is a hairdresser and her father is
a loser/entrepreneur/mostly absent. Willow's family are wealthy
transplants from L.A.. Rumors are swirling now about the wild parties
held at the Briggs' house. Katie still doesn't remember anything and
Isla already has her hands full with her son, husband, and father.
The story is told through multiple points-of-view, with each chapter
narrated by Isla, Karl, or Katie. The characters are well developed,
although not entirely believable as real people. Isla's plate is full
with her family and job, but I was more than annoyed with her obsequious
behavior toward the wealth newcomers because they brought her in some
new business. I would think you could be polite and courteous to all of
your clients rather than setting one group aside as more important based
on their income. Additionally Katie didn't come across as a junior in
high school in her inner dialogue. Included in the narrative is plenty of information about Isla's and Karl's past.
The novel does have plenty of secrets, but it moves along quickly.
The question of who-dun-it is not a huge nail biter since they can
likely be pointed out by many readers almost right away. This is a novel
to sit down and read quickly in one sitting just to past the time. It's
interesting enough to pass the time but ultimately will be forgettable
to many readers. Those with a tie to Maine and the coastal areas being
developed by wealthy outsiders might find more to relate to. Another 3.5
rounded down.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Kensington.
Have You Seen Me? by Kate White
HarperCollins: 4/28/20
eBook review copy; 384 pages
Have You Seen Me? by Kate White is a recommended novel of suspense.
Early in the morning Ally Linden arrived at her office disheveled and
rain soaked only to discover she didn't have her keycard. Once her boss
arrives, she is shocked to learn that she hasn't work there in five
years and she faints. At the hospital Ally discovers that she is
suffering from a dissociative episode and she can't remember the events
of the last two days. She also doesn't have her handbag or cell phone.
She does remember that she is married to Hugh, is a finance journalist,
and other facts are readily available, but she cannot recall a single
event from the last two days.
After finding a wad of bloody tissues in her coat pocket, Ally
wonders if she saw some traumatic accident or if a past experience could
have triggered this event. Ally decides that she needs to hire a
private detective to try and uncover her actions over the last two days. She knows there was tension in her marriage because she is not ready for
children, but could a fight over this trigger the dissociative event?
Her husband seems caring, but distant and her best friend is not available,
so she turns to her brother and therapist for support. She also feels,
at times, like she's being watched.
Admittedly when the story started out with Ally not remembering where
she was for the last two days I rolled my eyes, but I went along with
it. Most of this uneven suspense
novel consists of Ally trying to recall events and tracking down clues.
While the writing is very descriptive, the pace is slow at times which
made the novel drag a bit for me. I also tired of some of the
descriptions of clothing, food, and homes. If you enjoy all of these
details all the time, then it is very likely you'll enjoy this novel
more. Frankly, I almost set this novel aside more than once due to the
uneven pace.
On the plus side the characters were well developed and realistic.
White throws in plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing and there
are enough twists to keep you reading. The ending though.... rushed and
unbelievable. 3.5, but I'm rounding down.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan
HarperCollins; 4/28/20
eBook review copy; 304 pages
The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan is a recommended novel about sisters, a recently deceased famous father, and family secrets.
When Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney receive the news that their
father and famous author Bill Sweeney has unexpectedly died, the three
sisters all return to Southport, Connecticut to plan the funeral, wake,
and press release. Their poet mother, Maeve, passed away fifteen years
earlier, leaving the girls with just their father. While he wasn't a
perfect father, he is all they had. Liza. the oldest, is married with
two children, still lives in Southport, and runs an art gallery. Maggie
is an artist and free spirit who struggles with responsibilities. Tricia
is a fierce, pragmatic lawyer in New York City.
After the wake, when Bill's best friend and lawyer, Cap, talks to the
sisters about the estate he has two immediate concerns: the whereabouts
of the memoir Bill has written and an even more shocking secret
concerning the half-sister they didn't know about. There are numerous
personal and legal ramifications involved with both of these concerns.
It seems that six months earlier Washington, DC based
journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested and the results said she was
a 50% genetic match to Maggie Sweeney. The shocking revelation means
that Serena, who grew up as a next door neighbor in Southport, was
Bill's child too. Can the three Sweeney sisters add a fourth to their
ranks and how will this new sister fit in?
The sisters are all depicted as very different individuals who have
worked out their interpersonal relationships and the roles they all play
when dealing with each other. They all have their own challenges to
face, but they also seem to follow and perpetuate their assigned roles
and their position in the family. The sisters are all developed
characters and eventually experience some growth but still remain in
their assigned family roles. This includes Serena, who views their roles
while finding what could be her niche in the dynamics between the
sisters.
This is a slow paced, predictable, breezy, sometimes provocative novel
that is the epitome of a summer beach read - or perhaps currently on a
porch or by an open window. The writing is descriptive and Dolan moves
her plot along at an even pace. The story is told through alternating
points-of-view, so you are privy to what each sister is thinking. There
is not a lot of drama in the narrative, but there is an oscillating
loyalty and some cunning schemes between the sisters. In the
end, The Sweeney Sisters is a very enjoyable novel, but perhaps not remarkable or unforgettable.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
Dead Land by Sara Paretsky
HarperCollins: 4/21/20
eBook review copy; 416 pages
V. I. Warshawski Series #20
Dead Land by Sara Paretsky is a highly recommended twentieth outing for hard-boiled private investigator V. I. Warshawsk.
V.I. Warshawski tries to help and support her goddaughter, Bernie
(Bernadine) Fouchard, which pulls her into a complicated investigation
with multiple strands that tie into other events. First, Bernie asks Vic
to
attend a meeting of SLICK, the South Lakefront Improvement Council. On
the agenda is the Chicago Parks
District’s plan to create a lake front beach. The
meeting is interrupted by protests led by the mysterious man who calls
himself Coop. The infamous Coop reappears when Bernie and V.I. attempt
to help Lydia Zamir, a famed singer-songwriter who is now living on the
streets of Chicago. Coop, and his dog Bear, are Zamir’s protectors. Vic
learns that Zamir's life was shattered when her lover, Hector Palurdo,
was murdered at a mass murder during an outdoor fundraising concert four
years earlier.
The tangle story continues when the young man Bernie was dating turns
up dead and Bernie becomes a person of interest. He was working for
SLICK, and it appears to Vic, keeping in mind the city's history of
"pay to play" politics, that his murder might be politically motivated
and related to the Chicago Park District's development plans. It also
seems that an international law firm based in Chicago might be involved.
Since the mysterious Coop seems to have more information, V.I. keeps
looking for him, hoping he has some answers, especially because the body
count is rising.
This is a very well-written intricately plotted investigation that
follows a tangled rabbit trail of clues and leads. V.I. follows the
multiple leads trying to piece together the complete picture and find
out how it is all connected. The action ranges from Chicago to the
prairies of Kansas. Naturally she becomes a target too. Again,
naturally, she makes sure Kansas is depicted as a backward place
(getting tired of this habitual plot element). There also seemed to be a
bit more repetitive action and a few unbelievable plot elements this
time around, but that hardly detracts from the overall novel. The bad
guys are all very nefarious and the focus of the novel is showing their
far-reaching malevolence. Vic ensures that justice is found in the end.
Obviously after twenty novels V.I. is a well-developed character.
She's a tough, hard-boiled detective - who loves dogs - and that shines
through. We are missing as much interaction between Vic,
Lottie, and Max in Dead Land, which some readers are going to miss. You can read Dead Land as a stand-alone novel, though, which could be beneficial to anyone not acquainted with V.I. Warshawski
at this point. I'd probably suggest going back to the beginning,
although all nineteen previous novels probably aren't necessary.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
The Silence by Susan Allott
HarperCollins; 4/30/20
eBook review copy; 304 pages
The Silence by Susan Allott is a highly recommended mystery set in Australia.
Isla Green who is living in London returns to Sydney after a phone call from her father, Joe. Apparently Mandy,
the neighbor who lived next door and sometimes cared for Isla,
disappeared thirty years ago, in 1967. Her father always said the couple
who lived there moved away, but now Mandy is believed to have been
murdered. Now, in 1997, Isla's father is the main suspect because he was
the last one to see Mandy alive and he had a brief affair with Mandy
just before she left.
Now Isla is returning home for the first time in a decade to
support her father. This is not a happy visit. Her mother, Louisa, is an
angry, bitter woman. Her father, Joe, is an alcoholic and has a history
of domestic violence. Once Isla arrives she begins to remember more
about her childhood, Mandy and her husband Steve, and 1967.
The narrative alternates between the present day action in 1997 and
thirty years previously in 1967. Secrets from both couples are slowly
revealed from the past and set against the current investigation. Isla
mines her memory and begins to ask those around at that time questions.
Obviously more was going on back then than people will admit and Isla
begins to make some connections and expose some of the secrets.
This is a character driven mystery, so Allott spends time and care
while developing her characters and establishing their pasts and
present. She does a good job placing her characters in a specific
historical time and place. The plot is a slow reveal as more information
is exposed. It is not always an easy read, as domestic violence is part
of the plot, along with other atrocities of the past, but it is a well
written and intricately plotted novel.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
