Crickets

Crickets by Lee Chappel
9/13/21; 338 pages
Bleau Press

Crickets by Lee Chappel is a highly recommended novel of psychological suspense.

After reporting her rape ten years ago, Kara Peterson left Paige, Ohio, with no plans to ever return. She knew the man who raped her, Dalton Rolenfeld, but, as the son of a prominent family, he was never charged. Kara changed her whole life based on this crime. Now Kara's father, a well liked sheriff, has passed away and she has to return to Paige where everything reminds her of the crime against her. Her neighbor and childhood friend, Brent, is there to assist and support her as he has always been. Once she returns, things start to get odd. Her memories seem off, she loses track of time, and a threatening note is left on her doorstep. It doesn't help that everyone is getting ready to celebrate Dalton's election win.

However, there is now someone who is ready to reopen her case and the investigation. Sam (Samantha) Ellis is a new police officer and the only woman on the force has befriended Kara and is looking into the rape. Sam is there to look at the case and the new evidence and memories. She is concerned that basic police procedures weren't followed in the original case and she is not sure she can trust the locals to take the case seriously. Now that Kara is apparently being threatened again, it is clear that she needs Sam's help.

The narrative is told through the point of view of several characters, mainly Kara, Sam, and a few others in short chapters. Sam is smart and resourceful, going through Kara's case as well as that of her father. It seems that there are plenty of secrets and suspects in this small town and Sam is determined to get to the truth. She is helped by Cody, a local man she can trust, and a friend who is a forensic scientist. The plot moves along at a brisk pace and will hold your complete attention. At first, it is unclear if Kara is losing touch with reality or really being threatened, but as events unfold, it becomes more and more a concern that Kara is being targeted.

Kara, Sam, and Cody are all likable characters. Kara's friend Brent always seems a bit off. The small town of Paige is a character too, as the town spreads gossip and long-held alliances between citizens are still upheld. Everyone shares some clues and context around Kara's attack and who could be currently threatening her. Kara has a difficult time being back in Paige and is overwhelmed and emotional as she meets various people from town. Sam is understanding of Kara's emotional state and sees the clues to something nefarious happening rather than blaming Kara for being overly emotional.

The resolution and the person responsible is not a complete surprise, but reaching the final denouement follows an engaging investigation.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the publisher/author.

Point of Contact

Point of Contact by Richard Ayre
4/29/21; 266 pages
Burning Chair Limited

Point of Contact by Richard Ayre is a highly recommended procedural/horror novel.

Ian Fenwick is an ex-fire fighter and fire investigator who is called by Laura Goddard, a detective at the police department in Newcastle, England, to help them with an unusual investigation. There has been a death that defies explanation and appears to be spontaneous human combustion (SHC). Fenwick is asked for his assistance because he has some personal experience with SHC. As other cases occur, what Goddard and Fenwick don't know is that there is a nefarious group behind the SHC cases. A group gathered by a mysterious man known as William is behind the deaths. He listens to otherworldly beings he calls the Visitors and has gathered people who have special abilities to help him eliminate the human race so the Visitors can retake the world.

The narrative follows the current investigation, a teenage girl who escaped from William and is trying to get to Fenwick to warn him about William's plans, and mysterious chapters from William's point-of-view. This helps increase suspense as the novel picks up speed. Point of Contact starts out resembling a police procedural but as the investigation unfolds the novel increasingly becomes a horror novel, as would be expected in most novels where SHC is a major plot point.

Fenwick is a fully realized, sympathetic character and you will be like him and support his efforts. Goddard is his romantic interest, although she is a great character in her own right. The mysterious William and the group of various minions and thugs who follow him are all odious characters. The plot moves quickly and the chapters will speed by as you race to see what will happen next.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Burning Chair Limited via Netgalley.

Cloud Cuckoo Land

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
9/28/21; 640 pages
Scribner

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is a very highly recommended epic tale of the power of literature across centuries and the interconnectedness of all humans. It is absolutely one of the best books of 2021.

Cloud Cuckoo Land is named after an imaginary world mentioned in Aristophanes's play The Birds and the mythical novel is attributed to Antonius Diogenes, a real writer, in Doerr's novel. In the saga written for Diogenes' niece during an illness, Aethon, a shepherd, dreams of escaping to the cloud cuckoo land in the sky and his desire sets him on an adventure that will have him residing in the bodies of an animal, fish, and bird.

There are five characters, all children, whose lives are centuries apart but are also connected: Anna, Omeir, Zeno, Seymour, and Konstance. Anna and Omeir, are young teens living on opposites sides of the city walls during the 1453 siege of Constantinople. Anna is a failure as a seamstress, but she does manage to find a way to read ancient Greek. Omeir is born with a cleft lip. He and his oxen are drafted to help with the siege. In the 1950s Zeno Ninis is a teen Lakeport, Idaho, who doesn't fit in and enlists for the Korean war. As an adult in 2020 he works on translating the ancient Greek text of Diogenes and works with a group of fifth graders on making it into a play. In the 2000s Seymour is a loner with a sensory disorder which sets him apart, but he bonds with nature which leads him to a radical choice in 2020. Konstance is living on the Argos, an interstellar spacecraft/ark headed for exoplanet Beta Oph2 in the mid-22nd century.

As Doerr alternates between the stories of his characters in short chapters, each of the imaginative, descriptive narratives is equally intriguing and compelling. The connection between characters is not as apparent in the beginning as it will become later in the novel, but have patience because it will all come together in the end. Clearly they are all touched by the tale of Aethon's travels and adventures in Cloud Cuckoo Land. All the characters are outsiders who are resilient and survivors. They manage to endure and even thrive during difficult times and circumstances. I cared deeply about each of these characters and their stories.

The writing is descriptive, dazzling, and impressive. Each character is firmly placed in their own timeline and setting and the settings are vividly detailed. These characters care for the book, the story it tells and the physical copy, and each other. There is a complicated, beautiful, mortal truth about acceptance, preservation, and survival that runs through the novel, connecting the past, present, and future. There is also a strong connection to literature and libraries; the novel is dedicated to "the librarians then, now, and in the years to come."

Literature can transform people, provide hope, and heal us, even in a world full of afflictions and concerns. In a hopeful, realistic, redemptive revelation the truth is exposed that humanity with all of its problems, is what it is and that is enough. This is an exceptional novel with a lasting impact. As mentioned, Cloud Cuckoo Land is one of the best books of 2021. 

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

The 'Peyton Place' Murder

The 'Peyton Place' Murder by Renee Mallett
6/15/21; 188 pages
WildBlue Press

The 'Peyton Place' Murder by Renee Mallett is a highly recommended examination of author Grace Metalious and the murder that influenced her scandalous book Peyton Place.

Renee Mallett delves into the life of Grace Metalious, from her very modest beginnings in Manchester, New Hampshire, to the aftermath of the 1956 publication of her novel Peyton Place. The novel Metalious wrote follows the lives of residents, their secrets, and a shocking murder that occurs in a fictional small New England town she named Peyton Place. When the novel was published it was a huge best-seller, generated a sequel, two movies, and a long-running TV series. The title in and of itself became synonymous with forbidden secrets, sexually charged scandals, and murder. Metalious "became a pariah in the town where she lived, and tabloid fodder for years, ultimately leading to the her untimely death at the age of 39." The murder in her novel was based on a true crime that happened in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, in the late 1940s called "The Sheep Pen Murder." The young woman who was the killer was Barbara Roberts. Although the novel made a few changes in the facts behind the case, Mallett makes a clear connection between the facts of the earlier true crime and Metalious's novel.

This is a well written and presented account of the life of Metalious and the aftermath of her best selling novel. For those of us who read the novel, or saw the movies, or the TV series, the scandal the novel inspired makes sense when examined from the time the novel was written. Today it would not be the shocking novel that it was in 1956. Mallett does an excellent job providing the facts and the harsh judgments that female writers faced during that time period. Metalious is portrayed realistically, as a woman who had flaws but also faced the biases of the times on her own terms. This is a fast, complete, and compelling nonfiction book.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of WildBlue Press via BookSirens.

The Spires

The Spires by Kate Moretti
9/21/21; 316 pages
Thomas & Mercer

The Spires by Kate Moretti is a highly recommended slow burning thriller featuring dual timelines.

Penelope Cox is shocked when Willa Blaine, an old roommate she hasn't seen for 20 years shows up at her door saying she needs help escaping from an abusive relationship. She says she just needs two weeks to decide what to do next. Penelope has enough stress with an unemployed husband, two teenagers, and a precarious work situation, but she agrees if only because of their past history. Twenty years ago, after graduating from college, Willa and Penelope lived with three other friends, Jack, Bree, and Flynn, in an old church which was converted into a house. We know a fire destroyed the church house and the group of friends. Now Willa is back, seemingly being helpful and grateful for a place to stay but there is an unsettling undercurrent of something nefarious being planned.

The chapters switch between the present day occurrences and that of 20 years ago. Flipping between timelines doesn't always work well in this novel simply because the past isn't quite as compelling as the current situation. A better choice might have been less chapters set in the past with a more condensed and succinct story line. We need to know what happened but perhaps don't need all of the immature angst of the characters. In the present day it takes enough suspension of disbelief that Penelope would put up with some of Willa's actions as long as she does. Most adults under these circumstances would have said, "I'm sorry but this isn't working. You need to leave and find someplace else to stay."

Moretti does keep you reading though, so she gets credit for that feat and for writing reliable thrillers that keep the suspense high. Penelope is a fully realized character in both timelines as this is her story from the past and the present. You will understand why she acquiesced to Willa staying with her after no contact for so long, however you won't understand why she didn't tell Willa to leave. There are a few short chapters set in the present from Willa's point-of-view that are consequential. This is an entertaining novel, but readers may also need to know that most people are going to be able to predict exactly what is going to happen (with the exception of an unrealistic twist) as the premise is not original. 3.5 rounded up

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

When Ghosts Come Home

When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash
9/21/21; 304 pages
HarperCollins

When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash is a highly recommended character driven murder mystery set in 1984.

In the middle of the night Sheriff Winston Barnes and his wife Marie are awaken by the sound of a low-flying plane and immediately know something is amiss. Nothing should be landing at the small airport on Oak Island, N.C., so Winston heads over to investigate. What he finds is a large plane has crash landed, the cargo hold is empty, and there is the dead body of a local man on the grass near the landing strip. The dead man, Rodney Bellamy, is the son of a local civil rights activist and math teacher and attended school with Winston's daughter, Colleen. Winston starts the investigation before the FBI steps in and Bradley Frye, the rich-boy developer who is Winston's opponent in the upcoming reelection race in a week, shows up to make his presence known.

To further complicate life, Colleen secretly leaves her husband and comes home to visit her parents. She recently lost their first child at birth and is still grieving. His wife Marie is battling cancer. Frye and his buddies show up flying a confederate flag from their truck to threaten and intimidate Bellamy's widow and Jay, her 14 year-old brother who is staying with her. And rumors are flying around that the plane may have been flown by drug smugglers.

The characters are finely drawn, complex, and realistic in their actions and feelings. The narrative is told through the viewpoints of Winston, Colleen, and Jay. All three are very sympathetic characters who are ordinary people struggling with their own challenging circumstances and have very specific individual thoughts and experiences that closely affect their actions. While the murder investigation involves the plane and who shot Rodney, the real focus is the inner lives and thoughts of these characters. Frye is an anomaly as he is depicted as more of a caricature than a realistic antagonist.

The investigation is almost a side-story to the development of the characters, their inner thoughts, and their interactions with each other and the community. While the plot is compelling, the real pull of this novel is the realistic characters and their personal thoughts and struggles during this particular time period and in their specific circumstances. There is a solution to the mystery, and, although there are holes in the plot, many of the internal struggles of the characters do reach some sort of conclusion. The final denouement is unexpected and shocking.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.

Lean Fall Stand

Lean Fall Stand by Jon Mcgregor
9/21/21; 288 pages
Catapult

Lean Fall Stand by Jon Mcgregor is a highly recommended novel of an unforeseen accident and the struggle of recovery.

Robert 'Doc' Wright is a 33-year veteran technician at Station K in the Antarctic who arrives there with two postdocs geographic researchers, Thomas and Luke. When Thomas wants to take some pictures they make the disastrous choice to bend the rules, heading out without sat-phones and separate. When a blinding storm quickly rolls in, they are struggling to contact each other. It is at this point that Robert/Doc has a stroke and is unable to walk or communicate. Anna, Robert's wife flies from England down to Chile where he has been hospitalized. Robert, who cannot communicate, is unable to tell anyone what happened. Anna, who is an academic researcher studying climate change, has to set her work aside to become a caregiver.

The narrative is told in three parts: Lean, Fall, and Stand. Lean is the beginning of the novel, at the research station and the accident. Fall and Stand switch to Anna's new overwhelming and thankless role as caregiver to her husband who cannot convey his thoughts or needs. His basic care and therapy takes over Anna's life. Rather than the struggle for survival in the harsh Antarctic, the fight is for survival after a stroke and for caring for a stroke survivor. It is a sad tale that moves incrementally and slowly toward hope.

The choice on presenting some of the story through a stream-of consciousness style captures both Roberts broken language struggles due to the aphasia and Anna's endless tasks required to care for him. There is a lack of strong character development that held back some of the connection that might have otherwise been present for the characters. If you have ever known anyone recovering after a stroke, it might help you engage more completely with the characters.

This is a subdued, delicate novel that portrays the struggles of care and recovery with the same focus as surviving any battle. While I appreciated much of the novel, The lack of real connection with the characters and the repetition of Robert's struggles with his speech held me back a little. 

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Catapult.