Data Baby

Data Baby: My Life in a Psychological Experiment by Susannah Breslin
11/7/23; 224 pages
Legacy Lit/Grand Central Publishing

Data Baby: My Life in a Psychological Experiment by Susannah Breslin is a recommended memoir - for the right reader.

Right after Susannah Breslin was born in 1968 her parents enrolled her in an exclusive laboratory preschool at the University of California, Berkeley. She was one of over a hundred children who were research subjects in the Block Project, a thirty-year study and psychology experiment of personality development. The study was supposed to predict who the subjects would be as adults. The memoir has limited memories and revelations concerning her participation in the study and instead focuses on her various life experiences.

The description of this memoir does a disservice to the actual book Breslin wrote since the Block Project plays such a small part in the actual text. Now, the book written is not one I would have been interested in reading and reviewing. I'm not interested in the adult entertainment scene in San Francisco or the porn industry. I pushed through, hoping for more on the study she opened with. Honestly, in the end her memoir and style of writing weren't appealing for this reader. She does finally circle back to the study. The final examination of what happened to it and questions about the future were interesting.

This would have been better if it was an article about her participation in the study, skipped over the memoir bit, and then jumped forward to the final summation of her later research into it and what it could mean for the future.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley.

The Manor House

The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan
11/7/23; 336 pages
William Morrow 

The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan is a very highly recommended psychological thriller.

Loving couple Nicole and Tom won the lottery and have moved into the Glass Barn, a custom made house on the grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire. They are living a life that neither one could have imagined until tragedy strikes. Nicole returns home and finds Tom's body in the swimming pool. She runs to the neighbors in the Manor House, Sasha and Olly, for help. Olly runs to check and see if Tom is okay while Sasha gets Kitty, their housekeeper, to sit with Nicole before she rushes to Olly's side. The police arrive and start an investigation into Tom's death. And a best friend form Nicole and Tom's childhood shows up to support Nicole.

Chapters in the narrative alternate between the point-of-view of different characters and there are also journal entries included from Anna. Questions arise about what is really going on until the first major twist in the plot is revealed. Then readers are still going to scramble to try and parse together clues and facts to figure out what is really happening. It is very entertaining to ponder the facts and examine them to determine who is guilty of murder, as well as other maleficence.

This is a well-written, clever, discerning psychological thriller full of tension amid an ominous atmosphere as the questions mount during the investigation. The start feels slow, but once little tidbits of information begin to be released and clues can be put together, the pace, suspense, and suspects rise. This is a case of extreme gaslighting where the twists abound and people are playing a long-con.

The characters are fully realized and feel like real individuals. Most of the characters are not likeable and their motives are suspect. It is difficult to know who you can trust, if anyone, in this thriller, but that is part of the enjoyment.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of William Morrow via Edelweiss.

Being Henry

Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond by Henry Winkler
10/31/23; 256 pages
Celadon Books

Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond by Henry Winkler is a very highly recommended, thoughtful memoir from the actor, author, comedian, director and producer. Henry Winkler really is a nice guy and it comes across beautifully in his memoir.

Most people will recognize Winkler for his iconic role as the Fonz, Arthur Fonzarelli, on Happy Days, and this is most certainly covered along with the many other roles he has played on Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry to name a few, working as a director and producer and co-author of the Hank Zipzer children’s book series. This memoir covers Winkler's career with honesty, the highs and the lows.

Winkler openly shares some stories from his daunting childhood and academic deficiencies in school. He learned to use humor to cover his trials and this self-deprecating humor is clearly demonstrated throughout the narrative as he acknowledges insight into his personal struggles. The cause of many of his difficulties was revealed later in his life when he was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 31. Occasionally there are interjections from Stacey, his wife of 45 years, to offer an explanation or different perspective on something.

While it tells all, don't expect any dirt to be dished out about others, cementing the fact that Winkler is truly a nice guy without a huge ego. Many celebrity names are mentioned, but if the details are unflattering to the person in story, names are left out. If the story is about himself, he will freely admit his faults and shortcomings.

The Hank Zipzer books, featuring a main character with dyslexia, have touched a whole group of children that need the extra support. He writes: It has always struck me that out emphasis on the top ten percent of a class says they are more valuable than the bottom three percent. It this country is going to remain strong we need every child to be great at what they can do. Winkler and his family are committed to helping children.

Being Henry is an excellent memoir! Additionally, Winkler loves dogs so how could anyone not want to read his autobiography.

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

When I'm Dead

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey
10/31/23; 320 pages
St. Martin's Press
Black Harbor #3

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey is a highly recommended murder mystery.

It is October in Black Harbor, Wisconsin, Axel and Rowan Winthorp are watching the school play their daughter Chloe has a main role in when they are both called away and instruct Chloe to get a ride home with their neighbor. Axel is a homicide detective in Black Harbor’s police department while Rowan is medical examiner so this isn't the first time the two have had to suddenly leave and Chloe resents this. The scene they are called in to investigate is the death of teenager Madison Caldwell, a good friend of Chloe. The scene is gruesome. Hours later Rowan and Axel discover that Chloe is missing. Now they have a teen murdered, one missing and it looks like the two events are connected making the investigation more complicated and personal.

The narrative is told through the point-of-view of Rowan, Axel, and Libby, the teenage daughter of their neighbor. The characters are pensive, observant, and complicated in this murder mystery. The list of suspects grows exponentially with each chapter as the tension also rises with each new detail exposed. Allowing the plot to develop through the viewpoints of different characters works very well in When I'm Dead. Each of the three perspectives focus on different details and events which lead to new questions.

Although this is the third novel set in Black Harbor, it can be read as a standalone since the town is the connection between the novels. Expect a mean girls vibe, teen drama, bullying, rumors, suspect educators, and distressing self reflection, all set in the Gothic atmosphere of an apparently cursed city. For those sticklers of proper procedures, some disbelief must be utilized since parents would not normally be officially involved in an investigation, although it is explained away as the department being so short-handed.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

The Paleontologist

 

The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas
10/31/23; 368 pages
Atria Books  

The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas is a recommended psychological thriller.

Dr. Simon Nealy has returned to his hometown, Wrexham, Pennsylvania to become the Curator of paleontology at the Hawthorne Museum of Natural History. His sister disappeared when the two were at the museum as children, so many complicated emotions surround his return. The museum itself is a crumbling ruin and closed due to the pandemic lockdown so no income is coming in. As Simon tries to acclimate to his new positions and set the paleontology department into some sort of order, it seems there is some supernatural element or creature loose in the museum. Either he is loosing his mind or something else is going on and Simon must try to find out the answer.

The characters are fully realized and they all are portrayed as unique individuals with strengths and flaws. The backstory of Simon and the traumatic experiences he has gone through immediately makes him a sympathetic character.

The quality of the writing is excellent and Dumas does a credible job including the scientific information in the plot. With initial comparisons to Preston and Child's Relic, I had high hopes for The Paleontologist. I stuck with it based on the pluses: dinosaur bones, a creepy museum, and a childhood trauma tied into the museum. Admittedly, the rough spots right at the start were very off-putting with Covid and masking at the forefront of the entire novel. (Authors, please leave this out of novels.) Then something was mentioned when it would have been better to simply provide the facts with a nod to the readers intelligence to figure it out. As the narrative continued it was soon clear that there were simply too many scattered subplots and one of them required an inordinate about of suspension of disbelief for this reader. It is enjoyable, but not the page-turner I was hoping for.

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

 

The House of Love and Death

The House of Love and Death by Andrew Klavan
10/31/23; 312 pages
Mysterious Press
Cameron Winter #3

The House of Love and Death by Andrew Klavan is a very highly recommended third mystery in the Cameron Winter series. This is an absolutely excellent addition to an already exceptional series!

After reading about the murder of four people at a wealthy family's home in the Chicago suburbs, ex-spy-turned-English professor, Cameron Winter, investigates. The only survivor is a young boy, while his parents, older sister, and nanny were all killed. Winter has a "strange habit of mind" that allows him to see connections or suspect facts that have been left out or overlooked at a crime scene. He was previously a trained operative, so this extra-special understanding of human nature has been developed over time. The police are looking for the easiest, expedient solution to the crime, but Winter knows there is something more.

In-between Winter's investigation into the current case are psychotherapy sessions with his therapist Margaret Whitaker where he recaps his most troubling cases to her. This provides additional depth and development to Winter's character as he confronts his own past and failings.

The House of Love and Death is an absolutely riveting, un-put-downable mystery that only becomes more intense and complex as the narrative unfolds. In an already excellent series, this investigation of Cameron Winter is the best to date. I was totally immersed in the action. Winter may know what his "strange habit of mind" is sensing as he investigates and it is sheer pleasure in following along as he pieces the clues together. As the novel progresses, the danger to Winter increases while the suspense and tension also multiply. The House of Love and Death is completely engrossing and riveting throughout.

Cameron Winter is a fully realized, complex and developed character who will garner sympathy and compassion from readers. He is intelligent and tenacious while investigating and following what he senses is really going on. It is clear that Winter is working through the demons from his past while using his abilities to solve a current mystery.

This can be read as a stand-alone novel, but readers will likely want to read the previous Cameron Winter novels after The House of Love and Death. The complicated plot becomes increasingly sophisticated as more information is revealed and Winter uncovers or senses additional information.

I love this series and anxiously await another novel featuring Cameron Winter. (I would appreciate it if Klavan didn't leave me crying again, twice this time, over events in the narrative.)

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Mysterious Press via NetGalley.

Far Creek Road

Far Creek Road by Lesley Krueger
10/24/23;304 pages
ECW Press

Far Creek Road by Lesley Krueger is a very highly recommended domestic drama set in the early 1960's where a young girl faces adult problems. An excellent literary novel!

Mary Alice (Tink) Parker lives in Grouse Valley, a Vancouver suburb. Her father, like many fathers, is a WWII veteran and her mother, like almost all other mothers, is a housewife. Tink is nine (and ten) years-old in the novel and her life full of playing outside, reading comics, and attending school.  Tink's brother and sister are much older than her, so she is basically an only child. Her best friend is Norman Horton whose family just moved to the neighborhood. Both of his parents are teachers and the Hortons are different. A working mother is unusual enough, but they are also  intellectuals and hold strong left beliefs during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The narrative foreshadows the coming fear surrounding the threat of a nuclear attack but there are also other things going on in the neighborhood that Tink doesn't understand. Krueger establishes the setting and the innocence of the time which contrast sharply with the changes and adult problems that come later in the novel. Tink is a wonderful, unforgettable, fully realized character. Kruger does an excellent job capturing her innocence, as well as her fear and uncertainty of the events around her that she has no control over.

The time period, at least from a child's point-of-view, is carefully crafted and presented in a realistic way. Duck and cover drills were especially terrifying as some locations practiced these well into the late 60's. With Far Creek Road, Krueger has captured a time in history of unrest and fear and the effects this had on a young girl and her friend. The narrative covers more than the political and international atmosphere of the times. It also clearly shows bullying, abuse, infidelity, and the inevitability of some people's unwillingness to think for themselves when it is easier to go along to get along. In some ways Far Creek Road is reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of ECW Press via NetGalley.