Found my Christmas cards for next year...

The Monogram Murders: Revisiting a Brilliant Old Friend

The Monogram Murders
by Sophie Hannah
Hardcover, 352 pages
William Morrow, September 9, 2014
4 stars

Hercule Poirot is having a quiet dinner in his favorite London coffeehouse when he encounters a young woman who confesses to him that she is terrified of being murdered but refuses his offers of assistance.  Later that day Poirot hears of a series of bizarre murders at an upscale London hotel and accompanies the Scotland Yard detective staying in his boardinghouse to the scene of the crime. There they find three bodies laid out identically in three separate rooms ...each with a monogrammed cuff link left in their mouth. He can't help but think that the young woman he met earlier that night may be the murder's fourth victim...

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I personally really enjoyed this book, though I know it's taken some hard hits from other reviewers and even some critics.  I didn't go into this expecting the writing to mimic Christie's writing because - and she'd tell you this herself - Sophie Hannah isn't Agatha Christie! Of course the writing won't be a replica of the original Poirot works.  Hannah does, however, capture Poirot's personality - his disdain over a lack of imagination in his detective partner, his excitement when he's put two clues together, and his pompous explanations at the close of the book.  Hannah also successfully captures the importance of motive and psychology to the plot. She is able to show us both the morality and the darkness of the characters in her story in a way that was vitally important in all of Christie's work. The charming English village, the "locked room" setting for the murders, and the narrative voice of Catchall, Poirot's sidekick from Scotland Yard all act to set the scene for a tale told in Christie's world, if not in her voice.

In the end, the Monogram Murders should not be looked at as a "continuation" of the Poirot library, but rather a new interpretation of an old familiar character. The puzzling twists and turns of the plot, the voices of the characters, and the seeming impossibility of the mystery are all echoes of the Christie I love, with the fabulous writing of Hannah to pull it all together.

While You Were Reading: Americanah's New Leading Man and Upset Tories

In book news last week...


Variety is reporting that David Oyelowo (Selma, Interstellar) is signed on to play opposite Lipita Nyong'o in the film adaptation of Americanah, the novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This novel, a National Book Critics Circle Award winner, follows two young Nigerian immigrants as they navigate race, relationships, and their futures in America.  The movie, produced by Brad Pitt's company, Plan B, has no director or production or start date as of yet.

Australia's highest book award, the Prime Minister's Literary Award, was handed out on Monday night, though a last-minute announcement by P.M. Tony Abbott caused quite a shake up. The panel of judges had unanimously chosen Steven Carroll's A World of Other People, to win the prize. The Prime Minister, however, announced on the night of the book awards, that the prize was to be split between Carroll and his selection, The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan. This angered one judge, who told the press that the judges found Flanagan's novel to be "superficial, showy, and pretentious."

Hillary Mantel is facing renewed criticism over her latest book, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher.  The BBC recently announced its intention to broadcast the short story of the same name on Book at Bedtime in January. Former Cabinet Minister Lord Tebbitt has criticized the decision, has condemned the story as "perverted" and "hateful," and accuses the BBC of being deliberately provocative and showing bias against the Tories.

Knopf Publishing announced today that Judy Blume's next novel, In The Unlikely Event, will be published on June 2, 2015. The novel is a general family novel, based on Blume's own experience witnessing several plane crashes around New Jersey as a teenager in 1951 and 1952.  The novel will follow people as they cope with the devastation of loss after these horrific events. This will be Blume's first novel aimed at adult readers since Summer Sisters, published in 1998.

TBR Thursday

Any one else's TBR pile getting out of control?  This week I've added several new books to my pile, and at this point I'm just hoping to get to them all!

First is A Pleasure and a Calling by Phil Hogan. So far this novel has been one heck of a creepy read. William Heming is a voyeur (an understatement if there ever was one) and is determined to keep his quiet English village safe from unsavory types...no matter what the cost. This novel is a great addition to the "unreliable narrator" category of suspense thrillers, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit.



I've also received an advanced copy of As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley.  What can I say?...I love Flavia de Luce! I was skeptical when I first started the series, but now I'm a devoted fan. This installment has Flavia at her new school in Canada investigating the discovery of a body in a chimney.

Finally, I've received a copy of All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. These sorts of angsty YA novels aren't usually my thing, but I was intrigued by the premise of this one. Besides...I'll try any book once.

What's new on your pile this week?

Makes me laugh every time...

Review: Dark Screams: Volume One

Dark Screams: Volume One
ebook, 98 pages
Random House Publishing, December 8, 2014
4 stars

Brian Freeman's horror anthology contains five stories, written by Stephen King, Kelly Armstrong, Bill Pronzini, Simon Clark, and Ramsey Campbell. This is to  be the first of several and, if this is the case, he's off to a strong start.

This book was incredibly short - less than 100 pages - and was a very quick read I easily clocked less than an hour of reading time with this one. The Stephen King story "Weeds" (also known as "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill") was one he wrote in the 70s and was featured in the second Creepshow film. It tells the tale of Jordy, a farmer who believes the meteor that lands in his backyard will bring him some fast cash, but sadly causes him more trouble than he anticipates. It was an almost humorous story, as Jordy continues to make things worse for himself until the sad end.

Most of the stories were good, but I have to confess that I believed the story by King to be the best (no surprise to me there). I was actually disappointed that Bill Pronzini's story, Magic Eyes, was a short story. After reading it, I wished it had been a whole novel, it was so enjoyable. The fourth story, Murder in Chains, felt as though it were a scene from the middle of a story and was a little too scattered in terms of plot for my liking, though it was more action-packed than the others. The fifth story, The Watched, was my least favorite. It had a good premise, but the execution just wasn't there.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to fans of the genre, people who enjoy short story collections, or anyone interested in giving these authors a try for the first time without the commitment of reading a novel.

Monday News Roundup

In book news over the weekend...

Warner Brothers is reaching out to Christopher Nolan to direct the studio's upcoming adaptation of Ready Player One. This sci-fi adventure was a best seller, so with a heavyweight like Nolan directing, it's sure to be a box-office hit.

Amid rumors over the weekend that Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, did not write Girl Online, Penguin Random House has confirmed that the bestseller was ghostwritten.

J.K. Rowling is promising Twelve Days of Harry Potter on her site, Pottermore.  Beginning on Friday, December 12th, the site will feature "brand new writing by J.K. Rowling and even a new potion or two," according to the site's newsletter. The Telgraph is reporting that one of these stories will feature Harry Potter's nemesis, Draco Malfoy.

Cary Fukunaga, the director of the hit HBO series True Detective, has been confirmed as on board the new production of Stephen King's It, expected out 2015.  Producer Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes, Terminator) says the book was too big for one movie, so the plan is to split it into two separate films. Lin says they've also gotten King's blessing on the script, saying he told Fukunaga "Go with God, please! This is the version the studio should make."  With that kind of endorsement, I'm excited!

A Kansas District Court has ruled that the original case files and field notes from the quadruple murder made famous in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood are to be released. The case files, kept by the investigating detective, are now in the hands of his son, Ronald Nye, and will be published in a book co-authored by Gary McAvoy. Nye says the case files contain discrepancies that cast doubt on the accuracy of Capote's original story.

Review: The Girls of August

The Girls of August
Hardcover, 240 pages
Grand Central Publishing, 8 July 2014
2 stars

Four friends gather for an annual beach vacation, each year renting a house in a new location.  This began as a way to get away while their husbands were all in medical school together, and has become a way to reconnect with one another, calling each other the Girls of August.  When one of them dies tragically, their vacations are brought to a halt and their friendships gradually dwindle away.  When the widower remarries, the three women agree to a vacation to meet the new wife, a much younger woman who doesn't quite fit into the group.  Their vacation on the South Carolina coast will reveal the changes the women have undergone since their last time together.

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I'm not entirely sure where to start with this review, because I almost didn't finish the book.  At 240 pages it was a quick read, which was an incredibly good thing.  Had it taken more than two or three hours to read this book, I would have put it down.  I was looking forward to a sweet, touching book about women supporting each other through their friendships, and instead I got a ridiculous, scrambled book about women acting like mean middle school girls.

The characters were flat, cardboard people that Siddons apparently couldn't be bothered to develop.  Until one of the characters began acting erratic and a major life event was revealed about halfway through the book, I honestly kept confusing two of the characters because there was so little depth to either of their characters.  What Siddons did reveal about their personalities through their behaviors was so hateful and mean that I couldn't imagine she was writing about characters she liked.  Grown women were catty, sarcastic, and downright cruel and bullying to one another.  Apparently this was because some of them were "going through things."  I didn't find this in the least bit believable.

The writing was painfully simple and uninspired.  These women were vacationing on a beautiful semi-private island off the coast of South Carolina and Siddons spent more time describing the decor of the house and the details of their food than the supposedly beautiful locale.  The story itself was jumbled and made no sense.  The women spend most of their trip bitching, sniping, and being generally unfriendly to the new wife and eventually even to each other.  Accusations of assault, sabotage, and affairs abound, and in the end...well, the ending came out of nowhere and made absolutely no sense.  When the bomb was dropped regarding a major event in the life of one of the women...I hardly paused in my reading.  There was so little build up to the announcement that I couldn't bring myself to care.  That, to me, is the sign of an unsuccessful book.

(I received a copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

Review: The City by Dean Koontz

The City
Hardcover, 416 pages
Bantam, 1 July 2014
3 stars

Jonah Kirk is the nine-year-old grandson of a top-notch piano player, the son of a extraordinarily talented lounge singer and an absentee father, and a musical prodigy in his own right.  He's just beginning to explore his musical gifts, when an accidental meeting with a group of very dangerous people has disastrous consequences.  Jonah is a young man coming of age in a remarkable family during a time when his city was coming of age as well.

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Jonah Kirk, now in his late-50's, is telling the gripping story of a very important time in his young life.  Koontz is in his element here, weaving a story that is lyrical to read, though it takes some time to wade through.  The plot moves slowly, almost luxuriously so, because Koontz is so descriptive, taking his time to make sure you can visualize every bit of Jonah's city.  The city almost becomes a character itself due to Koontz vivid descriptions of its people, it's art, and it's architecture.  Koontz explores the idea of a city having a soul, as personified by "Pearl", the mysterious woman who teaches Jonah to interpret his dreams.  

This novel was as much a character study as it was the coming-of-age of Jonah.  The character development of the "good guy" characters - Kirk's family and friends - was rich and expansive.  Disappointingly, however, the "bad guy" characters felt one-dimensional and a bit stereotypical.  The characters sometimes felt as though they were being used to explore themes and not carry the story themselves.  Jonah's relationship (or lack of one) with his father, his dedication to his mother, his friendship with the quietly formidable Mr. Yoshioka, and his love of Amelia Pomerantz all felt as though they were just as important to the story as the plot itself.  When Koontz allowed the characters to shine on the page, the story was wonderful to read.  Unfortunately, sometimes too much space passed between these glimpses of brilliance.

My problem with this novel was perhaps in my expectations.  I am a long-time fan of Koontz's novels because they're usually such page turners.  An interesting main character, an intriguing premise, a whole lot of suspense, and a thrilling conclusion.  While The City definitely had an interesting main character, it was missing everything else.  It was by far a more philosophical novel than I'm used to from Koontz, and as a result it sometimes felt like work to read.  In the end, The City was a good book I just couldn't get into.

(I received a copy of this book from Bantam Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Review: The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

The Farm
Hardcover, 352 pages
Grand Central Publishing, 3 June 2014
4 stars

Daniel is a garden designer living in London with his partner, Mark.  His parents, Chris and Tilde, have recently retired to a remote farm in Sweden, his mother's childhood home.  Daniel believes his parents are happy in their retirement until he receives a frantic phone call from his father.  His mother has had a mental breakdown and has fled the hospital where she was being treated.  Daniel is about to board a flight to Sweden when he receives a call from his mother, claiming everything his father has told him is a lie and she's on her way to London to see him.  As the accusations begin, Daniel is caught between his parents, unsure if he can believe his mother...especially once her conspiracy begins to implicate his father.

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"If you refuse to believe me, I will no longer consider you my son."

The Farm is a quick, engrossing read, the kind of book you'll want to finish in one sitting.  Short chapters end in cliffhangers, resulting in a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  Descriptions of the stark Swedish countryside, of hunting mushrooms in the forest, and of creeping around the house of a neighbor come to life through Smith's expert voice.  As well as bringing individual scenes to life, Smith also successfully conveys the suffocating isolation the residents of Chris & Tilde's new home feel, as though the location was a character itself.

The real-life events that inspired the events in this novel - the mental breakdown of Smith's mother - creates the ring of truth that makes this story so compelling. Tilde appears sane and reliable even as her story becomes less believable, moving farther into her suspicion and mythology.  The reader experiences the same confusion and skepticism that Daniel does.  The tension he feels in being asked to choose between his mother and his father is palpable to the reader, especially as he begins to realize that he does not know his parents as well as he had previously believed.

The Farm is a true psychological thriller.  There are no car chases, shootouts, or dramatic last-minute rescues.  At it's heart, it is about trust - how much do we really know about the people we love and who would we believe?  This fast-paced novel is sure to please Smith's existing fans and gain him several new.

(I received a copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing for an honest review.)

Review: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

I Am Pilgrim
Hardcover, 624 pages
Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 2014
5 stars

Scott Murdoch is a member of a secret government agency, so secret that only a few in the country are aware of it's existence.  After years of living in the shadows, Murdoch decides on  retirement and writes a book on forensics as an act of closure. Instead of a quiet life off the grid in Paris, he finds himself drawn into a murder investigation at a seedy New York City hotel.  The killer appears to have committed the perfect crime and then disappeared without a trace - all while using Murdoch's book as a how-to manual.

Soon he is pressed into service by high-ranking government officials,  traveling to the Middle East in search of a lone wolf Saudi terrorist, with the fate of Western civilization hanging in the balance.

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"The world doesn't change in front of your eyes; it changes behind your back."

At 600+ pages and cover art that some might call dull, I Am Pilgrim did not immediately strike me as a "summer read," the kind of page-turner I like to take on day trips to the lake.  However, it didn't take more than the opening lines before I was hooked.  Hayes has the somewhat dubious distinction of writing the first crime scene that I've excitedly read aloud to my husband over a glass of wine at night.

This book is a rare treat - a literary spy thriller that defies stereotype.  Our hero is a young, but extremely accomplished, member of a secret government intelligence agency.  The bad guy is a young, radical, Muslim terrorist, hellbent on the destruction of Western civilization.  The novel is full of exciting chases, thrilling shootouts, and exotic locations.  It does not, however, feel tired or overdone at any point.  The book is a fresh take on the traditional spy novel.  It's filled with enough twists and surprises to keep you on your toes.  Hayes uses exciting side plots and character back stories to allow for some breathing room between tense scenes but these scenes are far from dull.  On the contrary, they serve to flesh out his characters and bring them to life in a way that many suspense novels fail to do.

Though this is a debut for Hayes, his experience as a screenwriter results in an absorbing, action packed, heart-in-your-throat read.  The pacing is perfect, building suspense in just the right spots and then unleashing the action in explosive bursts.  Expertly delivered foreshadowing leaves you breathlessly awaiting the next surprise, the next twist.  It's not difficult to imagine the blockbuster film this book will become.

In the end, this book is certainly a contender for best-of-the-year lists.  It starts as a murder mystery, becomes a spy thriller, and ends up as one of the best books you'll read this year.

(I received a copy of this book from Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Club Pick: Come Closer by Sara Gran

Come Closer

Hardcover, 169 pages

Soho Press, July 1, 2003 (first published January 1, 1973)

I initially chose this book to host for my book club with more than a little trepidation. While I love a good horror story, especially the tale of "creeping dread" you expect from Alfred Hitchcock or Shirley Jackson, it's not everyone's cup of tea.  Frequently just saying a book is "horror" is enough to send potential readers running.  This book, however, provided some interesting discussion about whether the narrator was suffering from some sort of supernatural possession or if she was having a mental breakdown.  While it still may not be for everyone, if you're choosing a book for a club with somewhat eclectic taste, this could be a great option that's just a bit off the beaten path.

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"What we think is impossible happens all the time."

It starts with a simple tapping in the apartment, explained away as a drippy pipe, or perhaps a mouse. An urge to start smoking again and more frequent bickering with her husband. Amanda, a successful young architect, feels a vague sense of unease at the changes in her life. As time passes, Amanda refuses to accept the improbable cause for these changes, with horrifying results.

At 169 pages, it's a short book, and Gran's writing is so clean and succinct that it feels even faster. The sparse writing creates a break-neck pace that causes a sense of panic for the reader, who cannot stop racing toward the same terrifying end as the protagonist. The ambiguity in the story is one of the novel's best qualities and is what draws the reader in. Is the overshadowing of Amanda's will and her seduction the result of insanity or something more supernatural - and does it matter?  The terror Amanda feels is palpable and Gran easily transfers this terror to the reader through prose that is both subtle and hypnotizing.

This is a truly horrifying story that is not about cheap scares and gory scenes, but rather a literary approach to an easily dismissed and often unappreciated genre.

New In Paperback: The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls

The Yonaholosee Riding Camp for Girls

Paperback, 432 pages

Riverhead Trade, June 3, 2014 (first published June 6, 2013)

2 stars

Thea Atwell, 15, has been sent from her family home in Florida to attend a girls boarding school for the southern elite, one at which she will learn to become an accomplished horsewoman. Over the course of her stay, she learns to navigate this world filled with young women, much different from the isolated life she led at home with her parents and twin brother, while she recovers from a mysterious tragedy in which she has played a central role.

I had high hopes for Yonaholossee after all of the rave reviews it received. It was described as spellbinding, lush, provocative, and smart. It even made Oprah's Summer Reading List.

Initially, I found the book a page turner. I was drawn into the vivid world DiSclafani described - first the hushed, sheltered world that Thea grew up in, and then the majestic wild of the mountains in which the camp is nestled. The social structure of the camp, with it's regional cliques and finishing school schedule (yes, French was a part of the curriculum) created a picture of life for wealthy young women on the verge of the Great Depression.

My problem with this novel, however, is simply how unlikable Thea is. When the reader is first introduced to Thea, she is a quiet girl, reluctant to leave her father's side. She is timid and shy but has a deep love for horses, and we are treated to hints about a family scandal that ruined her family's life back home in Florida. As Thea becomes more acclimated to her life at the camp, she has to make choices about her relationships with the other girls, as well as with the adults in her life. She does not simply make bad choices of the kind you would attribute to a girl her age, but dangerous and disturbing choices that made me question the author's purpose for this character. Thea was also an extremely selfish character, which is to be expected at her age, but without a transformation into a young woman more cognizant of her situation in life, the novel's ending was weak, rushed, and ultimately disappointing.

In addition, the other characters were not well developed and felt like shallow stereotypes. Her brother was described as an animal lover with no other apparent characteristics. Sissy, Thea's friend at the camp, was a sweet girl that everyone liked but was sheltered and foolish. The adults are even worse - her parents are portrayed as having created a "progressive childhood," but it is never explained why they kept their children so sheltered and separate, or if they had desires and hopes of their own.

In the end, this was a book I truly wanted to like, but just couldn't find much about it to enjoy.

Review: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Mr. Mercedes
Stephen King
Hardcover, 448 pages
Simon & Schuster (Scribner), 2014
4 stars

Summary: Hundreds of unemployed citizens line up for a job fair in the early morning hours of a Midwest city.  A stolen Mercedes plows through the unsuspecting crowd, driven by a lone driver in a clown mask.  When the chaos is over, eight innocent people are dead and more than a dozen more are injured.

Retired police detective Bill Hodges spends his days watching talk shows, haunted by the unsolved cases he left behind.  When a letter arrives claiming to be from the Mercedes Killer, he decides to investigate on his own instead of going to the police.  In doing so, he must match wits with a crazed psychopath, for whom one murderous rampage was not enough.

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"I'm going to kill you.  You won't see me coming."

Mr. Mercedes succeeds in hitting several of my favorite reading elements: a page-turning suspense thriller, well-developed, sympathetic characters, and a seriously creepy bad guy who got under my skin.

The telling of this story in the present tense, a departure from King's regular writing style, has the benefit of moving the narrative along at a rapid pace, which in turn heightened the race-against-the-clock feel for both Brady (the murderer) and Hodges and his crew.  
At times the plot feels contrived, particularly the constant rationalization of why Hodges refuses to turn to the police for help even after it becomes clear that Brady is becoming unraveled.  This, however, does nothing to diminish the suspense of the novel, as Hodges runs into roadblocks in his investigation and Brady grows more desperate and disorganized.

As usual, King's character development is unparalleled, with a connection being forged between the reader and characters that are only alive for ten pages.  While on the surface some of the characters appear to be formulaic (the suicidal, retired detective, the brilliant tech-savvy young kid, the psychopathic maniac with mommy issues, etc.), King's development of these characters is still successful. They are sympathetic and accessible, with even Brady having his moment of sympathy (albeit a very, very brief one).

This book is classic King, probing the conflict between good and evil both within his characters and between them, though this time played out with purely human elements.  Despite not being as strong a showing as his last few novels, this was a solid start to what will hopefully be an enjoyable trilogy.

NEWS ALERT!: Mr. Mercedes First in a Trilogy

Can't get enough of Detective (Retired) Hodges and his crew? No worries!

Stephen King announced that Mr. Mercedes is the first book in a trilogy, with the second, Finders Keepers, due out next year.

Currently Reading: Mr. Mercedes

I'm a Stephen King groupie (a "constant reader" as he might say) so I was psyched to start this book.  While I love his paranormal horror writing, I've developed an appreciation for his psychological horror as well.  Written in the present tense, it's even more of a departure from his previous writing.

As much as I hated to walk away from such a compelling book, I did take a break from reading yesterday to play around on the fun interactive site that is set up to mimic Brady's basement on the official Stephen King website (the fun can be found here: http://stephenking.com/promo/mr_mercedes/the-basement/).  There are several fun puzzles and hidden activities to be found here, but be warned - if you haven't read the book at all, some spoilers will be revealed.  If you're a reader who wants to approach this book with as little knowledge of plot as possible, do not go to this site until you're at least half way through this book.

A Quick Recap

Since I'm starting half-way through the year, it seemed as though I should do a quick recap of the best books I've read so far this year.

My reading in the first half of the year has been a little light.  With a new baby in the house, some days it was all I could do to think about books, let alone actually pick it up and read one.  I belong to an amazing book club on Goodreads who are constantly feeding my addiction so, on the bright side, I'm not without a giant to-read list for the rest of the year.


Top 12 Books of 2014

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Death at Sea World: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity by David Kirby
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley
A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison
Help for the Haunted by John Searles
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
You Are One of Them by Elliot Holt
Five Days at Memorial: Life or Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink
The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta


Okay, that list was supposed to be the top ten, but I couldn't help it...