(3) Brief Reviews - The Only Woman in the Room; Marie Benedict - The Measure; Nikki Erlick and Summer Love; Nancy Thayer

The Only Woman in the Room; Marie Benedict

(book group read - purchase)

SourceBooks - 2019

The Only Woman in the Room is fictionalized account of Austrian born icon Hedy (Kiesler) Lamarr a woman with both brain and beauty.   Born in 1914 to jewish parents, at 19 years of age she marries Fritz Mandl, a munitions mogul who was both controlling and violent.  In 1937 she finally is successful in escaping for London where she is discovered by Louis Mayer (MGM Studios) and gets her ticket to Hollywood.  Despite Hedy's brilliant scientific mind and her work on a torpedo guidance system, she never really got the recognition she deserved because she was female.

My book group met in July to discuss this book. Most everyone thought it was a light, easy read with it's short chapters and quick moving storyline but, we also all agreed that historical fiction, loosely based on true events should not be written in the first person.  I especially enjoyed the first half of the book about her marriage to Fritz Mandl and her relationship with her parents.  I thought the second half , about her years in Hollywood and her scientific work felt rushed and, I never got a sense of how her scientific brilliance came about.  

Some of the historical details here were inaccurate which was troublesome. In this book she adopted a son but, in real life she actually had four of her own children.  The ending was also disappointing - I wanted more. as did most everyone in our group.

RATING - 3.5/5 stars

The Measure; Nikki Erlick

(Harper Audio - library loan)

(Julia Whalen narrator) - very good

The Measure was an audiobook I requested by chance from the library as it sounded different from what I would normally select.  It ended up being pretty good.

In this story (8) ordinary people all from different demographics find a mysterious box on the doorstop. The box contains a string -- some long strings and some short ones.  The length of the individual's string is to determine whether they can expect to live a long life or one that is cut short.  Soon more people, everyone adult over the age of 22 will receive the same box/string.  What does it all mean? 

This is one of those stories that makes the reader wonder about what they would do in the same situation.  I thought it was interesting to see how different the individuals were and what they did with the information about a short versus long life.  The story was told through multiple POVs, each individual is struggling with life issues while trying to decide how to live out their lives.  A unique debut novel that seemed to have at least a bit of a political agenda but, it wasn't heavy or off-putting for me.. Overall, this was mostly a story about life, love and how we choose to spend our time here on earth.  Readers looking for something different might want to try this one. The audio, read by Julia Whalen was well done.

RATING - 4/5 stars

Summer Love; Nancy Thayer

Ballantine Books - 2022

(eGalley) - (20 Books of Summer list)

I always look forward to a Nancy Thayer summer release that returns readers to Nantucket Island.  Unfortunately, this book was lackluster and really disappointed me.

Ariel, Sheila, Nick and Wyatt spent a summer after college working on the island and became fast friends. At the time they crashed in the basement of a hotel that was being renovated.  Fast forward (26) years and Nick now owns the Lighthouse hotel on the island and invites the group to return over the summer. This time it's not just the friends but their children who are now in the 20s, the kids are the same ages the parents were when they first spent that summer there.  What has happened to this group over the last 20-something years?  How different will this summer be for them and their adult children or, will Nantucket work its magic?

The best thing about this book was the setting and all the little details that make this island setting work over and over again no matter who the author is.  The book itself seemed so rushed and unrealistic, I almost stopped reading midway.  The issues I had with the book were - the characters lacked substance and everyone seemed to fall in love instantly.  The word choices the author used were not the way young people speak today and much of what took place just felt cliche.  This is not what I've come to expect from Nancy Thayer - disappointing.

RATING - 2/5 stars (eGalley provided by publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.)

Book Review - The Guide; Peter Heller

 

The Guide; Peter Heller

Random House Audio - 2021 - (6 hours 59 min)

In 2019 I read Peter Heller's book The River which took place in Canada and I really enjoyed it.  This new book, The Guide, has Jack returning to the river but, this time the setting is Colorado. Jack is still dealing with grief: his mother's violent death and a tragedy involving a best friend. He has been hired by The Kingfisher Lodge, as a fishing guide to wealthy clients looking for peace and relaxation and, this may just be the job that helps Jack move beyond his grief. The story takes place in a post-COVID world but where another type of virus is threatening.  The lodge is nestled in a canyon with the most beautiful waters yet the grounds are surrounded by high razor wire fences, locked gates and signs warning trespassers who wander beyond the grounds that they risk getting shot.  What is really going on around the so-called "billionaire's mile?"

Jacks first client is a famous young female singer named Allison seeking the relaxation and someone to bait her fishing line. Although the two get along well Allison comes across as someone who is quite meek and not at all the way you would imagine a famous singer to be.  Shortly after the story begins there is a loud scream during the night and things begin to happen.  Although the setting was nicely described, the storyline itself did not work well for us.  For example, on a few occasions Jack's job is in jeopardy for policy violations yet he never gets fired and still freely snoops around when you would expect that video surveillance would be everywhere. There are also some strange things going on that make the reader realize that something at Kingfisher Lodge and the surrounding property isn't the peaceful place it claims to be.  The story eventually goes to a very dark place which involves young children. The happenings didn't seem at all plausible and the ending seemed unlikely as well.  After enjoying, The River, this follow-up just did not measure up.

I borrowed this audio download from my local library and fortunately is was shorter than most books. Mark Deakins narrated the book and did a decent job but, overall, we found this book very disappointing.

Rating - 2/5 stars

Book Review - The Sanatorium; Sarah Pearse

 

TITLE/AUTHOR:  The Sanatorium; Sarah Pearse

PUBLISHER: Pamela Dorman Books

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Fiction / Psych Thriller

FORMAT:  Hardcover LENGTH: 400 pp

SOURCE:  library

SETTING(s):  Swiss Alps

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  A slow psych thriller that ended up disappointing for me.

BRIEF REVIEW:   This novel had been hyped all over the place but, for me, it was the title and the cover that made me want to read it. I tried to stay away from reviews and honestly, I thought it was about a "sanatorium" --well, not exactly. It's the sanatorium's dark and troubled past that is significant here.

Once a remote "sanatorium", Le Sommet, is now a modern, minimalist, 5-star luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps.  The hotel sets the stage for a celebratory engagement party for Isaac and Laure where Laure is an Assistant Manager.  Among the invited guests is Elin Warner, the estranged sister of Isaac. She is a former police detective on leave from her job and also suffering from PTSD since her mother's death six months earlier and she is also still troubled by the death of her younger brother. Elin is not keen on attending the celebration since she has not been on speaking terms with her brother but, Laure was her best friend so she feels compelled to attend especially since she is not currently working.  She brings her boyfriend Will along for emotional support.

Rather quickly,  things go from bad to worse -  a blizzard makes the steep access road to the resort impassable, Laure ends up missing another person found dead.  Elin feels compelled to find out what is going on.  She even begins to suspect her own brother. The truth is Elin is a hot-mess.

While I loved the atmosphere of the novel, the set up reminded me very much of Ruth Ware's most recent novel, One By One.  In both novels - a resort, a blizzard or avalanche cuts off access and people end up missing or dead and both, for me,  had a less than satisfying plot.  While I wanted to like Elin because she had been through a lot, I soon found her super annoying and wondered how she was ever able to function as a detective.  I didn't like how the author decided to leave nothing to chance and  so she spelled out Elin's every move and thought, even some ridiculous ones.  I didn't find the motives compelling enough for murder nor did I find the twists all that believable. Finally, the ending seemed quite abrupt and it made me wonder about a possible sequel? If so, count me out. 

RATING:  2/5 stars

Book Review - Do No Harm; Christina McDonald

                                                                                                      

TITLE/AUTHOR:   Do No Harm; Christina McDonald

PUBLISHER:  Gallery

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Fiction /  Domestic Thriller

FORMAT:  eGalley /LENGTH:  pp 368 pp

SOURCE:  Edelweiss

SETTING(s):  WA

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  A doctor desperate to raise cash uses the opioid crisis to her advantage.

BRIEF REVIEW:  Emma Sweeney is a doctor in Washington state who is grateful for her happy life, even if she still has lots of student loans to pay off.  She has a great husband, Nate is a police detective and an adorable 5 year old son Josh.   So when her young son is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer,  she's determined to do what it takes to cure him.  When they learn that their cost to begin the treatment required for Josh will cost them over $100,000 and, that figure will definitely increase, she sees an opportunity to raise some fast cash.  Emma starts writing forged prescriptions for Oxycontin.  She uses the names of other doctors from the clinic where she works and because of her complicated past, she knows who can help her to set her dangerous plan in motion.

There is a good amount action in this fast paced thriller and, given the moral dilemma the story poses this might make for a good book group discussion choice.  Personally, I had a hard time envisioning the way this story played out.  I understand that desperate people do desperate things but given that her husband Nate's law enforcement job involved investigating overdose deaths just didn't ring true for me.  The idea of jeopardizing everything the meant so much to her made this story feel over the top for me.  

RATING:  2/5 stars

The Winter Girl; Matt Marinovich

The Winter Girl; Matt Marinovich

Doubleday - 2016

I enjoy a creepy read from time to time so when I saw this book compared to Gone Girl, I was anxious to try it. The story hooked me early on but, was far from perfect.

Scott and Elise are a married couple and after just four years of marriage, theirs is in a rut.  It's winter and the couple is staying at Elise's father's house in the Hamptons - Victor's a loathsome man, dying of cancer, but not fast enough for the couple.  Elise, a speech therapist, is on LOA and Scott, isn't doing much of anything these days, except helping himself to some Victor's alcohol.

As weeks turn into months, Scott becomes overly curious about the house across the street whose lights go out at precisely 11:00pm each evening.  One day when Elise is at the hospital visiting her father, he breaks in and before long he gets her to snoop along.

It's a delicious premise which quickly drew me in but, what happens with the rest of the story was just too far out there to be believable. None of the characters have any redeeming qualities and they make one bad decision after another. Things soon get violent, gruesome and sexually graphic. I felt that the writing seemed more designed to shock rather than surprise, and, the only similarity to Gone Girl, IMO, seemed to be that both couples were equally unlikable.  Perhaps some psych thriller lovers will enjoy this more than me but, this one just wasn't my thing.

2/5 stars

(eGalley)

The Half Brother; Holly LeCraw

The Half Brother; Holly LeCraw

Doubleday - 2015

When I think about fiction, boarding school settings, and particularly schools in New England, have always been high on my list for perfect settings. The Half Brother, by Holly LeCraw does have that perfect setting.

In this story the protagonist, Charlie Garrett is just out of Harvard when he is hired as an English teacher at the Abbott School in Massachusetts.  Growing up in Georgia, Charlie lived with his mother, Anita, wealthy step-father, Hugh and younger half-brother Nicky, 12 years his junior. Now just out of college, Charlie's first job at the prestigious Abbott school, feels a bit intimidating at first, given the fact that that he is not that much older than many of his students.

As Charlie gets a bit more comfortable there, he begins an innocent friendship with May Bankhead, a student there, and the daughter of the school's chaplain.  When May graduates the two continue to keep in touch, but it isn't until sometime later that they are reunited when May returns to the area to care for her dying father. It's then that the two of them realized that there is something more there besides friendship.

When Charlie learns something shocking, he chooses not to discuss it with May, but breaks up with her instead. Fast forward a decade or so and May, as well as Charlie's, half-brother Nicky, handsome, smart and outgoing, are also teaching at the Abbott school.  

You can probably guess where this story is headed. Sadly, I had such high hopes for this novel, but it just didn't work for me.  It's a slow moving story about love, lies and past betrayals. Unfortunately, the prep school setting was just not enough for me. The story and characters just felt flat.

2/5 stars

(review copy)

The Remedy for Love; Bill Roorbach

The Remedy for Love; Bill Roorbach

Algonquin - 2014

On the eve of major Maine snowstorm, Eric a small town lawyer is in the grocery store line behind a young woman who is shabbily dressed and appears homeless. Her hair is matted, she smells funny and she's also very thin.  As she counts her money, she’s short of cash and begins taking items off the belt so Eric offers to make up the difference.

Later after he’s left the store and is driving away, he sees the woman struggling to carry all of her plastic bags of groceries, so he stops to offer her a ride.  She accepts and he sees that she has been staying in a cabin meant for summer use down by the river. He feels bad for her and helps her get some wood to start a fire, and then goes on his way while the snow falls fast and furious. When Eric gets to his car he sees that it has been towed along with his cellphone which he left inside.

Not sure what to do, he returns to the cabin. Explains what has happened to the woman, who calls herself Danielle, and begs her to allow him to stay until the storm is over. She’s not too happy about it but allows him to stay.

Described as “intensely moving and frequently funny, The Remedy for Love is a harrowing story about the truths we reveal when there is no time or space for artifice.” Unfortunately, I felt none of this as I read.

Danielle and Eric are two characters who couldn’t be more different, and I can honestly say, I disliked each of them equally. Eric is still hung up on his wife who has left him and Danielle is possibly even more obsessed with her husband, Jimmy, who is serving in Afghanistan.   As the snow falls and the couple spends time together their stories evolve.

I loved the cover of this book and the overview sounded promising as well, but unfortunately I was disappointed. I felt the dialogue was rather boring, and, except for the setup, which was rolled out in the first few chapters, this was possibly one of the worst reading experiences for me in an awful long time.  I know a few other bloggers really enjoyed this one, but I must say....sorry, I just can’t recommend this one. 

1.5/5 stars (eGalley)

All the Birds, Singing; Evie Wyld

All the Birds Singing; Evie Wyld

Pantheon - 2014

When I first heard about this book, I was so intrigued and anxious to try it as it seemed to have many of the elements I like in a novel: a woman living alone in isolation with animals as companions (dog and sheep) and supposedly a story of survival and redemption.

Briefly, the central character, Jake Whyte is the woman who is living in isolation on a small island off the coast of England, along with her dog named "Dog".  She tends a flock of sheep, a skill she picked up when she lived in Australia. She is not interested in connecting with locals even though she has been in the area for 3 years. Lately, her solitary life finds Jake a bit unhinged. Someone or something is killing off her flock of sheep. But, what brought Jake here in the first place? Is she trying to hide from someone and why?

Bit by bit the readers learns about Jake's horrific past in Australia where she first learned her sheep shearing skills. Why does she suffers from bad dreams and paranoia, why is her body heavily scarred? How much of her fear is real and what is imagined, and, why does she sleep with a hammer under her pillow? 

Told in two timelines, the book is deeply menacing. I thought it was a tough story to read and, although the book was just 225 pages, it ultimately was a hard one to finish for me.  The writing was very good --vivid and it left a lasting impression, there was an element of mystery and psychological suspense. In the end there was just too gore for me. A very bleak story, definitely not for the faint of heart.

2.5/5 stars
(review copy)

Alice Close Your Eyes; Averil Dean

Alice Close Your Eyes; Averil Dean

2013 - Harlequin/Mira

Vachon Island in Puget Sound is the setting for debut novel, Alice Close Your Eyes. It's classified as, "a cross between steamy exotic romance and spooky thriller" by Booklist, but I think readers need to be aware the the characters are really twisted and there is plenty of sexual violence in this book.

The novel opens with Alice Croft, a 21 year-old woman who has had a horrible childhood growing up within the foster care system.  She's a woman with an intense hatred for one individual and bent on revenge for what she had had to live through.  For 10 years she been been searching for just the right person to carry out her plan.

The story opens with Alice breaking into someone's house, this isn't a first for Alice. She enjoys snooping inside homes, looking for a box of sentimental objects that, according to Alice, all men keep.  Her victim this time is Jack Calabrese.  While doing her snooping, Jack returns home and catches Alice hiding inside of his closet,  He is eager to find out who this woman is and what she wants, but for Alice, Jack is not exactly a stranger, she has been stalking him for some time now.

As the story continues the dark and dirt past of both Alice and Jack gets revealed, and Jack fulfills Alice's sexual addiction and what seems to be her need for physical abuse as well.  This is one twisted story of obsessive love. The writing is decent, but the graphic details were very disturbing at times. While I'm sure there is probably an audience for this kind of story, the novel was too over the top for me to appreciate. One thing which just didn't seem believable to me was the fact that Alice was a successful YA author. Proceed with caution it you decide to try this one.

2/5 stars

(review copy)

First Phone Call From Heaven; Mitch Albom

First Phone Call From Heaven; Mitch Albom

Harper Audio - 2013

Mitch Albom's latest novel, First Phone Call From Heaven had an interesting premise, just the idea of a loved one communicating with us from heaven gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling. The truth is I started this audio book in January but was having a hard time with it so I took a few weeks off from it and then tried again.  This time I did finish, but found it to be a struggle. I read Tuesdays With Morrie (loved that NF story), but this work of fiction just didn't work for me. The audio version was read by the author and I thought he did an okay job.

For those who haven't read this one, several residents of a small town in Michigan begin receiving phone calls from relatives who have passed on, and soon a media circus follows. Why were certain people chosen to receive the calls, and are they real or some sort of a cruel hoax? The calls are brief, lasting only a few minutes, and they seem to come on the same day of the week.  One non-believer, Sullivan (Sully) Harding, an ex-navy pilot is struggling with his own demons. His wife died in a car crash on the day he crashed a plane.  He blames himself for his wife's death, which left him with a young son who misses his mom deeply. He's determined to find out where the calls are coming from and prove this is all a hoax.

Although some of the characters in the story were somewhat interesting, the story is dialogue driven which made the flow seem awkward and sentences short and choppy. Based on the subject matter, I was hoping for a story that would pull at the heartstrings, but that just didn't happen. There was also some history about Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone patent, which I found to be mostly annoying. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one.

2/5 stars
(audio book)

Sea Creatures; Susanna Daniel

Sea Creatures; Susanna Daniel

Harper  - 2013

Sea Creatures by Susanna Daniel covers a lot of ground. Job loss, sleep disorders, marital discourse, a young child who stops speaking and communicates only by signing, death of a parent, a hurricane and more.

The story begins with Georgia's husband Graham losing his tenure at Northwestern University in Illinois. There is a scandal associated with the situation as well. Graham has a rare sleep disorder (parasomnia) which has caused him to do some strange things he is not aware of.  He has terrified others in the process, and the situation seems to only be getting worst.

To save face and start fresh the family, which includes a young son named Frankie, moves back to the Miami area where Georgia is from.  However, Georgia wonders if she and Frankie are safe.

While I loved the setting of the novel and how the author does a terrific job creating an atmospheric feel through most of the story,  I struggled to stay engaged with this one. There is way too much going on in this novel. The story is also told in the form of flashbacks, which on my opinion does nor work all that well in a story like this with so much going on.  I was curious to find out what had caused little Frankie to stop speaking and whether the sleep disorder surfaced again once the family moved, so I kept reading.  Unfortunately, this novel just did not work out that well for me.

2.5/5 stars

The Last Winter of Dani Lancing; P.D. Viner

 The Last Winter of Dani Lancing; P.D. Viner (Crown Publishing - 2013)

The Last Winter of Dani Lancing was a challenging read for me.  I almost tossed it aside at the 40+ page mark. The writing was all over the place. However, based on a few rave reviews I had read, I decided to continue, anxious to find out more about Dani Lancing.

In a nutshell, twenty years earlier, Dani Lancing was a college student who had been kidnapped, raped and murdered. It was a crime that had never been solved. Everyone who loved Dani were deeply affected. Her parents, Patty and Jim, watched their marriage dissolve afterward. Even Dani's boyfriend Tom was deeply affected. He has made a career of investigating crimes and violence against women. With a promising lead in the 20 year old case and new advances in DNA testing, there is still a slim chance that someone might be brought to justice.

The story of Dani's life through the time of her death, is told in bits and bobs and follows no particular sequence. Probably the only character that I liked in this story was Jim, Dani's father. Her death had such a profound effect on him. He clung to the memory of his daughter. He spoke to her daily and her ghostly presence helps him to get from one day to the next. All this was touching, but then again some seemed a bit too strange as well. As for Dani's mom Patty, she was so full of anger and to me seemed only interested in getting revenge.

For me the novel was one that took focus, commitment and concentration for too little reward. Along the way there were a lot of leads that look promising, but they didn't pan out. While that generally works well in a mystery for me, it just didn't work with this story. In addition, being pulled from the present, back to the 1980s and then back to the present again, coupled with too many points of view only served to weaken my overall enthusiasm for finding out how this one might end.

Sorry, folks, even though I generally enjoy psychological mysteries, this one did not work for me.

2/5 stars

(review copy - Amazon; Crown Publishing and Edelweiss)

Walter's Muse; Jean Davies Okimoto

Title: Walter's Muse
Author: Jean Davies Okimoto
Publication Year: 2012
Publisher: Endicott and Hugh Books
Edition: Trade
Source: my shelves
Setting: Washington
Date Completed: February - 2013
Rating: 2.5/5 
Recommend: no 

I read several favorable reviews about this book, but sadly I wasn't as impressed.  It was definitely a character driven novel, but I found the writing overwrought and lacking substance.

 

The story takes place on Vachon Island, Washington, a remote island accessible only by ferry or boat. The locale seemed lovely and the beauty and tranquility the island seemed to offer takes on a life of its own -- makes me want to live there.  There are (2) major characters in this story: Walter, a grumpy senior citizen, who is also awell known writer of children's books. He is also a man who has struggled with alcoholism. Maggie, the other main character, is a former school librarian who is now retired. At 65 when she thinks of Walter, she can't help but recalls a much earlier encounter with him when she worked as a librarian.  Maggie's also a nosy lady who likes to snoop on others, and she spends much of her time feeling sorry for herself, and the way her life turned out. Both of these characters enjoy their solitude and privacy. There are a few minor characters on the island as well. Miss Martha, a senior, senior citizen who shares wisdom of the ages; she's now 91, and, there is Bill Bailey, Walter's dog who is mentioned so often I had to count him as a key player.

 

When the story begins, Maggie hears Bill Baily, Walter's dog, howling non stop and goes over to check things out during a high wind and rain storm. She finds Walter has fallen off of a ladder and is injured. She calls for help and he is taken to the hospital.  In the interim, Walter asks Maggie to care for his dog, which she does.  As the novel progresses, and it is a painfully slow process, they begin to see the good in one another and form a connection.

 

I can see the appeal of this book for some readers who enjoy setting more than story, but it's just not the type of novel that I typically enjoy, and honestly I didn't care for the main characters either.

Heartbroken; Lisa Unger

Title: Heartbroken
Author:  Lisa Unger
Publication Year: 2012
Publisher:  Books on Tape - Crown
Edition: Audio
Reader: Amanda Carlin (very good)
Source: Library
Date Completed: January - 2013 
Rating: 2.5/5 
Recommend: no

Lisa Unger's latest novel, Heartbroken, is part psychological suspense, part ghost story and also multi-generational in nature.  It's a story about (3) flawed women whose lives converge in unexpected ways during one fateful summer.

The women in this story are 75 year old Birdie Burke, a cold, bitter woman who thinks she may be seeing ghosts on Heart Island. Heart Island has been in Birdie's family for years and years.  Birdie lives an isolated life and because of her harshness, some family members no longer visit her each summer on the remote island, a place accessible only by boat in the middle of a lake in the Adirondacks.

Emily, is a young woman with potential who drops out of college. She has always felt something was missing in her life.  Searching for what was missing from her life, she lets her loser boyfriend Dean control her. In the process she finds herself in one bad situation after another and ends up hurting people who cared about her. She retreats to Heart Island where things only get worse.

 Kate, is Birdie's daughter, a woman and mother who was raised to believe she'd never do anything with her life, yet still has a desire to please her miserable mother Birdie. Kate, using the journals left behind by her aunt and grandmother has written a novel that sheds light on buried secrets of the family's past. Secrets which help the reader to understand in part why Birdie is the way she is.  While other family members have stopped their summer retreats to visit Birdie on the island, because they find her unbearable, Kate, in an effort to please her mother, continues to visit more out of sense of duty. This particular summer, she takes her daughter and a friend. They arrive around the same time as Emily turns up there and before long things spiral out of control.

Although I typically enjoy stories with flawed characters and dysfunctional relationships, this novel did not work for me.These women just couldn't get out of their own way and made their own misery. None of the characters, even the minor ones were sympathetic. Although the reader and story initially drew me in, by the 1/2 way point, I could not wait to be done with this one. The audio book reader, Amanda Carlin was very good, but by listening rather than reading, I found parts of the story a bit confusing, but with patience and careful listening, it was easy enough to figure out. I do recommend trying this author's earlier books. Beautiful Lies, Sliver of Truth, Black Out, Die for You. I have read all of them enjoyed them.

Beautiful Ruins; Jess Walter

Title:  Beautiful Ruins

Author:  Jess Walter

Publication Year: 2012

Publisher: Harper Audio

Edition: audio 

Reader: Edoardo Ballenini (okay)

Source: library

Date Completed:  October/2012

Rating: 2.5/5 

Recommend: no

A crumbling hotel, the Hotel Adequate View, set atop a small Italian coastal town, provides a backdrop for the Beautiful Ruins. Lonely, hotel owner Pasquale Tursi, sees an opportunity to make his hotel a success by attracting wealthy Americans. The year is 1962 and when the lovely American starlet. Dee Moray arrives, Pasquale becomes instantly infatuated with her.  She in Porto Vergogna for the filming of the movie Cleopatra, but is later removed from the set because she is pregnant.

The story then jumps ahead some 50 years when Pasquale, who has never forgotten this American beauty goes to Los Angeles in search of the woman he's longed for all these years.  It is here that I really started to lose interest in this novel, and started skimming an awful lot. Fifty years is an awful lot to cover in a short novel and found there was way too much crammed in, from war to a  reality television and a whole lot in between.

The story just did not work well for me. Although the writing was good; I especially enjoyed the descriptiveness of the Italian coast and of Hollywood as well, the story just felt disjointed and hard to follow at times. At first I wondered if listening to the audio, read by Edoardo Ballerini, was the reason, but I don't think this book would have worked for me even had I read the print version.

Did anyone else find this novel less enjoyable than you originally anticipated?

Close Your Eyes; Amanda Eyre Ward

Title: Close Your Eyes

Author:  Amanda Eyre Ward
Publication Year: 2011 
Publisher: Random House Audio 
Edition: audio book
Reader: Meera Simhan and Phoebe Zimmerman ( poor choices)
Setting: New York
Source: Library

Date Completed: 11/11/2011

Rating: 2.5/5

Recommend: no

Back in 1986, when Lauren was only six and her brother Alex was eight, their mother was murdered as the children slept outdoors in their tree house. Their father was arrested and subsequently convicted of the murder.  The children were sent to live with their grandparents, but for the most part grew up in boarding schools.

Twenty-plus years later Lauren and Alex are grown, Alex is a doctor, and is in Iraq working with Doctors Without Boarders. Lauren is in real estate and lives with her boyfriend, believing marriage is not for her.  Lauren and Alex have different views on whether their father could have really murdered their mother. Lauren, has never contacted her father, believing he was guilty.  When Alex goes missing in Iraq, Lauren decides to spend time trying to find out what really happened on the night her mother was murdered.  Her investigation leads her to a person who can provide the information about what really happened on that awful night when she and her brother were so very young.

I like the way this novel started out and it was really holding my interest, even though the two female readers were a poor choice, in my opinion for this particular story.  Their voices, tone and expressions made them sound much younger than what was appropriate for this particular story.  The second problem I had with this novel was that, very abruptly a character by name of Sylvia takes over. Sylvia is looking for her friend Victoria when she was a young girl.  I listened and listened, and even ejected the cd to see it by chance the wrong cd was in the player.....nope, still the same book, but the story is not making much sense.  I decided to keep listening anyways to see where this was all going, and eventually the events of the past come to light. Unfortunately, by the time it begins to make sense, I sort of lost my enthusiasm for the story.  I have enjoyed this author in the past so I felt a little let down by this one.

Has anyone else read or listened to this book? What did you think?

The Night Season; Chelsea Cain

 Title: The Night Season (book #4 of a series)

Author: Chelsea Cain 

Publication Year: 2011

Publisher: MacMillian Audio

Edition: audiobook

Reader: Chelsea Cain

Source: Amazon Vine

Date Completed: 4/5/2011 

Setting: Oregon

Rating: 2/5

Recommend: No

I have been of fan of Chelsea Cain's, Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell novels, for the last several years. In Heartsick, Sweetheart, and Evil at Heart, the stars are, Archie Sheridan, a police detective from Portland, Oregon, and Gretchen Lowell, a serial killer who has played cat and mouse, tormenting Archie, landing him in a psych hospital briefly, hooked on painkillers, but finally as of the last novel she is behind bars.  The other two characters are Henry Sobol, Archie's partner, and Susan Ward, a newspaper columnist that Archie has the hots for. I wondered what direction her new book would take without Gretchen, the serial killer, to keep readers on the edge of their seats, and biting their fingernails as they turned each new page.  I was anxious to find out what Night Season had in store.

In this latest offering, Archie Sheridan and  fellow partner Henry Sobol have their work cut out for them. Susan Ward is another returning character, who, in this novel is covering a story about a flooding which had wiped out a town many years earlier.

The story opens with a horrific flood in 1948 that wiped out the entire town of Vanport. Some 15 people who lived in a public housing project at that time, lost their lives.  The story then flashes to the present time when once again heavy rains, and flooding are occurring in the Portland area. A skeleton surfaces around a dog park, with origins from as far back as the flood of 1948. Before long a woman who was reported missing turns up dead, and two more people who were thought to have died from drowning, turn out to have strange bite marks on their bodies, and tests show they have been poisoned.

Without saying much more about the serial killer, the source of the poisonous toxin, or how the story ended, I'll just say that I was extremely disappointed in this thriller.  It was not a nail biter like Cain's previous three novels, and quite frankly, once the mystery began to unravel, I thought the whole story was far fetched and just plain crazy. The audio book was read by the author and the reading was well done, however the story itself left me disappointed. For me, I think it is probably time to try a new thriller series. 

127 - Santa Fe Edge; Stuart Woods

In this latest Stuart Wood's release, Santa Fe Edge, Barbara Eagle Keeler, the ex-wife of Santa Fe Attorney, Ed Eagle is back in full force. This time she finds a way to escape from a Mexican prison. Her mission, once again, is to eliminate her ex-husband from the planet. Barbara has several men willing to assist her -- she is attractive, she uses sex to her advantage, and she is one of those people who always seems to make things work out to her advantage.

In this novel, Wood's followers will find several familiar characters resurfacing, including Holly Barker, Orchid Beach series, and Terry Fay.

In a nutshell, there isn't much to say or to like about this novel. Although the audio book reader, Michael Kramer was good, the story was just out there: not very well thought out, and it concluded with unresolved plot lines. I use to enjoy the early Stuart Woods novels, especially the Stone Barrington series, however the last few years he has been a big disappointment. I think my days with Woods are now a thing of the past. Sadly, I cannot recommend this book.

Rating 2/5 - Library audio book

118 - The Heights; Peter Hedges

The Heights by Peter Hedges is the story of  Kate and Tim  Welch, and their life in the Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.  Tim's a history teacher at Montague Academy, an elite private school and Katie is a  stay-at-home mom; together they live in cramped apartment with two young sons.  It's not easy existing on a teacher's salary for the couple. In fact it appears this couple is the only middle class couple still living in The Heights. Despite this their life seems relatively content.

All that changes when. the wealthy and married, Anna Brody moves into a brownstone nearby. Suddenly the Welches are invited into that world of privilege, and everything changes. Kate is offered a high-powered job, which she accepts and Tim stays home with the boys to work on his long neglected dissertation.  It is about at this point when the story stopped working for me. although there were funny parts, for me it just seemed to get a little too silly, and cliched.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Kate and Tim, and a few minor characters. I did not care about the characters, many of whom were yuppie-ish and self indulgent, and others who were just plain whiny or unlikable. The audio book readers (the author was one) were fine, but the story grated on my nerves after a while. ( I also had a review copy). This book just wasn't my cup of tea; it lacked substance.

Peter Hedges is an author and screenwriter -- What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and About a Boy. I can see how this book too, might be adapted to the big screen down the road.

RATING - 2/5 Stars

(Library audio and review copy)

75 - Every Last One; Anna Quindlen

A few friends had mentioned that they thought Every Last One: A Novel was an excellent, so I decided to give it a try.  I wish I had passed; here's why:

It's a story about a mother, Mary Beth Latham, who is totally devoted to her (3) teenage children.  Even her husband Glen, an Opthamologist, feels she is to involved in the daily lives of twins Alex and Max, polar opposites. Alex excels in sports and is very outgoing, and Max is quiet and obviously depressed. Daughter Ruby. has suffered an eating disorder, and has just broken up with her boyfriend.

The first half of the book is ALL about the kids and their every activity.....incredibly boring.  Then on New Year's Eve something horrible happens, and those left, must sort out
and try to understand WHY it happened, and how to continue with life as it is now.

I don't want to sound cold-hearted but I am sure I will. As you read or listen to the audio book (I did both), you know early on that something bad is going to happen in this novel, but it was not what I expected, and more likely than not other readers will have guessed wrong as well.  Some reviewers said, "get out the tissues", and I couldn't understand that. I just never really felt any emotion reading this book, probably because I did not care for Mary Beth, the protagonist. On top of that, the first half leads up to the incident, and the last half is spent dealing with the incident. If I had it to do over, I would have not read this book.

Have you read it? What were your thoughts? 

BTW: I would avoid the audio book completely. The reader, Hope Davis, has this monotone affect; it was the same depressing tone, both before the horrible event and after. Fortunately, I had the ARC as well, so I could switch off when her voice became too annoying. Sorry readers I CANNOT recommend this book. (Rating - 2/5)

(ARC and audio book)