Book Review - The Murder at the Vicarage; Agatha Christie

TITLE/AUTHOR:   The Murder at the Vicarage; Agatha Christie

PUBLISHER / YEAR PUBLISHED:  1930 (2011 - Harper Collins Ed)

GENRE: Fiction Vintage Mystery

FORMAT:  PP/LENGTH: 256 pp.

SOURCE: Library

SETTING(s): England - Small village of St. Mary Mead

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  This was the first book in the Miss Marple mystery series, just who killed Colonel Protheroe?

BRIEF REVIEW: When I first read the intro paragraph to this book sometime back, I figured I'd be in for a fun ride, I liked the humor here:

"It is difficult to know quite where to begin this story, but I have fixed my choice on a certain Wednesday at luncheon at the Vicarage.  The conversation, though in the main irrelevant to the matter in hand, yet contained one or two suggestive incidents which influenced later developments.

I had just finished carving some boiled beef (remarkably tough by the way) and on resuming my seat I remarked, in a spirit most unbecoming to my cloth, that anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe would be doing the world at large  a service."

Locals are shocked by the murder of Colonel Protheroe, a local magistrate whose body is found is the study of the Vicar.  The Colonel had many enemies and, he had a pretty, younger, second wife as well.  

The Vicar, Rev. Len Clement, narrates the story.  He is a fun, observant and a gentle soul and smart too (well maybe, he did marry wife Griselda after just knowing her for 24 hours.)  She's not the type of woman you would expect to be a vicar's wife.  When Miss Marple does eventually enter the picture,  she's not what I expected: she a nosy, next door neighbor of the vicarage, a spinster with binoculars in tow, she's quite clever in her process.  While I did like the humor in this mystery, I wished I liked it more .  There were at least seven potential suspects and the story seemed like an unlikely mess.  It got somewhat confusing as well with all the characters and everyone telling half-truths.

Unfortunately, bottom line, I think I'm just not an Agatha Christie fan. I've tried a few of her books over the years and they just don't seem to work well for me. While I liked the narrator, I just struggled with this one and set it aside several times to pick up other books.

Are you an Agatha Christie fan?

RATING: 3/5 stars

Inside Out: a memoir; Demi Moore

TITLE: Inside Out : a memoir

AUTHOR:  Demi Moore

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins

PUB. YEAR: 2019

SETTING: n/a
FORMAT: print/library

RATING - 4/5

At age 56, Demi Moore looks back at her life: her sad dysfunctional childhood, three marriages, motherhood and successful career as an actress.

Demi was born to a teenaged mother with suicidal tendencies and an alcoholic father. As a result, she witnessed things many children never have to deal with.  She was also a sickly child and spent several months in the hospital at the age of 5 (and again at age 11) because of a kidney condition.  Despite Demi's health issues she assumed the role as protector to her younger brother because of their chaotic home life.

As her story progresses we learn about her inner turmoil of never feeling good enough or thin enough, as well as, her struggles with substance abuse and eating disorders. Details of her marriages, motherhood and career made this a quick but interesting read. I found this memoir to be an eye opener; it felt raw and brutally honest.

2 short reviews - Trick; Domenico Starnone and Sunburn; Laura Lippman

Trick; Domenico Starnone

Europa Editions - 2018

(library)

Since I absolutely loved, Ties, by D. Starnone, I couldn't wait to read his latest book, another terrific read.

When seventy-five year old Daniele Mallarico is asked to babysit for his 4 year old grandson Mario, he is more than a little reluctant to do so. His daughter Betta and her husband need to attend a 3-day academic conference.  Not only is Daniele recovering from a recent hospital stay but, the babysitting commitment also means returning to his childhood home in Naples, the place of unhappy memories.  

Daniele is a man who enjoys his solitude and his quiet life in Milan. A one time famous illustrator, he is now working on meeting a deadline to illustrate a ghost story by Henry James, however, not wanting to disappoint his daughter, he agrees to stay with little Mario.

The 3-day visit proves to have both comical and touching moments. Mario finds ways to distract Daniele from his work, and sometimes these distractions are welcome taking the grandfather's mind off his childhood and other depressing thoughts.

This was a sweet and moving story about life, ambition, choices made and later life regrets. 

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

Sunburn; Laura Lippman

Harper Collins - William Morrow - 2018

(eGalley)

Polly Costello (not her real name, she has many), is an attractive, bright woman with a somewhat wild and dark past.  She's also a woman on the run.  She's just abandoned her loveless marriage and young daughter Jani, while the family was on a beach vacation in Delaware.  Believe it or not, this is not the worst thing that Polly has ever done.  So, who is Polly and why has she spent much of her adult life on the run?

Much of the story is told through the POV of Adam Bosk, a stranger Polly hooks up with in a bar/diner in Bellevue, DE. (population, 2,000) while on the run. But, Adam, has his secrets as well, yet an intense relationship begins. Who is Adam and was his meeting Polly more than just coincidence?

A stand alone novel, tense and dark, had me quickly turning the pages. I loved the strong, cunning, Polly character and, when bad things happened it was hard not to suspect anyone but Polly was involved.  Best categorized as dark noir, this was a very quick, satisfying read.

Rating - 5/5 stars

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Her Every Fear; Peter Swanson

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros sharing the first paragraph, maybe two, of a book that I'm reading or plan to read soon.

Her Every Fear; Peter Swanson

William Morrow / Harper Collins - 2017

Chapter 1

"THE FASTEST ROUTE FROM LOGAN Airport to downtown Boston is a mile-long tunnel called the Sumner.  Dark, damp, and low ceilinged, the Sumner feels as though it were built a hundred years ago, which it very nearly was.  And on Friday, April 24, a warm spring evening, a Boston University freshman ran out of gas halfway though the tunnel, reducing rush-hour traffic to just one slow-moving lane, instead of the usual two.  Kate Priddy, who had never been to Boston and had no idea how she would wind up in a tunnel under Boston Harbor, sat in the back of a stopped taxicab and began to panic."

Base on this intro, would you read more or take a pass?

Feel free to join in by posting your link to your Tuesday Intro below.

Another Brooklyn; Jacqueline Woodson

Another Brooklyn; Jacqueline Woodson

Harper Collins & Blackstone Audio - 2016

August is now a woman in her 30's recalling an earlier time (1973) when she moved with her father and younger brother to Brooklyn from Tennessee, leaving her mother behind for reasons she did not understand at the time.  As August and her brother now prepare to bury their father,  20 plus years later we learn what life was like for her and her close friends growing up in a less than ideal part of Brooklyn in the 1970s.

As she reflects back on her past we see how a difficult move was made more tolerable once she makes new friends (Angela, Gigi and Sylvia).  Sadly, the girls see and experience things that most parents try shelter their daughters from for as long as possible as they navigate from adolescence to young adulthood. 

As the story moves back and forth in time, theres's a dreamlike feel that was hard to shake.  The author does a wonderful job capturing both childhood innocence as well as the harsh realities and dangers faced by young girls in this particular part of Brooklyn in the 1970s.  For such a short novel (novella) serious issues such as -- race, poverty, addiction and mental illness surface. The audio book was read by Robin Miles who did an excellent job.

4/5 stars

(library audio)

Watching Edie, Camilla Way

Watching Edie; Camilla Way

(NAL) Harper Collins - 2016

Watching Edie is a psychological thriller that takes place around London and it's a story that grabs the reader early on.  Edie and Heather have a shared past and in their teens had been friends. Edie was the popular and confident one and, Heather was shy and overweight. Both girls came from fractured families but, then something happened to end the friendship.  Full details are not know until the end of the novel but, the incident was significant enough to end their relationship.

Fast forward 17 years and Edie is a waitress, single and pregnant. After giving birth she is unable to cope with motherhood and its demands. She lives alone in a bare bones flat and can't even care for herself never mind newborn Maya.  Just when she's at her lowest Heather shows up and, like a good friend might, she steps up to the plate and begins to care for Maya and Edie.  Before long her helpful ways seem controlling and stalker like making Edie want to put space between them once again.

The chapters alternate from "before and after", Edie tells the present and Heather tells the past.  As tension builds at times it's hard to discern who is more disturbed and then comes a shocker of an ending once all is revealed.

Readers who like an unsettling story should definitely give this one a try.  At times the story felt a little bogged down but, it was still a terrific psychological thriller.

4/5 stars

(review copy)

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Wilde Lake; Laura Lippman

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two, of a book that I'm reading or plan to read soon.  

Wilde Lake; Laura Lippman

Harper Collins - 2016

PART ONE

"When my brother was eighteen, he broke his arm in an accident that ended in another young man's death.  I wish I could tell you that we mourned the boy who died, but we did not.  He was the one with murder in his heart that night and, sure enough, death found him. Funny how that works."

What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 
(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?

Coming Soon to a Book Store Near You - (3) New picks

I have so many of my own books to read but, still I can't resist checking out what's "soon to be released".  How do these sound to you?

Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep; Michael Schulman

Harper Collins - April - 2016

(Amazon Description)

A portrait of a woman, an era, and a profession: the first thoroughly researched biography of Meryl Streep—the “Iron Lady” of acting, nominated for nineteen Oscars and winner of three—that explores her beginnings as a young woman of the 1970s grappling with love, feminism, and her astonishing talent.

In 1975 Meryl Streep, a promising young graduate of the Yale School of Drama, was finding her place in the New York theater scene. Burning with talent and ambition, she was like dozens of aspiring actors of the time—a twenty-something beauty who rode her bike everywhere, kept a diary, napped before performances, and stayed out late “talking about acting with actors in actors’ bars.” Yet Meryl stood apart from her peers. In her first season in New York, she won attention-getting parts in back-to-back Broadway plays, a Tony Award nomination, and two roles in Shakespeare in the Park productions. Even then, people said, “Her. Again.”

Her Again is an intimate look at the artistic coming-of-age of the greatest actress of her generation, from the homecoming float at her suburban New Jersey high school, through her early days on the stage at Vassar College and the Yale School of Drama during its golden years, to her star-making roles in The Deer Hunter, Manhattan, and Kramer vs. Kramer. New Yorker contributor Michael Schulman brings into focus Meryl’s heady rise to stardom on the New York stage; her passionate, tragically short-lived love affair with fellow actor John Cazale; her marriage to sculptor Don Gummer; and her evolution as a young woman of the 1970s wrestling with changing ideas of feminism, marriage, love, and sacrifice.

Featuring eight pages of black-and-white photos, this captivating story of the making of one of the most revered artistic careers of our time reveals a gifted young woman coming into her extraordinary talents at a time of immense transformation, offering a rare glimpse into the life of the actress long before she became an icon.

 The One-in-a-Million Boy; Monica Wood

Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt - April 2016

(Amazon Description)

The incandescent story of a 104-year-old woman and the sweet, strange young boy assigned to help her around the house — a friendship that touches each member of the boy’s unmoored family

For years, guitarist Quinn Porter has been on the road, chasing gig after gig, largely absent to his twice-ex-wife Belle and their odd, Guinness records–obsessed son. When the boy dies suddenly, Quinn seeks forgiveness for his paternal shortcomings by completing the requirements for his son’s unfinished Boy Scout badge.

 

For seven Saturdays, Quinn does yard work for Ona Vitkus, the wily 104-year-old Lithuanian immigrant the boy had visited weekly. Quinn soon discovers that the boy had talked Ona into gunning for the world record for Oldest Licensed Driver — and that’s the least of her secrets. Despite himself, Quinn picks up where the boy left off, forging a friendship with Ona that allows him to know the son he never understood, a boy who was always listening, always learning.

 

The One-in-a-Million Boy is a richly layered novel of hearts broken seemingly beyond repair and then bound by a stunning act of human devotion.

My Mrs. Brown; William Norwich

Simon & Schuster - April 2016

(Amazon Description)

From William Norwich, the well-known fashion writer and editor, an unforgettable novel about a woman with a secret who travels to New York City on a determined quest to buy a special dress that represents everything she wants to say about that secret…and herself.

Sometimes a dress isn’t just a dress.

Emilia Brown is a woman of a certain age. She has spent a frugal, useful, and wholly restrained life in Ashville, a small town in Rhode Island. Overlooked especially by the industries of fashion and media, Mrs. Brown is one of today’s silent generations of women whose quiet no-frills existences would make them seem invisible. She is a genteel woman who has known her share of personal sorrows and quietly carried on, who makes a modest living cleaning and running errands at the local beauty parlor, who delights in evening chats with her much younger neighbor, twenty-three-year-old Alice Danvers.

When the grand dame of Ashville passes away, Mrs. Brown is called upon to inventory her estate and comes across a dress that changes everything. This isn’t a Cinderella confection; it’s a simple yet exquisitely tailored Oscar de la Renta sheath and jacket—a suit that Mrs. Brown realizes, with startling clarity, will say everything she has ever wished to convey. She must have it. And so Mrs. Brown begins her odyssey to purchase the dress. For not only is the owning of the Oscar de la Renta a must, the intimidating trip to purchase it on Madison Avenue is essential as well. If the dress is to give Mrs. Brown a voice, then she must prepare by making the daunting journey—both to the emerald city and within herself.

Timeless, poignant, and appealing, My Mrs. Brown is a novel for every mother in the world, every woman who ever wanted the perfect dress, and every child who wanted to give it to her.

This is the Earth; Diane Z. Shore; Jessica Alexander and Wendell Minor

This is the Earth; Shore - Alexander and Minor

February - 2016 - Harper Collins

I had very high hopes for this book because it looked like it would be a fantastic tool to  teach young children about our earth and caring for the environment, but the beauty lies only some of the illustrations and not in the story itself, especially since the target group is preschool children..

The book is written in a way that reflects the Earth over hundreds of years and how what we humans do affects the planet.  It begins with beautiful pictures of animals grazing on the land, rainbow trout swimming in the rivers, birds soaring, farmers farming. Next we see railroads, steamships and airplanes entering the mix, then garbage, landfills, sewage pipes draining into the ocean and factory smoke stacks polluting the air. We then see the resulting consequences for not respecting the environment: global warming: melting glaciers, the impact on polar bears and whats left of the once beautiful Earth. There are suggestions for doing our part and tips for going green, recycling, reusable bags etc.

I guess the disturbing part of this book for me was the fact that it was targeted at the preschool age and up group, and yes, while we should learn to care about our environment at an early age, this one came on a bit strong, in my opinion.

3/5 stars

(review copy)