The Book Whisperer’s Latest Review: a Gem of a Book

Alexander McCall Smith

Those who are not familiar with Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series should start with the first book: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. While one could read the books in any order, starting at the beginning and following through with the other sixteen books in the series gives readers the sense of continuity found in the novels as well as shows the recurring characters’ growth.

The books feature a cast of characters that readers quickly come to recognize and love, even for their foibles. Mma Makutsi is inordinately proud of her 97% mark on the final examinations and finds every opportunity to point out her score to all who will listen. Charlie formerly worked for Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s garage, but the ladies’ man now works for the detective agency because Mma Ramotswe sees some potential in him. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is Mma Ramotswe’s husband.  Other recurring characters include their foster children,  Motholeli and Puso; Fanwell, an excellent worker in the garage; Mma Potokwane, head of the orphanage, Mr. Polopetsi, a part-time chemist and part-time worker for the detective agency, and, of course, the infamous Violet Sephotoho. Readers also become well-acquainted with Obed Ramotswe, Mma Ramotswe’s late father. His wise words ring in Mma Ramotswe’s head frequently as she considers knotty problems.

The detectives rarely investigate murders or other truly dangerous crimes, but they do investigate crimes that involve real people. Perhaps a husband wants to know if his wife is being unfaithful; then he would turn to Precious and Grace. Occasionally, someone seeks help in finding out if an employee is stealing from the business. In the case of the most recent novel, Susan comes from Canada seeking to find Rosie, the woman who was her nursemaid when Susan lived in Botswana thirty years ago.

The most recent book in the series is Precious and Grace, the first names of Mma Ramotswe and Mme Makutsi, the two detectives in the agency founded by Precious Ramotswe. Often, the stories involve more than one case at a time. They may not be connected except that Precious and Grace are involved in solving the problems Mma Ramotswe is thoughtful, kind, and even-tempered. Mma Makutsi is somewhat more impetuous, so the two make a good team.

Susan appears to want to find her old nursemaid to reminisce about her happy times of living in Botswana; she is also looking for some of her classmates from thirty years ago. Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi, and Charlie all work on the case, trying to find Rosie, the house where Susan lived years ago, and the classmates. Readers will be surprised to find Susan’s real reason for seeking out Rosie; Mma Ramotswe figures it out and talks with Susan about forgiveness.

Along with Susan’s story, Mma Ramotswe discovers that Mr. Polopetsi has become involved in a pyramid scheme and that he is naïve in not recognizing the criminal element who involved him. Mma Ramotswe sorts out Mr. Polopetsi’s problem and even helps him find another part-time job of working in the police lab as a chemist.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series is delightful. The stories are quiet in that rarely do people become violent, but the people and situations are part of real life. Mma Ramotswe in her quiet, thoughtful way carefully goes about her detecting until she has the whole story. She reminds readers of the old Botswana ways and how things are changing. She gently guides Mma Makutsi and Charlie to help them become better detectives, but above all, better people.

Alexander McCall Smith has visited Tulsa, OK, several times. He is a delightful speaker and dresses in the traditional Scottish kilt of his homeland. One of the things I remember most vividly about one of his speeches here in Tulsa is a comment on Americans and wearing white after labor day. He commented that he did not know  about such a rule until he came to the US and admitted to being a bit baffled by it.

The Book Whisperer’s Ambivalent Review

I have mixed feelings about Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple. I had read Where’d You Go, Bernadette when it was published. I was not enamored with the story, but I finished it. Then I kept reading reviews and comments about Today Will Be Different, Semple’s latest novel, so I thought I should give it a whirl. Having finished Today Will Be Different, I can say that I liked parts of the story, but not the whole story—as I noted earlier, mixed emotions.

Maria Semple comes from a privileged family. She traveled all over Europe with her parents. Then her father wrote a pilot for Batman; the script was accepted, so the family moved to LA. Lorenzo Semple, Jr., Semple’s father, continued writing scripts for TV and movies. Maria Semple graduated with a degree in English from Barnard and began writing TV scripts for shows such as 90210, Mad About You, and Arrested Development. After being successful in writing for TV, Semple decided to write fiction. She has now published three books: This One is Mine, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, and Today Will Be Different.

Today Will Be Different features a day in Eleanor Flood’s life. She is privileged, the wife of a well-known hand surgeon and mother to eight-year-old Timby. The story centers on a day when Eleanor has plans to change her life, being more attentive to her husband and son and herself. The day goes topsy-turvy once the school nurse calls to say Timby is ill and needs to go home. The rest of the day involves Eleanor’s attempts to be present with Timby, but distractions abound.

Eleanor thinks she has a lunch engagement with a woman whom she does not like, but feels she must see occasionally. When she picks Timby up from school, she tries to cancel the lunch, but turns out the lunch date is really with a former co-worker from NYC. Eleanor used to work on a very successful TV series as a graphic artist and storyteller.

My mixed feelings about the book developed from the mixing of the three stories—Eleanor’s real life on the particular day with Timby, the reminiscences of the past when she was growing up, and her life in the spotlight involved with the successful show.

Separating the present from her life growing up and the rift between her and her only sibling, Ivy is easy. Recognizing the shifts when the old graphic artist life intervenes is a little trickier. At one point, Eleanor becomes convinced her husband Joe is having an affair; at the end of the book, she and readers discover what he has been doing and covering up. That secret was not one I expected and found hard to reconcile to the rest of the story.

All in all, Today Will Be Different makes an interesting read if not totally compelling.

 

The Book Whisperer Strikes

Two So-So Books

After waiting weeks for William Norwich’s My Mrs. Brown and Gayle Forman’s Leave Me to become available at the library, I received both books the same day. Sadly, both were disappointing books which just goes to show that one cannot judge a book by its cover—or even by the glowing reviews others have written.

I should have realized Leave Me would not be my cup of tea since I had tried to read Forman’s If I Stay and gave up in exasperation. Still, once I knew that, I persevered in finishing Leave Me. The premise is appealing. Briefly, the plot involves Maribeth Klein who works far too hard and far too long, is the mother of preschool twins, and is married to another workaholic. AT age forty-two, Maribeth suffers a heart attack. After emergency by-pass surgery, Maribeth returns home to recover.

Sadly, her mother who comes to help with the children while Maribeth regains her strength is more trouble than help. After several exasperating days of feeling that she is not  getting the help or respect she needs for her recovery, Maribeth quietly packs a small bag, goes to the bank to withdraw $25,000 in cash, and takes a train to Pittsburgh from NYC.

In Pittsburgh, Maribeth finds a furnished apartment in a small building where she meets her neighbors who figure heavily in the story. She knows she needs a doctor to monitor her progress in recovering from the heart attack and surgery, so she finds one who takes cash instead of insurance, no questions asked.  Along the way, Maribeth searches for her birth mother, adding to the other plotlines in the story.

The story is improbable and predictable.

My Mrs. Brown is another book I thought I would enjoy. It is a sweet story, but that’s just it, too sweet. After years of plodding along, Mrs. Brown, a lovely widow, sees a beautiful, expensive dress that she decides she must have regardless of what it will cost her. From that desire to own the dress, Mrs. Brown starts saving toward a trip to NYC and the object of her pursuit: the dress.

The kindness of strangers figures heavily in this story, including the kindness of Oscar de la Renta. Again, this story is improbable. It’s not a bad read, but it is predictable. Mrs. Brown with her steady kindness toward others attracts kindness even though initially people may be unkind or downright mean. Other reviews use words like charming, gentle, and sensitive. I can probably agree with those words, but that does not make an absorbing story. I did keep reading and finished the book.

I can recommend the friendships that develop in the story, particularly Mrs. Brown’s friendship with her friend’s granddaughter, Alice, who rents an apartment from Mrs. Brown. Norwich could have developed that friendship more effectively since the two genuinely like one another and learn from one another.

All in all, do not judge books by their covers!

 

The Book Whisperer’s Latest Review

Some authors are excellent at writing a series of stories connected by characters, location, and/or events. Alan Bradley is one such author; he  has created a village peopled with characters who develop as the series continues. Flavia, the center of these characters, is especially delightful and worthy of a reader’s time.

Alan Bradley was born in Ontario, Canada in 1938. As a child, Bradley was often ill, so he read a great deal, though he confesses to being a poor student. He became a radio and television engineer. Later, he worked on creating a broadcasting studio at the University of Saskatchewan. In 1994, he retired early in order to become a full-time writer. I am certainly glad he did because after writing screenplays and a memoir, he turned to writing mysteries. Bradley’s wife listened to CBC Radio an interview with Louise Penny, a Canadian mystery writer. Penny mentioned the Debut Dagger fiction competition which required that entrants submit the first chapter and a synopsis of a murder mystery.  Bradley’s wife suggested he enter the contest. She thought he could take a girl who appeared in an early novel that Bradley had tried to write, so Bradley took his wife’s advice and began writing about the girl, whom he calls Flavia de Luce.

Since that beginning, Bradley has written eight mysteries featuring Flavia, a young girl who loves chemistry and is interested in murder, poisons, and solving crimes. The nine mysteries include The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Speaking from Among the Bones, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d: A Flavia de Luce Novel.

Regular readers will know the Flavia mysteries are set in the 1950s, following WWII. Flavia, eleven when the series begins, is the youngest of three daughters. Her mother disappeared in a mountain climbing accident when Flavia is just a baby. Older sisters Feely and Daffy are old enough to remember their mother, and they enjoy torturing Flavia by saying their mother left because Flavia was such an ugly baby. The three girls do love one another, but they are often at odds with one another.

The most recent book, Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d: A Flavia de Luce Novel, brings Flavia, now twelve, back home to England from her exile at Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy in Canada. Frankly, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, the book set in Canada is my least favorite of the series, but the book does give Flavia some important news about her mother and her Aunt Felicity.

In having Flavia return to Buckshaw, the family home, Bradley reintroduces readers to Dogger, Flavia’s father’s faithful companion and often sidekick to Flavia’s explorations and escapades. Of course, sisters Feely and Daffy are also at home. Sadly, Flavia’s father is in the hospital, ill with pneumonia. Flavia also reunites with her beloved bicycle Gladys, once her mother’s bicycle.

Quite naturally, Flavia is concerned about her father, but she is unable to visit him in the hospital just yet because his condition requires rest. Meanwhile, Flavia returns to her friends in the village. In running an errand for the vicar’s wife, Flavia discovers a dead body. Naturally, Flavia’s instincts kick in as she observes the scene. She takes in the condition of the room, noting that nothing suggests that a struggle has taken place. Oddly, the dead man is hanging upside down on the back of his bedroom door. Certainly, this position gives Flavia food for thought. Once she has satisfied herself that she has looked the room over properly, she heads back to the vicarage to call the police.

The ensuing days lead Flavia on an investigation into the dead man’s real identity, putting her in some danger. Flavia puts her mind to the investigation with the care of a trained police detective. As Flavia untangles the web of lies and misdirection the now dead man created, she connects him to other people still in the village, one of whom is presumed dead.

This eighth book provides something of a departure from the other books in that Flavia spends a great deal of time alone. Readers then are privy to her internal thoughts, fears, and conjectures, more so than in the other books.

Flavia is a delightful character. For those readers who have not met her, start with the first book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, and read to the last one. While the books could stand alone, learning about the characters from the beginning will give readers greater insight into the people, situations, and events.

The Book Whisperer Recommends Harlan Coben

Need a good mystery?

Harlan Coben has published over twenty-five novels. He has often been on the New York Times’ Best Sellers’ List. He writes stand-alone mysteries and a series featuring Myron Bolitar along with the familiar cast of characters including his good friend Win. Coben also writes a series for young adults that feature Myron’s nephew Mickey Bolitar as the sleuth.

Coben’s latest book is Home, published in September, 2016. In Home, Coben returns to Myron and Win as they team up to discover what happened ten years ago when Win’s cousin’s son and his friend were kidnapped from home.

Win has been AWOL for some time. Rumors of his having a terminal illness or even dementia have circulated for months. Readers later learn Win has sent out those rumors himself. After months of no contact, Win calls Myron and tells him to go to the airport, board Win’s private jet, and fly to London, a sighting of the two kidnapped boys, now 16, has Win on the search in earnest.

Being Win’s best friend, Myron does exactly as instructed even though he is with his fiancée Teresa. Luckily, Teresa is the understanding type and has a long history with Myron and thus with Win as Myron’s best friend.

Upon arrival in London, Myron meets with Win to get updates on how Win has received the tip about the two boys. The business is unsavory at best, and dangerous at worst. Win, in fact, has already killed two thugs who threatened the boy he believes is Patrick, his cousin’s friend who was kidnapped. The boy apparently is a hustler and being pimped out by a dangerous thug who has electronic surveillance on the boys at all times.

After a series of exchanges with the rent boys’ handler, Myron meets to hand over $200,000 for the two boys. Unfortunately, a wall explodes because Win has been keeping tabs on Myron and his movements all the while even though the fat man thinks he has blocked all surveillance. Myron saves Patrick even though Patrick suffers a stab wound. Unfortunately, Rhys, Win’s cousin, is not among the other boys.

Patrick is silent, refusing to talk about his experience, not even answering questions about Rhys, his friend with whom he was kidnapped ten years ago. Patrick’s divorced parents have already flown to London, so they are quickly reunited with their son. Meanwhile, Brooke and Chick, Rhys’ parents, have also arrived, but to disappointment since Rhys is not with Patrick.

Those who have read Harlan Coben’s books know to expect a wide range of twists in the plot, twists that spiral this way and that until finally the whole story spills out. Home also has subplots which involve Myron’s nephew Mickey Bolitar and his girlfriend about whom readers will learn an important secret at the end of the book. Mickey helps Myron by befriending Patrick in hopes of getting Patrick to talk candidly about the kidnapping and about Rhys, the still missing boy.

Readers will not be disappointed by Home or the way Coben leads readers down one rabbit hole only to come up in another. The story ends with a complete explanation.

 

The Book Whisperer’s Latest Find…

Hannah Pittard has written four books, including Atlanta, 1962 which will be available in 2018. The other books include Reunion, The Fates Will Find a Way, and Listen to Me, the focus of this review. Pittard grew up in Georgia; she attended Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. She received a BA from the U of Chicago and an MFA from the U of VA. Pittard has received numerous accolades for her books: Millions’ Most Anticipated Book, Chicago Tribune Editor’s Choice, BuzzFeed Top-5 Great Book, and an Oprah Magazine selection. Those awards and tributes give you an idea about Pittard’s talent.

The most recent book, Listen to Me, has received high praise from a number of sources, including other authors. The story takes Mark and Maggie, a married couple on a road trip, their annual trek to Mark’s parents’ home, a long road trip away from their regular lives.

Mark and Maggie both have successful careers. He is a tenured professor and she owns a veterinary practice. They do not have children, but they do have a neurotic dog, Gerome. Mark and Maggie’s marriage has always been sound, one of mutual respect and love. Recently, though, they both feel tested in their relationship.

One evening on her way home, a panhandler asks Maggie for money; she ignores him and walks on by him. Soon, however, he overtakes her and demands her purse. When she refuses to give up her purse, he hits her on the head with the butt of a gun. This mugging sets Mark and Maggie on a difficult path to recovery or to divorce?

Readers learn that Maggie continues to struggle with the aftereffects of the mugging. She starts seeing a therapist. Then the police come to the home with graphic pictures of a coed’s murder that has occurred near Maggie’s mugging. Subsequently, we learn that the two incidents are not related, but the brutal, graphic pictures set Maggie back considerably. Mark comes home to find the police photos on the table and sweeps them to the floor, asking the police why they would show those pictures to Maggie. He quickly understands what damage the photos can and will do to Maggie.

As a reader, I found the showing of the photos a strange move by the police. How would seeing the dead girl’s body help Maggie to know if the same man had attacked them both and just escalated his intentions by killing the second woman? At any rate, the damage is done.

Maggie has already been looking up true horror stories on the Internet. She reads the gory details of murders, attacks, and robberies.  After the police show her the photos, she steps up her searches into even more carnage-ridden incidents. Mark becomes frustrated with her over these searches, but he feels helpless to stop her. Instead, he becomes irritated and brusque with her. He simply wants Maggie back, the Maggie before the mugging.

Mark decides to move their trip forward and leave earlier than originally planned in order to get Maggie out of the city for the summer. Unfortunately, the trip begins badly and predicted bad weather and tornadoes in the direction they are traveling escalate the tensions between Maggie and Mark. Adding to the drama is Gerome, their neurotic dog who wants to be touching one of them at all times.

Even on the trip, when she is not driving, Maggie is searching for gory stories on her phone. She tries to read them to Mark, but he does not want to hear them. As they continue to drive, the weather becomes worse. They decide they will stop at a motel even though Gerome is a problem in motel rooms. Al Hannah Pittard has written four books, including Atlanta, 1962 which will be available in 2018. The other books include Reunion, The Fates Will Find a Way, and Listen to Me, the focus of this review. Pittard grew up in Georgia; she attended Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. She received a BA from the U of Chicago and an MFA from the U of VA. Pittard has received numerous accolades for her books: Millions’ Most Anticipated Book, Chicago Tribune Editor’s Choice, BuzzFeed Top-5 Great Book, and an Oprah Magazine selection. Those awards and tributes give you an idea about Pittard’s talent.

The most recent book, Listen to Me, has received high praise from a number of sources, including other authors. The story takes Mark and Maggie, a married couple on a road trip, their annual trek to Mark’s parents’ home, a long road trip away from their regular lives.

Mark and Maggie both have successful careers. He is a tenured professor and she owns a veterinary practice. They do not have children, but they do have a neurotic dog, Gerome. Mark and Maggie’s marriage has always been sound, one of mutual respect and love. Recently, though, they both feel tested in their relationship.

One evening on her way home, a panhandler asks Maggie for money; she ignores him and walks on by him. Soon, however, he overtakes her and demands her purse. When she refuses to give up her purse, he hits her on the head with the butt of a gun. This mugging sets Mark and Maggie on a difficult path to recovery or to divorce?

Readers learn that Maggie continues to struggle with the aftereffects of the mugging. She starts seeing a therapist. Then the police come to the home with graphic pictures of a coed’s murder that has occurred near Maggie’s mugging. Subsequently, we learn that the two incidents are not related, but the brutal, graphic pictures set Maggie back considerably. Mark comes home to find the police photos on the table and sweeps them to the floor, asking the police why they would show those pictures to Maggie. He quickly understands what damage the photos can and will do to Maggie.

As a reader, I found the showing of the photos a strange move by the police. How would seeing the dead girl’s body help Maggie to know if the same man had attacked them both and just escalated his intentions by killing the second woman? At any rate, the damage is done.

Maggie has already been looking up true horror stories on the Internet. She reads the gory details of murders, attacks, and robberies.  After the police show her the photos, she steps up her searches into even more carnage-ridden incidents. Mark becomes frustrated with her over these searches, but he feels helpless to stop her. Instead, he becomes irritated and brusque with her. He simply wants Maggie back, the Maggie before the mugging.

Mark decides to move their trip forward and leave earlier than originally planned in order to get Maggie out of the city for the summer. Unfortunately, the trip begins badly and predicted bad weather and tornadoes in the direction they are traveling escalate the tensions between Maggie and Mark. Adding to the drama is Gerome, their neurotic dog who wants to be touching one of them at all times.

Even on the trip, when she is not driving, Maggie is searching for gory stories on her phone. She tries to read them to Mark, but he does not want to hear them. As they continue to drive, the weather becomes worse. They decide they will stop at a motel even though Gerome is a problem in motel rooms. All the hotels and motels are full, however, because of the storms. The power is out and the places are running on generators, giving limited power. Well into the night, after driving for hours, Maggie calls Mark’s mother who books them a room at Holidays Inn—yes, Holidays Inn. It is a lonely hotel, deep into the woods, off the main roads through dark roads and forest. The tension continues to mount between Maggie and Mark because they are increasingly tired, frustrated, and annoyed with one another.

Many of the reviews I read suggested reading the book in one sitting. At 191 pages, that is easy to do—not only because the book is short, but also because the readers will be caught up in the story. What happens to Mark and Maggie? Will their marriage survive? Will Maggie’s overriding fears of being mugged again or even killed come true as they move deeper and deeper into dark forest?

l the hotels and motels are full, however, because of the storms. The power is out and the places are running on generators, giving limited power. Well into the night, after driving for hours, Maggie calls Mark’s mother who books them a room at Holidays Inn—yes, Holidays Inn. It is a lonely hotel, deep into the woods, off the main roads through dark roads and forest. The tension continues to mount between Maggie and Mark because they are increasingly tired, frustrated, and annoyed with one another.

Many of the reviews I read suggested reading the book in one sitting. At 191 pages, that is easy to do—not only because the book is short, but also because the readers will be caught up in the story. What happens to Mark and Maggie? Will their marriage survive? Will Maggie’s overriding fears of being mugged again or even killed come true as they move deeper and deeper into dark forest?

I know I am looking forward to reading Pittard’s other books.

The Book Whisperer’s Latest News

Spencer Quinn, Chet and Bernie

Dog lover? Mystery lover? If those to descriptions fit you, then Spencer Quinn is the author you must read. Quinn writes two series featuring mysteries and dogs. In Chet and Bernie books, the titles alone should intrigue readers: Dog On It, Paw and Order, Thereby Hangs a Tail. The Bowser and Birdie series is for middle grade readers. Spencer Quinn is the nom de plume of Peter Abrahams. Abrahams has written 27 novels under his real name, so he is prolific under both names.

Chet writes a blog at this site: http://www.chetthedog.com/. Readers can also comment on the blogs.

Chet, the dog, and Bernie, the PI, form a team to solve problems for other people. In a video interview, Quinn/Abrahams explains the relationship between Bernie and Chet. The two of them forge a friendship and a bond that continues to grow throughout the stories. Chet is not a talking dog; readers simply see his thought processes as the story unfolds. Chet helps Bernie in solving sticky cases.

Chet narrates the stories. He does not always understand what is going on, but his puzzling over the situation allows readers to fill in the blanks. Like so many police detectives and private investigators, Bernie is flawed, but Chet keeps him grounded in the worst of times.

Chet had been in training to be a K-9 police dog, but got kicked out of class for reasons that remain a big foggy to Chet, but “blood was involved.” The books are attention-grabbing because of the relationship between Chet and Bernie, but also they intrigue readers with the plots as well. As Quinn/Abrahams points out, the books are not cozy mysteries. The plots involve intrigue and perception in order to solve the cases. Though the stories, Chet and Bernie continue to develop their relationship, growing as characters, thus making them more endearing to readers.

Readers’ comments on blogs and places such as Goodreads indicate how popular the Chet and Bernie series has become. One reader on Goodreads comments on Dog On It: “If you ever wanted to stick your head inside a dog’s brain, wiggle it around a little, and see what decides to pop out, then DOG ON IT is the book for you. If you’re a mystery lover with a heightened sense of curiosity about said dog, then that’s even better.” Another writ of Dog On It, “Light fun. If you are a dog lover with a tolerance for whimsy and in the mood for some mystery, Dog On It should fit the bill. Definitely a clever concept tailored for canine fans, Quinn mostly succeeds by staying faithful to the concept of dog as narrator.” And finally, one more reader who was reluctant to read Dog On It, did so to stop a friend from recommending the books: “This book won me over pretty quick for all the reasons I didn’t expect, and they all had to do with the furry protagonist. Chet’s interaction with humans (good and bad), other dogs, and general puppy stuff had me laughing aloud and reading constantly. And it’s not all heartwarming stuff either… That scene in the dog pound? That gave me chills!”

These testimonies may not win over the die-hard reader who does not like dogs, but the comments should certainly give one paws, er pause.