The Abomination

I enjoyed The Abomination by Jonathan Holt which is a murder mystery set in Venice.  The murder victim is a woman found on the steps of Santa Maria della Salute wearing priest robes.  Captain Kat Tapo investigates with her boss Piola.  However, they discover their investigation takes an interesting turn when more victims are found who seem to be linked to the first murder.  Meanwhile, an American Second Lieutenant Holly Boland has recently arrived at her new post in Italy and is investigating something even bigger - the culpability of the USA in the Balkans war.  Another character, Daniele Barbo, has created a very sophisticated virtual Venice, Carnivia, which someone is trying to have shut down.  All these characters become embroiled in the murky business of espionage, the Mafia, and human trafficking.  A good yarn.  4/5

The Orphan Master's Son

I very much enjoyed The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson.  It is set in North Korea and follows the life of a man who is unsure of his origins as he is an "orphan".  The first part of the book we see his life as Jun Do.  We learn a lot about his character.  In Part 2, he has another identity and lives his life accordingly.  Part 2 is very suspenseful as the story is told in flashbacks and we meet a new character whose job is to "persuade" prisoners to tell their stories.  Throughout the book the reader learns what it is like to live in this harsh regime.  The "elite" of course have different lifestyles to those on the lower rungs where people are sent to harsh prisons or "retirement" villages.  Even the elite are not immune to that harsh treatment if for some reason they get on the wrong side of the "Dear Leader".  Paranoia and fear are used to keep the people "under the thumb."  The author has based his story on his extensive research.  Though it is grim reading at times, this is a haunting masterpiece which deserved its award as the Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2013. 5/5

The Broken Man

I've read The Broken Man by Josephine Cox which is set in England during the 1950s.  The main character, Adam Carter, is 7 years old when his father kills his mother.  Adam is then placed "in care" and attempts are made for him to be fostered.  His one true friend is Phil, the school bus driver who is with him all the way.  Adam's father has a history of violence and he is sent to prison.  Meanwhile the reader is introduced to a couple have been trying for years to have a family.  This is set in the 1950s, yet the author has her characters speak as they would in more recent times.  For example, "seeking closure" - so not 1950s!  All the pieces come together in the end as the reader predicted. 3/5

One Night in Winter

I enjoyed One Night in Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore which is set in Stalinist Russia.  The reader gets an idea about life and death at the time and the paranoia that fueled it.  The main characters are teenage children, the offspring of the elite class (classes in a communist country? of course.)  who attend an exclusive school.  Their favourite subjects are literature and poetry and they form a club.  When it all goes wrong, there are repercussions for the children which seem really over the top, but the author bases his story on an actual similar case.  The fear that all involved experience is difficult to comprehend where you might be at the top one day and executed as a traitor the next. 31/2/5

Book Club Christmas Dinner

Our Book Club enjoyed an evening out this week.  Not all members could come - one not well, one had another function to attend, one was overseas.  We did have a "visitor", a former member of our Book Club who now lives about an hour's drive away.  It was very nice to catch up with the ladies over a delicious meal.  I look forward to seeing everyone again in the New Year when there will be so many wonderful books waiting to be read.

Gold

I very much enjoyed Gold by Chris Cleave which is set in England from about 2000 to the present.  The main characters Kate and Zoe are elite cyclists competing in the Olympic Games.  They are the best of friends but very competitive with each other.  The story follows their lives as they live from one Olympiad to another.  Their coach does his best to keep their lives "on track" but as with any life there are complications along the way.  The author has researched the story well so we have an understanding of what is involved in training and competing at this level.  4/5

Crime Book Club Christmas Lunch

I had a very enjoyable Christmas lunch with the ladies from the Crime & Mystery Book Club, which I attend every month at our local library.  Now we have to pick the books we will read next year.  We focus on one book each month and have some lively discussions as we are all different people and therefore will have differing views on the merit of the selected book.  I always find the selections interesting whether I like the book or not.  I'll look forward to our meetings in 2015.

The Crucifix Killer

I enjoyed most of The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter but not the graphic description of the first murder.  It was very confronting and if you don't want to be subjected to this, don't pick up the book.  Having gone past this I continued to read the story. Detective Robert Hunter has a new partner, Detective Garcia.  They are investigating the murder which has the signs of an earlier set of serial murders which had been resolved more than a year ago.  Was this a "copy cat" or had they got the wrong guy?  A good suspenseful story with some clues, writing is okay.  3/5

A God in Every Stone

I very much enjoyed A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamsie which begins on the eve of World War I as a young Englishwoman, Vivian, leaves an archeological dig to return to Britain vowing to join the man she loves after the War.  Viv struggles to find a satisfactory position during the War as she finds she cannot cope with working in hospitals.  She sets out for India to search for an ancient artefact and introduces a teenage boy, Najeeb, to the wonders of the ancient world.  Meanwhile an Indian Muslim and Najeeb's brother, Qayyum Gul, fights with the British troops in France, where he is seriously injured and returns to India. About 15 years later Najeeb asks Viv to come back to India as he believes he knows where to find the artefact.  There is a push for change in India and a dangerous time for all.  The characters are well drawn and the story suspenseful and beautifully written. 5/5

A Tale For The Time Being

I very much enjoyed A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.  Ruth, who lives on an island on the west coast of Canada finds a bag washed up on the beach near her home.  One of the items in the bag is a diary written by a young Japanese girl, Nao.  There are other items in the bag which are gradually revealed in the book.  Nao's story is very intriguing and Ruth is determined to find out more about her.  The book has alternate chapters which tell Ruth's and Nao's stories.  For Nao, the most important people in her life are her father and great-grandmother, Jiko.  Nao is being bullied at school and that shapes much of the story.  This is a really beautifully written book.  Highly recommended. 5/5

Blind Goddess

I enjoyed Blind Goddess by Anne Holt which was written in 1993 in Norway and translated in 2012.  A body is found by a lawyer, Karen, and when a young drug addict confesses to the murder he demands that Karen be his lawyer despite her having no experience in criminal law.  There is another murder and detectives Hanne and Hakon feel there is a connection between the two murders.  There are some very dangerous people involved in these drugs-related murders and the people involved don't know who to trust.  There are a number of twists and turns before the truth is revealed.  It is interesting to see how much our technology has advanced in the last 20 years with the tools that are now available to police that weren't then.  Good yarn. 4/5

The Word Ghost

I enjoyed The Word Ghost by Christine Paice which is set in rural England in the mid 1970s.  A teenage girl, Rebecca, lives with her family in a small village where her father is the vicar.  She has difficulty adjusting at first when she discovers a ghost in her wardrobe named Algernon Keats, her life becomes more interesting.  He is very friendly and later his sister Augusta visits.  In the early 19th century Augusta was in love with the Lord of the Manor but that romance didn't end well.  Now Rebecca has a relationship with the current owner of the Manor House.  Rebecca finds an elderly lady who can also see the village ghosts.  It is a lovely whimsical story of teenage love and life in a small village. 4/5

The Son

I very much enjoyed The Son by Jo Nesbo which is his latest book but not a Harry Hole mystery.  A quiet young man, Sonny, is a heroin addict in a very secure prison.  He is determined to escape prison and avenge the death of his policeman father.  A detective, Simon, who worked with Sonny's father investigates murders which may be linked.  Sonny wants to learn the identity of the "mole" in the police force and who murdered his father.  It is easy to read, suspenseful and a great story. 5/5

Blood Count

I've read Blood Count by Robert Goddard which is set in Europe in about 2001.  A surgeon, Edward, performed a liver transplant on a Serb leader, Gazi, some years earlier.  When the conflict in the Balkans is over Gazi faces trial as a war criminal for his horrific deeds during the war.  Gazi's daughter contacts Edward to get information about transferring her father's ill-gotten gains to an offshore bank.  Edward complies with the request when he learns who murdered his wife.  He has a daughter and he fears for her life so he reluctantly agrees to do as he's asked.  There were a number of times during the book when readers will shake their heads at the stupidity of Edward as he moves from one disaster to another.  But then if he was smart, the book would only be 20 pages. 31/2/5

A Possible Life

I enjoyed A Possible Life by Sebastian Faulks which the author describes as a "novel in five parts".  There is no obvious connection but is more a book of five very good short stories set in different times and places with very different characters. 4/5

Sapphire Skies

I very much enjoyed Sapphire Skies by Belinda Alexandra which is set in Moscow during WWII and in 2000.  An Australian woman, Lily, daughter of Russian parents moves to Moscow to work.  Meanwhile war veteran, Valentin Orlov, has never stopped searching for his beloved Natasha who was a WWII pilot shot down during the War.  Her plane is found and later remains of a woman identified as Natasha.  A lot of the story is set during the War where the reader learns of the dangers of being too close to Stalin.  Lily befriends an elderly woman she meets on her way to work and Lily is intrigued by her as she tells her story.  This is a love story told against the background of WWII and its aftermath.  There are a few twists and the author seems to have done her research well. 4/5

The Signature of All Things

I very much enjoyed The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert which is set in 19th century Philadelphia.  Alma Whittaker was born to Henry Whittaker and his wife in 1800.  Henry came from very humble beginnings and became very wealthy after being given a chance by Sir Joseph Banks.  Henry became a renowned botanist with property all over the world.  Therefore Alma was born into a very wealthy household.  The story about Alma's life continues with its ups and downs.  She becomes a renowned botanist herself.  Although these are fictional characters they come in contact with historical figures and places.  The novel is peppered with interesting historical and botanical snippets.  Women would likely enjoy this story more than men.  It is almost 600 pages, but the reader is drawn in to Alma's life and sometimes need to suspend belief, but is an easy read. 4/5

House of the Hanged

I enjoyed House of the Hanged by Mark Mills which is set mainly in coastal France in the 1930s.  Main character, Tom Nash, is under repeated threat because of his work as a British intelligence agent immediately following the Russian revolution.  At that time he killed a Russian he believed was responsible for the death of his lover.  Tom has made a new indulgent life for himself  and receives guests during the summer season.  He is very close to one particular family who stay nearby.  One member of that family is Lucy, Tom's goddaughter who is now 20 and looks at Tom in a different light. It was a good "spy yarn", but too long with too much "padding". 31/2/5

Mr Wigg

I really enjoyed this lovely debut novel Mr Wigg by Inga Simpson.  It is set in a regional area of Australia in 1971.  Mr Wigg, aged in his 80s, has been widowed a year earlier.  He's still coping with his chores but with some difficulty.  His house is on a small acreage as the bulk of his property was sold off with his son and daughter dividing the proceeds.  His son would have preferred to work the family property but his daughter didn't think that was fair.  Mr Wigg's two grandchildren, his son's children, spend a lot of time with him and their interaction is delightful.  He looks after his orchard and uses his produce for cooking and preserving.  His new neighbour who bought the property is putting in grape vines for wine production.  We are reminded of the Vietnam war when his neighbour's son's number comes up.  I look forward to reading more from this talented young writer. 41/2/5

Terms & Conditions

I enjoyed Terms & Conditions by Robert Glancy which is the story of a lawyer, Frank, who works for his brother Oscar.  As the story opens, Frank is recovering from a car accident and he has lost his memory so tries to work out who he is and how he relates to the people obviously close to him such as his wife and his brother. Frank's job was to write the Terms & Conditions for the contracts his brother's company has with their clients.  Frank is concerned to learn what sort of person he used to be.  Was he a good person whom people liked?  Or was he the opposite?  Gradually Frank discovers who he is and the status of his relationships with the people around him. 31/2/5

Valley of Grace

I enjoyed Valley of Grace by Marion Halligan which is set in Paris.  There are a number of characters with connections to each other.  The story is about babies, which took a while to discover.  The characters are pregnant, have babies, babies die, babies conceived then abandoned.  Fanny, the main character works in a antiquarian bookshop owned by a gay man.  He and his partner want babies, and Fanny has married her dream man and wants a baby.  The reader is absorbed by the characters and their view of life.  A rakish professor beds his young students who sometimes get pregnant.  The reader hopes the "nice" characters fulfill their dreams. 31/2/5

29 September Book Club

We had our "October" meeting last Monday because next Monday is a public holiday.  We had a very small group as most of our other members are travelling overseas.  Many thanks to our host who bought some great new books for us to read and gave us a delicious supper.  We all relaxed and enjoyed each others company.  More of our members are off overseas soon and it was great to hear how excited they were. (It's difficult to place these photos.)

After Berlin

I enjoyed After Berlin by Martin Corrick which is set in post-War England and tells the story of a female pilot, Elizabeth.  She and her co-pilot (best friend) fly to Berlin immediately after the War to pick up passengers to be returned to England.  Lizzie is haunted by the devastation she found in Berlin and at first finds it difficult to fit in to peacetime England.  Eventually she finds her niche and the story of her life continues.  It's a good story, with some romance. 31/2/5

Slaughterhouse 5

I enjoyed Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, a classic that I hadn't read before.  Billy Pilgrim is an American POW who survives the Dresden bombing and when the War ends makes his way home where he marries well, inherits a business and has a family.  The story travels through time and back as Billy tries to make sense of his wartime experiences.  It is an easy and clever story to read with every death signposted "so it goes". 4/5

The Hunger Angel

I read The Hunger Angel by Herta Müller but it is not really a book to "enjoy".   Müller received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2009.  The story is narrated by Leo, a young Romanian man, who is taken by the Russians to a work camp.  The story is about his suffering and the suffering of others in the camp where all are acquainted with the "hunger angel".  It is a very grim story as the workers try to exist on the very small quantities of food they are given.  All forms of human nature are present in this camp.  Some will go to great lengths to procure enough food to sustain life and some of them fail.  Finally Leo is returned home, a very different person. 31/2/5

What's On A Man's Mind

I found What's On A Man's Mind? by Geoff Barker very interesting.  Barker provides a comprehensive guide for women to interpret what men mean when they speak or behave.  The author does not back away from revealing sometimes unpleasant truths about himself as a way of making his point.  It is easy to read.  Importantly, most men don't set out to deliberately hurt women rather some women may take offence too easily.  The author denounces violence against women.  I think young women should read this book as they commence action in the dating scene, and perhaps mothers of daughters would also find it helpful. 4/5

Currawalli Street

I read Currawalli Street by Christopher Morgan which is set in Melbourne, Australia in two time periods - 1914 and 1972.  It is about the people who live in the street.  In 1914, the street was quite new with houses being built and there were a number of people living there and most of the men then went off to war.  In 1972 the grandson of one of the original owners returns home from Vietnam because of a family tragedy.  There were a number of characters in each time period which I found difficult, trying to remember who was who.  The 1972 mystery did not have the outcome I expected.  21/2/5

Elizabeth is Missing

I very much enjoyed Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey which is about an elderly woman, Maud, who has dementia and believes her friend Elizabeth has gone missing.  The narrator is Maud and the reader is cleverly taken in to her world.  She goes to Elizabeth's house and other places she could be and when she tries to tell her daughter and others, she's brushed off.  Elizabeth's disappearance reminds Maud of the disappearance of her sister Sukey in 1946.  So the reader is taken to 1946 and the events surrounding her disappearance.  There were only a small number of suspects.  Both these mysteries are eventually resolved.  This is Healey's debut novel and I look forward to reading more from her. 41/2/5 

Memory Wall

I enjoyed  this collection of short stories Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr with the stories having the theme, memory.  Each story is beautifully crafted and gives the reader something to think about.  Memory is essential to us all and the author's stories emphasise its importance.  My favourite was Village 113 which shows what happens to a village that must make way for a dam.  The village will disappear, but will the memories be maintained?  4/5

Taking Charge - A journey of recovery

I read Taking Charge - A journey of recovery by Graham Martin because he contracted Transverse Myelitis about five years ago.  As I also suffer from that I was interested to read about Graham's recovery.  I met Graham at a Transverse Myelitis Day held at Spinal Injuries Australia where he gave an interesting presentation.  In the book Graham tells what happened when he first realised something was wrong with his legs.  Graham is a medical doctor and a psychiatrist and works at a leading hospital in Brisbane.  When his illness manifested itself he was rushed to hospital and thus became a patient looking at the health system in a new and different light.  He was later transferred to another hospital and he was understandably frustrated with not knowing what was going on and what was wrong with him.   The book is written in an easy conversational style.  The book would have benefited from having a proof-reader.  I did get a bit annoyed that his story was interrupted by his experiences and pontificating about aspects of the health system.  I wanted to know more about attempts at diagnosis earlier in the book.  I admire his "taking charge" of his own rehabilitation and the successes he had, to the extent that he can now walk, carefully.  31/2/5

September Book Club

We had another very enjoyable time at Book Club last Monday evening.  All members were present, which was lovely.  Our host lives very close to me so getting there wasn't a big issue.  She made us welcome with a glass of champagne and we talked about lots of things including grandchildren.  One lady was thrilled that she will be a grandmother for the first time.  Another lady said she had a new granddaughter to add to her son's family which has a boy toddler.  Our host provided a delicious supper.  Once again I am unable to resist chocolate cake.  We had a number of new books which our host has added to our collection.  There are so many wonderful books and as I've said many times before - too many books, not enough time.

All The Light We Cannot See

I thoroughly enjoyed reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr which is set during WWII.  The two main characters are Marie-Laure a little Parisian girl who lives with her doting father until the Germans are set to invade and occupy their city.  They leave the city to move to a seaside town to live with an uncle.  Marie-Laure's father teaches her how to get around the town by building a miniature version and testing her as they walk outside.  The other main character is Werner, a German boy, who lives with his sister and others in an orphanage.  Werner becomes passionate about radios and teaches himself how to repair them.  Both these characters experience the horrors of war as they mature in to young adults.  The story goes back and forward in time, particularly during the war years.  This is a beautifully written exceptional book as the reader becomes immersed in the lives of these characters. 5/5

The One Plus One

I very much enjoyed The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes which is set in England.  Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character.  Jess is a single mum with two children, Nicky and Tanzie.  Every day is a struggle and balancing the budget almost impossible.  One job Jess has is cleaning the home of a wealthy man, Ed, whom she later gets to know.  One character I should mention is Norman, their slobbering huge dog who sheds fur and smells.  He is a great character.  Tanzie is a brilliant mathematician far beyond her years and she is invited to a mathematics competition in Scotland.  Jess is determined to get her daughter there as there is a cash prize which might be enough to get her in to a private school.  Ed has problems of his own, accused of insider trading, when he meets Jess and her family.  Then we treated to a delightful road story, getting up to Scotland.  There is romance and some disappointments along the way.  That's all I'm saying.  I've enjoyed this author's other books and this one did not disappoint. 41/2/5

Bones of the Lost

I enjoyed reading Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs which is about forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan investigating the death of a young girl.  Before she can solve that mystery she is asked to go to Afghanistan to conduct an exhumation of two village men.  An American officer is charged with murdering them as they were unarmed.  A witness does not corroborate the officer's actions and Brennan has to work out the direction of the bullets etc. by examining the Afghanis' bones.  When she returns to America, she continues her investigation of the young girl's death.  She finally unwrangles the clues together with the police officer, Slidell, who is a great character.  4/5

V is for Vengeance

I enjoyed V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton which is set in the mid-1980s in the USA.  Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone investigates the apparent suicide of a woman she caught shoplifting.  The victim's fiance refuses to believe she suicided.  Kinsey's story is told in the first person and two other characters, Nora and Dante are told in the third person.  In the first part of the book the reader does not see a connection between these characters until it emerges the shoplifting is done on a large scale with mafia links. As it is set in the 1980s, a lot of "technology" is absent which is interesting. 31/2/5

The Memory Trap

I enjoyed The Memory Trap by Andrea Goldsmith which is the story of two families who grow up next door to each other - one has two girls, the other has two boys.  It is about their relationships with each other as they grow up and also the people who come in to their lives along the way.  Nina is living and working in New York when she meets her husband Daniel.  Zoe has had a "good" marriage with Elliot whom she met in New York.  Sean has tried to live away from the shadow of his pianist brother Ramsay.  Nina's life becomes "complicated" and she returns to her hometown of Melbourne, spending some time with Zoe and discovering that Zoe's marriage is threatened.  There is some beautiful writing in this book and the reader becomes familiar with all the characters who are not all likeable.  We can feel sorry for Ramsay whose whole world is himself and his piano and what that does to the people who love him. There is sympathy also for other characters as their lives seem to fall apart. 4/5

August Book Club

Many thanks to our host this month.  She welcomed us on a chilly evening and we warmed up in her lounge room.  For the first time that I can remember, all members were present.  So lovely to see them all.  We talked about the books we'd read in the last month and our host introduced the new books she'd
bought to add to our collection.  I picked a few books to read and am enjoying my first pick so far.  We enjoyed a discussion about various topics including internet dating - some hilarious anecdotes about people we knew.  Some of the ladies will be off overseas soon so hope they have a wonderful time.  Our host provided a very inviting supper included a Malteser topped chocolate cake.  It was delicious and very decadent.  This year is flying by so quickly.

The Chemistry of Tears

I read The Chemistry of Tears by Peter Carey which is set in two time periods - 19th Century and 21st Century.  A museum conservator, Catherine, learns that her married lover has died and is inconsolable.  Her supervisor gives her a new project to work on to help with her grief.  She finds she has to restore a  motorised swan and there are accompanying notebooks written by Henry, the man who travelled to Germany to have this built to take home to his very ill son.  So the reader learns about both characters and what they are enduring.31/2/5

Nightwoods

I enjoyed Nightwoods by Charles Frazier which is set in the USA, a mountain and forest area.  Luce becomes the carer for her niece and nephew, twins who witnessed their mother's murder and live in terror of the man who did that.  Luce and the twins live as caretakers in a mountain lodge which has seen better times.  Their lives change when someone moves in to the area in an effort to have the twins divulge a secret.  There is some suspense as events unfold but that's all I'm saying. 4/5

To Be Sung Underwater

I very much enjoyed To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal which is mainly set in Nebraska and California, USA.  It is a love story which takes a while to appreciate and understand who the people are that have loved.  Judith a middle-aged film editor in California seems restless with her life and has vague suspicions about her husband, Malcolm's conduct.  She begins to hark back to her teenage years living with her father in Nebraska and the people she knew there, one in particular, Willy Blunt.  The second part of the book takes the reader back to her romance with Willy Blunt and the reader learns about Judith's life at that time.  Then we return to the present when Judith learns what happened to her former friends.  She then makes a decision which will have ramifications for all.  This story is well-constructed with some beautiful writing.  Highly recommended. 5/5

The Island House

I read The Island House by Posie Graeme-Evans which is about a young Australian woman, Freya, who inherits a small island off Scotland from her father.  The story is told in two time periods - the present and 800 AD when Christianity has come to the island and also Viking raids.  At that time a young girl, Signy, survives a Viking raid.  So the stories are in tandem with chapters being in the two time periods.  Freya sees visions which help her learn the mystery of who lived on the island hundreds of years ago.  There are romantic stories in both time periods.  Signy is an important character and she is exposed to the extremes of the Christians at that time and she is conflicted as to what she decides to believe.  Tedious. 21/2/5