The Unfinished Journals of Elizabeth D

I very much enjoyed The Unfinished Journals of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier (also known as The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D) which is set in America early in the 21st century.  Elizabeth has just died in a plane crash and she has bequeathed her journals to her friend Kate.  Elizabeth's widower, Dave, is resentful that he has been prevented from reading the journals and is suspicious that she had been leaving her young family to go to another man.  Kate takes the journals with her while her young family has their annual summer holiday on an island.  The instruction bequeathed to her regarding the journals is - read them from the beginning.  Kate discovers a friend she did not really know as she thought she had.  She finds the journals riveting reading as she learns more about her.  Elizabeth had also instructed that Kate must decide the fate of the journals.  Dave tries to find out if Elizabeth was planning to leave him but Kate refuses to reveal the journals before she decides what to do with them.  This is a beautiful story about Kate and her life as well as Elizabeth's life as the two are woven together.  Can another person really know who we are?  4/5

Midnight Sun

I enjoyed Midnight Sun by Jo Nesbo which is set in northern Norway.  A drug-dealer and failed hit-man, Jon, is fleeing his boss, The Fisherman, hiding out in a remote fishing village.  This is the land of the midnight sun which creates an eerie atmosphere.  Jon knows The Fisherman always gets his man and will have hired others to get him.  He changes his name to Ulf and meets a number of characters in the village.  Of course, there is a romantic interest as "Ulf" tries to outwit those sent to kill him.  This is a "quick read", so not Nesbo's best effort. 31/2/5

I'm Travelling Alone

I very much enjoyed this thriller I'm Travelling Alone by Samuel Bjørk which is set in Norway.  A serial killer is abducting and murdering six year old girls and it is a race against time for the investigators to find the perpetrator.  Two highly skilled and experienced detectives Holger Munch and Mia Krüger head a team of investigators as they hunt for the killer.  There are a number of  tangents which are woven through the story but they don't detract from the main story.  The reader will gain a good understanding of the characters, particularly the main ones.  This is a fast-paced story which is difficult to put down. 41/2/5

The Children Act

I enjoyed The Children Act by Ian McEwan which is set in London.  A High Court judge, Fiona, rules on a case where a 17 year-old Jehovah's Witness, Adam, is in hospital and in dire need of a blood transfusion to save his life.  Adam and his parents have refused the transfusion.  Fiona is having marital problems so has personal as well as professional issues to deal with.  She makes her decision regarding Adam which then has further ramifications.  Beautiful writing. 4/5

Dark Corners

I enjoyed reading Dark Corners by Ruth Rendell which is set in London where a recently published author, Carl, rents out part of his house to Dermot.  Carl tries to write his second book while living off his savings and the rent from Dermot.  Carl inherited the house and everything in it from his father who collected medicines.  An "unfortunate incident" occurs when Carl sells one of the medicines and this is compounded when Carl learns the transaction was witnessed by Dermot.  Carl's life begins to unravel as he tries to see a way out of the mess.  There are other threads to the story which have little to do with the main story.  I've read and enjoyed most of Rendell's work.  Sadly this is her last book and it is certainly not her best. 3/5

You Gotta Have Balls

I very much enjoyed You Gotta Have Balls by Lily Brett which is set in New York.  An Australian woman, Ruth, living in New York has her 87-year-old father, Edek, living nearby.  He is a wonderful character, a Holocaust survivor with a bright outlook on life.  The reader will eventually "hear" him speak and be drawn in to his world.  Two Polish women, Zofia and Walentyna arrive in New York and live with Edek.  Zofia is a fabulous cook and the three of them decide they will open a restaurant.  Ruth is at her wits end as she thinks this is an insane idea as she doesn't believe they can possibly do all that is required to run a successful restaurant.  A really "nice" story. 4/5

March Book Club

We had an enjoyable evening on Monday with our March Book Club.  There was only one of us missing as she was overseas.  Our host had bought a number of great new books so I chose a few to read this month.  We had lots to talk about with new grandchildren coming and trips overseas so we'll have an exciting year.  Our host recently married and she and new husband are off to New Zealand for their honeymoon.  So we all have something to look forward to.  Our host provided a delicious supper, particularly the chocolate muffins. Yum.

Pictures of Perfection

I enjoyed Pictures of Perfection by Reginald Hill which is a Dalziel and Pascoe story.  A policeman goes missing in a small village where grudges between the residents go back centuries.  Sergeant Wield goes to investigate and discovers many layers of resentment in the village with so many scandals.  There are some quaint customs which the people persist with, never forgetting the past, going back generations with their feuds.  Dalziel, Pascoe and Wield eventually work out what's going on and what happened to the missing policeman.  I found this one had too many characters to follow, who hates who, who loves who.  I enjoyed the witty banter. 31/2/5