Thursdays in the Park

I enjoyed Thursdays in the Park by Hilary Boyd which is set in London.  Jeanie takes her granddaughter to the park and meets Ray who takes his grandson there.  They strike up a conversation and a romance develops.  There are many complications (obstacles) for Jeanie which will likely doom the romance.  She is married, husband wants to move to the country, and she has a successful business she doesn't want to leave.  It was an easy read, probably a "girlie" book or as Jeanie's husband addresses her "old girl" book.  Delightful. 4/5

Death in Oslo

I enjoyed Death in Oslo by Anne Holt which is set in 2005, the year before it was first published in Norway. I read a translated edition published 2016.  A female American president, Helen Barclay, is elected in 2004 and her first state visit outside USA is to Norway, deemed a "safe" destination.  Barclay disappears from her hotel and there are frantic efforts to find her.  Detective Adam Stubo is  assigned to liaise with the FBI, and Stubo's partner Johanne Vik is very unhappy about this.  She takes their daughter and stays at an old friend's place.  Then something extraordinary happens.  There is a lot going on in this story, not all credible.  Sinister planning has been going on to orchestrate these circumstances and exploit them.  I kept reading, what will happen, how will it all pan out.  But underwhelming. 31/2/5

Keep You Close

I enjoyed Keep You Close by Lucie Whitehouse which is set in England.  A renowned artist Marianne Glass dies after falling from the roof of her home.  Her estranged friend Rowan returns to attend the funeral after a 10 year absence from the family which was never explained.  Rowan had a difficult childhood and spent a lot of her growing up with the Glass family.  She became very attached to them.  Doubts grow about the circumstances surrounding Marianne's death.  The family asks Rowan to house-sit in the family home where Marianne died.  There are good twists to this story which I didn't see coming. 41/2/5

The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu

I found The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer to be an interesting read.  It is the true story of how a small group of people in Malia recognised the threat which Al Qaeda posed to Islamic books and manuscripts stored in the Timbuktu libraries.  The manuscripts had been collected by Abdel Kader Haidara from all over Malia.  He was able to convince the owners to give them to him to be restored and put in the libraries where they would be safe from further environmental damage.  However, when Malia was invaded by Al Qaeda the manuscripts faced a direct threat.  The precious manuscripts were hundreds of years old and included subjects such as astronomy, mathematics, art, philosophy, law and religion.  Many were elaborately illustrated with coloured paints and gold leaf.  They showed a vibrant and progressive culture at a time when western artistic culture was not so advanced.  The loss of these thousands of manuscripts would not only have been a loss to Islamic cultural heritage but to the whole world's.  This book is a valuable lesson in the history of Mali, particularly the recent history since 9/11 with the rise of fundamentalist Islam.  I don't like the title which I think is rather flippant and does not reflect the serious nature of the content. 4/5

The French Perfumer

I enjoyed The French Perfumer by Amanda Hampson which is set in southern France in the 1950s.  An Englishwoman, Iris Turner, takes a position as a secretary to an elderly Frenchman, Hammond Brooke, who had been a successful perfumer.  Iris is the narrator in the story as she commits it to her journal.  She is in her 30s and has decided to leave her English "comfort zone" to take the position in France hoping for adventure.  She meets some interesting characters.  She stays in a villa which is used as a holiday stay for paying guests.  The owner, Brooke, lives in a separate house where Iris works with him.  This is a lovely story and I enjoyed the style.  Iris' character is very convincing and I enjoyed reading her "journal". 4/5

Life or Death

I very much enjoyed Life or Death by Michael Robotham which is mainly set in Texas.  Audie Palmer has served a 10 year prison sentence for his involvement in the robbery of an armed van carrying $7 million.  The day before he is due for release, he escapes from the prison.  He made a friend in prison, Moss, who is taken from the prison by unknown people and told to hunt Audie down and bring him in.  Audi almost died during the robbery that put him in prison and someone still wants him dead.  The reader goes on a roller coaster ride as we learn more about Audi and the reason he's in prison and why he escaped. Great thriller. 5/5

The Mother's Promise

I very much enjoyed The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth which is about a mother, Alice, and her daughter, Zoe.  Alice is a single mother and Zoe's father is not "in the picture".  Zoe has "social anxiety disorder" which makes every day difficult as she navigates her way through high school, experiencing bullying and being thought of as "a freak".  Alice does her best to protect Zoe from stressful situations.  But then Alice becomes very ill.  How can she protect her now?  Two other women come in to the picture to help Zoe.  Kate is Alice's oncology nurse and Sonja is her social worker.  These women have problems with their spouses.  Liane Moriarty on the back cover of the book describes it as "women's fiction at its finest".  This is a "women's book" but it is not "chick-lit".  The men in the women's lives are not nice characters.  41/2/5

April Book Club

We had a very enjoyable evening last Monday.  There were a couple who weren't able to come. Thank you to our host.  She gave us a delicious supper with beautiful crockery.  She also bought some great new books.  Always good to get together with these lovely ladies.

Supping with the Devil

I enjoyed Supping with the Devil by Sally Spencer (a pseudonym) which is set in 1979 England.  DCI Paniatowski has a falling out with her boss who removed her from the homicide team to oversee a rock festival to be held in the grounds of a stately home.  It is interesting to read a modern novel which is set in the past where there are no mobile phones.  How did we manage!  A murder during the rock festival is a challenge for Paniatowski as she manages a twisted diplomatic path as the revered earl's wishes are paramount.  A bikie gang is in charge of the "security" at the rock festival, later we learn the reason.  The reader may think the fawning of the "upper classes" is a faint relic of a bygone era.  Was it really like that in 1979, and does it still prevail.  There are some good characters. 4/5