Fairvale Ladies Book Club

I enjoyed Fairvale Ladies Book Club by Sophie Green which is set on a cattle station in the Northern Territory in the late 1970s to early 1980s.  The station is owned by the Baxter family.  The family matriarch is Sybil.  The other ladies in the club are her friend Rita, a nurse with the Flying Doctor Service; Sybil's daughter-in-law Kate, an English girl; Sallyanne, a young mother with marriage problems and Della, a Texan girl used to living on a large cattle property.  The story is about how each of their lives go on over the years at that time.  The book club is a way of helping with the isolation the women deal with.  A nice story, sometimes a bit too much "peaches and cream", but easy to read. 31/2/5

Two Kinds of Truth

I enjoyed Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly which is a Harry Bosch story.  I've read a number of his books and it is always satisfying to read a book with a familiar character and writer, rarely disappoints.  Bosch is now semi-retired and volunteering his time working on cold cases.  He is forced to look back when a murderer on death row since Bosch investigated the case 30 years, now claims DNA proves he didn't do it.  Bosch is certain the conviction is sound, but how to explain this DNA?  In another case Bosch goes undercover to investigate a current double murder in a pharmacy.  Good story. 4/5

Girl in Translation

Although it was often a harrowing read, I enjoyed Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok which is set in New York in the 1990s.  Kimberley and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong with the "help" of Kimberley's Aunt Paula. When they arrive they are full of optimism for the "better" life America promises them.  However, they are terribly exploited by Aunt Paula who has them work in a sweat shop with terrible conditions.  Aunt Paula rents them a flat in a condemned building where they fight for survival along with the other residents - cockroaches, mice, and rats.  The New York winters are particularly brutal.  They are compelled to rely on Aunt Paula's "charity" as they repay the cost of bringing them to America.  However, Kimberley has a great asset - her brain.  The conditions shown in the story are not far from the truth.  This type of exploitation has gone for many years and will be happening today somewhere.  Well written, compelling reading. 41/2/5

The Word Is Murder

I very much enjoyed The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz which is the story of a middle-aged woman visiting a funeral parlour to pre-plan her funeral, then hours later she is murdered.  The story is related in the first person by Anthony (making himself a character in his own book) who is working with a police consultant, Hawthorne, to solve the murder.  Many complications arise as the story develops. Can't tell you more than that for fear of "spoiling".  Clever and intriguing. 41/2/5

A Spool of Blue Thread

I very much enjoyed A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler which is set in Baltimore over three generations.  The Whitshank family have lived in the house built by Junior Whitshank in mid-20th century.  He and his "wife" Linnie Mae brought up their children Merrick and Red there.  Then Red and his wife Abby bring up their children there. The story is not in chronological order.  The reader learns a lot about the lives of all these characters.  The house itself is a huge part of the story.  Family stories have been passed down, but are they authentic?  Beautiful writing. 41/2/5

A Game for the Living

I've read A Game for the Living by Patricia Highsmith which is set in 1950s Mexico.  A young woman is brutally murdered and her two lovers Ramon and Theo are devastated.  Ramon confesses to the crime but there is no evidence he is involved.  He and Theo set out to find the truth.  I did not enjoy this as much as I'd anticipated after enjoying another of her books.  3/5

November meeting

We had a lovely evening on Monday with our host baking some great Christmas goodies.  She is always very generous with sharing the Christmas recipes, some of which I make every year now.  There was a great selection of new books which I'm looking forward to getting in to.  At the end of the evening there was a race to get home as a storm hit.  This is our last meeting of the year.  I probably say this every year - it's gone so quickly.  Looking forward to a Christmas get-together next month to see of 2017.

The Liberation

I read The Liberation by Kate Furnivall which is set in post-World War II Italy.  The Americans have come in to save Italy's art treasures from unscrupulous people who are stealing them.  A young woman, Caterina, learned woodwork from her father.  He was killed by a bomb which hit his workshop.  Caterina learns her father had repaired stolen artifacts but refuses to believe it till she sees the evidence.  There is a love interest as an American officer tries to protect her from those who would do her harm. 2/5