The Unquiet - John Connolly
               Series

In this ,the 6th in the Charlie Parker series,  Charlie is hired to find Daniel Clay, a child psychiatrist.  Daniel Clay went missing shortly after several bodies were found in a remote area in Maine. 

As usual,  Charlie runs into many bad people who do not want the truth about Daniel to come out.  A good mystery that kept me guessing and an ending I did not expect.  But too many backstories on characters that I am not sure added to the story and of course, some super-natural beings that seem to follow Charlie.

Goodreads says it better::

 Now, in "The Unquiet, " private detective Charlie Parker returns to untangle a horrifying story of betrayal, unclean desires, and murder -- a story of never-ending evil whose conclusion is not yet written.

Daniel Clay, a once-respected psychiatrist, has gone missing. His daughter insists that he killed himself after allegations surfaced that he had betrayed his patients to foul and evil men -- but when a killer obsessed with uncovering the truth behind his own daughter's disappearance comes seeking revenge, long-forgotten secrets begin to emerge. Hired by Dr. Clay's daughter to protect her from the predator on the loose, tortured and ingenious private detective Charlie Parker finds himself trapped between those who want the truth to be revealed and those who will go to any length to keep it hidden.

John Connolly masterfully intertwines secret lives and secret sins with the violence that so often lies beneath the surface of the honeycomb world in this gripping page-turner. Fast-paced, hypnotic, and elegantly written, The Unquiet is John Connolly at his chilling best

The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah

Once Upon a Book Club - July 2018
Historical Fiction

I wasn't so sure about this book in the beginning as it started out like a Hallmark movie:  Girl returns to Paris to her family's vineyard after vowing never to return 10 years ago.  Her first day back she hears a voice she hasn't heard in 10 years, but she still knew it - Jean-Luc.  I had only gotten to page 5 and was ready to hurl!

But, Ms. Mah redeemed herself with a well-researched novel about WWII in France, collaborators, resistors and the hidden wines of French vintners.

Told in alternating voices of present day Kate and an unknown great-aunt, Helene, it is a captivating story of a war that truly defined a person.

Be ready to drink lots of wine (tea if its too early for wine) and eat lots of cheese while you take trip through the Burgundy region of France!

Summary from Goodreads: A novel about a woman who returns to her family’s ancestral vineyard in Burgundy and unexpectedly uncovers a lost diary, an unknown relative, and a secret her family has been keeping since World War II

Quotes: "...I wonder if this war could actually be a form of alchemy - changing us, testing us, until each of us has revealed the truest part of our souls."

As Death Draws Near by Anna Lee Huber

Series

I can't say this was my favorite in the Lady Darby series. Not sure if it was the convoluted history of the Irish Catholic-Protestant conflict or what felt like a dragging out of the murder investigation (I suspected early on who the culprit was).

I did enjoy the growth of the relationship of Mr. Gage and Lady Darby, as they both make room for her fiercely independent nature in their 19th century marriage.

Summary from Goodreads: June 1831. In the midst of their  honeymoon, Kiera and Gage are interrupted by a missive from her new father-in-law. A deadly incident involving a distant relative of the Duke of Wellington has taken place at an abbey south of Dublin, Ireland. Intent on discovering what kind of monster could murder a woman of the cloth, the couple travel to Rathfarnham Abbey school. Soon a second nun is slain in broad daylight near a classroom full of young girls. With the sinful killer growing bolder, the mother superior would like to send the students home, but the growing civil unrest in Ireland would make the journey treacherous.

Quotes: "'Their actions are not yours.  In the end, we are only responsible for ourselves, no matter how much we might wish otherwise.'"

"Some things just couldn't be fixed with words, no matter how wise."

It's that time of year again, you guessed it, signing up for 2020 reading challenges!!!  Bookworm and I have scaled it back to just 1 (okay, I'm attempting 2) for 2020.  We've signed up for Girlxoxo's Monthly Key Word Challenge!

Each month lists 6 keywords and the idea is to read a book in which the keyword (or variation of) is in the title.  If you can find a book with more than 1 keyword in the title, even better, but not required.

I (Couscous), am taking on an additional challenge for 2020 to finally tackle my collection of Shakespeare.  Ian Doescher is hosting the Shakespeare2020 project which is a year long attempt to read all of Shakespeare's works!!!

I am tweaking it a bit as I am only going to read what I currently own which are the plays (comedies, tragedies and histories), though this is still ALOT, so I may tweak it a bit more and skip the histories, but I'll see.

Wish us luck!!!

  The Tie that Binds - Kent Haruf
       Oldest on TBR

The opening scene is Edith, an 80 year old, lying in a hospital bed with a police guard and a charge of murder.
  That is all we know.

Her neighbor, Sanders Roscoe, invites us to sit at his kitchen table and tells us Edith's life story, her hard life on a farm in Holt, Colorado .

For a debut novel, this was very well-written.  I felt like I was right there at the table with Sanders learning about Edith's young life with her difficult father, her quiet brother, and her adult years still on the family farm.  And how it ended up with the murder charge against Edith.

Goodreads says :

Colorado, January 1977. Eighty-year-old Edith Goodnough lies in a hospital bed, IV taped to the back of her hand, police officer at her door. She is charged with murder. The clues: a sack of chicken feed slit with a knife, a milky-eyed dog tied outdoors one cold afternoon. The motives: the brutal business of farming and a family code of ethics as unforgiving as the winter prairie itself.

In his critically acclaimed first novel, Kent Haruf delivers the sweeping tale of a woman of the American High Plains, as told by her neighbor, Sanders Roscoe. As Roscoe shares what he knows, Edith's tragedies unfold: a childhood of pre-dawn chores, a mother's death, a violence that leaves a father dependent on his children, forever enraged. Here is the story of a woman who sacrifices her happiness in the name of family--and then, in one gesture, reclaims her freedom. Breathtaking, determinedly truthful, The Tie That Binds is a powerfully eloquent tribute to the arduous demands of rural America, and of the tenacity of the human spirit.

     I know who you are - Alice Feeney
              Guilty Pleasure

I was so excited to read this book.  Then I was so disappointed.

Aimee's husband is missing. His wallet, keys and phone are on the table but there is no sign of him.  Someone may be stalking her and she has been receiving postcards that say "I know who you are".   (Sounds really exciting, doesn't it!)

The chapters alternate between Aimee's childhood and 30 years later..  I enjoy books that do that.

But 2 things really turned me off of this book,  one was the ending.  Where in the world did that come from???  I like unsuspecting endings but this one???  Really???  Maybe it was just me and I missed the clues.

The 2nd point I did not like was the child abuse.  It was too graphic and I am not sure it was needed to that extent.

Goodreads says:
l Know Who You Are is the brilliant tale of two stories. One is about Aimee Sinclair—well-known actress on the verge of being full-on famous. If you saw her, you’d think you knew her. One day towards the near-end of her shoot on her latest film, Aimee comes home from filming to find her husband’s cell phone and wallet on the dining room table. He never goes anywhere without them. But he’s nowhere to be found. She’s not too concerned—they had a huge fight the night before. They both said things they didn’t mean. He might have done things he didn’t mean, things she can’t forget. Even though she has a history of supposedly forgetting. After all, she’s a very good actress.

The next morning she goes for her morning run and then goes to her favorite coffee shop. But her card is denied. When she calls the bank they say her account has been emptied of $10,000. She immediately suspects her husband. But they say no, it was Aimee herself who closed out the account. And thus begins a bizarre rabbit hole into which Aimee finds herself falling where nothing is at it seems.

Alternating with Aimee’s story is that of a little girl who wandered away from home. We always tell our kids not to talk to strangers or bad things will happen. Well, bad things happen

        The House of Closed Doors - Jane Steen
                           Historical Fiction

This novel is based on the Country Poor Farm in Illinois during the 1870's. This is the place where unwed mothers, "feeble-minded" and "insane" women and men would be sent.

So ,Nell at the age of 17 is with child.  Her options were to marry the father of the child or go to the Poor Farm.  She does not want to marry the father of her child or any other man.  (Go Nell!!!!)  So off to the Poor Farm she goes until she has the baby and gives he/she up for adoption.

But once she has her baby, Nell falls in love with the little mite and devises a plan to keep the baby. Which was unheard of in the 1870's!!!.  Then during some renovations 2 bodies are discovered. Nell becomes worried that she and her baby are not safe.    You must read the book to find out what happens to Nell and her future.   Enjoyable story and writing style.

Goodreads:::
Nell's stepfather Hiram sends Nell to live at the Poor Farm of which he is a governor, to await the day when her baby can be discreetly adopted. Nell is ready to go along with Hiram's plans until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.

Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced that the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and the incident prompts her to rethink her decision to abandon her own child to her fate. But the revelations to which her questions lead make her realize that even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby, she may have no safe place to run to.

     Wild - Cheryl Strayed

#2019monthymotifchallenge - Dec.

December's motif was "a book you have been wanting to read".  So I choose "Wild".   I have to confess that I didn't think I would enjoy it because I don't seem to like many memoirs.  But I did enjoy this one.


Cheryl Strayed wrote her story without a lot of bragging and "look at me and what all I did", which is what I think I don't like about memoirs.  Also her description of the land and scenery of the Pacific Coast Trail, almost,  I said "almost"  made me want to go hiking!!!!    I definitely want to see Crater Lake!!!!!

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

"S" Author

What an odd, but entertaining book!  I wasn't sure about it from the start when computer engineering tech terms were being tossed about but I focused less on those details and more on just the overall story.  There is a dystopian aspect to the novel, but think more Willy Wonka than (hmm, I don't know, I don't read far-our dystopian novels!).

I really enjoyed the sourdough/bread baking aspect of the novel and found myself looking up where to buy a sourdough starter or how to make one from scratch and then I reined myself in from that craziness and instead found a bakery that I can buy a loaf of sourdough bread!

Summary from Goodreads:  Lois Clary is a software engineer at a San Francisco robotics company with world-changing ambitions. She codes all day and collapses at night, her human contact limited to the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall from which she orders dinner every evening. Then, disaster! Visa issues. The brothers close up shop, and fast. But they have one last delivery for Lois: their culture, the sourdough starter used to bake their bread. She must keep it alive, they tell her—feed it daily, play it music, and learn to bake with it.

Lois is no baker, but she could use a roommate, even if it is a needy colony of microorganisms. Soon, not only is she eating her own homemade bread, she’s providing loaves daily to her work cafeteria. The company chef urges her to take her product to the farmer’s market, and a whole new world opens up:  a secret market that aims to fuse food and technology. But who are these people, exactly?

The Beautiful Strangers by Camille Di Maio

Once Upon a Book Club - March 2019
Historical Fiction

This was a fun, cute read.  Love story wasn't all-consuming, mystery kept you guessing and the historical setting of the Del has me wanting to plan a stay sooner rather than later!  I also plan on renting a copy of Some Like it Hot and watch the hilarity of some classic actors (Monroe, Curtis, Lemmon)!!

Summary from Goodreads: A legendary hotel on the Pacific becomes a haven where dreams, love, and a beguiling mystery come alive.

1958. Kate Morgan, tethered to her family’s failing San Francisco restaurant, is looking for an escape. She gets her chance by honoring a cryptic plea from her grandfather: find the beautiful stranger. The search takes her to Hotel del Coronado, the beachfront landmark on the Southern California coast where filming is underway on the movie Some Like It Hot.  [A]as sure as she is that the Coronado is her future, Kate discovers it’s also where the ghosts of the past have come to stay. Sixty years ago a guest died tragically, and she still haunts the hotel’s halls.


Quotes: "...love and understanding were not always synonymous."

"...it seemed like the world would be set right on its axis if all men had a chance to step...into the shoes of a woman and see how difficult it could be to belong to the so-called weaker sex."

"Marriage has been such a beguiling institution throughout history.  We imagine that it is about love and romance when it is often about power and secrecy."

Somebody I used to Know
        David Bell
       New Author

25 years after Nick, now 40 something, lost his college love,  he sees a young girl in a grocery store who looks like that lost love.  The next day that young girl is found dead.   Nick becomes a person of interest and he , himself becomes obsessed with finding about about her and also begins digging into his past.  In doing so, many secrets and lies are revealed.

Simplistic writing.  A definite chick-lit mystery with some romance.,

On GoodReads:

When Nick Hansen sees the young woman at the grocery store, his heart stops. She is the spitting image of his college girlfriend, Marissa Minor, who died in a campus house fire twenty years earlier. But when Nick tries to speak to her, she acts skittish and rushes off.

The next morning the police arrive at Nick’s house and show him a photo of the woman from the store. She’s been found dead, murdered in a local motel, with Nick’s name and address on a piece of paper in her pocket.

Convinced there's a connection between the two women, Nick enlists the help of his college friend Laurel Davidson to investigate the events leading up to the night of Marissa’s death. But the young woman’s murder is only the beginning...and the truths Nick uncovers may make him wish he never doubted the lies.

                 When we were Strangers

                   Pamela Schoenwaldt

                           "S" Author

The obstacles and hardships of a young female immigrant in American in the 1880's

Irma leaves her home town of Opi, a very tiny town in Italy. She leaves for American with the hope of making money to send back to her dear Grandma.  Her greatest talent is needlework and hopes to find work as a dressmaker.

At times sad and depressing & yet hopeful and heartwarming as Irma finds her way in America. 

Irma's bravery and the hardships she endured were well described by the author. 

As on GoodReads::

"If you leave Opi, you'll die with strangers," Irma Vitale's mother always warned.

Even after her beloved mother's passing, 20-year-old Irma longs to stay in her Abruzzo mountain village, plying her needle. But too poor and plain to marry and subject to growing danger in her own home, she risks rough passage to America and workhouse servitude to achieve her dream of making dresses for gentlewomen.

In the raw immigrant quarters and with the help of an entrepreneurial Irish serving girl, ribbon-decked Polish ragman and austere Alsatian dressmaker, Irma begins to stitch together a new life . . . until her peace and self are shattered in the charred remains of the Great Chicago Fire. Enduring a painful recovery, Irma reaches deep within to find that she has even more to offer the world than her remarkable ability with a needle and thread.

The Taster by V.S. Alexander

Once Upon a Book Club - March 2018
Historical Fiction
2019 December Motif - Last Chance

Yet another WWII/Holocaust book, so I was hesitant and kept putting it off.  The December Motif challenge of "Last Chance... a book you've been meaning to get to all year long" was the perfect time to finally conquer it.  I am SO glad I did!

I think WWII/Holocaust books are vital, necessary and they are wonderful reads, but they can be emotionally draining.  We will never get over the atrocities of that time (nor should we) but I need to temper my reading of that time period or spiral into a depression (even though the survival stories often inspire hope).

Though The Taster was from an entirely different view.  The details of the atrocities suffered were in the background as we instead got an inside view of Hitler and his inner circle.  It is astounding and at the same time appalling to see the devoutness and ignorance of his followers.

Once Upon a Book Club also did a great job of pairing some really special gifts with this selection.

Summary from Goodreads:  In early 1943, Magda Ritter's parents send her to relatives in Bavaria, hoping to keep her safe from the Allied bombs strafing Berlin. Young German women are expected to do their duty--working for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. After an interview with the civil service, Magda is assigned to the Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat. Only after weeks of training does she learn her assignment: she will be one of several young women tasting the Fuhrer's food, offering herself in sacrifice to keep him from being poisoned.  Her love for a conspirator within the SS, and her growing awareness of the Reich's atrocities, draw Magda into a plot that will test her wits and loyalty in a quest for safety, freedom, and ultimately, vengeance.

   The Black Angel - John Connolly
               Series

This is the 5th in the Charlie Parker series.   My daughter, Melissa,  and I have been reading this series off and on.   I have decided to jump in and make it my new series  on our TBR..  Having said that,  I have to say that this was not a favorite.

This one was much darker than the previous books.  Charlie is dealing with evil spirits from Hell.  While trying to help Louis find his missing niece,  Charlie stumbles across a society that believes in demonic mythology.

There are some historical fat about ossuaries in Europe that are built out of human bones.   Check out Sedlac Ossuary in the Czech Republic.   Creepy!!!

From Goodreads:
  When a young woman disappears from the streets of New York City, ties of friendship and blood inevitably draw ingenious, tortured detective Charlie Parker into the search. Soon he discovers links to a church of bones in Eastern Europe, a 1944 slaughter at a French monastery, and to the myth of an object known as the Black Angel -- considered by evil men to be beyond priceless. But the Black Angel is not a legend. It is real. It lives. It dreams. And the mystery of its existence may contain the secret of Parker's own origins.

    The Interpretation of Murder
              Jed Rubenfeld
              Oldest on TBR

Good old-fashion mystery centering around the death of a young woman in NYC in 1909.  Lots of twists and turns and cliffhangers along with many interesting historical facts about Manhattan .

Also interesting is that Sigmund Freud's only visit to American  is woven into the plot.

From Goodreads::
   Inspired by Sigmund Freud’s only visit to America, The Interpretation of Murder is an intricate tale of murder and the mind’s most dangerous mysteries. It unfurls on a sweltering August evening in 1909 as Freud disembarks from the steamship George Washington, accompanied by Carl Jung, his rival and protégé. Across town, in an opulent apartment high above the city, a stunning young woman is found dangling from a chandelier—whipped, mutilated, and strangled. The next day, a second beauty—a rebellious heiress who scorns both high society and her less adventurous parents—barely escapes the killer. Yet Nora Acton, suffering from hysteria, can recall nothing of her attack. Asked to help her, Dr. Stratham Younger, America’s most committed Freudian analyst, calls in his idol, the Master himself, to guide him through the challenges of analyzing this high-spirited young woman whose family past has been as complicated as his own.

The Interpretation of Murder leads readers from the salons of Gramercy Park, through secret passages, to Chinatown—even far below the currents of the East River where laborers are building the Manhattan Bridge. As Freud fends off a mysterious conspiracy to destroy him, Younger is drawn into an equally thrilling adventure that takes him deep into the subterfuges of the human mind.

The Reluctant Fortune Teller by Keziah Frost

Newest Book on TBR

What a fun cast of characters: Norbert and the Club (Carlotta, Birdie and Margaret).  This was a fun and light read with some nuggets of advice to take to heart.  Looking forward to Frost's next book Getting Rid of Mabel.

Summary from Goodreads:  Norbert Zelenka has always lived life on the sidelines. It's how at 73 years old he finds himself broke and alone except for the company of a Chihuahua. But when Carlotta's Club--three strong-willed seniors with a flair for drama and plenty of time on their hands--decide to make Norbert their latest project, he reluctantly agrees to their scheme. With their help, he establishes himself as the town's fortune-teller, and he soon finds his life changing in unexpected ways. It turns out that years of observing other people's dramas make Norbert an excellent fortune-teller, and people from all walks of life begin seeking out his advice. As Norbert's lonesome world expands with new friendships and a newfound self-confidence, he finally finds himself in a place where he belongs. But disaster looms on the horizon. When a troubled young woman goes missing after a bad reading, Norbert must find a strength beyond the cards to bring her home safely. A heartfelt story of friendship, loneliness and coming-of-age late in life, a feel-good read and a poignant reminder that we're never too old to learn new tricks.

Quotes:  "One of the most generous things one person can do for another is to just listen intently."

"He was grateful to be alive in a world with birds."

"Knowing the truth about yourself can be upsetting.  But it is also empowering.  Knowing the truth may not solve all your problems.  But it gives you a place to start.  That's what the truth can do for you."

"There is truth anywhere you are.  The whole thing is the listening part. We don't always listen....In fact, we hardly ever listen."

"I think we are here to be a kind presence in each other's lives."

Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark

Oldest Book on TBR

Pretty standard MHC; typical murder mystery.  Not quite as suspenseful as others by her, but not bad for a quick read.  I was on a cruise ship and found time to read here and there on the deck in between ports so it was perfect! And then I could leave it in the ship's library for some other passenger!

Summary from Goodreads:  Ellie Cavanaugh was only seven years old when her fifteen-year-old sister, Andrea, was murdered near their home in Oldham-on-the-Hudson, a rural village in New York's Westchester County. There were three suspects: Rob Westerfield, nineteen-year-old scion of a wealthy, prominent family, whom Andrea has been secretly dating; Paul Stroebel, a sixteen-year-old schoolmate, who had a crush on Andrea; and Will Nebels, a local handyman in his forties. It was Ellie who had led her parents to a hideout in which Andrea's body was found -- a secret hideaway in which she met her friends. And it was Ellie who was blamed by her parents for her sister's death for not telling them about this place the night Andrea was missing. It was also Ellie's testimony that led to the conviction of the man she was firmly convinced was the killer. Steadfastly denying his guilt, he spent the next twenty-two years in prison. When he comes up for parole, Ellie, now an investigative reporter for an Atlanta newspaper, protests his release. Nonetheless, the convicted killer is set free and returns to Oldham. Determined to thwart his attempts to whitewash his reputation, Ellie also returns to Oldham, intent on creating a Website and writing a book that will conclusively prove his guilt. As she delves deeper into her research, however, she uncovers horrifying and heretofore unknown facts that shed new light on her sister's murder. With each discovery, she comes closer to a confrontation with a desperate killer.

Island of the Mad by Laurie King

Series

The latest (#15) in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series that takes them to Venice. Disguises, intrigue and late night secret gondola rides as we try to find Lady Vivian Beaconsfield who was discovered missing from an asylum; all this during Mussolini and the Fascists (black shirts) rise in Italy.

Summary from Goodreads: Sussex Downs, in 1925. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are strolling across their orchard when the telephone rings: an old friend's beloved aunt has failed to return following a supervised outing from Bedlam. The Lady Vivian Beaconsfield has spent most of her adult life in one asylum after another, yet she seemed to be improving--or at least, finding a point of balance in her madness. So why did she disappear? Did she take the family's jewels with her, or did someone else? The Bedlam nurse, perhaps?

The trail leads Russell and Holmes through Bedlam's stony halls to the warm Venice lagoon, where ethereal beauty is jarred by Mussolini's Blackshirts, where the gilded Lido set may be tempting a madwoman, and where Cole Porter sits at a piano, playing with ideas...
Quotes:  "...some men never got over the handicap of not being women..."

"...having an entire policy of 'Us Good, Them Bad' does little more than create a magnet for troublemakers."

"...one can talk to a man with firm principles even if one doesn't agree with him."

"If one plays on fear, takes away any remotely complicated ideas, and offers people a sense of confidence and right, one's followers will beat to death any enemy they are pointed at."

A Study in Death by Anna Lee Huber

Series

Another entertaining tale of Lady Darby and Mr. Gage as they investigate another whodunit.  Always an enjoyable journey not only to see the evolving relationship of Kiera & Sebastian, but also to solve the mystery in a Sherlock or Agatha Christie fashion.

Summary from Goodreads:  Scotland, 1831. Commissioned to paint the portrait of Lady Drummond, Kiera is saddened when she recognizes the pain in the baroness’s eyes. Lord Drummond is a brute, and his brusque treatment of his wife forces Kiera to think of the torment caused by her own late husband.
 
Kiera isn’t sure how to help, but when she finds Lady Drummond prostrate on the floor, things take a fatal turn. The physician called to the house and Lord Drummond appear satisfied to rule her death natural, but Kiera is convinced that poison is the real culprit.
 
Quotes:  "...recognizing you should believe something and actually believing it were two very different things."

"Was a loyal lasting marriage even possible?"