Marianne Perry's Blog - Posts Tagged "crime"
When you are afraid, everything zooms into sharp focus. Die Again by Tess Gerritsen.
Book Review: Die Again by Tess Gerritsen
It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book in this series about the crime solving team of Boston Detective, Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner, Dr. Maura Isles. For this reason, I appreciated the backstory threaded throughout the novel as it helped me regain familiarity.
The plot centers around unsolved murders on a Botswana safari six years ago and those recently committed in Boston and elsewhere. I must admit it was the African setting that prompted my reading as I’ve travelled to an east African safari in Tanzania and Kenya. On this note, Gerritsen’s descriptions are spot-on and her depiction of wildlife and the environs, excellent. The Leopard intrigued me while there and I witnessed the amazing animal carry a gazelle up a tree then sprawl on a large branch. He is the supreme hunger and Gerritsen did him honour!
Chapter Twenty-One in particular was well-written. It explores the issue of fear from Millie’s POV. As the sole survivor of the safari murders, she adopts the Leopard’s habit and sleeps in trees at night to survive during a two week period in the wild. She also slathers herself with mud for protection and we see her change from human to animal prey. The quote cited is from this chapter.
Gerritsen also explores themes related to family dynamics that deepen our understanding of the characters and cause us to reflect on pertinent social issues. Rizzoli is concerned with her parent’s marital problems and Isles, whose estranged mother is a convicted murder, must deal with how to respond to a terminal diagnosis.
Die Again is a suspenseful novel and the presence of a domestic cat adds humour plus reveals character and advances plot. The chapters are short and end on a note of “what’s next.” The point of view switches from first -person, Millie to third-person, Jane or Maura.
The story builds slowly and deftly links the Boston crimes to those in Botswana. I was disappointed, however, with the final five to six chapters and felt the explanation thin and the solution, flat. The highlight of this novel was Africa; nevertheless, I will seek out another book in this series.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book in this series about the crime solving team of Boston Detective, Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner, Dr. Maura Isles. For this reason, I appreciated the backstory threaded throughout the novel as it helped me regain familiarity.
The plot centers around unsolved murders on a Botswana safari six years ago and those recently committed in Boston and elsewhere. I must admit it was the African setting that prompted my reading as I’ve travelled to an east African safari in Tanzania and Kenya. On this note, Gerritsen’s descriptions are spot-on and her depiction of wildlife and the environs, excellent. The Leopard intrigued me while there and I witnessed the amazing animal carry a gazelle up a tree then sprawl on a large branch. He is the supreme hunger and Gerritsen did him honour!
Chapter Twenty-One in particular was well-written. It explores the issue of fear from Millie’s POV. As the sole survivor of the safari murders, she adopts the Leopard’s habit and sleeps in trees at night to survive during a two week period in the wild. She also slathers herself with mud for protection and we see her change from human to animal prey. The quote cited is from this chapter.
Gerritsen also explores themes related to family dynamics that deepen our understanding of the characters and cause us to reflect on pertinent social issues. Rizzoli is concerned with her parent’s marital problems and Isles, whose estranged mother is a convicted murder, must deal with how to respond to a terminal diagnosis.
Die Again is a suspenseful novel and the presence of a domestic cat adds humour plus reveals character and advances plot. The chapters are short and end on a note of “what’s next.” The point of view switches from first -person, Millie to third-person, Jane or Maura.
The story builds slowly and deftly links the Boston crimes to those in Botswana. I was disappointed, however, with the final five to six chapters and felt the explanation thin and the solution, flat. The highlight of this novel was Africa; nevertheless, I will seek out another book in this series.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
Would You Like To Visit Venice For A Few Days?
Book Review: Falling In Love by Donna Leon
Falling In Love is book number twenty-four in Donna Leon’s crime series set in Venice, Italy featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. It is about a mysterious stalker who threatens Flavia Petrelli, a fortyish opera singer performing the lead role in Tosca at Teatro La Fenice, and Brunetti’s attempts to catch the culprit before she is murdered. The author explores the love-hate relationship between a star and her admirers giving us an intriguing tale of obsessive fans, sibling rivalry, illicit affairs and lustrous jewels.
The novel unfolds in twenty-eight chapters and prior to the first, there is a black and white aerial map of Venice. Marked with clear text and directional arrows, it identifies the six sestieri, major canals, location vis-à-vis the mainland and some of the other islands in the Venetian Lagoon. Donna Leon, however, uses the map as more than a tool to define place. Sites where pivotal action occurs are also noted. By providing the opportunity to track developments, therefore, she draws readers into the story.
Opera is a complicated art form and Donna Leon fosters our understanding of it through many means. In Chapter 26, for example, Commissario Brunetti and Inspector Vianello observe Flavia Petrelli perform so they might guard her. In this instance, she weaves technical and staging details necessary to mount the production without interrupting flow.
As the following sentence evidences, she articulates the musical score beautifully. “Although there was only death to come, the scene opened with soft flutes and horns and church bells and the utter tranquility of night’s slow mellowing into day.”
Donna Leon excels at creating complex characters. Guido Brunetti is a methodical detective committed to his duties as a Venetian detective. This passage from Chapter 23, however, demonstrates he is also a man of passion with tenderness for his wife, Paola Falier. His definition of love is especially poignant.
“Perhaps life had been too generous to him, for the only woman he had ever desired to the point of pain at the thought of not having was Paola, the woman he had married and who was now part of himself. For her, and for his children with her, he willed the good: he couldn’t remember which philosopher had defined love this way, but he thought it was as perfect a definition he had ever heard.”
Related to this talent is her deftness at character description. I cite Flavia Petrelli’s comments in Chapter 3 with regards Guido Brunetti and Paola Falier to elucidate this point.
“She noticed, in the midst of the remaining people, a middle-aged man at the back of the group: brown-haired, head lowered to listen to something the woman next to him was saying. The woman was more interesting; natural blonde, powerful nose, light eyes, probably older than she looked.”
The author also captures the minutiae of everyday life with precision often referencing food and meal interactions to illustrate family dynamics. In a Chapter 12 lunch scene, Brunetti and Paola have a “frittata with zucchini and stuffed turkey breast” with their children, Raffi and Chiara.
She writes, “The meal passed quietly, with the idle chat of people who were at ease with one another.” This parsing testifies to Donna Leon’s keen powers of observation as well as her skill as a wordsmith.
And a final thought. Venice, Italy is a popular tourist venue but Brunetti’s reflections challenge the reader to view it from a resident’s perspective.
In Chapter 17, he ruminates, “Since the city illumination had been changed about a decade ago, Brunetti had grumbled about how bright the night had become: some of his friends complained that they could read in bed with the light that came in the windows.”
Whenever I yen to spend a few days in Venice to escape my current reality, I reach for a Donna Leon book. I have enjoyed the visit Falling In Love has afforded me and encourage you to travel with this author, too.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
Falling In Love is book number twenty-four in Donna Leon’s crime series set in Venice, Italy featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. It is about a mysterious stalker who threatens Flavia Petrelli, a fortyish opera singer performing the lead role in Tosca at Teatro La Fenice, and Brunetti’s attempts to catch the culprit before she is murdered. The author explores the love-hate relationship between a star and her admirers giving us an intriguing tale of obsessive fans, sibling rivalry, illicit affairs and lustrous jewels.
The novel unfolds in twenty-eight chapters and prior to the first, there is a black and white aerial map of Venice. Marked with clear text and directional arrows, it identifies the six sestieri, major canals, location vis-à-vis the mainland and some of the other islands in the Venetian Lagoon. Donna Leon, however, uses the map as more than a tool to define place. Sites where pivotal action occurs are also noted. By providing the opportunity to track developments, therefore, she draws readers into the story.
Opera is a complicated art form and Donna Leon fosters our understanding of it through many means. In Chapter 26, for example, Commissario Brunetti and Inspector Vianello observe Flavia Petrelli perform so they might guard her. In this instance, she weaves technical and staging details necessary to mount the production without interrupting flow.
As the following sentence evidences, she articulates the musical score beautifully. “Although there was only death to come, the scene opened with soft flutes and horns and church bells and the utter tranquility of night’s slow mellowing into day.”
Donna Leon excels at creating complex characters. Guido Brunetti is a methodical detective committed to his duties as a Venetian detective. This passage from Chapter 23, however, demonstrates he is also a man of passion with tenderness for his wife, Paola Falier. His definition of love is especially poignant.
“Perhaps life had been too generous to him, for the only woman he had ever desired to the point of pain at the thought of not having was Paola, the woman he had married and who was now part of himself. For her, and for his children with her, he willed the good: he couldn’t remember which philosopher had defined love this way, but he thought it was as perfect a definition he had ever heard.”
Related to this talent is her deftness at character description. I cite Flavia Petrelli’s comments in Chapter 3 with regards Guido Brunetti and Paola Falier to elucidate this point.
“She noticed, in the midst of the remaining people, a middle-aged man at the back of the group: brown-haired, head lowered to listen to something the woman next to him was saying. The woman was more interesting; natural blonde, powerful nose, light eyes, probably older than she looked.”
The author also captures the minutiae of everyday life with precision often referencing food and meal interactions to illustrate family dynamics. In a Chapter 12 lunch scene, Brunetti and Paola have a “frittata with zucchini and stuffed turkey breast” with their children, Raffi and Chiara.
She writes, “The meal passed quietly, with the idle chat of people who were at ease with one another.” This parsing testifies to Donna Leon’s keen powers of observation as well as her skill as a wordsmith.
And a final thought. Venice, Italy is a popular tourist venue but Brunetti’s reflections challenge the reader to view it from a resident’s perspective.
In Chapter 17, he ruminates, “Since the city illumination had been changed about a decade ago, Brunetti had grumbled about how bright the night had become: some of his friends complained that they could read in bed with the light that came in the windows.”
Whenever I yen to spend a few days in Venice to escape my current reality, I reach for a Donna Leon book. I have enjoyed the visit Falling In Love has afforded me and encourage you to travel with this author, too.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
Fatal by John Lescroart. Book Review
Fatal by John Lescroart
This is my first John Lescroart novel and I have mixed feelings about it. The 300 page book was effectively organized into three parts covering about a seven month span. The structure and short chapters helped keep the plot fast-paced.
With respect to the plot, however, I found it jumbled and the various events poorly integrated. The specific reason there was a terrorist incident, for example, was not clearly articulated.
The characters, mainly married couples, were sketched but undeveloped with almost nil back story and, hence, I found it difficult to connect with them. Anorexia surfaces as an issue with one character and I felt an understanding of the disease and the difficulty in treatment lacking.
The suspense with regards to murder and deceit was well captured in the author's writing and Lescroart certainly kept us guessing as to the culprit(s).
Set in San Francisco, Lescroart also crafted a vivid sense of place. The crime(s) were solved in the last chapters but I felt the solution rushed and tidied up quickly to simply end the book. I also found the concluding scene depicting a budding relationship between two of the characters maudlin.
Though disappointed, I did enjoy the thread of the story and would read another one of Lescroart's novels.
Marianne Perry
www.marianneperry.ca
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
This is my first John Lescroart novel and I have mixed feelings about it. The 300 page book was effectively organized into three parts covering about a seven month span. The structure and short chapters helped keep the plot fast-paced.
With respect to the plot, however, I found it jumbled and the various events poorly integrated. The specific reason there was a terrorist incident, for example, was not clearly articulated.
The characters, mainly married couples, were sketched but undeveloped with almost nil back story and, hence, I found it difficult to connect with them. Anorexia surfaces as an issue with one character and I felt an understanding of the disease and the difficulty in treatment lacking.
The suspense with regards to murder and deceit was well captured in the author's writing and Lescroart certainly kept us guessing as to the culprit(s).
Set in San Francisco, Lescroart also crafted a vivid sense of place. The crime(s) were solved in the last chapters but I felt the solution rushed and tidied up quickly to simply end the book. I also found the concluding scene depicting a budding relationship between two of the characters maudlin.
Though disappointed, I did enjoy the thread of the story and would read another one of Lescroart's novels.
Marianne Perry
www.marianneperry.ca
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Book Notes
The Dry by Jane Harper
The Dry is a crime fiction written by Jane Harper. Set in the rural town of Kiewarra, Australia near the city of Melbourne, the area has endured a two year drought. Circa three-hundred pages , the book is organized into forty-two chapters and has an excellent Reading Group Guide. The story unfolds through third person narration primarily from the main character, Aaron Falk’s POV.
The plot revolves around Luke Hadler’s alleged suicide after having shot his wife, Karen and their seven year old son, Billy. Oddly, their infant daughter, Charlotte is unharmed. Aaron Falk, a federal agent from Melbourne, receives a mysterious note prompting him to return to his hometown. Past friends, Aaron and Luke, implicated in the unsolved drowning of their teenage friend, Ellie Deacon twenty years ago. The townsfolk and Ellie’s father, Mel Deacon whom most suspect suffering early dementia, plus her bullish cousin, Grant Dow have vindictiveness for Falk and his deceased father, Erik. Convinced them responsible for Ellie's death and Luke Hadler guilty of the murders, they try to force Falk to leave Kiewarra. It is revealed this animosity had driven Luke and Erik out of Kiewarra after Ellie's death.
Barb and Gerry Hadler, Luke’s parents believe their son innocent. Quasi-surrogate parents to Falk, they entreat him to prove this true. Gerry Hadler admits to having sent Falk the note. Falk with the assistance of the local cop, Sergeant Greg Raco, agrees to investigate.
Stirred into this main conflict is an unresolved romantic relationship between Falk and a former school friend, Gretchen Schoner; the possibility Luke fathered Gretchen’s young son, Lackie; the discovery of missing funds by the school’s bookkeeper, Karen Hadler; the enigmatic school principal, Scot Whitlam who showed up in Kiewarra last year and has a gambling problem; lingering rumours Mel Deacon abused his daughter, Ellie Deacon; the domino effect of a clandestine gay relationship between a young farmer, Jamie Sullivan and the local GP, Dr. Patrick Leigh; and Asian interests in purchasing the Hadler-Deacon property.
Yes, there is much happening! Cleverly imagined, Jane Harper concludes each chapter with a page-turner that keeps the reader riveted. This Chapter 5 excerpt serves an example:
“Raco,” he (Falk) said. “There's something about Luke you need to know.”
In addition to a string of suspenseful incidents, Jane Harper paints vivid images of the drought ravaged area. This Chapter 13 excerpt serves an example:
“The huge river was nothing more than a dusty scar in the land. The empty bed stretched long and barren in either direction, its serpentine curves tracing the path where the water had flowed. The hollow that had been carved over centuries was now a cracked patchwork of rocks and crabgrass….”
The author layers her characters by articulating universal themes compelling reader reflection. This Chapter 25 excerpt of a conversation between Aaron Falk and Rita Raco re Falk’s difficult relationship with his deceased father serves an example:
“…But surely that doesn’t make it any less true. Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not.”
With regards a criticism, I found the interjection of flashbacks from the POV of other characters such as Ellie Deacon and her father, Mel, awkward. The insights afforded were valuable and integral to the story’s integrity; nevertheless, the passages appeared “dumped” and often with poor transition. Hence, the rhythm and flow broken and the style rendered a tad choppy.
In the end and specific to the final fifty pages, however, Jane Harper weaves everything together delivering a plausible conclusion. This is a good read.
The Dry is a crime fiction written by Jane Harper. Set in the rural town of Kiewarra, Australia near the city of Melbourne, the area has endured a two year drought. Circa three-hundred pages , the book is organized into forty-two chapters and has an excellent Reading Group Guide. The story unfolds through third person narration primarily from the main character, Aaron Falk’s POV.
The plot revolves around Luke Hadler’s alleged suicide after having shot his wife, Karen and their seven year old son, Billy. Oddly, their infant daughter, Charlotte is unharmed. Aaron Falk, a federal agent from Melbourne, receives a mysterious note prompting him to return to his hometown. Past friends, Aaron and Luke, implicated in the unsolved drowning of their teenage friend, Ellie Deacon twenty years ago. The townsfolk and Ellie’s father, Mel Deacon whom most suspect suffering early dementia, plus her bullish cousin, Grant Dow have vindictiveness for Falk and his deceased father, Erik. Convinced them responsible for Ellie's death and Luke Hadler guilty of the murders, they try to force Falk to leave Kiewarra. It is revealed this animosity had driven Luke and Erik out of Kiewarra after Ellie's death.
Barb and Gerry Hadler, Luke’s parents believe their son innocent. Quasi-surrogate parents to Falk, they entreat him to prove this true. Gerry Hadler admits to having sent Falk the note. Falk with the assistance of the local cop, Sergeant Greg Raco, agrees to investigate.
Stirred into this main conflict is an unresolved romantic relationship between Falk and a former school friend, Gretchen Schoner; the possibility Luke fathered Gretchen’s young son, Lackie; the discovery of missing funds by the school’s bookkeeper, Karen Hadler; the enigmatic school principal, Scot Whitlam who showed up in Kiewarra last year and has a gambling problem; lingering rumours Mel Deacon abused his daughter, Ellie Deacon; the domino effect of a clandestine gay relationship between a young farmer, Jamie Sullivan and the local GP, Dr. Patrick Leigh; and Asian interests in purchasing the Hadler-Deacon property.
Yes, there is much happening! Cleverly imagined, Jane Harper concludes each chapter with a page-turner that keeps the reader riveted. This Chapter 5 excerpt serves an example:
“Raco,” he (Falk) said. “There's something about Luke you need to know.”
In addition to a string of suspenseful incidents, Jane Harper paints vivid images of the drought ravaged area. This Chapter 13 excerpt serves an example:
“The huge river was nothing more than a dusty scar in the land. The empty bed stretched long and barren in either direction, its serpentine curves tracing the path where the water had flowed. The hollow that had been carved over centuries was now a cracked patchwork of rocks and crabgrass….”
The author layers her characters by articulating universal themes compelling reader reflection. This Chapter 25 excerpt of a conversation between Aaron Falk and Rita Raco re Falk’s difficult relationship with his deceased father serves an example:
“…But surely that doesn’t make it any less true. Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not.”
With regards a criticism, I found the interjection of flashbacks from the POV of other characters such as Ellie Deacon and her father, Mel, awkward. The insights afforded were valuable and integral to the story’s integrity; nevertheless, the passages appeared “dumped” and often with poor transition. Hence, the rhythm and flow broken and the style rendered a tad choppy.
In the end and specific to the final fifty pages, however, Jane Harper weaves everything together delivering a plausible conclusion. This is a good read.
12 Rose Street by Gail Bowen
12 Rose Street by Gail Bowen
Joanne Kilbourn is the main character in this crime novel written by the Canadian author, Gail Bowen. A former political science professor, she is managing the mayoralty campaign of her second husband, Zack Shreve, a paraplegic lawyer. The action occurs in the present during the month of September prior the election. It is set in the impoverished north central district of Regina, Saskatchewan. Solving the murder of a complicated “sleaze slumlord” and the mystery of a home located on “12 Rose Street” drives the plot.
There are nineteen chapters in this three hundred and some paged book. The beginning is weighed down with excessive characters, background information and onerous details. It proves a tedious start but the pace improves in Chapter Six with a murder and twists. Though there is a tendency for filler, in particular Chapter Fourteen’s excessive description of a Thanksgiving weekend, 12 Rose Story tells a compelling tale that succeeds in maintaining reader interest.
With regards other comments, Gail Bowen describes the mechanics, various people and range of responsibilities in an election campaign with clarity. I did find it a shortcoming, however, that the use of social media other than references to computers, twitter and cell phones underplayed. The reference primarily to television and radio tended to present an out of date understanding of modern electioneering.
The author deftly portrays the complex relationship between Joanne Kilbourn and Jill Oziowy, a Nation TV reporter and family friend. Though the resolution a tad unrealistic, the dynamics were well-captured and poignantly expressed. Her depiction of Joanne Kilbourn’s friendship with Liz Meighen, the woman’s suffering over the loss of her daughter, Bev Levy plus the manipulation of her developer husband, Graham Meighen and the psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Goetz is also noteworthy. And finally, the author’s description of the poverty-stricken warehouse district and those who live on the edge were brilliantly rendered.
Despite shortcomings, 12 Rose Street is a recommended read.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
Joanne Kilbourn is the main character in this crime novel written by the Canadian author, Gail Bowen. A former political science professor, she is managing the mayoralty campaign of her second husband, Zack Shreve, a paraplegic lawyer. The action occurs in the present during the month of September prior the election. It is set in the impoverished north central district of Regina, Saskatchewan. Solving the murder of a complicated “sleaze slumlord” and the mystery of a home located on “12 Rose Street” drives the plot.
There are nineteen chapters in this three hundred and some paged book. The beginning is weighed down with excessive characters, background information and onerous details. It proves a tedious start but the pace improves in Chapter Six with a murder and twists. Though there is a tendency for filler, in particular Chapter Fourteen’s excessive description of a Thanksgiving weekend, 12 Rose Story tells a compelling tale that succeeds in maintaining reader interest.
With regards other comments, Gail Bowen describes the mechanics, various people and range of responsibilities in an election campaign with clarity. I did find it a shortcoming, however, that the use of social media other than references to computers, twitter and cell phones underplayed. The reference primarily to television and radio tended to present an out of date understanding of modern electioneering.
The author deftly portrays the complex relationship between Joanne Kilbourn and Jill Oziowy, a Nation TV reporter and family friend. Though the resolution a tad unrealistic, the dynamics were well-captured and poignantly expressed. Her depiction of Joanne Kilbourn’s friendship with Liz Meighen, the woman’s suffering over the loss of her daughter, Bev Levy plus the manipulation of her developer husband, Graham Meighen and the psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Goetz is also noteworthy. And finally, the author’s description of the poverty-stricken warehouse district and those who live on the edge were brilliantly rendered.
Despite shortcomings, 12 Rose Street is a recommended read.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
A Gathering Of Secrets by Linda Castillo
A Gathering Of Secrets by Linda Castillo
A Gathering of Secrets is a crime novel taking place during the current time in Painters Mill, an Amish community in Ohio. It begins with a grisly Prologue during which Emma Miller, a seventeen year old Amish girl, hangs herself in the family barn. Chapter One occurs six months later. Daniel Gingerich, an eighteen year old Amish boy, has received an anonymous note from an admirer to meet at midnight. While awaiting the mystery lass, he is locked in the tack room of his family’s barn. The building is set on fire and he suffers a gruesome death. This is the chapter’s final paragraph:
“With a final hideous roar, the fire swept over him. Red-hot teeth tearing into him, chewing him up, grinding flesh and bone into a molten ooze, and sucking him into its belly.”
The reader is compelled to solve the mystery as to who and why someone had murdered Daniel and its connection to Emma’s suicide.
Chapter Two introduces Kate Burkholder, the Police Chief and a former Amish whose sister has remained a member of the church. Evidence confirms arson; dental records identify Daniel the victim; and an investigation launched. John Tomasetti, an agent of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Kate’s clandestine lover plays an integral role. He helps clarify police procedures and through the dynamics of their relationship sheds light on the reasons Kate disavowed her Amish upbringing.
Chapters Three to Twenty-Five unfold in twists. The author introduces several families and a range of characters whose history with Daniel advances plot. Disturbing truths and long protected secrets are exposed revealing Painters Mill not exactly an idyllic community.
The author provides excellent insight into various Amish sects, the traditional Swartzentruber and more modern, Beachy Amish. The interjection of Pennsylvania-Dutch during Kate’s conversations with the Amish contributes to authenticity as do portrayals of livelihoods and lifestyles. Understanding the Amish enables readers to grasp the significance of tradition; conflicts between sects; challenges for males and females plus the younger generation; and the manner in which problems are addressed and settled.
A Gathering Of Secrets prompts contemplation about issues such as loyalty and honour. This Chapter Six excerpt addresses murder causing one to question the motivation of what done to Daniel:
“Some people say murder is a senseless act, I don’t agree, There’s no doubt murder is a brutal act. It’s a cruel act. An immoral act. It’s wrong in the eyes of the law. A sin in the eyes of God. Murder is an unthinkable deed in the mind of any decent human being. But murder is rarely senseless.”
Chapter Eight is noteworthy depicting the relationship between Neva Lambright, Viola Stutzman and Ina Yoder, three young Amish women whose lives interwoven with Daniel’s and altered by his death. Neva’s family is Beachy Amish and owns The Mercantile, a craft shop and small bistro. The others are traditional. This excerpt is specific to Neva Lambright and speaks to Linda Castillo’s skill in penning descriptions:
“…Raven hair. Peaches-and-cream complexion. Eyes the color of cognac. Not a stitch of makeup and she’s cosmetic-commercial pretty. She’s wearing a pastel pink dress with a white, organdie head covering that tells me she’d Beachy Amish.”
In the end Daniel’s murder is solved and those responsible brought to justice; nevertheless, the resolution is tinged with sadness. There are many victims associated with the crime committed. And sadly, it seems Kate has yet to fully escape from her darkness. This excerpt from Chapter Sixteen speaks to her tragedy:
“I dream of Daniel Lapp. I’m fourteen years old and I still believe the world is a safe place where nothing bad could ever happen. I’m innocent and carefree and I have no concept of the violence that is about to shatter my sheltered and protected life….I scream for help, but no one comes. No ones comes. And the shame that follows makes me want to die….”
A Gathering Of Secrets is an excellent book. Thank you, Linda Castillo.
A Gathering of Secrets is a crime novel taking place during the current time in Painters Mill, an Amish community in Ohio. It begins with a grisly Prologue during which Emma Miller, a seventeen year old Amish girl, hangs herself in the family barn. Chapter One occurs six months later. Daniel Gingerich, an eighteen year old Amish boy, has received an anonymous note from an admirer to meet at midnight. While awaiting the mystery lass, he is locked in the tack room of his family’s barn. The building is set on fire and he suffers a gruesome death. This is the chapter’s final paragraph:
“With a final hideous roar, the fire swept over him. Red-hot teeth tearing into him, chewing him up, grinding flesh and bone into a molten ooze, and sucking him into its belly.”
The reader is compelled to solve the mystery as to who and why someone had murdered Daniel and its connection to Emma’s suicide.
Chapter Two introduces Kate Burkholder, the Police Chief and a former Amish whose sister has remained a member of the church. Evidence confirms arson; dental records identify Daniel the victim; and an investigation launched. John Tomasetti, an agent of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Kate’s clandestine lover plays an integral role. He helps clarify police procedures and through the dynamics of their relationship sheds light on the reasons Kate disavowed her Amish upbringing.
Chapters Three to Twenty-Five unfold in twists. The author introduces several families and a range of characters whose history with Daniel advances plot. Disturbing truths and long protected secrets are exposed revealing Painters Mill not exactly an idyllic community.
The author provides excellent insight into various Amish sects, the traditional Swartzentruber and more modern, Beachy Amish. The interjection of Pennsylvania-Dutch during Kate’s conversations with the Amish contributes to authenticity as do portrayals of livelihoods and lifestyles. Understanding the Amish enables readers to grasp the significance of tradition; conflicts between sects; challenges for males and females plus the younger generation; and the manner in which problems are addressed and settled.
A Gathering Of Secrets prompts contemplation about issues such as loyalty and honour. This Chapter Six excerpt addresses murder causing one to question the motivation of what done to Daniel:
“Some people say murder is a senseless act, I don’t agree, There’s no doubt murder is a brutal act. It’s a cruel act. An immoral act. It’s wrong in the eyes of the law. A sin in the eyes of God. Murder is an unthinkable deed in the mind of any decent human being. But murder is rarely senseless.”
Chapter Eight is noteworthy depicting the relationship between Neva Lambright, Viola Stutzman and Ina Yoder, three young Amish women whose lives interwoven with Daniel’s and altered by his death. Neva’s family is Beachy Amish and owns The Mercantile, a craft shop and small bistro. The others are traditional. This excerpt is specific to Neva Lambright and speaks to Linda Castillo’s skill in penning descriptions:
“…Raven hair. Peaches-and-cream complexion. Eyes the color of cognac. Not a stitch of makeup and she’s cosmetic-commercial pretty. She’s wearing a pastel pink dress with a white, organdie head covering that tells me she’d Beachy Amish.”
In the end Daniel’s murder is solved and those responsible brought to justice; nevertheless, the resolution is tinged with sadness. There are many victims associated with the crime committed. And sadly, it seems Kate has yet to fully escape from her darkness. This excerpt from Chapter Sixteen speaks to her tragedy:
“I dream of Daniel Lapp. I’m fourteen years old and I still believe the world is a safe place where nothing bad could ever happen. I’m innocent and carefree and I have no concept of the violence that is about to shatter my sheltered and protected life….I scream for help, but no one comes. No ones comes. And the shame that follows makes me want to die….”
A Gathering Of Secrets is an excellent book. Thank you, Linda Castillo.
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
Multiple murders and strange deaths in an isolated New York State inn during a weekend storm cutting guests and owners off from the world. Every time I thought I knew who the murderer was, Shari Lapena proved me wrong. Perhaps, I asked myself while reading, the crimes committed by the wealthy New England heir; the husband who secretly loathes his wife; the author of true crime books; the attorney cleared of murdering his wife; the war correspondent suffering PTSD; or the owner's son with a drug history. Lapena duped me with character revelations and unexpected events. I could not stop reading this mystery novel. Told from the various perspectives of guests during a period from Friday to Sunday afternoon, Lapena begins each chapter with day and time indicated. Clever tactic to maintain suspense and reader engagement. The identity of the murderer and the final twist were masterful.
Thank you for a great read.
Marianne Perry
www.marianneperry.ca
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Multiple murders and strange deaths in an isolated New York State inn during a weekend storm cutting guests and owners off from the world. Every time I thought I knew who the murderer was, Shari Lapena proved me wrong. Perhaps, I asked myself while reading, the crimes committed by the wealthy New England heir; the husband who secretly loathes his wife; the author of true crime books; the attorney cleared of murdering his wife; the war correspondent suffering PTSD; or the owner's son with a drug history. Lapena duped me with character revelations and unexpected events. I could not stop reading this mystery novel. Told from the various perspectives of guests during a period from Friday to Sunday afternoon, Lapena begins each chapter with day and time indicated. Clever tactic to maintain suspense and reader engagement. The identity of the murderer and the final twist were masterful.
Thank you for a great read.
Marianne Perry
www.marianneperry.ca
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Fear The Dark by Kay Hooper
Set in small town Serenity, Tennessee, psychic investigators from the FBI's Special Crime Unit assist Jonah Riggs, the Police Chief in finding six people who have disappeared within one month during the ordinary course of their days. They include: two eloping teens, a judge, new mother, 10 year old girl and young man. A female police officer is killed and they are tasked with solving this crime, too. Hopeful the disappeared are still alive, investigators attempt to establish a common link in an attempt to rescue them.
At the end of the book, the author includes agent bios, definitions of psychic terms plus a time line pertinent to this series. Practical for first time readers (like myself) and hence, noteworthy.
An intriguing plot, the crime is complicated with technological invention, energy bursts, hacking of security systems, mind manipulation and references to a "dark hungry force."
Quotes such as the following from Chapter Seven prompt reader contemplation on larger issues:
"Evil hides," Sam reminded him. "More often than not, behind something familiar, something nonthreatening. That's its ace, being able to hide....SO they aren't looking for one (monster), especially close to home."
"It only has to make sense to him," Dante spoke up to say. "A madman has his own mad logic."
The twist of psychic characters was interesting but I rated the common link Chief Riggs shared with the disappeared "obvious" and a weak point in the novel. The conclusion was laced with tragedy yet satisfactory.
At the end of the book, the author includes agent bios, definitions of psychic terms plus a time line pertinent to this series. Practical for first time readers (like myself) and hence, noteworthy.
An intriguing plot, the crime is complicated with technological invention, energy bursts, hacking of security systems, mind manipulation and references to a "dark hungry force."
Quotes such as the following from Chapter Seven prompt reader contemplation on larger issues:
"Evil hides," Sam reminded him. "More often than not, behind something familiar, something nonthreatening. That's its ace, being able to hide....SO they aren't looking for one (monster), especially close to home."
"It only has to make sense to him," Dante spoke up to say. "A madman has his own mad logic."
The twist of psychic characters was interesting but I rated the common link Chief Riggs shared with the disappeared "obvious" and a weak point in the novel. The conclusion was laced with tragedy yet satisfactory.
