When Molly Met Cameron

What Nora Knew is a fun romp through romance. Molly is nearing 40, divorced, and a writer, working for an on-line magazine EyeSpy. She is dating a bland man that she can rely on but who does not set her heart palpitating. She has been such a failure at love, that she has decided that there is no such thing as a "soul mate" or "true love", But she sees it all around her and can't figure out why love doesn't come her way.
If you love Nora Ephron movies (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seatle, etc...) you will enjoy the razzle-dazzle repartee' through the New York City love-scape. It is not an in-depth character study. But it is a fast-paced, fun look at love. Enjoyable, it is worth the time if you are looking for a witty diversion for your reading choice.

Wives of the Bomb

I received a review copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for publishing a review. I have no connection to the publisher or the author. This is my true perspective.

The Wives of Los Alamos: A Novel by TaraShea Nesbit

This is not so much a novel as it is a catalogue about the experiences and feelings and perspectives of the wives of the scientists that lived in secret isolation while they built the atomic bomb. I have a small personal interest since the pastor of my church in the early 70's was a graduate student who worked on this project. His PhD thesis was so highly classified that his review committee was not permitted to read it, and therefore, he never received his PhD.
The information is interesting, enlightening, and part of our national story that needs to be preserved. This book was not my cup of tea because it wasn't a narrative. It told a story in what felt like a fairly impersonal, at times choppy, manner. I would have preferred a more traditional novel. I am interested in character development more than a list of facts and feelings. Some are calling this book ground-breaking, and the use of the "collective we" perspective innovating. So I want to emphasize that my disappointment is not echoed by all previewers.
I kept thinking about how I would have felt if I had been in the wives' shoes. I love the southwest, but I have visited for 20 years before buying our retirement home in AZ. If I were in my mid-20's, with small children, and no friends or family near me, I would have found that very painful. Add the secrecy and the deprivation living conditions, I am sure I would have struggled to remain loyal to the project or my husband. No matter what your perspective on the creation of the atomic bomb, the sacrifices made by the scientists and families was strenuous and deserves attention.

Flavia de Luce

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches: A Flavia de Luce Novel

This is the 6th book in the Flavia de Luce series. Flavia is an 11 year old, eccentric, genius chemist. She lives with her father and two sisters in the family estate owned by her mother, Harriet, who disappeared in Tibet 10 years earlier, while on a mission draped in mystery.

This book opens as Harriet's remains are returned to the crumbling estate. Her body was found frozen in the Himalayas in Tibet. And now the government is bring her home, including Winston Churchill. Flavia cannot imagine what her mother had been doing when she died that would warrant the former prime minister to be involved.

As the family is moving from the train platform to the waiting limo, a tall stranger falls from the platform and is crushed by a train. As Flavia reaches his body, he whispers a strange message that makes no sense to her. "The Gamekeeper is in danger."

Flavia retreats to her beloved uncle's chemistry lab, that has been her refuge as far back as she can remember. She is initially focused on finding a way to bring her mother back to life. Flavia has finagled to stand vigil with her mother in the middle of the night when everyone else is asleep so that she can be alone to try her idea for reviving Harriet. In preparation she opens the coffin, and sees her mother for the first time in her memory. She reaches inside her mother's frozen coat and discovers an oilcloth wallet containing her will. Then she hears a commotion in the hallway outside her mother's room. She hides her items under the catafalque holding her mother, and sneaks out through the door into her father's bedroom.  Agents from the Home Office take over the vigil, and Flavia can no longer gain access to her mother's body.

To go any further with the plot outline would ruin the story for those who haven't yet read the book.

I am a huge Flavia de Luce fan and hope others will enjoy these well written, creative and often funny adventures of Flavia. But The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches is a huge departure from the previous 5 books. This story is much darker with excruciating sadness. This is not the Flavia without a care in the world trying to find useful ways to exercise her genius curiosity. This book explains many family secrets only hinted at in previous books. It ties up loose ends. It feels as if it is the end of an era, and possibly the end of the series. I sincerely hope that Mr. Bradley will continue the series with new adventures as Flavia grows and matures. But if he doesn't, it has been a grand journey!

Though this book can probably stand alone, the richness of the characters will be lost if you haven't read the series. Start at the beginning and work up to this 6th installment. For those who have read the earlier books, wild horses won't keep them away from this book.

Thirty years ago, Sharon and I were contemporaries

W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone Mystery) (Kindle Edition)

Sharon McCone has been a friend for over 30 years. I want to figure out a way to expand the alphabet so that I can keep meeting with her each year. I was about her age when the series began, and she is now the age of my daughter. So I have a sentimental attachment to her.
I don't believe this relationship would have last for me if Sue Grafton was a less skilled writer. Sharon has grown and changed, more and more of her history has been revealed over time, and there are sacrosanct elements that appear over and over.
This books begins with a body found dead on the beach with Sharon's name and phone number on a piece of paper in his pocket. When she goes to the morgue to try to identify this John Doe, she realizes she has never scene before. Sharon has no pending investigations so she decides to put some time into discovering who he is, why he had her name, and how he died.
Asecond plot devlops when a former co-investigator if shot to death. She pays little attention until her former love, Dietz, shows up flaming mad about her referral od him to the murdered PI.
Sharon is more reflective and has less of a hard edge. She is more forgiving, and notices her loneliness more. She is not as sarcastic and more kind and forgiving. Our dear Sharon is growing up. I am a romantic, so I hope she finds her soul mate (or recognizes him if she already knows him) before the series ends.
Iwas in grad school when the series began, and I am now retired. I hope the whole series will be available on Kindle so that I can ready the series over. If you have never read an Alphabet Mystery, I suggest that you start at the beginning of the series. While each book can stand alone, the richness of the characters can be lost if you don't know the history. Another winner in my book. 

The Tenth Circle by Jon Land

     Buckle your seat belt and hang on! This is a bumpy ride with more twists and turns than a roller coaster!
Blaine McCracken and his friends, Johnny Wareagle and Sam Belamo, are back in a fast paced novel of modern day home terrorists exciting religious warfare against American Muslims as a cover for an even more diabolical plan to destroy the government with a weapon of mass destruction. This weapon has gone undiscovered until recently, but was the reason for the Roanoke colony and ship crew of the Mary Celeste disappearance.
     Enter an assassin trained in Russia for Iran, a cult leader offering salvation through mutilation and sex, and government leaders who want to overthrow the current government. McCracken flies all over the country tracking down clues from various bombing sites, the first of which injured his "sons's" son (complicated). As McCracken checks in with an old Vietnam, bong smoking buddy and a retired, sometimes lucid, operative, the plan of the bad guys becomes more and more evident. They all begin to converge on Washington.
     I have never read any of the books by Jon Land, but I will be looking up his other novels. His writing is clear, imaginative and creative. He began the black-ops, spy, out-in-the-cold genre before it was popularized by other authors. His devotion to technical detail makes his books so believable and terrifying. I give The Tenth Circle a resounding 5 stars. Enjoy the ride!

Stop Hoping...Start Hunting! by Jennifer K Hill

     I do not often read nonfiction unless it is for work, so I am not sure if I would have picked this up on my own, but I am glad I did. Ms Hill is a job recruiter who shares her insights and experiences with job seekers.
     The book follows a logical progression from looking at your reason for job hunting and articulating what you feel is you ideal job, to resume writing, phone interviews, in person interviews, follow-up and starting your new job.      While I didn't learn anything new, Ms Hill has packaged it in a clear, forthright manner with lots of examples to illustrate the points she is making. She strongly emphasizes the need to maintain a positive attitude during a difficult process. Her enthusiasm is contagious! I'm not job hunting, but I updated my resume' and my LinkedIn account. 
     There are two issues that I found a bit annoying, but most others probably wouldn't notice. First, too many sentences ended with a preposition. This is certainly more acceptable currently than when I was taking English classes. But I feel that when you put all the time into researching, outlining and then writing a book, it should reflect the educated intelligence of the writer. 
     The second observation is that too many points were repeated several times throughout the book. While some repetition is understandable, the number of times it occurred felt to me as if Ms Hill was "padding" the writing to turn a monograph into a book.
     My concerns are far outweighed by the excellent advice for job seekers. If you have been out of work, discouraged by little or no responses to you job search, this book is for you! Ms Hill is a knowledgeable cheerleader who will support you right into your ideal job. And the suggestions for developing a positive attitudes is useful for anyone.

Unraveling Raveled

     Raveled by Anne McAneny is an excellent story. It starts slowly and gains momentum as it moves along. Allison Fennimore is called to her small, southern hometown by her brother, Kevin, who is currently in addiction rehab and a ward of the court. Mom has begun "slipping" mentally, and has been troubled for the last 16 years since her husband stood trial for killing a teenage boy, son of the mayor, and accused of also killing a young teenage girl. Kevin want Allison to reopen their father's case. He is haunted by nightmares of the night before the boy was found tied to a bumper in the garage owned by their father, Artie, and shot in the abdomen. 
     Allison is hesitant to stir things up at this point. The trail is cold, and she was only 14 years old when the murders took place. She finds out that the prime players that fateful night are in town cor a class reunion. Allison decides to ask a few people some questions and see if anything new emerges. The town reaction is strong and leads Allison to more purposefully find out what happened that night. Many unforeseen  actions occur as Allison delves deeper. I thought I had figured things out, and then another piece of evidence would prove me wrong.
     This book is well-written, with an adult vocabulary (not dummied down for a 5th grade reading level), multi-layered characters, and, plot worthy of Byzantine twists and turns. I will be looking for Anne McAneny's other books. Definitely worth reading!