The Way Back by Slavomir Rawicz

     Rawicz arrived home, Poland, to a hero's welcome, only to be thrown into a Soviet prison and tortured.  Surviving the interrogation was only the beginning.  After a mock trial, Rawicz marched, chained to other prisons for weeks through Siberia to a work camp where he was to spend the next 25 years.  Rawicz had other ideas.
     With six other prisoners he escaped the camp.  On foot, they slogged through Siberia, Tibet and China, even through the Gobi Desert and over the Himalayas to India.  Existing on minimal food and water, carrying lice and other diseases, they constantly moved forward, fixed on their destination.
     The power of the narrative lies in the quiet, steel resolve of Rawicz and the others.  The telling is sparse, factual, lacking in drama which serves to highlight the struggle, and makes it our story.  Absolutely epic, the book works because it is the story of daily survival.  Amazing!

The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne

     I'm not sure why, but I inserted "detective" into the title of this novel. Therefore, I was a little surprised that this was not a mystery-romance.  Instead, I discovered a hilarious romantic-comedy, where Melissa Romney-Jones puts a blond wig on and becomes Honey, a straight talking, sexy girl Friday. 
     Confident, in a way Melissa can't be, Honey creates the Little Lady Agency and begins organizing the woeful bachelors of London.  You know, the guys who can't quite figure out how to dress, or  even that they should bath daily. The men who need a date for that family wedding to get their mother off their back or to cover for something they're not quite ready to come out of the closet for.
     She sends flowers to their secretaries and gifts to their godchildren.  Then a lovely American estate agent engages Honey's services on a regular basis and over time she begins to fall for him.  Of course, she is in total denial, and it isn't long before Melissa and Honey's world meet and the explosion of their life occurs.
     Browne is terribly witty.  If I were to meet her, I would say (as the English do), "Well done, you!"
     While Melissa lacks the confidence that she gains when she becomes Honey, she certainly isn't helpless, and in fact recognizes her talents quiet readily.  Her flatmate, Nelson, is completely charming, but certainly not perfect in stereotypical fashion.  Of course, she has the hard hitting, no-nonsense friend, Gemma, but Gemma genuinely cares about Melissa, and their friendship is sincere and real.  Jonathan, the estate agent, is a bit aloof and moody, but considering he's just been dumped by a controlling ex-wife, that's understandable, and it lends to the mystery of exactly who Melissa will end up with.
      The Little Lady Agency is fun, a fantastic way to escape into a goofy bit of romance.  With a character firmly set in the morals and etiquette of the 1950s, the story focuses on romance, not sex, and provides a delightful day's worth of entertainment.

Queen Victoria, A Life by Lytton Strachey

Originally written in 1921, Strachey's biography of Queen Victoria is warm, portraying the young queen as a real person, not simply "the monarch".  We see Victoria as a temperamental and willful child, managed by her mother and Sir John, as they attempt to control the power the heir will have as queen.  We see her as the eighteen-year-old queen of the most powerful nation on earth, increasingly aware of how her current decisions will affect her power and her reign.  We watch as she grasps the import of political maneuvering and tactfully holds off the men who would control her.  Strachey's shows us the young woman deeply in love with her husband, Prince Albert, and that husband's powerful influence over her and eventually British politics.  Finally, we see her in her long widowhood, managing the powers that be in parliament and around the world.


Exceptionally well written, Queen Victoria, A Life, created a new kind of biography, one that portrays the whole of a famous life, a genuine human picture where Victoria is more than the queen; she is a wife, a mother, a woman and a queen who matured, changed her mind, and shaped a entire era.


Magnificent in it's details and profound in it's exploration, Strachey's writing captures the complexity of Victoria, her relationships, her personality.  Moreover, we are allowed to not only meet , but also to engage with the people surrounding Victoria: Lord Melbourne, Sir Robert Peel, Galdstone, Disraeli and her devoted servants, governess "Lehzen" and later John Brown.


I thoroughly enjoyed this biography.  It never got bogged down in minute details.  The story was beautifully told and expertly presented.

The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne

Amy is a professional landscape artist, gardener.  Leo is a modern day prince working in the world of finance.  He is also "babysitting" his younger brother Rolf, a terror at parties who maneuvers through the world with charm and sex appeal.


Rolf literally crashes Amy's flat mate's party.  He destroys Amy's "Dream Seeds", the key to her business expansion.  Leo cleans up his brother's mess, and "WaLa", it's attraction.  Amy, though, does not know that Rolf and Leo are brothers.  Thus she fails to deduce that Leo, too, is a prince.


Like a spring bouquet, The Runaway Princess, elicited from me a smug little smile and a contented sigh.  I knew what was going to happen, with a few sneaky twists being the exception.  Amy made me laugh, and her friendship with Jo was simply fun.  Of course, in this common girl falls in love with the prince story; the prince is lovely, every girl dream and Amy falls.  I wasn't looking for more.


But, more was what I got.  Amy is complex and Leo isn't perfect. She runs her own business and is savvy about promoting and expanding it.  Like Leo, she is a confident in her work life, unlike Leo she is less sure about her personal life. 



Some other reviewers found her quirks irksome, viewing her as whiny.  I didn't.  The fact that she's a little star struck by Leo's "courtship" and undone by his royal family made her more realistic and relatable.  Furthermore, she does find her footing, not an easy task when you fall for a man like Leo, confident and self assured.  Amy doesn't quiver and give in, even as she navigates the brutal waters of paparazzi, royalty, and new in-laws. 


This story was a fun, clean and current romance; it hints at reality but is also nicely situated between comedy and  romance.

The Gate Keeper by Charles Todd

Inspector Ian Rutledge brought home more than just memories of the trenches in France, he brought the voice of a dead soldier, Hamish MacLeod.  Keeping the memories and Hamish at bay for the past two years has forced Rutledge into the vigorous pursuit of the criminals lurking in the London countryside. 


Restless after the wedding of his beloved sister, Frances, Rutledge goes for a drive on dark country roads. Running from the emptiness of his London flat, he drives straight into a messy murder, when he suddenly has to swerve to a stop to avoid a young woman whose hands are covered in blood and the body of a dead man at her feet.


Her story seems unbelievable.  A man standing in the middle of the road stopped their car, and her companion, Stephen Wentworth, stepped out to see if he could help.  They spoke.  Then the man drew out a revolver and shot Wentworth point blank in the heart. 


Now, intrigued and determined to avoid the loneliness of London, he begins digging into Wentworth's life.  Piece by piece he unravels Wentworth's past, his secrets, but Rutledge struggles to find the piece that links to the cause of his death. 


Charles Todd, a mother and son writing team, have, once again, woven the war, it's damage; the unique characters of Rutledge and Hamish; and a murder into a brilliant mystery.  Characters become real, unique and rich as the writing team fleshes out the life of the victim.  And, Rutledge, well, he remains the poignant, painful hero who cannot shake his demons.


Inspector Rutledge is at the top of my list of favorite detectives.  He's real and the post-war world of England is drawn with the muted colors of a confusing time.  I come back to Charles Todd each time a new book is released, and each time I am rewarded with exceptional story-telling and new insights into the people of the past.

Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson

Slamming into a deer wasn't the way Evie Blackwell wanted to meet the sheriff of Carin, Illinois.  Then again, she doesn't really remember meeting Gabriel Thane because she took a real knock to her head. 


Evie wanted to arrive as the professional, veteran Illinois State Police detective that she is, prepared to initiate a new state task force on cold cases in Illinois starting in Carin.  Of course, no one really wants her poking around, stirring up past pains and pain mixed with guilt is what surrounds the disappearance of the Florist family. Evie convinces Gabe that this time she will look in new directions, open new doors, make different connections, and she does.


Definitely, a procedural detective novel, the draw of the story lies in the character development and the puzzle in the plot.  Thriller is not an adjective I would use for Traces of Guilt but it was assuredly fascinating.

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

    I first came across the word hygge in an article about how some words just don't translate clearly.  Later, I discovered this little book, subtitled Danish Secrets to Happy Living and since then hygge seems to have exploded across the internet and the world.
     Like Winnie-the-Pooh's comment about love, "You don't spell it, you feel it", Wiking spends 200 plus pages exploring the Danish idea of hygge.  The important role of light and candles, friends and family, cozy throws and pillows are all discussed.  I started shopping for organic candles on Amazon after the chapter that highlighted the importance of candles to hygge.
    Ultimately, Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute finds that this concept, atmosphere, bonding and coziness rolled together in hygge bring an element of happiness to the everyday.  He concludes with, "Let's face it, this is where (the everyday) most of our lives will play out....hygge is about making the most of what we have in abundance: the everyday."
    I'm still processing hygge.  I think it will show up in the conglomerate that I am: in my home, my relationships and my goals.  I hope I can capture the feeling of happiness and contentment that Wiking unfolds in his little book.  And so, I liked this book, mostly because it gave me pause to reflect on my life, but also because it gives me an excellent excuse to shop for candles and throw pillows.

The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry

  She is Olivia Reinhart. Her adoptive mother, the one who later gave her up, gave her the name and the courts legalized it.  But, her real name is Ariel Benson, the three year old girl left in a Walmart by the man who rescued her from the woods where her parents were shot.  That day determined the shape of her life. 
     Now, fourteen years later as an emancipated minor, Olivia decides to alter her course and attends the funeral of her father.  His bones have been recently discovered, and suddenly, the "fact' that he was the murderer is not so factual.  Olivia/Ariel moves back to her hometown, and begins poking around searching for the real killer, and finding him may prove fatal.
     Well-paced, The Girl I Used to Be draws the reader in piece by pieced, enticing them to tug at the string of the tightly woven thriller.  Bruised and battered by the foster care system and by well meaning adults, it is logical that Olivia would tackle her task independently.  She moves through the suspects smoothly, but not without mistakes making the ending confrontation more believable. 
     As a mystery-thriller fan and a young adult librarian, I would recommend this well written novel to readers who are growing weary of the tried and tired plots in the adult thriller novels out there.The

The Backwash of War by Ellen N. La Motte

Ellen La Motte had experienced a successful career as a nurse in the United States before World War I.  But, it was a career of politics and bureaucracy that left her empty; so she sought a way out.  In 1915, she found her way to a French hospital on the Front in a small strip of Belgian that the French still held.  Always a writer, she set down her observations of the "human wreckage" of war and these vignettes were publish as articles in the Atlantic Monthly and eventually collected into the book, The Backwash of War.  Quickly it became quite popular in the US, but once the American boys were sent "over there," the American government decided it was too much and the book was banned in the US in 1918.


In her introduction to the 1934 re-release of her book, La Motte noted, "that we are now going through a period of peace, it seems an opportune moment for a new edition of the book....War has been described as 'months of boredom, punctuated by moments of intense fright.' During this time at the Front, the lines moved little, either forward or backward, but were deadlocked in one position...But where there is little or no action there is a stagnant place, and in that stagnant place is much ugliness."  It is that "ugliness" that La Motte captures in her curt, cynical voice through her clinical observations.


La Motte's stories reminded me of the stories I read by nurses from Vietnam.  The calm resignation to the destruction of war.  One of my favorite selections is, "There is an attack going on.  That does not mean that the Germans are advancing.  It just means that the ambulances are busy, for these old troops, these old wrecks upon the beds, are holding up the Germans.  Otherwise, we should be swept out of existence." These lines capture the so much of what La Motte has to say about war and the purpose of a human life caught up in war: a wounded soldier dams the flow, blocks progression of armies, forces  that are mightier and seemingly more important than a life.


I like that La Motte doesn't spend time moralizing or telling me what to think.  She observes and draws her conclusions but she doesn't preach, and for that reason I would highly recommend this little book for anyone seeking to understand at least one part of the impact of war.

Agent in Old Lace by Tristi Pinkston

Shannon Tate’s world is perfect: wonderful parents, great boyfriend ready to propose, and her own company that is fantastic.  As anyone knows, when things feel perfect or seem perfect, the hairs on the back of your neck should be standing on end, because something bad is going to happen.  And, for Shannon it does.  It turns out that her boyfriend is embezzling money from her father and several of her clients.  Then, he tries to kill her while proposing.  When the FBI become involved, she encounters yet another twist: the agent assigned to protect her must dress like a woman in order to stay close to her, then things get really crazy.

Essentially a cute little book with fairly well crafted characters and a solid plot, Agent in Old Lace lives up to its homey title.  There is just enough suspense, just enough romance, just enough humor to keep you interested.  Descriptions of characters, particularly the FBI agent all “woman-upped” could have been hilarious, but were just funny.  The big kiss doesn’t come until three quarters of the way in, but the sexual tension is mild.  A good book centered on a clever plot.  I enjoyed this simple read.

Falling into the mystery-romance genre, Pinkston’s novel has a little something for everyone.  It is LDS fiction so it has some religious references, mostly to prayer and “callings” in the Mormon Church and not enough to feel preachy or heavy handed.  Overall a satisfying read.

Under the Streets of Nice By Ken Follett and Rene L. Maurice

In 1976, Albert Spaggiari and his crew finally broke through the wall of the vault in the Societe Generale bank of Nice and stole $10 million dollars worth of gold ingots, jewelry and cash.  The police were stunned to discover that the thieves had entered through the sewer system where they had spent two months digging an access tunnel.  The plan was complex and comprehensive, and the brain, Spaggiari, led the police through a vast array of clues that embarrassed them.  Once caught, Spaggiari used stall tactics to protect his crew and eventually, he escaped, only to turn up dead twelve years later on his mother’s kitchen table.

Follett and Maurice present the complicated story in a professional and balanced form, even though you get the impression occasionally that they, themselves, were a little impressed with the cavalier, egocentric thief.  Easy to follow, the clues and evidence are woven together successfully as the authors engage the reader with just enough information to keep him reading. 

A non-fiction crime story, Under the Streets of Nice, presents an intriguing story without sensationalism.  Any references to drugs and sex are mild and fleeting as the authors retain their objective, factual presentation.  Only at the end do they “suppose” over the reasons why Spaggiari was so successful.

The Romantics by Leah Konen

     Subtitled "a rom-com about love told by Love," The Romantics is narrated by the Love. And, he has a job to do with Gael Brennan, a total romantic, who is clueless about what Love has planned for him.  Gael's parents are getting a divorce. His girlfriend is about to dump him for his best friend, and he is about to fall for the wrong girl.  It's as if Love needs a refresher course on how to do his job.
     I despise gimmicky plots and narration, so I had to read this novel just to prove why those gimmicks never work.  I was wrong.  Love was definitely NOT sappy and neither was the story or characters.  Gael was a romantic but avoided being a pathetic looser.  His conflicts were authentic.  His confusion and frustration with the choices of those around him captured the struggles teens face.  I had to look past his nearsightedness when it came to his best friend and girlfriend, but that was kind of minor. 
     Konen obviously understands young adults.  She catches the dynamics of their relationships, situations, and emotions.  I like that the novel had an elevated message; it was a bit too neatly summed up in the end, but for a light summer read I enjoyed it enough to forgive the pushy conclusions by Love about love.
     Am easy, funny and romantic comedy-romance, go for it, if you're in the mood for lighted hearted distraction with a point to be made.

The Man Who Couldn't Stop, OCD And the True Story of a Life Lost in Thought by David Adam

     "I'm so OCD." It's a common phrase used to describe the parts of our lives that we are meticulous about.  It's associated with repetitive actions like hand washing or checking the locks on the house repeatedly.  But, what is it really?
     I thought I understood OCD, until someone close to me began to suffer, and I mean suffer with it.  The Man Who Couldn't Stop examines the real drive behind the compulsive rituals that those with OCD exhibit.  When your thoughts turn against you and become powerfully intrusive, when those thoughts are abhorrent to you, and when you struggle to stop them and they then become more powerful, then you are in the true turmoil of OCD.
      Adam presents not only his personal nightmare with intrusive thoughts, but builds his work on the latest brain research, historical accounts, and the progression of theories throughout history.  Using personal insight, storytelling, compassion and occasionally humor, he creates a commanding and comprehensive account that is straightforward and enlightening.
     Intrusive thoughts are highly disturbing and often produce even more troubling compulsive actions. Be warned, this book is not for the faint of heart or those who are easily distressed. 

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

     Agatha takes her famous and fastidious detective, Hercule Poirot, for a murderous train ride in Murder on the Orient Express.  Poirot must suddenly travel from Istanbul to London.  It's December, so he believes getting a spot on the train will be easy, but meets great difficulty as the train is fully booked.  M. Bouc, a friend and fellow Belgian, who overseas this train manages to get Poirot aboard and quickly turns over his first class accommodations to Poirot.
   The train becomes stranded by a snowdrift, and Agatha has her favorite type a of setting, a closed "room" where a murder takes place and a limited number of suspects will reveal themselves to Poirot and his "little gray cells."
    Ratchett, a wealthy and unpleasant American approaches Poirot and asks him to discover who is going to kill him for he has been threatened.  Poirot refuses, "For I do not like your face." As usual, Poirot is right.  Rachett is a nasty fellow who soon ends up dead.  Poirot must now discover the killer among the 12 passengers.
     The Queen of Suspense fits perfectly as a title for Agatha Christie. I rarely solve her mysteries before the end and this novel was no exception.  I must admit that I fell in love with her funny, little Belgian sluth: his unexpected English phrases, his adroit observations, and his meticulous, even fussy, habits.  But, mostly I loved how he would pause and think, something missing in today's busy and blaring world.

     I give my highest recommendation for Orient Express to anyone who loves a challenging puzzle.  Definitely not a modern suspense page turner, but no murder mystery has been more finely crafted or deftly resolve than the one in this novel.

     Oh! This is a must read before the movie, even though you will know "who dun it."

A Heart Revealed by Josi Kilpack

    
     Thomas Richards has come to London from the wilds of Yorkshire to find a wife. Instead, he finds himself uncomfortable among the ton with their insincerity and manipulations. Thus, he cannot understand why he is so drawn to Amber Sterlington, the Rage of the Season.  Her beauty is dazzling, but her manners deceptive, and she is definitely beyond his reach.
     Amber Sterlington knows her purpose.  She's been raised for this season.  She knows she can choose whomever she wants, and she wants a husband with a title and a fortune.  Love has no place in her decision; neither does Mr. Richards, third son of a country lord.
     But, within a matter of weeks, her standing within the ton is compromised, then destroyed when she is publicly disgraced.  Her parents pack her off north to spare themselves the embarrassment.  She must survive alone with the exception of a maid, and Amber must face and then accept her new place in the world.
     Of course, regency romances are predictable and perhaps that is why we come back to the Cinderella elements so often present in them.  We can depend on these novels' plots.  But, what keeps me reading are the characters, and Kilpack is a master of character development. 
      Amber isn't very likeable in the beginning with her tantrums, manipulations, and cruelty.  She is playing the game her society has set her up to play, and she means to win.  Once she is cast off by this society, she struggles.  Thankfully, she isn't suddenly a humble, kind woman of character.  Kilpack works Amber.  Her transition is incremental: a little change here, a small epiphany there and slowly, realistically she develops.  She becomes genuine, real.  This is the part of the story I loved, Amber's growth.  Of course, the potential for a relationship with Richards and the tension created by her desire to protect herself from further rejection drew me into the plot of the novel.
       I highly recommend A Heart Revealed to romance readers, especially those who want to see the characters who become more than just stereotypical romance heroes.

 

Becoming Lady Lockwood by Jennifer Moore

     Coerced into a marriage by proxy that she never wanted by her absentee father, Amelia Beckett is pleased to be a widow.  Now she can run her sugar plantation without the interference of  chaperones and with the validity her new title, Lady Lockwood, gives her in a man's world.
      Captain Sir William Drake has crossed the Atlantic with a single desire. Haul his brother's widow, Amelia Beckett, back to England to face his charge of fraud, and he has the power to do it.
       At cross purposes, Amelia and the Captain clash immediately upon introduction, and their animosity sets the stage for love, as all good Regency Romances do.  Aboard ship, they cannot completely avoid one another.  Through tempest, battles, and the demands of daily life aboard ship, the two gain respect and even admiration for one another.  But, forces are at work against them and a future together looks bleak upon their arrival in London.
       Hopefully, someone drawn to such a romance does not have grand illusions of a deep philosophical read because disappoint would surely result. 
       Becoming Lady Lockwood entertains and delights.  The characters are clever, flawed, and go far beyond the stereotypical romance characters.  I liked Amelia. She is kind and willing to work, characteristics that are developed from the start of the novel, as is her singular, even naïve outlook on life.  I liked the Captain.  Tending to be a tad arrogant (not unusual for a Sir and a Captain), he is brought back to reality by his best friend and first mate on a regular basis through good humor. Careful attention is paid to the details in the story greatly improving the believability.
     I enjoyed thoroughly this escape novel.  A perfect read for spring break.
   

The Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins

     Rachel follows the same routine every week day.  She boards the train for London and comes home every evening warmed by some form of alcohol.  She mourns the life she lost, the ex-husband who has moved on and created a new life. So what's wrong with slipping into the life of the perfect couple, for a moment as her train pauses daily where Rachel can watch that couple cozily sharing breakfast on their deck. 
     Nothing is really wrong with that until it is wrong, very wrong.  Rachel sees something she wasn't meant to see as she gazes for a moment at her perfect couple.  Suddenly, she is mixed up in a mess she really can't comprehend, and as she trips, stumbles, blunders about in other people's lives and a police investigation, she only manages to makes things very dangerous for herself.
     Frequently I avoid books that come with front loaded expectations because others have raved about how awesome sais book is, but The Girl on the Train intrigued me.  Well written, painful, and even exciting, ultimately this novel failed me because I caught on quickly who the bad "guy" really was.  I'd still recommend the novel for those who love a good thrilling mystery.  Most people I know who read it loved it.

Taken by Dee Henderson

At sixteen Shannon Bliss was abducted, now eleven years later she turns up in the hall outside private investigator, Matthew Dane's hotel door with a crazy story about being coerced into assisting the Jacoby crime family.  A normal life is all that Shannon desires, but she has a list, a list of things she must do to set things right and Dane is determined to help her.


Perhaps I was expecting this novel to be a thriller, and it certainly sounds like a thriller, but it isn't, which left me disappointed.  When I examine it as a different genre, such as a survival-faith book, I can appreciate how deeply the author understands the complexity of her characters as well as the intricacy of the plot.  Over all it is a well written novel within that context, just don't expect a suspenseful thriller and then you won't be disappointed.

Still Life by Louise Penny

     Jane Neal, retired teacher, private artist, and loving friend, is not the type of woman to be murdered, even an accidental hunting death seems unlikely, but murder in the form of a hunting arrow straight through the chest is exactly how she dies.  The quiet village of Three Pines simply can't imagine anyone wanting to harm Miss Neal and believing it is someone they know in the village is beyond acknowledgement, until Chief Inspector Armand Gamache begins to pry into their lives and their secrets.
     Loaded with suspense, Still Life, oozes tension.  The depth of the forest, the inflection of each voice, and the potential significance of a scrap of conversation, infuse the novel, teasing the perfect puzzle piece forward.  One, that  in the end, does not fit. 
    Crafted so carefully and perfectly, it is hard to imagine the possibility of future Armand Gamache novels measuring up. 

Mr. Darcy's Secret by Jane Odiwe

Elizabeth Bennet, blissfully married to Mr. Darcy, arrives at Pemberley confident that she will manage her new home and husband with aplomb.  Then her sister-in-law falls for the wrong man, Lady Catherine de Bourgh arrives unannounced and secret, passionate love letters apparently from Mr. Darcy to a mysterious Viola are discovered. Suddenly, she realizes that she truly knows very little about her proud and prejudiced husband.


Odiwe captures the essence of Austen, which means one must slow down and enjoy the complexity of the society, the details of the setting, and the pace of a story that unfolds more through its characters than its plot.  Mr. Dary's Secret is perhaps one of the best "sequels" to Pride and Prejudice that I have read.