The Crimes and Punishments of Miss Payne by Barry Jonsberg

Calma and Kiffo are convinced that Miss Payne is evil incarnate.  You see, their English class has successfully driven off two teachers: one to early retirement and one, most likely, to an institution for the mentally unstable.  But, Miss Payne is in control from the moment she takes Kiffo down in front of the class.  Kiffo is convinced that Miss Payne is involved with something illegal, and while he and Calma are stalking her, they discover her exchanging some white powder with a suspicious looking man in the wee hours of the morning.  Now, Miss Payne must be stopped.

Admittedly, I do not like books where the narrator longs to be a writer.  I also do not like books that make heroes out of victims just because they have a tough life.  In spite of that, I did like this book, in fact, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The characters were quirky, yet believable.  I laughed out loud at many of the predicaments Calma and Kiffo put themselves in, and Calma's analysis of various situations were hilarious.  Most importantly, I loved the ending.  It startled me.  It was unexpected, yet true to the novel's tone and voice.

The Crimes and Punishments of Miss Payne is a mix of the mystery and teen issues genres.  There is some strong language and the audience is definitely older teens and adults.  Also, it's set in Australia, and while I didn't struggle with the slang or unusual vocabulary, others might.  Overall, I enjoyed this spunky, crazy story that in the end touches at the true meaning of friendship.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Fleeing her mother who won't agree to send Gemma to London, sixteen-year-old Gemma becomes lost in Bombay.  Trapped in an alley, terrified, she is suddenly struck by a vision of her mother facing Death.  Her mother chooses to die by her own hand instead of being murdered by the being who seeks her.  Shocked and isolated, Gemma finally receives her original wish two months later when she is sent to London.  She will attend The Spencer School, a private boarding school where girls are trained to be silent, obedient wives to the Victorian men of the time. Gemma's visions continue and in spite of warnings from a young Indian man, Katrik, to stop them; Gemma learns to control the visions and with her new friends, enters the "Realms" where she finds her mother waiting to direct her instruction in magic. But, the evil that once sought her mother now pursues Gemma in both worlds.

Definitely a boarding school drama, A Great and Terrible Beauty, reaches far beyond the stereotypical story.  Characters such as proud and powerful Felicity, beautiful and empty-headed Pippa and scholarship ugly Ann all mature beyond the flat types they could be as they face critical choices brought on not only by their foray into the world of magic, but also by the manipulative and restrictive Victorian world.  Beyond the beautifully developed characters is a powerful plot that engages the reader, indeed compelling them, as if by magic, to put everything else aside and be drawn into Gemma's world.

A Gothic fantasy with splashes of romance and drama, Bray's first novel in the trilogy is beautifully written.  The story moves rapidly, but the novel draws on deeper themes such as self-determination and the traumatic consequences of choice, destiny and responsibility.  The most fascinating novel I've read for some time.

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Georgia, a magical place where what is lost may just be found, and Kate, a recent widow, who has just awakened from a deep, mournful "sleep" is looking to find something there.  She travels to her Aunt Eby's cabin resort, Lost Lake, with her eccentric and knowing eight-year-old daughter and rediscovers the most joyful summer of her life including Wes, her first love. But can she save the things she once lost from disappearing forever.

Allen's novels hold you captive with the first page.  Her characters breath complexity and truth.  The magic she weaves caresses the soul, edging you to belief. Kate's story touched the predictable, but Eby's pulled and teased and kept me guessing at the mysteries of her life.

Lovely, lovely read!

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

What is chubby? Josey Cirrini knows because she is hidding behind it and in her closet where she devours sweets and romance novels.  Being chubby is only part of the reason she hides.   Her daddy was the big man in town, responsible, single handedly for saving the town, and that brings too much attention and to many expectations. Her mother is just down right mean.

Then Della Lee Baker shows up in Josey's closet, refuses to leave and forces Josey out into the world. Out of hiding, she meets the mailman whom she loves somewhere other than at her front door, and begins to bond with Chole Finley, one of Della Lee's friends.

Now Josey must come out of hiding and face a world where books suddenly appear, a red cardigan is magical, and a passionate kiss can make water boil, literally.

The Sugar Queen has the warmth of a freshly baked cinnamon roll, the tenderness of angel food cake and the richness of a deep fudge brownie.  Relax and enjoy the warm and wacky characters and the comfort of a simple plot.  Then spend some time reflecting on the power of those who find and then choose to live their own life the way the want.

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen

Olivia Keene has a secret.  It has driven her from her home and her dearly loved mother.  But, it is the secret she accidently overhears that traps her. 

Lord Bradley's secret could ruin his life, the only life he has ever known or wanted, and Miss Keene knows it.  So, he does what any self-respecting Lord would do, he forces her to accept a post at Brightwell Court, where he can keep an eye on her.

Secrets evolve into mysteries and as they unfold Olivia and Lord Bradley discover the power of love, forgiveness and family.

Having just discover Klassen, I must declare, "Oh, happy day!"  Finally, an author who takes some time to not only develop her characters, but their relationships as well.  The plot may be slow for some readers, but I would dare to suggest that slowing down and enjoying the story as it unfolds is very rewarding.  Maybe then, you will even catch the clever twists before they are revealed.

The Marching Season by Daniel Silva

Retired CIA agent, Michael Osbourn is drawn back into the game when his father-in-law is named the American Ambassador to Great Britain.  Northern Ireland has been working on a peace agreement, but at least one group opposes it.  They make their views known by a series of three brutal acts of terrorism.  Osbourn goes to Ireland to work his contacts and stirs up more violence and some pretty good intel.  Unfortunately, he draws the attention of the Director and once more must faceoff against an assassin. 

The Marching Season is a solid spy novel, well written and nicely paced. Recommended reading for those who love a perfectly paced plot and plenty of action, violence included.

Red Notice by Bill Browder

Grandson of America's top Communist, Bill Bowder set out to be the exact opposite, a capitalist.  He eventually landed in the Stanford Business School and from there launch himself into the competitative work of hedge fund investing at almost the exact time that the Soviet Union fell apart.

By the mid 1990s he had amassed a huge fortune by investing in Russia where he tangled with corrupt oligarchs.  As long as his fight worked for Valdimir Putin, he was fine, but when it didn't, Putin expelled him from Russia in 2005.

Two years later, Browder's offices were raided as were those of his lawyer which led to the theft of $230 million of taxes that his fund’s companies had paid to the Russian government.  Sergei Magnitsky, Bowder's attonery, uncoverd the theft and testified against the men who perpetrated it.  He was arrested, totured, and eventually clubbed to death.

Red Notice is part of Browder's quest for justice, having emerged from his Russian experience a changed man.

Extremely well written, Red Notice, mesmerized me.  The blatant corruption of government, the moral force of Magnitsky, the complex world of finance, all served to propel the story forward, but it was Browder's evolution as a man that solidified this book on my top 50 must read list.