Missing, Presumed ~ Susie Steiner (Pub. Date 6/26/2016)

Steiner, Susie. 2016. Missing Presumed. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 978-0812998320. $27.00 USD.

I read a lot of books for my work as a librarian, to keep current for readers advisory, and for my personal pleasure, as well, as time allows.  I have never really developed an attraction for British police procedurals (though I’m a fan of Ian Rankin and Ken Bruen (Scottish and Irish detectives, respectively). However, I know British mysteries are popular here in the states, so I’m familiar with the most well-known authors of this genre.  I was intrigued by "Missing, Presumed," because, based on the description, the main character, a female DS named Manon Bradshaw, seemed like someone I wanted to know more about.

Although it was a slow start for me, I eventually became very invested in the police investigation, the supporting characters and Manon’s personal life. In this mystery, set in Cambridge, a beautiful graduate student goes missing, leaving behind very few clues. Her parents are highly connected in the area, and the Cambridgeshire police force knows the spotlight will shine brightly on the investigation. As Manon and her colleagues follow what few clues they have, we are treated to a solid police investigation, as well as the inner lives of several characters affected by the crime.

Not all successful books are written in short chapters with cliffhangers, lots of dialogue and graphic violence, though that seems to be what often makes it to the best-seller list these days.  So, for me it was a pleasure to read a novel like this one, with well-done POV changes, engaging dialogue, and real-life characters, flaws and all.  I will be recommending this one to my patient readers who aren’t in such a hurry to get the finish line and who can enjoy the journey.

The Highwayman ~ Craig Johnson

Johnson, Craig. 2016. The Highwayman. New York, NY: Viking Press, a division of Penguin Random House. ISBN: 978-0735220898. $20.00 USD.

Craig Johnson is an author who knows how to take care of his fans.  As we eagerly, impatiently, await his one full-length Longmire novel to be published each year, he gifts us with short stories, sometimes on his website, and sometime published as novellas mid-year.  Such is the case with "The Highwayman>" Thank you, Mr. Johnson!

In this short title, Wyoming Highway Patrolman Rosey Wayman, who first made an appearance in the Longmire title "Another Man’s Moccasins," has been transferred to the remote Wind River Canyon area, known to be a “no-man’s land” due to the lack of radio communication caused by mountain tunnels.  It’s also known as a haunted area where, 50 years ago, a Native American highway patrolman, Bobby Womack, met a fiery death.  When Rosie starts to hear “officer needs assistance" calls on her patrol car radio at the same time each night, her supervisor thinks she’s losing her mind. Hence, the call to Walt and Henry Standing Bear to help solve this supernatural puzzle.

This isn’t the first Longmire story where Johnson uses references to supernatural occurrences in his narratives, usually related to Native American folklore. Walt actually wears a ring belonging to a deceased Native American whose ghostly presence helped him survive a blizzard in another novel. Sometimes these literary tangents work well, and sometimes, not so much.  In "The Highwayman," reality and other-worldliness co-exist well and make for a satisfying story.  A cast of interesting side characters round out the usual entertaining dialogue between Walt and Henry, and a surprising twist to Rosey’s backstory leaves the reader with a satisfied sigh.

As we wait for September’s "An Obvious Fact," the next full-length Longmire novel set in an around the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, "The Highwayman" serves as a pleasant balm to our Longmire withdrawal.  For those of you who enjoy the Longmire TV show on Netflix, episodes are currently being filmed in Santa Fe and Las Vegas for a binge-watching release, hopefully in September.  And, having had a sneak peak at the new Longmire title coming in September, as well, all I can say is….best opening chapter, ever!

The Second Life of Nick Mason ~ Steve Hamilton

Hamilton, Steve. 2016. The Second Life of Nick Mason.New York, NY:  G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN:  978-0399574320.  $26.00 USD.

The controversy surrounding this new novel by Steve Hamilton caught my eye months ago, and based on the description of the book, I was intrigued.  Mr. Hamilton left his publisher of 17 years and moved to G.P. Putnam after making a statement that he wasn’t well treated by St. Martin’s Press, causing an extended  delay in publishing the first title in his new series, The Second Life of Nick Mason.  I was happy when the book came in, and since I’m a librarian, I had one of the first holds – a secret perk of working in a library!

Nick Mason was a thief, a very good one who partnered with some childhood friends, primarily stealing cars. But he changed his ways after wanting to settle down with his wife and child, and tried to “go straight.”  He is reluctantly drawn back into one last job, where, unfortunately a DEA agent was killed.  He refused to implicate his friends and was sentenced to 25 years in a federal prison.  After 5 years of keeping his head down and avoiding trouble, he is approached by a fellow inmate named Cole who wields a tremendous amount of power, both in and out of prison.  And Nick makes a devil’s bargain for the opportunity to get to know his daughter, who he hasn’t seen since he was imprisoned.  His sentence is vacated in exchange for some future unnamed favors for Cole, and he finds himself free, twenty years earlier than expected.

At first, his life is a dream: a mansion to live in, classic cars to drive and a beautiful roommate, all the property of the devilish Cole.  He tries to reestablish a relationship with his daughter, but his ex-wife has remarried and doesn’t want anything to do with Nick.  And one of the former police investigators of the case, Sandoval, is extremely suspicious of Nick’s early release and has Nick on his radar.

All these elements seem to be a great mix for an excellent thriller. But…it just doesn’t really work. The characters are rather flat and underdeveloped, the money/mansion/cars/love interest are unrealistic.  And when the phone rings, and Nick finds out he is required to become an assassin for Cole, and does, I kind of lost respect for this character. It’s supposed to the first in a series, and I won’t give away the ending, but suffice it to say, that the devil’s bargain won’t be paid anytime soon.

This novel was snatched up by Lionsgate, and I have to say, it will probably make a good film, along the lines of Taken or The Equalizer. But a book is supposed to be better than the movie, and in this case, I doubt that will end up being true.  This novel was almost universally praised by many well-known authors and professional media, so please take my review with a grain of salt.  I read a lot of books, and some I just enjoy more than others - like any book-lover!

A Wife of Noble Character ~ Yvonne Georgina Puig (Pub. Date 8/2/2016)

Puig, Yvonne Georgina. 2016. A Wife of Noble Character. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 978-1627795555. $27.00 USD

I adore contemporary adaptations of classic literature, so I was intrigued to see an attempt to modernize Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth.  I grew up in Houston, so I enjoyed reading references to places I’ve been and the representation of the types of people I’ve encountered in that sprawling city.

Vivienne Cally is part of the privileged Houston society, but in name only.  The sole child of a wealthy family, she is orphaned while young, and has been raised by a stern aunt.  The family money has long since been depleted, and though Vivienne enjoys being part of the Houston social elite, she has always been on the outside looking in.  She strongly feels, at the beginning of the novel, that her only goal in life is to marry the rather boorish Bucky in order to have the stability she so longs for.

Preston Duffin, childhood friend of Vivienne and her social circle, has never had the wealth that they share, and is finishing up a degree in architecture in order to make a name for himself.  He has long been enamored with Vivienne, but realizes that he will never be able to compete with the wealthier men surrounding her.  However, he is her friend and tries to help her see that there is more to her than her outward assets.  This novel is considered an examination of social manners, and first time author Puig creates an almost pitch perfect example, updated for the 21st century - including references to sexual situations and language one would not find in the classic examples.

However, I feel that to get the big picture of this book, one needs to be a bit knowledgeable of its classic counterpart, The House of Mirth; otherwise, Vivienne comes across as fairly shallow, and her motivations – to marry Bucky and improve her position in society – seem unenlightened in this day and age. On the other hand, by sticking with this novel, one gradually witnesses Vivienne’s growth as a person, one who has something to offer other than her name and looks.  The characters in the book are larger than life and may seem like caricatures, except I’ve known some of those people!

Ultimately, the best characters are Vivienne and Preston, who keep ebbing and flowing in and out of each other’s lives until they’ve reached a level of esteem in themselves that allows them to be their true selves with each other.  I much prefer the ending of this book than Edith Wharton’s.  Enough tragedies are around us every day and in many of the dark novels so popular right now.  By the end, the reader feels Vivienne and Preston deserve their chance at happiness: they’ve worked so hard for it, you see.

The City Baker's Guide to Country Living ~ Louise Miller (Pub. Date 8/9/2016)

Miller, Louise. 2016. The City Baker's Guide to Country Living. New York, NY:  PRH/Viking/Pamela Dorman Books. ISBN: 978-1101981207.  $26.00 USD.

What a joy and pleasure it has been to read Louise Miller’s debut, The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living, especially since I was laid up recovering from knee surgery!  From the opening scene involving a flying, flaming Baked Alaska to the last walk through the Vermont woods, this novel kept me entertained, moved, and eager to enjoy every last “crumb,” so lovingly written and shared by the author.

Olivia Rawlings, a talented pastry chef with a penchant for crazy hair color, causes a disaster by dropping her Pistachio Baked Alaska in front of an elite crowd at the Boston Emerson Club where she works, including her married lover, no less. Fleeing the scene, she lands in Guthrie, Vermont, home to her best friend Hannah, who is married and expecting.  She is offered a temporary job at the nearby Sugar Maple Inn making desserts and, though missing being in a large city where she has always lived, she gradually comes to find life in the country more satisfying than anything she has ever known.  With a cast of quirky characters, a realistic examination of small town life, some surprising secrets, and a slow and sweet romance, this novel reveals how a lonely, banjo playing chef learns a lot about herself in the year she spends in Guthrie, and what it means to call a place “home.”A nice respite, in more ways than one, from the literary thrillers I've been reading lately!

What She Knew ~ Gilly MacMillan

MacMillan, Gilly.  2015. What She Knew. New York: William Morrow. $15.99 USD.  ISBN. 978-0062413864

This novel of literary suspense was a hard one to read at first, because it deals with a topic that is horrifying to any parent: the abduction of a child.  We feel very vividly the terror, guilt, grief and anger of the mother, especially, but also of the other family members, as well as the frustration of the detective who investigated the case.  Once the author has overloaded you with more emotion than you can quite handle, the book moves more swiftly into a mystery to be solved.  I am not ashamed to admit that I read the end of the book first, to make sure I could handle spending all the time I would have to with the main character's anguish.

 The sections from the detective's point of view were interesting, as they were in the format of his therapist's notes from his work-mandated therapy sessions.  Grueling is the word that comes to mind, but they also shed light on the impact that traumatic cases can have on the officers who investigate them.  It's not a book I would choose to read more than once, but it was very well done.

Sleeping Giants ~ Sylvain Neuvel

Neuvel, Sylvain. 2016. Sleeping Giants. New York: Del Rey Books, a division of Ballantine Books.  $26.00 USD.  ISBN 978-1101886694

This novel, a debut written by linguist and translator Sylvain Neuvel, is a fascinating mystery and an elegant piece of science fiction. Written entirely in the form of interviews with an anonymous interrogator, it explores the lives of various characters involved in the discovery and reclamation of a giant robot, body part by body part, buried by an unknown entity or advanced alien species sometime in the past. The story is revealed gradually through the interviews, and the author does a fantastic job of giving distinct personalities to each of the novel's characters. It is also the first novel of a series, so we are left with some unanswered questions to look forward to being resolved in a future title. What is distinctive about this novel is its format.  I've seen novels written in diary or journal entries, emails or text messages, or a mixture of these with prose. But the interrogation/interview format is new to me, and Mr. Neuvel has used this technique to write a novel of propulsive suspense.