Monday, September 26, 2011
Reminder from the Shelfstalker...
All opinions are my own. I am not paid to write about these books, nor are my views that of the publisher. I suspect they would sometimes have other ones. And so...keep up the reading!
SPOILER ALERT!
Be warned that you may get more information than you want from the following reviews. So be careful, as there are plot revelations to follow.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
One author and 3 books
A.J. Scudiere was not an author I had heard of before; Griffyn Ink was not a publisher I was familiar with. So when I had the opportunity to read and talk about three of the Scudiere books, I jumped at the chance. Not really knowing what I would discover. I discovered a very versatile author who had a way to get her point across to the reader in some unusual and unexpected ways. The three books I read were RESONANCE (0-9799510-0-3); VENGEANCE (0-9799510-1-1); and GOD'S EYE (978-0-9799510-8-4). The versatility of the author is evident in her choice of subject that becomes the vehicle for her underlying, or so it seems, theme of the books.
It took me a while to get in to the book RESONANCE. The writing style was rather intense and the Drs. Jillian and Jordan sounded too much alike at first and it seemed that there were characters appearing from many diverse places. But once I got into the rhythm of the book and saw that Jillian and Jordan in the new jobs at the CDC were investigating some mysterious illness and deaths and that Dr. Becky Sorenson was investigating some strange animal behavior as well as a worrying mutation of frogs, it was not surprising to discover that a geologist and a paleontologist have discovered some magnetic hot spots that could signal a massive change for life as we know it. What ensues is a look at how people react when the polar reversal takes place and what will happen to the earth and its inhabitants -both plant and animal. Interwoven through out the book are some complicated interpersonal relationships as well as plenty to think about as to what is happening to the earth and its inhabitants- both plant and animal. The book in one way is a medical suspense story. It is also a look at nature. It is also in the realm of speculative fiction. We have a glimpse of what appears to happens when the polls shift. Massive illness. Massive deaths. Plant and animal changes and extinctions. And a possibility of two alternate worlds. when people die in one world, they appear to move into the other world. And it appears that the people who die and those who stay are divided by occupation. Interesting, it appears that the FBI are categorized as good and the CIA as bad. Oddly enough some can pass back and forth between two world. Jillian and David, the geologist are such people. But how they decide to handle this is a twist.. Adventure, speculations, and a message of change is there. One also get a sense of right and wrong and good and bad at play here as well.
VENGEANCE appears to be a whole new ball game. We meet a rather harassed FBI agent who has been tracking a serial killer for some time. The killer is known as the Ninja Grudge killer and appears to be slicing and dicing some bad guys up and then killing them. There have been no clues and nothing to point to who is the killer, but it is keeping Owen Dunham away from his family and traveling all over the country.
We meet Lee Maxwell. a loner, an ex accountant, who worked for the Mafia and then betrayed them They retaliated by killing all of his family. Lee went to ground and learned to become a master marksman and went about methodically killing the gangsters who had killed his family. He usually stayed in the eastern part of he country. lee is out for a kill when he discovers that there is someone else at his scene who also plans to take out this particular bad guy. The assassin is a young woman, Cynthia (Cyn) Beller who was a survivor when the Mafia killed her family. She came up through the foster care system and learned early to defend herself and she has added an arsenal of deadly martial art top her education and set out to eliminate the people who executed her family as well as some of those who abused her now dead sister when they were on foster care. Cyn is the Grudge Ninja that Owen is hunting. This chance meeting between Cyn and Lee begets a deadly partnership that covers the country and drives the FBI mad. They kill only the bad guys, but do a little free lancing from the ,Mafia when they discover some really evil people. This book is much more violent than RESONANCE and more gory. There are also fewer characters to keep straight and that is a plus. At times I wished that they would stop the murders and get on with the plot. The character development of Lee and Cyn was a work in progress. The reader could see that they were causing each other to humanize and relate to each other. And as this happened, they were not so mechanical and mistakes were made and clues were available for the FBI. The killers decided to quit and Cyn went back to school for a college degree and Cyn and Lee were now just Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid. And Owen is one of Cyn's teachers at college. When he discovers his Ninja is in his class will he turn her in or will the FBI have decided that justice has really been served?
GOD'S EYE is the story of Katharine Geryon and her struggle to find her own identity. She is the daughter of a wealthy owner of an investment firm and is in line to take over when he retires. She lives in a posh condo and appears to lead a rather lonely life, A sort of poor little rich girl. But Katharine is a work in progress herself and absorbs feelings and opinions like a sponge. She is unattached at present and rather set in her ways. But that is about to change. And Katharine is not sleeping well. Nightmares. Apparitions.Sooty stains on her carpet. And animals appearing in her room. What is happening? And to add to the upheaval she is assigned a new assistant at work who set out to charm her and seduce her as well. There is also Zachary, the handsome and charismatic man who moved in next door to her condo and who also sets out to woo and seduce her. Where the first book had an abundance of death and destruction, and the second book had a plethora of violence, this story is laden with sex. Katharine can not control her impulses around either Zachary or Alastair and she is still plagued by dreams and strange visitations, She hits the local library to research some of the things happening and to decipher the messages left on her mirror and is befriended by a librarian who helps her with her research as well as becomes her friend. Something that has been missing in Katharine's life. It becomes apparent that Alastair and Zachary and a demon and an angel fighting for her soul and Katharine is told she will have to choose one or the other in the end. She has feelings for both, but knows she can not really have them because their real forms are terrifying. She is attracted to both, but only one is good and in the end he breaks the rules and tells her that she does not \have to choose one of them. There is another choice. But for this lapse he is killed. During the struggle between good and evil going on over Katharine she has learned what happens with the companies the firm invests in and she also becomes more aware of right and wrong and the fragility of the environment. When her father is killed during an earthquake and a building collapse,Katharine decided\s to work for the good of mankind and the environment with her money. So good wins out in this fast paced book of the paranormal and eternal earthly struggle between good and evil.
I said Scudiere was a versatile writer. She is. Her subjects are varied and plots range from natural disasters to murders to the paranormal. BUT- there is one underlying theme in all the book. The struggle between good and evil and how we perceive it. Religion, in several forms, gets its props, but personal responsibility for doing the right things is high on the list of importance. And free will. I found these books tough to read at times. But I was help captive all the way through each book by wanting to know who would persevere and how. I am certainly looking forward to the next book out to see where this is all going.
It took me a while to get in to the book RESONANCE. The writing style was rather intense and the Drs. Jillian and Jordan sounded too much alike at first and it seemed that there were characters appearing from many diverse places. But once I got into the rhythm of the book and saw that Jillian and Jordan in the new jobs at the CDC were investigating some mysterious illness and deaths and that Dr. Becky Sorenson was investigating some strange animal behavior as well as a worrying mutation of frogs, it was not surprising to discover that a geologist and a paleontologist have discovered some magnetic hot spots that could signal a massive change for life as we know it. What ensues is a look at how people react when the polar reversal takes place and what will happen to the earth and its inhabitants -both plant and animal. Interwoven through out the book are some complicated interpersonal relationships as well as plenty to think about as to what is happening to the earth and its inhabitants- both plant and animal. The book in one way is a medical suspense story. It is also a look at nature. It is also in the realm of speculative fiction. We have a glimpse of what appears to happens when the polls shift. Massive illness. Massive deaths. Plant and animal changes and extinctions. And a possibility of two alternate worlds. when people die in one world, they appear to move into the other world. And it appears that the people who die and those who stay are divided by occupation. Interesting, it appears that the FBI are categorized as good and the CIA as bad. Oddly enough some can pass back and forth between two world. Jillian and David, the geologist are such people. But how they decide to handle this is a twist.. Adventure, speculations, and a message of change is there. One also get a sense of right and wrong and good and bad at play here as well.
VENGEANCE appears to be a whole new ball game. We meet a rather harassed FBI agent who has been tracking a serial killer for some time. The killer is known as the Ninja Grudge killer and appears to be slicing and dicing some bad guys up and then killing them. There have been no clues and nothing to point to who is the killer, but it is keeping Owen Dunham away from his family and traveling all over the country.
We meet Lee Maxwell. a loner, an ex accountant, who worked for the Mafia and then betrayed them They retaliated by killing all of his family. Lee went to ground and learned to become a master marksman and went about methodically killing the gangsters who had killed his family. He usually stayed in the eastern part of he country. lee is out for a kill when he discovers that there is someone else at his scene who also plans to take out this particular bad guy. The assassin is a young woman, Cynthia (Cyn) Beller who was a survivor when the Mafia killed her family. She came up through the foster care system and learned early to defend herself and she has added an arsenal of deadly martial art top her education and set out to eliminate the people who executed her family as well as some of those who abused her now dead sister when they were on foster care. Cyn is the Grudge Ninja that Owen is hunting. This chance meeting between Cyn and Lee begets a deadly partnership that covers the country and drives the FBI mad. They kill only the bad guys, but do a little free lancing from the ,Mafia when they discover some really evil people. This book is much more violent than RESONANCE and more gory. There are also fewer characters to keep straight and that is a plus. At times I wished that they would stop the murders and get on with the plot. The character development of Lee and Cyn was a work in progress. The reader could see that they were causing each other to humanize and relate to each other. And as this happened, they were not so mechanical and mistakes were made and clues were available for the FBI. The killers decided to quit and Cyn went back to school for a college degree and Cyn and Lee were now just Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid. And Owen is one of Cyn's teachers at college. When he discovers his Ninja is in his class will he turn her in or will the FBI have decided that justice has really been served?
GOD'S EYE is the story of Katharine Geryon and her struggle to find her own identity. She is the daughter of a wealthy owner of an investment firm and is in line to take over when he retires. She lives in a posh condo and appears to lead a rather lonely life, A sort of poor little rich girl. But Katharine is a work in progress herself and absorbs feelings and opinions like a sponge. She is unattached at present and rather set in her ways. But that is about to change. And Katharine is not sleeping well. Nightmares. Apparitions.Sooty stains on her carpet. And animals appearing in her room. What is happening? And to add to the upheaval she is assigned a new assistant at work who set out to charm her and seduce her as well. There is also Zachary, the handsome and charismatic man who moved in next door to her condo and who also sets out to woo and seduce her. Where the first book had an abundance of death and destruction, and the second book had a plethora of violence, this story is laden with sex. Katharine can not control her impulses around either Zachary or Alastair and she is still plagued by dreams and strange visitations, She hits the local library to research some of the things happening and to decipher the messages left on her mirror and is befriended by a librarian who helps her with her research as well as becomes her friend. Something that has been missing in Katharine's life. It becomes apparent that Alastair and Zachary and a demon and an angel fighting for her soul and Katharine is told she will have to choose one or the other in the end. She has feelings for both, but knows she can not really have them because their real forms are terrifying. She is attracted to both, but only one is good and in the end he breaks the rules and tells her that she does not \have to choose one of them. There is another choice. But for this lapse he is killed. During the struggle between good and evil going on over Katharine she has learned what happens with the companies the firm invests in and she also becomes more aware of right and wrong and the fragility of the environment. When her father is killed during an earthquake and a building collapse,Katharine decided\s to work for the good of mankind and the environment with her money. So good wins out in this fast paced book of the paranormal and eternal earthly struggle between good and evil.
I said Scudiere was a versatile writer. She is. Her subjects are varied and plots range from natural disasters to murders to the paranormal. BUT- there is one underlying theme in all the book. The struggle between good and evil and how we perceive it. Religion, in several forms, gets its props, but personal responsibility for doing the right things is high on the list of importance. And free will. I found these books tough to read at times. But I was help captive all the way through each book by wanting to know who would persevere and how. I am certainly looking forward to the next book out to see where this is all going.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Yes...finally
Sorry about the delay,. Why has it been so long? Summer. Weather. Politics. Economy.
All of the above. Or none. Just procrastination at writing. But, read
I did and so now, the deluge.
If you like novels dealing with religious conspiracy you will be fascinated by SANCTUS ( William Morrow 978-0-06-203830-2) by Simon Toyne. This novel brings brings together many of the usual elements. The religious edifice that is famous for its vast collection of manuscripts and religious writings. But they are totally unavailable to modern scholars. It has the monks at odds with the Vatican. It has a suspicious suicide of one of the monks. And the counter plots of the monastery to keep the body aways from the local Turkish police is very odd and violent. .It also involves the long standing enmity between this monastic order and the keepers of the "old" religious faith. It involves the leaders of a humanitarian foundation. The subplots of the monks who will stop at nothing to conceal their perversion of the old religion, an unusual police group, and a group in South America are added to by the surprised and unsuspecting journalist sister of the dead monk keep the book filled with action and violence as well as twists and turns of religious lore.. what is t\\he secret being concealed by the amoral abbot of the monastery? What goes on during the rituals? Who is dead monk and why are he and his sister so special? Why will the group at the monastery kill to protect their secrets? It is a secret that could shake the foundations of religion as it we know it. what if
Eve were not the cause of mankind's woes as suggested? What if....Well, If you want to now what if, I have 3 books to give away if you contact me here, on Facebook, or on twitter.
did. Am]nd so nlow the deluge,
All of the above. Or none. Just procrastination at writing. But, read
I did and so now, the deluge.
If you like novels dealing with religious conspiracy you will be fascinated by SANCTUS ( William Morrow 978-0-06-203830-2) by Simon Toyne. This novel brings brings together many of the usual elements. The religious edifice that is famous for its vast collection of manuscripts and religious writings. But they are totally unavailable to modern scholars. It has the monks at odds with the Vatican. It has a suspicious suicide of one of the monks. And the counter plots of the monastery to keep the body aways from the local Turkish police is very odd and violent. .It also involves the long standing enmity between this monastic order and the keepers of the "old" religious faith. It involves the leaders of a humanitarian foundation. The subplots of the monks who will stop at nothing to conceal their perversion of the old religion, an unusual police group, and a group in South America are added to by the surprised and unsuspecting journalist sister of the dead monk keep the book filled with action and violence as well as twists and turns of religious lore.. what is t\\he secret being concealed by the amoral abbot of the monastery? What goes on during the rituals? Who is dead monk and why are he and his sister so special? Why will the group at the monastery kill to protect their secrets? It is a secret that could shake the foundations of religion as it we know it. what if
Eve were not the cause of mankind's woes as suggested? What if....Well, If you want to now what if, I have 3 books to give away if you contact me here, on Facebook, or on twitter.
did. Am]nd so nlow the deluge,
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Do you really know your Mom?
How well do you really know your Mom? That is the question posed to the family in this international best seller by a Korean author. PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOM (Knopf, 978-0-307-59391-7) by Kyung-sook Shin is a deeply touching story of a Korean family who begin a search for their somewhat elderly mother who has become lost in the milling crowds of the afternoon rush hour at Seoul Station. Their mother, who has terrible headaches and becomes disoriented and confused at times, has become separated from her husband in the crush and is lost. The entire family begins to search for her. Each adult child invokes the memories that he or she had of their mother and how they believed her to be. Each has a totally different recollection of their mother and what she meant and was about. As they search for her and uncover her past they have to rethink how they saw her and what she was. Each child comes to the conclusion that they only considered her as their mother and the role they thought she should have, They never considered how she really felt or if she was truly happy. They never considered her innermost thoughts and dreams. Only as they hunted for her did they learn about her life that was quite different than they had imagined. Each adult child tells their perspective of their mother when they were at home and now after they left for the city. Even the family has totally different views of her. A poignant picture of a women who loves her children fiercely and works constantly to give them what she has not had emerges. Even though they recall her more as a housewife and constant presence. They come to understand that she also had a life. One that was secret and We learn from her husband's viewpoint of a marriage that may not have been what it seemed, but what he appreciated much too late. We even get to hear the side of the mother as she is recalling at the end, or so It seems, the family life, her children and her hopes and dreams. Thisbook is assuredly universal in its appeal. the love of a family for their mother shines through even when they seem totally unaware she exists. This story could take place in any country. The story of a family who love each other but are too busy to connect and who take things for granted is timeless. And the family dynamics could occur anywhere in the world. Sisters and brothers who are too busy with their lives and families to keep in touch as well as a husband who has strayed even though he loves his wife are not confined to Korea. An elderly parent becoming confused is happening all too often. This is a beautiful book to read. And it may well bring tears to your eyes. I challenge you to read this without being moved. I also challenge you to read it and not reconsider how you see your own mother. Do you really know her dreams? Do you know what she had wanted for herself? This story is food for thought. A book club could have a field day with it, particularly an intergenerational one. This is definitely a keeper
Sunday, July 3, 2011
More quick takes on summmer reads...
I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays and curling up with a cool drink and a hot book. Here are some quick takes to whet your reading appetite.
THE RANGER (Putnam, 978-0-399-15748-6) by Ace Atkins. This is a gritty and extremely violent thriller set in the contemporary south. The ranger, Quinn Colson, comes back from fighting in Afghanistan and discovers his hometown is riddled with meth, corruption, and rampant greed. To top it off his uncle, the sheriff has supposedly committed suicide under very suspicious circumstances. Colson cleans up the town, solves some crimes, and exterminates a few bad guys along the way. It is dark and violent, but jam packed with action, interesting characters, and a good plot. Should become a series.
THE PROFESSION (Crown, 978-0-385-52873-3) is another thriller set in the near future and paints a very bleak picture of the United States and the world. The US, as well as the world, is in trouble. Mercenary armies have become the go to source for countries in conflicts and a disgraced and exiled former US general, Salter, is leading a force that plans to take over the county so he can return home. The hero is a person who has known Salter for years, Gent Gentilhomme, who is trying to defuse the situation before it explodes, literally.It is another jam packed with action tale, not only of war, terror, and mayhem, but also of defining character and pride. Fast, furious, and overly realistic.
A TIME FOR PATRIOTS (Morrow, 978-0-06-198999-5) by Dale Brown. Could this happen here? This takes a look at the US in an another time that is suspiciously similar to what we have been experiencing. Except this is more vicious, more violent, and even filled with more corruption and greed. than the present. A newly elected president must deal with a galloping recession, homegrown militia insurgency in the western states, and general unrest and dissatisfaction. The county has lost national departments and agencies to budget cuts and most programs are at a standstill. The citizens have banded together to help themselves, or in some cases to take over the country.Radioactive material is stolen and terror is expected, But a group made up of the Air Force, The Civil Air Patrol, come to the rescue by getting the good guys organized and fighting back, This book will have you playing guess who and turning pages as fast as you can read. It has quite a bit of wow factor as well as lots of action. Characters are interesting as well.
And for something entirely different... we have two non fiction titles. HOW THE GOVERNMENT GOT IN YOUR BACKYARD ( Timber Press, 978-1-60459-001-0) by Jeff Gillman and Eric Heberlig. This is an excellent look at all sides of many questions. Environmental issues, energy problems, modifies plant genes, and almost all the things we wonder about.The sides presented are the left and right views of a subject as well as the science and politics of it all. And it is succinct and readable.It might help you understand some of the rhetoric being bandied about.
THE BOND ( Morrow, 978-0-06-19678-2) by Wayne Pacelle. Pacelle is the president/CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. This is about our relationship with animals. It is a look at the historical background of our relationship with animals as well as how we react to them currently. It is also a call to better treatment of animals and our own pets. H also explores the vast and often ignored intelligence of animals We also see way animals are mistreated as well as exploited. Not all will agree with the premises or agree with some of the ideas and tactics. But it is a interesting look at the way animals have been used over time and how we see and use them now. If you have a pet, you might find this interesting and provocative.
THE RANGER (Putnam, 978-0-399-15748-6) by Ace Atkins. This is a gritty and extremely violent thriller set in the contemporary south. The ranger, Quinn Colson, comes back from fighting in Afghanistan and discovers his hometown is riddled with meth, corruption, and rampant greed. To top it off his uncle, the sheriff has supposedly committed suicide under very suspicious circumstances. Colson cleans up the town, solves some crimes, and exterminates a few bad guys along the way. It is dark and violent, but jam packed with action, interesting characters, and a good plot. Should become a series.
THE PROFESSION (Crown, 978-0-385-52873-3) is another thriller set in the near future and paints a very bleak picture of the United States and the world. The US, as well as the world, is in trouble. Mercenary armies have become the go to source for countries in conflicts and a disgraced and exiled former US general, Salter, is leading a force that plans to take over the county so he can return home. The hero is a person who has known Salter for years, Gent Gentilhomme, who is trying to defuse the situation before it explodes, literally.It is another jam packed with action tale, not only of war, terror, and mayhem, but also of defining character and pride. Fast, furious, and overly realistic.
A TIME FOR PATRIOTS (Morrow, 978-0-06-198999-5) by Dale Brown. Could this happen here? This takes a look at the US in an another time that is suspiciously similar to what we have been experiencing. Except this is more vicious, more violent, and even filled with more corruption and greed. than the present. A newly elected president must deal with a galloping recession, homegrown militia insurgency in the western states, and general unrest and dissatisfaction. The county has lost national departments and agencies to budget cuts and most programs are at a standstill. The citizens have banded together to help themselves, or in some cases to take over the country.Radioactive material is stolen and terror is expected, But a group made up of the Air Force, The Civil Air Patrol, come to the rescue by getting the good guys organized and fighting back, This book will have you playing guess who and turning pages as fast as you can read. It has quite a bit of wow factor as well as lots of action. Characters are interesting as well.
And for something entirely different... we have two non fiction titles. HOW THE GOVERNMENT GOT IN YOUR BACKYARD ( Timber Press, 978-1-60459-001-0) by Jeff Gillman and Eric Heberlig. This is an excellent look at all sides of many questions. Environmental issues, energy problems, modifies plant genes, and almost all the things we wonder about.The sides presented are the left and right views of a subject as well as the science and politics of it all. And it is succinct and readable.It might help you understand some of the rhetoric being bandied about.
THE BOND ( Morrow, 978-0-06-19678-2) by Wayne Pacelle. Pacelle is the president/CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. This is about our relationship with animals. It is a look at the historical background of our relationship with animals as well as how we react to them currently. It is also a call to better treatment of animals and our own pets. H also explores the vast and often ignored intelligence of animals We also see way animals are mistreated as well as exploited. Not all will agree with the premises or agree with some of the ideas and tactics. But it is a interesting look at the way animals have been used over time and how we see and use them now. If you have a pet, you might find this interesting and provocative.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Capsulated comment
So many books have appeared on my reading schedule that I am going to share some brief comments about several today. and here we go...
THE SILVER BOAT (Viking, 978-0-670-02250-2) by Luanne Rice. Three adult sisters return to Martha's Vineyard to close the family beach house.. An discovery of some old family letters sends them on a trip to Ireland to learn more about their missing father. T he sisters are totally different, but their perspectives provide a warm and compelling look at family life.
TRINITY SIX (St.Martin's Press. 978-0-312-6759-5) by Charles Cumming. In the 1930s there were a group of English men spying for Russia. They were known as the Trinity 5. Remember Blunt, Burgess , Maclean, Cairncross, and Philby? What if there was a 6th spy? Cumming has created a fascinating novel with this conjecture that adds another element to the cold war years as well as provide some fancy undercover ideas about a former spy trying to get his story told and the ensuing mayhem that can occur when all governments involved wish to keep it silent. A complex and satisfying read.
ORIGINAL SIN (Hyperion, 978-1-4013-2421-6) by Beth McMullen. A rather brittle book about a suburban housewife who is not what she seems. Under that housewifely exterior lurks a retired secret agent who was known professionally as Sally Sin when she had a license to kill. But one never retires and she is called back to fight her old nemesis who seems surprising friendly.Travel, intrigue, fun and games.
A light summer romp.
THE SOLDIER'S WIFE (Hyperion, 978-1-4013=4170-1) by Margaret Leroy. Set on the isle pf Guernsey during WWII and i\the occupation of this island by the German. This is a poignant story of a woman and her two daughters as they cope with the absence of her soldier husband and her failing mother -in-law.
Vivienne knows her marriage is not good, but her loneliness if salved somewhat with a liaison with one of the German soldiers quartered next door. They are both lonely and friendship blooms into love even as Vivienne tries not to get involved. This is a wonderful story about the human spirit, the need to connect, and the ability to cope with whatever befalls. It is also a stark reminder that many things are not black and white. The book is lyrical in it look at family life both good and bad, I is a timeless theme.
trinity Five.
THE SILVER BOAT (Viking, 978-0-670-02250-2) by Luanne Rice. Three adult sisters return to Martha's Vineyard to close the family beach house.. An discovery of some old family letters sends them on a trip to Ireland to learn more about their missing father. T he sisters are totally different, but their perspectives provide a warm and compelling look at family life.
TRINITY SIX (St.Martin's Press. 978-0-312-6759-5) by Charles Cumming. In the 1930s there were a group of English men spying for Russia. They were known as the Trinity 5. Remember Blunt, Burgess , Maclean, Cairncross, and Philby? What if there was a 6th spy? Cumming has created a fascinating novel with this conjecture that adds another element to the cold war years as well as provide some fancy undercover ideas about a former spy trying to get his story told and the ensuing mayhem that can occur when all governments involved wish to keep it silent. A complex and satisfying read.
ORIGINAL SIN (Hyperion, 978-1-4013-2421-6) by Beth McMullen. A rather brittle book about a suburban housewife who is not what she seems. Under that housewifely exterior lurks a retired secret agent who was known professionally as Sally Sin when she had a license to kill. But one never retires and she is called back to fight her old nemesis who seems surprising friendly.Travel, intrigue, fun and games.
A light summer romp.
THE SOLDIER'S WIFE (Hyperion, 978-1-4013=4170-1) by Margaret Leroy. Set on the isle pf Guernsey during WWII and i\the occupation of this island by the German. This is a poignant story of a woman and her two daughters as they cope with the absence of her soldier husband and her failing mother -in-law.
Vivienne knows her marriage is not good, but her loneliness if salved somewhat with a liaison with one of the German soldiers quartered next door. They are both lonely and friendship blooms into love even as Vivienne tries not to get involved. This is a wonderful story about the human spirit, the need to connect, and the ability to cope with whatever befalls. It is also a stark reminder that many things are not black and white. The book is lyrical in it look at family life both good and bad, I is a timeless theme.
trinity Five.
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