And Then There Were None

Agatha Christie is the mama of mystery. She created the “closed door” mystery and wrote memorable characters like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her mysteries are complex, but “cozy” in the sense that the audience does not read about the death as it is happening and most of her mysteries take place with middle class society in quaint locations. Christie is also known for stories that are solvable by the reader prior to getting to the end. On top of all this, she is the most translated author, outside of religious texts.

Although I know about her celebrated novels and my parents quite enjoy watching Poirot mysteries on Masterpiece Theatre, I've never read an Agatha Christie novel. Feeling it my duty to read the classics and expand my knowledge, I picked up perhaps her most famous work, And Then There Were None (or Ten Little Indians if you’re not worried about being politically correct).

Christie sets up her story with ten characters all traveling to an island off of England. None of them know one another, but all are connected in what will become a deathly visit. All of the men and women on the island are accused of a crime and from here, they begin to die off. With each death, a little soldier figurine goes missing and the guests get more and more frantic. Is there some lunatic on the island exacting revenge, or is it one of their own?

Christie’s characters all have a back story. Some of them are somewhat one dimensional, but then again, they don’t last long enough to become fully formed. The characters that last until the near end have stories and personalities that leave you wondering…could he/she be a criminal and killer. The setting was perfect: a mansion on a lonely rock in the middle of nothing. While reading, I could see the ocean and smell the salt air. I felt the anxiety the characters felt and mentally told them not to go off alone. Although, as in most mysteries, I just wanted to know who the damn killer was along with the why and how, I found myself eagerly anticipating the next action and trying to deduce who it might be. I thought I knew, then it couldn't be that character, and I would reformulate. That is half the fun with Christie’s novel. On top of that the explanation at the end was complex and rewarding.

I don’t always read mysteries, because instead of concentrating on the journey, I find myself concentrating on the ending. Miss Christie was a truly enjoyable author to read, however. Although she wrote her books in the 1920s and ‘30s, they still remain fun reads today. If you haven’t tried her works yet, give them a shot! They’re not terribly long and they are diverting. In my opinion, this is a classic worth reading.

Since she has been around for a while, a lot of people have imitated her style. Here are some authors who write stories like Agatha Christie.

• M.C. Beaton. Much like Christie, Beaton has created memorable characters in the form of Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth. These are also puzzle mysteries, so the reader can try to solve it before the detectives.
• Louise Penny. This Canadian mystery writer focuses on Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, who has high morals and a big appetite. These are more leisurely paced mysteries and feature quirky secondary characters on top of intriguing crimes.
• Ngaio Mars. Cozy mysteries set during “the Golden Age of Crime” are also like Christie in the sense that they don’t contain graphic violence and follow one inspector around.

Defending

I typically don’t read mystery/thriller and police procedurals are a far cry from my comfort zone, but Defending Jacob by William Landay was a book club read, so I bared my teeth and read on.

Andy Barber is a DA in Boston, Massachusetts. When the murder of a kid who goes to his son’s school is discovered, Andy is the attorney in charge of the case. Shortly after starting the investigation, however, he is pulled off the case and asked to take leave because his son is the lead suspect in the case. What follows is the story of Andy and his family dealing with the investigation and trial of Jacob, Andy’s son.

The book is a police procedural from Andy’s perspective. The audience sees into the mind of a former DA and gets the nitty gritty on how court proceedings work, witnesses act, and justice is not always so just. If you enjoy Law and Order this may be right up your alley. The court details and testimony bored me for the most part. Personally, I enjoy police shows, but those only last an hour and aren’t as in depth as this book. It was certainly interesting to hear about how attorneys work their craft and seduce the jury, and about how evidence and testimony are used and misused. Interesting and frightening.

The ending to the book was a bang, but without any follow up, leaving the reader guessing what really happened. I wanted more and it just ended. After reading through pages of boring details about whether blood would spatter or just pool, I wanted a bit more information about the big events at the end.

Landay went to law school and his knowledge is put to good use in this book. Although I was not a fan of the plot of the novel, I found Landay’s scope and writing intriguing. The illusions to what would happen (“we didn’t know at that time…”) both annoyed and compelled me. I wanted to know what was coming, but I also hate those cheap tricks.

All in all, not my cup of tea. Although I felt it lacked a few more details at the rich parts and too many details at the mundane sections, the insight into a lawyer's mind was a different experience that I can see a lot of people enjoying.

Here are some read alikes:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Good Father by Noah Hawley

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Wicked Witch and Cozy Mysteries

Happy October! O goody my favorite month of the year! Fall leaves, chilly weather, pumpkins, hearty soups, HALLOWEEN!! It’s such a lovely and homey time of year. This year I decided to create a reading project for myself. I will read books corresponding with different holidays and seasons. The project was inspired by another friend who is currently reading books about all different religions. I decided to read about how people celebrate the seasons and get myself revved up for the changes and festivities.

Well seeing as autumn and Halloween are two of my favorite seasons/celebrations, I was all too ready to jump into fall/Halloween themed books. The superstition and magic surrounding Halloween are what always make me feel like a kid again, so this holiday I am ready to keep the spirit alive and learn a little about Halloween and harvest.

Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier was my first seasonal read. Lucy Stone is a small town Maine newspaper reporter, mother, and small time sleuth. In this novel, Lucy must find a murderer, plan the Halloween party, and keep up with her reporting. Over the summer the town acquired a witch. Lucy first meets Diana, the Wiccan priestess, when she goes with some girlfriends to get their fortunes read. What Diana reads in the cards, Lucy blows off as mere superstition and guessing, but the cards never lie and soon, Lucy finds that Diana might have been onto something. A burnt body is found in the woods and nobody knows who the killer is, but Lucy’s neighbor, Ike, sure seems ready to blame Diana for all the trouble in town. In a time when we like to think of ourselves as civilized and above silly superstition and judgment, Lucy soon finds that the town may be on a witch hunt!

The “Lucy Stone Mysteries”, as Meier’s series is called is classified as gentle reads or, since this is a mystery, cozy mysteries. Think of it like “Murder She Wrote”, that great ‘90s TV show with Angela Lansbury. There’s a quaint small town with an adorable downtown area, friendly neighbors, and a main character that is affable and recognizable. Hey, she goes to farmers’ markets just like I do! Cozy mysteries involve some sort of a crime, an amateur crime solver, typically, and a charming location. Cozies don’t involve violence, or gore. They usually talk about home life and make you feel warm and fuzzy, making them perfect fall/winter reads.

Meier’s Wicked Witch Murder has all the elements of a cozy mystery. Lucy is easy for the reader to sympathize with. She holds down a job while being a mother and wife. The town is cute and picturesque. The mystery propels the story along and allows for other plots to be pursued. There was enough talk about magic and Wicca to make it a fall book, but if you are looking for something more focused on autumn and Halloween, this may be a bit off. I learned a few things about the Wiccan religion, but seeing as it's autumn, I wish it were set in fall instead of from summer into fall. 

All in all, the book is enjoyable for those looking for something light and easy. The mystery was not terribly intriguing or riveting, so if you are a true mystery lover, this might be too tame for you.

If you enjoy this book, another similar book also about a witch and Halloween, is Blackwork by Monica Ferris. If you like cozy mysteries, some popular authors are Rita Mae Brown, M.C. Beaton, and JoanneFluke.

Well onward and upward toward Halloween! 

A Jane Austen Mystery

I have a penchant for Jane Austen and material inspired by her or her works. Can’t help it! Her novels hit home for me and I’m not alone in this view. She is a literary mastermind and has made a killing in the literary and film community, even if she doesn’t reap the benefits these days seeing as she’s six feet under. Jane Austen fan fiction is fun to read, but hardly EVER done right. How do you imitate an author with a voice from a different era and a distinct understanding of her characters and society in an accurate manner? You don’t. You shoot for the moon and land among the stars.

Well, Death Comes to Pemberley  by P.D. James is the Jane Austen wannabe up for discussion this week. Eight years after their marriage, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam plan to hold their annual October ball. On the eve of the ball, a dark and stormy night of course, tragedy ensues. George Wickham is back at Pemberley as a suspect to one of his friend’s murders.  Could murder be another item to add to his rap sheet? The novel takes place over several months as the case is taken from Pemberley, to the local courts and then to London where a decision is to be made on Wickham’s guilt or innocence.

First let me start by informing you that PD James is a mystery/thriller writer. She wrote the book The Children of Men, which some of you might remember as a Clive Owen movie. But for the most part, she does mystery and is not a Jane Austen fan fiction writer. The novel is apparently meant as more of a mystery with the backdrop of Pemberley, than a Pride and Prejudice fan fiction with murder.

Small amounts of what has happened since we last left off with our characters is given, but mostly, the novel dives into the present. The novel jumped between characters, following Elizabeth sometimes and Jane others, but mostly it stuck with Darcy. He is the male and thus decorum dictates that he is in charge of making sure the proceedings of the murder and the ensuing trial are arranged. Not work for the ladies. Jane Austen has a heightened sense of understanding of character and although I felt James started off well, I did not feel attached to my characters like I do in Austen’s novels. I was disappointed by the way James portrayed characters like the Colonel.

The epilogue felt so misplaced. It went from the wrap up of the murder to Elizabeth and Darcy talking about the past and mistakes they made when they were first getting to know one another. James tried to have it both ways, as a mystery and Pride and Prejudice follow up, but the take on the characters and their lives now just wasn’t there and the epilogue felt like a cop out trying to give Jane Austen fans a little of their favorite book.

Jane Austen’s voice was slightly present, but the ensuing novel felt more like a gimmick to draw in a certain audience than a tribute to one of the great English writers. If you like mystery and police procedurals, than perhaps you should try this, but I don’t even think it’s that interesting as far as mystery novels go.

Verdict: Disappointing, but not unreadable. 

Crazy Lady or Unjustly Accused?

So I must admit, I've never read Margaret Atwood before. Well there are a lot of other books out there and I'm a busy girl! I finally got around to it and read Alias Grace. A friend told me this was one of her favorites and I find it both intriguing and annoying when people tell me to read their favorite book unless I know we have similar taste. It's awkward when someone hands you a book and you can't get through it or dislike something that they adore. It could break up a friendship in extreme circumstances (Fitzgerald and Hemingway were frienemies because Hemingway didn't like Fitzgerald's writing-or-because he thought Fitzgerald was a pansy-don't quote me on that).

Just so happens Atwood is a fantastic writer. A good portion of the story is told as Grace, the main character, talking to a psychologist about her past. A very tricky thing to do well, but Atwood weaves the story's present in with the storytelling. Luckily, I will not be losing a friend on this one. It was a good recommendation.

Grace is a quiet woman and as you get to know her, she starts opening up. The story is based on true events. There was a Canadian woman murderess who killed her employer and the housekeeper. Grace is that woman. Through a back and forth between Grace's narrative and what is happening in the psychologists life, the audience is unsure about what the truth is or if Grace is an anti-social, psychotic murderer. While getting to know the character, it's hard to think of Grace as a murderess. She is well mannered, but strong in spirit. She takes her predicament in stride and carries her burden with...well, grace.

As I believe is Atwood's style, the story has a bit of a supernatural twist. You can pick it up from the beginning, but it's not meant to be a sci-fi novel and it certainly is not a central focus of the novel. Towards the end, it kind of threw me off because the novel was set so much in the rational and scientific look at the human brain and manner, that adding a supernatural element felt a bit out of place. Judge for yourself.

All in all, I would recommend this to the patient reader. It is a bit longer (480 pages) and takes some patience to invest in, but it is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. This is a character-centered book, so if you want to delve into the human psyche and get to know a famous murderess, give this a shot.

Also, if you have recommendations for me, I'm always more than happy to hear them. I love hearing about new material. Just take it with a grain of salt, because I might not read it, or, God forbid!, I might not like it. Hopefully, we can remain friends even if your favorite book rubs me the wrong way:)

Happy Reading.

Antisocial Never Looked So Good

I gave into the buzz. After at least a year of hearing how awesome the books in the late Stieg Larsson's Millennium series are I relented and picked up the first book "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". As silly as it is, I usually hesitate when it comes to bestsellers. My snobby bibliophile comes out and up goes my nose. "These plebeians don't know what good writing really is. They're all just drawn to the latest sexed book, thrown together in a rush and hardly edited [all said in my Brahman accent]." Who is this monster? O yeah, it's me. Time to set aside my ugly self and try this international bestseller.

Well if you're one of the few who have yet to read this book, let me give you a drive-by summary. Mikael Blomkvist, a financial investigatory journalist, was recently convicted of libel. Lisbeth Salandar is a misunderstood, antisocial young woman who has a penchant for investigating/researching people and a desire to solve her own problems. Mikael is hired by the old CEO of a huge corporation to solve a mystery and soon Salandar and Mikael partner up to figure this thing out. There is so much more to the story and so many other angles, but I don't want to give anything away. The weaving together of stories is intricate. The main characters are interesting, especially Salandar, a girl so unlike anyone I've ever met or would even look twice at.

Overall it was a fun book. Fantastic beach read! The writing is good, and the story is rich. Again, Salandar is a compelling character, who I want to see more from. You never know what this character will do or if you'll ever hear her full story, which makes me want to see more from her. After all the hype, I was a smidgen disappointed. Let me stress, ONLY A SMIDGEN. Still a great read, especially as far as 'who done its' go. I guess I just expected a lot because I heard so much about the book. It's not a book I will rave about to others or name as a favorite, but I see why people really like it and all in all I liked the book and will probably end up reading the remaining two in the series. Who knows, maybe I will write love blogs to "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". Only time will tell.