July 2018 Wrap Up

Books Read:
The Native Heath by Elizabeth Fair  4/5 stars
The third of Fair's charming, sometimes snarky novels sees widowed Julia returning to the village she visited regularly as a child, and becoming involved in the lives of some of her neighbors.  Witty and thoroughly enjoyable, the Native Heath is well-written with believable characters.

The Headmistress by Angela Thirkell  4/5 stars
Thirkell continues her Barsetshire series with this 1945 novel.  As with all of her novels, it is witty and charming, and quite well written.

Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer  4/5 stars
I'm currently reading a nonfiction book about the Regency world, and it caused me to crave one of Heyer's excellent novels.  I am not a fan of romance, but I am certainly a fan of Heyer.

Audio Books Completed:
My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni   3/5 stars  (my review here)

Fall of a Philanderer by Carola Dunn  3/5 stars
Daisy and her husband find the body of a man dashed on the cliffs while  on vacation and investigate the murder.  Another average mystery from Dunn; enjoyable but not memorable.

Unconditional Surrender by Evelyn Waugh  4/5 stars
The third in the tragi-comedic "Sword of Honor" trilogy is, as I said about the two previous volumes, a good read thanks to the strong writing, understated humor and masterful satire.

The Yellow Mask by Wilkie Collins  2/5 stars
This is a short Victorian romantic thriller, hampered by it's brevity and hence a lack of detail, and overall not fully satisfying.

The Moor by Laurie R. King  4/5 stars
Thoroughly enjoyable Russell/Holmes mystery.  King has a good idea of Holmes, and keeps his attitude consistent with canon.

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

My Sister's Grave 
Robert Dugoni
3/5 stars

Tracy Crosswhite's sister disappeared twenty  years ago.  A man was convicted of her murder, even though a body was never found.  Now, her body is discovered by hunters, giving new evidence that the conviction may have been incorrect.  Tracy, a homicide detective, is determined to find the answer.

This novel effectively uses backstory alternating with the current story to bring the reader into the plot.  The characters are well-developed and most motivations believable.  However, the book is just too long; it drags in the middle, and the ending is tediously extended.  In addition, while there is suspense, the solution to the mystery itself is apparent before the denouement. This is by no means a bad book, but it isn't better than average.

June 2018 Wrap Up

Books Read:
Measure for Measure  by William Shakespeare  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Heat and Dust  by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala  3/5 stars
This novel simultaneously tells the story of Olivia, living in India during the 1920s, and an unnamed woman, who comes to India some forty years later, trying to piece together Olivia's life from her letters.  It goes back and forth between the third person narrative of Olivia's life, and the first person narrator who details both her current life in India and her search for Olivia's past.  Jhabvala is a fine writer, and her prose is excellent.  The stories didn't flow together as well as expected, however, and neither was engrossing.

Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Audio Books Completed:
Decline and Fall  by Evelyn Waugh  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Spotlight  by Patricia Wentworth  3/5 stars
A blackmailer is murdered during a house party, and Miss Silver helps the police with the investigation.  This follows Wentworth's standard formula (young girl becomes involved in a police investigation, seeks Miss Silver's help, and finds love in the end), but is still a relatively good mystery.  The murder itself, though, wasn't fully credible, lowering the rating.

You Sent Me a Letter by Lucy Dawson  4/5 stars
Sophie is awakened in the middle of the night by an intruder with a letter that is to be opened at her birthday party the following night; if she doesn't, her family will be hurt.  This psychological thriller drags a little about three-quarters of the way through, but other than that it is a stressful, intense read that will keep the reader guessing.

Men at Arms by Evelyn Waugh  4/5 stars
The first of Waugh's "Sword of Honor" trilogy, Men at Arms follows Guy Crouchback as he attempts to join the Army at the beginning of WWII.  While a serious novel, Waugh's understated humor and masterful satire make this a good read.

Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil  4/5 stars  (my review here)

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Officers and Gentlemen by Evelyn Waugh  4/5 stars
In this second of the "Sword of Honor" trilogy, Guy Crouchback is assigned to a commando unit, then is involved with the messy retreat after the Battle of Crete.  (See Men at Arms above.)

Did Not Finish:
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Lawson's memoir did not resonate with me like her five star book about mental illness (Furiously Happy).  It was funny in parts, but some bits that were intended to be humorous just didn't work for me.