The Lake House by Kate Morton

The Lake House

Kate Morton 

2015  

4/5 stars

The complicated plot of the Lake House is difficult to describe, as it follows both different time lines and different characters.  The cornerstone of the plot is that DC Sadie Sparrow, on leave from the Met, visits her grandfather in Cornwall and becomes obsessed with a 70 year old cold case.  

It sounds bland, explained like that, but it is actually a rich, complex, and delightful novel that is not so much a mystery as a character study.  The lake house, Loeanneth, features as more than just a setting, while the secrets that surround the tragedy form most of the story.  

Morton writes well, though not seamlessly.  There were times when the switches between characters/time lines was jarring, and the story dragged a bit here and there. There were also a few details that didn't fit with the historical periods.  Nevertheless, despite it's length (nearly 500 pages, and over 20 hours of audiobook), this is an engrossing, satisfying, and at times moving book that is worth the investment.

The Lost Man by Jane Harper

The Lost Man 

Jane Harper  

2019  

4/5 stars

Cameron Bright is found dead outside the boundary of his large cattle ranch, having died of exposure to the elements of outback Queensland.  The entire Bright family is confused, shocked and horrified over the inexplicable nature of Cam's gruesome death -- was it suicide or murder?  The past begins to take on new shades of meaning, as his elder brother Nathan, fighting numerous demons of his own, seeks to make sense of the incident.  

Harper is a talented writer, creating characters and situations that are believable and engrossing, with the outback itself figuring largely in the plot.  The history of the family was revealed in an effective, gradual way, giving the novel an uncomfortable and atmospheric feel, and the story reached a conclusion that, though surprising, was, at the same time, not a surprise.  Overall, this slow paced and introspective book is a gripping work that, while a tightly plotted mystery, is also an intricate and detailed psychological character study of a family.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Rivers of London (original UK title) or

Midnight Riot (US title)

Ben Aaronovitch

2011

5/5 stars

Peter Grant, a probationary constable with the Met, is guarding a London crime scene one night, when he is approached by a ghost with information about the murder.  Discovering the previously unknown world of the paranormal, unsurprisingly, changes Peter's life completely and gives him a new position as the apprentice to DCI Nightingale, investigating preternatural crimes.  Together they hunt vampires, try to placate river gods, and search for an unearthly killer at the risk of their own lives.

This is an enormously fun book with spectacular world-building.  Peter is a likable protagonist, well-drawn and believable.  While some of the lesser characters weren't fleshed out as much as I would have liked, Nightingale in particular, the plot, action, and descriptions were great.  Rivers of London is smart, witty, geeky, and mostly incredible and, though not perfect, it's close enough. I'm truly sorry I waited so long to read it.

(note: It's so good that, even at nearly 400 pages, I read it in less than 24 hours.)

May 2021 Wrap-Up

Books Read:
A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee (2017)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (2018)  4/5 stars (my review here)

Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee (2019)  4/5 stars (my review here)

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater (2020)  3/5 stars

This is a generally charming novel taking place in a Regency England filled with magic, where a young woman is suffering from a fairy curse that has taken away half her soul. Atwater is heavy handed with her morality message, unfortunately, and about half way through, she sends the plot in that direction, away from the interesting plight of the heroine, and creates a novel less engaging than it could have been.  Despite that, I enjoyed both the characters and the sweet romance, and those aspects kept my attention until the end.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (2011)  5/5 stars  (my review here)

Audio Books Completed:

The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie (1930)  4/5 stars

This set of short stories all feature Mr. Satterthwaite, an elderly gentleman of the world, who spends much of his time visiting friends both in England and out of the country.  In each story, Mr. Satterthwaite runs into a mysterious man named Mr. Quin, and every meeting ends with Mr. Satterthwaite involved in some sort of conundrum that he helps resolve with aid from Mr. Quin.  It's hard to explain these stories, obviously, but they are well-written, completely enjoyable, and sometimes even moving.  They are not all out-and-out mysteries; some are about loss and recovery, and remind me more of Christie writing as Mary Westmacott than of a typical Christie plot.  The Mr. Quin stories do not seem to be as popular as her more traditional mystery stories, but should not be overlooked. 

Mythos: the Greek Myths Reimagined by Stephen Fry (2019)  4/5 stars

Fry uses his delightful way with words to give his own version of the famous Greek myths. As he says in the afterward, he has reimagined these tales -- they are not retellings or interpretations, rather the traditional stories told in his own words.  I am well-versed in Greek mythology, and did notice a lack of detail at times, which is the only reason this wonderful collection is not a five star book.  It is a fascinating read and would be appropriate for those new to the world of Greek myths or for those just wanting a refresher.

Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King (2012)  4/5 stars

This picks up where Pirate King leaves off, with Mary Russell and her partner/husband Sherlock Holmes in Morocco.  Russell, waking up with amnesia, finds herself involved in a secret attempt to prevent war between the French government and the Moroccans of the Rif Revolt. Garment of Shadows is intriguing and gripping, and solidly good overall.  King remains one of my favorite authors of historical suspense.

The Witch Elm by Tana French (2018)  4/5 stars

Unlike French's Dublin Murder Squad series, this is not a crime novel, police procedural, or even really a thriller.  Instead, it's a psychological character study that centers on the discovery of a human skull in the back garden.  French is amazingly talented at creating a realistic, largely unlikable protagonist, and having the reader become intimate enough with this person that a sympathetic bond is formed.  While long and at times slow moving, the Witch Elm is still a skillfully written, sometimes unsettling, and overall powerful novel.   

Did Not Finish:

The Widening Stain by W. Bolingbroke Johnson

American authors aren't my first choice, as I've often said, but I've recently been trying some reprinted Golden Age American mysteries, and this is one of that series.  I didn't connect with the humor, location, or characters, but it could just be that I needed a break from mysteries for a bit, so  I'll not rule this one out as a definite "no".

The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

After reading the Rivers of London, I was in the mood for more fantasy.   The plot was cute, but the writing was not so great.  I might try a different series another time, but for now I'm moving on.

Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March

This highly acclaimed first novel just did not have an authentic feel to me.  Maybe it was too soon after the fantastic Wyndham series for me to try another Colonial India mystery.

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey

Exactly the same problems as with March's novel.