The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

The Imperfectionists
Tom Rachman
2010
4/5 stars

This is a set of stories about the various employees (and one reader) of a failing international English language newspaper located in Rome.  Each chapter focuses on one person, giving a glimpse of both private and working life, and how the paper affects that person.  The backstory of the creation, rise, and decline of the newspaper is told as well, in vignettes at the end of each chapter.  The stories are tied together through the paper and through common characters, making it a cohesive whole, if not an actual novel.

Rachman creates intimate portraits of his characters, generally showing each at a most vulnerable point in life or career.  The stories are not up-lifting or cheerful -- most are sad, even depressing -- and yet the prose is light, easy, flowing.  This is not a particularly enjoyable book, but it is extremely readable, and, at times, compelling. 

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

The School of Essential Ingredients
Erica Bauermeister
2009
4/5 stars

Lillian holds a class in her restaurant, and instead of teaching how to follow a recipe, she teached the art of cooking and the love of ingredients.  The eight members of her class come from a variety of backgrounds and current situations, but all find themselves in the experience.

Each chapter focuses on one night of the class, and one of the students, weaving the past with the present.  Giving life and story to all of the eight students plus Lillian is ambitious, but Bauermeister is generally successful.  Her prose is lyrical and flows gently from one sentence to the next, and she is skillful at creating atmosphere.  Overall, it's quite an impressive debut novel. 

The Ex by Alafair Burke

The Ex
Alafair Burke
2016
3/5 stars


Criminal defense lawyer Olivia Randall is stunned when she hears that her former fiancé, Jack Harris, has been arrested for a triple homicide.  She agrees to take his case and uncovers what appears to be a plot to frame Jack for these murders.  As Olivia delves deeper into the evidence, though, questions begin to arise.

This domestic suspense had me riveted from the beginning.  The plot was faced-paced and intriguing, and Burke's prose fit the characters and situations well.  As the story neared the end, I realized the solution and waited to see how Burke would make it work.  Unfortunately, she left many plot holes, so that the evidence was irreconcilable with the conclusion.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel up until then, however, and will certainly try another of Burke's novels.

April 2019 Wrap-Up

Books Read:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling  4/5 stars
As I mentioned last month, I'm rereading this series with a group; no need to review such a popular book.

Death of an Airman by Christopher St. John Sprigg  4/5 stars
This is an enjoyable Golden Age mystery, a bit convoluted at times, but otherwise engaging and generally well-written.  The three main characters were likable, and the solution was not easily apparent.  I would certainly read another mystery by Sprigg.

Antidote to Venom by Freeman Wills Croft  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The Mapmaker's Wife by Robert Whitaker  4/5 stars (my review here)


Audio Books Completed:
Eternity Ring by Patricia Wentworth  3/5 stars
When a young woman announces she's seen a murder, Detective Frank Abbot finds himself personally involved, and asks for Miss Silver's help.  It was obvious from the beginning who the guilty party was, and the coincidences leading up to the crime weren't fully convincing.  However, it was still an enjoyable, light mystery.

An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor  3/5 stars
This second of the series picks up exactly where An Irish Country Doctor leaves off, and follows Barry Laverty in his second month as a village G.P.  It wasn't as charming or engaging as the first, and dragged a bit in parts with events that weren't as funny as the author intended.  It does leave the reader curious to read the next Ballybucklebo installment, though.  (On  side note: Nearly every speaker uses "Jesus" as an exclamation in nearly every conversation.  I find it distracting and displeasing.)

The Game by Laurie R. King  4/5 stars
Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, are sent to India to search for a missing British spy.  This is more of an adventure than a mystery, and was great fun to read. Russell is an engaging character and her narration enjoyable. Holmes is comparable to the original and the dynamics between him and Russell are enjoyable.  (I would recommend reading the series in order.)

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan  4/5 stars
Isabella, Lady Trent, narrates her first experience of studying dragons in this engaging and well-written tale.  The fictional world is especially intriguing, with hints of detailed religion, politics and culture.  The first of a series, it leaves the reader looking forward to the next adventure.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins  4/5 stars
This is an engrossing domestic thriller, excellently told from three points of view.  Whether by author design or not, I knew the answer three-fourths of the way through, but still enjoyed the rest.  While not perfect, it was a suspenseful novel that stayed in my mind even when I wasn't reading it. 

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke  3/5 stars
In this beginning to a series, Minnesotan Hannah Swensen finds the murdered body of her milkman and helps her brother-in-law (the local sheriff's officer) to solve the case.  This is not a mature mystery, and most obviously a first novel, but the characters are certainly engaging.  I would be willing to give the next book a try, as it was easy to become interested in Hannah and her life.

Pyramids by Terry Pratchett  4/5 stars
This Discworld novel follows the adventures of Pteppic, the crown prince of the tiny kingdom of Djelibeybi, as he studies to become an Assassin in Ankh-Morpork, through to his ascension as King.  His new position becomes filled with difficulties as he tries to bring change to his kingdom, has an adventure in the neighboring country, and saves his world from the gods with a little help from his dead relatives.  As is usual with Pratchett, this is an intelligent, often hilarious novel, well-written, slyly perceptive, and always engaging,   

The Mapmaker's Wife by Robert Whitaker

The Mapmaker's Wife
Robert Whitaker

Isabel Gramesón Godin

2004
4/5 stars

In 1735, a expedition to South America is undertaken by a group of French scientists and their assistants with the purpose of measuring the circumference of the earth.  This led to a ten-year-long trek through South America (principally in the Quito region) in which the Frenchmen made valuable scientific discoveries and experienced many adventures.

In 1741, one of the signal carriers, Jean Godin, married a thirteen-year-old Peruvian noblewoman, Isabel Gramesón.  In 1749, Godin was still in Peru with his wife, but a letter from France made him decide it was time to go home.  Godin then made an unwise decision which would have tragic results.  He traveled down the Amazon to French Guiana without Isabel, with plans to return to Peru for her after trying out the route first himself.  Portuguese and Spanish officials refused to allow him to return through their territory, and Godin spent the next 19 years trying to find a way to reach Isabel or to have her travel to him.

At last, Godin was able to send for Isabel, and she and a forty-two person party of friends, relatives, and slaves began their trip down the Amazon.  After many misadventures, Isabel was the only remaining member of the party, but did manage to join her husband, twenty-one years after they separated.


The title of this book is quite misleading.  First, as noted above, Jean was not a mapmaker; he was, in fact, a very minor assistant, brought along as a signal carrier because he was cousin to the expedition's chief scientist, Louis Godin.  Secondly, the book is not fully about Isabel, as the title would suggest.  The majority of the book is taken up with describing the French expedition and their experiences.  Isabel was not mentioned until half way through the book, and her Amazon trip does not begin until page 226 of the 295 page book, and then isn't given in detail.

Other than this quibble, I quite enjoyed the Mapmaker's Wife.   It is an engrossing book, with the story of the French expedition described extensively using first-hand documents.  Whitaker writes well and intelligently, gives a surprisingly good description of the personalities involved, and presents a lively account of an interesting set of events. 

Antidote to Venom by Freeman Wills Crofts

Antidote to Venom 
Freeman Wills Crofts
1938
4/5 stars

This "inverted" mystery begins by following George Surridge, director of the Birmington Zoo.  He is short on cash, due mostly to bad decisions on his part, and finds himself contemplating the unthinkable  as a means to alleviate his difficulties.  The reader waits for the inevitable to happen, as Surridge gets in deeper and deeper, with the suspense being where and how he would commit murder.

Once the deed is done, it comes to the notice of Scotland Yard detective, Inspector French, who notices a clue not picked up on by the Birmington police.  French proceeds to investigate, while Surridge becomes paranoid and panicky, wondering how soon it will be before his guilt is discovered.

This was a nicely plotted, intelligent, and well-written mystery.  The method of the crime was truly ingenious, if a bit implausible, and Crofts' development of Surridge's character quite good.  Crofts intended for this to be a moral tale of sorts, with a redemptive ending, but that part of the novel was somewhat awkward, as if Crofts were slightly embarrassed by what he was doing.  Otherwise, this is a fully entertaining story and I hope to read more by this Golden Age author.  

March 2019 Wrap-Up

Books Read:

The Prodigious Hickey by Owen Johnson  4/5 stars
This 1910 boys' school novel is pure fun.  It is made up of connected short stories of the adventures of the students of the Lawrenceville School, largely focusing on William "Hickey" Hicks and his exploits against the masters.  Johnson is an engaging writer, and the book, as a whole, is extremely entertaining.

Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart  3/5 stars  (my review here)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling  4/5 stars
This is an I-don't-know-how-many-ith time reading of this enjoyable book for a buddy read with a stitching/reading group.  It's too well-known to need a review, but suffice it to say that the series is certainly worth reading.

Lilith by George MacDonald  5/5 stars  (my review here)

Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett  5/5 stars
In this Discworld tribute to Shakespeare, the three Ramtops witches meddle in politics to put a rightful king on the Lancre throne.  This is an intelligent, often hilarious, and entirely entertaining book with an engaging plot and a wonderful unexpected twist.  Pratchett excels at making the ridiculous and incredible believable, and Wyrd Sisters is a perfect example of that talent. 

Audio Books Completed:

The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle  4/5 stars (my review here)

The Poison Belt by Arthur Conan Doyle  3/5 stars
The heroes of the Lost World find themselves together at what seems to be the end of the world, as a belt of poison ether enters the atmosphere.  This is an uneven novella, with some parts exciting, and other parts rather dull.  It was a pleasure to revisit the familiar characters, however, and interesting to see how a post-apocalyptic world would appear to an Edwardian.

Gone West by Carola Dunn  3/5 stars
Daisy becomes involved in a murder case whilst she is staying with friends.  Her husband, Chief Inspector Fletcher of New Scotland Yard, is called in to investigate, and Daisy assists.  As with the rest of the series, Gone West is charming and light, with very little meat to the story, but still entertaining.

False Scent by Ngaio Marsh  4/5 stars
A famous actress dies from inhaling bug spray, and murder is suspected.  This, as with all of Marsh's mysteries, is intelligent, engrossing, and satisfying.  Marsh prepared the characters' background excellently, drawing the reader in quickly.  The plot was perhaps not fully believable, but certainly entertaining.  I can not recommend the Roderick Alleyn series enough.

The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland  4/5 stars
In this domestic thriller, Tessa finds an unknown child in her home; as a result, her life turns upside down and her sanity is challenged.  I've read other novels by Boland, and, as in those, she writes engagingly, with realistic characters.  It wasn't perhaps as thrilling as advertised, but this was still an solidly good read.

The Case of the Abominable Snowman by Nicholas Blake  3/5 stars
Nigel Strangeways becomes involved in solving a case of murder that was staged to look like suicide.  This is an intelligent and mostly believable mystery, but at the end, it relied too much on one coincidence, and that lessened the credibility of the whole experience.

The Fifth Business by Robertson Davies  3/5 stars  (my review here)

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn  4/5 stars  (my review here)

In the Woods by Tana French  5/5 stars  (my review here)