Poisoned Tarts by G. A. McKevett

Like greeting an old friend, I was tickled to find another one of the books in the Savannah Reid series. So, I had barely finished Murder Unleashed when I began reading Poisoned Tarts (2007) by G. A. McKevett. I've blogged about this series before: it is about a southern girl who moved to California, became a cop, and then, after leaving the force, became a private investigator. Savannah is one of those full figured women who is at peace with herself, her body, and her life; I like the series for the characters as well as the way the author unravels the cases.

This book begins shortly before the Halloween season, and Savannah gets caught up in a missing person case that Dirk (her former partner on the San Carmelita police force) has been assigned. The missing girl is named Daisy, and she hangs out with a spoiled little rich girl named Tiffany who is something of a Paris Hilton type. Tiffany has two little rich girl friends, and Daisy is just sort of the fourth member of the group, not totally accepted because she isn't super skinny and super rich.

However, the trio (sporting look alike pink tshirts with skeleton keys) is less than forthcoming when interviewed about their missing friend. Their escapades are well known to the local media--they are party girls who seem a little out of control. Savannah and Dirk are sure the girls know more than they are saying, but Tiffany's rich daddy has hired a great lawyer, and they don't have enough information to pursue things.

In the meantime, Savannah's grandmother is visiting her, and the reader gets more of an insight into the role this woman played in raising Savannah and her 8 brothers and sisters. Gran is a practical woman who reads her Bible and the tabloids with equal enthusiasm; she is lively, curious, compassionate and tough. She also ends up contributing to the investigation, as does Tammy, the young and computer savvy assistant who hacks into databases.

Once Daisy's car is located--and with it, one perfect print from Tiffany--the heat turns up on the Skeleton Key three, as the trio is called. However, Dirk and Savannah are racing against time, as more than 48 hours pass with no sign of Daisy. Back when they were partners on the police force, they had a similar case, and found the missing girl almost dead. She later died, and Maggie still haunts both of them. In spite of the missing girl, the spoiled Tiffany prepares for a big party, and transforms the mansion into a ghoulish set for a horror movie, tragedy strikes.

To find out what happened to Daisy -- and what happened at Tiffany's mansion, check out Poisoned Tarts. You can find it in the WPL mystery section.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Murder Unleashed by Elaine Viets

After reading my first book in Elaine Viets' Dead End Job series, (Clubbed to Death), I was eager to find another book. Fortunately, the WPL's mystery section delivered--and I just finished Murder Unleashed (2006). Helen, the divorced woman taking bottom of the barrel employment to avoid supporting her ex-husband is back. This time, she is the "hey you" assistant at the Pampered Pet Boutique; she waits on customers, picks up and delivers dogs, stocks shelves, and does just about anything else she's asked to do.

She is still living at her shabby but cozy apartment at the Coronado, where Margery is not only her landlord, but her surrogate mother and friend. She is also still involved with Phil, one of her neighbors, and a private investigator who is also one of the rare "good guys."

As the story begins, Helen is working hard to please the rich, spoiled customers bringing their pooches in to be groomed. As part of her routine, she must pick up a dog--who has a lavish birthday party later in the day and needs a haircut and new outfit. However, when she arrives at the customer's huge mansion, no one answers the door, so she finally enters and finds Tammie, the owner, naked by the pool; Helen takes the dog and makes a speedy escape. Later, she returns the dog--or tries to, but again, no one answers the door. Determined not to encounter the naked owner again, she grabs a robe on her way to the pool area--only to find that Tammie is dead, with a pair of dog groomer's shears sticking out of her chest. In a panic, Helen runs back out, clutching the poor dog, and wipes down the door knob. She doesn't want to call the police from the house because she is afraid of being drawn into the investigation, and being revealed as someone using a new last name to avoid her ex-husband.

So she does something stupid--she throws the robe into a dumpster (note: don't do this. They have cameras everywhere!) and makes an anonymous call, taking the poor little dog back to the boutique and saying that no one came to the door. Things go from bad to worse when next a dog goes missing, when Helen lets a husband pick up his dog, not knowing that the poor animal is the subject of a custody battle. The dog also happens to be a valuable media star--the poster pooch for a local department store.

So Helen is in trouble--the hysterical wife accuses her of giving the dog away, the police from two different jurisdictions are asking her lots of questions, and she is starting to wonder about the guilt or innocence of the two dog groomers at the store. There is a lot of tension between Todd and Jonathan; Todd seems to attract a lot of the older, single rich women, who give him lavish tips. Jonathan is unapproachable: flamboyant in appearance, he is extremely talented but does not tolerate people well. He is annoyed by Todd kissing the pooches and does not want to share space. When it turns out that the murder weapon happens to be a pair of Jonathan's scissors, the police take an interest in him as well. Soon, Helen is trying to hunt down a killer and find a missing dog in order to take the heat off of herself and her place of employment.

Add in a hurricane, some colorful chsracters, and some tension between Helen and Phil, who only wants to help (but starts asking a lot of questions about Helen's past), and the book is another good read. However, it is also interesting for the sub plot about Helen's relationship with Phil. She has to confront her own fears, insecurities, and decide whether or not she can trust Phil with all of her secrets.

If you can't make it to the beach in Florida, this book will help you to escape your daily routine for awhile. You can find it in the Mystery section of the WPL.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Clubbed to Death by Elaine Viets

I've stumbled onto another new series with an intriguing title--A Dead-end Job mystery. The author is Elaine Viets and she claims to have worked all of the jobs featured in the series. Clubbed to Death (2008) is the story of Helen, a divorced woman who quit a lucrative job and moved to Florida after her ex-husband's divorce lawyer proved to be more ruthless, and got the judge to declare that half of her earnings should go to Rob. (This decision was done in spite of the fact that Rob was an unemployed womanizer who had contributed little to the relationship). So Helen changes her last name, finds a cheap apartment and ends up working in the customer care area of a snooty country club, where she deals with cranky, rude rich people all day--and gets to know her coworkers, a rather eccentric lot.

Just when Helen thinks she is getting her new life together--settling into her apartment with her cat, enjoying a romance with Phil, one of her neighbors (and a private investigator)and becoming closer to her landlord, the feisty Margery--Rob shows up. He has married one of the richest women around, whose nickname is The Black Widow--with good reason. Marcella (aka Black Widow) turns out to have "lost" five husbands, all under mysterious circumstances. When Rob shows up, in the parking lot, near Helen's car, she is surprised and angry; he seems nervous and actually has the nerve to ask for her help. He is growing tired of the demands of his much older wife, and now he is afraid he may be on the verge of being "retired." When he reverts to the jerk that he has always been, Helen feels a surge of rage and punches him in the mouth--to his surprise.

Unfortunately, two employees walk up--one is her friend Jessica and the other is Brenda, the hard to please assistant manager. Fighting is grounds for dismissal; however, Rob actually defends Helen and claims he is okay, that it was his fault for scaring her, and asks them not to report it. The next day, however, Rob goes missing--only his bloody shirt is found, and it becomes clear that Brenda did report the incident. Helen is taken in for questioning, arrested, told she has been fired, and sit in jail, bewildered. Then one of the most famous lawyers in the country shows up at the jail and in a matter of minutes arranges for her release and puts her into a limo: he tells her that they are taking a drive to see Marcella.

It turns out that Marcella needs Helen's help, too--Marcella thinks that Rob is dead but that he was up to no good, and she wants Helen to use her contacts at the Superior Country Club to find out what he was doing. Marcella has also discovered that he stole some of her jewelry. Marcella tells Helen that she is confident that Helen did not kill Rob, and that Helen has her job back, with any note of the "incident" expunged from her records. So she goes back to the Customer Care department, and starts searching her coworkers' desks after hours and quietly asking questions.

Reading this book made me think of the worst job I've ever had -- as a telemarketer years and years ago. My daughter, Mikki, was 16 and she and her best friend Desarae decided it was time to get jobs and earn some money; I went along with them, thinking it might be an easy way to supplement my rather meager earnings at the time. I was a single parent and had a couple of summer school classes to teach, but two growing kids needed more clothes, school supplies, and "stuff" each year. We worked that summer together, and it was the only job I've ever had where you had 15 minutes to eat a sandwich, had to plan bathroom trips carefully, and talked to the strangest people over the phone. Making matters worse, there were motivational posters up on the walls. Somehow, they didn't fit with the atmosphere; the computer randomly dialed the numbers, and you had to be prepared to jump into your spiel at the drop of a hat. Then, if you did not do a good enough job of countering the customer's resistance, you might hear the disembodied voice of a supervisor in your headset--"So why didn't you use #34?"

As a college teacher it made me crazy that our scripts were often filled with grammatical errors; I even talked to my boss once about fixing them, for free--and was told solemnly that "the clients want us to say it just like that." We sold products like Death and dismemberment insurance--I remember one man asking, "So how much would I get if I lost a couple of toes and fingers?" I sort of worried about that guy. Others were just rude or gave stupid excuses about why they couldn't talk. We made it a game to collect the cool names of people we called--Elizabeth Taylor, for example. And we commiserated with each other about the rude comments. At the end of the summer, I was more than ready to quit that job--the only one worse than telemarketing would be subbing for 9th grade math classes, but that is a story for another review!

So I could relate with Helen, putting up with cranky customers amd obnoxious bosses. If you are looking for a new series, check out Clubbed to Death. You will find it in the NEW fiction display at the WPL. Earlier books in the series can be found in the Mystery area. You may also be interested in checking out the author's website at http://www.elaineviets.com

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Moving is Murder by Sara Rosett

I just finished a book by a new author--and I think I'm going to like her series! The book is titled Moving is Murder, and the author is Sara Rosett. The series is called "A Mom Zone mystery" and features Ellie Avery, whose husband is serving in the Air Force. Ellie has moved four times in the past five years, and she includes helpful tips with every chapter.

Moving is Murder (2006) begins as Ellie and Mitch are unpacking the moving boxes in their new house--they've just made the move to Washington state with their newborn daughter Livvie. Thinking they found a great house off the base, they soon learn that many of their neighbors are in Mitch's squadron. Fortunately, they are friends with one couple already--neighbors Abby and Jeff. As they settle in, and meet more neighbors and attend some get togethers on base, it becomes clear that not everyone gets along. One of the more outspoken spouses is Cass, who is something of an activist; she protested against a big Walmart coming in, because she thinks it will ruin the area. Cass is also one of the people who organizes events and before Ellie is even unpacked, she finds herself volunteering to help with the upcoming garage sale.

However, when Cass dies after being stung by wasps while driving home from a party on base, it is Ellie who finds her, and Ellie who is convinced that someone Cass knew killed her. Police investigate a series of minor break-ins in the neighborhood and Ellie finds herself noticing strange behavior on the part of several neighbors. Joe, Cass' husband, leaves to take Cass back to her hometown to be buried, and Ellie ends up watching the house--and Mitch agrees to keep an eye on Rex, the dog.

As the story continues, Ellie finds herself asking questions--sometimes of the wrong people, and getting drawn into the investigation, in spite of being cautioned by the military investigator. She finds herself unraveling several stories, with surprising results: things are not at all how they appear. As she finishes unpacking her boxes and settles into her new house and routine, she gains confidence in her mothering skills, but increasingly concermed that whoever killed Cass is going to get away with it.

Reading this book was most enjoyable; I liked the way the author captured the anxiety and wonder of a first time mother. Ellie takes good care of her baby, worries about Livvie's first cold, experiences the fatigue any new mother feels after a long night without much sleep--and yet is filled with joy when she watches her baby sleeping. Livvie is a rather demanding baby: Ellie goes through a carwash at one point because the motions seem to soothe the baby, and does a lot of jiggling to soothe her. She also has a baby carrier--one of those great cloth things you can strap to yourself that holds your baby close to you.

The author is a military wife herself and thoughtfully includes a glossary of military slang at the end of the book. Having spent 11 years in Newport, R. I.--which has a large Navy base and the Naval War College--I felt almost nostalgic reading several passages. My first husband and I were in the ministry, and were fortunate enough to get to know a number of military families. I was struck by several things as I reflected on those years and read the book. I had never met such organized, motivated, jump in there and get acquainted folks in my life! While there are the sad cases of military families split by spousal abuse, alcohol abuse, or other problems, the vast majority of the families we met were solid. I loved to go on base to see them, and enjoyed going to the base movie theatre or Officers' Mess.
So I could relate in a strange way to the characters in the book, because several of them made me think of some of the military wives I had known. I also realized again that the military is one of those careers that is more of a lifestyle than just a job.

Whether you're looking for some packing/moving tips or just want to discover a new mystery series, I recommend Moving is Murder. You can find it at WPL in the Mystery section.

You may also want to check out the author's website, http://www.sararosett.com.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Corpse Suzette by G. A. McKevett

One of my favorite series features plus size Savannah Reid, a southern girl turned Californian who used to be a cop and now works as a private investigator. I found a couple of books in the series that I hadn't read yet, including Corpse Suzette (2006). Back in May I found Fat Free and Fatal--another good read.

In Corpse Suzette, Tammy, Savannah's young computer genius, has company coming--her insecure, grumpy cousin, Abigail. Tammy has a big surprise for Abigail; Tammy won a big makeover for her at a nearby spa. However, Abigail turns out to have a major attitude problem, with a king size chip on her shoulder, and all but alienates everyone she meets. She thinks everyone is making fun of her weight.

Unfortunately, before she can have some of the procedures done, the spa's hotshot surgeon disappears, and her playboy exhusband hires Savannah to find the good doctor--and a chunk of money he claims she stole. Savannah works with Dirk, her former partner, who has been assigned to the missing person case and together they begin the investigation, wondering if it will turn into a homicide case. John and Ryan, the resourceful and drop dead gorgeous former FBI agents, and Savannah's good friends, are back in this book.

As the story progresses, Savannah and Dirk discover more than a few good suspects--and then one of the suspects turns up dead. At the same time, the ugly duckling cousin makes a friend at the spa and he inspires her to try a different approach to her personal style.

All in all, this is an enjoyable series: the characters are often funny, the stories interesting, and the dialogue and description engaging. In many ways, the cast of regular characters is sort of a big family, and many of the books feature a shared meal at Savannah's house, with her fabulous southern cooking described in great detail (definitely not weight watcher approved). I curled up on my bed to read for a couple of hours this morning and it was a good break. It's hard to feel sorry for yourself on a rainy day when you're reading about a woman with a strong sense of herself who loves chocolate and finding the bad guys.

You can find Corpse Suzette in the Mystery section at WPL.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

Like a junk food junkie who goes looking for that last Little Debbie Snack Cake, I was delighted to see that the Waterloo Library had the newest Stephanie Plum book -- Plum Spooky. I had to have it--and finished it off in under a day. Evanovich began her writing career as a romance writer, and there is something about her writing style that retains some of those qualities. However, her characters are fun, plots sometimes take some crazy twists and turns, and the mini series of novels "between the numbers" are developing something of their own personality. The setting is also fun: Trenton, New Jersey.

For the uninitiated, Stephanie Plum works as a bounty hunter for her cousin Vinnie; she is not the caliber of Dog the Bounty Hunter, however. She is more like a work study bounty hunter--who doesn't like guns and seems to blow up cars and lose her hand cuffs. What she does have is determination, some good friends, and dumb luck. She has a cute boyfriend, Joe Morelli, who is a cop but they seem to both have some commitment issues, so the relationship heats up and cools down. She also flirts with danger in the form of Ranger, a professional bounty hunter with other business interests, a crew of helpers, lots of tech toys, and a soft spot for Stephanie. From time to time, he rescues her or provides her another car or helps her take down a tough guy; sometimes, he uses her talents to get closer to a bad guy.

Stephanie hangs out with Lula, a plus size former hooker turned clerical worker and side kick at the bounty office. Connie,the office manager, is good with computers, stays cool, and has an endless supply of handcuffs and file folders with "perps" needing to be brought in by Stephanie. Stephanie also visits her family, especially at meal time. Her mother is a little upset by Stephanie's unusual career but is a good cook; her father mumbles a lot and seems like a nice man driven crazy by Grandma Mazur, who lives with them. Grandma is a handful, to say the least; she likes going to the funeral home for viewings, and if it is a closed casket, she wants to take a peek.

In Plum Spooky a mysterious man named Diesel shows up; he has some remarkable powers and has appeared in previous between the numbers novels. Diesel has some special powers, and is on the hunt for a bad guy, and needs Stephanie's help; it just so happens that one of her current fugitives is hanging out with the bad guy that Diesel is tracking. So they work together. At the same time, a friend of Stephanie's leaves her pet monkey at the apartment door; Carl needs to be babysat while his "mommy" goes on her honeymoon. Since this was not pre-arranged, Stephanie is rather surprised and not sure how to care for Carl. As it turns out, however, Carl becomes rather important in the story.

I liked the book, but it made me hungry for junk food; Stephanie could really use some of my Weight Watchers literature, to learn about the basic food groups and incorporate a little more fresh fruits and vegetables in her diet. I woke up today craving chocolate cake. If you're craving a good read, check out Plum Spooky. You can find it in the Express Books display; I promise it is going back tomorrow.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Nailbiter by Sarah Graves

Nailbiter (2006) is a bittersweet story in many ways; Jake and Ellie are faced with the challenge of finding a missing girl after a man is found murdered in a rental house they co-own. At the same time, Jake notices that something is going on with Victor, her ex-husband, who is a surgeon. Victor moved to the island to be closer to their son Sam and opened a clinic; since then, Victor's skill has saved a number of residents and he has become a part of their lives again. Sam is getting older, still struggling with some of the problems of the past, but maturing.

As is the case so often, Jake and Ellie unravel the mystery only to learn that things are not always as they seem, and that applies to several of the characters in the book as well as some of the plot twists. Through it all, Jake and Ellie must rely on each other, and come to recognize the gifts of the strange young woman they rescue.

You can find Nailbiter on CD Books at the Waterloo Public Library.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin

My book club is reading Three Cups of Tea: One man's mission to promote peace one school at a time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. There is also a version for younger readers, and I read both.

Greg Mortenson is a remarkable man in many ways; his parents were missionaries to Africa, and he spent a chunk of his childhood there. His father took Greg mountain climbing and that became his passion, along with studying to become a nurse. His younger sister had a lot of health problems and Greg wanted to find cures for her disease. Christa died and in 1993 he decided to climb K2 and leave her necklace at the top as a way to honor her; however, only 600 feet from the summit, another climber became ill. Greg helped the man get down to safety and then got separated from his climbing partner. He wandered-- lost -- before being found by his guide Mouzafer, who guided him down the mountain. However, they got separated again and Greg ended up in the village of Korphe, a Balti village, where he was greeted by the chief and given tea and a place to sleep.

Greg rested for several days and then wandered through the village; he asked Haji Ali to take him to see the village's school. The village was poor and could not afford a teacher and had no school building: Greg saw a group of children (mostly boys) kneeling on the ground, studying lessons without a teacher and using sticks to draw in the dirt. Greg decided that the best way to honor his sister's memory was to build the children a school. However, Greg was not a wealthy man and did not know how he would get the money to fulfill his promise.

The book traces his efforts to raise money, writing letters and speaking to groups. He gets help from some unexpected sources along the way--other mountain climbers and a wealthy man named Dr. Jean Hoerni who gave Greg the money to build a bridge so that they could get the materials to Korphe to build a school. In the process, he gains the respect and friendship--and fierce loyalty--of many people in Pakistan, and one of the amazing things about the book is seeing their country through his eyes.

He also describes meeting his wife at a dinner honoring one of the most famous mountain climbers of all time, Sir Edmund Hillary; Tara was there and noticed Greg standing in the back of the room. They began to talk, and discovered a connection. Six days later, they got married. They now have two children and live in Montana, where he continues to direct efforts to build schools. The book jacket reports that his organization has now built 55 schools, many of them for girls.

If you have not read this book, you need to read it! He describes being in Pakistan when September 11th took place, as well as being there shortly before the start up of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He talks about the extreme poverty of the people he met, and yet how willing they were to help him. He also gives insights into the origins of the Taliban, the very intense dislike of Osama Bin Laden by many Pakistanis, and the role of education in building a better world and a better relationship with the west.

You can find the book at the Cedar Falls library, listen to it on CD book from the WPL, borrow copies from the WPL book club collection, or WPL@HCC.

You may also want to learn more about the book, Greg, and his organization, Central Asia Institute (CAI).

http://www.threecupsoftea.com/
The book's website

http://www.gregmortenson.com
Greg's website

http://www.penniesforpeace.org/home.html
Greg also founded Pennies for Peace; one of his first contributions came from children at his mother's school, who collected pennies.


c Waterloo Public Library 2008

The Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves

Like a junk food junkie, I'm on a Sarah Graves kick. Mike brought home The Dead Cat Bounce, which is the first book in the series. Jake has only lived in Eastport for about a year, but all of the familiar characters are there--her friends Ellie and George have not married yet, however. Jake has gotten involved with Wade, who she later marries -- a solid, tough man who works as a harbor pilot, and her son Sam is finding his way as he decides to follow his own wishes, and not those of his father.

As the book opens, Jake and Ellie are talking in her kitchen when Jake walks into her storeroom and finds a dead man. Of course, they call for the police, and George is the first to arrive--among his other jobs, he works as a part time police officer. He checks the murder scene and takes pictures, and then he and Jake discover that the murder weapon--an ice pick--is missing. Jake also realizes that only Ellie could have taken it. Things get worse when Ellie confesses to the crime to Police Chief Bob Arnold.

The dead man turns out to be Threnody Mellwaine, a local boy who grew up with Ellie's father, Alvin. However, while Alvin stayed on the island and ran a lumberyard, Thren went off to the big city and became a wealthy businessman. He had an argument with Alvin the morning of the murder and it is not clear how he ended up in Jake's storeroom. Ellie seems to be protecting someone, but who? As the obedient only daughter, she lives with her parents and cares for her mean spirited mother, who was once a beautiful young dancer but is now a bitter, crippled old woman. Ellie broke off her engagement with George after concluding that she could not break a promise to her father, who is the one who really raised her. Now Ellie will not defend herself but tells Jake that it is up to her to find out what happened.

As the book progresses, we get a better sense of the characters and their relationships--as well as the setting. Victor, Jake's ex-husband, makes an appearance and the contrast between Victor's self-centered personality and that of Wade could not be greater. Jake puts herself in danger unwittingly, while she tries to solve the mystery of who killed Thren and why Ellie confessed.

As it turns out, the title of the book is stock market jargon "for a small, temporary rise in a stock's trading price after a sharp drop." (from the book's backcover). Part of the unraveling of the mystery is finding out more about the financial dealings of Alvin and Thren.

Every time I read one of these books, I can smell the salt air, picture the harbor and recall the sound of the ocean waves crashing up on the shore. Having lived in Newport, Rhode Island for eleven years, I came to appreciate the wild beauty of the ocean and having lived in Newport, I understand something of what it means to live on an island. There were only a couple of routes off the island-- a very high bridge to Fall River and a toll bridge to Jamestown.

My first husband and I took a camping trip to Bar Harbor, Maine and I remember that trip with great memories of little fishing villages, wonderful food, and magnificent mountains and scenery. After reading this series, I want to take a road trip!

You can find The Dead Cat Bounce in the Waterloo Library's mystery section.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Mallets Aforethought by Sarah Graves

One of the problems of discovering a great series is that you get so excited over each NEW book you don't always think to go back and read all of the earlier ones. So, I just finished yet another one of Sarah Grave's books in the Home Repair is Homicide Series--Mallets Aforethought. The series features best friends Jake and Ellie in Eastport, Maine. Ellie is in the last trimester of her pregnancy, but she and Jake are hard at work on restoring a local landmark, the Harlequin House. They discover a secret room--and an unpleasant surprise of two bodies inside that secret room. One of the bodies is that of Eva, an infamous flapper who was once involved with the owner of Harlequin House, an ancestor of Ellie's. Eva has apparently been there for at least 70 years; however, the other body seems like a fairly recent arrival.

It turns out that someone has killed Hector Gosling, a local businessman with shady ethics and a list of enemies--including George, Ellie's husband. When evidence seems to suggest that George killed Hector, he's put in jail and Jake has to support her friend through childbirth classes and try to investigate the case, all the while worrying that Ellie will give birth at any minute.

Published in 2004, this is the seventh book in the series, and another great read. I love the characters and relationships in this series, the description of the small town in Maine, the attention to details, quirky home repair advice, and clever storytelling. You can find Mallets Aforethought in the mystery section at the Waterloo Public Library.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Simple Genius by David Baldacci

I just finished a great book by an author new to me: David Baldacci's Simple Genius. The book is about two former Secret Service agents, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, who now work as private investigators. They are good friends and partners; however, Michelle is exhausted and troubled and enters a rehab facility while Sean scrambles to find a case that will help him pay for it all. He gets hired to investigate the mysterious death of a brillant scientist, Monk Turing, at Babbage Town, a secretive facility that just happens to be across the river from Camp Peary, once a naval station and now a CIA training camp.

Michelle settles into her new routine, meeting with Psychologist Horatio Barnes, while Sean settles into his assignment. However, answers to his questions are not easily obtained, and after he arrives, the one man who speaks with him ends up dead himself. After meeting the local sheriff and M. E., Sean next meets Turing's young daughter, Viggie, who has a fascination with manipulating numbers but problems relating to people. Viggie is being looked after by another scientist named Alicia, and Alicia soon begs Sean for his help keeping Viggie safe. Sean continues to investigate, but feels as though he is getting nowhere.

In the meantime, Michelle struggles to resolve her resistance to therapy and makes friends with another woman at the facility; she also notes some strange behavior at night, and discovers that one of the workers is sending mysterious packages from the facility, so she begins her own investigation. Horatio gets permission to speak to Michelle's older brother and becomes convinced that her current problem stem from something traumatic that happened many years ago. When he has a week of vacation, Horatio decides to do some investigation of his own and visits Michelle's girlhood home town and talks to one of her old neighbors. While he's gone, Michelle is able to prove that the creepy worker is committing a crime and contacts the authorities; she is able to avert a tragedy as well. Feeling back on top of her game, she checks herself out of treatment shortly before Horatio returns; she is determined to join Sean and resume their partnership.

Sean has already decided he needs help and has contacted Horatio about coming down to meet Viggie, who has been called autistic because of her strange way of behaving around other people. However, Sean is convinced that Viggie knows things that will help him determine what happened to her father. Thus, both Horatio and Michelle arrive at Babbage Town and the book's action really takes off.

The book has all of the ingredients I need for a good read: authentic characters, plot twists, good dialogue, a little history, a mix of action and mystery, and a very contemporary feel. However, like the cherry on top of a hot fudge sundae, the book also includes other elements: the scientists at Babbage Town are trying to develop a quantum computer, the C. I. A. is in the throes of the war against terrorism, and much of the action relies on the the cooperation (and sometimes the competition) between various law enforcement agencies.

You can find Simple Genius in the WPL adult fiction area as well as in large type and CDbook. Check it out: you won't need an advanced degree in Quantum Physics to appreciate it!

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

The Secret of Lost Things

The Secret of Lost Things is the story of Rosemary, an 18 year old orphan who comes to New York City after the death of her mother; she grew up in Tasmania, in a little apartment over her mother's hat shop. She never knew her father. Her mother's dearest friend Chaps buys her a ticket and gives her some money, and Rosemary is off on her great adventure.

Rosemary arrives in New York in the rain, with her few possessions. She finds a room in a shabby hotel and soon finds a job at a very unusual secondhand bookstore called the Arcade; owned by the eccentric Mr. Pike and managed by Walter Geist (an albino), the Arcade is filled with used books of all sorts, and has a Rare book room. As Rosemary settles in, she develops a friendship with Pearl, the cashier,and a crush on Oscar, who is in charge of Nonfiction. As the story progresses, Rosemary stumbles onto a mystery when Walter Geist, who is growing blinder by the day, asks her to read him a letter about a lost manuscript by Herman Melville--and an offer by an unknown party to sell the manuscript to the Arcade.

Sheridan Hay has a wonderful writing style: richly descriptive, she captures not only the feel of a large city like New York, an eccentric cast of characters and a variety of settings, but she also gives the reader a sense of what it would feel like to lose a parent and set off on a journey and huild a life for oneself. The power of friendship, the betrayal of passion, and the enduring love of family (including those friends who become family, like Chaps and Pearl) all make this a satisfying read. Literature lovers will be fascinated by the inclusion of actual correspondence between Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

You can find The Secret of Lost Things in the WPL Adult Fiction section.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008