The Poacher’s Son by Paul Doiron
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Published: May 2010
Rating: 4½ of 5 stars
Debut author Paul Doiron has penned a top-notch whodunit with his first novel The Poacher’s Son. A myriad of twists and turns will keep the reader guessing as suspicion moves from one character to another until the startling conclusion.
Set in the wilderness of Maine the story centers around Mike Bowditch, the local game warden. Mike returns home one night to find a cryptic message on his answering machine from his father, Jack. The next day he finds out that the police are searching for a murderer who killed two people the night before and Jack is their prime suspect. Most of the locals and Mike’s co-workers also believe Jack is involved in the murders. Jack has been far from the ideal father, neglecting Mike most of his life. In spite of this Mike feels compelled to defend his father and search for the real killer.
The book started out a little slow, but it was necessary to develop the various characters and provide the background information on Mike, his family, friends and co-workers. As we learn more about Mike and his relationships with other characters the pace of the story picks up. The writing style is fluid and descriptive; the Maine wilderness vividly comes to life.
The author deftly shifts suspicion from one character to another to keep the reader off balance. I’ve read a fair share of mystery novels and usually half way through the story I have a pretty good idea which one of the characters is guilty. That was not true with The Poacher’s Son. I did not see that ending coming and for me those are the best kind of endings.
This was not a typical mystery novel. It was also a coming of age story about a young man and his relationships with key people in his life. I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. This is book one in a series of three books about Mike Bowditch, Game Warden.
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For more information visit the author, Paul Doiron, at his web page.
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Source: Advance Reading Copy
Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan
Genre: Historical, Romance
Published: July 2009
Rating: 4½ of 5 stars
Time travel, magic, romance, adventure and an Irish Wolfhound all play a part in the novel Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan. She has woven together several stories to produce a delightful tale that kept me intrigued from cover to cover.
Don’t let the time travel make you think this is science fiction; it’s not. It’s more of an historical period novel with a dash of magic and a connection with the present. While there is a dog on the cover of the book, it is not a “dog story”. The Wolfhound only plays a supporting role.
As the story opens Anna O’Shea is having a bad day. Recently divorced, she returns from a much needed vacation to discover that her brother has been seriously injured in a car accident while on his way to pick up her nephew, Joe, from jail. The task now falls to Anna to retrieve the teenager and bring him home. Later that evening they get into an argument when Joe rummages through her suitcase. She grabs a piece of cloth he was holding and when they touch it sends them into the past. They each find themselves in 1840’s Ireland, but not together. Each has landed in a different place and is rescued by different people. One wants to go back home, the other wants to stay in the past.
The characters are well developed and likable with what seems like separate but in the end are interconnecting tales. The story is fast-paced and has enough twists and turns to make it interesting and not predictable. I enjoyed the setting in Ireland and even learned a bit about the people and customs of the mid 1800’s.
I read this in only a few days because I didn’t want to put it down. I am looking forward to future work from Ms. Sheehan.
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Source: Public Library
I found a cute little quiz, Which science fiction writer are you?
Either I don’t know myself very well or the results are random because my favorite books are more like Asimov’s Foundation and not quite cyberpunk. But then again, I can get quite geeky at times. So maybe I am William Gibson!
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I am:
The chief instigator of the “cyberpunk” wave of the 1980s, his razzle-dazzle futuristic intrigues were, for a while, the most imitated work in science fiction. |
Read the first chapter of Thaw by Fiona Robyn
Ruth’s diary is the new novel by Fiona Robyn, called Thaw. She has decided to blog the novel in its entirety over the next few months, so you can read it for free.
Ruth’s first entry is below, and you can continue reading tomorrow here.
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These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It’s a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we’re being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.
The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they’re stuck to the outside of her hands. They’re a colour that’s difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.
I’m trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I’m giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don’t think I’m alone in wondering whether it’s all worth it. I’ve seen the look in people’s eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I’ve heard the weary grief in my dad’s voice.
Eternal On The Water by Joseph Monninger
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published: February 2010
Rating: 3½ of 5 stars
Eternal On The Water is a thought-provoking story about love and loss and difficult decisions. It is the story of Cobb and Mary, two people who never expected to meet and fall in love while on a camping trip in Maine. As they get to know more about each other it soon becomes evident that Mary has something she must tell him, that she may carry the gene for a fatal genetic disease, which will impact their future life together.
The novel opens with Mary’s death and Cobb proceeds to tell us their story. Knowing the ending changed the way I viewed the characters. There was no longer any suspense as to whether they would end up together. Although they kept referring to each other as soul mates, I never really felt the passion that would be expected. There was no big build-up to romance. They were likable characters and I could sense their deep commitment to each other, but the romance was lacking.
I thoroughly enjoyed the novel’s backdrop of the wilderness and nature. The folklore and stories about the animals: crows, bears, wolves and turtles to name a few, added interest. Mary’s life is in the outdoors, the connection is deep and we can appreciate that through her stories.
I received this novel as part of the Barnes and Nobel First Look Book Club. For the most part I found it enjoyable even though it is not the type of book I would usually be drawn to. The story got a little slow at times but it picked up the pace again towards the end and it was worth staying with the book. There are some important messages and discussion points in this book about life and death and doing both on your own terms. This would make an excellent choice for a book club read.
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Source: Advance Reading Copy
Truly, Madly by Heather Webber
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Published: February 2, 2010
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Truly, Madly is a fast-paced murder mystery that’s part sitcom and part soap opera. Toss in a little magic, some romance, a lovable main character and a quirky group of supporting characters and you have the first book in Heather Webber’s new series featuring Lucy Valentine.
As the story opens Lucy is reluctantly filling in for her father at the family business while he and her mother are away on vacation.
Lucy’s family is in the matchmaking business. They are very successful because they have the ability to see an individual’s aura and can match up similar types. Unfortunately for Lucy she lost that ability when she was struck by lightening. As a result of that accident she instead has the ability to find other people’s lost objects. Not much help in the matchmaking business but good for solving mysteries as we will soon find out. When Lucy shakes hands with a new client on her first day on the job she sees a vision of a ring on the hand of a skeleton in a nearby wooded area. Her client was thinking of a ring he gave to his first love years ago. Lucy becomes determined to solve this mystery.
I really enjoyed this book. The story flows well and it was a fast, easy read. The plot was somewhat predictable but it was still fun getting to the end. If you are looking for something deep and thoughtful filled with hidden meaning, this is not the book for you. If you want a few hours of escapist fun, dive in.
I received this book as an ARC through Goodreads. I don’t normally choose romance novels but the magic component was intriguing so I wanted to give this book a chance and found it to be quite charming. This is the first in a series of books and I will be looking forward to the next one.
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Source: Advance Reading Copy
The Privileges by Jonathan Dee
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published: January 5, 2010 by Random House
Rating: 3½ of 5 stars
In his new novel Jonathan Dee introduces us to a young, beautiful couple, Cynthia and Adam Morey, who are quickly moving up in society and into the world of the newly wealthy and ultimately the very wealthy. The story begins with their traditional big wedding; soon after they have two children, April and Jonas. Most of the story takes place in New York where Adam begins his career in the financial world and goes on to span several decades of their life.
While I found these characters interesting and at times compelling, it was difficult to like them or care about them. Adam seemed obsessed with making more and more money. This drove him to make some shady financial dealings which could cost him everything. At what point does one have enough money? Why take these kind of risks? The children took their wealth for granted and didn’t seem to have much concept of where the money came from or what things cost. They were interesting in the same way a train wreck draws curiosity. In spite of all their wealth and privilege they are very naive and find themselves in dangerous situations.
The book is written four sections with each one jumping forward five to tens years. At times it became a little difficult to follow because the jumps in time required some reorientation and left it to the reader to fill in what happened during those skipped over years. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt. I found myself wanting more, wanting to know what happens next. But we are left to assume.
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Source: Advance Reading Copy
Under My Apple Tree 