THE HYPNOTIST'S LOVE STORY (Liane Moriarty)

Ellen O'Farrell is a hypnotherapist in her mid-thirties.  She lives and works in her little house by the sea in Australia, left to her by her grandparents, and has recently fallen in love with Patrick, who owns his own surveying business and has an 8-year-old son.  Patrick lost his beautiful young wife, Colleen, to cancer when Jack was just a baby and has had only one other serious relationship since then, with a woman named Saskia.  When Patrick reveals to Ellen that Saskia has been stalking him for several years, since their breakup, she is alternately amused and concerned, especially when she discovers that she herself has an unexpected and possibly dangerous connection with Saskia.

Moriarty's book is part romance and part thriller with a good dose of quirky humor thrown in.  The development of Patrick and Ellen's relationship is charming and realistic.  The various family members and friends are an interesting mix.  Patrick's family and in-laws are kind and accepting of Ellen while her physician mother is rather cold and ultra-practical until she meets up with Ellen's father, a former lover who is now widowed and didn't know about his 35-year-old daughter.  Ellen's hypnotherapy practice adds a great deal of additional interest to the story.  All in all, this was a great book.  I enjoyed the development of the characters and I loved the "real" feeling of Ellen and Patrick's love story.  I even liked Saskia, who has been trying unsuccessfully to find closure in her relationship with Patrick and Jack.  Liane Moriarty's writing reminds me of a sunny Australian day, somehow, at least that's what keeps coming to mind when I think about this novel.  I'm looking forward to reading more of her books!

THE UNIVITED GUESTS (Sadie Jones)

This novel was not quite what I expected.  One thing that did strike me about it was that I didn't really LIKE any of the characters. except perhaps for the one-armed step-father who is absent for most of the story.  The Uninvited Guests reminds me a little of Alan Bradley's Flavia deLuce series, mainly because of the neglected youngest daughter, distracted parents, and crumbling house, but the comparisons stop there.

On the day of Emerald Torrington's 20th birthday party a train wreck occurs nearby and the Torringtons are ordered (?)  by the rail line to provide accommodations for an odd assortment of "survivors," including a strange and, I think, very distasteful man from mother Charlotte's past.  The whole story, from Imogen (known as Smudge) bringing her pony upstairs into her bedroom to the lone first-class passenger who entices the family into mean parlour games, is just weird.  NPR.org describes The Uninvited Guests as "a delicious romp" and worthy of comparison to Agatha Christie's Mousetrap, but I just don't see it.  I don't think it was bad, just odd.  That's all I have to say!

THE SHADOWY HORSES (Susanna Kearsley)

Wouldn't you love to be in a wild, windy village in Scotland exploring the ancient mysteries of a beautiful estate?  Susannah Kearsley can take you there!  Kearsley, in this  reissued novel from 1999, combines archaeology, history, the paranormal, romantic rivalries, and suspense into one wonderful, atmospheric  story.  Archaeologist Verity Grey is invited by an old colleague/lover to join an eccentric millionaire on his quest for evidence of an ancient Roman campsite on his property.  While physical evidence that the 9th Legion camped there is sparse, the ghostly soldier who patrols the field and the shadowy horses that gallup past Verity's window at night all point to the presence of some sort of ancient Roman presence.  As Verity's attraction to handsome  fellow archaeologist David Fortune grows, so does her feeling that the ghostly soldier is trying  urgently to communicate that something is very wrong at the dig, something that needs to be discovered before disaster strikes.  Kearsley's prose, as always, is lovely, and the reader will enjoy a lyrical mix of past and present, suspense and romance, all wrapped up in the lush landscape of Scotland.

NIGHT TRAIN TO MEMPHIS (Elizabeth Peters)

Most of my mystery book group enjoyed this Vicky Bliss adventure, but I heard the same complaint from almost everyone: it was too hard to keep track of all the characters at the beginning, but about halfway though, when who's who was sorted out in our minds we enjoyed the story very much.  I think that reading previous entries in the series would have helped despite the fact that Peters does a credible job of explaining relationships and various situations from previous novels. 

Vicki, who holds a doctorate in medieval art, works at the National Museum in Munich.  John Tregarth (alias Smythe) is her art thief lover (it's complicated) and Schmidt is her adorable, overweight boss.  When she is asked to identify a potential art thief by posing as an expert on ancient Egyptian art, she is reluctant, but finally agrees and manages to elude Schmidt, who loves to tag along on her adventures.  While on the elite Egyptian cruise down the Nile as a guest lecturer, she discovers that her sometimes lover, John, is also here along with his mother and his brand new child bride.  Chaos ensues, involving art forgeries, explosions, government conspiracies, high speed chases, kidnappings, torture, revenge, and some adorable relationships.  Once you figure out who everyone is and how they are all connected, you'll enjoy it!

THE INTROVERT'S WAY (Sophia Dembling)

Every introvert should take the time to read this book, and it would probably be a good idea for extroverts, too!  In our society, extroversion is often viewed as preferable, better, something we should all strive for.  Dembling does a fantastic job of analyzing introversion and pointing out the positive traits and strengths of the introvert.  One of the first points clarified in this book is the most important: introversion does not equal shyness.  Many introverts, in fact, are NOT shy.  Shyness has to do with fear of social interaction, nervousness at meeting new people, being unable to speak up in a crowd, or breaking out in a cold sweat at the idea of giving a speech.  You understand what I mean, especially if you are shy.  Introversion, on the other hand, is a preference.  The introvert isn't AFRAID to go to a party or have lots of friends, they just prefer not to.  I understand this because I am an introvert.  I am NOT shy, however.

My daughter, who is working on her doctorate in clinical psychology, complained to me one day that she is tired of being targeted by some of her professors for a perceived lack of participation in class, the assumption being that if she can't jump into a discussion with lightening quick responses she must not be thinking or paying attention, yet her written work has been described as demonstrating great insight and understanding.  She is an introvert, and as such needs time to think and process ideas before responding.  It's not a flaw, it is simply a different type of brain function.  Unfortunately, our society usually values quick response and instant gratification, and the popular, outgoing individual is usually seen as the most desireable and successful whether or not they have any depth or worthwhile ideas!  I am NOT discounting extroversion, just saying that sometimes patience and taking the time to think should be seen as valuable assets, too.

I got a lot of insight into myself and others from Dembling's analysis and I think you will, too.  Introverts, unite!