"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." (James Bryce)

Monday, February 25, 2019

PERIL IN THE COTSWOLDS (Rebecca Tope)

Something about Rebecca Tope's writing reminds of Joanna Trollope - the village, the family life, the low-key approach to the story.

Former house sitter Thea Slocombe is recently married to married to Drew and they have moved with his 2 children to the village of Broad Campden, where Drew is an undertaker dedicated to natural burials.  Thea's attempt to get to know her neighbors results in the gruesome discovery of a neighbor's body in the deep freeze, with her husband nowhere to be found.  Thea isn't satisfied with the police investigation and starts looking into the crime herself.

Normally Cotswold villages leave me thirsting for more, but this one is a bit too low key for me (hence, the comparison to Trollope).  I would call this series "pleasant," a nice way to spend an afternoon.  Don't pass it over if you want a calm read, but don't expect thrills, either.

I OWE YOU ONE (Sophie Kinsella)

Sophie Kinsella seems to keep upping her game with each new novel.  This one, to me, seems as fresh as her first.  Her main character, Fixie Farr, is one of those people who get taken for granted, whose competence and dedication end up encouraging others to walk all over her.  Fixie, along with her mother, runs the family store according to her late father's motto, "Family first," picking up the slack from her entitled brother and sister.  She a girl who believes the best of everyone and has a hard time saying "No" to anyone.

One day Fixie meets Sebastian, an investment manager, in a coffee shop and saves his laptop from destruction when the ceiling caves in.  He gives her an IOU written on a coffee sleeve, which she never intends to use, but when Fixie's old boyfriend Ryan returns to the UK after a year in Hollywood she is anxious to rekindle their relationship, believing that her lifelong crush on him will develop into a lifelong love.  The reader can see what scum Ryan is (he left for Los Angeles without even saying goodbye and is obviously a user), but Fixie, blinded by what she believes is love, agrees to cash in her IOU by asking Sebastian to give Ryan a job.  At the same time, her siblings and uncle have stepped in to "improve" the family store in her mother's absence.  Any astute reader can see where all of this is going, but it is so fun to watch!

Overall, I enjoyed this novel from start to finish.  Sophie Kinsella's talent seems to be getting better with age.  I hope she keeps writing for a long time to come!

Monday, February 4, 2019

THE GOLDEN TRESSES OF THE DEAD (Alan Bradley)

I'll admit that I was kind of worried about what would happen when Flavia aged, but I don't think we have anything to fear.  She and Dogger have opened their own business, Arthur Dogger and Associates, dedicated to solving crimes discreetly.

Flavia's older sister Ophelia (Feely) is rendered hysterical at her wedding reception when she cuts into her cake and finds in it a human finger, an object that is quickly and efficiently spirited away for testing by Flavia, who is, of course, delighted by this unexpected turn of events,.  She and Dogger set out to discover the owner of the finger, a quest that leads them into a tangled web of deceit and, yes, desecration of corpses for monetary gain!  Several of the reviews I read indicated that they were disappointed in the evolution of Flavia and her more subdued personality in this book, but I found it a natural progression as the character matures.  I give this one a thumbs up!