This book is a bald, brutal, deeply disturbing look at mental illness from the perspective of the ultimate insider – Harvard educated physician Perry Baird who suffered from bi-polar disorder and wrote about his experiences in mental institutions during the 1930's through the 1950's.

Mimi Baird was 6 years old when her father disappeared from her life in 1944 during a time when nobody spoke about mental illness. People were locked away and forgotten. Her mother refused to talk about it, divorced Baird while he was institutionalized, and remarried quickly. In 1994 – 35 years after her father's death – Mimi discovered her father had written about his barbaric treatment at the hands of mid 20th Century mental health professional and had conducted his own research into the potential physiological causes of the mental illness.

The book is really two stories: Dr. Baird's spiral into the vortex of mental illness and Mimi Baird's search for the father she lost.

I found this book fascinating and heart rending. But I can't say I liked it. Reading the chapters that described how people in mental institutions were treated felt painful and nauseating as if a bandage stuck to a wound was being yanked off and pulling the scab with the bandage.

"Whispering Shadows" is a novel of modern China, how the legacy of the Cultural Revolution continues to affect those who survived its cruelty, an investigation into the disappearance of an American businessman involved in a joint venture with a Chinese partner, a love story and the long emotional recovery of a father who has lost his young son to leukemia. Does the story succeed on all levels? For me it does not. Nonetheless, this was a good read.

Rather than the burgeoning romance between the protagonist and a local woman, for me the heart of the story is the decades long friendship between expatriate German American Paul Leibovitz, who has lived a life of solitude on Lamma Island since the death of his son, and Zheng, a Chinese police officer in Shenzhen, a Special Economic Zone in Guangdong Province just outside Hong Kong, who may just be the only incorruptible police officer in China.

Sendker's insights into the political intrigue, corruption, and machinations of local party members and industrial magnates in China also illustrate what few westerners completely understand. It is clear the author has spent a great deal of time learning about Chinese culture and his descriptions of Hong Kong, Lamma Island, and Shenzhen are those of someone with an intimate personal knowledge of the locales and the people who live there. Sendker also cautions his readers that it is dangerous for a foreigner to make the assumption that he understands the business or political or judicial environment in China. Forced confessions still exist. And the wrong decision in a business deal can get one killed. It happened to somebody we knew in Kunming in 1992.

I had the privilege of living in Hong Kong for three years and felt drawn back into that vibrant world that I learned to love through this book. The themes are compelling: trust, friendship, gratitude, shame, fear, hubris, empathy, truth, and consequences. I rate this book a strong 4 out of 5 stars.

It has been a long time since I've picked up a book by a new author that I couldn't put down. But this story was so intriguing, the characters well developed, and the narrative engaging that I wanted to stay buried in the story and then felt sadness when I reached the last page.

The Life I Left Behind is told from the perspective of three strong, vibrant women. Melody survived a vicious attack, has memory lapses and no longer trusts her judgment. Eve's ghost narrates her investigation into what really happened to Melody. DI Rutter questions the original investigation that may have resulted in a wrongful conviction.

While I did have an inkling as to the real culprit, the book held my interest, maintained a high level of suspense, and kept me intrigued. That is the sign of a good read. I'm not planning to buy Colette McBeth's earlier book, Precious Thing.

I love historical fiction and really looked forward to reading this book and was initially a bit disappointed that the initial chapters of The Paris Winter felt ponderous without much promise. However, I slogged on and ultimately found this delightfully crafted mystery set during La Belle Époque Paris a real page-turner.

While the character at the center of the story, Maud Heighton, a nearly starving artist from Darlington in England in Paris to study art, seems almost cardboard, the supporting cast is wonderful – a privileged Russian beauty, a model raised on the streets of Montmartre, a near-do-well con-man, an ethereal opium addict, a brass American born countess, and the city of Paris itself during the winter of 1909 – 1910 when the banks of the Seine flooded the city.

Ms. Robertson's prose flows beautifully as if from an antique fountain pen on fine paper from Crane's. She captures the feeling of early 20th Century Paris before the Great War & finely illustrates the dichotomy of the poor and struggling versus the flamboyance and extravagance of the rich. It is clear that Ms. Robertson thoroughly researched the time and place and I yearned for more. While part of the plot seemed a bit overly concocted, it was a good read. And really, what more can we desire?

After reading The Paris Winter I am eager to explore some of Ms. Robertson's other writings.

I love historical fiction and this book had so much potential to be engaging; but it was not what it could have been.

Many of the book's characters including Elizabeth of Austria and Bay Middleton actually did exist and after reading this novel was compelled to read a bit more of the Empress. However, in this book there was absolutely nothing redeeming about her self-centred personality. I felt no empathy or sympathy for the characters.

Also, as one who has a working knowledge and is a practitioner of 19th Century photographic processes, there were some misrepresentations of the work Charlotte Baird practiced. For example, a photographer did not use a flash outside. A photographic negative made outside in the sun would not have taken a minute during daylight hours and a horse would never remain still long enough for a 60 second exposure. In the 1870's a photographer would have had to transport the large box camera & tripod as well as the dry plates to the Grand National racetrack and probably would not have done that in the rain.

When I read what is essentially an historical romance novel I expect the story to move along at a decent pace as well. With this book I had to put it down for a few days and then come back to it.

The Empress of Austria was, in life, a fascinating woman. But I didn't like her in this book. I did not like Charlotte's brother and fiancee; And Charlotte herself disappointed me.

I Am Livia is a "must read" for anybody who loves well-researched historical fiction about fascinatingly strong women of history who lived in challenging times, achieved power and/or influence and deserved to be remembered for her own contributions and not just her association with a powerful man or family.

Livia Drusilla, wife of Caesar Augustus, mother and grandmother to future emperors, and daughter of a Claudii patrician who supported the assassination of Julius Caesar, recounts her life in a first person narrative beginning with her marriage at age 14 to a much older man, Tiberius Claudius Nero, through the civil wars that culminated with the death of Antony and Cleopatra, and the imagined relationship with Rome's First Citizen.

The narrative flows nicely and this is a fairly quick read. The author makes an effort to rehabilitate Livia's reputation as a power hungry woman who poisoned her enemies or family members that might conceivably vie for political control.

The only parts of the book that didn't resonate well with me were the depictions of Caesar as completely a besotted suitor and husband. The dialog felt awkward to me.

For those who hungrily devour stories of this historical period, loved the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough or stayed glued to the HBO series "ROME", this story is peopled with characters that feel like old friends.

I love historical fiction and stories that are set in Italy. Venice is a city that brings to mind glorious visions of Renaissance art and architecture, gondolas slipping effortlessly through the canals, the beauty of hand blown Murano glass, the power of the Doges, the revelry of Carnival, the lion of Saint Mark and the horses of the Basilica of San Marco as the symbols of the city, the trading center from which Marco Polo set off on his journey of the Silk Road.

The Venetian Bargain gives us a glimpse into this most fascinating of cities during the plague epidemic of 1576, which decimated the population. A young Turkish woman who served as physician to the ruler's mother, stows aboard a ship to avoid being forced into the Sultan's harem and finds herself caught in the midst of a plot by the Ottomans to destroy Venice by pestilence, war, famine and death. To avoid capture as an enemy of the state, she must hide. While in hiding she meets the architect, Andrea Palladio, who the Doge has commissioned to build a magnificent church with the hopes that the offering to God will save Venice from the plague. The story beautifully blends the flavors of east and west with religion, architecture, medicine, and material culture.

Fiorato's development of her primary characters illustrate how people with different beliefs and cultural backgrounds that at first see only an enemy, an infidel or kafir can find common ground and accept the humanity of a person -if they are willing to look. That is the gift of this book. There is teaching without preaching - mixed with a bit of romance and mystery. While there were some parts of the story that moved slowly, I enjoyed the book immensely and recommend it to those who appreciate well-researched historical fiction.

If the entire book were as beautifully written and engaging as the first few chapters, this would have rated among the best books I have ever read; but, the story did not hold up for me. And ultimately, I ended up flipping through the pages of the second half of the book just to get through it.

This historical novel is based in part upon the stories Laurel Saville heard about her maternal great-grand parents and some family letters. The primary setting is Jamaica in the years just prior to and after WWI, the Jamaica in the waning years of English colonization dominated by class distinction and race discrimination.

The saga of Henry and Rachel is told through the eyes and narratives of those closest to them. Unfortunately, I didn't really like any of the characters. I believe the author wanted the reader to feel compassion or empathy for Rachel. But I found her a distant, bitter woman who made decisions that were unhealthy for her children, which resulted in their being completely dysfunctional.

Laurel Saville's style of writing flows as if written by the loveliest fountain pen of old. In the first chapter in which Henry remarks upon "the inexorable passing of the years that has turned me inexplicably into an old man" touched me in the depths of my soul. I wish I could say I loved the book; but I didn't. It was okay; but it didn't make my heart sing after the 5th chapter.

Bitter River is a murder mystery involving the death of Lucinda Trimble, a talented 16-year-old girl, who is found dead in the Bitter River. The story is set in the West Virginia mountain town of Ackers Gap, a place peopled with pragmatic folks dealing with economic hardships who have little to no trust of outsiders. Raythune County prosecutor Belfa Elkins, who grew up in various foster homes after the death of her violent father, has returned to her hometown of Ackers Gap after a failed marriage to find healing in the mountains.

Julia Keller writes with melodic prose that pulled me into the story from the first page and kept me wanting more – until the last third of the book when the plot became overly contrived with a subplot involving an international terrorist and the writing felt rushed. I started to turn pages restlessly to get to the end, which was, for me, unsatisfying.

As for character development, I liked and admired Bell Elkins, a pick yourself up by your bootstraps and keep going woman, who is both tough and vulnerable. She would be fun at Happy Hour. Many of the peripheral characters are drawn clearly enough that one can recognize in them somebody we know and with whom we can empathize.

All in all Bitter River is a good book. The first 2/3 is excellent. If Ms. Keller writes another episode in the life of Bell Elkins, I will read it.

"A Nearly Perfect Copy" kept me interested from the first page. I read it in two days and felt a bit of loss when I finished. That is the sign of a very readable book.
This novel involves two overlapping stories. One revolves around the torment of a New York City art expert, Elm Howells, from the lesser branch of the founders of the auction house that employs her. Elm is still reeling from the tragic loss of her young son. Her inconsolable grief has caused estrangement in her marriage, a loss of passion in her work and a complete inability to move forward. When she learns some acquaintances of her husband have decided to clone their beloved dog, Elm is at first horrified and then fascinated. What if….?
Meanwhile, across the pond in Paris, unsuccessful artist Gabriel Connois struggles with his inability to make a splash within the Parisian art scene. He is the descendent of a pseudo famous Spanish artist and developed an uncanny ability to replicate his more illustrious ancestor's work. He has his own vision; however, after meeting a woman of more extravagant tastes than his bank account can handle, he is offered an opportunity to earn some money – the old fashioned way – forgery.
I appreciated this book as a study of the human condition, of moral ambivalence, of seeking justification for our actions, and then trying to live with the decisions made. This is in part a tragedy involving regret, self-flagellation, insecurity, fear, and loss of self. It is in part a morality play. While I can't say I liked any of the main characters, I did feel empathy. I could understand the temptations.
While I found the book at times over-plotted, I liked the book. And when I'm reading fiction and it transports me to another place, it is okay if I'm asked to suspend believe with regard to coincidences. That being said, I work in a field where I often see that truth is stranger than fiction. So, who know

Gone Girl is the break out novel by Gillian Flynn that has received a significant amount of press and adulation since it was published last summer. Gone Girl is what I term “mind candy”, a novel of suspense that also causes one to suspend all concept of reality. +

Gone Girl is written in three parts and attempts to portray the dark side of human nature in the psychological dysfunction of marital relationship after the wife disappears on the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary.

Amy Elliott and Nick Dunn met, courted and married in New York City. Amy came from a background of privilege and some notoriety as her parents had authored a series of books about “Amazing Amy”, which chronicled an idealized Amy through her childhood and school years. Nick grew up the only son of a middle class family in Middle America.

After Amy disappears, suspicion falls on Nick, because as the husband, he is the most likely suspect.

This was a quick read and I found the first half of the book to be a suspenseful page-turner. I like Ms. Flynn’s writing style. It flows well and I plan to read one of her earlier novels. However, none of the characters in this book are appealing. None are likeable. I felt no empathy for any of the persons portrayed.

By the time I was into the second half of the book, I predicted where the narrative was going and it lost me. While it was clever and clear that Ms. Flynn had conducted some research on sociopathic personalities, the story became too contrived, too convoluted, well beyond the most outrageous headlines of tabloid news. (except maybe “Batboy”). I’ve worked in insurance claims for more than 30 years and have seen a lot of things that one just could not make up. But, Gone Girl left me shaking my head.

Wow! What a rollercoaster ride! Ghostman is an A1 thriller by newcomer Roger Hobbs, a recent graduate of Reed College in Portland Oregon. This is a book I did not want to put down from the moment I read the first sentence. The protagonist, who hasn't used his real name since attending College at St. John's in Annapolis, is the quintessential anti-hero. There are no heroes or heroines on Ghostman. The major characters exist on the underbelly of society, the wrong side of the law, and with unrelenting resistance to honor.

Ghostman, aka Jack Delton, is a chameleon, a thief with no fingerprints who lives off the grid and achieves his thrills by participating in high-risk but well-choreographed robberies. He has an aversion to killing unless it is necessary. In his spare time he translates Homer, Virgil and Ovid into English. He is a loner who travels light, always at the ready to morph into another persona. After my recent visit to the International Spy Museum and the exhibit devoted to disguises, I am convinced this is entirely possible.

Following a botched robbery in Atlantic City in which the money disappears, Jack receives a contact from Marcus, who had arranged the robbery ostensibly to pay for a shipment of drugs. This is payback time for Jack, whom Marcus blames for a botched heist in Kuala Lumpur that cost him millions and his reputation as a premier jug-marker. Marcus enlists Jack to clean up the mess in Atlantic City and retrieve the money in exchange for not killing him. If only it were that simple!

The tightly woven plot moves at the pace of an episode of "24". The writing is straightforward, clean and intelligent. The Ghostman is the criminal world's answer to Lee Child's Jack Reacher – aloof, alone, alert, aware, prepared, methodical, and intriguing.

I can't wait for the next installment-unfortunately, I must. This book should hit the shelves in early February 2013. Loved it! 5 stars!

First time novelist David Mark hits a bull’s eye with his first effort, the intriguing police procedural, The Dark Winter, which introduces readers to Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy. The action takes place in and around Hull in the north of England.
McAvoy is a gentle giant who loves his family, is not always taken seriously enough by his peers because he is more of an analyst than an action hero, but has an empathetic ability to put pieces of a complex puzzle together and get into the mind of a ruthless killer. What appear to be random murders of individuals with no discernible connection – an elderly man returning to the scene of a long ago sea disaster and a young girl at a church – become links to a greater plot of curious retribution involving sole survivors of tragic events.
This book is a quick read, well plotted, and kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the character development and will certainly look forward to the next installment in what promises to be a new series. This is the type of novel one sits down to read and just keeps on reading to see what transpires next. I would give it 4 ½ special dark chocolate kisses!

This is a sequel to a book titled The Truth of All Things, which I have not read. It is a detective novel set in Portland, Maine during the 1890’s and features a police investigator named Archie Lean and a private investigator that is half Native American named Perceval Grey.

The story involves the investigation into the death of a petty criminal who was removed from his grave. His corpse, now charred and staged to leave an impression of occult intervention, was left with in an abandoned house as an apparent warning to his thieving companions.

An investigation into a missing relic that may hold the key to mysterious powers derived from alchemy and the request of a dying man to find his missing granddaughter are interwoven.

It is clear the author conducted research into the history of Maine and Portland in particular. The story has an atmosphere of the late 19th Century and the tedium of conducting research before the age of computers. However, some of the language utilized by the characters seems inauthentic to the period, phrases that I’ve not read in books written during that time.

Additionally, I found the plot a bit too convoluted with sub-plots that didn’t serve anything other than to lengthen the book. While I enjoyed much of the main storyline, the peripherals caused my mind to wander and I found myself flipping through pages.

I did actually like the characters of Archie, Perceval and Helen Prescott (who apparently featured prominently in the first book). If you like late Victorian gothic detective stories, giving it a try. I would rate this book 3 special dark chocolate Hershey’s kisses out of 5.

This book was difficult for me to read. I found the story slow going, disjointed and the characters unappealing. While I liked the concept of the novel – damaged people dealing with tragedy, critical illness and loss, a dysfunctional family, and fighting for a lost cause – the actions of the main characters, Claire and Minna, did not ring true. I further could not fathom Forster’s failure to investigate the goings on at the farm when he became concerned about the deterioration.

I did like some parts of the book immensely – including the prologue and all of Part One, the exchanges between Claire and her daughters, and a spur of the moment junket to Mexico. The story lost me about ½ way through Part Two and I ended up skimming through pages

The book has a bit of a gothic feel to it with numerous references to the novelist Jean Rhys and her most famous work "The Wide Sargasso Sea", which imagined the first wife of Jane Eyre's Mr. Rochester before she emigrated to England and ended up mad in the attic. Since I love the Brontes and thoroughly enjoyed discovering Jean Rhys, the references did conjure up my feelings associated with those works.

But after pushing through the second half of Part Two and Part Three hoping for some reward for my perseverance, I as disappointed in the conclusion.

This book drew me into the drama, intrigue and ambiance of ante-bellam New Orleans, Key West, the lighthouses that gave safety to mariners off the Florida coast, Havana, and the Seminole wars. I love historical fiction that encompasses this time period which predates the American Civil War. I liked the protagonist, Emily Lowry, who married after a whirlwind courtship a man who was not ideal by her family’s standards – and moved her from sophisticated New Orleans to a rough and tumble Key West long before it grew into the gentile artists colony that it became. She followed her new husband, whom she barely knew, to Key West and ultimately to a small island where they tended a lighthouse that was integral to keeping shipping vessels from crashing onto a coral reef.

This is the story of a feisty woman who bucked convention, learned to be her own person, embraced forbidden love, made some pragmatic decisions for survival, and ultimately lived the life she wanted to live – albeit partially in the shadows. I liked Emily. Her only true ally was her sister Dorothy, who loved and supported Emily but also made decisions against Emily that made sense for the time and place. While some may have anger at decisions Dorothy made, I fully understand why she did what she did. And so did Emily.

The book was beautifully written. The story was so engrossing I didn’t want to put it down. That signifies a good book for me. I would recommend The Woman at the Light for anybody who loves historical fiction involving intriguing women during the early days of America.

Fans of Edith Wharton will truly appreciate this novel based upon a few of Wharton's years in Paris beginning in 1907. From the salons of Paris, to the Wharton's estate (The Mount) in Lennox, MA, to the Vanderbilt's apartment on the Rue de Varenne, to the English countryside, to the small, out of the way cafe's and hotels in Montmartre, The Age of Desire transports the reader back to the gilded age. While the book started out slowly, I become more drawn in and transported to another place and time, where i wanted to dwell. I've no doubt the experiences made it possible for Edith to write what would, in my mind, become her masterpiece – The Age of Innocence. Highly recommended.

This book was far more fascinating than I'd expected with a focus on family dynamics and what happens to a seemingly normal middle class family when an only child is charged with murder. I can't imagine anybody reading this story and not wondering if this could happen in his family. How does one react when the community treats the entire family like pariahs? How can both parents look at their child and recall a completely different childhood? Is it possible he is guilty? If yes, what did we do wrong?
Is there something in the genetics which predisposes a child to violence? I really loved this book and eagerly look forward to Landay's next effort.

"The Red Book" is a readable story about 4 friends who met at Harvard and reunite at their 20th reunion and how life changes and how it is possible to reinvent oneself at mid life. The theme is not new. More Magazine profiles such women monthly. This is essentially an updated version of Rona Jaffe's 1986 "Class Reunion". As I was reading this book I had the nagging feeling I'd read it before...and then I recalled Jaffe's book, which I loved in the 80's. But, I didn't like or feel compassion for Kogan's primary characters with the exception of Jane. I wanted to slap the other 3. I think Kogan created some compelling & interesting secondary & tertiary characters...which caused me to give the book 4 stars.

I just completed "The Face Thief" and loved the musical tone of Eli Gottlieb's prose. There are passages that's reminded me of the beautiful turn of phrases by James L. Burke. While certainly not a perfect read, it was quick, creative, engaging and kept me turning the pages, determined to find out how the story would end. The topic, shenanigans and manipulation in the financial world, is current and the story is plausible. The story does not end with everything tied up with a big red bow...but I appreciated that. The only character that did not resonated with me...Dan France, the cop. He was a bit too ingenuous. Otherwise, I really liked the book.