Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
by Katherine Boo
Enlightening (1/16/2012)
The author gives a fascinating look at a very unusual aspect at the lives of the vast majority of Indian citizens.The characters follow form but do not engender any deep feelings from the reader and this detracts from the overall experience. I highly recommend the book for what the reader experiences but cannot give it 5 stars as I wanted to feel more affinity to the characters as people.
The Darkening Field: A Novel
by William Ryan
Grows on you (11/8/2011)
Book started off as a typical foreign who-dun-it but the characters and the plot expanded nicely. The lead Soviet era investigator took on a full life and the plot had enough twists to keep the interest. Especially well written details about how some factions in The Soviet Union must have viewed their lives add an interesting historical touch. Not a great book but worth the time.
The Borgia Betrayal: A Poisoner Mystery Novel
by Sara Poole
Satisfactory but not compelling (6/16/2011)
A well-written historical novel that gives a feel for the times and contains many sidelights into the papacy of the Borgia family and the inner workings of the Catholic Church of the time period. However, I could not bring myself to feel part of the book or to care about the characters. The book had too many low areas for it to be a recommended book.
Prophecy: An Historical Thriller
by S.J. Parris
Love the Historical Fiction Genre, but not this title (3/14/2011)
Prophecy has a fine plot, decent characterization, and pages of historical detail, but it all goes together to make an average read. I cannot really feel strongly for the anyone or actually get emotional about the villains. The novel typifies the word average. I usually read a book in 2 or 3 days. Prophecy took ten. The story might work for some but I am just glad it was a free copy.
The Devotion of Suspect X
by Keigo Higashino
Enjoyable read (12/26/2010)
The Devotion of Suspect X is a quick read, but has interesting and likable characters to lead the storyline. The ending differed from the expected and proved a little hard to accept by American values, but the workings of a foreign culture make the book a notch above regular crime detection. The development of the lead villain/hero made the book work for me. I have recommended the novel to two others who found it a worthwhile read and spoke highly of their experience
A Lonely Death: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
by Charles Todd
Great central storyline (11/6/2010)
This is the second Charles Todd book I have read. The mystery itself is compelling and the story develops nicely to a satisfying conclusion. He did keep Hamish out of the story more, which makes for a better read. The weakness of the book lies in the distracting secondary story lines that never develop well and only serve as a distraction. However, the the small village life, the well-drawn characters and the mysterious garrotings all highly recommend an excellent read.
Bad Boy: An Inspector Banks Novel
by Peter Robinson
Excellent story hero missing (7/13/2010)
I always enjoy books by Peter Robinson and this one was no exception. The storyline held my interest and the minor characters were well drawn. However, the series lead, Alan Banks, came across as fairly insufferable as did the British system of justice. Issues were overly black and white and made American law enforcement seem idyllic. Plot excellent but main characters missing emotional connection (for me).
The Scent of Rain and Lightning: A Novel
by Nancy Pickard
Uneven beginning but regained form at the end (2/11/2010)
I had previously read and enjoyed greatly The Virgin on Small Plains by Nancy Packard and loved the book. I had expected the same level in this novel but for the first 100 pages I felt disappointed as no character really seemed to attach themselves. I felt unconcerned with the events that happened and everyone seemed too good to be true or evil in the extreme. However, after the main character became more developed, the story progressed well with unexpected turns that still held believability. I rated the book a 5, but it is a step below the Virgin of Small Plains.
Seven for a Secret: A John the Eunuch Mystery
by Mary and Eric Mayer Reed
Seven for a Secret (2/10/2008)
The historical details proved to be the most compelling part, but I did not actually care enough about the characters or the plot to strongly recommend this book. I most likely would have started another book and let this one gather dust except for the need to write a review.
