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In 1901 Oxford England, Lily works in her father’s bookstore and as an apprentice to a bookbinder. When she is requested by a collector to handle an assignment, he also gives her a burnt book. The book is supposedly worth nothing. So why is someone now desperate to lay hands on it? Could it have to do with the fifty year old letter Lily found underneath the binding?

The story combines both intrigue and romance, along with strong character development. I’m never a fan of romance stories and found the love triangle unnecessary. Luckily, the book leaned more towards intrigue and so kept my interest. Bell does a good job of painting the frustrations Lily faces as a woman in a man’s profession, along with her unwillingness to settle down as a wife. She also does a good job of setting the time and place so scenes were easy to envision.

The story moves at a brisk pace, alternating between Lily’s story and the pages she continues to find. The story does rely on a few too many coincidences. Pick this for the entertainment value, not the intricacy of the plot. This is not a cozy mystery and there are multiple scenes of violence.

I listened to this and found Olivia Vinall to be a good choice as narrator.

There seems to be a new trend of re-imagining the classic stories, especially with the twist of the villain becoming the hero. Now, Lady Tremaine seeks to make the evil stepmother of Cinderella into the heroine. In this rendition, the family has fallen on hard times after the death of Elin’s father and everyone has to pitch in. And everyone does. Well, everyone but Elin who is a self absorbed prig of a stepdaughter unwilling to dirty her hands with the necessities of surviving.

I adored Ethel, the stepmother. She’s the kind of strong willed, determined, resourceful woman I love as a main character. When faced with a moral dilemma, it’s a question as to how she will react and who exactly she owes her allegiance to. There are lots of interesting questions raised about family and motherhood.

The story is well thought out, even if the main romance arc is a tad obvious and predictable. The good news is that there’s no magic or fairy godmother in this telling. But there are plenty of secrets being kept by everyone. And plenty of evil as well.
I listened to this and Bessie Carter excelled as the narrator.

Land is an epic in the true sense of the word, encompassing not just a particular family, but a country, the world, the land itself. Magically written, with parts that are poetic in nature. It contrasts the impermanence of humans against the constancy of the land.
It begins with a map maker and his young son right after the Potato Famine, out charting the Irish countryside for the British. But soon it moves back two millennia to a time even before the Romans arrived in England.

At the heart of the story is a mysterious hidden pool that has been claimed by heathen and Catholic priests alike. The belief is that the water can give you what you need, not necessarily what you want. Told through a variety of points of view, we follow the six members of the main family and their loyal dog through multiple events, mostly tragic. I have to admit, the dog was my favorite of the characters. Yet, I cared about each of them and was anxious to know how their lives would unfold.

There’s a strong edge of magical realism to this book. That doesn’t always work for me, but it didn’t overwhelm the story. It’s a sad story with little in the way of hope or joy. It’s not a tale of plucky individuals finding a way to improve their lot in life. It’s about the business of surviving day after day in often miserable circumstances.

My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.

Go Gentle started off on a truly high note. As an older woman, my friends and I have often discussed something similar in concept to the Coven that Adora has with her friends. I found it even more interesting that Adora was a philosopher, a Stoic. But then it looked like Semple was doing a U turn into romance and I was “what the hell?” This was followed by a flashback to a bad experience in Adora’s past which basically explains why she had been leery of men.

Adora was an interesting main character. I liked her best when she was trying to be a good mother to a teenager. I wasn’t crazy about her when she acted like a love sick teen. I felt like a ping pong ball. The book bounces between romance, mystery and art heist-thriller. Different sections felt like they’d been written by different authors. There is humor, but it didn’t always work for me. I appreciated learning more about Stoicism. Much to say about misogyny, politics and repatriation of art.

Overall, the plot tends to the bonkers and I found I had to just go along for the ride. The ending was definitely over the top. While I adored “Bernadette” this one worked less well for me.

My thanks to Netgalley and Putnam for an advance copy of this book.

3.5 stars, rounded down

Paper Girl was published last year but it already feels somewhat out of date. Beth Macy has written a combination memoir/socio-economic study about life in small town/rural America. It covers her own youth in rural Ohio. Her family was poor but she had the opportunities provided by a Pell grant that covered her entire college costs. She also grew up in a town that valued its schools and its public library. She contrasts the Urbana of her youth with the current day town, now plagued by high unemployment, drug and mental health crises, and falling high school graduation rates. She also touches on the lack of meaningful federal programs to help. Pell grants now don’t come close to funding tuition, let alone all the other expenses of attending college.

The reason I feel it seemed out of date was her strong belief in the power of a college education. In the past few months, I’ve read more and more newspaper articles concerning the falling value of a four year college degree when weighed against the rise of AI, a declining job market and serious student loan debt. She talks somewhat of trade schools and AA programs to achieve practical jobs, but seems to view them as less than ideal. I, on the other hand, think we should be funding these programs much more than we do.

Her theses ring truer on other issues. That those that go away to college don’t come back, leaving fewer folks that believe in the value of an education. And how both political parties failed to recognize the hurt NAFTA would have on the US middle class.
As a reporter, she also focuses on how people get their news. Of course, it’s a chicken and egg thing. Which came first? The slanted news forums or the desire to only hear the news you want to believe. Do the encapsulated news programs allow for the rise of racial prejudice, homophobia and anti-transgender or just give an acceptance to beliefs already there?

As far as the writing, I found the book to be somewhat disjointed. It constantly switched between her history, her current relationships with family members, discussions on how to fix the educational problems in Urbana and similar towns, examples of young people who had “succeeded” and research into the economic problems facing the country, especially its small towns and rural areas. And then throw in a heavy dose of political rationales. It lacked good flow. I appreciated it the most when she and others actually talked about possible solutions, especially those that have worked on a small scale basis. She rightly focuses on the failure of the Democratic Party to recognize the despair of the rural population being ignored. As James Carville said, “it’s the economy, stupid”.

This was my pick for our book club. While I felt the book was lacking in several areas, I believe it will make for a fascinating discussion.

Theo of Golden was just what I needed. Something meaningful but not dark. If anything, it’s the antithesis of dark even though there are ugly scenes. It speaks to generosity, kindness, really seeing and communicating with others. It’s a reminder of the good in people. It is a beautiful book in every sense of the word. It touches on living in the moment, the joy to be found in art, music and nature. It also speaks clearly about faith. As the author says in his Author’s Note, it’s about choice, the choice of how to live one’s life. Be prepared to smile, to laugh and to cry.

The premise is that an elderly stranger arrives in the town of Golden, Georgia. He is engrossed by a series of 92 pencil portraits of townsfolk and decides to buy them and unite them with their subjects. At times, it reminded me of Elizabeth Strout’s writing, a feeling of interconnected character rich stories more than a novel. Like her work, I became totally engrossed in these characters and didn’t want to leave them. I listened to this and David Morse helped elevate the story with his wonderful narration.

A Pair of Aces marks the third collaboration between Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. It’s as interesting and engaging a story as the prior two.
No one could have envisioned an odder pairing than Polly Adler, well known madam (and eventual author of the book A House Is Not a Home), and Eunice Carter, assistant DA for the City of New York and the first black female prosecutor in the Manhattan district. But these two ladies unite to take down Lucky Luciano when he attempts to take over the prostitution racket.

The book combines the right amount of details to give a strong sense of the history of the case along with an accurate feeling for the time and place. There’s a great underlying sense of tension as both risk their lives and those they care about to achieve their goal. The book kept me totally engrossed and I kept finding excuses not to put it down.

Both main characters are vividly drawn. The authors delve into the moral quandaries that both women face. I’m always impressed that it’s impossible to tell that these books were written by two writers. The writing is that seamless. I was deeply disappointed that the e-galley did not include the authors’ notes. I would have loved to have known what led the authors to assume Polly Adler had such a major role in helping convict Luciano, as supposedly there is no verifiable proof that she did.

My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

I always find the mark of a well done historical fiction is the ability to simultaneously entertain and teach. The Young Will Remember does that in spades. I knew very little about the Korean War (or police action, as the Americans called it) so it was a true learning experience. Chung packs a lot of information into this story and I came away feeling I had a much better sense of this forgotten war.

Ellie Chang is a reporter in Korea when the plane she’s on goes down in enemy territory. An elderly woman insists Ellie is her daughter and manages to help her escape death. “Emma”’s daughter was taken by the Japanese during WWII and the fear was that she was taken as a comfort woman. Needless to say, she never returned home. Thus begins Ellie’s attempt to get back to the American side in a war when the lines were constantly being redrawn. The characters were all well drawn. Not just Ellie and “Emma” but also the Pak family, who have their own unique histories.

The book is also especially timely. The parallels between any war and the atrocities committed by both sides are hard to ignore. This book doesn’t pull any punches and some descriptions are graphic. It’s a reminder that no side is ever entirely on the side of the angels and men in power tend not to consider how their decisions affect the people on the ground. In fact, the strength of the book is that while Ellie is American, she is living with Northern Koreans and can see how the war is affecting them.
There are so many themes here and it would make a wonderful book club selection.

My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an advance copy of this book.

Two Kinds of Stranger is the 9th in the Eddie Flynn series. Eddie is a conman turned defense lawyer. This time, he’s defending Ellie Parker, a tiktok influencer who pushes random acts of kindness. She’s accused of murdering her husband and best friend. Her alibi is that she was practicing a RAK at the time. For a man that tries to kill her.

Meanwhile, Eddie’s ex-wife’s current husband is dealing with a stalker former client and things turn deadly. The story is wonderfully convoluted and totally pulled me in.
The story alternates between multiple narratives, primarily Eddie, his partner Kate, Ellie and the killer. Eddie is a great main character. Smart and not afraid to bend the rules. Kate is the opposite of Eddie, never wanting to stray outside the lines. I will admit to being much more invested in their sections, because I love scenes set inside the courtroom. Ellie was the typical scared person accused of a crime and in over her head. Logan, the killer, is diabolical. He makes a game of killing people and getting someone else blamed. But even with understanding his background, I struggled with one important aspect of his personality which had me googling sociopathic personalities.

The pace is swift, the tension high and the plot lines complex. The courtroom scenes are well thought out and feel totally real. Flip side, the thriller aspects of the book required a total suspension of belief. While I know that’s to be expected, it always kind of annoys me. The book is 400 pages, but I flew through it.

Warning, there is a lot of violence in this book. Fans of legal procedurals will enjoy not just this book but the entire series.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.

The Last Mandarin is the second stand-alone thriller that Louise Penny has written with a co-author. In this case, Mellisa Fung, a Canadian journalist with CBC News. The book is quite different from her Armande Gamache series. It focuses much more on action than philosophy.

As with all thrillers, the plot requires a significant amount of suspended belief. Or at least, I hope it does. Alice Li is meeting her mother, Vivien Li, a famous Chinese dissident and now a human rights activist, for breakfast in DC. All of a sudden, alarms are going off everywhere, like around the world everywhere. When both women are called to a meeting at the White House, Alice learns a friend of hers was actually a spy and she was the recipient of his last message before his death. The signal for the event is traced back to China. The question is whether it was instigated by the Chinese government or a faction opposed to that government.

Things move at a brisk pace from there. The story focuses on Alice and Vivien, but also gives us glimpses into the POVs of both the American and Chinese presidents. I was pleased that both presidents come across as fleshed out and not cliches.
In addition to the international drama, the authors also focus on the fraught mother-daughter relationship.

I was a huge fan of State of Terror, mainly because it felt believable. This was less successful for me, although it’s good entertainment. I appreciated the way the authors wove the history of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, into the story.

I was lucky enough to have advance copies of both the e-book and audiobook. Eunice Wong was a good narrator and I appreciated learning the correct pronunciation of many Chinese words. Plus, audiobooks always tend to provide that extra oomph of tension to a thriller.

My thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for advance copies of this book.

Because I’ll happily read anything Laurie Frankel writes, I didn’t even bother to read the blurb about Enormous Wings. Which I recommend doing. Much better to get the sucker punch to the gut when you realize the premise. After a fender bender, 77 year old Pepper Mills’ children decide the safest place for her is in a retirement community. Luckily, she quickly makes friends and even becomes close to one of the few men.
I adored Pepper, maybe because I could so totally relate. A retired English teacher, she’s a total grammar nerd. And she’s not afraid to spell things out using a variety of four letter words. My heart also went out to Father Frank, who embodies a whole different type of minister than is typically found in literature or life.

This book is filled with humor that totally captivated me. The sort that has your chuckling and nodding your head in agreement at the same time. But Frankel is also known for taking on the big issues. In this case, personal freedom and bodily autonomy. In addition to the “big topic”, the book also delves into the aging parent-adult child relationship, the role of a grandparent, and friendships and romance at an advanced age. All of which are handled realistically and thoughtfully.

I guess this book would be classified as magic realism, a genre I often struggle with. And yes, the premise is bonkers but the way Frankel develops the story makes it seem totally believable.

My thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company for an advance copy of this book.

Kin is very different from Tayari Jones’ bestseller, An American Marriage, but it’s no less moving. Vernice (Niecy) and Annie are both motherless, but for different reasons. Vernice’s mother was murdered by her father; Annie’s mother just left. Both found solace in each other. But their lives go in vastly different directions once they reach age 18. Annie can’t get beyond feeling abandoned by her mother and it colors all her decisions. Vernice just wants to be accepted.

The story is told in alternating POVs. This is truly a character driven story. The pace is languid, the plot could do with more tension. The book has lots to say about abandonment, social acceptance, fulfillment, betrayal and friendship. It’s about what we will do for those we truly love. And what it means to finally find yourself. Jones does a wonderful job of painting a picture of the Jim Crow South in the mid 20th Century.

My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an advance copy of this book.

Kin is very different from Tayari Jones’ bestseller, An American Marriage, but it’s no less moving. Vernice (Niecy) and Annie are both motherless, but for different reasons. Vernice’s mother was murdered by her father; Annie’s mother just left. Both found solace in each other. But their lives go in vastly different directions once they reach age 18. Annie can’t get beyond feeling abandoned by her mother and it colors all her decisions. Vernice just wants to be accepted.

The story is told in alternating POVs. This is truly a character driven story. The pace is languid, the plot could do with more tension. The book has lots to say about abandonment, social acceptance, fulfillment, betrayal and friendship. It’s about what we will do for those we truly love. And what it means to finally find yourself. Jones does a wonderful job of painting a picture of the Jim Crow South in the mid 20th Century.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an advance copy of this book.

Careless People is a tell-all behind the scenes look at Facebook as it grew from its beginning years to being “one of the most influential companies on the planet”. It’s a timely read, as last week, Mark Zuckerberg was called to testify in a social media addiction court case which alleges Facebook, along with other social media sites, knowingly targeted young users.

Careless People does nothing to dissuade the reader from believing the worst about Facebook. Wynn-Williams speaks of the double standard between what senior management puts out to the public and what they practice and believe, especially when it comes to children or helping dictatorships. What surprised and confused me was how long Wynn-Williams did stay with FB, especially given some of the situations she was placed in. Can you imagine feeling obligated to write a memo while in the stirrups about to deliver your child? Or being asked in front of others by a senior executive to sleep in their bed on a jet plane like it’s the most normal thing in the world? She later uses health insurance and the fact she was the main bread winner as a reason she had to stay. But the mere fact that she was still there at that point? It’s obvious she was putting money above sanity or her own morals.
Later, as things got even uglier, she made the argument that she was still trying to change things from the inside. I appreciated the book when she was discussing what the company actually did and felt I learned a lot. But part of me felt like there was a bit of hypocrisy as she put herself above those out to make “gobs of money”.

Zuckerberg is a total spoiled brat. That he’s a spoiled brat with the power to shift global dynamics is what’s truly scary. A large portion of the book details how Facebook ignores their own supposed moral standards concerning dealing with political entities, whether candidates or foreign governments. Wynn-Williams lifts the veil. “Facebook rewards outsider candidates who post inflammatory content that drives engagement. We charge less money for ads that are more incendiary and reach more people.”

It was also interesting to read this in light of the changes I’ve personally seen on Facebook. How my page is now overrun with fake news sites (no matter how many I permanently delete) and ads. I swear, I feel like I spend more time deleting things than seeing posts from family or friends. I guess this makes me somewhat of a hypocrite as well, since I continue to use it to interact with family and friends. I read this as a buddy-read with my granddaughter and can’t wait to discuss this with someone much younger.

Elizabeth Strout has written a new set of characters for The Things We Never Say. But her unique writing style remains the same - plain, spot on, getting right to the heart of the matter. It just has a sort of Maine sensibility about it. Artie Dam appears to be a happy soul, but he is incredibly lonely and starting to ponder suicide. He’s a good man - a wonderful teacher who leaves a lasting impact on his students, a caring husband and father. He can’t explain, even to himself, why he feels this way. Then something happens which shakes up his life.

The story is told from multiple perspectives and gives little glimpses into the future. Strout has the ability to create characters you quickly come to care about. And not just the main character, but all of them. Throughout the book, we hear from characters about those that had an impact on their lives. I loved that sense of what we pass on to others, sometimes without even realizing the extent of the impact. The story has a strong political aspect about American politics. It pointed out something I’ve observed in my own life. There are those who get deeply upset by what’s happening and others (not necessarily of different opinions) that just shrug it off. Let’s just say Artie and I are on the side obsessing over what’s going wrong. Needless to say, Trump supporters probably won’t care for this book.

While several characters struggle with depression, there was still a sense of hope imbedded throughout.

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

Is there anything more joyous to a mystery reader than finding a new (to you) series that you just fall in love with? And because there are multiple books, you can just go for one right after another? Well, that’s me with the DS George Cross series. This is now the fifth book for me and the first I’ve read rather than listened to. I’ll just be really sorry when I’m all caught up.

This time, the ex-mayor of Bristol has been found dead in her home. Cause of death is a question. And was this a burglary gone wrong or premeditated murder? George is just such a fascinating MC. He’s on the spectrum but he is trying to learn the social niceties. Well sometimes . And his interactions with Ottey are just perfect. “Ottey had become something of an expert in spotting when Cross used his condition conveniently to get out of something he didn’t want to do. He, of course, knew he did this from time to time, but was equally aware that it was working less and less frequently with his partner. Which was annoying.”

Sullivan loves to provide a multitude of suspects and red herrings. This time, I did suss out the murderer but that isn’t usually the case. I appreciate the blend of personal to professional life. And there is a major development in Cross’s personal life in this story.
I recommend this series for fans of Peter Grainger’s DC Smith series.

3.5 stars, rounded up

I’ve been on a kick of humorous mysteries lately. Ones with a more sardonic wit work best for me. I’m Not The Only Murderer in My Retirement Home is the latest. Carol is a serial killer. She’s just been released from prison and is now happily ensconced in a retirement home. But one day, while she’s sitting out on her balcony, she witnesses one of the residents do a header from the roof just as she hears footsteps running away. This leads to her history being revealed and many of her neighbors shying away from her, thinking she’s to blame.

The book uses a third person narrative, primarily focusing on Carol. I would have preferred multiple first person narratives, but that’s a personal preference. The humor too often veered towards the juvenile. Many of the characters are cliches, as is the humor associated with them. The retired detective who has to tell the current ones how to do their jobs, as well as mansplaining everything to the ladies of the community. The current DI with a horrible sense of humor. Margaret, who is always eating and keeps food in her purse. Unlike the armchair detectives of the Thursday Murder Club, this group tends towards the ditsy.

I found it hard to believe a Home Secretary would be so scatterbrained. Carol was the only character I appreciated, because like her, bad manners and animal abuse make me want to commit murder. I am always reminded of the song “I’ve Got A Little List” from The Mikado. Turns out, everyone has a bit of a dark side. But at heart, it’s about finding friendship in our later years.

But occasionally, the author just nails the stereotypes about the elderly as when the retirement home insists on entertainment geared towards generations well passed. As in: “We’ll Meet Again” started up for the fourth time. I went to see David Bowie, thought Carol. Craig isn’t afraid to make fun of the genre, even making inside jokes. It’s an easy read with just enough dark bits that it doesn’t feel trite.

My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an advance copy of this book.

What a fun premise! A “successful” serial killer, in other words, one not caught and still operating, has written a how-to book titled “How To Get Away with Murder”. Meanwhile, Samantha, a DI who had been on a 6 month mental health leave, returns to help investigate the murder of a 14 year old girl. The girl’s body has been staged and there is a connection to the book and its author, Denver Brady.

The book within a book idea isn’t new, but it works superbly here. Sam is tasked with reading the book to see what the connection is - is the author the killer, is there a copycat operating or is the book a work of fiction. The story alternates between the investigation and chapters of HTGAWM. Sam was a well developed main character, suffering from PTSD and on shaky ground. Even though her job is to peruse the killer’s manifesto, she struggles to get more than a chapter done at a time. Luckily, she’s been assigned a trainee who while totally posh has plenty of brain cells.
Kudos to Philipson for the dark, sardonic humor here. I found myself chuckling through major portions of Brady’s advice.

As others have noted, this book is a debut but certainly doesn’t come off as a debut. It’s extremely well polished and well executed. I just adored the ending. I rarely assign 5 stars to mysteries, but this one richly deserves each one.

I listened to this and the two narrators, Michael Geary and Tamsin Kennard, both did a fabulous job.

My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.

The Keeper is the third and final in the Cal Hooper series and it reminds me all over again why I love Tana French. I was mesmerized by her writing and her ability to describe a character with the spot on phrase. “ He has the air of a man about to file an elaborate grievance with HR.” That also gives you an idea of the dry humor in her writing. “The rumors flying around…you’d want to wash out your ears with holy water after hearing them.”

After several years, the town of Arknakelty has started to accept Cal. He fits in with the gang down at the pub. He’s got his “fiancée” Lena and his “apprentice” Trey. In short, life is going well. But then, one of the young women in town, the girlfriend of the town bigwig’s son, goes missing and is later found dead in the river. And all the old grievances and divisions in the town come back to the forefront. Cal is asked to pick sides and leaves himself open to problems when he doesn’t pick the bigwig. The danger to those he loves leaves him tied in knots.

This is a long book (almost 500 pages). But I just savored it. The character development is fantastic. I was so engaged by all three of the main characters, and felt for them, even when they were working against each other. “Cal has always known that Lena’s chosen weapons are barricades, not artillery, but he never thought she would use them against him.”

Those looking for a fast paced mystery will be disappointed. This is a slow burn of a story, with lots of interplay and head games between the characters. French manages to totally immerse the reader in the town of Arknakelty - the weather, the farms, the pub, even the local store. I could just envision every scene. The book has a lot to say about the power of gossip and innuendo, about not always being able to get total justice. I was torn between wanting to know what Justice would be obtained but not wanting the story to end.

I would not recommend reading this as a stand-alone. You need to understand how the relationships have been built up over the prior two books. The good news is that all three are totally enjoyable.

My thanks to Netgalley and Viking Penguin for an advance copy of this book.

Meet the Newmans is a trip down memory lane to the feel good tv of the late 50s and early 60s. Think Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It to Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show. The Newmans have been a real life/ tv family for 12 years. But now, their style of tv show isn’t selling. Ratings are falling and sponsors are bailing.

As one would expect, their real life looks nothing like the tv version. Their marriage is in trouble with Del and Dinah both hiding secrets from the other. Their two teenaged sons are both struggling to find their own way. The book details the beginning of the Women’s Movement as Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique had just come out in 1963. When Del is in a car accident and Dinah takes the reins, she has an opportunity to decide what message she wants to send.

There’s a bit of a soap opera quality to the book. At times I felt Niven was throwing too many issues into the story - feminism, misogyny, the lavender scare, racism, divorce, drugs, contraception and unwanted pregnancy. But at the center were characters trying to find their own identity and meaning in their lives. I did appreciate how she portrays Dinah and Juliet’s developing friendship, the contrast between the expectations of the two generations. The sheer number of issues tackled means the book moves at a brisk pace, moving from one aspect and character to another. The characters mostly felt real and fully fleshed out.

Niven does a good job of putting the reader in the time and place other than minor mistakes like including Post It Notes (not sold until 1980). Also, having grown up in those times, words like gay and feminism weren’t really part of the lexicon.
I listened to this and Marin Ireland did her normal great job as the narrator.