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book reviews

October List, The

A Race Against Time — Backwards Author: Jeffery Deaver Usually, the challenge of reviewing a book is describing enough to accurately convey a sense of what the book’s about, and why you should or shouldn’t read it, without giving away too much. In Jeffery Deaver’s The October List, however, it’s pretty much essential that I not tell you anything about the plot, because of the way the story is told: in reverse. Let’s see if I can do it! In the opening scene, Gabriela McKenzie — whose young daughter has been kidnapped — sits in her New York apartment waiting [...]

2016-12-31T17:54:29-07:00January 2nd, 2015|Tags: , , |

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

Charm School, Teen Sleuth Style Author: Alan Bradley Aww, they grow up so fast! I can hardly believe we’re already up to #7 in the Flavia de Luce mysteries. If you haven’t read any of these charming English confections yet, I’ll stop you here and recommend that you start with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, author Alan Bradley’s award-winning debut novel. This review presumes that you’re current on Flavia’s eventful life, so stop right here if you don’t want any spoilers on books 1–6. You have been warned. A quick recap: Flavia de Luce is a precocious [...]

2016-12-31T17:54:30-07:00January 2nd, 2015|Tags: , , |

Girl Next Door, The

Nosy Neighbors Author: Ruth Rendell Ruth Rendell (who, I just learned, is a baroness!) is an incredibly prolific mystery/thriller author who’s written dozens of award-winning books both as herself and her pen name Barbara Vine. As you may know if you’re already a fan, the Rendell books tend to be more like crime procedurals (many starring Chief Inspector Wexford), while the Vine books tend to be more psychological suspense. Rendell’s newest book, The Girl Next Door, is something quite different — a slow, detailed portrait of the effects of a violent crime on its victims (direct and indirect) decades after [...]

2016-12-31T17:54:30-07:00January 2nd, 2015|Tags: , , |
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