RIP IX: Secrets and Murder

One of the first books I read in September for RIP IX was A Lesson in Secrets, the eighth book in Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. As part of an assignment from the government, Maisie pairs her detecting skills with her teaching skills and joins the faculty of a college in Oxford that was founded after the First World War on the principles of pacifism and international cooperation. But, if the Secret Service's hunch is correct, the university might just be harboring the worst of the worst -- Nazis!

This series never shies away from tackling some of the most sensitive topics that came out of the Great War. This time it's the fates of those soldiers who decided at some point that they no longer wanted to fight. It's a heartbreaking subject but it's dealt with in a really thoughtful way in this story. I really do love this series and have the greatest admiration for Maisie Dobbs. I'm bummed to only have two more books before I'm caught up to the current book.

I picked up Murder on the Home Front by Molly Lefebure after hearing that it was made into a TV series and wanting to read it before watching the show. I didn't realize that it was a memoir and I certainly didn't know how awesome Lefebure was. The book chronicles some of her adventures in the five years that she spent working as the secretary to pathologist Dr. Keith Simpson in London and the surrounding counties. She highlights exceptional cases in a way that draws the reader in, whether it's describing an abnormal autopsy, a search for clues in a muddy field, or a trek down a darkened stairwell during the Blitz. Here is the list of qualities that she came up with when looking for her replacement:

'Typing.
Good verbatim shorthand.
Tact.
Interested in crime.
No objection to mortuaries and corpses.
Reasonably fast runner.'

I loved Molly and I loved this book. It turns out the the TV series is fictional and just based off of these memoirs (the lead character is called Molly Cooper, I believe) but I'm still looking forward to watching it soon. If it has half the wit of this book (something one certainly doesn't expect when reading about murders), it will be a fun show!

Crossing back over the Pond,
K

New Release: World of Trouble

Next week, the world will finally get the third book in The Last Policeman trilogy, World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters. I didn't expect this series to become one of my all-time favorites but somehow it did. Between the first book (The Last Policeman), the second (Countdown City), and this one, I only spent about four days reading. I just couldn't put these books down. I can't say if it was the sense of urgency of an impending asteroid strike or the need to help Detective Henry Palace find what he was looking for or simply the morbid desire to watch the breakdown of civilized society as the end of the world approached. Whatever it was, this was an incredible ride and I'm sorry it's over.

I feel like this post should be longer because I enjoyed this series so much but I don't know what to say besides READ IT.

Out with a bang,
K

One Cop, Two Cop

As the second entry in the Last Policeman trilogy, Countdown City had the possibility of being the dud book of the series. Therefore, I was immensely happy to find that Ben H. Winters had managed to write a better story than the first (which was also really darn good). In this next part of the story, we're a little closer to the day when an asteroid will strike the earth. Social constructs are starting to break down even more than before and it's become near impossible for Henry Palace to continue his work as a detective (especially since he's officially lost his job). Yet, he still must find a way to be who he needs to be to keep sane during such a crazy time. His morals are tested, his ties to other people are probed and a compelling mystery is solved. I have very high hopes for the third book (World of Trouble) which comes out on July 15. And, since the first book took me one day to read and the second one only slightly longer, I won't have to set aside much time for it, which is always good news to a reader.

After rushing through that book, I was strangely still in the mood for policemen so I picked up ...

The Yiddish Policemen's Union had been on my TBR shelf for a while but, since I knew it would be both quirky and amazing, I was waiting for the right time to take my next journey with Michael Chabon. In this alternate history, Jews were relocated after WWII to Sitka, Alaska as a temporary safe haven. Now the time has come sixty years later that the U.S. government is essentially kicking them out to find their own way again. As their time winds down, Detective Meyer Landsman has to confront his own demons, his open cases and his ex-wife. But there is one murder case that could be the death of him if he's not careful.

I have to say that the similarities between these two stories (counting the two Last Policeman books as one story) were strange. I can't talk much about some of them because of spoilers but the basic premise of how someone in the business of law and order reacts to a break down of the system they have worked to uphold was a really interesting parallel. Each of these men dealt with their situation in a very different way but both of them still kept their honor and integrity intact. Of course, one book also explored some different facets of Jewish/Yiddish/Hebrew culture and that was also quite fascinating. And Chabon's writing was again so wonderful that I would read sentences and paragraphs over and over because they were just perfect.

Admiring the order of a flawless police novel (or two),
K

p.s. I received an ARC of Countdown City in exchange for an honest review.

You Said You Would Wait Until the End of the World

After the joy of strictly reading one of my favorite authors for an entire month, it was tough to choose my first non-DWJ read. I eventually decided to go for something entirely different and chose The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters (the co-author of Sense and Sensibility of Sea Monsters), first in a trilogy. I chose wisely because this was a wonderful book.

The titular last detective is Hank Palace, a newish recruit to the Concord, New Hampshire detective force. Sadly, his time on the force will likely be short because a massive asteroid is heading toward Earth and they're only six months away from impact. Suicides are on the rise and when Hank gets called to examine a body found in a fast-food restaurant restroom, he's pressured to give this death the same tidy verdict. But he feels that something is off and, even with the imminent end of the world, he is determined to do his job and solve what could be his last murder case.

There were so many layers to this story, from the basic murder investigation to a pre-apocalyptic romance to the more philosophical questions of what to do with the last six months of your (and possibly everyone else's) life. Everyone in the story is some shade of unpleasant for the obvious reasons but, because of the circumstances, they almost all become sympathetic. Hank's dedication to his job is especially admirable but also a bit compulsive which makes him a complex character that you want to learn more about. I read this entire story in one day and can't wait to get to book two, Countdown City, which I have sitting here, and book three, World of Trouble, which comes out in July.

With a glimmer of hope,
K

p.s. I received my copy of this book from Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.

RIP Reads 11 & 12: Whicher and Watcher

I finally read Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher! I've had this on my TBR since it came out in 2008 and though I had heard of its easy readability, I just never got around to picking it up. But, as I'm behind on my non-fiction reading for the year, I grabbed this one a week or so ago.  It's the story of a young boy who is murdered, apparently in his own home and probably by a member of the household. The investigating detective from Scotland Yard is Jonathan Whicher and this is the story of the case, his investigation and the effects afterward on both the family and the detective.

While this was an interesting book which filled in a bit more of my Scotland Yard knowledge, I thought some parts were a bit info-dumpy, especially right at the beginning. Still, it was a compelling piece of history, especially reading about how the murder became so popular in England, dominating the newspapers for a long stretch of time and inspiring writers such as Wilkie Collins.

I wasn't going to buy any new books for RIP this year but then there was this new Carlos Ruiz Zafón novel (new in translation anyway) and I couldn't resist. The Watcher in the Shadows is his third YA novel from early in his career. It is an incredibly atmospheric and melancholy book with a terrifying villain. I was in doubt as to whether many of the characters would even survive to the end of the book. I think it's amazing how CRZ can take the most elemental of fears and turn them into such imaginative and unique stories. All of his YA books are well worth picking up if you're looking for suspenseful reads. I saw that Simon got a copy of the fourth in translation, Marina, just recently so I guess that will be on my RIP plate for next year!

Finding the real and the fictional equally disturbing,
K

RIP VII Read #1: The Yard

I am WAY behind on reviewing my RIP reads -- which I'm sure you have assumed I've been delving into since September 1st. In fact, I finished The Yard by Alex Grecian soon after and, if anything qualifies as a perilous read, it's this dark Victorian tale.

As part of the newly created "Murder Squad" of Scotland Yard, shortly after the Ripper killings have finally stopped, Walter Day is not sure he even belongs in London with the other elite investigators. But when he lands an incredibly difficult case--the murder of another detective on the squad--he knows it's both a chance to prove himself to the department and to decide once and for all if this is the life that he wants. With a focus on early forensics, mental health and police procedures, this novel is not only a gripping cat-and-mouse chase but also a fascinating historical journey.

To be honest, some of the subject matter in this story was right on the border of my comfort zone (child abuse, violence, etc.) and I kept considering putting the book down and walking away from it. But the story was intriguing so I stuck with it and was rewarded with well-developed characters and a satisfying ending. I even ended up with a couple of crushes on some flawed but decent men. Overall, this is a very strong first novel that, I would guess, will likely begin a series. And, with the strength of the characters and the interesting historical setting, I'm sure it will be one I'll keep up with.

Still looking over my shoulder,
K