The Black Loch, by Peter May

Peter May's The Lewis Trilogy included three novels set on the Isle of Lewis, the northernmost island in the Outer Hebrides, islands off the west coast of Scotland. The trilogy was completed in 2013 but has now been followed by this fourth book, The Black Loch. In this book, a young woman, Caitlin, is found dead and it turns out that she has been having an affair with Fin's son Fionnlagh, who is now married with a 12-year-old daughter at home. Caitlin's body is found near where she and Fionnlagh used to meet in secret, and he's arrested for her murder. Fin and his wife Marsaili return to the island to do what they can to find out who really murdered Caitlin. As in the earlier books, Fin discovers many secrets and intrigues taking place on the island. The narrative alternates between present day, written in the 3rd person, and Fin's memories of the past, written in the 1st person, which shed light on the modern day characters and motivations. The story spotlights the Scottish salmon farming industry (not in a good way), and (spoiler alert) there is a story line that features a large pod of beached whales that all eventually die. I think this plot line was used to introduce a new character who plays an important role in the climax, but I could have done without the whales dying. Nevertheless, the writing is very good in this book; nothing has been lost from his earlier efforts. The pace is compelling, with the tension staying high throughout the book. Loved it! And I wonder if there will now be more to come?
 

Three act tragedy, by Agatha Christie

This is a Hercule Poirot mystery that is framed in three acts: Suspicion, Certainty, and Discovery. Poirot doesn't start out as the lead character. The death in the first act is not deemed a murder, and Poirot agrees with that opinion. It's not until another nearly identical death occurs that Poirot's suspicions are raised and he begins to assist three other characters who are unofficially investigating the murders. They are a retired actor, Charles Cartwright, a young woman, Miss Lytton Gore (nicknamed Egg), and their friend, Mr. Satterthwaite. Egg was present at both deaths along with a group of acquaintances and neighbors, and all of them become potential suspects. They divvy up the investigation, interviewing the others present at both murders, and consult with Poirot, who eventually identifies the killer. I liked the way this mystery was framed in three acts, with Charles Cartwright's performing a variety of characters providing a funny touch. 
 

Persona non grata, by Ruth Downie

The stakes are high for Roman army doctor Gaius Petreius Ruso as he heeds a request to go home to Gaul, taking his companion, Tilla, along with him. Brought home under a ruse, Ruso attempts to resolve some of his family's money problems, but becomes the main suspect in a murder inquiry when his family's adversary dies in his presence from an apparent poisoning. Ruso must navigate many competing claims on his attention, including his younger sisters who want money for a dowry, his spendthrift stepmother, and his brother's large and messy family. He slowly investigates the trails of clues he discovers with the help of Tilla, leading to his eventual discovery of the guilty parties. I really enjoyed this fast-paced and intriguing mystery. Ruth Downie does a great job describing a town, buildings, and estates in the classical period, but with characters that have many of the same motivations and desires as modern-day people. 
 

The Chessmen, by Peter May

I really enjoyed this third entry in a trilogy following The Blackhouse and The Lewis Man. Fin Macleod has taken a job providing security on an estate further south on the Isle of Lewis, and he's tasked with stopping his old friend Whistler from poaching. When Fin follows Whistler into the mountains, a storm approaches quickly and they have to take shelter overnight. When they emerge the next morning, they find that a lake has drained from the effects of a bog burst revealing the wreckage of a small plane long thought lost at sea and which contains the body of one of their oldest friends, and it appears that he was murdered. Fin is determined to find out what happened so many years ago and why Whistler appears to be hiding something. Once again, long lost history catches up with Fin and others and the plot goes back and forth between events of 17 years ago and the present day. Peter May continues to write compelling prose with this last book in the trilogy. Published in 2012, it was followed up in 2024 with a continuation of Fin's story. Can't wait to read that one!
 

Anxious people, by Fredrik Backman

I enjoyed this novel about a bank robber who was foiled during the attempt and takes refuge in a nearby apartment building where an apartment is being shown during an open house. The bank robber takes everyone in the apartment hostage for an afternoon, but eventually releases them; however, when the police storm the building, there's no one there. The book details how the two policemen investigate the robbery and hostage situation while they await more experienced detectives from Stockholm. They interview everyone involved but cannot get straight answers from any of the witnesses. This is a comic novel that is also charming and heartwarming. The characters are silly and fun, but also sincere and likeable. This is the second Backman novel that I've read (after Britt-Marie was Here), and he has a penchant for eccentric characters and quirky plots. A lot of fun to read!
 

Orbital, by Samantha Harvey

 

Recipient of the 2024 Booker Prize, Orbital is a short novel about life on the International Space Station in one 24 hour period. Six astronauts from the U.S., Russia, Italy, Britain, and Japan go about their day exercising, eating re-hydrated food, chatting, maintaining the ISS, conducting experiments, and more in this meditation on what it means to be so far removed from earth and loved ones. I liked the book more than I didn't, but for me, the best parts of the book were the middle sections where there was some dialogue and action. I found that both the early and concluding pages were a little slow for my taste. However, the writing was very good, clear and concise. And I love the cover art!

The Lewis man, by Peter May

This is the second mystery in the Lewis trilogy by author Peter May. Fin Macleod has divorced his wife, left the police in Edinburgh, and moved back to Lewis to rebuild his parents croft. He's living in a tent on the property and trying to re-build a relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Marsaili, and their son, Fionnlach. He gets drawn into a murder investigation when a body is found buried in the peat. It's determined to be a murder from the 1950s when a tattoo is found on the young man's arm, and the investigation gets personal for Fin when DNA shows that the dead man is related to Marsaili's father Tormod, who is suffering from dementia. The narrative goes back and forth between Tormod's recollections of his childhood and Fin's attempts to follow the evidence to identify the murdered man and exonerate Tormod. Again, like the first in the trilogy, this is a very well-written book with engaging characters and an interesting plot.
 

The blackhouse, by Peter May

This is the first mystery in a trilogy set on the Isle of Lewis, the northernmost island in the Scottish Hebrides. Fin Macleod is a detective in Edinburgh but grew up on Lewis, so when a man is found murdered in a style similar to one that took place in Edinburgh, he is asked to go investigate, which he does, albeit reluctantly. Fin's parent both died while he was young and he was brought up by his aunt who provided for him but who was unloving. Fin's childhood sweetheart is married to his best friend, and their adult son is seeing a girl who had accused the dead man of rape. As Fin investigates the murder, he dredges up a lot from the past, including what happened when he participated in the annual bird hunt on a nearby island which resulted in his near death and the death of his best friend's father. I really loved this mystery. The writing is excellent and the characters are well drawn and interesting. 
 

Terra incognita, by Ruth Downie

 

This is the second book in a series about Roman army doctor Gaius Petreius Ruso. In the first book Ruso solved a mystery about the murder of local prostitutes; this book finds Ruso traveling with the army towards a distant outpost in the north of Britain. As they're passing through a town there is a body found without a head, and Ruso begins to investigate the murder in order to absolve the town's doctor who has taken responsibility for it. Complicating things, this is the childhood home of Ruso's slave Tilla, and her friends are part of an emerging rebellion. Ruso must solve the case before the imminent visit by the new governor. Ruso's secretary Albanus and fellow doctor Valens also play an important role in the book. Downie's style is very clear and she keeps the plot moving along. Very enjoyable.

The Germanicus mosaic, by Rosemary Rowe

 

This is the first in a series about Roman Britain, set in 186 CE. Libertus is a freed slave who works as a mosaic artist. He's asked by his patron to investigate the gruesome death of a centurion for whom Libertus worked recently to install a floor in a library. While I liked the main character and his assistant, the plot was overly complicated. However, I will go on to read the next to see if the author's style improves as she writes more.

Why didn't they ask Evans?, by Agatha Christie

 

This is the 15th Agatha Christie novel that I've read this year, and I still continue to enjoy them. This one has a new pair investigating the crime, Bobby Jones and his friend Frankie, a wealthy heiress. The book has the feel of a Tommy and Tuppence thriller in that the couple engage in a lot of spicy bantering and are excited by all aspects of investigating a crime, often coming up with outlandish disguises and ruses to scrutinize possible suspects.

Medicus: a novel of the Roman Empire, by Ruth Downie

I've been reading British history for a few years now, and in preparation for my upcoming trip to London, I thought it would be fun to read some fiction set during the period of the Roman Empire. The main character of Medicus is a doctor named Ruso attached to the Roman army stationed in Deva (modern-day Chester). He comes across a man abusing an enslaved British woman and on an impulse he decides to purchase her at a bargain rate due to her broken arm. He treats her arm and as she begins to heal, Ruso becomes aware of several dead slaves, at least one of them clearly murdered. As he is unwillingly drawn into the investigation, he experiences several accidents (or were they?), a predatory boss, skyrocketing debts, and other pressures. This is the first of nine books in this series focusing on Ruso and his slave Tilla. It's well-written with a nicely-paced plot that kept me turning the pages. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.
 

The wine lover's daughter: a memoir, by Anne Fadiman

 

I loved this charming memoir by Anne Fadiman that uses her father's love of wine and books to tell both of their stories. Clifton Fadiman was many things; after graduating from Columbia University in 1925, he embraced a career that included serving as an editor at Simon & Schuster, the emcee of the radio quiz show Information Please!, the editor of The New Yorker's book review section, and a judge for the Book of the Month Club, an activity he continued into his 90s. Fadiman was also a serious oenophile, which he tried unsuccessfully to pass on to his children. Much of this memoir centers on Anne's attempts to like wines that her father shares with her. She is highly educated about wine and all of its attributes at a very young age, but even as an adult she finds it difficult to like wine. It is only after her father has died that she learns that she may be genetically unable to appreciate wine (and some other food and drink) due to the high number of taste receptors on her tongue. With her father an important part of the literary scene and her mother working as a screenwriter and journalist, Anne grew up steeped in literature and culture which comes out in her elegant prose and wonderful storytelling. 

Sense and sensibility, by Jane Austen

 

What a blast it was re-reading Sense and sensibility after more than 30 years. Jane Austen was never an assigned author in my high school or college classes, but I picked up Pride and Prejudice at a used book sale and loved it. Following that good experience, I read through S&S, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. Somehow I missed out on Lady Susan, so I still have that to look forward to. Sense and sensibility was selected as my local book club's September pick, and the prevailing opinion was very positive with a definite desire to read at least one classic a year. Most of us had read it before and enjoyed the repeat. One of my favorite aspects of Austen's writing is the humor, which is so clever and timeless, and her observations about the human character are astute and still relevant two hundred years later.

I'll be seeing you, by Mary Higgins Clark

This is a typical thriller by Mary Higgins Clark, with a reporter investigating the stabbing death of a woman who looks exactly like her, suspecting that it's related to the disappearance or death of her father who purportedly went off a bridge during a bad storm but whose body has never been found. At the same time, the reporter is being stalked by a psycho. So many characters, so many coincidences! Entertaining, nevertheless.
 

Heavy: an American memoir, by Kiese Layman

 

This is a powerful memoir by Rice University Professor and 2022 MacArthur Fellowship recipient Kiese Laymon. Written as a letter to his mother, Kiese strives to tell the truth about his childhood and young adulthood, including the many formative events and traumas that he never before revealed or admitted. He grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, the son of a single mother who was first working on her Ph.D., and later a professor at Jackson State University. Kiese was repeatedly sexually abused by a babysitter and observed sexual coercion and violence at the home of friends where he was supposed to stay while his mother was studying or working. He was highly intelligent, a trait that was encouraged and strengthened by growing up in a house full of books and having a mother and grandmother who regularly gave him writing assignments about his reading. But his mother violently beat him for even small transgressions, a practice that began after she started dating a man who beat her. Kiese also faced bigotry and racism in his schools, colleges, and later workplaces. While Kiese was able to avoid involvement with drugs or alcohol, he developed addictions to both food and gambling, the latter of which his mother also experienced. As an adult, he comes to realize the depth of his mother's addiction and realizes the depth of her lying to him about her need for money or inability to pay the bills or maintain her home. Heavy is Kiese's attempt to finally tell the truth about all of his childhood traumas and get his mother to acknowledge how she hurt him. Her admonitions throughout his youth that he has to be perfect to avoid becoming a victim of white people didn't protect him from her own abuses. This is a tough and incredibly sad memoir. Kiese doesn't tell us whether or how he was able to escape his demons and overcome his addictions, so it left me with as many questions as answers.

The Clancys of Queens: a memoir, by Tara Clancy

I really enjoyed this memoir about growing up in a large, complicated family in Queens. Tara Clancy is a writer and storyteller who has published in the New York Times, the Paris Review Daily, and other venues, and told stories on The Moth Radio Hour. Her parents split when she was two so she grew up not only bouncing between their two households, but also her grandmother's home and her mother's boyfriend's home in the Hamptons. Full of energy, this frenetic existence seemed to suit her well, especially given that her immediate and extended families were very loving and caring. I found her tales of childhood very charming and funny, although I got a little concerned when she recounted some of her teenage exploits. But she grew out of that misbehavior without causing any significant damage to herself or others, so all is well. This was a very fun book, and since I'm sure Ms. Clancy left a lot out of it, I think she has many more stories to tell about her family and growing up in Queens, and I hope to read more by her in the future.
 

Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie

 

I read this book when I was a teenager, but my memories of the plot really come from the more recent film version. I enjoyed reading it again, and now I want to watch the film again! 

The age of innocence, by Edith Wharton

 

I really enjoyed this novel about Newland Archer, an attorney, and his struggle to decide whether to stay with his conventional fiancé or leave her to run away with her scandalous cousin, the married Ellen Olenska, who is estranged from her abusive husband. The novel paints a vivid picture of 1870s high society (the 1% of its time) and all of its strict and stifling social conventions. Whether realistic or not, the characters in the book never say out loud what they really think; instead, they voice platitudes and whatever they think is expected of them. When Newland does express emotion regarding the prejudice society has against Ellen, he is subtly but unknowingly ostracized from future discussions or decisions made regarding her. It's only towards the end of the book that he realizes that he has been masterfully outsmarted by his fiancé, and later, wife, and that he had very little agency in his own future. The book takes place over the course of about a year, then ends with a short chapter that takes place 26 years later. Without giving anything away, I have to say that I was unhappy with the ending, but I understand the author's desire to end it that way.

The book of Atlantis Black: the search for a sister gone missing, by Betsy Bonner

 

This is a sad and touching memoir about a woman who disappears and presumably dies of a heroin overdose after many years of a downward spiral. Atlantis Black grew up in a family with significant mental illness, including a mother with bipolar disorder and others suffering from depression. Her father was physically abusive, on at least one occasion pounding Atlantis' head repeatedly on the floor, as witnessed by Atlantis' sister Betsy, the author of this memoir. As the older sister, Atlantis was on the receiving end of the majority of the abuse, but Betsy did not go unscathed, as she recounts at least one violent incident in this book. Atlantis was a musician and actor, but also had degrees in geographic information systems and pharmacology, and briefly worked in both of those fields. However, her volatile nature and drug abuse led to her losing relationships, jobs, and eventually her home. She talked repeatedly with Betsy about disappearing by changing her identity, so when she's found dead in Tijuana, Mexico, and there are conflicting stories from the police, Betsy is left wondering whether her sister is really dead or not. Given that, I wondered why Betsy didn't follow up on potential evidence, such as a DNA test that would prove the remains found in Mexico were really Atlantis'. (In addition to being the recipient of Atlantis' ashes after her cremation, she had requested a lock of her hair, which was delivered to her with bits of the scalp attached (yuck). Betsy throws this away when it might have been used for a DNA identification.) Betsy is left not only mourning her sister's death, but also wondering whether she might still be out there. The book doesn't resolve any of these questions, so it remains a mystery that may never be solved.

Listen to the Squawking Chicken...A memoir (sort of), by Elaine Lui

 

This is a memoir like no other. Canadian author Elaine Lui wrote this memoir about her relationship with her mother, a Chinese immigrant to Canada from Hong Kong. Ms. Lui's mother, nicknamed in Chinese "Squawking Chicken" because of her loud and screechy voice, is a powerful and dominant personality who controls much of her daughter's life and choices, including everything from her morning routing (put moisturizing drops in her eyes and eat a papaya) to her choice of boyfriend or which house they purchase. Much of her demands are attributed to the principles of feng shui, but even she will contradict those principles when it suits her. Many of the anecdotes that Ms. Lui tells in this book are outlandish, including a series of ghost stories, but her mother uses these tales as "proof" for why Ms. Lui should behave a certain way, and Ms. Lui seems to take these stories at face value. Some of the tales are gross and uncomfortable; I found one in particular, (involving a dead pet), to be heartbreaking, although Ms. Lui presents it in such a deadpan manner that I wonder about her level of empathy. Overall, I liked this book, and found both the comedic and cultural aspects to be interesting and fun.

Memorial Drive: a daughter's memoir, by Natasha Trethewey

This is a touching and emotional memoir by former U.S. poet laureate Natasha Trethewey. In this book she tells the story of her childhood, when she lived with her parents in her grandmother's home in Mississippi. The story takes a sad turn when her parents divorce and she moves with her mother to Atlanta where her mother remarries. Ms. Trethewey's stepfather emotionally abuses her for years before she realizes that he is also physically abusing her mother. This is not a year by year recounting of their lives; in fact, there are many years missing from the story. It skims over Ms. Trethewey's teenage years until she's 19 and her mother is shot and killed by her stepfather, who was recently released from prison. She writes a lot about how she left Atlanta after the trial with no intention of ever going back, but she eventually does move back to take a job at Emory University. It's then that she is given the police records from the investigation, which eventually leads to her telling her story in the form of a memoir. The book is very well-written, and it's a potent and frightening story; however, there is so much left out that it really left me wanting more information: for example, what happened to her father, half-brother, and stepfather (after he completed his sentence)? And what happened during those intervening years?
 

Fierce: how competing for myself changed everything, by Aly Raisman

 

Aly Raisman is a retired Olympic gymnast who starred and medaled in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. She is also one of the young gymnasts who was abused by Olympic team doctor Larry Nasser. In this highly engaging and well-written memoir, Ms. Raisman tells the story of her gymnastic career from when she started with a "Mommy and Me" class at the local gym through her 2012 Olympic wins and successful 2016 comeback. She does not make her encounters with Nasser a focus of the book, but she does touch on the impact they had on her and makes a strong case for girls recognizing when something makes them uncomfortable and letting others know about it. I've always enjoyed watching gymnastics during the Olympics but this book really explained how the competitions work so that I understand it all much better now. It has given me a greater appreciation for the work and effort that goes into creating and developing an elite athlete. It was also heartwarming to read about the strong support that Ms. Raisman received from her family, coaches, and others.

Americanized: rebel without a green card, by Sara Saedi

I really enjoyed this memoir by Sara Saedi whose family traveled to the United States in the hope of applying for asylum. When their paperwork was lost they began a decades-long process to apply for residency status and ultimately citizenship, which was granted to Ms. Saedi in 2005. She was only two years old in 1982 when her family decided to leave Iran, which had become too dangerous for them. They met up with family in the U.S. who were already established, and Ms. Saedi's parents were able to open their own business and achieve a modicum of stability. However, their undocumented status weighed heavily on all of them, and they worked tirelessly to procure the documents that would allow them to first work in the U.S. and ultimately apply for citizenship. Ms. Saedi's tells their story from her own perspective: that of a child who only slowly becomes aware of their perilous situation. Her personality really comes through in this intimate and loving story about her family and their efforts to fit in. Because this book tells her tale from childhood on, I think it would be a great read for both adults and the YA crowd. Published in  2018, this book touches only lightly on the anti-immigrant policies of the first Trump administration. It was almost painful to read how quaintly hopeful Ms. Saedi was about the future of immigration and immigrants in this country, given the current political climate.
 

From Doon with death, by Ruth Rendell

After reading The babes in the wood, an Inspector Wexford novel, I decided to read all of them, starting with this first one. In From Doon with death, Margaret Parsons has been reported missing by her husband. While initially reluctant to accept that something is wrong, they nevertheless begin to investigate her disappearance and eventually her murder when her body is found. When they find a trove of valuable books gifted to Mrs. Parsons from someone nicknamed "Doon," they begin trying to identify the many former friends and acquaintances from Mrs. Parsons' school days. I enjoyed this book with its many eccentric characters and plot twists and turns before the murderer is ultimately found.
 

Rising from the ashes: the Chimney Tops 2 wildfires in memory and art

 

This book documents the illustrations that were commissioned by the University of Tennessee Libraries to accompany its oral history project about the Chimney Tops 2 wildfire of 2016. The fire resulted from the combination of drought conditions, high winds, and possibly arson, and caused 14 deaths, 200 injuries, the loss of or damage to 2,500 homes and buildings, and 17,000 acres burned. Four artists, Paige Braddock, Charlie Daniel, Marshall Ramsey, and Danny Wilson were asked to contribute art to the show, and the text of the book was written by Stephen Lyn Bales. This is a very touching and emotional account of how the fires affected many people.

Lord Edgware dies, by Agatha Christie

In this mystery involving both Hercule Poirot and his sidekick Captain Hastings, Lord Edgware is murdered, but the prime suspect has an alibi. Lord Edgware is singularly unlikable, so there are many who might be potential murderers, and Hercule Poirot must sift through all of the competing possibilities to arrive at the true culprit. Without giving anything away, I will say that this is (so far) one of only two Christie mysteries that I figured out along the way. In this case, the culprit seemed obvious, along with the general method, although the specifics of how it was carried out needed Poirot's explanation. As usual, this was an enjoyable read, although, as with earlier books, there is a fair amount of anti-semitism and racism evident, through the use of slurs and stereotypes. While not necessarily unusual for 1933, it's a little jarring these days. As I move through my project to read all of Christie's mysteries in chronological order, I'll be curious to see how her writing changed with the approach to WWII and its aftermath.
 

Peril at End House, by Agatha Christie

In Peril at End House, Hercule Poirot and his friend Captain Hastings try to prevent the murder of a young woman, Nick Buckley, who has recently experienced three close calls that were interpreted as accidents. When they meet her, she waves off what she thinks is a wasp, but Poirot determines that it was a bullet that went through the brim of her cap. To protect Nick, they inspect the sites of previous accidents and caution her to be careful, but in a case of mistaken identity, Nick's cousin Maggie is murdered in her stead. Poirot hides Nick away in a nursing home for her own protection, but even there she nearly dies from poisoning. Eventually, Poirot divines what's really going on at End House, but what I found interesting about this novel is that he is tripped up over and over again and truly doubts his own abilities, something that I haven't seen in the earlier books. This one also included several antisemitic comments that really stand out today.  I  enjoyed this book, although I missed the supremely confident Poirot I'd become used to, and I would say that it's not one of Christie's better books.
 

Beautyland, by Marie-Helene Bertino

 

I really enjoyed this novel about a young woman, Adina, who believes that she is an alien sent to earth to gather information about humans and share it with her superiors whose own planet is becoming unlivable and who have to relocate. She uses a fax machine to communicate with them, and they also appear in her dreams at night. She comes out as an alien to friends and family, then the world when her closest friend convinces her to publish her observations as a book which becomes very popular and makes her a literary sensation. When Adina's dog dies unexpectedly and she loses her best friend to cancer, she spirals into a depression that takes her a long time to recover from. Her boyfriend had already left her and her superiors stopped communicating with her, leaving her adrift. The novel follows her from childhood through her 40s, all the while documenting her deadpan reflections on human society. She takes a similar approach to all aspects of her life leading me to wonder if she is actually a neurodivergent or schizophrenic person who has simply fantasized her alien experiences. The final communications from her superiors and the book's conclusion leave everything up in the air, providing a lot of food for thought.

The Sittaford mystery, by Agatha Christie

 

The Sittaford Mystery is a standalone story that doesn't include any of Agatha Christie's usual detectives. After a séance in which the message is received that Captain Trevelyan has been murdered in his cottage six miles away, Major Burnaby walks to the cottage only to find that Captain Trevelyan has indeed been murdered. Trevelyan's nephew James, who visited him that afternoon, is arrested for the murder, but James' fiancée, Emily, is unwilling to accept his guilt and travels to the village to ferret out the true murderer. The six people who attended the séance seem innocent by default, but could one of them have had preknowledge of the crime? What about Trevelyan's sister, niece, and other nephew? Or his assistant and his new wife, of whom Trevelyan didn't approve? Emily teams up with a reporter, Charles Enderby, to investigate other potential suspects, and both work occasionally with Inspector Narracott who also shares information with them, eventually leading up to a surprising but satisfying conclusion.