Dispatches from the couch: a neuroscientist and her therapist conspire to reboot her brain, by Stacey Hettes

 

Dispatches from the couch is about the author’s three-year odyssey in therapy to address her issues resulting from sexual abuse when she was aged 4-9. Although she’s been in therapy many times before, she finds herself needing additional work after being triggered at a work meeting where a colleague is disparaging women coming forward during the #MeToo movement, and she outs herself as also being the victim of abuse. That sends her into a tailspin that is only resolved after years of therapy, which she recounts for us in this narrative. This is a highly readable and engaging book that shows how difficult it is for some survivors of abuse to not blame themselves for their victimhood, even though they were children when the crimes took place. I was happy to see the author come through the therapy with a better sense of herself and understanding that she wasn't to blame. I would have liked to find out what happened to her abuser, a family friend and religious leader who may have abused as many as 50 others, including his own daughter. 

We were liars, by E. Lockhart

 

I didn't care much for this book the second time around (I read it before back in 2014). The main character, Cady, is a member of a wealthy family that summers every year on a private island near Martha's Vineyard. Two summers ago she suffered from an accident that left her with amnesia and crippling migraines. When she finally returns to the island at the age of 17, she is still being protected by her relatives who don't want to talk about what happened, hoping that her memories will return by themselves. In the meantime she spends most of her time either with her cousins and their friend Gat (who Cady is in love with) or lying in bed with a migraine. Mysteries abound, such as why her grandfather completely rebuilt his home without keeping anything from the past, why one of her aunts roams the island at night, and why did none of her cousins or Gat respond to her emails and texts of the past two years? The twist at the end is completely unexpected and a little too sudden. The high level of melodrama is perhaps typical of YA fiction, but something that I'm not fond of. Cady repeatedly reports on her emotional reactions to dramatic events by describing herself being shot and bleeding out, or something similar. For example, when her father leaves Cady's mom to be with another woman: "Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest...Blood gushed rhythmically from my open wound, then from my eyes, my ears, my mouth...Mummy snapped. She said to get hold of myself." That device got really old after a while. In the end, this wasn't a very satisfying book.

Murder in the dollhouse: the Jennifer Dulos story, by Rich Cohen

Murder in the dollhouse is a true crime non-fiction book about the disappearance of a wealthy socialite from Connecticut. Jennifer Dulos grew up worshipping her own father and dreaming that she would meet the right man and have a marriage as happy as her parents had. She dallied through her twenties, then in her mid-thirties she married Fotis Dulos, a Greek-American whom she had known slightly when she was a Brown University. He was a handsome and athletic man, but Jennifer married him only one month after his divorce to his first wife was finalized, and less than a year after she met him. Jennifer’s father financed Fotis’s career in real estate, and he had a running debt to Jennifer’s parents which caused marital tension. Fotis was obsessively interested in their five kids’ waterskiing (the sport that Fotis excelled in) and forced them to spend days at the lake skiing. Eventually Fotis began an affair with another woman, and Jennifer filed for divorce. During the contentious divorce proceedings, which lasted two years, the couple fought incessantly, with the kids as pawns in the middle. In 2019, Jennifer disappeared after dropping her kids at school, and Fotis quickly became the main suspect. Significant audiovisual evidence was collected and analyzed, along with physical evidence from Jennifer’s home that left little doubt as to his guilt. His new girlfriend was also clearly complicit. Fotis was charged with murder; he was able to secure bail but when it was on the verge of being revoked, he committed suicide. In the end, his girlfriend was sentenced to 14 years in jail for her role, one of his lawyers also served time for his role in covering up the crime, their kids are in the custody of their grandmother, and Jennifer’s body has never been found. I think this was a well-written account of what transpired and it serves as a cautionary tale on many levels
 

A pattern of blood, by Rosemary Rowe

 

This is the second in a series of mysteries set in 2nd century Britain. Libertus is a formerly enslaved man who works as a mosaic artist. His patron, Marcus, asks him to travel to Corinium with him to investigate the stabbing of one of his friends. While the original attack was unsuccessful, before Libertus and Marcus have a chance to speak to the victim, he's attacked again, this time fatally. Marcus and Libertus stay on and investigate the murder, uncovering several people with both motive and opportunity. While the plot of the first book was overly complex and difficult to follow, this book is much better written with the twists and turns more easily understood. I really enjoyed this book and will go on to read more. 

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.