Double trouble: a dual memoir of alcoholism, by Martha Grimes and Ken Grimes

 

Mystery author Martha Grimes teamed up with her son to write this slight (211 page) memoir about their respective experiences with alcoholism. As of the writing of this book (published in 2013), they both had about two decades of sobriety. Chapters alternate between both of their perspectives about their addictions and eventual sobriety with a few chapters that are simply a transcribed conversation between the two. They write about how they began drinking, and in Ken's case, doing drugs; how their behavior impacted each other; and how they achieved sobriety, Martha through a clinic and Ken through a 12-step program. I have mixed feelings about this book. I like the concept of a dual memoir about two people facing the same challenge and how they overcame that challenge in different ways. However, I feel like the book would have better served if the stories were told in a more chronological manner. This book hops around quite a bit and that makes it feel a little disjointed. It feels dashed off, and I wonder that a stronger hand wasn't taken with the editing and shaping of the book. I do note that there isn't an acknowledgement page, and in the dedication (which includes a few thanks), there is no mention of editors who might have helped.

Prima facie, by Ruth Downie

 

This novella is the ninth and last entry in Ruth Downie's Medicus series which follows the life of a doctor in the Roman army during the 2nd century BCE. In this entry, Downie fills in the gap of what happened to Gaius and his British wife Tilla while they were making their way from Rome (book 7) to Britain (book 8), stopping off in Gaul for Gaius to visit his family. While there, he's thrust into the middle of a mystery and must solve the murder of a young man in order to save Gaius' sister's boyfriend, who is the murdered man's half brother and chief suspect. Although very short, this novella delivers a satisfying mystery, plot, and conclusion. I just wish it weren't the last in the series as I really enjoyed these books.

Clown town, by Mick Herron

With this ninth book in the Slow Horses series, Mick Herron has once again delivered a page turner with intricate plotting, fascinating characters, and hilarious dialog. I loved this entry in the saga of Slough House, the division of MI5 where agents are sent to encourage them to leave out of boredom or frustration with their dull and tedious assignments. And as usual, they are caught up in the middle of a conspiracy and have to use their unique skills to figure out what's going on and block the nefarious actions of the MI5 leadership. I am sad to have finally caught up with the series, but happy that Herron is planning a 10th book although a release date has not been announced. According to his website, a collection of his novellas is being released in October, but it appears to be a re-release of the novellas already published as Standing by the wall (also the name of one of the novellas included in it). 
 

Appointment with death, by Agatha Christie

 

This is another satisfying mystery starring Hercule Poirot and set in the Middle East. Poirot is vacationing but is called in to help solve the murder of Mrs. Boynton, a very unpleasant and controlling woman who is traveling with her five stepchildren. The children, all but one of whom are adults, want to get away from her but they've been beaten down for so long that they can't manage to do anything without her approval. Poirot has some insight given that he's overheard two of the children saying that Mrs. Boynton should be killed. The murder doesn't take place until 100 pages into the book; up to that point Christie is just setting the scene, introducing the characters, and delving into their interactions and motivations. Poirot is brought in to the plot in Part 2 and promises to identify the murderer within 24 hours, which he does, of course.

The loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai

 

This was my local book club's September pick, giving us the summer to read this exceedingly long novel, at 670 pages. I found it hard to get into this book, partly because the character of Sonia becomes involved with an older man early on in the book. An artist, Ilan is possessive, controlling, and as it becomes increasingly clear, a complete whack job. I found it difficult to read about Sonia's continuing debasement of herself in this relationship. Sunny is involved in a complicated relationship with a white woman from a conservative family in the Midwest. This book is about not just Sonia and Sunny, both of whom hail from India, but their parents and other relations. So I found myself much more drawn to the character of Sonia's mother who has decided to leave her abusive and overbearing husband and retreat to her own family's estate in the mountains. When Sonia finally leaves her older boyfriend and flies home for comfort from her family, she spends most of her time with her ailing father. Sunny and Sonia finally meet and begin an on-again, off-again relationship. Interspersed throughout the book are the stories of Sunny's mother and her family members who are part of the criminal underworld. The book alternates between all of these perspectives, showing how Sonia and Sunny ultimately find their way back to each other, Sunny's mother comes to terms with her financial and family circumstances, and Sonia's father dies from cancer. While the writing is very good, most of the people in this book are not very likable, making it hard to empathize. The character in whom I was most interested was Sonia's mother, but after she leaves her husband, she barely shows up in the book at all. The writing is very good, and the ending is somewhat satisfying, but it took a lot of meandering to get there. 

Outlive: the science & art of longevity, by Peter Attia

 

Author Peter Attia is a medical doctor who dropped out of his medical residency to become a consultant for McKinsey & Company, and later formed a concierge medical practice that focuses on longevity. With Outlive, he first describes what he calls the four horsemen of premature death: cancer, metabolic dysfunction, heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases, then follows that with his advice on staving off those diseases through better nutrition, exercise, sleep, and other means. He ends with a chapter emphasizing the importance of mental health. Attia presents a lot of research in this very informative book, yet it is very readable with many personal anecdotes mixed in.