This is an amazing book. In 1964 Dr. David Henry has to deliver his twins himself due to a freak snowstorm in Lexington, Kentucky. His son is healthy, but he realizes right away that his daughter has Down Syndrome. He hands his daughter over to his nurse and tells her to take the baby girl to a nearby institution. Instead, the nurse, Caroline, takes the baby away and raises her as her own in another city.
It sounds from this like David is a monster or that he just can't be bothered with raising a child with disabilities. But I think maybe he had just already known too much pain. He had lost his sister when she was only twelve due to heart problems, and it had just about destroyed his mother. They'd had a difficult life anyway due to poverty. He was worried that the baby would have heart problems, as people with Down Syndrome sometimes do, and apparently was worried that Norah, his wife, would be destroyed in the same way his mother had been when his sister died. In 1964 people didn't know as much about Down Syndrome as they do today
Still, obviously, he didn't do the right thing. He had to tell Norah something about the other baby, and he told her that she died. Norah and he both grieved the loss of their daughter and were never the same afterwards. The secret was destructive to both of them and their son.
The story alternates between their story and the story of Caroline and Phoebe, the daughter. Phoebe turned five a few years before Public Law 94-142, the law that guaranteed an education to every child. So Caroline had to fight to get the public schools to allow Phoebe to go to school there. She sent David pictures from PO boxes in different cities, but she was afraid that David might eventually try to take Phoebe away from her, so she wouldn't let him know where they lived.
This book really illustrates the destructive power that secrets can wield. Also interesting to me was how far we've come in our understanding of disabilities. This is not to say that there aren't plenty of small-minded and cruel people out there, unfortunately, but now most people wouldn't think that a baby with Downs should be sent to an institution. Caroline wouldn't have to fight to get the public schools to accept her child.
Another theme is the role of women--David was incredibly paternalistic in deciding--without consulting his wife--that their baby should be sent to an institution. In the course of the story, Norah evolves from the stay-at-home wife and mother who defers to David on everything to an independent and accomplished career woman.
This book has many layers to it. It is a family drama and a page-turner--you keep wondering if and when Norah and Paul, the son, will find out that Phoebe didn't really die. I look forward to reading more by Kim Edwards.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Book Review--Death by Chick Lit, by Lynn Harris
Lola Somerville has a great husband and a great apartment. She's even published a novel. But her first novel isn't getting quite the attention it deserves. On the other hand, her best friend, who readily admits she's not even a "real" writer, has been approached by someone who wants to turn her blog into a novel. Lola can't even take a cab drive or walk into a bar without running into someone who's writing a book. Or someone whose book is being turned into a major motion picture. It's all very irritating.
But then Lola stumbles upon the dead body of an author friend of hers at said friend's book party. As if this weren't bad enough, she dog-sits for another author friend and ends up finding this friend's body, too. Lola does some sleuthing on her own (as do most of the people in the books I read) and nearly ends up dead herself. But if she can solve the mystery, what a great book deal she could get!
This is a totally fun murder mystery, satire at its best. It is intelligent without being overbearing.
But then Lola stumbles upon the dead body of an author friend of hers at said friend's book party. As if this weren't bad enough, she dog-sits for another author friend and ends up finding this friend's body, too. Lola does some sleuthing on her own (as do most of the people in the books I read) and nearly ends up dead herself. But if she can solve the mystery, what a great book deal she could get!
This is a totally fun murder mystery, satire at its best. It is intelligent without being overbearing.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Book Review--School of Fortune, by Amanda Brown and Janice Weber
Pippa Walker's mother has spent the last six months attending to every last detail of her daughter's wedding. She has spared no expense. She even held a mini-beauty contest among Pippa's friends in order to select ten perfect bridesmaids and three alternates, all of whom had to sign contracts agreeing to stay slim and beautiful. And how does Pippa repay her? By backing out of the wedding at the last minute.
Pippa has a really good reason to back out, but to protect her ex-fiance, she keeps it to herself. Her enraged mother disinherits her. Her father never stands up to her mother.
But Pippa can get her own share of the family fortune. Her grandfather provided for her through his will. The only thing is, she needs to get a diploma from a school (ANY school) to receive the bulk of his estate. She will receive an allowance of $60,000 a MONTH while she is in school.
Now personally, if this were my situation, I would have sucked it up, re-enrolled in college, and worked toward getting a college degree. I figure I could probably have managed to survive on $60,000 a month, given that I still don't make that much in a year, even after being out of graduate school for several years now and having earned two graduate degrees.
But Pippa takes advantage of the fact that the wording in her grandfather's will was rather vague, and she figures she will just get a diploma from a school less, shall we say, taxing, than college. She starts with driving school, then moves on to matchmaking school, then an extremely alarming circus academy, of all things. But it isn't until she enrolls in the Mountbatten-Savoy School of Household Management that things finally begin to turn around for Pippa--both school-wise and in finding true love.
This is a hilarious book. Pippa's world (or at least, the world from which she has recently been expelled) is populated be ridiculously rich individuals, and the authors do a great job of making fun of them. The schools Pippa attends are also full of extremely interesting and hilarious people, and I laughed out loud in reading about her misadventures in trying to earn a diploma.
Pippa has a really good reason to back out, but to protect her ex-fiance, she keeps it to herself. Her enraged mother disinherits her. Her father never stands up to her mother.
But Pippa can get her own share of the family fortune. Her grandfather provided for her through his will. The only thing is, she needs to get a diploma from a school (ANY school) to receive the bulk of his estate. She will receive an allowance of $60,000 a MONTH while she is in school.
Now personally, if this were my situation, I would have sucked it up, re-enrolled in college, and worked toward getting a college degree. I figure I could probably have managed to survive on $60,000 a month, given that I still don't make that much in a year, even after being out of graduate school for several years now and having earned two graduate degrees.
But Pippa takes advantage of the fact that the wording in her grandfather's will was rather vague, and she figures she will just get a diploma from a school less, shall we say, taxing, than college. She starts with driving school, then moves on to matchmaking school, then an extremely alarming circus academy, of all things. But it isn't until she enrolls in the Mountbatten-Savoy School of Household Management that things finally begin to turn around for Pippa--both school-wise and in finding true love.
This is a hilarious book. Pippa's world (or at least, the world from which she has recently been expelled) is populated be ridiculously rich individuals, and the authors do a great job of making fun of them. The schools Pippa attends are also full of extremely interesting and hilarious people, and I laughed out loud in reading about her misadventures in trying to earn a diploma.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Book Review--Carrot Cake Murder, by Joanne Fluke
Our heroine Hannah is back, with her extraordinarily-bright cat, her two suitors--exciting cop Mike and dependable dentist Norman, and a new whodunit to solve. Personally, I would never ask Hannah to look for people, given the number of dead bodies she's stumbled upon. This is a fun mystery series though, especially if you like mysteries that contain recipes to try.
Hannah's business partner, Lisa, and Lisa's husband Herb are getting ready for a big family reunion. Herb's mother, as well as the rest of the family, gets a pleasant surprise when Herb's long-lost uncle, Gus, makes an appearance. Gus had disappeared thirty years previously and had not been heard from since.
As always, these mysteries are fun and leave me looking forward to the next one.
Hannah's business partner, Lisa, and Lisa's husband Herb are getting ready for a big family reunion. Herb's mother, as well as the rest of the family, gets a pleasant surprise when Herb's long-lost uncle, Gus, makes an appearance. Gus had disappeared thirty years previously and had not been heard from since.
Unfortunately, they aren't graced with his presence for too long. The morning after he arrives, Hannah goes looking for him at her mother’s request and stumbles on his dead body. Of course, Hannah immediately puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test, with some help from her mother and sisters. She is surprised and suspicious when Mike gives his blessing and even offers to share information, as long as she'll share her information with him. Personally, I thought it was a smart move. He knows her well enough to know she'll investigate no matter what, and this way she will come to him with crucial information.
In her investigation, Hannah discovers that many people had reason to hate Gus, and she is putting herself in danger with her nosing around.
As always, these mysteries are fun and leave me looking forward to the next one.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Book Review--This is How it Happened (Not a Love Story) by Jo Barrett
This is a great girl-power book. Our heroine, Maddy, was dumped by her boyfriend over email. This would be one thing if they'd only gone out a few times or something. But no. He was her live-in boyfriend, and they'd been together four years. Not only that, but they started a company together, and Maddy did everything you're not supposed to do if you don't want someone to steal your ideas and be able to oust you from a company you helped found that was based on your idea. Carlton, her ex, had a rich and sociopathic dad who said he'd only fund their venture if Carlton was CEO and Maddy didn't get any shares in the company.
So anyway, Maddy is left with no boyfriend and no career (another downside to working with your significant other. You can't console yourself about the breakup by saying at least your career is going well. Two life spheres down in one shot). She decides she needs to take revenge on Carlton. Actually, she decides he needs to die. She experiments with some different methods--poison brownies, carbon monoxide. The main problem is that she is more suicidal than homicidal at this point and nearly offs herself. With the connections of her formerly drug-addicted brother she hires a hit man.
While I obviously don't advocate more illegal and violent forms of revenge, certain other types of revenge can be fun and won't land you in jail. This book is loads of fun to read for anyone, but especially if you are in need of a feeling of solidarity (and revenge ideas, of which this book has several). There is even a section at the back where people sent in their ideas.
So anyway, Maddy is left with no boyfriend and no career (another downside to working with your significant other. You can't console yourself about the breakup by saying at least your career is going well. Two life spheres down in one shot). She decides she needs to take revenge on Carlton. Actually, she decides he needs to die. She experiments with some different methods--poison brownies, carbon monoxide. The main problem is that she is more suicidal than homicidal at this point and nearly offs herself. With the connections of her formerly drug-addicted brother she hires a hit man.
While I obviously don't advocate more illegal and violent forms of revenge, certain other types of revenge can be fun and won't land you in jail. This book is loads of fun to read for anyone, but especially if you are in need of a feeling of solidarity (and revenge ideas, of which this book has several). There is even a section at the back where people sent in their ideas.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Book Review--Lost and Found, by Jacqueline Sheehan
I am much more of a cat person than a dog person, but Lloyd, the dog in this novel, is very endearing. Rocky, his new human, found him with an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. Both Lloyd and Rocky are grieving. Lloyd lost his previous human companion, and Rocky, aged 38, recently lost her 42-year-old husband to a heart attack. No kids to worry about, so Rocky quits her job as a psychologist and goes to live on a tiny island off the coast of Maine, where she takes a part-time job as an animal warden.
If it were me, going to such an isolated place when I was grieving a loss would be the absolute worst thing I could do, but everyone deals with grief in their own way. Rocky meets Lloyd, adopts a cat (which would help the grieving process) and meets Tess, a retired physical therapist who has this really amazing condition called synethesia.
Synethesia is a neurological phenomenon "in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway" (this according to Wikipedia). In all my studies of psychology, I had never heard of this. Tess sees letters and numbers as inherently colored. She also saw parts of the body as having their own colors, and days of the week had their own color and shape (Tuesday was a blue cube to her, while Wednesday was a red globe). Now that I know about synesthesia, I am jealous because I don't have it.
Rocky also meets Melissa, an anorexic teenager. Interestingly, though Rocky had been a psychologist at a counseling center on a university campus, this was not one of her areas of specialty, though she immediately knew the girl had it. Melissa also bonds to the dog. The dog, honestly, should have had his own license to practice therapy. He just seemed to have such a healing effect on those around him.
It seems to be characteristic of psychologists to personify the animals they keep as pets. Rocky had been a psychologist, and the author also is. I am a school psychologist, and it has been suggested to me more than once that I ascribe human characteristics to my cats. But, they are like family to me, in the same way that Lloyd becomes part of Rocky's new little family.
This is a wonderful novel about dealing with loss and moving on. There is also some mystery in it, as Rocky tries to solve the mystery of Lloyd's accident. So there is something for everyone--people who like stories with character development, mysteries, and animals.
If it were me, going to such an isolated place when I was grieving a loss would be the absolute worst thing I could do, but everyone deals with grief in their own way. Rocky meets Lloyd, adopts a cat (which would help the grieving process) and meets Tess, a retired physical therapist who has this really amazing condition called synethesia.
Synethesia is a neurological phenomenon "in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway" (this according to Wikipedia). In all my studies of psychology, I had never heard of this. Tess sees letters and numbers as inherently colored. She also saw parts of the body as having their own colors, and days of the week had their own color and shape (Tuesday was a blue cube to her, while Wednesday was a red globe). Now that I know about synesthesia, I am jealous because I don't have it.
Rocky also meets Melissa, an anorexic teenager. Interestingly, though Rocky had been a psychologist at a counseling center on a university campus, this was not one of her areas of specialty, though she immediately knew the girl had it. Melissa also bonds to the dog. The dog, honestly, should have had his own license to practice therapy. He just seemed to have such a healing effect on those around him.
It seems to be characteristic of psychologists to personify the animals they keep as pets. Rocky had been a psychologist, and the author also is. I am a school psychologist, and it has been suggested to me more than once that I ascribe human characteristics to my cats. But, they are like family to me, in the same way that Lloyd becomes part of Rocky's new little family.
This is a wonderful novel about dealing with loss and moving on. There is also some mystery in it, as Rocky tries to solve the mystery of Lloyd's accident. So there is something for everyone--people who like stories with character development, mysteries, and animals.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Blogcharm is Dead
Well, I'm moving my blog back to blogger. I moved it over to blogcharm awhile ago because they said they were going to pay people to blog. Anyone who might have been following the forums over at Blog Explosion knows that they weren't paying their bloggers for a very long time. They said it was something to do with taxes (even if that's true, why would it take so long to fix?). They didn't answer support tickets and generally appeared to be ignoring frustrated bloggers. I also thought they should stop advertising that they were paying people to blog until they fixed whatever problems there were with payment.
I figured I'd probably never see the $20 they owed me, but miracle of miracles, I did get it through Paypal yesterday. This though was after an abrupt announcement that they were shutting down blogcharm, supposedly on January 1st, but a friend emailed me before that, asking if I was going to move my blog or what. It was then that I realized that my blog had already been disabled. It does not appear to me that anyone was given warning before they actually disabled the blogs. We can get to the content through cached content in Google, and also I had cross-posted some things (some things I had published first on this blog, and others are on Associated Content). There were also a few things I saved in word documents. Still, I don't think it was worth the $20 to go to the trouble of moving it.
I figured I'd probably never see the $20 they owed me, but miracle of miracles, I did get it through Paypal yesterday. This though was after an abrupt announcement that they were shutting down blogcharm, supposedly on January 1st, but a friend emailed me before that, asking if I was going to move my blog or what. It was then that I realized that my blog had already been disabled. It does not appear to me that anyone was given warning before they actually disabled the blogs. We can get to the content through cached content in Google, and also I had cross-posted some things (some things I had published first on this blog, and others are on Associated Content). There were also a few things I saved in word documents. Still, I don't think it was worth the $20 to go to the trouble of moving it.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Movie Review--Eight Below
This was a great Disney movie. Okay, so the director altered the original incident on which this story was based in order to give it a happier ending, but one doesn't go to movies for a starkly depressing reality; at least I don't. It's based on a 1983 Japanese movie, which was based on an actual incident which occurred in 1958.
In this story, set in 1993, a dogsled team of eight dogs is left alone in the Antarctic when the humans have to beat a hasty retreat. One person had a broken leg, another had severe frostbite, and there was a bad storm. They intend to go back for the dogs, but the weather is too severe, and since it is the start of winter down there, the weather would remain severe for months.
The guide, Jerry, (Paul Walker) is absolutely distraught but is unable to get back to Antarctica for nearly six months. I could identify with his angst. I know if I had to leave my cats somewhere where they probably wouldn't survive on their own, I would be inconsolable. Jerry clearly loved his dogs.
One of the best scenes in the movie occurs before they actually leave, when a scientist falls through the ice and Maya, the leader of the dogsled team, helps Jerry rescue him. It is the fact that the dogs saved his life that finally gets the scientist to help Jerry return to Antarctica.
There aren't really any surprises here. You know at the start of the movie that all or most of the dogs will survive, but the story is still good. It's a lot better than what really happened in 1958; then seven of the nine dogs died (though I was amazed that any could live through that). Much of the focus is on the dogs and how they help each other survive. I don't know how realistic that is, but of course I believe that animals care for and help each other.
We had our own little drama a week ago here, when one of my cats jumped down behind some plastic file boxes. She was pretty much trapped, because the sides of the boxes were too smooth for her to gain a foothold to climb out, and she had so little room back there that I don't think she would have been able to get into the right position to jump out. But the other cat caught my attention, because she was frantically pawing at the carpet on the other side, trying to rescue the first cat. It cracked me up, but I was glad I was home and she didn't have to be trapped there too long (and that the other cat didn't damage the carpet). I moved the boxes so that they are now flush against the wall and there is no room to get between them and the wall.
Anyway, not quite as dramatic as being in the Antarctic, but I feel safer knowing that I have a rescue kitty living with me.
In this story, set in 1993, a dogsled team of eight dogs is left alone in the Antarctic when the humans have to beat a hasty retreat. One person had a broken leg, another had severe frostbite, and there was a bad storm. They intend to go back for the dogs, but the weather is too severe, and since it is the start of winter down there, the weather would remain severe for months.
The guide, Jerry, (Paul Walker) is absolutely distraught but is unable to get back to Antarctica for nearly six months. I could identify with his angst. I know if I had to leave my cats somewhere where they probably wouldn't survive on their own, I would be inconsolable. Jerry clearly loved his dogs.
One of the best scenes in the movie occurs before they actually leave, when a scientist falls through the ice and Maya, the leader of the dogsled team, helps Jerry rescue him. It is the fact that the dogs saved his life that finally gets the scientist to help Jerry return to Antarctica.
There aren't really any surprises here. You know at the start of the movie that all or most of the dogs will survive, but the story is still good. It's a lot better than what really happened in 1958; then seven of the nine dogs died (though I was amazed that any could live through that). Much of the focus is on the dogs and how they help each other survive. I don't know how realistic that is, but of course I believe that animals care for and help each other.
We had our own little drama a week ago here, when one of my cats jumped down behind some plastic file boxes. She was pretty much trapped, because the sides of the boxes were too smooth for her to gain a foothold to climb out, and she had so little room back there that I don't think she would have been able to get into the right position to jump out. But the other cat caught my attention, because she was frantically pawing at the carpet on the other side, trying to rescue the first cat. It cracked me up, but I was glad I was home and she didn't have to be trapped there too long (and that the other cat didn't damage the carpet). I moved the boxes so that they are now flush against the wall and there is no room to get between them and the wall.
Anyway, not quite as dramatic as being in the Antarctic, but I feel safer knowing that I have a rescue kitty living with me.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Book Review--Murder One, by William Bernhardt
This is a book in a series featuring defense attorney Ben Kincaid and his partner, Christina McCall. Ben tends to take cases that are vastly unpopular in terms of public opinion. It's not like he takes them for the money either; most of his clients are poor. His belief is that everyone is entitled to a good defense. He's very dedicated and doesn't come across as a sleaze.
In this book, his client is a 19-year-old stripper named Keri Dalcanton. Keri has been accused of murdering a police detective and then chaining his nude body to a public fountain in downtown Tulsa, OK and scrawling the word "faithless" across his chest in blood. Police, media, and the general public have all convicted her in their minds and are out for blood.
The case doesn't look good for Keri. She was involved in a kinky affair with the married police detective. The prosection has a powerful circumstantial case against Keri, and conviction is all but guaranteed until Ben uncovers a major procedural violation on the part of the police. The case is overturned and Keri is set free, but things don't end there.
The police are furious about this turn of events and put the "Blue Squeeze" on Ben. A bloodstained knife that Ben has never seen is found in his office. It is a part of a blatant attempt to get to Keri by discrediting her lawyer. Ben is charged with conspiracy and murder and a new trial for Keri is launched as well.
This book was hard to put down. It is full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the last second. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.
In this book, his client is a 19-year-old stripper named Keri Dalcanton. Keri has been accused of murdering a police detective and then chaining his nude body to a public fountain in downtown Tulsa, OK and scrawling the word "faithless" across his chest in blood. Police, media, and the general public have all convicted her in their minds and are out for blood.
The case doesn't look good for Keri. She was involved in a kinky affair with the married police detective. The prosection has a powerful circumstantial case against Keri, and conviction is all but guaranteed until Ben uncovers a major procedural violation on the part of the police. The case is overturned and Keri is set free, but things don't end there.
The police are furious about this turn of events and put the "Blue Squeeze" on Ben. A bloodstained knife that Ben has never seen is found in his office. It is a part of a blatant attempt to get to Keri by discrediting her lawyer. Ben is charged with conspiracy and murder and a new trial for Keri is launched as well.
This book was hard to put down. It is full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the last second. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Book Review--Blessings, by Anna Quindlen
I first listened to this book--or part of it--on audio. I checked it out of the library, and the librarian seemed momentarily puzzled; there were just four CDs and she thought maybe there wre supposed to be more. She must have decided there weren't, but it turned out that she was right the first time. I noticed this when the book seemed to end in an odd spot. It seemed that there were more loose ends than there usually are when a book ends. So I checked out the actual book, and of course there was more to it. The only thing is, I would have preferred that it had ended where it did in the incomplete audio version. The real ending was more realistic, but not as happy (not bad, just not as happy).
Skip Cuddy, caretaker of the Blessings estate, finds a newborn baby in the garage one day, left there by a teenage couple. He decides to keep her himself, at first managing to hide her presence from Lydia Blessings, the matriarch of the estate. When Lydia does learn about the baby, rather surprisingly, she decides to help Skip keep her.
Skip doesn't know anything about babies and never had to care for one before, but he learns and does a very good job taking care of the baby, whom he names Faith. Faith seemed to help him turn over a new leaf. Skip had been associated with some rather unsavory characters in the past. He was more of a follower with them than a leader, but Faith and his job at the Blessings estate, which he obtained right after getting out of prison, seem to give him the strength to leave all that behind. Not surprisingly, Lydia had not known about Skip's prision stint when she hired him, but by the time she found out, she had gotten to know him and decided that he was okay. Things go quite well at first, until Skip's past catches up with him.
Anyway, I thought the ending was rather sad, though not without hope. I do really enjoy Anna Quindlen, but sometimes her endings are more realistic than I need, as I tend to like happy endings, even if they aren't as likely to happen in real life.
Skip Cuddy, caretaker of the Blessings estate, finds a newborn baby in the garage one day, left there by a teenage couple. He decides to keep her himself, at first managing to hide her presence from Lydia Blessings, the matriarch of the estate. When Lydia does learn about the baby, rather surprisingly, she decides to help Skip keep her.
Skip doesn't know anything about babies and never had to care for one before, but he learns and does a very good job taking care of the baby, whom he names Faith. Faith seemed to help him turn over a new leaf. Skip had been associated with some rather unsavory characters in the past. He was more of a follower with them than a leader, but Faith and his job at the Blessings estate, which he obtained right after getting out of prison, seem to give him the strength to leave all that behind. Not surprisingly, Lydia had not known about Skip's prision stint when she hired him, but by the time she found out, she had gotten to know him and decided that he was okay. Things go quite well at first, until Skip's past catches up with him.
Anyway, I thought the ending was rather sad, though not without hope. I do really enjoy Anna Quindlen, but sometimes her endings are more realistic than I need, as I tend to like happy endings, even if they aren't as likely to happen in real life.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Book Review--The Midnight Before Christmas, by William Bernhardt
Okay, I am slightly out of season with this, but oh well. This is a holiday thriller, not all that festive, but good. With this book, the author has taken a break from his Ben Kincaid series, but this is also a legal thriller.
Lawyer Megan McGee doesn't have much of a Christmas planned for herself, so she agrees to see a client with an emergency on Christmas Eve. The client, Bonnie Cantrell, is seeking legal protection against her husband, an ex-cop who tends to drink too much and get violent. Bonnie reports that he has threatened to kill their 7-year-old son rather than be separated from him.
Megan asks where her son, Tommy is, and Bonnie tells her that he is at the daycare run through his school. Megan gets a bad feeling and asks Bonnie to call and check on him. When she does, she discovers the worst has happened; a substitute caregiver who didn't know the situation had allowed Tommy to go with his father.
Megan and Bonnie spend their Christmas Eve searching for Tommy, praying to find him before the unthinkable happens. And Megan discovers that there is quite a bit more to this case than Bonnie is telling her.
The book isn't long and it's easy reading, but there are some twists and turns that really make it interesting.
Lawyer Megan McGee doesn't have much of a Christmas planned for herself, so she agrees to see a client with an emergency on Christmas Eve. The client, Bonnie Cantrell, is seeking legal protection against her husband, an ex-cop who tends to drink too much and get violent. Bonnie reports that he has threatened to kill their 7-year-old son rather than be separated from him.
Megan asks where her son, Tommy is, and Bonnie tells her that he is at the daycare run through his school. Megan gets a bad feeling and asks Bonnie to call and check on him. When she does, she discovers the worst has happened; a substitute caregiver who didn't know the situation had allowed Tommy to go with his father.
Megan and Bonnie spend their Christmas Eve searching for Tommy, praying to find him before the unthinkable happens. And Megan discovers that there is quite a bit more to this case than Bonnie is telling her.
The book isn't long and it's easy reading, but there are some twists and turns that really make it interesting.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Book Review--The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom
I actually listened to this on audio, which I think I liked better than I would have liked reading it; the audio just really added something somehow (how's that for eloquent?). Anyway, this was really an amazing book, sad in a lot of places, but with an uplifting ending.
The story begins at the end of the life of an 83-year-man named Eddie. Eddie was the head of maintenance for an amusement park called Ruby Pier. His job was fixing things and making sure the rides were safe. He died trying to save a little girl when one of rides malfunctioned.
When Eddie gets to Heaven, he discovers that it is not as he expected. Instead of landing in some sort of paradise, he is to encounter five people who will explain his life to him. Some were people who were close to him, while some he barely knew or perhaps never knew at all, but they were people who knew who he was and had touched his life in some way. With each person he meets, Eddie learns about some part of his life and also takes away a specific lesson.
As I said, the book is sad in lots of places. Eddie had quite a lot of tragedy in his life. He was a war veteran, and the war really changed him, especially his experience of being a prisoner of war. It made him a more bitter person, especially since his leg had been injured and he walked with a limp afterwards. He had a very difficult relationship with his father, and he lost his wife at quite a young age. He had planned on studying engineering, but life circumstances and perhaps in own difficulty in adjusting after the war interfered with that. He ended up being head of maintenance at Ruby Pier just like his father, and he ended up feeling like he had done nothing with his life. I thought that, among other things, he was missing one very obvious point, which was that he was saving lives by making sure the rides were safe (that accident at the end wasn't something he could have forseen, from the sound of it).
Anyway, the book was very uplifting. Eddie comes to realize that his life did have meaning and that he touched more people than he ever knew. A simple message, but important and one that people often forget or never realize.
The story begins at the end of the life of an 83-year-man named Eddie. Eddie was the head of maintenance for an amusement park called Ruby Pier. His job was fixing things and making sure the rides were safe. He died trying to save a little girl when one of rides malfunctioned.
When Eddie gets to Heaven, he discovers that it is not as he expected. Instead of landing in some sort of paradise, he is to encounter five people who will explain his life to him. Some were people who were close to him, while some he barely knew or perhaps never knew at all, but they were people who knew who he was and had touched his life in some way. With each person he meets, Eddie learns about some part of his life and also takes away a specific lesson.
As I said, the book is sad in lots of places. Eddie had quite a lot of tragedy in his life. He was a war veteran, and the war really changed him, especially his experience of being a prisoner of war. It made him a more bitter person, especially since his leg had been injured and he walked with a limp afterwards. He had a very difficult relationship with his father, and he lost his wife at quite a young age. He had planned on studying engineering, but life circumstances and perhaps in own difficulty in adjusting after the war interfered with that. He ended up being head of maintenance at Ruby Pier just like his father, and he ended up feeling like he had done nothing with his life. I thought that, among other things, he was missing one very obvious point, which was that he was saving lives by making sure the rides were safe (that accident at the end wasn't something he could have forseen, from the sound of it).
Anyway, the book was very uplifting. Eddie comes to realize that his life did have meaning and that he touched more people than he ever knew. A simple message, but important and one that people often forget or never realize.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Book Review--Predator, by Patricia Cornwell
This is the latest book in Cornwell's series featuring Kay Scarpetta, one of my favorite characters. Once the Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia, Kay is now freelancing with the National Forensic Academy in Florida. The academy is the brainchild of Lucy, Kay's genius niece (and also one of my favorite lesbian characters in literature, actually). Benton, Kay's boyfriend and a forensic psychologist, is doing a research study of violent, sociopathic males through Harvard University. One of the study participants tells Benton about a woman he supposedly killed (not one for whom he was convicted), at a Christmas shop in Florida. The team (Benton, Lucy, Kay, and Pete Marino, a former cop who worked with Kay in Virginia) investigate and tie this to a missing persons case. There seems to be a connection between this case and the disappearance of four people who were abducted from their Florida home.
Meanwhile, Lucy has a brief involvement in Provincetown with a woman named Stevie, who, oddly, has tattoos of red handprints on her breasts and upper inner thighs. Then Benton sits in on an autopsy (most forensic psychologists don't do this, by the way) of a Massachusetts woman with similar tattoos.
Lucy is not herself lately. She has gained weight, seems to have lost interest in the academy, and she made a careless security mistake with disastrous consequences.
This book is rather hard to summarize, because there are a lot of details and several different cases that connect in a strange way. It's gripping, though; the details don't seem tedious. Cornwell just keeps getting better and better.
Meanwhile, Lucy has a brief involvement in Provincetown with a woman named Stevie, who, oddly, has tattoos of red handprints on her breasts and upper inner thighs. Then Benton sits in on an autopsy (most forensic psychologists don't do this, by the way) of a Massachusetts woman with similar tattoos.
Lucy is not herself lately. She has gained weight, seems to have lost interest in the academy, and she made a careless security mistake with disastrous consequences.
This book is rather hard to summarize, because there are a lot of details and several different cases that connect in a strange way. It's gripping, though; the details don't seem tedious. Cornwell just keeps getting better and better.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Book Review--Hate Crime, by William Bernhardt
This is a legal thriller, which is one of my favorite genres. This is the first book I've read by Bernhardt, but apparently he has written at least one other book besides this one featuring attorney Ben Kincaid, so I'll have to check that out.
Tony Barovick, a gay man and the manager of a bar near a college campus, was badly beaten and killed on his way home from work, the victim of a hate crime. The perpetrators were two young fraternity brothers. At their trial, one of them is gunned down by a member of a fringe gay-rights group, and their lawyer is injured. The mother of Johnny Christensen, the surviving sadistic bigot, comes to see Ben to beg him to take her son's case. Ben turns her down, but his partner, Christina McCall, takes the case. Christina is puzzled by Ben's refusing to take the case. She knows it isn't because Johnny Christensen is vastly unpopular. Ben takes cases of vastly unpopular (and broke) clients all the time. So she figures there has to be some personal reason, but it is awhile before she manages to find out what that is.
Johnny's defense is that he and his friend badly beat Tony Barovick, but left him alive. This doesn't make Johnny more likeable, especially since even if someone else did kill Tony, he wasn't exactly likely to survive after Johnny and his friend finished with him. However, Christina is committed to putting on the best defense she can for her client (as she should, even though he's hardly one to garner sympathy), and digs for evidence that what her client said is true.
The book has some interesting twists and turns. It raises the possibility that perhaps Tony was involved in something sinister; I won't say whether or not that's true, but it sure doesn't fit with his wholesome image. Christina and Ben (who is eventually dragged into the case) are themselves the targets of violence. The case definitely brought out violent extremists on both sides.
I really liked the characters of Christina and Ben. This sure wasn't a case I would want if I were a lawyer, but they didn't seem like sleazy defense lawyers who were just trying to twist the law to get their client off. They seemed committed to finding the truth.
I also really liked what the author said in the dedication of his book: "For Theta Juan, my mother, who taught her children that all hate was a crime."
Tony Barovick, a gay man and the manager of a bar near a college campus, was badly beaten and killed on his way home from work, the victim of a hate crime. The perpetrators were two young fraternity brothers. At their trial, one of them is gunned down by a member of a fringe gay-rights group, and their lawyer is injured. The mother of Johnny Christensen, the surviving sadistic bigot, comes to see Ben to beg him to take her son's case. Ben turns her down, but his partner, Christina McCall, takes the case. Christina is puzzled by Ben's refusing to take the case. She knows it isn't because Johnny Christensen is vastly unpopular. Ben takes cases of vastly unpopular (and broke) clients all the time. So she figures there has to be some personal reason, but it is awhile before she manages to find out what that is.
Johnny's defense is that he and his friend badly beat Tony Barovick, but left him alive. This doesn't make Johnny more likeable, especially since even if someone else did kill Tony, he wasn't exactly likely to survive after Johnny and his friend finished with him. However, Christina is committed to putting on the best defense she can for her client (as she should, even though he's hardly one to garner sympathy), and digs for evidence that what her client said is true.
The book has some interesting twists and turns. It raises the possibility that perhaps Tony was involved in something sinister; I won't say whether or not that's true, but it sure doesn't fit with his wholesome image. Christina and Ben (who is eventually dragged into the case) are themselves the targets of violence. The case definitely brought out violent extremists on both sides.
I really liked the characters of Christina and Ben. This sure wasn't a case I would want if I were a lawyer, but they didn't seem like sleazy defense lawyers who were just trying to twist the law to get their client off. They seemed committed to finding the truth.
I also really liked what the author said in the dedication of his book: "For Theta Juan, my mother, who taught her children that all hate was a crime."
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Book Review--Raining Cats and Dogs
This is another series mystery that I have picked up on somewhere in the middle. I like this, because if I like the series, I have lots to read before the next one comes out. The title of this one caught my eye. It turns out that the protagonist is actually a dog lover. I have a very hard time understanding this, but I can understand devotion to one's pet. So I can relate to this character on that point.
At the beginning of this book, Melanie Travis has just gotten married. The tiny house she shared with her son and two Standard Poodles is now bursting at the seams, as her new husband brought his own three Standard Poodles with him (Standard Poodles are the big ones, by the way). Both Melanie and her husband's Poodles are very well-behaved, but their patience is tested by the seven cats who moved in next door. Their owner, who is way too gorgeous for Melanie's taste (and with a husband who is largely absent), doesn't seem too concerned. It's true that cats don't stay reigned in as well since they can climb, but if I were her, I'd have been very worried about the big dogs next door and kept a closer eye on the cats.
Anyway, Melanie is really into dog shows and all that, and she wants one of her Poodles, Faith, to get more obedience training. So she enrolls her in the South Avenue Obedience Club. They feel a little out of place (well, at least Melanie does; I'm not sure about the dog) because everyone knows everyone already and Faith hasn't had as much obedience training as most of them. The group has an unofficial program where they bring the dogs to visit a nursing home, and Melanie and Faith are invited to come along. The visits were initiated by Paul, a Club member whose Great Aunt Mary, a dog lover, lives there.
Faith and Melanie's first visit goes very well at first, but it ends in tragedy. Paul's Great-Aunt Mary is found suffocated in her bed. As the police investigate, club members learn of Melanie's amateur sleuthing and urge her to look into Mary's murder. There are plenty of suspects for Melanie to check out, from Mary's black-sheep son to some of the group members and nursing-home staff.
Anyway, if you like amateur-sleuth type books, you will like this one. If you also love dogs you'll like it even more, but I don't think that's necessarily required.
At the beginning of this book, Melanie Travis has just gotten married. The tiny house she shared with her son and two Standard Poodles is now bursting at the seams, as her new husband brought his own three Standard Poodles with him (Standard Poodles are the big ones, by the way). Both Melanie and her husband's Poodles are very well-behaved, but their patience is tested by the seven cats who moved in next door. Their owner, who is way too gorgeous for Melanie's taste (and with a husband who is largely absent), doesn't seem too concerned. It's true that cats don't stay reigned in as well since they can climb, but if I were her, I'd have been very worried about the big dogs next door and kept a closer eye on the cats.
Anyway, Melanie is really into dog shows and all that, and she wants one of her Poodles, Faith, to get more obedience training. So she enrolls her in the South Avenue Obedience Club. They feel a little out of place (well, at least Melanie does; I'm not sure about the dog) because everyone knows everyone already and Faith hasn't had as much obedience training as most of them. The group has an unofficial program where they bring the dogs to visit a nursing home, and Melanie and Faith are invited to come along. The visits were initiated by Paul, a Club member whose Great Aunt Mary, a dog lover, lives there.
Faith and Melanie's first visit goes very well at first, but it ends in tragedy. Paul's Great-Aunt Mary is found suffocated in her bed. As the police investigate, club members learn of Melanie's amateur sleuthing and urge her to look into Mary's murder. There are plenty of suspects for Melanie to check out, from Mary's black-sheep son to some of the group members and nursing-home staff.
Anyway, if you like amateur-sleuth type books, you will like this one. If you also love dogs you'll like it even more, but I don't think that's necessarily required.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Movie Review--Last Holiday
I can't help it. I love so-called feel-good movies. In this one, Queen Latifah plays a meek sales associate (Georgia Byrd) who is afraid to really live. She works in a department store in New Orleans (pre-Katrina, of course) selling cookware. She is an amazing cook herself, but she doesn't try to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. She feeds a neighbor boy (whom I assumed was her son at first; the movie didn't do a good job of identifying him) a fabulous meal but eats a Lean Cuisine herself. She is crazy about a coworker named Sean (LL Cool J) but is too shy to let him know how she feels.
Then one day she is told that she has a fatal disease, and her HMO won't cover an operation. She quits her job, cashes in her retirement plan, and checks into the Presidential Suite ($4000 a night) in a posh resort hotel in Central Europe, chosen because a chef she idolizes works there. Also at the hotel are the CEO of the department store where Georgia recently quit her job, his assistant, a senator, and a congressman. They think that Georgia must be someone "important" because she's staying in the Presidential Suite and is apparently very rich. She wins all of them over, with the exception of the CEO (Timothy Hutton), who is jealous of the attention she's getting. She also wins over the hotel staff and especially the chef.
This is a remake of the 1950 movie starring Alex Guinness. I never saw that one, but what made this one so good is Queen Latifah's charm. The movie is not exactly unpredictable, but it's enjoyable because she is just so much fun.
Then one day she is told that she has a fatal disease, and her HMO won't cover an operation. She quits her job, cashes in her retirement plan, and checks into the Presidential Suite ($4000 a night) in a posh resort hotel in Central Europe, chosen because a chef she idolizes works there. Also at the hotel are the CEO of the department store where Georgia recently quit her job, his assistant, a senator, and a congressman. They think that Georgia must be someone "important" because she's staying in the Presidential Suite and is apparently very rich. She wins all of them over, with the exception of the CEO (Timothy Hutton), who is jealous of the attention she's getting. She also wins over the hotel staff and especially the chef.
This is a remake of the 1950 movie starring Alex Guinness. I never saw that one, but what made this one so good is Queen Latifah's charm. The movie is not exactly unpredictable, but it's enjoyable because she is just so much fun.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Book Review--The Escape Artist, by Diane Chamberlain
This book is so-named because the protagonist, Susanna Miller, has a habit of running away from her problems. Not that this isn't understandable. When Susanna developed this habit, she was running from her abusive, alcoholic parents.
Now Susanna is sure that running away is the right thing to do again. She has just lost custody of her 11-month-old son to her ex-husband and his new wife. Having been afraid this would happen and unable to bear the thought of giving Tyler up, Susanna had been plotting her escape for weeks. Without even letting her boyfriend, a man whom she has loved for years, in on what she is doing, Susanna slips away in the night. In leaving Boulder, she leaves behind the only city in which she has ever lived.
Susanna dyes her hair, changes her name, and makes a new life for herself in Annapolis, Maryland, but it is difficult. She is afraid to trust anyone. She does befriend a local artist and his sister, both of whom are haunted by tragedy. But even when she becomes romantically involved with the artist, she is unable to forget her previous boyfriend, Linc, back in Boulder. And her new life may turn out to be even more dangerous than she feared it might be.
Though it's really Susanna's story, part of the book are from Tyler's stepmother Peggy's point of view. I wanted to dislike Peggy, but really, I think she honestly thought Tyler would be better off with her and his father. Her perceptions were tainted by her husband's unfair criticism of Susanna and her own desperate wish for a child, but it took her awhile to realize that. She was way too quick to believe her husband, who was a first-class jerk.
The books I've read by Diane Chamberlain are exceedingly difficult to put down. I think I've read most of them already, but I must read more.
Now Susanna is sure that running away is the right thing to do again. She has just lost custody of her 11-month-old son to her ex-husband and his new wife. Having been afraid this would happen and unable to bear the thought of giving Tyler up, Susanna had been plotting her escape for weeks. Without even letting her boyfriend, a man whom she has loved for years, in on what she is doing, Susanna slips away in the night. In leaving Boulder, she leaves behind the only city in which she has ever lived.
Susanna dyes her hair, changes her name, and makes a new life for herself in Annapolis, Maryland, but it is difficult. She is afraid to trust anyone. She does befriend a local artist and his sister, both of whom are haunted by tragedy. But even when she becomes romantically involved with the artist, she is unable to forget her previous boyfriend, Linc, back in Boulder. And her new life may turn out to be even more dangerous than she feared it might be.
Though it's really Susanna's story, part of the book are from Tyler's stepmother Peggy's point of view. I wanted to dislike Peggy, but really, I think she honestly thought Tyler would be better off with her and his father. Her perceptions were tainted by her husband's unfair criticism of Susanna and her own desperate wish for a child, but it took her awhile to realize that. She was way too quick to believe her husband, who was a first-class jerk.
The books I've read by Diane Chamberlain are exceedingly difficult to put down. I think I've read most of them already, but I must read more.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Movie Review--Brokeback Mountain
What an awesome movie. I'm just glad it came to the conservative Tri-Cities. This was the first weekend it was here, and it's been out for several weeks.
It's the story of a romance between two cowboys who meet in 1963 when they spend a summer watching sheep on Wyoming's Brokeback Mountain. First they are friends and then they become romantically involved. We only lost seven or eight people in the theater at that point, their seats snapping up like minds snapping shut. Did they actually not know what this movie was about? I don't see how anyone could have missed hearing or reading about it by now.
Anyway, the men go their separate ways after the summer. They both get married and don't see each other again for a few years. When they do reunite, Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) wants to make a life together with Ennis (Heath Ledger), but Ennis' fears prevent him from doing this. So for years they meet on the sly for brief flings.
Ledger is great as a rather stereotypical cowboy, a man of few words, stoic, remote. Gyllenhaal's character is more brash and enthusiastic. The scenery in this movie is beautiful, making me rather homesick for Montana, where I grew up and still frequently visit.
I don't want to say too much about how it ends, but bring your Kleenex.
It's the story of a romance between two cowboys who meet in 1963 when they spend a summer watching sheep on Wyoming's Brokeback Mountain. First they are friends and then they become romantically involved. We only lost seven or eight people in the theater at that point, their seats snapping up like minds snapping shut. Did they actually not know what this movie was about? I don't see how anyone could have missed hearing or reading about it by now.
Anyway, the men go their separate ways after the summer. They both get married and don't see each other again for a few years. When they do reunite, Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) wants to make a life together with Ennis (Heath Ledger), but Ennis' fears prevent him from doing this. So for years they meet on the sly for brief flings.
Ledger is great as a rather stereotypical cowboy, a man of few words, stoic, remote. Gyllenhaal's character is more brash and enthusiastic. The scenery in this movie is beautiful, making me rather homesick for Montana, where I grew up and still frequently visit.
I don't want to say too much about how it ends, but bring your Kleenex.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
I Got Tagged
I got tagged by Marti from Enter the Laughter with a meme.
The rules/procedures are as follows: The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits of yourself," and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don't forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says, "You are tagged" (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours.
Okay, five weird habits:
1) Way back in May, I wrote a blog entry about my obsessive-compulsive tendencies, which are still present. I check and recheck things. Mostly, I check several times to make sure I turned off the curling iron before I go to work. Locking the door (either at night before I go to sleep or upon leaving the apartment) is another big one.
2) In a similar vein, I sometimes put on deodorant twice, because I cannot remember with 100% certainty that I put it on, and it's something I don't want to be wrong about. I do too many things on autopilot.
3) I keep bowls of cat food on my bed and futon. My cat Carmela had a problem with UTIs for awhile, and I had to replace the futon mattress twice. I wanted to make sure both cats remembered that the bed and futon were not bathrooms, and cats don't like to pee where they eat (makes sense). The was quite awhile ago, but I'm still afraid to take the bowls of food away.
4) I can spot change on the ground from a mile away, and I always pick it up, even pennies, unless I'm in immediate danger of being run over by a car or something if I do. I think this comes from being a poor graduate student for so long. One might assume from reading this that I am an extremely frugal person. One would be wrong in assuming that.
5) I am addicted to computer Boggle.
Here are the people I am tagging:
Rich--Championable: Fatherhood, Politics, Kids
Barbara--A Rich Tapestry of Barbara-isms
Celestial--She Talks to Angels
Stacey--Stac Space
Cris--That Side of the Moon
Have fun!
The rules/procedures are as follows: The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits of yourself," and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don't forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says, "You are tagged" (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours.
Okay, five weird habits:
1) Way back in May, I wrote a blog entry about my obsessive-compulsive tendencies, which are still present. I check and recheck things. Mostly, I check several times to make sure I turned off the curling iron before I go to work. Locking the door (either at night before I go to sleep or upon leaving the apartment) is another big one.
2) In a similar vein, I sometimes put on deodorant twice, because I cannot remember with 100% certainty that I put it on, and it's something I don't want to be wrong about. I do too many things on autopilot.
3) I keep bowls of cat food on my bed and futon. My cat Carmela had a problem with UTIs for awhile, and I had to replace the futon mattress twice. I wanted to make sure both cats remembered that the bed and futon were not bathrooms, and cats don't like to pee where they eat (makes sense). The was quite awhile ago, but I'm still afraid to take the bowls of food away.
4) I can spot change on the ground from a mile away, and I always pick it up, even pennies, unless I'm in immediate danger of being run over by a car or something if I do. I think this comes from being a poor graduate student for so long. One might assume from reading this that I am an extremely frugal person. One would be wrong in assuming that.
5) I am addicted to computer Boggle.
Here are the people I am tagging:
Rich--Championable: Fatherhood, Politics, Kids
Barbara--A Rich Tapestry of Barbara-isms
Celestial--She Talks to Angels
Stacey--Stac Space
Cris--That Side of the Moon
Have fun!
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Book Review--Burned, by Carol Higgins Clark
This is the latest Regan Reilly mystery. I must confess, I first got checked out Carol Higgins Clark's books because I had been reading her mother's books forever (Mary Higgins Clark). In fact, I think the first book I read by Carol Higgins Clark was a holiday mystery coauthored with her mother. That one featured Regan Reilly, and I decided I wanted to read more books about her.
Regan Reilly is an LA-based private detective. She has a fiance, Jack, in New York, and at the beginning of this book she is planning to fly out to see him and her family there, but a blizzard had hit the East Coast. Her friend Kit is in Hawaii, and she can't get home to Connecticut, so she convinces Regan to fly out there for a girls' weekend. But for a girls' weekend, they really don't end up spending much time together. Kit is spending a lot of time with a new guy, a 35-year-old millionaire who may be too good to be true. And though Regan had intended to relax, she ends up helping to solve a case.
Will Brown, the manager of the resort hotel where Kit and Regan are staying, asks for Regan's help. A hotel employee, Dorinda Dawes, had recently died in what police believed to be an accidental drowning. Will isn't so sure her death had been an accident, especially since not too many people were terribly fond of Dorinda. Adding to the mystery is that when Dorinda's body washed ashore, a very valuable shell lei was around her neck. The lei had belonged to a Hawaiian princess, and been stolen from a museum 30 years earlier. So the question, of course, is how Dorinda, a relative newcomer to Hawaii, ended up with it.
More minor things have been happening as well, pranks such as full tubes of suntan lotion being dropped into toilets and food being tainted. And the leaders of a tour group from a town called Hudville, where it rains 89% of the time, certainly seem as though they could be up to something. They and the other citizens of Hudville were left a lot of money by a very rich man to take Hawaiian vacations. Every three months, five Hudville citizens were chosen by lottery to win a trip to Hawaii. The leaders, twin sisters in their 60s, went on every trip. There should have been plenty of money, but the twins are pinching pennies.
Like all of the Regan Reilly books, this one is a lot of fun. I look forward to reading more.
Regan Reilly is an LA-based private detective. She has a fiance, Jack, in New York, and at the beginning of this book she is planning to fly out to see him and her family there, but a blizzard had hit the East Coast. Her friend Kit is in Hawaii, and she can't get home to Connecticut, so she convinces Regan to fly out there for a girls' weekend. But for a girls' weekend, they really don't end up spending much time together. Kit is spending a lot of time with a new guy, a 35-year-old millionaire who may be too good to be true. And though Regan had intended to relax, she ends up helping to solve a case.
Will Brown, the manager of the resort hotel where Kit and Regan are staying, asks for Regan's help. A hotel employee, Dorinda Dawes, had recently died in what police believed to be an accidental drowning. Will isn't so sure her death had been an accident, especially since not too many people were terribly fond of Dorinda. Adding to the mystery is that when Dorinda's body washed ashore, a very valuable shell lei was around her neck. The lei had belonged to a Hawaiian princess, and been stolen from a museum 30 years earlier. So the question, of course, is how Dorinda, a relative newcomer to Hawaii, ended up with it.
More minor things have been happening as well, pranks such as full tubes of suntan lotion being dropped into toilets and food being tainted. And the leaders of a tour group from a town called Hudville, where it rains 89% of the time, certainly seem as though they could be up to something. They and the other citizens of Hudville were left a lot of money by a very rich man to take Hawaiian vacations. Every three months, five Hudville citizens were chosen by lottery to win a trip to Hawaii. The leaders, twin sisters in their 60s, went on every trip. There should have been plenty of money, but the twins are pinching pennies.
Like all of the Regan Reilly books, this one is a lot of fun. I look forward to reading more.
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