Great Book for a Cold, Dark Winter Night

N.B. I received this novel from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets of Life and Death by Rebecca Alexander is a fascinating novel which juxtaposes modernity with sixteenth century Transylvania—who wouldn’t be intrigued?

Through Edward Kelley’s point of view, we experience not only the exotic customs, foods, and dress of the late Middle Ages, but we also meet the Countess Elisabeth Bathory—likely the world’s premier female serial killer—whose evil exploits the author imbues with occult purposes.

These occult practices carry into the future and affect the lives of the other two point-of-view characters Jackdaw and Felix, who use Kelley’s diary to understand and vanquish the evil that’s survived into the present day.

Despite the many point-of-view shifts, the pacing of the novel was quite good. And the characters, especially Jackdaw, were very engaging. Though like most novels with multiple viewpoints, it takes several chapters to be fully vested in each of the main characters.

One disappointment I had with the book was that in the climax I felt a little distanced from the characters. Another issue was that the author included a passage where Felix explained why he believed in the magic/occult happenings and how the supernatural realm came to be. Obviously, novels are fictional worlds, which the reader has accepted for the sake of the story. So to include a passage trying to make it all seem real drew me out of the story and felt a bit disingenuous.

Aside from those minor objections, this novel was a fun romp through a paranormal view of the past and present. It is the perfect read for an adult curled up in front of the fireplace on a dark night, craving a scary story.

Blogging for Books, J

J by Howard Jacobsen

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this book, ruminating on this literary take on dystopia.

First, I must say that Mr. Jacobsen’s use of language is deft. There is a gentleness and lyricism to his use of words that is almost tender, father-like. It makes a lovely counterpoint to seriousness and violence of story, underscoring its importance.

Both main characters, Ailinn and Kevern, were delights. Their love story was beautiful, even though it is clear early in the novel that both characters are destined for unhappiness because of their own personalities and the government’s interference.

Despite the many wonderful aspects of the novel, there were times when the pacing lapsed, particularly during the trip to Necropolis, and I had to force myself to continue reading the story. Thankfully, the pace did pick up again.

In the end, the story is a philosophical exploration of identity, hate, and history. In considering how these issues affect Kevern’s and Ailinn’s final decisions, it is difficult to come away with concrete answers. But I suspect that the most any author can hope for is that his or her readers ask the right questions.

N.B. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Blogging for Books, Bittersweet

I received a free copy of Bittersweet from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. I enjoyed the languid pacing, which matched the summer vacation setting, with just enough tension to keep me reading the book. I really appreciated use of Paradise Lost as a parallel text as the protagonist faced her own personal temptation as well as the inevitability of what she chooses to do. Though I was a bit disappointed by how neatly and positively the ending was tied up and I felt that the family’s money source at the time of the bankruptcy was a little underdeveloped.

Finally, there is a definite “ick” factor with several sex scenes and at the close of the novel when the reader discovers what characters knew and did/didn’t do.

Exotic Thriller

The Catch by Taylor Stevens

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Coming into a series in the middle is always a dicey proposition. I’d never read anything by Taylor Stevens and this is the fourth book in the Vanessa Michael Monroe series. But I could not resist the exotic setting of Djibouti, Kenya, and Somalia. Not to mention hijacking and pirates.

The book did not disappoint. Michael is a complex character, nuanced and tough. She is a blend of spy-for-hire and language lyricist. The pace was excellent. And the details of life in East Africa made me feel like I was walking the dirt streets, watching for khat addicts and pickpockets.

But in a thriller, as important as character, pacing, and setting are, the book lives or dies on plot. This book lived, and lived well. Stevens tells a good yarn. There were enough twists, double crosses, and betrayals I found myself picking up the book even when I didn’t have time to read. Well done.

I’ll definitely be reading more of these books.

Author Bio for Taylor Stevens.

TAYLOR STEVENS is the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of The Informationist, The Innocent, The Doll, The Catch, and the novella The Vessel. The series featuring Vanessa Michael Munroe has received critical acclaim and the books are published in twenty languages. The Informationist has been optioned for film by James Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment. Born in New York State, and into the Children of God, raised in communes across the globe and denied an education beyond sixth grade, Stevens was in her twenties when she broke free to follow hope and a vague idea of what possibilities lay beyond. She now lives in Texas, and is at work on the next Munroe novel.

A Masterful Journey through the Human Heart

(I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

To me, a perfect book is something written in breath-taking language with a plot that drives the reader onward. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is one of those books.

The unusual title comes from a medical textbook’s definition of life. And that what this novel is, an examination of life across the years in the war-torn Chechnya amid people scarred both on and beneath the flesh.

These characters broke my heart with their sacrifices and betrayals, plumbing the heights and depths of the soul’s struggle to survive and still remain honorable.

At the beginning of the novel I wondered if the author could maintain the novel’s countless plot threads and interconnections. But he wove together them in a web as delicate, yet every bit as strong as a spider’s web. Even the minor mentions of a frozen wolf carcass at the beginning figure in the end.   

I would heartily recommend this novel for its literary merit and as an epic journey through Chechen history and the human spirit. I am eager for the next Anthony Marra novel. Five Stars!

Crack for Readers, The Accident

A dangerous manuscript, a literary agent, the CIA, Zurich, and Copenhagen. The perfect set-up for a thriller—crack for readers. And it only got better once I started the book.

At the beginning, I was concerned with the plethora of characters and viewpoints, which often turns a novel into a confusion of characters where you have to turn back to earlier chapters to remember who is who. But Chris Pavone does a great job of making each character memorable enough to keep straight.

It is the choices of these characters that drive an intricate plot, which unwinds in a frenetic twenty-four hour period. Not only are the plot and characters well-written, the writing itself is clean and free of the clichés that often find their way into thrillers.

The Accident is a perfect weekend read or, in my case, excellent treadmill reading. And I have to give five stars to any book that makes me lose track of how far I’ve run.

N.B. This book does contain some adult situations and language.

(I was given a free copy of this novel by "Blogging for Books" in exchange for an honest review.)

A Conversation with Chris Pavone 

(Edgar and Anthony Award winner and New York Times bestselling author) 

Q) Your debut novel, The Expats, was widely praised, both in the national media (New York Times, 

USA Today, Entertainment Weekly) and by some of the biggest names in the industry (John 

Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, and more), was optioned for film, sold in 18 countries, and debuted on 

the Times bestseller list! You’ve worked in publishing almost your entire career; were you prepared 

for that kind of reception for your first book? 

A) I was completely prepared for absolutely no one to buy, read, or review The Expats. If there’s one 

thing that’s seems hard for a publisher to do, it’s to launch a debut novel successfully. Why would anyone 

buy it? But if publishers don’t take flyers on first-timers, sooner or later there won’t be any novels at all. 

I’m amazed and immensely grateful that my vulnerable little boat wasn’t completely lost in the sea of the 

hundred-thousand-plus new books published every year.

Q) You were inspired to write The Expats while living abroad in Luxembourg. Your current home, 

New York, features prominently in The Accident, but parts of the novel are also set in Europe—

Copenhagen, Paris, Zurich. Was this new novel also inspired by your travels? 

A) Yes, my travels have definitely inspired my writing. And it’s not just the traveling: My first book was 

based on my experiences as an expat stay-at-home parent, suddenly without the self-definition of a career, 

trying to invent a new version of me, while the new one is drawn from my two decades in publishing. But 

The Accident is definitely not about book publishing, just as The Expats wasn’t about Luxembourg. The 

Accident is about ambition, and the permanent weight of decisions made in youth, and the ways we 

become people we didn’t intend to become. Plus—as with The Expats—spies and crimes and a great deal 

of duplicity.

 Q) The world of book publishing figures prominently in The Accident. Was it fun to dissect the 

many aspects of the business? Any details with which you took creative license? 

A) I have great admiration for book-publishing people, who’ve all chosen careers that are dedicated to 

helping other people—authors—achieve creative dreams, and to entertaining and enlightening readers, 

and to do all this for very little money or recognition; there’s not really such a thing as a rich or famous 

book editor. So The Accident isn’t a satire, and I have no ax to grind. I do admit to taking a bit of license 

in a few minor particulars, mostly to avoid an excess of exposition, and to keep my cast of characters 

down to a reasonable number. 

  

Q) I imagine it must be hard NOT to draw on personal experiences, having worked with many 

authors, editors, agents, and publicists in your line of work. Are any of the characters in the book 

based on real people? 

A) Yes, but I won’t say who. I hope that for some readers, part of the fun of The Accident will be 

guessing. 

  

Q) The protagonist in The Expats, Kate Moore, makes a small cameo in The Accident, while Hayden 

Gray, a peripheral character in your debut, features prominently here. Why? 

A) I absolutely loved everything about The Wire, and in particular the way the seasons related to one 

other: different narratives populated by mostly different characters set in different milieus, but all within 

the same interconnected world. I think this is a brilliant way of telling fresh stories with satisfying 

connections, from the same viewpoint, while avoiding the pitfalls of sequels and prequels and the 

constrictions of a traditional series. I’m trying to do something similar with these books.