BOOK REVIEW: The Twelve

To say that I have been eagerly waiting for the sequel to Justin Cronin’s The Passage would be a gross understatement, so I am happy to report that THE TWELVE is here. Now all I have to do is tell you about it. This will be no easy task!

First of all, do not try to read THE TWELVE if you have not read The Passage. In fact, you might want to refresh your memory of characters if it has been a while. That proved to be a problem for me. My brain needed some time to keep everyone straight. Both books are fairly long, so be prepared to make a commitment.

The original story followed a group of people in a world made almost uninhabitable by a government experiment that went horribly wrong. By trying to find the secret to longevity, twelve virals with vampire characteristics have been created. One hundred years in the future, man has learned to live in well protected camps with daily survival a hardship, not to mention the horrors of the night when The Twelve’s ever growing band comes out to feed.

THE TWELVE opens with the introduction of Lila, a doctor and expectant mother, a teenage girl taking care of her younger brother, a young man who is very proud to be a school bus driver, and a man who is known as “The Last Stand in Denver”. Each of these people is trying to understand how his world has fallen apart, but finding each other gives them at least a chance.

The story then picks up characters from the end of The Passage. I have to admit that I had to do some re-reading of the first book to help get names straight. The author did include a list of dramatis personae, but I wish that it had given some information on their earlier involvement with each other. I refuse to mention who was important in this section for fear of spoiling your enjoyment of the earlier book. Some of the questions that I had were answered, but I guess we have to wait for the third book in the series for a good conclusion……….or so I hope!

It was a little difficult to keep some of the time lines straight. Even though the action takes place one hundred years after the virals escaped the laboratory, there are some flashbacks to that time. I also felt that my “voluntary suspension of belief”, necessary when reading this type of book, was strained at times. Admittedly, Cronin does a great job of tying ends together and then leaving some threads dangling keeping the reader intrigued.

So far this has been a great read. I love the story, the characters, and the author’s fast pace. I would warn the faint of heart that some of the scenes are violent and you will mourn the death of some favorite characters. Also, do not read these books out of order and, if you have my problem of keeping names straight, you might want to wait and read all three books together.

BOOK REVIEW: Gone, Girl

It is unusual for me to enjoy a book that includes few, if any, likable characters. GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn is definitely full of nasty, even repugnant, people; I could not put it down. It is one of those books that is on your mind while you are doing something else, such as cooking dinner.

On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne discovers that his wife, Amy has gone missing. The evidence points to abduction, but the police are certain that the scene has been staged and, naturally, the husband is always the first suspect. The reader has been with Nick throughout the early investigation and we are positive of his innocence.

The second chapter is the entry in Amy’s diary from the day that the couple had met. The book continues in alternating chapters. As Nick continues to claim his innocence, Amy’s diary tells of the beginnings of abuse in the relationship and of her growing fear for her life.

The story line is well plotted, full of twists and surprising characters. I have to admit that though I did not like most of the characters, each was true in his or her motivations, sick though they may be. Flynn’s psychological insight is sharp and she never hits a wrong note in their personality developments.

This is a story of a marriage that went wrong in ways that will cause readers to wonder if we ever know another person. Amy’s parents are clueless about their daughter and her husband. Everything is so happy in their world. Nick’s twin sister Margo is loyal, even throughout the mounting evidence and her own doubts and disappointments. Actually, she was one of the characters that I liked.

GONE GIRL was much more than I expected. So many “Best Sellers” are written by authors who have found the right formula to keep their audience coming back. (Not always a bad thing for fans). Gillian Flynn is a new author for me, but if this is formula writing I would be surprised. I guess that means another author has joined my shelves.

BOOK REVIEW: True Evil

Greg Iles does “Evil” as well as any author. His books are filled with people who are so vile and yet so cunning that the reader has trouble believing that such a character will ever be caught and it is possible that Iles may have a different ending in mind. After all, his heroes are not always perfect either. His TRUE EVIL lives us just the right mix of these characters.

Lawyer Andrew Rusk has come up with the perfect way to get his clients out of a marriage without going through a messy divorce. Do it his way and there is no question about child custody or paying large amounts of money in support. You may have to spend some time, maybe as much as a year, watching your spouse die, but you will never be a suspect.

Special Agent Alexandra Morse has reason to believe that her sister had been murdered and that her nephew’s life is in danger. During her investigation she sees the wife of a prominent physician leave Rusk’s office. Knowing that Doctor Chris Shepard is going to be the next victim, she tries to warn him. Believing that his marriage is so perfect, Chris almost throws Agent Morse out of his office.

Morse has had trouble getting any one to believe her. If these cases have been murder, why have the autopsies uncovered no evidence of foul play? Somewhere out there is a brilliant, merciless killer. Not even the clients who have used his services, nor the lawyer who acts as the go between, know who he is. As the reader gets to know this twisted man, we see the very essence of evil and the killer’s motivations become deadly clear.

Most of the action of TRUE EVIL is set in Natchez, Mississippi and some of the background characters are familiar from earlier books by Iles, but this is in no way a sequel to anything else that he has written. Again his characters are well drawn, his plot full of twists, and his action non-stop.

There is always the fear that you will tire of hearing about some of my favorite authors in this blog, but this is one author who will be included regularly, as long as his books are available. Greg Iles has to be one of the supreme masters of the suspense novel being published today. I look forward to what he has in store for us next.

BOOK REVIEW: The Spy Wore Spurs

Last week the “Bug” that was making its rounds hit our house. All I wanted was the couch, a cozy blanket, plenty of comfort drinks, and even more importantly, comfort, cozy books. One genre that I enjoy for light reading is the Harlequin Intrigues. Most of them are interchangeable, but one that I read was a notch above the usual and I thought that you might want to hear about it.

THE SPY WORE SPURS was written by Dana Marton, an author with a long history with Harlequin. The setting and the plot could have been taken from this week’s newspaper.

Former army medic Grace Cordero has returned to the deserted family ranch in South Texas to scatter her brother’s ashes. She and her brother had been close and returning to the ranch is an emotional trip for her.

Hearing shots on the remote ranch one night takes her out in a storm to find Ryder McKay, mysteriously shot and left for dead. McKay is a top secret commando soldier who has been sent to the Texas/Mexican border on a secret mission. Someone is using Grace’s property to smuggle drugs, weapons, and people across the border. 

 

At the risk of blowing his cover, McKay needs Grace to help him blend in and get acquainted with the locals. When a Mexican woman appears at Grace’s door hunting her husband and two small children, Grace becomes emotionally involved and may become a danger to the mission as well as to herself.

The story follows fairly predictable lines, but with a few twists. The characters were a little better developed than usual for this type of book. The “villain” was not a big surprise, but Martin did a nice job of giving him some personal background which helped to explain his conflict with what he was doing.

The book also has an ending that makes the reader aware that the story is not really over. Whether this was a neat literary trick or a neat trick to prepare us for sequels, we will have to wait to find out.

There is probably a reason why Harlequin Intrigue has been around for ages. They are light, readable, romantic suspense stories and like any other publisher’s series, once in a while a little gem can be found.

BOOK REVIEW: What Never Happens

Once in a while I will read a book that I am not sure that I cared for. In reviewing it, I should tell you what it is that failed to capture me.  However, somebody else's bad review sometimes tells me that it is something that I would like… my taste is not always that of the big guys. So maybe I am doing this book a favor.

WHAT NEVER HAPPENS is by Anne Holt, a bestselling Scandinavian author. She was a new author for me and a friend recommended that I read it. It is very hard for me not to read a recommended book; I am afraid that I will hurt feelings.

Adam Stubo is a policeman in Oslo. He has been with the force for some time and has earned the reputation for being good at the job. His wife, Johanne Vik, is a criminal profiler who trained in the United States. Adam and Vik have recently had a baby and Vik has a daughter from an earlier marriage.

Johanne wants to spend her time with her children; she no longer wants to be involved with the criminal side of life. She is pulled into the police’s latest case very much against her will.

A serial killer is terrifying the more famous people of Oslo. A popular television talk host has been found dead with her tongue cut out and daintily positioned in a folded paper flower. A political leader is found in a crucified position with a copy of the Koran shoved inside her. A literary critic is found dead with a pencil stabbed in his eye.

It becomes evident to Johanne that the killer may be leaving messages to her personally. One of the lectures that she had attended back in the States told of a similar case to prove that sometimes a murderer is never caught. This may be the situation that they are facing now. We do go inside the murder’s mind and one thing we learn from the beginning is that this is someone who has been paid well to kill in the past.

There were some surprising twists in the story, but I did not feel that the author had established good motivation for them. I try to cut translated books a break especially with dialogue flow, but at times this was a problem for me. I also felt no connection with any of the characters. Not even Johanne was a likable character and she should have had some redeeming traits.

I also thought that way too much time was spent on Johanne and Adam’s home life. (Unnecessary details seem to be a trait of Scandinavian authors). All in all, this is not an author that I will pick up again.

BOOK REVIEW: The Reader

Several years ago I read THE READER by Bernhard Schlink. The book totally intrigued me. This week a group of friends and I watched the movie and I was reminded how impressed I had been with the story. 

 

The setting is postwar Germany. Fifteen-year-old Michael Berg is on his way home from school when he becomes violently ill. He is rescued by Hanna, a woman nearly twice his age. They are quickly involved in a passionate and oddly intimate affair. They spend a large part of their time together with Michael reading to Hanna. Then, she inexplicably disappears.

Eight years later, Michael is a law student attending a trial of Nazi prison guards. A group of women, including his ex-lover Hanna, have been accused of the murder of hundreds of Jewish women. The secret that could save her is a secret that she sees as more shameful than murder. The decision that Michael must make is to save her or allow her to maintain her pride.

So many books have been written about the Holocaust, many of them excellent. Most of them deal with the victims’ story; THE READER tells a story from a different view.

The movie captured the essence of the characters and the situation perfectly, thanks to excellent casting. Young Michael was played by German actor David Kross. Not only is he very good, but his physical resemblance to Ralph Fiennes, who plays the adult Michael, was strong.

Kate Winslet was definitely Oscar worthy as Hanna. She was able to evoke sympathy for a person who was accused of horrible crimes.

I suggest that either the book or the movie find its way to you. In fact, I would suggest both. The characters are well developed and easy to relate to, even if the situations are ones that you and I will probably never see. The plot is different from most books being written and full of some heart breaking surprises. THE READER is worth your time.

BOOK REVIEW: Number the Stars

Lois Lowry is one of the most popular writers of children’s books today and rightfully so. She has written about difficult subjects in ways that children can understand. This is not to say that her books have not met with controversy. For example, The Giver, probably her best known story, has been praised by some educators and banned by others.

NUMBER THE STARS, her other Newbery Award winner, takes place in Copenhagen in 1942 and deals with two ordinary young girls, several Nazi soldiers, and the Denmark effort to save their Jewish citizens.

Annemarie and Ellen are best friends. Even though they pass German soldiers on every street corner on the way home from school, they are not aware of the danger, especially the danger to Ellen Rosen, a young Jewish girl. Ellen’s parents have to escape in the middle of the night leaving Ellen with Annemarie and her parents. Getting the Rosen family out of Denmark calls for more bravery than either girl thought she had in her.

Evan though this is a novel written for young readers, it was a good “short story” for this adult. In few words Lowry is able to bring her characters and their situation to life. Do not expect her books to have an ending without some sadness. She keeps it real and that may be the reason that she is considered to be controversial.

I love a good title, one that adds some extra meaning to the story. This is an author who seems to select the perfect title for her books. NUMBER THE STARS is taken from Psalm 147, reassuring us that God knows each star in the heavens. Although this was something that Annemarie could not understand, the reader does. The tie in with Ellen’s Star of David necklace is important, but also important is the message that each individual, no matter what his or her religion, is numbered and valued.

Lois Lowry is an author that your children should be sharing with you.