Work for Idle Hands: Books in June

Tuesday June 30, 2015

The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg
Sheila gave me this book and I thought it was not my sort of thing - and to some degree I was right - so I only just got round to reading it. As the blurb claims all sorts of things about the author's popularity, I felt the need to look up more details about her, and find she does seem to be very popular.
So all I have left to say is: it was a "jolly good read" and the plot was really very good I felt. I am still suspicious though, that I have a problem with translated text. I am noticing this more lately - I look back on books I have read - I find less of an issue with Camillieri for example - and indeed his translator has been especially praised for his excellent abilities in translating idioms - but in general I do find translated text problematic.

The Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters [read by Barbara Rosenblat]
I picked up some Elizabeth Peters novels originally due to a similarity to the name "Ellis Peters" - not mistaking it exactly but some psychological effect of making one predisposed to like it. However after reading some of the "Amelia Peabody" series, I was not too keen, and in 2008 I also tried a contemporary (when written in the 1970s) "Vicky Bliss" novel <cite>Borrower of the Night</cite> - ditto I'm afraid.
Despite that, I chose this book, out of the somewhat limited offerings to download from the library, as a backdrop to my blanket project. It has worked out fine (on both counts) but I was very amused to find that this novel is the sequel to <cite>Borrower of the Night</cite>. Even more - unusual I think though the author would have it not so - unlike Sue Grafton's scrupulous attention to detail in keeping Kinsey Millhone series firmly set in the 1980s - this author has consciously decided to ignore the fact that Vicky first appeared in 1973, and writes her still as the same young woman in this novel set in 2008.
This seems to be the 6th and latest novel in this particular series and I do have to say I did enjoy the author herself being written into the action at one point - although I took a while to twig.

Six Years by Harlan Coben [read by Kerry Shale]
Having listened to and read 3 of these stand-alone novels by Coben I am beginning to see a pattern emerge.
It's not a bad pattern, and it follows themes that interest me .... always going back to a mystery in the past, people not being what they seem (even though you have known them for 10 years), and things working out ok in the end (phew).
However, and I hope this is just coincidence and it does not ruin every one of his books for you - they all seem to involve some kind of witness protection theme....

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton [read by Liza Ross]
Back on track with Kinsey in the latest mystery.
Having been the poor girl brought up tough on the wrong side of the tracks by an aged-and-now-deceased aunt (or whatever - similar to VI Warshawski** I always thought - unencumbered by family ties) she seems to be picking up long lost relatives left right and centre. Anyway - none the worse for it, even though these relatives are rather trying...!

** I have not read any of this series for ages - I thought Paretsky had stopped writing them but I see from the time line that though there was a sizeable gap, there are now 4 just waiting for another 80s novel fest, similar to those below. My challenge for July - these novels take a little more concentration!

An Unsuitable Day for a Murder by Catriona McPherson [read by Sally Armstrong]
I'm sad to say this seems like the last of the Dandy Gilver novels I will be listening to as I cannot find recordings of the later ones - though they have been around long enough to have been created by now. It's a shame as they are well-suited to being read aloud; however they are really so good I will of course continue to read them - just be unable to hear them.
I found this novel very complex - and so may have been better reading it myself. It involves two families in the Montague and Capulet mould, and I had great trouble remembering which was which. Partly this is due to age - I know that sounds grim but I think it's not so much that you get easily muddled but more that you cannot be bothered to commit less important stuff to memory any more. Partly however it was actually the nub of the plot so I will go no further in explaining my problem - but as soon as I thought I had all the information firmly in my mind, there was another twist....

Inspector Ghote Trusts the Heart by H R Keating [read by Sam Dastor]

I enjoyed this story while driving to Woolfest. I like Inspector Ghote better than the other Keating protagonists - I suppose there is just as much tedious detail as in any other of his writings but it somehow seems to suit Ghote better. Here he is showing himself at his best both as a detective and as a human being - but gets little or no recognition or reward for it. We leave him with an uncertain future - so I need to find the next book!

The Jewels of Paradise and The Golden Egg by Donna Leon
I don't want to be too snobbishly damning of other popular authors but reading Donna Leon's books again made me realise how wonderful her writing is.
The most amusing thing is that I got the "next two" of her books in order of writing only to discover that the Jewels of Paradise is not a Brunetti novel at all (Surprise!!) and even more surprising, it is the first one she has written in all this time that is a stand-alone novel. I notice that some readers said they were "disappointed" with the book but I was so captivated by people and plot that it did not dawn on me until about a third of the way through that Brunetti was not going to appear. Far from disappointed I thought it was wonderful and I hope she writes more - either with her new heroine or more stand alone novels.
It then occurred to me that returning to the police procedurals might be rather dull after that - but of course not a bit of it. They are also written beautifully as well as highly thought provoking - just as always.

Spider Bones (published as Mortal Remains), Flash and Bones, Bones are Forever, and, Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs
I last listened to the "latest" book in this series in 2011, and since then none seems to have been published as audio books that I can get from the library. [In fact it seems that many titles I look for, for example, the Dandy Gilver novels, do not seem to be being published as audio books at all now - not sure what this indicates - lack of popularity of my favourite authors?].
Anyway I took the next 4 books out of the library and had me a Tempe-fest.

Posted by Christina at 6:52 PM. Category: Books of the Month