PELAGIA AND THE WHITE BULLDOG

TITLE: PELAGIA AND THE WHITE BULLDOG
AUTHOR: BORIS AKUNIN
Pages: 295
Date: 24/01/2009
Grade: 4
Details: no. 1 Sister Pelagia Mystery
Own

This was a very different mystery.
About 20 years ago I went through a stage in my reading when I read quite a few classic Russian novels. The style in which this mystery is written really reminds of those novel in that the story telling is unhurried, expansive and filled with philosophical issues.
On the other hand, this book also has a lot of the characteristics of a classical mystery as written by authors like Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. And so we have a relatively small cast of characters from whom to pick our murderer and some of the clues not being shared with the reader.
This book was not an easy read. The Russian novel characteristics combined with the confusing way in which names are used in Russian, slowed the reading process right down.
Yet, it was a good and interesting historical mystery with a charming and at times surprising main character.
Sister Pelagia is a somewhat clumsy but very perceptive young nu who is occasionally asked by the Bishop of Zavolzhsk to investigate mysteries.
In this first mystery, Pelagia is asked to travel to the estate of the Bishop's aunt to find out who is killing her much loved and very rare white bulldogs. She does very successfully find the answer, but knows that this is not the end of the affair. And indeed, a short while later, Pelagia is investigating the murder of a man and fighting for her own life.
I will continue with this series and start Akunin's other one, but I will make sure to place those reads in between two lighter, easier books.

THE MASTER

TITLE: THE MASTER
AUTHOR: COLM TOIBIN
Pages: 555
Date: 21/01/2009
Grade: 4
Details: Large Print
Library Reading Group book for January.
Library

This book was hard work, and I'm not sure if I would have finished it if it hadn't been the Reading Group book for this month.
"The Master" of the title is Henry James, and although the book declares itself "a novel" on the cover, I found it an easier read once I started to treat it as if it were a non-fiction book. I expect my fiction to be entertaining in a different way then I do non-fiction. And seeing it in such a way made the "wordiness" of this book and its descriptive nature less irritating.
I've got a feeling that I might have enjoyed this book more if I had known more about Henry James and/or had read some of his work before starting this novel.
I'm less likely to do so now though, since I did not like the person described in this book. Maybe it is necessary to be selfish in order to be a great writer, I don't know, but Mr. James was far too obsessed with himself and his comforts and the impression he made on others (in this book anyway) for my liking.

THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB

TITLE: THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB
AUTHOR: KATE JACOBS
Pages: 491
Date: 17/01/2009
Grade: 4.5
Details: Large Print edition
Library

Georgia Walker has been running her knitting store and raising her daughter Dakota single-handedly for over 10 years. Over time, some of her regulars have started gathering at her store on Friday nights, a get-together that soon turns into a regular event, and the knitting club is born.
Starting of as a collection of mainly unconnected and apparently mismatched women with very little in common, life changing events, both positive and negative, soon bring the women together into a close knit bond, one that will last and one they will need to see them through.
This book wasn't noticeably different from most of the other "women friendship" books I've read. But it was a story well told, kept me turning the pages, brought tears to my eyes once or twice and made me smile after reading the last words.
I'm even thinking about finishing that jumper I started knitting a year ago.
I seem to recall reading somewhere that Jacobs wrote a follow up to this book. I'm not quite sure how that could be possible or would work out, considering how this book ended, but I will check it out. And if there is a second book, I will read it.
(Discovered since writing this that there indeed is a second book called KNIT TWO, published in January 2009)

MY LIFE AMONG THE SERIAL KILLERS

TITLE: MY LIFE AMONG THE SERIAL KILLERS
Inside the mind of the world's most notorious killers.
AUTHOR: HELEN MORRISON M.D.
Pages: 274
Date: 16/10/2009
Grade: 4.5
Details: Non Fiction
Library

For more than 25 years Dr. Helen Morrison has been studying and profiling serial killers in an attempt to understand why they kill and whether they are insane or just plain bad.
I'm not going to go into her theories and conclusions here, mainly because any attempt by me to summarize them would do her work no justice.
This is a fascinating, be it gruesome book. And although I realize it is necessary, I don't know how anybody could do this research for so long without becoming emotionally involved or emotionally withdrawn, while staying objective.
What I really appreciated about this book is that although some of the murders are described, this is done in a non-sensational way. The reader can keep their distance from the horror, to some extend at least.

THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE

TITLE: THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE
AUTHOR: PHILLIP PULLMAN
Pages: 209
Date: 15/01/2009
Grade: 4
Details: no. 1 Sally Lockhart Mystery
Library

Sally Lockhart is 16 years old when her father dies in a shipwreck near India. Shortly afterwards, she receives a strange anonymous letter. When she tries to find out what the message in the letter means, one of her father's former associates dies before her eyes from fear.
Convinced that there is more to her father's death than meets the eye, Sally sets out to discover the truth. A journey that will bring her new friends, dangerous enemies and to a deadly, blood soaked jewel.
This was an integrate mystery and definitely not a cozy one. The setting of Victorian London is well described and gives the story an extra edge.
I will be continuing with this series.

BRIDA

TITLE: BRIDA
AUTHOR: PAULO COELHO
Pages: 244
Date: 12/01/2009
Grade: 4
Library

"I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."

W. B. Yeats

This is the story of Brida, a young Irish woman looking for her path in life and finding it in witchcraft.
On her journey she has two teachers; a man and a woman representing two different paths towards the same enlightenment. Through them she learns about love, past lives, soul mates and continuing on your path despite fears and doubts.
This book did not touch or inspire me as much as most of Coelho's previous ones did. Maybe because I don't want to believe that enlightenment is compatible with doubt, fear and jealousy.
I strongly feel that this book is somehow connected to The Witch of Portobello, although I can't put my finger on the reason why right now.

BLACK CAT BLACK DOG

TITLE: BLACK CAT BLACK DOG
AUTHOR: JOHN CREED
Pages: 283
Date: 11/01/2009
Grade: 4+
Details: no. 3 Jack Valentine Mystery
Library

Another action packed thriller, set in Northern Ireland featuring Jack Valentine & co.
The whole adventure starts innocently enough when a set of dog tags washes up on a beach in Northern Ireland. They belong to the brother of a neighbour of Jack's who has been missing since the 1950's, and jack accompanies the neighbour to the inquest. When a barrister from London gets the inquest stopped and a young journalist trying to cover the story dies in Jack's arms, he knows he has to return to his undercover past to find out why events from the 50's should remain secret and so dangerous in the present.
Soon he discovers that not just the past holds mysteries and finds himself working with old and new allies against old enemies and facing betrayal from unexpected sources.
This book, like the previous two, was fast moving and filled with twists and turns.
The reason it scored a 4+ is that for me the amount of violence was a bit too much, and the odds against the "goodies" (which characterisation itself is up for discussion) were just too great to make the outcome even remotely believable.
Mind you this still was a fast, thrilling and easy read. Never a boring moment with Jack Valentine.