It's only September 6 and already August seems so long ago. Here's what I read way back when.
- Senseless by Ronald Malfi. A horror thriller set in Los Angeles, this has three storylines that sort of come together at the end. One follows a cop, trying to solve some gruesome murders; one follows a soon-to-be trophy wife whose soon-to-be husband isn't quite who he says he is; and the third is about a mentally unstable dude who thinks he's a human fly. Didn't love it.
- The Ruins by Scott Smith. Way back in 2008, I reviewed the movie made out of this horror novel. The book is decent and now I feel like I want to see the movie again.
- This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. An American epic, loosely based on Homer's Odyssey, about four Great Depression-era orphans escaping from a Native American boarding school. Pretty good.
- Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman. The author, daughter of Tony Hillerman, continues her dad's Leaphorn and Chee series with a focus on Navajo policewoman Bernadette Manualito, Jim Chee's wife, out to solve the case after Joe Leaphorn is shot.
- Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. In which I discover the wonderful British murder mystery series with psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs at the center. This first book introduces us to the remarkable Maisie, who worked her way up from household help to WWI nurse to astute investigator. In addition to the protagonist being a great character, I am not as familiar with the Great War as I should be, so the history is interesting too. Loved it. And am now working my way through the rest of the series.
- Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear. Several years later, Maisie has now set up shop for herself, hired an assistant, Billy Beale, whom she first met as a nurse during the war, and is hired to track down a runaway heiress. Loved it.
- Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear. In the third book of the series, Maisie is forced to revisit her time in France during the war when she is hired to prove that her clients' son really died in combat. Again, loved it.
- Shadowland by Peter Straub. Described as "if Harry Potter were written for adults," this one has boarding school, malevolent sorcerors, blood and carnage. When I was reading it whilst waiting for a car inspection, the cashier gushed about how much she loved it. I was more meh about it.
- Malice House by Megan Shepherd. Horror fantasy with art and books. Protagonist and broke artist Haven has to clean out her famous author dad's home (the titular Malice House) after his death. She uncovers a hitherto unknown manuscript containing new fairytales and decides to craft illustrations for some posthumous publishing. Then things start going bump in the night.
- The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas. Abducted sisters, creepy museums and dinosaurs. I mean, what more do you need?
- Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear. This time, now in 1931, Maisie is hired to investigate the death of a controversial artist. Meanwhile, Britain is struggling with the legacy of WWI at home and the growing unrest in Germany and Italy. I didn't love this one quite as much as the first three, but still quite, quite good. I do love a British murder mystery.
There are eighteen Maisie Dobbs books (so far), so expect more of that to come.
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