nomadreader

narrated by Cassandra Campbell The backstory: Everything I Never Told You , Celeste Ng's first novel, is a 2014 New York Times  Notable Book . My thoughts: I had an e-galley of this book that I didn't get to this summer (when I was very, very pregnant.) When Amazon named it the best book of 2014, I knew I had to start it immediately. Thankfully, the week before, Ford had picked it for the next free audiobook in the Ford Audiobook Club (If you're on GoodReads and haven't joined this group--do. A free audiobook about once a month? So fun! The current pick, Tim Curry's narration of A Christmas Carol , is next in my audio queue.) I ended up listening to this one rather than reading it, and I'm so glad I did (although it's probably also lovely in print.) Beginning with the lines "Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet..." firmly entrenches the reader in the narrative of this family. As the title indicates, they have their share of thin...

The backstory:  The Ways of the Dead  is the debut mystery by Neely Tucker, a veteran journalist and memoirist. The basics:  Set in the late 1990's,  The Ways of the Dead  opens with the murder of Sarah Reese, the fifteen-year-old white daughter of a U.S. federal court judge. Veteran newspaper reporter Sully Carter, who like Tucker himself spent years covering foreign wars, notices a pattern of other dead young women on the same block, but the others are poor and not white. While the police actively pursue Sarah's death and mostly ignore the other deaths, Sully uses his contacts and press badge to follow the whole story. My thoughts:  I majored in journalism in college, and although I ultimately opted not to make my career in the field, I am drawn to tales of journalism, both in fiction and in non-fiction. As a journalist writing a novel whose main character is a journalist, Tucker brings great authenticity to the character of Sully. I loved the details...

The basics: At its simplest, The Silent Oligarch  is an investigative thriller about Russian corruption and money laundering. Webster, a journalist turned private investigator, is hired to look into a notoriously corrupt Russian businessman and his lawyer. My thoughts: The Silent Oligarch  is an immensely readable thriller. It didn't keep me on the edge of my seat, but I was intrigued by it and appreciated the pace at which it unfolded. I was most impressed with how Jones could tell a complicated story with many players in a relatively straight-forward manner without me confusing characters. What kept this novel feeling less like a thriller was the alternating narration. Webster, a journalist turned investigator with numerous international connections to call upon, and Lock, the lawyer, took turns telling their stories. Seeing corruption from both sides made this story much more human, which took away from the suspense somewhat, but I appreciated the nuance to this ap...

The backstory: In the Last Analysis  is the first mystery in the Kate Fansler series written under the pseudonym Amanda cross. When Rose City Reader reviewed the second mystery in the series, The James Joyce Murder , I was intrigued enough to try this series. The basics: Kate Fansler is a literature professor at Columbia. When a student, Janet Harrison, of hers asks Kate for a recommendation for a psychoanalyst, Kate recommends her dear friend Emmanuel. When Janet is found dead on Emmanuel's couch,  he is the prime suspect. Kate never doubts his innocence, and she throws herself into the case when she believes the police aren't considering alternative suspects. My thoughts: I instantly enjoyed Kate as a character: "As is the unfortunate habit of the literary person, she already imagined herself retelling this extraordinary event." Although in the Last Analysis  is a mystery, the mystery is not always the focus of the novel. Kate still has to teach, research and a...

  The backstory: I thoroughly enjoyed Charles Todd's first Bess Crawford novel, A Duty to the Dead ( my review ), so I was eager to read the second mystery in this series. The basics: An Impartial Witness is once again narrated by British World War I Army nurse Bess Crawford, a delightfully independent, intelligent, feminist woman. Granted, Bess is developing quite a habit of finding herself in the midst of murder investigations, but she's relatively smart about it. My thoughts: Simply put, I enjoyed this novel even more than the first one. It's also refreshing to discover a mystery series that doesn't need to be read in order. There are a few mentions to the Britanic sinking, but the other events from the first novel (the mystery parts) aren't alluded to. The family and friends of Bess return, but their brief descriptions are helpful reminders for readers of the first book and adequate descriptions for those new to the series. Bottom line: it doesn't m...

The backstory:  Attica Locke has managed to write a first novel that has been shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize (the winner will be named June 9), named a finalist for the 2010 Edgar Award (Best First Novel by an American Author), named a finalist for the 2009 Los Angeles Times Book Award (Best Mystery/Thriller) and nominated for a 2010 NAACP Image Award. It's a first novel, a literary mystery, and it seems to be universally adored. I could not wait to read it, but I was worried it could not possibly measure up to my expectations; it surpassed them. The basics:  The novel is set in Houston in 1981. Jay Porter is a young African-American lawyer with a pregnant wife and very few many clients. Jay and his wife Bernadette help rescue a woman from drowning one night, and this seemingly good deed has far-reaching effects. The verdict: Black Water Rising  is a beautifully written novel. The setting is key, and the mystery shares the stage with an astute look at social ...

It's no secret that paranormal is somewhat hit or miss for me. It's not a genre I seek out, but I often enjoy paranormal books. I do seem to enjoy paranormal books that veer more towards the normal side. Part of the intrigue and joy of paranormal is questioning where exactly the line between reality and fantasy is, and Deception  straddles that line beautifully. Deception begins with Emma's parents leaving on a business trip. She's a normal high school girl with normal annoyances. There's mystery from the beginning, as Emma refers to secrets in her past. As the book moves forward, Emma's thoughts open up to the reader more, as though she were really getting to know you as you get to know her. I won't spoil the plot of this book because part of the joy is figuring out what normal, what's real, who is honest and how much anyone knows. It works as much as a mystery as a paranormal novel, but it will appeal to readers who aren't terribly keen on p...

Hell Gate , Linda Fairstein's twelfth novel featuring ADA Alexandra Cooper, is another ode to the history and architecture of New York City and a fascinating mystery. Fairstein has a knack for weaving multiple storylines and cases without muddling the narrative. As we all know, only ADAs on television have the luxury of having one case at a time. If you're a fan of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , you should really read Linda Fairstein. She ran the SVU at the Manhattan District Attorney's office for decades, and now she writes wonderful novels. Thankfully, she manages to write one each year, but I find I even enjoy rereading them, which is rare for mystery novels. She is one of my favorite authors. The usual cast of characters is back in  Hell Gate . The novel opens with the wreck of a human cargo ship and a promising New York politician crashing his car after fighting with his mistress. Sex scandals abound, yet Fairstein keeps the story from becoming...