en-US Fri, 18 Apr 2025 22:36:31 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7500256204 Fri, 18 Apr 2025 22:36:31 -0700 /review/show/7500256204 Louis gave 4 stars to Blood on Their Hands: Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty (Hardcover) by Mandy Matney
I listened to this book on CD in my car for a mystery book club. The author narrates.

This is a work about which I felt some ambivalence in the beginning. I felt that Matney went on too much about her personal issues. After all, I was interested in the Murdaugh case, not her life.

But as I finished the book, I realized that the author had exposed a path to success for other women pursuing a journalism career. What Matney describes at the news outlets where she worked involved an incredible amount of sexism and editors/reporters still stuck in the past paper era. On the flip side, news was often subverted by how many online hits the articles got. Who knew that reporters had quotas to fill in terms of reader interest and sheer "publish or perish" mentality.

Eventually Matney frees herself from a particularly toxic environment and starts to work for an online outlet. The key for her seemed to be to get to podcast her news. I will say that I was impressed by her partner who seemed very supportive.

In the online environment, I discovered the bullying that goes on by readers who often disagree with who she is profiling as a potential criminal. Worse, some criticized how she spoke or just seemed to hate her for no reason. The barrage of this negative emotional input is daunting for anyone to deal with.

So I learned quite a bit about modern journalism. That was not why I chose to read this book, but as I said, in retrospect, it was a valuable education that will make me more sensitive to how news is being presented.

As for the Murdaugh case, the book is not a straight-forward forensic examination as told by a police detective, for example. What we read is what Mandy finds out from her sources. Of course she had to sense when she was being snowed or misled. But it was amazing what public-record requests can produce.

I felt extreme sympathy for the victims of the Murdaughs. Not only was there denied justice for evil acts of manslaughter or deliberate murder. But there also seemed to be victims in a financial sense who were denied settlement benefits and often were not aware of this fact.

It is a cautionary tale of how power can corrupt. When parents do not properly instill values into their children, but rather encourage them to abuse their power as the parents are abusing their power, then trouble comes. Covering up your children's mistakes seemed here to be pro forma, rather than actual acts of love. In other words, you don't want your kids' actions to reflect poorly on you so better to cover their deeds up.

But some restitution is received by some of the victims. And criminals are locked up through the investigative power of journalism.

So true-crime aficionados may discover that this is not your typical police procedural. But it will make you more aware of how journalism operates today as well as relating the crimes of the Murdaughs. ]]> Review7495276188 Wed, 16 Apr 2025 23:25:03 -0700 /review/show/7495276188 Louis gave 4 stars to Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism (Hardcover) by Rachel Maddow
I read this book in print for a book club. Everyone in the discussion found this book a treasure trove of information.

Of course it is a "prequel" in the sense that our democracy is once again threatened. Maddow does a great job of research as usual in chronicling the Nazi influence in America prior to WWII. I found it intriguing to see how groups would use the words "American" and "Christian" in their group names to disguise their true racism and anti-Semitism. Sound familiar?

In fact, one insight I had reading this book related to the post-War Red Scare. In particular, the book discusses how certain individuals were horrified by the movies, which they felt were controlled by the Jews, who they also believed to be Communists. So, when the Red Scare and the ban on certain Hollywood individuals began, it seems to me in many ways a front for anti-Semitism.

The way that the Nazis penetrated our Congress was frightening. It seemed as if Republican hatred of FDR and his programs was enough for certain elected officials to ally with anyone who could bring the then-President down to size. The abuse of the franking privilege to promote Nazi propaganda was a shock to discover.

Of course most of these politicians changed their tunes once they were exposed. Some managed to stay in power after the war and others were held to account by the voters. Trials of some Nazi sympathizers were sabotaged by the Feds on purpose.

The most frightening thing is how Hitler was viewed by these people as a sane person. The book chronicles a fact I knew, that the Nazis studied Jim Crow law in the South to use against the Jews in Europe!

The section on Huey Long was informative as well. I was not aware of his advocacy of wealth re-distribution. I was somewhat aware that he portrayed himself as a populist and did many public-work projects which were of benefit to Louisianans. However, he was corrupt through and through.

I also reflected on the fact that, once again, I never learned about this in grade or high school. More and more, I see how public education, and probably private education as well, for children is adapted to create a simplistic view of events in history.

Well worth reading. I didn't give it a five because it is a slog at times. But kudos to Maddow for including a cast of characters at the beginning of the book. ]]> Review7476251202 Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:56:35 -0700 /review/show/7476251202 Louis gave 4 stars to Every Vow You Break (Hardcover) by Peter Swanson
I read this book in print for a mystery book club. It did not get great reviews from my mystery book discussion group. I rated it highly because no matter what you thought of the premise or the plot, the book was a compelling read to me. I couldn't put it down once the major twist began.

Basically, the plot revolves around a woman, Abigail, who has a one-night stand during her bachelorette party with a man other than her fiancé. Then the question becomes whether or not she should tell her husband-to-be about it after they marry. The problem: her soon-to-be spouse was deeply affected by his parents' divorce and issues of fidelity that it raised.

The initial twist is that the man she slept with re-appears in New York and has her e-mail address! Then she thinks that she sees him at the wedding.

Her husband is a rich tech guy and he takes her to a honeymoon on a remote island off Maine which requires private membership. Plus it is a no-technology type of place so the red flags should be going off for Abigail at this point. And she is one of two female guests on the island.

Then, she meets the affair guy in person at this location.

I have to admit that I did not guess what was really going on when the major twist was revealed. In that sense, I felt a little like I was reading "Gone Girl" again. I felt that it was a great plot maneuver and I was impressed that I was led along like a lamb to the slaughter, so to speak.

I did like that some of the people who were horrible got their just desserts in the course of the action.

I also would have liked a little more detail about a group that is mentioned in the book. It was fictional, but a better understanding of it would have improved the story.

There is some violence so be prepared for that. The book also contains misogynistic viewpoints to the extreme.

So not for everyone. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed it, but I appreciated the author's work in crafting the tale. ]]> Review7476224021 Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:42:17 -0700 /review/show/7476224021 Louis gave 4 stars to Conclave (ebook) by Robert Harris
I read this book in print for a book club.

I had seen the movie first so I had some idea of where the plot would go. Of course there are sometimes significant differences between the two. I did not notice too many here.

At first the text is a bit overwhelming with the Catholic hierarchy. The Pope has just died and all of the officials with their various titles and duties must be introduced. I still don't have a clear understanding of the Church structure, although I have a better understanding of how the Pope is elected.

I appreciated how Harris deals with the main character Lomeli's struggles with his own questions about his crisis of faith. I felt that this seemed very natural and organic to the character as written. It never bored me when this topic came up and humanized Lomeli for me.

I also liked the discussions about doctrinal differences between the candidates to become pope. The way certain Biblical and papal writings are interpreted was sometimes integral to the plot and always intriguing.

The issue of who will shepherd the faithful and what kind of person this should be is at the heart of the story. It brings a very personal and realistic sense to the papal electoral process.

I was intrigued by the issue of the 3 Eastern patriarchs who vote for the Pope. I had a difficult time finding information on this topic. When I stumbled on a list of the current Papal electors who would vote for Pope Francis's successor, I saw the identities of the churches involved.

I then discovered that there are 23 sui iuris Churches affiliated with the Holy See. How this works is not clear to me.

The book's resolution of the elected pope's issues was more definite for me than in the film. In the movie, I couldn't exactly tell what was the case but there was no doubt in the book. You will have to read the book or watch the movie to know what I am talking about: no spoilers here.

The prose is excellent and flows easily. The subchapters are short so soon you are on to a new discovery. Well worth a read. ]]> Review4282443266 Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:18:56 -0700 /review/show/4282443266 Louis gave 5 stars to The Tenant (Kørner and Werner, #1) by Katrine Engberg
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, which I read in print for a mystery book club.

Set in Denmark, no dates are given, but the presumption is that it is current. However, COVID-19 is not mentioned so it is set before the pandemic. The book gives a good feel for Copenhagen, and the map on the endpaper is a help. I felt that I learned something about Danish culture.

The story is very intricately plotted with many twists and turns, which I liked. Although the book series is ostensibly about Korner and Werner, Korner gets much more play in this first installment. It makes me wonder if the author is going to shift focus between the two detectives from book to book.

This is not a cozy mystery as the violence can be graphic, not so much in the committing of the murder but in the forensic descriptions afterward. The book also references domestic violence and violence committed against orphans and foster children.

I also liked the fact that the story involved an online authors' group in which one of the books being written ends up as pivotal to the case. The three authors are nicely characterized. In fact, the characters in this book are fleshed out enough that all of them are interesting.

As the action draws to a climax, I found myself compelled to read to the conclusion.

A special shout-out to the translator, Tara Chace, who did a superb job. ]]> Review6977856634 Sun, 03 Nov 2024 21:32:43 -0800 /review/show/6977856634 Louis gave 5 stars to Death of an Expert Witness (Adam Dalgliesh, #6) by P.D. James
I read this book in print for a mystery book club.

Getting this book in any format was a challenge. Almost 50 years old, only 2 local library systems owned any copies in any format.

I used to comment when I was a Librarian that if you asked for a copy of a book that was over 10 years old, it might as well have been 100 years old in terms of accessibility in any format. Especially with print copies, these books often were not on publishers' midlists, let alone backlists.

When you have buildings with finite shelf space, it makes sense, especially in branch libraries, that you cannot have a full range of works on the shelf. But here in Phoenix, even our main library does not keep complete sets of authors' works. That once was the goal, but then it was decided that we were not an archive.

Now, with the advent of e-book formats, one would hope that publishers would provide e-copies of old works such as this one to businesses such as Overdrive. But I don't really see this happening. Admittedly, people often want the latest items but I am sad that access to very good older works is so limited.

Enough of my soapbox. Let me say that this is a superlative mystery. The prose is so well written. It was a joy to pick up this book again after I had to put it aside.

There were many characters. Some of the names were similar, but not enough to confuse me. I felt that James did an excellent job fleshing out each person's unique aspects and perspectives.

As to the plot, there were lots of red herrings, which I enjoyed. In fact, when the final killer is revealed in mysteries, I am often sad that the book is over. Her use of detail as to 1977 police methods and interviewing is very well done. It is clear that she had many consultants.

This extended to the use of the fens as a location. The area became a character of its own as locals with their superstitions and suspicions of other people were detailed.

I was moved by how sad some of these characters' lives were. Some were worse than others. I found in general a great sense of how life can disappoint you and how your attitude and economic status can affect resiliency. In particular, the prostitute who is interviewed is a case in point: willing to take risks of being killed just to not be alone.

A great choice, if you can find it, for a mystery book club. ]]> Review6977840789 Sun, 03 Nov 2024 21:19:09 -0800 /review/show/6977840789 Louis gave 4 stars to Wedding Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #19) by Joanne Fluke
I listened to this book on mp3 in my car.

I do not cook or bake. So I endured the descriptions of the numerous recipes while on my journeys. I think that it is important for Fluke's readers to get these, though. Indeed, some of the creations sounded scrumptious.

The fact that recipes may need "tweaking" to get them right was a bit of a revelation to me. I just assumed that if one followed the instructions everything would work out. The insights into how judges "grade" items in a baking contest was appreciated.

Fluke's great strength is her characters. They are well-limned enough that there is minimal confusion despite a large cast of locals and in this book visitors. Her development through conversation and noting particular strengths, quirks, and preferences is top-notch.

I do feel that her community suffers from "Cabot Cove" syndrome. How many murders in a small town can there be before you wonder if the main character is killing them off herself? And how do residents feel about having so many murders?

The wedding and the preparations for it did not interest me. In fact, I won't comment on whether or not it happens due to spoilers, but I didn't care in any case.

After all the speculation and red herrings as to the true murderer, I found the revelation underwhelming. In general, I felt that the book ended very predictably.

Nevertheless, I am giving this book a 4 because I enjoyed the quest for the killer. Each time I got in the car, I looked forward to new developments. ]]> Review6902465516 Fri, 04 Oct 2024 20:46:02 -0700 /review/show/6902465516 Louis gave 4 stars to The Eighth Detective (Hardcover) by Alex Pavesi
I read this book in print for a mystery book club.

This book has a very interesting structure, which I grew to appreciate. A long-lost text, "The White Murders," has been discovered. A publisher's rep comes to a remote island where the author now lives.

She reads each of his stories and then notes inconsistencies in each. So as a reader you get to hear all 7 stories in "The White Murders."

In between these stories are conversations between the rep Julia and the author Grant.

I enjoyed the variety of stories featured in "The White Murders." I am a big fan of short stories, so this appealed to me. It was very easy to get into each tale from the get-go.

The conversations between Julia and Grant were less interesting. But their repeated inclusion led me to the realization that there was more going on here than meets the eye. But to say more would entail spoilers.

I appreciated the way the novel ended.

Despite the usual gruesome details resident in some mysteries, this is a fairly light and quick read. It is almost a beach read.

Since each mystery came to a conclusion, it was not too disconcerting to jump to the present with Julia and Grant.

The idea of applying mathematics to the "murder mystery" became tedious to me after a while. This became more so when Venn diagrams were introduced. I am a philosophy major and took symbolic logic. But to be taken into another field is not why I read a mystery.

Worth a read. You can judge for yourself how things work out. ]]> Review6831938971 Sun, 08 Sep 2024 23:31:33 -0700 /review/show/6831938971 Louis gave 3 stars to A Song for the Dark Times (Inspector Rebus, #23) by Ian Rankin
I read this book in print for a mystery book club.

This book was a bit of a disappointment to me. It was well-written. I liked the characters of Rebus, Clarke, and Fox. But the two murders seemed like overkill when one would have been sufficient.

I also felt that part of the problem was that we did not get to meet Keith and Salman before they were murdered. As such, I did not care about them or the resulting investigation.

The focus ended up being diffused. Rebus and his family problems became a theme. Rebus being retired but still acting like an Inspector. Rebus having to move to a new home. Clarke's relationship with Fox.

I did like elements of the sleuthing techniques. But the work felt padded.

I also did not feel like I got a sense of the Scottish culture and setting. These crimes could have occurred anywhere, it seemed to me.

When the dog, in this case Brillo, is a main positive element of the novel and when said dog is barely in the picture, you have a writing problem.

More crime, less distractions is my advice.

Read only if you have followed this character through his many works. ]]> Review6815106024 Mon, 02 Sep 2024 23:43:21 -0700 /review/show/6815106024 Louis gave 4 stars to The Flight Attendant (Kindle Edition) by Chris Bohjalian
I listened to this book on CD in my car.

Normally I don't care for an unlikeable protagonist, especially one who also can be annoying. But in this novel the plot and the twists make Cassie manageable.

There still is too much space wasted on Cassie's inner thoughts as well as Miranda's. The main annoying thing about Cassie is that she never listens to her lawyer's advice. She just does whatever she wants.

The fact that she grew up in a less than ideal childhood setting provides some justification for her dysfunctional, and, in this case, dangerous behavior. But as I have written before, that does not, ipso facto, make a character's behavior interesting in any way.

I will admit that enough plot details were added in, albeit in a very slow way, to keep me interested in the novel. The ending has very interesting twists and turns as well. The unpredictability was nice.

The voices of Cassie, Miranda, and the male FBI agents were read by three different voice actors. This was good as it avoided monotony.

I appreciated some of the technical details of the investigation. This was especially true of the autopsy report.

I would recommend this title to those who like international settings for their thrillers. ]]>