Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Author: Tom Stoppard
Stars: 2
Review by: Matriarch
This Absurdist play by Stoppard is a classic of theater. I re-read it to prepare to teach it to my high school students.

An Untamed State

Author: Roxane Gay
Stars: 4
Review by: Susan G.
Well written, fast paced, gripping. Very violent and should have a rape trigger warning.
I did enjoy this book; I found it hard to put down. But it is, by no means, a fun, light, summer beach read. If you like a book that makes you think deeply and you are not troubled by graphic depictions of violence I would highly recommend this book.

This book explores the sometimes delicate juxtaposition of power and vulnerability and how individuals have an almost desperate need to manage them both. This book explores the extremes of both untamed power and untamed vulnerability and the deep brutality that ensues when these states collide.
 

Conspiracy in Death

Author: J.D. Robb
Stars: 3
Review by: Fernanda
The storyline was interesting, but the main character started sounding like a whiner half-way through.
 

Maui Madness: A Zoe Donovan Mystery

Author: Kathi Daley
Stars: 2
Review by: Jambob
Dogs, Hawaii and luau, murder, kidnapping...romance....and some nice recipes included: like Hawaiian pie.....OK and fun.

Ten Things I've Learned About Love

Author: Sarah Butler
Stars: 3
Review by: Nancy W
This book has the unique style of a list of 10 things at the beginning of each chapter. The story goes back and forth between the perspectives of the two main characters, a homeless older man and a young woman in London.The personalities and perspectives of two very different people are well presented. Throughout the book, the possibilities in their relationship kept me interested.
 

No One Could Have Guessed the Weather

Author: Anne-Marie Casey
Stars: 4
Review by: Julie
Cute chick lit about expat Brits in NYC.  A little less vapid than some. Nice sort-of surprise literary ending.
 

The Invention of Wings

Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Stars: 5
Review by: PKB
I really enjoyed this book. After I bought it, I realized it was an Oprah book, and I have read most of her recommended books, but some were better than others. I enjoyed this one and yet it was sad to think about how people in this country were treated. Glad those years are behind us.
 

Love Anthony

Author: Lisa Genova
Stars: 4
Review by: Ann M
Touching novel in which Olivia is dealing with the death of her 8 year old son that was autistic.
 

Her Last Breath

Author: Linda Castillo
Stars: 4
Review by: Joanne B.
This was a mystery which took place in the Amish country. It was well written, exciting till the end.

The After Wife

Author: Gigi Levangie Grazer
Stars: 4
Review by:  Rainbow
I enjoyed the book. It was funny, sad, and, unusually, a very good story.

The Ocean Between Us

Author: Susan Wiggs
Stars: 5
Review by: LG
Hard to put down book.. ending was great. Enjoyed it a lot!

Ramona's World

Author: Beverly Cleary
Stars: 4
Review by: laz
I admit, I read this one aloud to my kids, and not just for me, but it was still delightful and charming...just as I've remembered the series since my childhood.  Not too outdated for my own kids to relate to it now. A nice trip down memory lane!
 

Billionaire Blend

Author: Cleo Coyle
Stars: 2
Review by: laz
Used to really like this Coffeehouse Mystery series, but they're starting to get a little too weird. I know that they're fiction, but still...this one was just too ridiculous and unbelievable to relate to or enjoy. Disappointing.
 

Bloody Mary

Author: Carolly Erickson
Stars: 4
Review by: JL
Very interesting biography of Queen Mary Tudor, first female monarch of England.  Book had some very interesting facts that I hadn't previously read.  I was disappointed that the author wrote very little, almost to the point of ignoring, about Mary's relationship with her sister Elizabeth which in her later years was quite strained.

The Body in the Lighthouse

Author: Katherine Hall Page
Stars: 2
Review by: Jambob
This author writes a series titled The Body in..... this was one of her earlier works before she perfected her style. Setting was Sanpere Island off Maine...murder did not happen until half way through book.
 

Th1rteen R3asons Why

Author: Jay Asher
Stars: 5
Review by: 1stYearInTheClub
This book blew me away. It is not an easy read.  If you have kids in or on their way to high school read this book and talk with them.

The End of Everything

Author: Megan Abbott
Stars: 3
Review by: BusyMom
This was a short read that was difficult to put down.  This coming-of-age story seemed ripped out of the news, with very disturbing themes that were a bit dark for a summer read.
 

Very Valentine

Author: Adriana Trigiani
Stars: 4.5
Review by: Barb
I listened to this first book of a trilogy, having listened to the last one a month or so ago. It's a nice story, as always, when written by Adriana Trigiani.
 

The Wedding Bees

Author: Sarah-Kate Lynch
Stars: 3
Review by: pla
A very "sweet" read.

Congratulations to...

... our Week #2 Prize Winners:

• ClaudiaG
• Mandy Apgar

Progress So Far

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Chestnut Street

Author: Maeve Binchy
Stars: 4
Review by: Miss Lucy
This is a collection of character sketches / short stories. The commonality is that they all include at least one resident of Chestnut Street in Dublin. Maeve Binchy was so talented to have thought of so many different characters with their own interesting quirks and back stories. There was a bit of interweaving of characters throughout the stories, but I wished there was a bit more of this, or that the characters mentioned from other stories would be mentioned in closer proximity to the story in which they cameoed, so that I could remember better who they were. But I know that these stories were collected from Binchy's files after she passed away, and published with her family's approval. I fully expect that she would have polished this collection into a more cohesive whole once she was ready to publish it. Notwithstanding that one criticism, Chestnut Street is a thoroughly delightful and enjoyable read! Good for book groups, too.

Tuesdays With Morrie

Author: Mitch Albom
Stars: 5
Review by: Mel
I began reading this book because a student that I work with was reading it in her English class and her teacher thought it might be good for her to review some of the characters and plot/themes of the story. My family members have also read the book, but I never did because I thought it would be too sad. However, the book is quite the contrary. It is a happy book and really makes you think about the decisions that you make in your life and the people that you choose to spend it with. I highly recommend for everyone to read this book because it forces you to look at life from the perception of someone who is dying and makes you that much more grateful for the time that you have left and for the relationships that you have.
 

Midwives

Author: Christopher Bohjalian
Stars: 3
Review by: Ann M
A little slow reading, but interesting story about a midwife put on trial when a woman died in child birth.
 

Complaints & Disorders: The Sexual Politics of Sickness

Author: Barbara Ehrenreich & Deirdre English
Stars: 4
Review by: Mary NK
An early work by the author of Nickel & Dimed: on (Not) Getting by in America. Insightful research reveals how medical "expertise" kept women in their (lowly) place.
 

A Spoonful of Sugar: A Nanny's Story

Author: Brenda Ashford
Stars: 3
Review by: Mary NK
A very proper English nanny's real training & experiences including war years and women's lib era. Very positive & upbeat - no tell-all scandals. Written in her 90s.

One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future

Author: Ben Carson, M.D. & Candy Carson
Stars: 5
Review by: Mystery Girl
This book should be required reading for every American.
 

My Story

Author: Elizabeth Smart with Chris Stewart
Stars: 5
Review by: ClaudiaG
An amazing story of courage and faith during a horrific ordeal of 14 year old Elizabeth Smart. I highly recommend.
 

Green-Eyed Lady

Author: Chuck Greaves
Stars: 3
Review by: BigDa
A quote from the book: "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts."
 

The Undomestic Goddess

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Stars: 4
Review by: Barb
So, you are busy, tired, maybe a little down.....this is the book for you.  Light and humorous,  easy to read and predict, a nice find for a summer day. At times I was laughing out loud.
 

The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner
Stars: 4
Review by: LateNightReader
It took three attempts to start reading this book, but I'm glad that I persevered. With the movie coming out this September,  I'm glad that I read the story before watching it on the big screen.

Precious Thing

Author: Colette McBeth
Stars: 5
Review by: Nancy W
Precious Thing is about high school friends, who reconnect in their late twenties. It has elements of mystery and surprise. The ending made me think about the character of both the friends. Maybe things are not what they seemed.

Track of the Cat

Author: Nevada Barr
Stars: 3
Review by: Midnight Reader
This is the first of the Anna Pigeon mysteries which takes place in West Texas at the Guadaloupe Mountains National Park. Anna takes a job as a park ranger looking for peace in the wilderness, but finds murder instead.

A Study in Darkness

Author: Emma Jane Holloway
Stars: 3
Review by: Marianne S.
A definite beach read, combining elements of gas-light romance, steampunk fantasy, and Sherlock Holmes mystery. Fun.

The Unwanteds

Author: Lisa McMann
Stars: 3
Review by: YA Fan
This is a Juvenile Fiction book that I read because Kirkus Reviews piqued my curiosity by describing it as "Hunger Games meets Harry Potter".  The target audience is 4th-8th grade.  I would recommend it as a family read aloud or borrow the book on CD when the family is on a long car ride.
 

Finding Perfect

Author: Susan Mallery
Stars: 5
Review by: LG
Third book in a trilogy series called Fool's Gold Romance.  I enjoyed all 3 a lot. Susan Mallery is awesome.

 

The Deepest Cut

Author: J.A. Templeton
Stars: 2
Review by: Sewing Teacher Chris
A not very good ghost story for YA.

Promises to Keep

Author: Jane Green
Stars: 3
Review by: Sewing Teacher Chris
Trite ending to a typical love story, but a good summer read.
 

Me Before You

Author: JoJo Moyes
Stars: 4.5
Review by: mystery lover
This book made me think about things in general--at least for me.

A Girl Named Zippy

Author: Haven Kimmel
Stars: 3
Review by: Barb
This is a cute and easy read memoir of an interesting and creative little girl.
 

A Fighting Chance

Author: Elizabeth Warren
Stars: 3
Review by:  BigDa
I hope it is not just another political book that raises my hopes only to be dashed against the rocks again.

The Crusades Through Arab Eyes

Author: Amin Maalouf
Stars: 2
Review by: Mandy Apgar
An account of the crusades from the events that led to their genesis on up to the final battles, all told for once through an Islamic perspective. That in itself is a refreshing idea, to hear the words of Saladin and others, even average, every day people living in the areas affected and caught in the middle. The problem is that the author seems to want to cram too much into too small a book, and the writing comes off as very dry at times. Otherwise the book would've been a lot better.

A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

Author: Anthony Bourdain
Stars: 2
Review by: Mandy Apgar
A very early travelogue of writer/chef/TV personality Anthony Bourdain, written before his No Reservations days when he was still an executive chef in NYC. Filled with various stories of his travels for his original program, A Cook's Tour. Mostly good, but his sometimes uncertainty at his work comes through and the book is not one of his best.

Who Discovered America?

Author: Gavin Menzies and Ian Hudson
Stars: 1
Review by: Mandy Apgar
An account via various fronts of who may or may not be the original settlers of the North American continent. Going back and forth to different areas so often the authors often lose their focus and the book becomes a pretentious mess, especially the multiple times the chief author refers to his other book, a great scholastic work on Atlantis. Not a very good method to inspire scholastic confidence.
 

Crooked Numbers

Author: Tim O'Mara
Stars: 3
Review by: BigDa 
Well plotted, and fast reading.

Sam's Letters to Jennifer

Author: James Patterson
Stars: 3
Review by: Jeanette
Sam of the title was a surprise when disclosed.  Chick book.  It was a fast, interesting read.  Reminds me of James Waller novels.
 

The Sleeping Dictionary

Author: Sujata Massey
Stars: 2
Review by: Smudge
A love story set against India's struggle for independence.  Although I enjoyed learning more about this part of India's history, I found the characters flat, the plot predictable, if not a little fantastic, and the cultural information about India lacking.

The Wednesday Letters

Author: Jason F. Wright
Stars: 5
Review by: Woman on the Go
I just finished my first book of the summer. I never thought when I started this book that I would not be able to put it down. It only took me 4 short reading sessions. I absolutely loved this book. It was a 3 hankie book and took me away to another place as any well written, wonderful, romantic story does.

Just Jennifer

The Black Hour by Lori Rader-Day (Seventh Street Books, July 8, 2014)

Thirty-eight-year-old sociology professor Amelia Emmet is returning to the classroom on the Chicago campus where she was shot ten months ago.  The shooter, a student she never met, one with whom she had no contact with whatsoever, also shot himself.  While recuperating and rehabilitating for the last ten months, Amelia continued to ask herself Why?  Why did Leonard Lehane shoot someone he didn’t know, why her, and then why did he turn the gun on himself.  Nathaniel Barber, a graduate student and Amelia’s new teaching assistant, is obsessed with violence in society, especially in Chicago and is obsessed with Amelia’s case; Nath, as Amelia comes to call the awkward young man, hopes his dissertation topic will help Amelia answer some of her questions, but as he quickly grows to realize, Amelia also needs to heal, mind, body and soul, and there is only one person who can do that…Amelia herself.  Forming an uneasy, unorthodoxed alliance, the two work together, and separately, to uncover the answers to why Lehane chose Amelia to shoot, or did he? And why he took his own life.  As they begin their inquiries, they find themselves in some very dark places at the prestigious Rothbert University and some very dark places in their own lives, all leading to a very surprising conclusion, one that even after it seems finished has one last surprise for readers.  The sharply written prose and dialog seems to fit the crisp fall semester that is before Amelia and Nath.  Both have demons of their own, unrelated to the shooting that must be faced if each hopes to heal and move on with their lives.  A fast-paced narrative keeps the plot moving and the high-tension will keep pages turning until the shocking, and emotional end is reached. 

Just Jennifer

The From-Aways by CJ Hauser (William Morrow, May 2014)

Leah has left the comforts of her home in New York City and has followed, even encouraged, her husband Henry back to his hometown of Menamon, Maine where his family has lived, and where his sister still lives, for generations.  Leah leaves her job as a reporter for a big city daily with hopes of getting something at a local paper, maybe even uncovering a scoop that will set the town on its ear; Henry’s sister Charley is the editor of the local paper, is clearly not as enchanted with Leah as Henry, but agrees to give her a chance.  Already writing for the paper is Quinn, who has also drifted into Menamon with the purpose of looking for the father she never knew after the death of her mother; Quinn is also looking for a big story and together, the two women might just summon enough energy between the two of them to find the story that has touched most residents of Menamon, mostly not for the better, a story that will end in a way no one can see coming, an end that has irrevocable consequences for everyone involved.  Though Leah and Quinn are from as different of backgrounds as they can be, they are more alike than either would guess; they are both adrift, looking for something, hoping, expecting even, to find it through love and roots in a place that isn’t their own, a place they would like to make their own, but may not be interested in them.  Full of love, laughter, fear and tears, The From-Aways is a story of friendship, a story of love and marriage, and a story of expectations, ours of others, others of ours and ours of ourselves, but above all, it is a story of two women searching for something and finding it in a place called Menamon.  

Just Jennifer

Peter Pan Must Die by John Verdon (Crown, July 2014)

Once again, John Verdon has written a seemingly impossible to commit crime that will take brilliant puzzle solver Dave Gurney to solve.  Gurney recently retired as a top homicide cop from the NYPD and moved to upstate New York with his wife Madeleine, yet finds himself dragged back into investigations by Jack Hardwick who is not on the mayor’s list of most favorite detectives, but who has good instincts when it comes to things that just don’t feel right.  And the conviction of Kay Spalter for shooting her husband, a real estate mogul who planned to run for governor, while he was giving the eulogy graveside at his mother’s funeral doesn’t feel right.  Mrs. Spalter was arrested and charged with attempted murder, but when Spalter died during the trial, the charges were amended to murder and Mrs. Spalter is now doing twenty-five to life.  Hardwick is convinced that Mrs. Spalter was set up by a dirty cop and is innocent, at least of shooting her husband.  Gurney is convinced that Hardwick is out for revenge against a system he feels has not done right by him, but cannot resist a challenge and agrees to look at the files in spite of his wife’s protestations.  Gurney quickly discerns that the investigator in the case was in fact corrupt and finds himself in the middle of an odd group of people including a very welcoming mob boss, a pint sized assassin who has earned the nickname Peter Pan, and a wife who insists she didn’t commit murder, a wife who Gurney finds himself believing: in spite of all her other faults and shortcomings where her husband is concerned, Gurney doesn’t believe she is a murderer.  The more layers of the case Gurney peels back, the more he is convinced there is only one answer, an answer that is so unbelievable, even Gurney can’t accept it, even as it stares him right in the face.  Gorgeous prose is juxtaposed against violet, gruesome, unimaginable crimes.  Madeleine, who is willing to accept retirement gracefully, has a calm, that is almost preternatural, that is in sharp contrast to Gurney as he is always in motion, always thinking, a partnership that may not be working for both of them in bucolic New York State.  With puzzles that are diabolically clever, well-wrought characters and a serene, calm setting waiting for when Gurney is ready, Peter Pan Must Die will win new legions of fans for John Verdon and satisfy those who have been with him from the beginning. 

Congratulations to...

... our Week #1 Prize Winners:

• Mrobustelli
• Fernanda

Progress So Far

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The Christmas Wedding Quilt

Author: Emilie Richards
Stars: 2
Review by: E.L.
Okay story by 3 different writers. Love stories, wished it was more about the quilt.
 

The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry
Stars: 3
Review by: Flynn197
It was a good book.  Just typically something that I wouldn't read.  There is a movie coming out this summer and my children wanted to see it so I thought I would give the book a read.
 

Gritty Cities: A Second Look at Allentown, Bethlehem, Bridgeport, Hoboken, Lancaster, Norwich, Paterson, Reading, Trenton, Troy, Waterbury, Wilmington

Author: Mary Procter
Stars: 4
Review by: E.L.
Written in 1978, it is about the cities of Hoboken, Paterson, Allentown, Trenton and others. The black and white pictures are interesting.  Trenton was the tire capital of the country between 1905-1920. The Liberty Bell was hidden in Allentown during the Revoluntion.

Where Nobody Knows Your Name

Author: John Feinstein
Stars: 3
Review by: Bob E
A book about life in the minor leagues of baseball, focusing on several key players, managers, and umpires at the fringes of their careers.  Exhibits a love for baseball and a keen sense of emotional intelligence not otherwise found in the sports genre.

Porch Lights

Author: Dorothea Benton Frank
Stars: 4
Review by: Barb
I love reading the books of Ms. Frank about the Low Country. They feel like a mini-vacation. These characters are interesting and fun, someone you might want for a friend. It's kind of nice when a story has a happy ending.

Scandal in Skibbereen

Author: Sheila Connolly
Stars: 2
Review by: laz
The first of this series (Buried in A Bog) was charming. This one, not so much. The characters did not develop any further than they had been in the first book. The story was long and drawn out, with an ending that was not worth reading to the end for. Disappointing.

Come Home to Me

Author: Brenda Novak
Stars: 1
Review by: bandit
Too ridiculous.

This Is How You Lose Her

Author: Junot Diaz
Stars: 3
Review by: Sandy
In a string of short stories centering on love, loss and Dominican identity, Diaz gives us a glimpse into the aftermath of the wrong afterglow.  The first line of text declares "I'm not a bad guy." and I believed it. Through the stories with women's names as titles, through the descriptions of poverty and immigration, even through the brother's cancer battle; I believed it. That is until the last story's description of our "hero's" physical and emotional collapse.  Am I expected to understand a man's choice of self-destruction? Am I supposed to feel sorry that he is now alone? No, but the reader is taken on a journey and seduced by a good guy making bad decisions.  Enjoy the tour, but don't believe everything the guide says.

We Bought a Zoo: The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Changed Their Lives Forever

Author: Benjamin Mee
Stars: 1
Review by: Mandy Apgar
Firstly, anyone expecting a situation anything like the film do not bother. Writer and psychologist / amateur animal behavior therapist Benjamin Mee lives with his wife and two young children in France's wine country when he gets word that his parents are going to sell their large home in an exclusive London suburb. Relocating the family to England, they decide to invest their collective savings in an area zoo and begin the process of rehabilitation. Doing most of the work themselves, the Mees cope with the loss of Benjamin's wife and periodic animal escapes (a jaguar, tiger, etc.) after which they open the zoo to great acclaim. Hosting none of the film's bratty son backstory, subplots with sick animals or the tacked on romantic interest, the book is simply Mee and his story. Which in itself is great, however; if the events of the film were improbable, the book was still downright dull. Events are drawn out for too long and with a very small book with large print it is too often sidetracked and loses its charm.

Winter Chill

Author: Joanne Fluke
Stars: 1
Review by: mystery lover
This book by Joanne Fluke is one of her earlier books. I know that some books will be different than others by the same author but this one is different in general. It's good, just not a cozy mystery.  Some one else might like better than I did.  The title seems to suit the story.

The mystery doesn't have to be a cozy mystery to be good.
 

Chestnut Street

Author: Maeve Binchy
Stars: 2
Review by: ADAR
Not her usual really good story.  Her characters connect in all previous books, but in this one they are just individuals.  Very disappointed.

Tease

Author: Amanda Maciel
Stars: 4
Review by: Tartu
A YA novel, Tease tells the story of a high school senior who, with four friends, has been charged in connection with the suicide of a classmate. While Sara will admit she and her friends were not very kind to Emma, she doesn't see herself as responsible for Emma's death and doesn't understand why everyone in the town is treating her as an outcast.  An interesting look into high school bullying and harassment and watching Sara grow and learn from her participation in Emma's unhappiness and ultimately death.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Author: Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
Stars: 4
Review by: Nancy W.
I have had this book on my shelf for quite awhile. I was inspired to read it by a recent Holocaust anniversary program. It is about a little known WWII event. The island of Guernsey, in the English channel was occupied by the Germans. This book takes clever form of a series of letters following their lives in and about the island, in 1946, shortly after the end of the war. It was an easy read, pleasant stories, interspersed with the horrors of the war they had just lived through.

The Rise of the Tudors: The Family that Changed English History

Author: Chris Skidmore
Stars: 2
Review by: Mandy Apgar
An account of the British Tudor dynasty from its beginnings within an upstart Welsh family to its first established sovereign Henry 7th. Focuses mostly on the events leading to the Battle of Bosworth, where Henry's forces fought those of Richard III to a successful conclusion. Would have been better if it, although the event certainly had massive implications long term, focused more on the earlier members of the family instead of Henry like so many other texts. Also, went a bit too much almost into Richard, partly because of his body's recent discovery beneath a parking lot reviving interest in the battle.
 

Tesla's Attic

Author: Neal Shusterman & Eric Elfman
Stars: 4
Review by: Marianne S.
A fun read, first in a series for middle grade readers. What would happen if an attic full of Nikola Tesla's inventions was unleashed upon an unsuspecting Colorado town? Killer asteroids and zombies, of course.

The Lindbergh Case

Author: Jim Fisher
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar
A rather good account of the Lindbergh kidnapping, although not the best I've read. It still manages to cover things pretty well without getting into the "Hauptmann was set up/ did this / etc." revisionism that so many books today try to do. Just a nice clear presentation of what happened.
 

The Son

Author: Jo Nesbo
Stars: 5
Review by: BigDa
Couldn't wait til the retribution was exacted.
 

The Story of the Jersey Shore

Author: Harold F. Wilson
Stars: 1
Review by: Mandy Apgar
God was this dull. A rather old book I found, it gives little detail about anything. Divided into three time periods, it spends too much of its all too brief volume (133 pages with really big print) going into this or that person instead of the shore itself - its history, geology, etc. Very little on Cape May especially and boardwalk amusement parks.
 

A Graveyard Preservation Primer

Author: Lynette Strangstad
Stars: 3
Review by: Mandy Apgar
 A basic account of graveyard preservation. It gives an account of tombstone symbolism, early attitudes towards planning cemeteries, and gives advice on historic preservationists and hopefuls as to how to properly care for various kinds of memorials. Good, but a bit too simplistic for those who already have an interest. P.S. folks - do not make rubbings! It damages the stones and is the author's (and my) pet peeve within the field.

 

 

The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones

Author: Anthony Bourdain
Stars: 2
Review by: Mandy Apgar
Semi-celebrity chef, writer, and traveler Bourdain gives more accounts of his life in No Reservations and career as a NYC chef. Not nearly as snarky as I like him, little bit of a spark missing from this book that could be from being a collection of various articles instead of something he wrote cohesively.

 

 

Just Jennifer

Everything to Lose by Andrew Gross (William Morrow, April 2014)

If you take half a million dollars from a dead man who has probably stolen the money in the first place and no one would ever find out about it, is it okay? Especially if it is to help your autistic son get the proper care he needs?  Thirty-six-year-old Hillary Blum has just lost her job, can’t get her deadbeat husband to pay his back child support and has just witnessed a car run off the road late at night.  Hillary stops to help, realizes that the man is dead but that he has a satchel containing half a million dollars.  Knowing that this money will help her keep things afloat until she is able to get another job, Hillary gives into temptation thinking no one will ever find her.  Until the man who also witnessed the accident is murdered and Hillary realizes the money did not belong to the dead man but to someone else who will stop at nothing to get it back.  Hillary finds the dead man’s son, a cop from the part of Staten Island that was destroyed by Sandy and is still fighting to make a comeback, a man to whom a half a million dollars would also be a big help.  Suddenly, a decades old murder surfaces and things spin quickly out of control.  Everything to Lose is as fast paced thriller with not only a determined heroine, but a desperate one facing a moral dilemma.  All the seemingly desperate strands are woven together in this tightly knit narrative with strong characters and a well-written plot.  

Just Jennifer

The Shelf: From LEQ to LES by Phyllis Rose (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, May 13, 2014)

Literary critic and biographer Phyllis Rose spent a year reading Proust and chronicled it in her book A Year of Reading Proust.  She decided her next Extreme Reading challenge would be to read a shelf from the New York Society Library.  As Rose perused the shelves and considered her options, she came up with a list of rules for selecting a shelf, rules she quickly discarded or amended as she needed.  The shelf she chose included books such as A Hero of our Time by Mikhail Lemontov and The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, Edwardian detective novels, novellas from an almost unknown Austrian writer and modern day authors John Lescroart and lesser known novelist Rhoda Lerman  Rose not only discusses the titles she reads, but delves into the lives of the authors, the role of women writers in history, the role of libraries and their acquisition/weeding habits and the role of readers and book buyers (mostly women) in shaping the reading taste of society.  Part social history, part literary criticism and history, this book will fascinate, inspire; you will never browse a shelf of books the same way after spending time with Phyllis Rose.  

Just Jennifer

Murder and Moonshine by Carol Miller (Minotaur, December 2013)

As a waitress and her later father’s diner, Daisy Hale McGovern hears plenty of local gossip, but she knows the southwestern Virginia hills hold more secrets than she could hear in a lifetime.  Four years ago, her father and her father-in-law were killed in an explosion, leaving the H&P diner in the hands of her father’s partner Hank, leaving Daisy with the care of her ill mother, with more than a few secrets of her own. When her husband Matt leaves her without a word, Daisy continues on as best as she can, but when a reclusive old man stumbles into the diner one morning and promptly dies after uttering one word, Daisy’s world, and that of those around her, will be changed forever as the hills begin to give up some of their secrets.  Two young moonshiners, Bobby and Rick Balsam are in the diner when Fred dies and though Daisy prefers to stay as far away from the young men as possible, she can’t help but feeling that Rick, at least, has noticed something more than he’s letting on, especially when he announces that earlier that year he purchased the 200-acres and house and buildings where Fred had most recently been living, known as Fox Hollow, known once to Daisy as the house she grew up in, the house that was in her family for as long as memory in Glade Hill is.  Gun-toting Aunt Emily, who is everyone and no one’s aunt, and from whom Daisy and her mother rent rooms, is certain that Fred’s death was no accident, and that Fred was complicate in the death of Daisy’s father.  Though she knows Rick and Bobby are for the most part no good, she is pretty sure there is a part of Rick at least, that is still true and decides she needs to trust him if she is to work out what has occurred.  The appearance of an ATF agent stirs things up even more putting not just Daisy and her family in harm’s way, but perhaps an entire way of life.

A debut mystery, Murder and Moonshine is plotted with the steady hand of a well-seasoned writer; the plot never waivers once the course is set and has a surprise at every turn.  The characters are well-drawn and believable; each is redeemable in their own way and will stay with you long after you finish the book.  Daisy has done a lot of living for someone who has not yet reached her thirtieth birthday and is fierce in protecting all that she holds dear, but is also willing to give anyone a second chance.  She does not brood on the past, but keeps it in her back pocket as a reminder of mistakes that people can make, hoping to learn from them and not repeat them.  As the town begins to give up its secrets, Daisy grows weary of who she can trust, learning that she can rely on herself and her family to get through the tough times.  Though there cannot be a completely happy ending, Daisy tries to make some good come out of the tragedy and unhappiness, made all the stronger from the journey.

Just Jennifer

Flying Shoes by Lisa Howorth (Bloomsbury, June 2014)

Mary Byrd Thornton has gone about her average life in Mississippi, taking care of her husband and two children, never forgetting the step-brother who was molested and murdered forty years ago and whose killer was never caught.  Now she is contacted by the police in Virginia who think they have a viable suspect but need Mary Byrd and her family to come to Virginia where they will have to confront and relive this terrible tragedy.  As Mary Byrd makes plans to travel to Virginia, she faces a tragedy in the family of her housekeeper in addition to the ghosts that haunt her own family.  On her way home to her family, she makes one more detour at the funeral of a friend, but returns home ready to be a wife and mother, maybe a little more attentive and present than before.  The plot line that explores the life of Mary Byrd and her family since the death of her step-brother and how they react to it possibly being solved after almost thirty years would be enough to sustain a strong narrative, but first time novelist Lisa Howorth adds layers of interesting, well-developed characters to further develop this already emotionally resonant plot.

Just Jennifer

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey (Harper, June 10, 2014)

Maud is an elderly woman who is rapidly descending further into dementia: she has more canned peaches than she will ever eat and is certain her best friend Elizabeth is missing.  No one will listen to her leaving her more and more frustrated.  As she frantically searches for her friend she begins to drift into the past where she relives the disappearance of her sister who vanished just after World War II.  Is it possible that Maud's search for Elizabeth will help her find the key to her sister's disappearance?  The plot flows back and forth between post-World War II England and present day, no small feat for an unreliable narrator who is slowly losing her mind.  A certain amount of suspense comes from knowing that dementia may touch all of us at one point or another in our lives, either a parent, spouse, sibling or friend, if not ourselves.  Touching and honest, Elizabeth is Missing spans several genres, providing a good read that will offer many discussion topics. 

Just Jennifer

Murder with Ganache by Lucy Burdette (Obsidian, February 2014)

Key Zest lifestyle magazine food critic Hayley Snow has her plate full---a little fuller than usual.  In addition to her usual restaurant reviews, Hayley is writing a feature article on the best cupcakes in Key West and one on the Hemingway cats.  She has also agreed to bake two hundred lime cupcakes for her best friend Connie’s wedding.  Except Hayley’s cat and the new dog from down the dock have just run through and destroyed most of the cupcakes and Hayley’s dad, step-mother, step-brother and her mom and her mom’s new boyfriend are due any minute.  Hayley expects a lot of drama with all the members of her family gathered on one relatively small island, but she does not expect her step-brother to get involved in murder.

The first night on the island, Hayley and all her parents attend Connie’s Jack and Jill shower.  Rory, a sulky teenage boy is understandably bored and heads out to the town where spring break is in full swing.  His mother Alison is reluctant and admits Rory has been a handful lately, even though he has been living with his father and attending boarding school. Rory vanishes into the crowd sending Hayley and her family and friends on a wild chase looking for him.  Hayley hears word of two teenagers and a stolen Jet Ski, something Rory had been talking about since his arrival on the island (renting a Jet Ski not stealing one).  Hayley finds Rory unconscious and pretty well-worked over, though not as badly off as his female companion who is dead.  Setting aside her oven mitts, Hayley begins to look into Rory’s activities the night of Connie’s shower as she tries to piece together her step-brother’s trail that led him to the hospital and possible murder suspect.

Hayley is full of energy and even when she waivers and begins to fade, she reaches inside, reorganizes and regroups, coming out swinging.  It is evident with Hayley’s parents around that Hayley is a good mix of the two: she is kind, caring and introspective as is her father, but she has her mother’s energy and can-do attitude, though she is not as overbearing and sometimes as downright snarky as Janet can be.  Hayley followed a boyfriend to Key West and promptly became his ex-girlfriend, but she decided to stay and has found a place for herself on the island, reconnecting with several college friends and catching the eye of more than one single man.  Hayley and Connie have been best friends for what feels like forever.  Connie’s mother died when she was young and her relationship with her father was practically non-existent; the Snow’s stepped in and have been Connie’s surrogate family ever since.  The unexpected arrival of Connie’s father throws things into frenzied disarray, even prompting Connie to make a surprise announcement.  As Hayley follows the trail that led Rory into trouble, she learns more about her family, especially her step-mother, making their relationship stronger.  As Hayley tends to Connie, the same Hayley magic happens assuring a happily ever after for everyone, including it looks like, Hayley.

Hayley approaches her investigation into Rory’s disappearance and rescue as she does most things: logically and with a lot of heart.  Even though she uncovers things that may not show Rory in the best light she perseveres knowing the truth will come out, confident Rory isn't the cause of the young woman’s death.  Careful plotting allows several story lines to weave in and out of each until they are all resolved.  The sultry ocean breezes, the excitement of spring break, the lore of the Hemingway cats and lots of food---some delicious, some so-so---make for a rich and welcoming setting.  Sun, sand and good food: what could be better?  Unless there is a little mystery mixed in.

Just Jennifer

Shoot the Woman First by Wallace Stroby (Minotaur)

Professional thief Crissa Stone finds herself wondering how she got involved with some Detroit thugs interested in stealing five hundred thousand dollars of drug money that is heavily guarded.  Crissa knows it is probably an easy take, but when she brings in longtime colleague Larry Black, Black expresses some concern for their other partners, concern that is well-placed when the split goes bad, erupting in a blaze of gunfire, leaving Crissa with a bag full of stolen drug money, a dead partner and a debt to pay to Larry’s family whom she has never met.  Crissa is nothing if not savvy and careful and wends her way down to Florida where she meets Larry’s wife who is not welcoming and doesn't trust Crissa and his daughter, Haley, who at six has been damaged more than a little girl should.  Crissa doesn't approve of Claudette’s life and certainly not of her boyfriend Mapes and hangs around long enough to try and set them up with a better life, at least for Haley, a day or two long as it turns out.  Back in Detroit, Marquis Jackson is displeased with the loss of his money, to say the least, and offers former policeman Frank Burke a small reward if Burke can track down the money and return it.  It is no surprised that Burke cannot be trusted and has plans of his own for the money as he cuts a murderous swath from Detroit to Florida and right to the doorstep of Claudette and Haley where Crissa is waiting.

There are many players in this heist, all after one thing and one woman, but the pace is so fast that their paths do not cross until the last split second when necessary and then the meeting is swift, bullets are exchanged, and Crissa continues on her quest.  She doesn't particularly like Claudette and wonders if she has wasted her time bringing Larry’s share of the take, but when she meets Haley she knows she needs to give this little girl a shot, even if it is to try and make up for a failing in another part of her life.  Crissa is smart, fast and fearless about most things, but the more time she spends with Haley, the more she uncovers another side that doesn't necessarily fit in with her current lifestyle.  Stroby, a journalist uses straightforward, sparse prose, each sentence conveying much meaning without any unnecessary information.  Though she is a professional thief, Crissa is this time stealing from drug lords, giving a family a second chance with some of the proceeds, making her career choice seem a little more justified.  Fast-faced and breathless, Shoot the Woman First,  is sure to land Wallace Stroby on many “must read” crime fiction lists. 

Just Jennifer

Burnt Black by Ed Kovacs (Minotaur, 2013)

New Orleans homicide detective Cliff St. James is helping his partner Honey Baybee look for houses for her mother when they hear shots fired at a house next door and find themselves in the middle of an investigation steeped in voodoo, superstitions and alternate religions.  In the house of Robert Drake, professor of the occult, Cliff and Honey find two of his handymen dead atop an altar, evidence of recent sexual activity, but no evidence of foul play, in fact, the two men look scared to death.  Normally, Cliff, who is also a PI, and his partner only work the most confounding, high profile homicide cases, but get permission to work this case even though the two disagree on the nature of the deaths: Honey does not suspect foul-play at all.  Not even two years after Hurricane Katrina, Chief Pointer knows that sensational murders will not be good for the tourist trade in New Orleans and tells the partners to solve the case quickly and quietly.  As Cliff and Honey begin to work their way into Drake’s inner circle, they find themselves further in than just voodoo and tourist traps, but find a Mexican drug cartel who appears to be the chief supplier of the human heads Drake often requires and Cliff finds himself on the most wanted list of these evil men.  Many of the strange occurrences during the investigation, Cliff can chalk up to coincidence, not believing for a moment in hoodoo and superstition, but if that’s so, why does he continue to wear a talisman around his neck?  New Orleans is written not just as a setting, but as an old friend, with much affection for the city struggling to make a comeback after a devastating storm.  The occult occurrences are written with the degree of seriousness they need within this mystery, and not treated as a touristy gimmick; the plot is well-laid out with several surprises along the way.  The final surprise involving one of the characters Cliff encounters during his investigation, is  a little unbelievable given what Cliff knows, learned and didn’t learn, but does allow him to mark closed to one aspect of his life, though this may not be the best way to do it. 

Just Jennifer

Invisible City by Julia Dahl (Minotaur, May 6, 2014)

Young Brooklyn journalist Rebekah Roberts finds herself covering the brutal death of a young Hasidic mother, a story that draws Rebekah into a world she knows little about other than it is the world that belongs to the mother who abandoned her as a young child.  As Rebekah goes after a story that she hopes will keep her fledgling career afloat, she finds herself drawn closer to the life her mother tried to escape for love and her daughter, but made to the decision to return to, leaving Rebekah questioning her past while seeking her future.  In addition to being a fascinating portrait of life in a Hasidic community, Invisible City is a well-written crime novel with many unexpected twists and turns and a satisfying if disturbing conclusion. 

Just Jennifer

The Book of You by Claire Kendal (Harper, May 2014)

As a young woman serves on a jury for the trial of men accused of kidnapping and raping another young woman, she struggles to escape from a stalker she let into her life one evening.  Now Clarissa finds herself always looking over her shoulder in terror, but is made uncertain as she watches the trial unfold, whether she will ever be able to stop the stalker and if anyone will believe she is the unwilling recipient of the unwanted attention.  Taught plotting blurs the line between realities, causing Clarissa’s anxieties to rise as she struggles to get a grasp on a sense of normalcy and be free of her mental captor once and for all.  As events in Clarissa’s life threaten to control her, they collide in an unexpected way, reshaping her future in surprising ways. 

Just Jennifer

The Innocent Sleep by Karen Perry (Henry Holt, February 2014)

Five years ago while he and his wife Robin were living in Tangiers, Harry left their three-year-old son Dillon asleep in bed alone for five minutes.  The unthinkable happened when an earthquake destroyed the building and presumably killing Dillon, though his body was never found.  Now Harry and Robin are living in Dublin, trying to rebuild their lives when Harry spots a boy whom he is certain is Dillon on the street being led by his hand by a strange woman.  Harry becomes obsessed with the idea that Dillon is still alive and tries to find the woman.  Robin is trying to move on with their lives and has just announced her pregnancy to Harry who says he is happy about it, though his actions say otherwise.  Has Harry really found Dillon? Or is it his grief and guilt that makes him think he has seen Dillon?  As Harry and Robin’s stories unfold, secrets they kept from each other emerge as the portrait of a marriage shifts from one of shared grief to one of lies and betrayals.  A suspenseful plot with several interesting twists, the ending may disappoint some readers.  Overall a successful collaboration by a husband wife team.

Just Jennifer

That Night by Chevy Stevens (Minotaur, June 2014)

A stand-alone by author Chevy Stevens that tells the story of Toni Murphy who has just finished serving time in prison for the murder of her sister, a murder she insists she is innocent of.  Toni's family has turned from her and as part of the condition of her release she is to have no contact with Ryan, the boyfriend who was also convicted in the murder.  As Toni tries to readjust to life outside of prison, Ryan continues to try and contact her as he tries to prove their innocence; the mean girls from high school are all grown up and aren't as mean as they seemed in high school, or are they? As Toni begins to learn things that may lead her to the truth about the night that changed everything she has to decide how much she is willing to risk in order to clear her name and wonders even then if she will be able to repair her relationship with her mother .  Tautly plotted with believable characters Stevens continues to be at the top of her game.

Just Jennifer

Precious Thing by Colette McBeth (Minotaur, March 2014)

Imagine going to cover a police press conference and finding the subject of the press conference, a missing woman, is your best friend from high school who you were to have had an evening out with two days earlier.  From the day shy, awkward Rachel walked in to school and took a seat next to Clara, the two have been inseparable best friends, the kind that is so intense that they were each other’s everything until something separated them for seven years.  Now Rachel is a confident television reporter and it is Clara's life that has not held together.  Shocked by her disappearance, Rachel begins to question their friendship and how well she knew Clara and what secrets Clara might have kept? As Rachel revisits their friendship as teenagers and as adults, a disturbing picture of their relationship is revealed, one that changes everything.  A tightly plotted narrative with an unreliable narrator makes this psychological thriller one not to miss.

Just Jennifer

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (Algonquin, April 2014)

An enchanting story of the life of the New England Alice Island bookseller A.J. Fikry who, after the death of his young wife, becomes angry and reclusive, drinking himself into oblivion some evenings. The theft of the rarest book he owned brings police officer Lambiase into his life, the first of many people who will slowly change his life, giving him a chance to make a new start.  Publishing house representative Amelia makes it her quest to get A.J. to fall in love with a title on her company’s list, but succeeds in much more than that.  A gift left at the shop changes A.J. irrevocably, but also plays a role in changing the lives of those around him.  Beautifully told, the story has an allegorical feel as little by little, pieces of not only A.J.'s life, but those around him are slowly revealed, giving everyone in A.J.'s circle, a second chance at happiness, all the while reaffirming why we love to read and why we need each other.

Just Jennifer

A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante (Atlantic Monthly, March 2014)

Plastic surgeon Dr. John Taylor has built a practice, and his reputation, on helping disfigured children, eschewing traditional plastic surgery which would be more lucrative to his practice.  When he is found dead in his hotel room, Palo Alto detective Samantha Adams is assigned to the case, surprised as homicide is not her usual beat.  As she begins to investigate Dr. Taylor, she learns he was a bigamist, married to three separate women; she is shocked to learn that his status conscious first wife Deborah not only knew about the other two women, but orchestrated and scheduled Dr. Taylor’s life to accommodate his choices.  Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the four women, Deborah, Samantha, MJ, his mother-earth wife, and Helen, his pediatric oncologist wife, and together they not only form a picture of his life, but slowly reveal who might have wanted him dead.  With different voices, and different images of what their life was like, each woman tells her story, deals with the death of her husband and the betrayal she feels.  Samantha, in her own way, lets Taylor’s legacy seep into her helping her make some choices, and face some truths, in her own life that she may have been trying to avoid.  

Just Jennifer

Deep Winter by Samuel W. Gailey  (Blue Rider Press, February, 2014)

When Danny, a simple-minded resident of rural Wyalusing, Pennsylvania finds the body of Mindy, the one woman who has been his friend his entire life, he becomes the main suspect in her murder and sets off a manhunt that has irrevocable implications for the small town.  The town turning on the kindhearted Danny is reflected in a cold, harsh winter night.  An evil has been festering in the town for many years and will all come out on this one night.  It is hard to see the people of Wyalusing turn on Danny, and maybe even a little unbelievable, as they shrug their shoulders and say “it was bound to happen”.  More tragedy and death occurs as it becomes obvious there is only one way to stop what has held the town in its grips for so many years.  Effective plotting, the manhunt occurs over the course of one night, keeps the tension high and propels the narrative forward.  

Just Jennifer

Bone Dust White by Karin Salvalaggio (Minotaur, Mary 2014) 

One night just before her eighteenth birthday, Grace thinks she hears someone calling her name and looks out the back window of her house just as a woman is stabbed in the backyard.  Grace goes to the woman and realizes it is the mother Leanne who left her when she was a young child.  Detective Macy Greeley has been searching for Leanne for the past eleven years and wants to know what brought her back to Montana after all these years.   But Grace and Macy aren’t the only ones searching for answers to secrets Leanne held; more attacks on those closest to Grace, including a possible attempt on Grace while she is in the hospital, ratchet up the urgency to the investigation…as does the fact that Macy is seven months pregnant, unsure about how to deal with the father of her child and facing her boyfriend from what seems like another life.  As Grace and Macy each search for answers to their questions, a horrifying picture is brought in to focus.  The solution isn't entirely unexpected, but the setting and the characters are real.

Just Jennifer

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh (Spiegel and Grau, March 2014)

The Dane family has been keeping secrets in the Ozark town of Henbane for years.  When an outsider steals the heart of one of the Dane brothers, the secrets threaten to unravel; what sacrifices will a mother make to save her daughter Lucy from the same fate? When sixteen-year-old Lucy's friend is found murdered after being missing for a year, Lucy begins to ask questions, questions that only lead to more questions, the answers to which may destroy Lucy's family and change everything she thought she knew.  Atmospheric and visceral, the story is vividly and effectively told from Lucy's point of view in the present day and her mother's when she arrived in Henbane two decades ago.  This first novel is written with the assurance of a more experienced writer and will draw the reader in and not let go until long after the last page has been turned.

Just Jennifer

Providence Rag by Bruce DeSilva (Tor, March 2014)

What would you do if you knew a man was being held in prison based on crimes allegedly committed while he was behind bars---crimes you know were trumped up to keep a vicious killer in prison.  Not even old enough to have a driver’s license, a teenager slaughtered five of his neighbors and was caught before he murdered more that would have made him a true serial killer.  Because of an antiquated Rhode Island law, this boy, who has grown into a man while in prison, must be released when he turns twenty-one, unless, as it happened, the prisoner commits other crimes while in jail.  Newspaper reporter Mulligan has been covering the story since the beginning, but now his co-worker, and the son of the owner of the paper, Mason, is uncomfortable with the framing of a man---even if the man will surely kill again once he gets out of jail.  More than a well-plotted, fast-paced---though very graphic---mystery, Providence Rag is the story of the collapse of a print newspaper and an ethical dilemma that reaches all the way to the governor.  Well-developed characters populate the book.  A slight slowing down of the pace near the middle makes the plot drag a little, but just as fast it picks up again and races toward an uneasy conclusion.

Just Jennifer

The Girl with a Clock for a Heart by Peter Swanson (William Morrow, February 2014)

When George was a freshman in college, he had an intense affair with a classmate who killed herself over winter break.  Or did she?  George has spent the past twenty years thinking he has seen Liana Decter and when he finally does see her in a Boston bar she pulls him into a drama only George doesn’t realize he is only there to play a small part, to set things in motion and instead, he becomes so involved he will be lucky to extricate himself alive.  Liana can mesmerize and bewitch men, but there is one thing that must be kept in mind when dealing with her---Liana only looks out for Liana---and she is wanted for two murders.  Fast-paced and obsessive, Peter Swanson’s debut grabs you at once and doesn’t let go; even when you realize nothing is as it appears, it is still almost impossible to guess that Liana’s next move is.  Seductively addictive from the first page to the last.

Just Jennifer

The Taste of Apple Seeds by Katharina Hagena (William Morrow, February 2014)

Translated from German The Taste of Apple Seeds tells the story of Iris who has inherited her grandmother’s country house, but along with it, all her family’s  memories and secrets, some painful enough to destroy lives that have been rebuilt over the past decade.  Iris is unsure whether she should keep the house or sell it and decides to stay in it for a week to put things in order and make her decision.  Bertha’s cottage has always had an enchanted quality to it, even after the death of Iris’s cousin Rosemarie: red currents since always grow white, but make the sweetest tasting pink tinged jelly; apple blossoms bloom off-season when true lovers stand beneath a tree and sparks fly from Iris’s aunt whenever she makes human contact.  As Iris revisits her family and their memories, she must make a choice whether she wants to inherit her family’s memories and pains and be the keeper of them or take a chance on giving up her past---and possible future---and return to the life she has crafted for herself.  A fairy tale quality to the narrative will endear Iris to readers and sparks a magical atmosphere.

Just Jennifer

Ruby by Cynthia Bond (Hogarth, April 29, 2014)

Ruby is “the kind of pretty it hurts to look at” and Ephram has been in love with Ruby since they were children in East Texas.  Over thirty years later, Ruby has returned from New York City, even more damaged then when she left, the town shunning her, Ephram determined to save and redeem his Ruby.  With writing that is of another time, each character has a distinctive voice: Ruby is so haunting, Ephram’s sister Celia overbearing and authoritative, and Ephram, a dream-like quality, never forgetting Ruby in all his years.  The dusty East Texas setting from Celia’s spotless kitchen to the alley outside the grocery where men gather to trade gossip and bootleg whiskey adds to the overall atmosphere.  The structure of the narrative is very effective as the scenes seamlessly shift between the past and present, slowly revealing a full picture of Ruby and what she endured during her life.  Each detail from the old lady’s shack in the woods to when and how water is used to the black crows is significant and perfectly placed.  Beautiful and hauntingly horrifying as Epharam takes on an entire town to save the woman with whom he fell in love as a child and still loves as a man.