Garden Spells by Sarah Addison

A new author and a story that is a bit out of the ordinary. Whimsical, delightful and original are all good adjectives to describe this entry by Ms. Addison.

The Waverlys live in a small town in North Carolina. They are known to be a bit eccentric. Claire Waverly, a successful caterer who uses her knowledge of herbs to create unusual dishes. Evanelle, an aunt who possesses an uncanny ability to bring items to people who will use them in the future and Sydney, a long-lost sister, who returns home unexpectedly with a small child.

It is the story of new found love, family and getting over past hurts. There is also a glossary of herbs, along with their attributes in the back of the book.

Not something I’d usually read but enchanting!

Ladybookbug!

Blue Heaven by C.J. Box

This author is known for his great series featuring Joe Pickett. However, this book stands alone and is well-done!

Blue Heaven is the name local retirees have given a rural spot in northern Idaho where many former policemen have retired.

The story opens with two small children witnessing the murder of a man. The perpetrators also notice the children and the hunt begins.Unknown to the kids is the fact that all five men are former LAPD cops and what they are involved in is much more than murder.

Enter Villatoro, also a retired member of the LAPD and a ruthless investigator. Not unlike a librarian with a challenging reference question, Villatoro continues to work on the only open case in the department. He has come to the area because marked bills have surfaced from the local bank.

Mix all this together with a small-town community that rallies when the UPS man, another retired policeman and the children go missing. All sorts of rumors abound and it’s not until two or three down-to-earth characters stick their necks out that things turn around.

Well written, fast-moving, and a believable story from a consistently good author.

Ladybookbug!

Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

Ordinarily I don’t read the inside jacket flap to find out what the story is about—the story should do that and this one does but---because the author takes the reader from “then” to “now” often, I initially found it hard to follow. I’ve read many authors who use this technique and frankly I don’t like it. Just about the time I’ve become used to a thread, familiar with the characters, guessing about the outcome, I’m thrown into a different location, discourse and characters, it’s mind-boggling to say the least and interrupts my flow.

Bridge of Sighs is about a man who has lived in a town in upstate New York for all of his life. It is a story about losses and achievements, about taking risks within the security of having lived there forever. There are also mysteries to be uncovered and the author serves his reader well, keeping them hidden until he chooses to reveal them.

Although this book was not a bad book, it did not seem as interesting to me as his prior title Empire Falls.

Ladybookbug!

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan

Have you ever worked for a restaurant chain? Have you ever experienced the presence of an unruly child having dinner at the next table? Have you ever observed demanding patrons? Well then, those experiences coupled with the stress of knowing that it’s your last night at your job, the pavement has a slick surface of snow on it, your mistress is not going to your new job location with you and your girlfriend is stressed because she is pregnant, just about sums up the essence of this title.

The author has penned about ten novels to date and has been awarded the prestigious distinction of one of the twenty best young American Novelists. He has also written several non-fiction entries.

Reading this book was like listening to an acquaintance relate his last day of work at a restaurant that had garnered much of his time. It was okay and I suspect were it not for the fact that the author has a body of work, would not have been published at all.

Okay but no fireworks!

Ladybookbug!

You've Been Warned by James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Okay this duo has written one previous novel Honeymoon which was another bestseller.Their new entry You’ve Been Warned, is an interesting foray into the depths of fear and the intricacies of the mind.

Kristin Burns is a would-be famous photographer but her day-to-day occupation is as a nanny of two small children, Dakota and Sean. Their father is a well-heeled Manhattan businessman who is entangled in a web of romantic deceit.

As we travel through the maze of photographs, and broken lenses, we are privy to what Kristin is experiencing first-hand. The story takes the reader on a winding path of quizzical happenings and I found myself wondering where this was all leading to.

And then, the culmination—the end and my sweet Aha!

Another thriller from the master. Worth the read!

Ladybookbug!