Sworn to Silence & A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy

Just back from a week's vacation. The plan was to read about 25 books by various authors and write blogs about each. The plan flopped. It was just too darn hot to read so... I skimmed over some, tossed some back into the collection and came away with two reviews.

I'll start with Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo. A well-read patron recommended this title. It's the author's first but I'm certain it is not her last. The story takes place in Amish Country in the state of Ohio. The main character is Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, who is incidentally a former member of the Amish community.

A heinous crime has been committed and the Chief (after discovering several more) embarks on an intensive mission to solve the murders. She is aided in her investigation by John Tomasetti, a member of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. This is a well-written thriller. Honestly it was not until three-quarters of the way through that I was able to identify the perpetrator.

The second title, A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy by Charlotte Greig was a total disappointment. I found it to be trashy (a kind word for something much more distasteful). This was also a first entry into the field of writing novels. A quote on the cover indicates that it "......is profoundly funny and beautifully written". I disagree on both counts. Perhaps I tend to me melancholy and that is the reason why I never laughed. The writing was okay but I would not say it was beautifully written. This is the second novel of this type that I have read over the past year and both left me feeling sorry I spent the time reading them. In an effort to be diplomatic, I will admit that it is possible this is an age thing. Perhaps a younger person might find this funny. (I hope not!) The predicament that Susannah lands herself in is the result of immature and selfish motives. Her redeeming quality is that she presses on toward her goal of completing her dissertation.

Ladybookbug!