The Excellent Lombards by Jane Hamilton

Not unlike many authors that I have come to read over the years, Ms. Hamilton's work became part of my repitoire as a recommended selection by Ophra. I did read one of her previous novels entitled A Map of the World.

It is always interesting to read a novel and come away from it having learned something new. The setting in this book is a family-owned apple orchard. The author explains many aspects of the workings of an apple farm within the context of the story. I appreciated the attention to detail and enjoyed learning about apple farming. The main character in the story is "Frankie". As the novel opens Frankie is a young child who has grown accustomed to the workings of the family orchard and revels in it. As time progresses, certain aspects of family life change and she begins to realize that although she longs for the routine she has become familiar with, she must also change.

This was an okay story. There was no great mystery embedded in it although I did learn some interesting facts which were presented in the context of a trvia "bee". Situations changed in the story and characters came and went. Relatively light reading and a change from suberfuge and espionage which seem to be so prevalent today.

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Winter Storm by Elin Hilderbrand

This is the second in a series of books that take place on the island of Nantucket during the annual winter stroll. The primary setting is an inn owned by the Quinn family.

In this book the family is celebrating the birth of the first grandchild, Genevieve, who is about to be baptized. Old flames reunite much to the chagrin of current love interests. Nathaniel is again in hot pursuit of Ava, Mitzi returns to the scene, Jennifer's husband has been incarcerated and Bart and his platoon have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. A member of the family has become addicted to painkillers and another has begun drinking to excess. In spite of appearances, love does prevail.

This series is like watching a soap opera. In any event, it is light reading and the author has left the reader at a place where you can't wait for the next installment to be released. I'm guessing around November of this year.

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A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

This book was published in 2014. It was recommended to me by a library staff member. She mentioned that many patrons are clamoring for more from this author. She has wrritten several other novels prior to this which include White Picket Fences and A Sound Among the Trees.

The story vasillates between the year 1911 and 2011. It involves two heroines, Clara Wood and Taryn Michaels. Both have witnessed horrific events and both have lost someone they loved. The essence of the story surrounds a scarf that has a scattering of marigolds printed on it. The scarf plays an integral part in the storyline and effectively alters the outcome of each woman's story. The author makes a comment about the resilience of the marigold flower which can be compared to the resilience of each of the main characters.

Both Clara and Taryn feel as if they have moved beyond the horrific event that they each witnessed. However, it is not until a catalyst forces each character to step forward that they realize they have been stuck in an "in-between" place.

A well-written book about the ability of the human spirit to move forward after being exposed to a terrible scenario.

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She's Not There by Joy Fielding

This author is known for writing stories with familiar lines. However, she is also known for imbedding stories with unusual plot twists and her latest entry is no exception. While the story harkens to a real occurrence in Portugal several years ago, that fact does not take anything away from this rendition.

Hunter and Caroline are on a family vacation in Mexico. They are celebrating a wedding anniversary and have invited friends and family to join them. The night of the celebratory dinner, the babysitter fails to show up and a change of plans has to be considered. Caroline suggests that everyone come to their room and partake in room service. Hunter decides to continue to have the dinner in the restaurant and he and Caroline will check on the children every 1/2 hour. Everything seems okay until Caroline makes another check on the girls and the baby has disappeared. The FBI and local police are called in, staff and family members are interrogated but the child is not found.

The design of the novel is such that the author has chapters dealing with the present, five years earlier (when Caroline is hoodwinked) and fifteen years earlier (when the child was abducted). While I do not necessarily applaud this technique, it is well-structered here and lends itself to a better understanding of the story. The author presents several clues along the way but the total diabolical plot is not revealed until the end of the story.

Well done. Good read!

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Blackout by David Rosenfelt

I've written about this author's books several times over the past nine years. His writing style is easy for lack of a better term. I've often felt he was sitting across from me at the dinner table as he tells his story. This is particularly true of his non-fiction books. Both Lessons from Tara and Dogtripping are entertaining books and well worth reading.

Blackout is the story of Doug Brock, a New Jersey State Police Officer who never gives up. Nicholas Bennett is a notorious criminal that has shown an uptake in criminal behavior over the past few months. As Doug gets closer to revealing what Bennett is up to, he puts himself in a precarious situation and struggles to survive. Eventually, with the help of fellow police officers, Brock is able to unravel the bones of a nefarious plot involving bombs and underground parking garages.

A well-paced story consistent with contemporary scenarios.

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Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

The main character in this novel is Maya Burkett. She is a war veteran whose sister and husband have been murdered. The task at hand for Maya is to determine who the perpetrator is and why the murders took place. In addition Maya has to deal with the after effects of PTSD while raising a two-year old daughter. It sounds concrete but Mr. Coben's carefully constructed storyline takes his readers on a long and winding road to the climax and by doing so motivates his readers to keep on reading.

The reader is introduced to a variety of characters, each having a valid place in the storyline. Although the author does not offer a comprehensive look at each character, they are developed enough to want us to know how they relate to the mystery. You may find yourself thinking one thing and then discovering another as you try to determine where each piece of the story puzzle fits.

I am an avid reader of this author's books and have enjoyed his writing over the years. His latest entry is just another example of a good story.

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Clawback by J.A. Jance

A library patron recommended this author to me several years ago and I really enjoy her books.

This latest novel begins with the all too familiar PonziScheme. Ali Reynolds (the main character in this author's books)parents have invested their life savings in a friend's investment company only to lose it all. In addition, Bob Reynolds (Ali's father) is being held on suspicion of murder. It's up to Ali to clear her Dad's name and get their investment back. The title of this novel comes from the practice of the SEC to attempt to secure all monies lost by asking people who have received distributions to pay those monies back.

This is a well-plotted novel which incorporates many of the latest technological advances to solve the crime. Interesting reading just to learn about the new ways detectives can solve crimes in cyberspace. In addition it is a good story.

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