A Complete Fiction

 RL Maizes has written another book, even better than her other terrific novels and short stories, Other People's Pets and We Love Anderson Cooper.

In her newest novel,A Complete Fiction, Maizes brings us into the world of publishing, also into the life and mind of the writer.  I could not help wondering throughout the novel if this scenario has happened to an author or that it is a problem that worries writers when they send in a script to a publishing house.

In a quite entertaining way Maizes covers the very serious subject of the #metoo movement.  Talking about sexual abuse and how it affects the victim and also by extension the family of the abused. The subject is the topic that propels the plot forward of two authors writing a story of someone being abused in the workplace.  Each story is different but there is one theme that is the same in both novels, the viewpoint of the attacker.  

When R J Larkin who has written a novel based on her sister's personal experience  has made the rounds of publishers but has not been accepted for print finds out that George Dunn who read her manuscript has written a similar book, she accuses him of plagiarism on social media.  The internet blows up with opinions both for and against each author in a back and forth that threatens to unravel each person's life and their book deals.

Looking at the subject of #metoo and deciding who has the right to tell someone's story.  How far should an author go to have their work published?  It is something to wonder about when you read a book, is this story autobiographical?  Have the names and circumstances been altered enough for anonymity? 

Then there is the world of publishing, how much of an advance publishers offer and what the legal ramifications are about plagiarism accusations and making sure the facts are correct if accusations are made. 

In the end of this fast paced entertaining novel authors, friends and family all come out having learned incredible lessons.  

Behind the Trigger

Behind the Trigger, is a spy novel written by an Israeli novelist and a former intelligence officer under the pseudonym Yariv Imbar.

Developed as a psychological thriller the tension and suspense starts immediately on page one and continues to build as the story develops. Your heart will start beating faster as Irit, a skilled Mossad agent, wife and mother does not follow protocol during an espionage operation.  Irit loves her job going on overt missions, this time to set up a listening devise in a hotel room to spy on the conversations of a senior Syrian security figure.  Making a split second decision that brings her face to face with the target's wife changes the course of both their lives.

Fiercely dedicated to her job and trying to balance life at home with her husband and children she is being asked to leave her comfort zone and take on a dangerous assignment.  Irit befriends Noor, the wife of the senior Syrian weapons engineer who Mossad has been tracking.  Mossad takes advantage of the women's budding friendship to recruit Noor to help them track her husband. 

The plot engages the reader in the lives of Noor and Irit.  Noor is caught in an abusive marriage, struggling with shame and the loss of multiple pregnancies.  She is in need of a friend.  Irit is recruited to fill that role to achieve their mission, but finds that she becomes more involved than just as an agent.  The relationship becomes personal as Irit begins to face her own demons, memories of her own past emotional pain, resentments and secrets.  As the women become closer the danger becomes more real.  Noor setting up her husband for the Mossad and Irit putting her own life in jeopardy.  

On the surface this is a powerful thriller, highlighting the work of special forces,  surveillance techniques and the risks involved.  Under the surface it examines psychological feelings and fears.  Looking at women and their marriages. Each feeling inadequate in their lives, looking for validation and acceptance. The life of a woman in the Israeli secret service, balancing family and career.  The life of a woman and their personal feelings of value in the face of motherhood, controlling men taking advantage of abusive power.

The characters are well developed and the reader will be drawn in with compassion and fear for the women and anger at the men. Exploring the themes of friendship and love. What makes a marriage work and what are the risks to keeping a marriage together?  How far a person will go to save another.  How long a person can bury their own trauma or personal history before it affects their current life. This is a very satisfying story.

Death at the Sign of the Rook

 Death at the Sign of the Rook, by Kate Atkinson was for me a very confusing mystery novel.  This is the nest in a series of books that feature the detective Jackson Brodie.  He is now an ex-detective from the police department. He still ends up working with his previous partner though now she is relunctant to get involved with him, Reggie.

From what I could follow there are two mysteries involving missing artwork removed from the wall of two difereent country homes.  Each thief seems to have ben a caregiver to an elderly lady dowager who is now dead.

Could there be enough evidence to prove the two thieves are one and the same? Reggie starts to look into the possibilities, reluctantly helping Jackson.

Now involve quite a number of ancillary characters to muddle the works and a snow storm. It is a complicated and confusing plot to follow.

I did not enjoy it

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah

 Jean Meltzer has a come up with another loveable romance novel in The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah.

This is the newest of Jean Meltzer's romance novels.  She has taken the genre by storm and built a wonderful Jewish romance following.  I have never been a romance fan, but Jean has captured my attention with her delightful novels.  She has perfected the novels by including Jewish connection to the stories in just the right balance.  This time it is a take off on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens bringing eight ghosts to her work-a-holic protagonist, Evelyn is visited by eight ghosts leading up to the TV special she is producing while reconnecting with her ex husband.  Can she see the error of her ways before the end of Hanukah and rekindle the candles of true love?

The Impossible Fortune

 Richard Osman is on a role.  His newest book in the Thursday Murder Club series is The Impossible Fortune.  I, for one, am glad he has continued to write this series because not only are the books great, I am enjoying the television series based on the books.  Though the first one changed the ending of book one which I thought was a mistake.

This time the gang is back together and they are celebrating Joyce's daughter's wedding.  Joanna as finally found love with Paul.  At the wedding Elizabeth is approached by Paul's best man asking for some help with a problem. After the wonderful celebration Elizabeth shares the news the next day with the rest of the Thursday Murder Club and things get started.

The best man goes missing and then of course there is a murder.  Elizabeth and Joyce get started investigating with their partners in detection, Ron and Ibrahim.  The cast of characters grows in this mystery and there are some red herrings laong the way to distract you.  But in the end so many loose ends are all tied up in a neat bow.

The writing style is terrific.  Osman writes from multiple points of view and each is so unique and the voices are so consistent and clear. You can really tell the different personalities of the characters by their voices.  Another fun read.

The Busy Body Book Club

 The Busybody Book Club is written by Freya Sampson is one in a long line of her light easy reading cosy novels.  Tihs is the onlly one I have read so far.

This plot focuses on a small book group made up of members of a small town community center.  Nova Davis is the young woman hired to lead the center's book discussion group.  She really needs this job.  She has recently moved to the town and is living with her fiancé and his family as they prepare for their wedding.

The members of the group are an ornery bunch and have trouble agreeing on the monthly book selections. After one member leaves the meeting in a hurry and disappears the group finally starts to act as a team.  Money is missing from the director's office, Michael has disappeared and a dead body was discovered in his home.  

The book group gathers to make a plan and try to find the money and Michael before the police do.  Mabel is an Agatha Christie fan and tries to use what she has learned from reading the Jane Marple mysteries to help solve the mysteries at hand. As the characters slowly trust each other and reveal their secrets the reader can see why each person likes a different genre of books.  Arthur loves a good romance and thinks there might be a mystery woman involved.  Ash is a teenager who thinks dark forces are at play because he is a sci-fi fan.

An entertaining sweet mystery that brings people together, bonding over their book choices.  So many book recommenddations , along with humor, and a little romance.

The Baker Street Letters

 Just found another cute mystery series this time written by Michael Robertson.

I just finished book one, The Baker Street Letters which I thought was a stand alone mystery novel, but I have now realized it is the start of a series.  There are seven books in all so I will be busy reading my way through them for a while.

The Baker Street Letters is a n interesting concept for a mystery series.  We meet two brothers who are lawyers sharing the office space at 221b Baker Street.  The famous address of Sherlock Holmes in London, England.

The brothers have leased the space with an agreement to file all the letters that are sent to Sherlock Holmes and send a form letter in reply.  Of course Nigel Heath the younger of the brothers decide to investigate a case that has been described in one of the letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes.  He boards a airplane for Los Angeles, Ca to investigate.  His brother Reggie finds a dead body and with a fear that his brother is involved somehow, follows Nigel to America.  

Following a real life historical event, a fire that took place during construction of a subway in Los Angeles in 1997 the time frame is set and the other novels will follow during that same time.  Reggie works hard to solve the mystery of where his brother is and who is responsible for the dead bodies left in his wake. 

We get to know the brothers and their relationship dynamics which keeps the reader engaged.  Reggie and Nigel are both likable characters and so is Laura who at first seems to be a love interest that may come between the brothers. 

This will be a fun series to watch the characters develop and how they interact.