Two Bodies Are Better Than One by Erica Ruth Neubauer

 

"And who'd hired Rupp to investigate Baker? Wass it the person Baker had stolen the money from? It was real easy to believe Rupp had taken on a drug dealer as a client. It seemed like a perfect skeezeball match, actually. But it still left the question on who'd killed Rupp and dumped him on Mrs. Highsmith's lawn. The big boss?"            -Mike, from the novel

I am glad this novel was a free selection because it would have been a waste of my money. It didn't do much for me, in fact I was happy to be done with it.

The murder mystery is told with two points of view: Lorraine Highsmith, an advice columnist with a mysterious past, and Micheala "Mike" Zenoni, the only female detective in her unit, always fighting for the respect she deserves. I found nothing to like about Lorraine right from the beginning, but I was rooting for Mike's success in solving the two murders, referred to in the title. Apparently, this is book one of a Lorraine Highsmith series. I guarantee I will not be looking for #2!

The revelation of the perpetrator was a big surprise but if I were you, I wouldn't bother. I was going to rate this a 3 until the ending where I changed my mind!

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain 5

"I want you to get word to the king that I am a magician myself---and the Supreme Grand High-yu-Muck-a muck and head of the tribe, at that; and I want him to be made to understand that I am just quietly arranging a little calamity here that will make the fur fly in these realms if Sir Kay's project is carried out and any harm comes to me."

        -Connecticut Yankee Hank Morgan

I read this novel many years ago, but I remember being rather fascinated by it. It was no less intriguing this time through. Although it took me longer than it should have for an under-300- page book, I am so glad I reread it. Mark Twain was a master writer, in my opinion. His attention to detail and wit make his work enjoyable. The only drawback here was the old English which slowed me down, as well as very long sentences and paragraphs. I rate it a 5 on creativity and entertainment value.

A 19th century Connecticut engineer Hank Morgan experiences a severe blow to the head and is transported back to medieval times, to the realm of King Arthur. He is soon arrested and threatened with execution, but he realizes his strength is in knowing the future and pretends to be a magician and prophet. His first act is "conjuring" a solar eclipse, one that he knows from history is about to occur. The people, including King Arthur, are awed by his "ability." In fact, the King appoints him chief minister.

The "Yankee" is distressed at the total authority of both the monarchy and the Catholic Church and what was essentially a caste system. He sets about trying to make democratic reforms and industrialize the country.

An especially humorous part was when Arthur decides to travel the kingdom incognito with his chief minister. It is almost impossible for the "Yankee" to teach the king to act as a commoner!

The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister by Erle Stanley Gardner 4

 

"Sylvia Atwood sat in the client's chair in Mason's office. Her [green] eyes were fixed steadily on the lawyer now. There were no more flickering glances. She was regarding him as cautiously as a poker player appraises someone who just shoved a stack of blue chips into the pot."          -from the novel

I do like a good murder mystery, and I enjoyed the television series "Perry Mason" years ago, so I thought I'd give this novel a try. I didn't love it at first, but when the trial began, I could hardly put it down.

At start, a woman named Sylvia Atwood came to Perry Mason, attorney-at-law about an attempt to blackmail her father and ruin the family reputation. The perpetrator was J.J. Fritch, a known bank robber. There was a tape recording held by Fritch that would presumably implicate Sylvia's father in an illegal act. A private investigator named Brogan had offered to broker the deal for Ms. Atwood, so she sought legal advice from Mason.

When Fritch was found murdered, the race was on to find the killer, especially urgent when it looked like Sergeant Holcomb (not a nice guy) was suspicious of Mason. Eventually an unlikely suspect was put on trial, and it fell to Mason to defend the accused and reveal the real murderer.

I have rated this one a 4.

Nanaville by Anna Quindlen 4

 "It's a complicated relationship, being a good grandparent, because it hinges on a series of other relationship. It's an odd combination of being very experienced and totally green: I know how to raise a child, but I need to learn how to help my child raise his own. Where I once commanded, now I need to ask permission. Where I once led, I have to learn to follow."        -from the memoir

I enjoyed this book selected for January by our Page Turners committee. It reminded me so much of experiences with my 4 grandchildren. It was profound at times but quite funny in places, as well. My rating is 4.

The book's subtitle is "Adventures in Grandparenting." Here are some of Quindlen's points about that adventure:

A chance to love without "the thorny crown of self-interest."

"Most grandparents are tethered but not tied, connected but not compelled, except by choice."

"We have to be our best selves around our grandchildren."

"Reading connects us [with our grandchildren]. Always and forever."

"There are only two commandments of Nanaville: love the grandchildren and hold your tongue."

"Grandparents usually get the best-case-scenario kid, and even when they don't, their time together has a sell-by date. The parents return. The grandchild leaves."

Grandparents think they are supposed to spoil the grandkids but "parents aren't that wild about grandparents who indulge too much, because it sometimes makes them feel one-upped or disrespected."

All of these points rang true for me. My grandchildren are all grown, ranging in age from 31 to 19 so the book brought back memories.

It was interesting that the author as a grandmother would be called Nana---it is an anagram of her given name. 

When our group met, much of the talk was sharing of our own experiences with our grandparents and/or grandchildren. Most of us liked the book with ratings of mostly 3's and 4's.

I strongly recommend the book to grandmothers!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows 5

"If nothing else, I hope these characters and their story shed some light on the sufferings and strength of the people of the Channel Islands during the German Occupation. I hope, too, that my book will illuminate my belief that love of art---be it poetry, sculpture, or music---enables people to transcend any barrier man has yet devised."

    -Mary Ann Shaffer, from Acknowledgments
 

The Page Turners Book Club read this book in 2010 and loved it. Fifteen years and over 150 books later, it is still the highest rated book---4.9 out of 5! When I read it then, I liked it enough to want to read it again at some point. I saw the film version recently and enjoyed it so much, I knew it was time to reread the novel!  I still give it a 5.

The novel is epistolary, a story told through letters, telegraphs, or other written communications. The main character is Juliet Ashton, an aspiring writer. She corresponds frequently with her publisher, Sidney Stark and his sister, Sophie, her close friend.

In 1946, just after WWII in London, Juliet receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, a pig farmer on the island of Guernsey. He has found her name in a book of works by Charles Lamb and asks her how he can find more of his writing. She answers his letter and begins a correspondence in which he reveals he is part of a book club, the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and describes other members of the group. Soon some of the others begin writing to Juliet, as well.

Juliet finds the stories of these letter writers compelling enough that she travels to Guernsey and falls in love with the place and the people, particularly a little orphan girl, Kit.

Through letters, the characters are developed beautifully, and the reader learns much about the horrors of the German occupation. It is easy to develop a fondness for most of the characters and, of course, silently cheer Juliet on in her quest.

I recommend this book highly. Maybe you could tell.

The Widow by John Grisham 5

"The grinding machinery of American justice was often slow to start, but once the disparate elements finally came together at one time and in one place---the courtroom---there was no stopping the train wreck."

      -from the novel
 

I am a fan of John Grisham; I've enjoyed many of his novels so it's not surprising that I found this book a page turner. 

While many of Grisham's legal thrillers involve a lawyer serving a client, this one features a struggling small-town attorney, Simon Latch, who is charged with murder in the death of his client, 85-year-old widow Eleanor Barnett. She had come to him to make a new will and indicated she had millions in stocks and no family unless you could consider two no-good stepsons, and she did not want them to be heirs to the fortune.

With the help of his well-known defense attorney, a former girlfriend who happens to be an FBI agent and a quirky denizen of the dark web, Simon must prove his innocence. This reader had a lot of empathy for Simon. He is not only facing the possibility of a long prison sentence but also a ruined reputation and great emotional damage to his family. The Widow is very suspenseful, and I am rating it a 5.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict 5

"Writers merely playact at detective work, resolving bloody crimes from the comfort of their desks and armchairs. What if we got our hands dirty and found an actual murderer? How could the male Detection Club members think us anything but eminently worthy? No one would dare slight us or question our place in the club then."
    -Dorothy Sayers, from the novel

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery which had been recommended in one of my book clubs. I give it a 5 rating.

In 1930 London, 5 well-known female mystery writers come together with the intention of joining the predominantly male Detection Club. Dorothy Sayers calls together the other 4--- Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, the Baroness Emma Orczy and Agatha Christie. Christie was the only one I really knew of, so I looked up the others to make sure they actually existed and yes, they did. 

The quote hints at what the women decide will help them get the respect they deserve from their male counterparts. They will try to solve an actual murder. They learn of the discovery of the body of a young English nurse found in France after her mysterious disappearance several months previous. The murderer has not been found, and it looks to the women, who have dubbed themselves the Queens of Crime, as if the investigation has been shoddy. They set out to solve the crime themselves, at first to prove a point, as I already mentioned, but as they get further into their research, it becomes more personal and they really want justice for May Daniels, the woman who was killed.

There are twists and turns in the story as there would be in any good murder mystery, making for a real page-turner. Benedict must have spent untold hours researching the personalities and work of these "queens of crime." I will, no doubt, look for other novels by this author.