#IReadsYou Book Review: SWORD OF KINGS

SWORD OF KINGS
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-256321-7; hardcover (November 26, 2019)
352pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S.

Sword of Kings is a 2019 novel from Bernard Cornwell, a bestselling British author of historical novels.  This is the twelfth book in Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series, his epic story of the making of England and his continuing story of pagan Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  “The Saxon Tales” series is also known as “The Last Kingdom” series (named for the first novel in the series), which is also the name of the television series adaptation.  Sword of Kings finds Lord Uhtred bound by an oath to insert himself in the middle of a war to determine who will rule Anglo-Saxon Christendom.

As Sword of Kings begins, Lord Uhtred is ruling his part of Northumbria from his family's fortress, Bebbanburg.  It is once more a time of political turmoil, and the first indication of this is that fishing ships in service to Uhtred begin to disappear.  Before long, Uhtred has evidence that his old political enemies want him dead.  Why?

King Edward is “Anglorum Saxonum Rex” – King of the Angles and the Saxons – King of Wessex, of East Anglia, and of Mercia.  His dream is to create one realm for everyone who is Christian and who speaks the “Ænglisc” tongue, a kingdom to be called “Englaland” (or England, of course).  But Edward has fallen ill... again.  Rumor has it that he is dying... or is already dead.  Because of such rumors, news, and speculation, Uhtred feels the tug of an oath he made to Æthelstan of Mercia, Edward's eldest son, that he would protect him.  Because Uhtred is certainly no oath-breaker and since Æthelstan will undoubtedly make a claim on Edward's throne, Uhtred must leave his beloved Northumbria and travel south to join the young would-be-king. 

However, the most powerful Saxon of Wessex, Ealdorman Æthelhelm, is a supporter of another candidate to be king, his nephew, Ælfweard, King Edward's second oldest son.  Uhtred would love to leave the Anglo-Saxons to sort out their own issues, but he has made an oath to one royal candidate, been attacked by the supporter of another, and received an unexpected appeal for help from still another candidate.  Thus, Uhtred leads a small band of warriors south, into the battle for kingship, a struggle that may finally see him dead.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have read the seventh through this twelfth entry in “The Saxon Tales” series.  I love these books, and as soon as I reach the last page of one book, I dearly wish the next book was immediately available.  George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Fire and Ice (the inspiration for HBO's Emmy-winning “Game of Thrones” television series), says that Cornwell writes the best battles scenes he has ever read.  I can say that Cornwell's “Saxon Tales” are kind of like a real life “Game of Thrones,” with Cornwell taking liberties with the story of the creation of England.

In my review of the previous novel in this series, War of the Wolf, I wrote that I had practically run out of ways to praise Cornwell.  Eleven books into the series, Cornwell's narrative should have run out of steam, but it did not.  This twelfth novel, Sword of Kings, finds the series as strong as ever.  In fact, Sword of Kings may be the best “Saxon Tales” novel yet.

Sword of Kings borrows from several genres.  It is at once a sea-faring novel, with tales of adventure and war.  Next, it is an espionage thriller with daring scenes and sequences of infiltration, entrapment, and escape from enemy territory and strongholds.  Sword of Kings is, at its heart, historical fiction that delves into the world of kings and nobles, oaths, families, relationships and bonds, religious strife, and most of all, the world of power gained, lost, and consolidated on the way to making history.

To be downright crude dear reader, Sword of Kings is a page-turning, pot-boiling, compact literary beast that “goes for your nuts” (to employ a euphemism).  It is brutal and savage and as alluring and as enchanting as the powers of the gods these characters worship.

Bernard Cornwell is the lord king of historical fiction and the undisputed master of writing battle scenes.  And the sequence in which Cornwell depicts the final move by the winner of this game for Edward's throne is the bloody cherry on top of this breath-taking literary cake.  Sword of Kings wants to be the king of your holiday reading list.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of historical fiction and of Bernard Cornwell must have Sword of Kings.

A+
10 out of 10

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.



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#IReadsYou Book Review: AFTER THE FLOOD: A Novel

AFTER THE FLOOD: A NOVEL
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins @WmMorrowBks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Kassandra Montag
ISBN: 978-0-06-288936-2; hardcover; 5 in x 9 in; (September 3, 2019)
432pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S., $34.99 CAN

After the Flood is the debut novel from poet Kassandra Montag.  A post-apocalyptic drama and sea-faring novel, After the Flood is set on an Earth almost entirely covered by water.

After the Flood opens a little more than a century from now, and the Earth has been utterly transformed.  It began with the so-called “Hundred Year Flood,” in which rising floodwaters slowly overtook the North American continent.  Then, the so-called “Six Year Flood” obliterated America’s great coastal cities and then its heartland.  After which, all that was left was an archipelago of mountaintop colonies surrounded by a deep expanse of open water.  [That may also be the situation with all the other continents.]

Sailing what is left of the United States is a stubbornly independent woman, Myra, and her precocious seven-year-old daughter, Pearl.  They fish from their small boat, “the Bird,” and only visit the dry land of the mountaintop colonies when they need to trade for supplies and information on those few remaining outposts of civilization.  For seven years, Myra has grieved the loss of her elder daughter, Row.  She was stolen by her father, Myra's husband, Jacob, after a monstrous deluge overtook their home in Nebraska, an event that occurred before Pearl was born.  During a violent confrontation with a stranger, Myra suddenly discovers that the man has seen Row in a place called “the Valley,” which is located on the Eastern coast of what had been Greenland.

Throwing aside her usual caution, Myra plots a perilous voyage to those icy northern seas to recover her daughter.  Myra and Pearl find an ally in a mysterious man named Daniel, a cartographer and navigator.  Eventually, the three of them join another ship, “the Sedna,” and Myra tries to convince “the Sedna's” captain, Abran, and his crew to travel to “the Valley.”  However, the secrets that Myra, Daniel, and Abran hold may derail the voyage and lead to everyone's death.

If you, dear readers, peruse After the Flood's book jacket, you will find other authors praising this novel, including bestselling author, Karin Slaughter, one of America's best writers of thrillers and crime novels.  You can take all these authors' praise for After the Flood to heart; author Kassandra Montag's novel is indeed an excellent read.

After the Flood pushes against being pegged as belonging to one or two genres.  It is a sea-faring novel, full of adventure and gripping sea battles.  As post-apocalyptic fiction, After the Flood offers a frightening and implausible scenario for the destruction of civilization as we know it.  In this novel, we find humans basically reduced to dog-eat-dog survivalists, killers, thieves, rapists, and wannabe leaders engaging in biological warfare.

However, I think that After the Flood is, at its heart, a work of modern fiction, and it focuses on the lead character, Myra's personal journey, from trauma and grief to discovering the nature of hope.  In that sense, After the Flood is about characters, conflicts, and personalities, while also offering strong genre trappings and elements.  It is an irresistible read because Myra is an endlessly fascinating character.  Once you start reading this novel, dear readers, it will be hard to stop reading.  When you do, you will find yourself wondering about Myra and perhaps, even being concerned about her.

As a bonus, Myra's daughter Pearl is an equally endlessly fascinating character.  I think Kassandra Montag could write another version of this novel that focuses on Pearl, and it would be just as gripping and engaging... dare I say an even better novel?  For now, I will highly recommend After the Flood to readers looking for something different and also for something familiar in novels that deal with troubling futures for mankind.  Readers looking to delve into the interior and exterior lives of the characters that must survive these future shocks will want After the Flood.

9 out of 10

https://kassandramontag.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKassandraMontag

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Book Review: STRANGE PLANET

STRANGE PLANET
HARPERCOLLINS/Morrow Gift – @WmMorrowBks and @HarperCollins

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR-CARTOONIST: Nathan W. Pyle – @nathanwpyle
ISBN: 978-0-06-297070-1; hardcover; 6.00 in (w) x 6.00 in (h) (November 19, 2019)
E-ISBN: 978-0-06-297069-5 (eBook)
144pp, Color, $14.99 U.S., $18.50 CAN

Strange Planet is a new book of cartoons from author and cartoonist, Nathan W. Pyle.  Pyle is known for his bestselling books of cartoons, NYC Basic Tips and 99 Stories I Could Tell.  Strange Planet is a new hardcover book (6 in x 6 in) that collects cartoons Pyle posted on an Instagram page entitled, “Strange Planet,” beginning in February 2019.

Strange Planet chronicles the lives of the alien inhabitants of a world that is similar to ours.  They resemble the infamous “gray aliens,” except they are blue.  They share a few characteristics with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial or “Roger” from the American animated television series, “American Dad!,” but Strange Planet's aliens are soft, cuddly, and fluid.  They look like leaner versions of beloved cartoon character, Casper the Friendly Ghost.

In a world of bright pinks, blues, greens, and purples, the inhabitants of Strange Planet narrate their emotions and act out scenarios that are extremely familiar to humans.  They throw parties.  They believe in the tooth fairy, but call teeth “mouth stones” and the tooth fairy “magical mouth stone being.”  They call their sun a “star,” so they call sunburn “star damage.”  And sweet dreams are referred to as “Imagine Pleasant Nonsense.”  So relax, perhaps in your “rest chamber” (bedroom), and enjoy a cup of “hot leaf liquid” (tea) or jittery liquid (coffee) and enter the the peculiar, but familiar world of Strange Planet.

Nathan W. Pyle has a knack for presenting the ordinary as something worth reexamining.  Strange Planet is a webcomic that exists in “The Twilight Zone” that is situated between beloved newspaper comics like Gary Larson's The Far Side and Scott Adams' Dilbert.  In Strange Planet, everything is familiar, but filtered through a florescent-colored dream-shake made of Nehi grape-infused milk, pink ice cream, orange “Kool-Aid,” and blue food coloring.

Ultimately, however, Strange Planet is sweet, endearing, and funny.  Through these delightful alien inhabitants, we the readers learn to love the mundane and the ordinary, the things that dominate our everyday lives.  Pyle makes us appreciate that we don't have to have amazing, star-studded, lives to enjoy the small, seemingly insignificant moments in our lives.  Even the amazing and the super-stars (as Jameis Winston said) have small, seemingly insignificant moments in which they can find delight – don't they?

With its compact size, Strange Planet is the perfect (and handy) gift book for the holidays.  That's when we'll need these Strange Planet inhabitants to make us laugh at ourselves.

7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Strange Planet Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/nathanwpylestrangeplanet/?hl=en
https://www.nathanwpyle.art/strangeplanet
http://www.nathanwpyle.com/
Twitter page: https://twitter.com/nathanwpyle


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.


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Book Review: PIECES OF HER

PIECES OF HER
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins; @WmMorrowBks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Karin Slaughter – @SlaughterKarin
ISBN: 978-0-06-288309-4; paperback; 5.31 in x 8.00 in (May 21, 2019)
494pp, B&W, $16.99 U.S., $21.00 CAN

Pieces of Her is a 2018 novel by author Karin Slaughter.  It was published in hardcover by William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) in August 2018, and the first trade paperback edition was released May 2019.  It is the paperback edition, a review copy of which I received from the publisher, that is the subject of this review, dear readers.  A thriller, Pieces of Her focuses on a young woman forced to grapple with this question:  What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all?

Pieces of Her introduces Andrea “Andy” Eloise, a 31-year-old woman who is adrift in life.  She left New York City and her dreams of being an artist to return to her hometown of Belle Isle, Georgia.  There, she took care for her mother, Laura Oliver, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  A few years later, Andy is still in Belle Isle, now a 911 operator.

On Andy's 31st birthday, Andy and Laura are having lunch at a local diner, “Rise-n-Dine,” located in the Mall of Belle Isle.  During the birthday meal, something unthinkable happens that will forever change Andy's life.  A young man starts shooting people in the diner.  Almost as shocking is the fact that Laura Oliver tries to talk the young man down and stop him from shooting more people, before she violently disposes of him as threat.  WTF, indeed?

Andy thought she knew her mother.  Laura Oliver is the woman who has spent her whole life in a beach-side town.  She is the woman who always wanted to do nothing more than live a quiet life as a pillar of the community... isn't she?  However, video of the mall incident has exposed Laura to her enemies from her past... because before Laura Oliver was Laura Oliver, she was someone else entirely.  Andy even wonders about her stepfather, Gordon Oliver.  What does he know?  Now, on the run, Andy follows a trail of crumbs from her mother's past, and she has to uncover the truth about Laura Oliver's past if her and her mother want to have a future.

I recently read my first Karin Slaughter book, the most excellent police procedural/crime thriller, The Last Widow, which was published just this past August (2019).  Like that book, Pieces of Her is a multi-genre thriller, so it is hard to pin it down to being one kind of novel.

The Library of Congress catalog for Pieces of Her (included on the copyright and indicia page at the front of the book) describes this book using the following categories of fiction: mothers and daughters, violence, identity (psychology), family secrets, mystery and detective, police procedural, women sleuths, and suspense.  Pieces of Her is all of that and more.  It is like a box of chocolates from the mystery genre candy-maker.  There is something for every reader who ever read a story about a character trying to unravel a mystery – whether that character was civilian, amateur, or professional mystery solver and “untangler” of secrets.

Like I was with The Last Widow, I am determined to spoil as little as possible of Pieces of Her.  After she has her character, Laura Oliver, kill the mall shooter, author Karin Slaughter reveals a past for Laura that is so shocking and unexpected that the readers might rightly think that Slaughter is dealing with a character entirely separate from Laura.  Initially, I thought so; then, I was so shocked at what Slaughter slapped in my face that I hoped the past Laura was not the same as the Laura at the beginning of the novel.  If that were not enough, Slaughter sends Andy on a breathtaking, pulse-pounding, and sometimes blood-chilling misadventure in uncovering secrets.

While this novel does have a few dry spots, to describe Pieces of Her as a good read is liking describing a cancer diagnosis as bad news.  Yes, both are true, but they are also enormous understatements.  If you want to read a thriller that beats your imagination into submission, then, read Pieces of Her.

9 out of 10

https://www.karinslaughter.com/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: THE LAST WIDOW

THE LAST WIDOW
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins @WmMorrowBks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Karin Slaughter – @SlaughterKarin
ISBN: 978-0-06-285808-2; hardcover (August 20, 2019)
464pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S., $34.99 CAN

The Last Widow is a 2019 novel from American crime writer, Karin Slaughter.  She is an international bestselling author who has sold millions of books in a multitude of languages around the world.  The Last Widow stars the lead character from each of Slaughter's two book series.

The first is Will Trent, a special agent in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the star of the “Will Trent” series.  The second is Sara Linton, a doctor and medical examiner from Slaughter's “Grant County” novels.  The Last Widow finds Will and Sara trying to unravel the mystery of a impending terrorist attack that will take place somewhere in or around Atlanta, Georgia.

The Last Widow opens with three shocking events.  First, on Sunday, July 7, 2019, Michelle Spivey, a scientist, is kidnapped from a shopping center parking lot one night while she is out with her daughter.  On August 4, 2019, two explosions rock the campus of Emory University, a 600+ acre-complex that is the home of two major hospitals and also government agencies and institutes, including the FBI headquarters and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

George Bureau of Investigation agent Will Trent and the love of his life, Dr. Sara Linton, head for the scene the explosions in order to help civilians, each in the way he or she has been trained to do.  However, what they first rush into is the scene of a multi-car accident.  Sara immediately finds something peculiar about the accident scene, but by the time Will catches on to the oddities, Sara is in the clutches of a small group of highly-skilled and armed men.

After the assailants abduct Sara, Will throws himself into the case and goes undercover, putting his life on the line to save the woman he loves and to discover the kidnappers' plot, which may endanger the entire nation.  Meanwhile, in the clutches of an extremist group, the Invisible Patriot Army (IPA), Sara meets the mysterious leader, a man known as “Dash,” who plans an attack that will rock the United States.  But Sara can't quite figure out Dash's machinations, and she is running out of time and is hoping that Will can save her.

I have seen Karin Slaughter's name in book club magazines, on bookstore shelves, and in the emails online bookseller send me for more years than I can remember.  The Last Widow is the first book of hers that I have read – thanks to a review galley copy I received from her publisher.  After finishing The Last Widow, I realize that I should have been reading her books years ago.

The Last Widow is a crime thriller the way that Shakespeare's Hamlet is a historical drama – both defy convenient literary labels.  The Last Widow is every post-9/11 nightmare blended into all three NCIS series, flavored with the police procedural, and a sprinkling of books, TV, and films about the FBI (which is practically a genre onto itself).

I am determined not to spoil neither the intricacies of this novel's narrative nor the ultimate diabolical design of Dash and the IPA.  I will say that The Last Widow is pulse-pounding, ass-pounding, and heart-stopping.  Warning!  Reading it may cause sphincters to clinch.  Everything about it – from the tactics of the heroes to the evil of the villains seems so real-life.  Karin Slaughter offers a scenario so plausible that writing The Last Widow should get her put on some kind of FBI watch-list.

For all that makes this novel a potboiler, The Last Widow is filled with sparkling wit and pointed social commentary from a writer who is as witty and as sly as she is versed in the ways of law enforcement.  Religious extremism, racism, and the Confederacy and segregation are among Slaughter's targets.  Also, fans of her “Will Trent” series can take comfort that series regulars like Faith Mitchell and Amanda Wagner are supporting characters in The Last Widow.

Fans of her novels cannot let The Last Widow get past them.  Readers of the genre known as “crime thriller” will want to discover Karin Slaughter and this absolutely fantastic novel.  It may be the most explosive way to finish your summer reading.

9 out of 10

https://www.karinslaughter.com/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: THE CARTOON GUIDE TO BIOLOGY

THE CARTOON GUIDE TO BIOLOGY
HARPCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins @WmMorrowBks

AUTHORS: Larry Gonick and Dave Wessner
ART: Larry Gonick
ISBN: 978-0-06-239865-9; paperback (July 30, 2019)
320pp, B&W, $19.99 U.S., $24.99 CAN

I first discovered the work of cartoonist Larry Gonick when I found an issue of the comic book series, The Cartoon History of the Universe, which told the history of the universe and of Earth in the medium of cartoons and comics.   The Cartoon History of the Universe was initially published in comic book installments (by Rip Off Press), and ran for nine issues from 1978 to 1982.  I can't remember which issues I bought, but it was several of them – until I could no longer find a store that stocked the series.  The Cartoon History of the Universe was eventually collected in three large-sized trade paperbacks.

Gonick has also adapted the format he used in The Cartoon History of the Universe to produce or co-author a number of “cartoon guide” books.  They include such titles as The Cartoon Guide to Genetics, The Cartoon Guide to Sex, and The Cartoon Guide to the Computer, to name a few.  Gonick's publisher, WilliamMorrow (an imprint of HarperCollins) sent me a review copy of The Cartoon Guide to Algebra a few years ago.

William Morrow also sent me the latest “Cartoon Guide” from Larry Gonick, The Cartoon Guide to Biology, which Gonick co-authors with Dave Wessner, a professor of biology at Davidson College.  The publisher describes The Cartoon Guide to Biology as “a hilarious and informative handbook to the science of life.”  In words and pictures (cartoons), Gonick and Wessner explain the inner workings of the cell, the hows and whys of gene expression, the whatnot of sexual and asexual reproduction, and beyond, with a warning about “Disruption.”

I remember my science text books as being illustrated by photographs.  I suppose that if anyone dared publish a science text book illustrated with cartoons, especially during the 20th century, that publisher would have (1) gone bankrupt; (2) been laughed at; (3) and been unable to get a meeting with the salesmen, middlemen, and assorted gatekeepers within public school text book sales and distribution networks.

Seriously, it is not just the cartoons that make these “Cartoon Guides” work; it is also the sense of engagement.  The text and cartoons are not delivered as dry lecture or as mere explanation; instead they are like storytelling.  From the development of the study of biology to the secrets of cells and then, proteins, sugars, fats, and more, Gonick and Wessner tell a story.

Readers will enjoy the sections on respiration and photosynthesis.  Of course, Chapters 12 and 13's trip through reproduction will also be of interest.  Those chapters are full of sly humor, with a cartoon reference to the X-Men and some mocking of “mansplaining” the “planting of seed.”  The book ends with a warning about climate change, but adds encouragement for the those future biologists.

I won't act like The Cartoon Guide to Biology is perfect; sometimes reading the terminology can end up being a quick trip down the black hole of disinterest.  Still, if only school science books were like The Cartoon Guide to Biology, at least little, maybe science and students would come together and engage more often.

A-
7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: THE CARTOON GUIDE TO ALGEBRA

THE CARTOON GUIDE TO ALGEBRA
HARPCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins @WmMorrowBks

AUTHOR/CARTOONIST: Larry Gonick
ISBN: 978-0-06-220269-7; paperback (January 20, 2015)
240pp, B&W, $18.99 U.S.

I first discovered the work of cartoonist Larry Gonick when I found an issue of The Cartoon History of the Universe, a history of the world in comic book form.   The Cartoon History of the Universe was initially published in comic book installments (by Rip Off Press), beginning in 1978.  I can't remember which issues I bought, but it was several of them – until I could no longer find a store that stocked the series.  The Cartoon History of the Universe was eventually collected in three large-sized trade paperbacks.

Gonick has also adapted the format of The Cartoon History of the Universe in order to produce or co-create a number of “cartoon guide” books.  They include such titles as The Cartoon Guide to Genetics, The Cartoon Guide to Sex, and The Cartoon Guide to the Computer, to name a few.

The latest “Cartoon Guide” from Larry Gonick is The Cartoon Guide to Algebra, a comprehensive and also comical illustrated guide to algebra.  On its back cover, The Cartoon Guide to Algebra playfully asks several questions:  “Do you think that a Cartesian plane is a luxury jetliner?  Does the phrase “algebraic expression” leave you with a puzzled look?  Do you believe that the Order of Operations is an Emmy-winning medical drama?”  Well, The Cartoon Guide to Algebra promises to put the reader “on the road to algebraic literacy.”

I am not a fan of algebra, although I once was – for about two minutes in high school.  I would not bother with this book, except that I am a fan of Larry Gonick, obviously because of The Cartoon History of the Universe.  I found this “math book” to be readable, because I remembered some algebra.  I think that high school students that don't like algebra may not have any interest in this book or even if some of them will understand it.

Actually, I see The Cartoon Guide to Algebra as a book aimed at adults that need to learn algebra for some reason.  However, I think that smart young readers and teens, familiar with comics, may also embrace this title.  Truthfully, I would rather learn algebra from Larry Gonick and The Cartoon Guide to Algebra than from an instructor.  He is a good “explainer,” and his books are fun to read.

A-
7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SIMPSONS COMICS Colossal Compendium Volume 7

SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM VOLUME 7
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper Design – @HarperCollins @harperdesignbks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Max Davison; Ian Boothby; John Jackson Miller; Dean Rankine; Michael Saikin; Mike W. Barr; Patrick M. Verrone
PENCILS: Hilary Barta; Jacob Chabot; Rex Lindsey; Nina Matsumoto; Dean Rankine; James Lloyd; Phil Ortiz; John Delaney; Mike DeCarlo; John Costanza
INKS: Andrew Pepoy; Jacob Chabot; Hilary Barta; Mike Rote; Dean Rankine; Mike DeCarlo
COLORS: Art Villanueva; Alan Hellard
LETTERS: Karen Bates
EDITOR: Nathan Kane
COVER:  Matt Groening
ISBN: 978-0-06-287880-9; paperback (July 2, 2019)
176pp, Color, $18.99 U.S., $23.99 CAN

“The Simpsons” is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company.  “The Simpsons” has been a continuous presence on broadcast television since December of the 1989-90 television season.  “The Simpsons” presents a satirical depiction of a working class family which consists of Homer Simpson (the father), Marge Simpson (the mother), Bart (the oldest child and only son), Lisa (the precocious and brilliant elder daughter), and Maggie (a baby girl).  “The Simpsons” also parodies American culture, pop culture, society, etc. via the denizens of The Simpsons' home town, Springfield.

In 1993. Matt Groening, Bill Morrison, and Steve and Cindy Vance founded Bongo Comics Group (or simply Bongo Comics).  Until 2018 when it closed, Bongo Comics published numerous comic book series and single-issue publications featuring characters, plots, settings, and situations from “The Simpsons” TV series.

Since 2013, Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins, has been publishing the Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium.  This is a paperback graphic novel series which reprints select comics stories from various issues of Bongo Comics' Simpsons comic books.   The latest release, Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7, reprints material that originally appeared in the following comic books:  Grampa Simpson Unbelievable Adventures #1 (2015); Simpsons Comics #'s 171, 184, 232, 233, 235, and 236 (October 2010 to January 2017); Simpsons Summer Shindig #'s 7 (May 2013) and 9 (May 2015); Simpson Super Spectacular #11 (June 2010).

Harper Design sent me a copy of Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7 for review, as they did a few years ago with Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 4.  In the last two decades, I've read only a few individual Simpsons comics, although I have always enjoyed them.  In the last five years, I have read several volumes of Harper Design's Simpsons trade paperbacks, thanks to review copies.

Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7 does not really have any great stories (although there are some good ones), but the stories contained within this volume offer many funny and clever moments.  For instance, “Grampa Simpson's Great Sandwich Caper!” is a clever spoof of those choose-your-own-adventure stories because it is composed of clever moments, rather than an overall clever plot.  “Uncivil War Bartman vs. Houseboy” offers funny introductions of parody superheroes; one of the best is Milhouse Van Houten's father, Kirk Van Houten, dressed in a “Deadman” style costume and trying to use his super-heroic activities as divorce-dad quality time.

There are some good stories.  “Pieman Meets the Pi Man” pits Homer Simpson's Pieman against a wacky villain, “Pi Man,” who uses math to confound his victims and the targets of his schemes.  The story “Railroaded” was recently reprinted in another trade paperback.  This tale of vacation-by-train beset by overcrowding somehow finds a way to continually assault my funny bone.

“100% Homer” recalls the 2011 film, Limitless, as a rancid donut makes Homer super-smart, and he gets a third eye and goes on a trippy trip.  The balloon race and religion con-themed “Karmageddon” exemplifies the sharp humor we expect of “The Simpsons.”  Homer takes on Ned Flanders in a balloon race, and Lisa Simpson tries to attend a multi-faith religious convention, (“Karma-Con”), although the tickets to attend are sold out.  Just the premise alone is funny, but this odd tale is infused with humor.

So, while Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7 is not a great collection, it reflects what Bongo Comics (a defunct publisher as of 2018) offered – some of the best humor comics published in North America.  Funny moments and good humor, Vol. 7 of the Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium will tickle the funny bone.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: THE GOLDEN WOLF

THE GOLDEN WOLF (The Golden Wolf Saga, Vol. 3)
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Linnea Hartsuyker
ISBN: 978-0-06-256374-3; hardcover (August 13, 2019)
448pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S., $34.99 CAN

The Golden Wolf is a 2019 novel from author Linnea Hartsuyker.  It is the direct sequel to The Sea Queen and is also the third volume in “The Golden Wolf Saga” book series.  This book, like the others, is set during the 9th century A.D. and in Norway's “Viking Age,” specifically the time that marks the ascendancy of the first King of Norway, Harald Fairhair (called Harald Halfdansson in this novel).  The Golden Wolf focuses on Ragnvald Eysteinsson, his sister, Svanhild, and their spouses, children, and allies – with King Harald's campaigns as a backdrop.

The Golden Wolf opens with the children of Ragnvald and Svanhild's extended families meeting at sea and making decisions that will change the course of their lives.  There actions will also play a crucial part in King Harald's ongoing campaign to consolidate his power in Norway and abroad.

Ragnvald has long held to his vision of King Harald as a “golden wolf” who will bring peace to Norway as its conqueror.  Ragnvald, however, has also long held to the second part of that vision; for all that he has assisted and will continue to assist his king, Harald’s success will eventually mean Ragnvald's own doom.  Ragnvald is grateful to have his beloved sister, the fierce and independent Svanhild, once more at his side to help keep their kingdom secure.  She is free from Solvi Hunthiofsson, the evil husband who used her, but she is now one of Harald’s many wives.  Soon, Ragnvald will cut Harold's long hair, a sign that the king is ready to put down his sword and to rule Norway, not as a warrior, but as a king.

That, however, must wait.  An old enemy may have kidnapped Ragnvald's niece, Svanhild's daughter, Freydis Solvisdatter, from whom Svanhild is estranged.  Ragnvald's sons:  the gifted Einar, the princely Ivar, and the adventurous Rolli, are no longer children.  Harald's sons are also grown, and now, Ragnvald's sons may have to compete with the king's heirs for land to rule.  This is especially true of Harold's son, Halfdan Haraldsson, who openly plots rebellion against his father and seeks alliances with his father's enemies.  The young seek to begin building their own legacies, and their elders are preparing to enter their twilight years – if they live.  King Harald may be the “golden wolf,” but does he devour friends, like Ragnvald, as easily as he does foes?

In the first book of the “The Golden Wolf Saga,” The Half-Drowned King, Ragnvald is the lead character, although his sister Svanhild is the lead in about a third of the novel.  In the second novel, The Sea Queen, brother and sister are co-leads.

In this final novel, The Golden Wolf, author Linnea Hartsuyker once again expands the scope of her narrative.  There are multiple subplots and settings that range from Norway and Denmark to regions in and around Scotland and Iceland.  The primary expansion, however, is in the characters and in the character drama.  The Golden Wolf is the grand finale in which the characters pay the price for both their ambitions and for the ambitions of those to whom they tie themselves.

I am still having a hard time believing that “The Golden Wolf Trilogy” is comprised of Hartsuyker's first three novels.  By the third novel, we can no longer credit “beginner's luck.”  As a novelist, Hartsuyker is a natural.  In The Golden Wolf, the complexity and depth with which she presents not only character and personality, but also interpersonal relationships, politics, intrigue, and family dynamics are breathtaking.  Honestly, to make readers care deeply about even The Golden Wolf's villains and characters who deserve harsh outcomes (which she often made me do) is the mark of both a good writer and a good storyteller.

To put it simply, The Golden Wolf is a damn fun and fine read.  In singing her praises, I can say that it is Linnea Hartsuyker's fault that I don't want to say goodbye to these characters.  The Golden Wolf is the intimate, heartfelt end that a great trilogy needs to assure that it is indeed great.  Dear readers, add The Golden Wolf to your summer reading lists.

10 out of 10

www.linneahartsuyker.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON

THE CONFESSIONS OF FANNIE LANGTON
HARPER (HarperCollins Publishers) – @HarperCollins @HarperBooks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Sara Collins
ISBN: 978-0-06-285189-5; hardcover (May 21, 2019)
384pp, B&W, $26.99 U.S.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton is the debut novel of author Sara Collins.  This 2019 historical novel and murder mystery, which is set largely in the 1820s and in Georgian London, focuses on a servant and former slave accused of murdering her employer and his wife.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton opens on April 5, 1826 in London, at “The Old Bailey” (the common name for the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales).  Frances “Frannie” Langton, a mulatto Black woman, is accused of double murder.  London is abuzz with this scandalous case in which renowned scientist, George Benham, and his eccentric French wife, Marguerite “Meg” Benham (the former Marguerite Delacroix), were murdered in their home, Levenhall.  Huge crowds pack the courtroom to hear the tawdry details of two White people brutally, repeated, and savagely stabbed by this mysterious Negress to whom the late couple gave a home and a job after she was turned out by her previous master.

But there is always more... more... more to such stories.  For that, we travel back in time to the period of 1812 to 1825.  Frannie Langton was once a slave on a plantation in Jamaica, called “Paradise.”  Her owner, John Langton, had scientific ambitions, and he was determined to prove his theories about race, particularly about Black people and about Black Africans.

Frannie may claim that she cannot recall what happened that fateful evening of the Benhams' deaths – even if remembering could save her life.  However, she does have a tale to tell, and it begins with her childhood on that Jamaican sugar plantation.  It continues to her apprenticeship under John Langton, cruel master turned debauched scientist, stretching all bounds of ethics.  Then, the story moves into the Benhams’ London home, where Frannie finds a wannabe scientist who may be as bad as Langton and where she also finds a passionate and forbidden relationship.  The newspapers say Frannie is a seductress, a witch, a master manipulator, and a whore, when she may simply be a Black woman trying to make her own way in a racist world.

When HarperCollins offered a galley review copy of The Confessions of Frannie Langton, I jumped at asking for a copy, especially after reading the cover copy.  However, The Confessions of Frannie Langton turned out to be one of the most difficult reads that I have encountered in well over a decade.

The depiction of slavery and of forced servitude in The Confessions of Frannie Langton is so vivid and horrifying.  It's like combining the screenplays for 12 Years of Slave and Birth of a Nation (2016 version, of course) squeezed into one heartbreaking novel.  What Sara Collins offers in The Confessions of Frannie Langton is certainly a brilliant, searing depiction of race, class, and oppression.  This novel, however, offers even more; it is a historical thriller and literary indictment with ambitions to be as entertaining as any other literary thriller.

Collins offers wisdom and insight into the way both the oppressors and the oppressed are forced to live their lives.  Such perceptiveness is revealed in lines like “... 'cause you got white hopes. I got Negro expectations.” (as said to Frannie by Sal, her friend and fellow sex worker) or “The very woman who'd spit in your porridge in the morning could be fornicating with your husband at night.”  As if she were a venerable, elderly Black woman storyteller, Collins has uncanny insights into the perilous and fraught lives of Black woman who are property or who are technically not property, but are really property for all intents and purposes.

Perhaps, we love people because we view them through a lens of being people who make us feel a certain way.  Frannie becomes attached to or falls in love with people who view her as being property that makes them feel a certain way.  In order to convey that stark and sometimes subtle difference, a writer needs to be a superior storyteller and also needs to have a command of prose.  With her first novel, Sara Collins' mighty storytelling and command of prose take her to the summit of literary heights.  I would be surprised if The Confessions of Frannie Langton did not become a staple of college literature courses within five years.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton is an incredible novel with a kind of terrible power.  This is the power needed to convey the horrors experienced by Africans enslaved in the Western Hemisphere and also by those forced to inherit the status of their enslaved parents, grandparents and ancestors.

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BART SIMPSON Breaks Out

BART SIMPSON BREAKS OUT
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper Design – @HarperCollins @harperdesignbks @TheSimpsons

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Pat McGreal; Shane Houghton; Dean Rankine; Ian Boothby; John Zakour and Max Davison; Eric Rogers; Tony DiGerolamo; Carol Lay; Arie Kaplan; Mike W. Barr; Ian Brill
PENCILS: Rex Lindsey; Nina Matsumoto; Dean Rankine; John Delaney; Phil Ortiz; Mike Kazaleh; Carol Lay; Tone Rodriguez
INKS: Dan Davis; Andrew Pepoy; Dean Rankine; Mike DeCarlo; Mike Rote; Mike Kazaleh; Carol Lay
COLORS: Art Villanueva; Nathan Hamill
LETTERS: Karen Bates
EDITOR: Nathan Kane
COVER: Matt Groening
ISBN: 978-0-06-287873-1; paperback (April 2, 2019)
128pp, Color, $16.99 U.S., $21.00 CAN

Bart Simpson Breaks Out is a new trade paperback comic book collection from Harper Design.  Bart Simpson Breaks Out collects comic book short stories and short gags that were originally published in the comic book series, Bart Simpson, specifically issues #78, #79, #80, #81, #82, and #83. (cover dated:  January 2013 to May 2013).

Bart Simpson is one of the lead characters in the long-running animated television sitcom, “The Simpsons” (Fox).  “The Simpsons” presents a satirical depiction of a working class family which consists of Homer Simpson (the father), Marge Simpson (the mother), Bart (the oldest child and only son), Lisa (the precocious and brilliant elder daughter), and Maggie (a baby girl).  “The Simpsons” also parodies American culture, pop culture, society, politics, media, etc. via the denizens of The Simpsons home town, Springfield.

In 1993, Bongo Comics Group (or simply Bongo Comics) began publishing numerous comic book series and single-issue publications based on “The Simpsons.”  Beginning in 2000, Bongo gave Bart his on title, Simpsons Comics Presents Bart Simpson (or simply Bart Simpson).  The comics presented in Bart Simpson Breaks Out collects stories published in the final quarter of the series.  Bart Simpson ended with issue #100 in 2016 (and Bongo ceased publishing in 2018).

I really enjoyed the previous Bart Simpson trade paperback, 2018's Bart Simpson Bust-Up, and I happy to tell you, dear readers, that Bart Simpson Breaks Out is just as good.

The opening story, “The Booty” (written by Pat McGreal and drawn by Rex Lindsey and Dan Davis), is a cute story with a funny pie-eating contest in the middle.  However, Breaks Out really... breaks out with the second story, “I'd Rather Bleed Than Read” (by Shane Houghton, Nina Matsumoto, and Andrew Pepoy), which finds Principal Seymour Skinner trapping Bart in the Springfield Elementary school library in order to force the lad to read at least one book.  The resolution to the story is rather novel, if not a stroke of genius.

“Bartman vs. Doctor Octuplets” (by Ian Boothby, John Delaney, and Pepoy) is one of two stories featuring Bart's superhero alter-ego, “Bartman.”  It has a neat take on Spider-Man villain, Doctor Octopus, via Kwik-E-Mart manager, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, and his brood of children.  The second Bartman story, “Who the Bartman?” (by Arne Kaplan, Tone Rodriguez, and Pepoy), offers a novel take on how Bart's classmates view Bartman.

Breaks Out has two Maggie Simpson stories written and drawn by the great alternative comic book creator, Carol Lay.  The first one, “Maggie and the Moon,” is quite poignant and beautiful.  That heartwarming vibe also makes an appearance in the story, “The Todd & the Rodyssey” (by Mike W. Barr, Delaney, and Pepoy).  Ned Flanders is a featured character here, but his sons, Rod and Todd, are the stars of this story of escape and survival.  The last two panels of this fast-moving and delightful comic presses all my buttons of sentimentality.

The other stories are also pretty good, especially the Springfield Elementary “Junior Mafia” tale.  I got a kick out of “The Demon” (by Max Davison, Delaney, and Pepoy), because I generally like ghost story-themed tales told in a kids' comic books published by everyone from Archie Comics to whatever company is publishing comic books featuring Disney characters.

In some of my reviews of Simpsons Comics paperback collections, I have said that one does not have to be a fan of “The Simpsons” to like them.  This is the case with Bart Simpson Breaks Out, because this book is full of top-notch humor comics.  Bart Simpson Breaks Out is too funny to pass up.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: INSIDE FAMILY GUY: An Illustrated History

INSIDE FAMILY GUY: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY
HARPERCOLLINS/Dey Street Books – @HarperCollins @deystreet

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Frazier Moore
ISBN: 978-0-06-211252-1; hardcover – 11.5” x 9.5” (May 14, 2019)
256pp, Color, $34.99 U.S., $43.50 CAN

Foreword by Seth MacFarlane

“Family Guy” is an American animated television series and situation comedy (sitcom) that is broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX).  Created by Seth MacFarlane, the series centers on the Griffin Family, which consists of parents, wife, Lois, and husband, Peter Griffin and their children:  Meg, Chris, and Stewie.  The sixth member of the family is the anthropomorphic pet dog, Brian (“anthropomorphic” because he walks, talks, and acts like a human). The show is set in and around the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island.

“Family Guy” lampoons (sometimes savagely) American social and political culture and celebrates, but also parodies and mocks American pop culture, entertainment, and media.  The reaction to the official debut of “Family Guy” would foretell the series ability to continually generate controversy.  That debut (the episode “Death Has a Shadow”) was on the night of Sunday, January 31, 1999 after Fox's broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIII.  [Fox actually aired an early version of “Death Has a Shadow” on December 20, 1998.]

“Family Guy” was briefly canceled after its second season (September 1999 to August 2000), before returning in July 2001 for its third season, but was canceled a second time after that season.  Strong sales of “Family Guy” DVDs and high ratings for its syndicated run as part of Cartoon Network's “Adult Swim” line-up caused Fox to renew the series, which began its fourth season in 2005.  After 320+ episodes, this past February, Fox renewed the show for a eighteenth season (2019-20).

2019 marks the twentieth anniversary of “Family Guy's” official debut on network television.  In celebration comes a new history and art book entitled, Inside Family Guy: An Illustrated History, from Dey Street Books, a HarperCollins imprint.  The book is authored by Family Guy-superfan, Frazier Moore, noted television critic.  This book was also written with the full cooperation of 20th Century Fox Television and Seth MacFarlane's company, Fuzzy Door Productions.

Inside Family Guy: An Illustrated History is a fully illustrated, full-color visual guide honoring “Family Guy's” TV reign.  The art and illustrations include everything from storyboards to character sketches.  There are script excerpts and cast and crew interviews, which includes voice actors such as Seth MacFarlane (Peter Griffin, Brian, and Stewie to name a few), Seth Green (Chris Griffin), Mila Kunis (Meg Griffin), Alex Borstein (Lois Griffin), and Mike Henry (Cleveland Brown).

Inside Family Guy: An Illustrated History is practically a book of highlights, but here are some highlights I want to mention:

“Drawing on the Past”:
-includes an early Stewie concept art drawn by Seth MacFarlane

“An Unlikely Duo”:
-development of the relationship between the baby Stewie and the family dog Brian

“A Family Affair”
-storyboard for the show's opening credits musical number
-Character design pages, each page featuring 30+ versions of one of the following characters: (the main cast) Peter, Louis, Meg, Chris, Brian, and Stewie; Quagmire, Joe, Cleveland, and various characters
-Blueprints of the Griffin family home and full-color images from inside the house

“The Write Start”
Several photographs of Seth MacFarlane and his family.

Chapter Three: “How It's Done”
a look at how an episode of “Family Guy” is created; plus, lots of character and prop designs (space ships, gadgets, mechanical stuff, etc.)

Chapter Four: “Wacky Waving Cutaways, Gags and Musical Numbers”
-includes over a hundred color and black and white still images
-a generously illustrated look at the “Road to...” episodes and at those mean-spirited by oh-so-funny Walt Disney parodies.

Chapter Five: “Making Mischief”
-Killing Brian
-the episode “Partial Terms of Endearment”
-the storyboards for Chris' “Silence of the Lambs” dance in “Stew-Roids”
-art and storyboards for the vomiting in the episode “8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter”

Four-page “Acknowledgments” section in which they acknowledge everyone (?) who has worked on or helped the show

Plus, there are examples of storyboards from various episodes throughout the book (including a generous selection from the “Peter vs. the Giant Chicken” battles), and there are too many to count.  If you like storyboards for animation; this is your book.

Of course, you knew I was going to say, “If you like 'Family Guy,' you have to have...”  Inside Family Guy: An Illustrated History is a comprehensive visual history and visual guide through an animated TV series that has been nominated for 27 Primetime Emmy Awards and has won eight of them.  [In 2009, it became the first animated series to be nominated in the Primetime Emmy category, “Outstanding Comedy Series,” since “The Flintstones” were nominated in 1961.]

Author Frazier Moore gives his Family Guy-loving all to Inside Family Guy.  It is more than just a love letter from Moore to the series; his love is like the Griffin's family dog, Brian, humping Peter Griffin's leg with gusto.  Moore delivers a book that is worth your time to read it, even if you are not the biggest fan of “Family Guy.”

There are so many different kinds of production art in Inside Family Guy (concept designs, stills, cast and crew photos, etc.) that it may be hard for some readers to pick a favorite kind.  I love storyboards, and this book is like crack for admirers of storyboards produced for animation.  On the other hand, I really like all the art for the “Road to...” episodes included in this book.  So everything you wanted to know is here.  If you can't find it, you may need to look again... and again... and again...   Inside Family Guy: An Illustrated History is a must-have for just about any fan of “Family Guy.”

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: THE TALE TELLER

THE TALE TELLER – (A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel #5)
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins @HarperBooks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Anne Hillerman
ISBN: 978-0-06-239195-7; hardcover (April 9, 2019)
304pp, B&W, $26.99 U.S., $34.99 CAN

The Tale Teller is the new novel from author Anne Hillerman.  It is the fifth novel in the “Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito” book series, which began with Spider Woman's Daughter (2013).  This series is a continuation of the “Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee Series” written by Hillerman's late father, bestselling author, Tony Hillerman (1925-2008).  In The Tale Taller, retired Navajo Tribal policeman, Joe Leaphorn, takes center stage in the case of a missing Navajo artifact.

The Tale Teller opens with the retired Navajo police Lt. Joe Leaphorn, who is now a private investigator.  Mrs. Daisy Pinto, the director of the Navajo Nation Museum, is offering Joe a contract to take a new case.  The museum received a large box containing donations, but these gifts were made anonymously.  The box came with a list of gifts, but if that list is accurate, then, two items that were supposed to be in the box were not found inside once the box was opened.  One of the items is a, “biil,” a dress that was weaved and worn by “Asdza'a Tlogi” (“Weaver Woman”) or Juanita, a legendary figure among the Navajo people.  The “biil,” if it were really sent to the museum, would be, by far, the most precious gift.

Pinto wants Joe to discover the identity of the donor and also find the missing items, if they were sent.  After accepting, Joe soon finds himself knee-deep in a perplexing case that also involves the possible homicide of Mrs. Pinto's assistant, a young woman named Tiffany Benally.  Leaphorn even receives an anonymous warning to beware of witchcraft!  Also, a huge rift has developed in Joe's longtime relationship with his live-in companion, Louisa.

Meanwhile, Joe's former colleague, Sgt. Jim Chee, and Chee's wife, Officer Bernadette “Bernie” Manuelito, are investigating a rash of burglaries in a few Navajo communities.  The case turns complicated when Bernie finds a body near a popular running trail, which brings the FBI into the investigation, creating a mini turf war between the feds and the Tribal cops.  As Bernie investigates, she finds the case coming close to home.

I have been crazy about Anne Hillerman's work since I first read Spider Woman's Daughter.  I had read two of her late father, Tony Hillerman's novels a long time ago, so I requested a review copy of Spider Woman's Daughter from HarperCollins when it was offered to reviewer back in 2013.  It was a fortuitous decision, as I have come to view the “Manuelito, Chee & Leaphorn” novels as my favorite current literary series.

“Her father blames witchcraft, and I'd agree that evil played a role.  Not the supernatural kind but heartbreaking things people do to each other.”  This is what Joe Leaphorn says to Bernie Manuelito in Chapter 21, after he has discovered the actual motive behind a murder in The Tale Teller.  Those words also define the personal nature of Anne Hillerman's work in this series and in this novel in particular.

The “Manuelito, Chee & Leaphorn” series has yielded some of the most delightful and inventive mystery novels.  Hillerman weaves her novels, page after page of beautiful and evocative prose that brings her Southwest setting to life in living, vivid colors.  However, it is the color she brings to her characters that make this series exceptional.  Hillerman's books don't simply end with a big reveal, but are rather a series of reveals, revelations, and resolutions rooted in the personalities and in the nature of personal relationships of her characters.

So when Joe Leaphorn speaks of the “heartbreaking things people do to each other,” he is essentially describing the nature of The Tale Teller.  What people do to and for others is what drives The Tale Teller.  They are not merely characters in a whodunit; of course, the mystery and the investigation are tied to the characters.  However, their actions and complexities outside the central mystery are what Hillerman uses to create a larger and richer narrative.

Anne Hillerman makes her characters matter.  The Tale Teller, from its connection to an important time in the history of the Diné people to the dinner between four friends that closes this book, finds its telling of the tale in the interplay of the characters.  And it is hard not to love a novel in which a boy gets a dog.

10 out of 10

http://annehillerman.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: THE AMERICAN AGENT

THE AMERICAN AGENT – (A Maisie Dobbs Novel #15)
HARPER (HarperCollins Publishers) – @HarperCollins
@HarperBooks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Jacqueline Winspear
ISBN: 978-0-06-243666-5; hardcover (March 26, 2019)
384pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S.

The American Agent is the new novel from author Jacqueline Winspear.  It is the 15th novel in the series starring “psychologist and investigator,” Maisie Dobbs, a former British nurse whose adventures begin during World War I and continue into the decades that follow.  The American Agent finds Maisie investigating the mysterious murder of an American war correspondent in London during the beginning of the Bltiz.

The American Agent opens on September 10, 1940.  It is the time of the “Blitz,” when Nazi Germany unleashes the full terror of its blitzkrieg upon the British Isles.  During this period of intense bombing, German bombers and the Luftwaffe rain death and destruction from the skies on London and other British cities.

Catherine Saxon, an American correspondent reporting on the war in Europe and on the Blitz from London, is found murdered in her London apartment.  News of her death is concealed by British authorities, because of the sensitivity of Ms. Saxon's work and because of her position as the daughter of an influential and powerful United States senator.  Robert MacFarlane, who is acting as a linchpin between Scotland Yard and the American Secret Service, asks Maisie Dobbs to investigate the murder of Catherine.  MacFarlane also asks Maisie to work with Mark Scott, an agent from the U.S. Department of Justice.  Scott is also “the American agent” who helped Maisie escape from Hitler’s Germany in 1938 (as seen in the 2016 novel, Journey to Munich).

In addition to this case, Maisie is a volunteer with the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service with her dear friend, Priscilla Partridge, helping to rescue people after the German bombs have done their damage.  With all this going on, Maisie must also protect Anna Mason, the young evacuee girl she has grown to love and wants to adopt.  Soon, Maisie must go before the Ministry of Health and seek its approval for her to adopt the six-year-old girl, but Maisie worries that she will not be approved to be the child's mother.  Maisie also faces losing her dearest friend.  She finds herself entangled in a murder investigation linked to the power of wartime propaganda and to American political intrigue.  And now, Maisie, a widow, must also face the possibility that she might be falling in love again.

The American Agent is the fourth Maisie Dobbs novel that I have read.  It is also the third novel in the series that is set during Great Britain's involvement in World War II, going back to 2017's In This Grave Hour, which introduced Anna Mason, the girl Maisie wants to adopt.

I thought 2018's To Die But Once was the most personal Maisie Dobbs novel I had read.  By “personal,” I mean that of the Maisie novels I had read up to that time, it seemed the most linked to Maisie's connection to her family, to her in-laws, and to her dear fiend, Priscilla Partridge, and her husband and three sons, who are practically Maisie's family, also.

The American Agent is also deeply personal, but I find that in this novel, Jacqueline Winspear focuses on the character of Maisie Dobbs.  The case of the murder of Catherine Saxon, including the late young woman's history, career, ambitions, and her complicated family relationships bring out Maisie Dobbs ethical approach to investigation, which includes her desire to heal many of the people involved in a case.  In turn, Winspear uses the case to reveal the internal workings of Maisie as she deals with the life-threatening injury to a friend and comes to understand how her life and that of Anna's will change with the decision on whether Maisie can adopt the child or not.  And we get to see the process of Maisie falling in love in spite of herself.

Jacqueline Winspear makes The American Agent a riveting character study of a wonderful character whom readers cannot help but love.  As always, Winspear authors a novel that ends in a way that has us eagerly awaiting the next installment.  Thus, The American Agent is a winning novel, and it turns out to be a perfect starting point for new readers.

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: THE GIRL IN THE GLASS BOX

THE GIRL IN THE GLASS BOX
HARPER (HarperCollins Publishers) – @HarperCollins @HarperBooks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: James Grippando – @James_Grippando
ISBN: 978-0-06-265783-1; hardcover (February 5, 2019)
368pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S., $34.99 CAN

The Girl in the Glass Box is a 2019 legal thriller from author and attorney James Grippando.  It is Grippando's 27th novel and also the 15th novel starring Grippando’s Miami-based, criminal defense attorney, Jack Swyteck.  Grippando was the 2017 winner of the Harper Lee Prize for legal fiction (for 2016's Gone Again – Jack Swyteck #12).  In The Girl in the Glass Box, Swyteck lands right in the middle of the contentious immigration debate when he takes the case of woman who fled the violence of Central America with her young daughter.

The Girl in the Glass Box finds attorney Jack Swyteck on a shopping trip/Cuban culture lesson with his grandmother, his “Abuela.”  By the time, the visit is over, Jack is representing Julia Rodriguez.  Julia and her teenage daughter, Beatriz, escaped bloodthirsty gangs, random violence, and Julia's abusive husband, Jorge Rodriguez, back in El Salvador and now, live in Miami.  After Julia rebuffs her American boss' unwanted sexual advances, he sicks ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on her.

Stuck in detention, Julia must rely on the talented and versatile attorney Jack Swyteck, to free her from and to keep her out of ICE detention.  However, not only is Jorge in Miami, but also Hugo Martinez, another complication in her life.  The bodies are piling up, and danger is even closer to Julia and Beatriz than either realizes.  Can Jack and Theo Knight, Jack's best friend and former client, really help mother and daughter?  To do so, they will have to put their own lives in danger.

I read my first Jack Swyteck novel, Blood Money, back in 2013 when it was first published.  Now, I expect the first quarter of every year to bring me a new Swyteck thriller.  Although James Grippando does publish a book annually, sometimes he delivers a book that is not about Swyteck or does not center on him.

I thought last year's A Death in Live Oak was probably Grippando's most daring and thrilling Swyteck novel to date.  While it may remain so, The Girl in the Glass Box is now Grippando's most thrilling.  It moves fast and is like the prose equivalent of an action movie car chase.  The last 120 pages (Chapters 48 to 77) are pure pot-boiler, except the pot isn't sitting on a stove; it's being heated by a flamethrower.  I read these chapters as if my life depended on it.  I just couldn't stop, and I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish The Girl in the Glass Box, one of the most effectively thrilling legal thrillers that I have ever read.  Holla!

Grippando always accounts well for his lead character, Jack, and his close family and friends, but with The Girl in the Glass Box, Grippando focuses in on what are essentially the guest stars in this novel:  Julia, Beatriz, and Cecilia (Julia's sister), especially.  This mother-daughter-sister-auntie dynamic is a kind of a love triangle, and Grippando delves into the complications that are natural to such a relationship.  The author also depicts the reality that these women are recovering from a traumatic past.

I wondered where James Grippando would take this series after the complicated and poignant ending of A Death in Live Oak.  The Girl in the Glass Box shows that both the author and his star are just hitting their strides.

10 out of 10

www.jamesgrippando.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: DEATH IN PROVENCE

DEATH IN PROVENCE (Penelope Kite Volume #1)
HARPER (HarperCollins Publishers) – @HarperCollins
@HarperBooks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Serena Kent – @SerenaKentBooks
ISBN: 978-0-06-286985-2; hardcover (February 19, 2019)
352pp, B&W, $26.99 U.S.

Death in Provence is a 2019 mystery novel from author Serena Kent, which is the pen name of husband and wife writing team, Deborah Lawrenson and Robert Rees.  Death in Provence is Serena Kent's debut novel and is also the first novel in the “Penelope Kite” series.  The novel focuses on an retired Englishwoman and young-at-heart divorcee with a knack for stumbling across dead bodies.

Death in Provence introduces Penelope Kite, a 50-something Englishwoman.  For years, Penelope put her unfaithful ex-husband, David, and her ungrateful stepchildren, Justin and Lena, first.  She has also been an unpaid babysitter and chauffeur for her grandchildren.  Now, Penelope has taken early retirement from her job in forensics at the Home Office in London.  Deciding to do something for herself, Penelope buys an old stone farmhouse in the Luberon valley of Provence, a region in southeastern France.

Located in the (fictional) village of St. Merlot, the farmhouse, named “Le Chant d’Eau” (The Song of Water), is an impulse buy because it needs major renovations, although it does have a garden, a swimming pool, and sweeping mountain vistas.  Penelope moves in and starts her new adventure, but she did not think her new life would begin with her finding a corpse in her swimming pool.

Now, Penelope must navigate colorful French locals, like her realtor Mme. Clémence Valencourt; dashing Mayor Laurent Millais; disdainful Chief of Police Georges Reyssens and Inspector Paul Gamelin; and mysterious neighbor, the farmer Pierre Louchard, to name a few.  Thankfully, Penelope's oldest friend, Frances Turner-Blake a.k.a. Frankie, is just a flight away.  She will need Frankie.  The answers to this crime are buried in the unique culture and shadowy history of both the village of St. Merlot and in Penelope's beloved, but troubled new home, “Le Chant d’Eau,”

Readers who enjoy mystery novels in the tradition of Agatha Christie will like Death in Provence.  It reminds me of those Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (HMM) made-for-television mystery movies that feature intrepid professional women who play sleuth and amateur detective on the side.  Regular HMM viewers are familiar with such television movie series as the “Garage Sale Mysteries” and the “Morning Show Mysteries,” so I think that this new Serena Kent novel will also seem familiar to HMM viewers.

Death in Provence could also be an installment of the classic cozy mystery series, “Murder, She Wrote.”  In fact, when I think about it, Serena Kent may be offering a modern, British update of Jessica Fletcher, the star of “Murder, She Wrote,” an American character played by Angela Lansbury, the London-born actress who also has American citizenship.

I like Penelope Kent.  No, she is not Sara Paretsky's rough-and-tumble V.I. Warshawski, but Penelope does her thing.  Her resourcefulness, even when she is flustered, helps to make Death in Provence a delightful read, imbued with the color of Provence, the character of its eccentric citizens, and the flavor of its foods and wines (which puts Penelope at war with her weight).  Readers should not be fooled, as Death in Provence can be surprisingly edgy in spots.  This is a story of murder most foul, after all.

So the Penelope Kite series is off to a good start, and I think the series will find an identity as we see Penelope Kite take on more killers and more colorful characters.  For now, Death in Provence demands that you find a cozy corner and delight your mystery lover's imagination.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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