Brad Meltzer is back on track

The Inner Circle
by Brad Meltzer

When Brad Meltzer is at his best, there are few better. His novel, The Zero Game, blew me away. Blew. Me. Away. Unfortunately, subsequent novels have been increasingly weak. I’m happy to report that that trend stops here. It’s not a perfect novel, but with The Inner Circle, Brad is moving back in the right direction. It has flaws, but the one undeniable fact is that I had an absolute blast reading it.

In the past, Meltzer has placed his political thrillers in every corner of government. This time the focus is, surprisingly enough, on the National Archives. After a brief, tense scene between the President of the United States and an unnamed archivist, Chapter 1 introduces us to our protagonist. Beecher White is a 30-year-old archivist who loves his work. He’s likeable, but a bit dull. A colleague jokes, “You’re like Indiana Jones, but just the professor part.” His personal life hasn’t been great of late, but perhaps things are about to turn around because this is the day he reunites with his high school crush, Clementine Kaye. She’s visiting the archives in hopes of learning something important about her own history.

Before addressing her question, however, Beecher is trying to impress with a behind-the-scenes tour. In an attempt to help, a friend in security lets them into the President’s secure reading room less than an hour before he’s due to arrive. While there, a minor mishap causes the discovery of a secret hiding place and a very old book that appears to have belonged to George Washington. There’s no time to consider the ramifications before they have to hustle out prior to the President’s arrival, concealed book in hand. And they’re off to the races from there, because moments later the President is sent back to the White House early and the helpful security guard is wheeled out on a stretcher with a sheet over his face. How did he die? And is it because someone knew he’d been in that reading room?

In true Meltzer fashion, the plot is convoluted. I was loving the story, but as I read, certain details began to sound familiar. A quick check confirmed my suspicion. This book links tangentially to another in the Meltzerverse. He has brought back Nico Hadrian, first introduced in The Book of Fate. Don’t worry if you haven’t read it. This is not a sequel, and everything you need to know is exposited gracefully. I don’t really want to get much more into the plot, because the pleasure of a book like this is in the twists, turns, and surprises along the way. All of the above were plentiful, and I found this to be a fun, fast-paced read.

That doesn’t mean I turned off my inner critic entirely, however, and as much as I enjoyed this novel, I think there was a little sloppiness to the storytelling. There were a couple of instances where someone knew something they really shouldn’t have. Nothing too important, but it was sloppy. Additionally, three-quarters of the way through the novel, Meltzer suddenly starts giving readers answers to question by introducing flashback chapters with headings like “Twenty-six years ago Journey, Ohio” or “Four months ago St. Elizabeths Hospital.” It simply isn’t elegant storytelling. I still feel there must have been a more graceful way to tell the tale without those late-in-the-game flashbacks, but regardless, they got the job done.

The story comes to a satisfying conclusion, but it’s clearly also the opening for a sequel, or even a series. Despite my minor complaints, I will be looking forward happily to the continued exploits of Beecher White. In fact, I think I’ll drop by the National Archives the next time I fly home. I never before realized what a hotbed of excitement it is!

David Baldacci enters “Chuck” territory

The Sixth Man
by David Baldacci

Okay, not to be overly simplistic, but David Baldacci’s latest thriller featuring former Secret Service agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell does have a plot highly reminiscent of the television show “Chuck,” though certainly not a similar tone. No, there’s no “Intersect” computer imbedded in anyone’s brain, but there is a defense contractor running what’s called the E-Program. As the novel opens, the contractor, Peter Bunting, is seeking an individual who can be the next “Analyst.”

The Analyst is the person tasked with watching the “Wall,” a six by eight foot screen on which flowed “information on suspicious activities being carried out by either Americans or foreigners operating domestically.” It’s a “compilation of top secret communications, all of colossal importance. And on it poured, from all corners of the globe, delivered en masse in high definition. If it were an Xbox or a PS3 game it would be the most exciting difficult one ever created. But there was nothing made up about it. Here real people lived and real people died, every second of every day.”

The idea is that our intelligence network is too spread out and diversified, and that in order to truly get the Big Picture, one individual needs to be able to process every scrap of data we collect. It’s a staggering job that literally brings brilliant men to their knees. Obviously it’s not a job for the average Joe, but a few extraordinary individuals can utilize 90-some percent of their brain, rather than the paltry ten percent most of us access. And all of this is exposited in a brief prologue.

Next, we’re with series protagonists King and Maxwell as they touch down in Maine. They’ve been called up for an investigative job. Ted Bergin, an old friend and law professor of Sean’s is defending the serial killer Edgar Roy, and he seems to believe there’s more to this open-and-shut case than meets the eye. He’s brought in reinforcements. Alas, they arrive too late. En route to their first meeting with Bergin, they come across a stalled vehicle. Inside they find Bergin’s body with a bullet to the brain. The question is: what do these two plotlines have to do with each other?

So begins a novel more packed with action than with plot. There is plot, but it’s not terribly complex or sophisticated. Some stuff happens, more stuff happens, and there’s a lot of traveling up and down the eastern seaboard. Baldacci gets some stuff right. He’s good at gracefully expositing what’s come before, and he can write a tight, tense scene. However, after four previous novels with these protagonists, I was really shocked at how one-dimensional the characters felt. King and Maxwell are at a pivotal point in their personal and professional lives. I was astounded by just how uninvested I was.

It’s not that this is a terrible novel, but there isn’t a whole lot of substance to it. If you’ve been following the series you’re going to want to read this one. Otherwise, I simply wouldn’t bother.

Mailbox Monday: Hachette and I kiss and make up edition

So, just between you and me, the only publisher I've ever had a hard time getting galleys from is Hachette.  I went whining to a major best-selling author on their list, "Hachette hates me."  He brought his full 800-pound gorilla-ness down on Publicity's head, and it took a while, but it seems to have worked.  It's so good to be friendly with 800-pound gorillas!  So, for starters, I finally have access to several Hachette titles this week.

The Sixth Man
by David Baldacci
Release date: 4/12/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

I haven't read every book in this series, but I know the main characters.  And I know Baldacci's writing.  It'll be a fast, light read, and I doubt I'll have trouble catching up to speed.

Rules of Civility
by Amor Towles
Release date: 7/21/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

A debut novel set in NY in 1938.  I'm curious, and I love the mystery of a debut.  You never know what you'll get.

The Inner Circle
by Brad Meltzer
Release date: 1/11/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

I love Brad Meltzer.  I love his excellent, page-turning thrillers, and the fact that he writes so knowledgeably about my hometown.  Brad is also a fantastic public speaker and story-teller.  He's super-friendly every time I meet him.  And, he married his high-school sweetheart.  He is awesome.  I can't wait to read this.

In Office Hours
by Lucy Kellaway
Release date: 2/7/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from Publisher

I don't even remember why I wanted to read this anymore, but at one point I was enthused.  Has anyone read it?

The Girl in the Garden
by Kamala Nair
Release date: 6/15/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

Something about "...an Indian village untouched by time, where she discovers in the jungle behind her ancestral house a spellbinding garden that harbors a terrifying secret."  Sounds good to me.

The Twisted Thread
by Charlotte Bacon
Release date:  6/14/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from the publisher

A haunting, literary thriller set within the walls of a private New England boarding school, where youth, money, and morals collide.  Every year leading up to Thrillerfest, I find myself reading more and more thrillers--not to mention right after.  It's that time of year again.

The Profession
by Steven Pressfield
Release date: 6/14/2011
Source:  Paper galley from publisher

Another thriller, but this one sounds a little too masculine for my liking.  Maybe someone in my book group will like it.

Even
by Andrew Grant
Release date: 5/12/2009
Source:  Purchased on my Kindle

Andrew is a friend whom I've never read.  I noticed that his debut thriller was on sale for $2.99 on Kindle, so I grabbed it.  Hopefully I can get around to reading it some day.

Law of Attraction
by Allison Leotta
Release date: 10/12/2010
Source:  Purchased at Borders

So, I haven't once visited Borders to pick over the remains, but my local mall store is closing in days, so while I was at the mall this weekend I finally poked my head in.  So depressing!  I used to love shopping for DVDs there.  Anyway, the one item I couldn't resist for 70% off was a nice hardback copy of my friend Ali Leotta's debut novel, Law of Attraction.  I originally read it on my Kindle, and I've really wanted a hardback copy for my shelf.  Incidentally, I just checked, and the paperback release isn't for a year yet.  It's a great debut (If you think I'm biased, check her other reviews.), so maybe you should look for a bargain hardback in your own Borders?


Books finished this week:

The Devil's Plaything by Matt Richtel

The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

The Sixth Man by David Baldacci

The Inner Circle by Brad Metzer

(Note:  A couple of months ago, I basically stopped watching television.  Even though I still have a really busy, active lifestyle, it has dramatically increased the number of books I've been reading lately.)

Currently reading:

The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips

The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair

So, what books have you acquired this week?  What are you reading?  Let us know in the comments!  Oh, and if April sees this...  Jane McGonical was on NPR this morning, sharing the ideas she espouses in Reality is Broken, the book you told us about.  Read/listen to the story here:

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/11/135248010/how-to-save-the-world-one-video-game-at-a-time

When Andy met Susie

So, earlier this week in my Mailbox Monday post, I mentioned purchasing a long-overdue replacement of my copy of Andrew Sean Greer's The Story of a Marriage, and I told you that I'd write about how the two of us met...

Google is an amazing thing.  At the click of a mouse, it tells me that Andy and I met on July 19, 2002, because that is when the San Francisco Symphony presented a staged concert performance of Leonard Bernstein's Candide.  It was a not-to-be-missed event, starring George Hearn, Jason Danieley, Jennifer Welch-Babidge, Keith Phares, Rita Moreno, Marin Mazzie, and Stanford Olsen.  I was still new to San Francisco, in town less than six months, so I grabbed a cheap ticket and went by myself.  As it happened, I was seated next to an adorable young man who was also there by himself.  You got it; it was Andy.


Me and Weasel, back when I could still afford haircuts.

 I don't remember exactly how our conversation started, or who made the first overture, but we had a lovely discussion through the first intermission.  Along the way we discovered that he was a writer, and I was an editor.  (I think he was working on some catalog copy, at the time, to pay the rent.  I was probably temping.)  We discovered that we are from the same town in Maryland.  Small world!  Also, we enjoyed some of the same authors.  You know, this is just now coming back to me...  I'd been with Christopher Moore earlier that same day; in fact, I think I had an early dinner with him and Chuck and some booksellers.  I'm guessing by the date that we may have hooked up at San Francisco's Books by the Bay, because Chris and Chuck weren't living in SF at the time.  And if so, this is exactly what I looked like, because either Chris or Chuck took this photo on that day.

Anyway, the young man and I had started the most delightful conversation during the first intermission, and at some point in the second intermission, I suddenly remembered my manners.  I said, "I'm Susan, by the way."  And he said, "I'm Andy."  Right then, some distant synapse fired.  I'm still not sure how I made the connection, but I looked at him and slowly said, "Andrew Sean Greer.  I bought The Path of Minor Planets ten days ago."  And I had.  Let me back up.

Several weeks earlier, I had attended a literary event at the San Francisco Public Library.  It was to be a reading and a discussion of the short story between Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Michael Chabon; editor of the Chronicle's books section, Oscar Villalon; and some guy no one had ever heard of, Andrew Sean Greer.  On the day of the event, the theater was packed, and I can guarantee you that 95% of the people were there to see Michael Chabon.  The Pulitzer was still shiny and new at that point.  So, we're all waiting and waiting for this event to start, but there seems to be some sort of delay.  I can't remember how late it was, or how many stalling announcements were made, but eventually it became clear that Chabon wasn't there, and no one could find him!  Finally, Villalon and this brave unknown guy came out on their own, and Michael never did show up that night.  It turned out later it was some sort of major scheduling SNAFU.  So, Andrew Sean Greer read an entire story from his debut collection, How It Was For Me.  It was a good story, and he read it well.

Then he sat down for a most enjoyable conversation with Oscar Villalon, and surely got more attention than he was ever expecting on that particular evening.  In addition to discussing short stories, Andy mentioned his debut novel, The Path of Minor Planets.  And two things must have happened that night:  He impressed me, and the title stuck in my head.  Because weeks later when I saw a nice hardback copy at Green Apple Books, I bought it. 

I hadn't yet had a chance to read it that evening at the Symphony, but just then, all the pieces came together.  I said his name and the title of his novel and Andy's mouth dropped open.  That was the first time he'd ever been recognized in public.  I probably would have figured it out sooner, but between the reading and the night we met, he'd cut off his beautiful blonde curls.  (Ladies, he had hair that you just wanted to run your fingers through!  In fact, I think I did just that some time later when the curls briefly resurfaced.  They haven't been seen since.)  Then I'd told him that I'd been at the "Chabon" event, and got the full scoop on what went down that evening. As it happens, Michael felt so badly about the SNAFU that he and Ayelet had Andy over for dinner to apologize, and they've been good friends ever since.  I also knew Michael Chabon well enough to say "hello," so we talked about him, and laughed that all three of us are Marylanders.  A really small world. 

So, Andy and I chatted right through the end of the evening, and we walked out together.  If this were a romantic comedy, we'd have lived happily ever after.  But it's San Francisco, and Andy is very happy with his husband, LOL.  God, it's almost a decade since that night.  Andy was unknown by all but the very geekiest back then (i.e. me).  In the years since, he's written the highly-acclaimed The Confessions of Max Tivoli, an absolutely brilliant book, followed by The Story of a Marriage, his only work I haven't read.  It's been a few years since then, and every time I see him, I ask about the next book.  I'm sure he loves that.

Oh, that's right, we still see each other.  Not socially.  We're not dear old friends.  But we're friendly.  We live in the same city, and travel in bookish circles.  We bump into each other a couple of times each year, there are rare emails, and I'm always greeted with a warm hug.  He's a very nice guy.  And he's one hell of a writer.  If you haven't read him, I urge you to check him out.  Or, if you've read only the later work, do explore the lesser-known early works.  You'll be so glad you did!  As for why I seem to attract novelists to me at all times and places, I simply can't explain it.

As a final treat, I leave you with some video of the night Michael Chabon interviewed Andy for City Arts and Lectures. 

HUMPDAY GIVEAWAY: Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson

So, I enjoy giving away books, but maybe weekly is just too often.  Response has been a bit lethargic of late.  We shall see.  Still, I do have this nice, shiny hardback copy of Diane Mott Davidson's latest novel, Crunch Time, which went on sale only yesterday...

I've decided to formalize the Humpday Giveaway rules.  They are:

• The giveaway is open to anyone with a U.S. mailing address ('cause I'm footing the postage).
• To enter, all you need to do is post a comment below.
• At my discretion, if there are less than five respondents, I can cancel or extend the giveaway if I choose to do so.
• Generally giveaways start on a Wednesday, and end one week later.
• Winner will be chosen by me with the help of a random number generator, and will be announced in the comments section of this thread.
• The winner has one week to response to me at suetu@yahoo.com with a mailing address, or I will choose a new winner.
• If a second winner fails to respond, the book automatically goes to the lovely members of my face to face book club.
• Finally, if all all possible, please comment below only if you're entering the giveaway.

Thanks, and good luck!

Another win for Marcia Clark

Guilt by Association
by Marcia Clark

After having previously written about her life and role as chief prosecutor on the O.J. Simpson trial, former Assistant District Attorney Marcia Clark has turned her hand to fiction. And multiple starred reviews in the publishing trades attest that she hasn’t done a half-bad job of it.

After a brief prologue, Guilt by Association opens with colleagues toasting a legal victory at the end of the workday. The victor is ADA Rachel Knight, who was just handed a guilty verdict in record time. The wins are why she and her colleagues put in the long hours, and no one is a bigger workaholic than Rachel, except perhaps for Jake. When Jake and Toni head out for the night, Rachel promises she’ll follow just as soon as she gets a little more work done... And, after all, home is only a six-block walk from the office. Once outside she hears sirens and quickly comes across an unfolding crime scene—a homicide by the looks of it. She’s waiting around out of professional curiosity when a ranking cop tries to send her packing. Rachel is confounded and annoyed—until she sees the face of one of the two victims. It’s Jake; hard-working, nice guy Jake.

The next morning, the news gets worse. The crime appears to be a murder-suicide. Jake was in a sleazy motel room with a 17-year-old boy, who he appears to have shot before then shooting himself. There was a naked photo of the kid in his pocket. Hung-over and still in shock, Rachel doesn’t believe it. The facts are damning, and even though no one really knew about his personal life, she just knows Jake can’t have done what they’re saying. Unfortunately, she’s warned off Jake’s case in no uncertain terms. Rather, she’s asked to take over one of the cases that Jake had been working on, that of the rape of affluent 15-year-old Susan Densmore. Rachel, with the help of her detective friend Bailey and a host of other allies, launches herself into both cases, constantly fearing she’s about to be fired for insubordination. “I took another sip of my drink and pondered what I could do on my own. Being a prosecutor, I was not, as they say, without resources.” True that.

It’s a strong debut, no doubt. Right from the opening, you just can’t help thinking as you read, “Wow, this woman really knows what she’s writing about!” So much of the novel has the ring of verisimilitude. It may be the greatest strength. Even so, this novel really wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s been described as a legal thriller, but truthfully, it was far more a police procedural. There wasn’t a single scene in a courtroom. Rather, Rachel was frequently out in the field, partnering Bailey, gun literally in hand, as they investigated the cases. She’s not a lawyer content to sit behind a desk while the cops do their job, and I have to wonder how realistic the depiction is. It’s not that it was unbelievable, but it was surprising. Either way, it’s fiction, and I was willing to go along for the ride.

Rachel Knight is a strong, likable protagonist. Ms. Clark has imbued her with enough idiosyncratic detail that she, too, has the ring of verisimilitude. For instance, Rachel’s obsessed with every calorie she puts in her mouth, unless it’s in an alcoholic beverage or eaten off someone else’s plate. While this is a stand alone novel, it’s easy to image that Rachel and the various supporting characters may be back in future novels. If so, Guilt by Association serves as a good introduction. The novel is not perfect. There were times when Clark told instead of showing. Another time Rachel took an unbelievably stupid risk. And the plot did suffer one big fictional cliché, but I can’t mention it without spoilers. Still, those are relatively minor complaints.

Clark keeps things moving along briskly, and while the pace never lags, about midway through things really pick up and stay up straight through the novel’s end. It’s a nice, tight, coherent plot with plenty of surprises and a satisfying conclusion. Looks like you’ve racked up another win, Ms. Clark.

Mailbox Monday: April at last! edition

So, this will shock you...  Lots of books in this week.  Happily, I'm also back on track with my reading.  :-)

The Frozen Sky
by Jeff Carlson
Release date:  1/15/2010
Source:  Purchased via Kindle

Jeff Carlson is awesome.  Who else could get away with an opening sentence like, "They ate Jorgensen first."  Best. First. Sentence. Ever.  (It opens his debut novel Plague Year.)  Never mind the fact that he wrote me in as a character in the sequel and nuked me off the planet.  (Bastard!  Why are authors always doing this to me?)  At 99 cents, this is a bargain.  I can't wait to read.

The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes and Other Tales of Adventure
by Warren Fahy
Release date:  3/16/2011
Source:  Purchased via Kindle

A week without Warren Fahy is a week without sunshine.  True fact.  And as this is another 99 cent bargain, how can I resist? 

Until Tuesday : A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him

by Luis Carlos Montalvan
Release date:  5/3/2011
Source:  Paper galley from publisher

That is the cutest dog of all time, but I'm so not reading this book.  It's just not my cup of tea.  This might go over well withsomeone in my book group, which is where I'll give it away--unless there's a rash of comments here asking to make it a Humpday Giveaway.

The Bridge to Never Land
by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Release date:  8/9/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

I've read enough of their Peter and the Starcatchers books to be comfortable (and excited about) reading this latest book that brings the tail into contemporary London.  Fun!

State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett
Release date:  6/7/2011
Source:  Paper galley via Amazon Vine program

I had not heard about this book until it was offered to me through Amazon.  The description sounds fantastic!  Like James Rollins meets... well, Ann Patchett.  I cannot wait to dive in!

Lowcountry Summer
by Dorthea Benton Frank
Release date:  6/15/10
Source:  Trade paperback from publisher

Last week's giveaway.

Crunch Time
by Diane Mott Davidson
Release date:  4/5/2011
Source:  Finished hardback from publisher

Spoiler alert... this week's giveaway.

Skinny
by Diana Spechler
Release date:  4/26/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

A book set at a weight loss camp narrated by one of the counselors.  Sounds interesting. 

The Book of Lies
by Mary Horlock
Release date:  7/19/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

Teen murders on Guernsey, with a tie to the present and a tie to the Nazi occupation.  What's not to like?

Dreams of Joy
by Lisa See
Release date:  5/31/2011
Source:  Paper galley via publisher

The sequel to Shanghai Girls, which I still have to read first.

The Peach Keeper
by Sarah Addison Allen
Release date:  3/29/2011
Source:  Purchased with Audible.com credit

It was okay, not great.  And I've already posted a review!

Skipped Parts
by Tim Sandlin
Release date:  1/22/1992
Source:  Kindle freebie

I read this novel years ago--which didn't stop me from getting sucked right back in when I foolishly opened it this evening.  I speed read it on one sitting.  If anything, it was better the second time around!  And guess what?  Fifteen years after the GroVont Trilogy ended he's got a new book, Lydia, returning to those beloved characters.  Check my review below.

13 Little Blue Envelopes
by Maureen Johnson
Release date:  8/23/2005
Source:  Kindle freebie

This YA novel got excellent reviews.  I will surely read it at some point when I am dreaming of travel--or actually traveling.

The Bond : Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them

by Wayne Pacelle
Release date:  4/5/2011
Source:  Finished hardback from publisher

Another possible giveaway for book group or here.  Anyone aching for a chance to win this book?  Let me know in the comments.

The Story of a Marriage
by Andrew Sean Greer
Release date: 4/29/2008
Source:  Purchased at Books, Inc.

I started to write the story of how Andy and I became friends, but it's too good of a story to wedge here.  I'll do a blog post this week.  The short version of this acquisition is that the nicely inscribed copy I'd acquired at BEA several years ago never made it back to SF, and I never read this book.  Seeing a lovely hardback copy remaindered at Books, Inc. last night, I had to purchase.  I love an excuse to support my local independent booksellers!  Independent booksellers are the best, and we should all support our local indies!

Books finished this week:

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson - I was almost done this one at the beginning of the week.

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen - It was light and short.

Skipped Parts by Tim Sandlin - This was an unplanned, speed re-read.

Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark - What else did I have to do this weekend?

Currently reading:

The Devil's Plaything by Matt Richtel (e galley - Kindle)

The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips (paper galley)

The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls (paper galley & e galley - Kindle)


So, a bookish week, all in all!  What books have you acquired this week?  What are you reading?  Let me know in the comments!

“There are some stories you keep to yourself.”

The Tiger's Wife
by Téa Obreht

I took my time reading The Tiger’s Wife, 25-year-old wunderkind Téa Obreht’s debut novel. It’s a book to be savored. Time and time again, people stopped to inquire about the title. To each, I would say, “It’s wonderful!” but I never talked about the plot. It defies easy summarization.

The first-person narrator of the novel is Natalia, a young doctor who is traveling across the border with a colleague. They are on a mission to immunize children in an orphanage. Well into the journey, Natalia calls home and learns that her beloved grandfather has passed away. It’s both shocking and unsurprising all at the same time; he was old and sick. But the most inexplicable detail of his death is that it took place far from home in a village no one has ever heard of. Supposedly, he was on his way to see Natalia. This is a lie.

Natalia’s story is a framing device for a deeper, richer tale. It’s the story of her relationship with her grandfather, also a physician, and how he passed his love of tigers along to her. It’s the story of how this improbable love came to be. Her grandfather’s tale telescopes to encompass the stories of both the Tiger’s Wife and the Deathless Man, each of whom he knew in the course of his long life. In turn, their tales telescope into the tales of butchers and apothecaries and bear hunters. These rich, magical, and fable-like stories lead from one character to another and sometimes interconnect in unexpected ways. And they are all a part of Natalia’s growing understanding of her grandfather.

The novel is set in a pair of unspecified Balkan countries, and the geopolitical history of the region is a major element, as war and its ramifications are significant influences on both Natalia’s and her grandfather’s lives. But alongside the harsh realism of war is the author’s use of magical realism derived from both her culture and her vast imagination. Obreht’s is a reality where wild animals roam free, where Death is an entity, and almost anything is believable. Her prose is magnificent, magical, and haunting.

I wrote above that I took my time with this book. I paused for reflection. I found myself thinking about life and death and Steven Galloway’s unforgettable depiction of war in The Cellist of Sarajevo. I considered Obreht’s literary influences. But more than anything else, I thought about my grandfather as I read this book. He’s been gone many years now, and my grandfather and Natalia’s bear little resemblance, but Obreht brought him back.

And to think, this is her immature work… What must she have in store for us?

Just peachy…

The Peach Keeper
by Sarah Addison Allen

I enjoyed Sarah Addison Allen’s debut novel, Garden Spells. For no particular reason, I haven’t managed to read any of her subsequent novels until this latest. And while I enjoyed this light romantic read, I must admit to having some complaints—which apparently puts me very much in the minority, if my fellow reviewers are any indication.

Set in fictional Walls of Water, North Carolina’s answer to Niagara Falls, The Peach Keeper is primarily the story of two women. The “have” of the story is Paxton Osgood, the perfectionist daughter of one of the town’s wealthiest families. The “have not” is Willa Jackson. Once upon a time, it was the Jackson family that was at the very crest of Walls of Water’s society, but that was generations ago. Their family lost their money, position, and ancestral home the year her grandmother was 17. Now, Willa leads a modest and fairly isolated life while running her sporting goods store. She’s an only child, her parents have passed away, and her grandmother has been lost to dementia for years.

Suddenly, though, there are a lot of events shaking up Willa’s staid life. The Osgood family has purchased the Blue Ridge Madam, the long-abandoned mansion of the Jackson family. They are turning it into a high-end inn, but first it will serve as the site of the Ladies Society’s 75th anniversary gala. The Society that was formed all those years ago by Pax and Willa’s grandmothers, best friends at the time. This upcoming event seems to be a catalyst for many events in the present, and also for unraveling long buried mysteries (and at least one skeleton) from the past.

In addition to the relationship between these two very different women, it is about their relationships with the men in their lives. As I mentioned above, it was light, romantic reading, and I enjoyed the novel in a superficial sort of way. The characters were likable and the prose readable. But the further I got into the novel, the more problems I had with plot contrivances. An example: of the two couples, I enjoyed the story of Paxton and Sebastian more, but the whole conflict of the potential relationship between these best friends comes down to an “is he or isn’t he” question. And all it would have taken to get past this conflict is just a tiny little bit of communication. Addison Allen presents opportunity after opportunity for these characters to clear the air. And they come right up against the moment of truth again and again—and they turn back. Some might call this narrative tension, but realistically, I have to call it a fairly naked plot contrivance. Any normal human beings would have hashed things out one way or another. When I really stop and think about it, my biggest problem is that in many instances, I didn't buy the motivations for the actions of the characters. This was equally true of Willa and Colin.

Neither the mystery from the past nor the fantastic elements scattered throughout the novel really went anywhere either. So in the end, this was a novel of relationships for me. And it was entertaining for a few hours. But I just can’t muster the enthusiasm to rave about this one.

McEuen’s ostentatious talent abundantly on display

Spiral
by Paul McEuen

Two of my very favorite things are auspicious debut novels and really smart techno-thrillers. Kudos to physicist Paul McEuen, Spiral is both. The novel opens with a gripping prologue set in March 1946 on a U.S. Navy ship in the South Pacific. World War II is over, but the Japanese have reserved one devastating weapon for their endgame.

In that prologue we are introduced to biologist Dr. Liam Connor, who saves not only the day, but perhaps the world. At 22, the Irishman is at the very beginning of a prodigious career. We next meet him 64 years later. Now the 86-year-old Nobel laureate is one of the most distinguished and beloved professors at Cornell. And he’s still vital as well, actively engaged in research that spans from his specialization in fungi to the very frontiers of nanotechnology.

“Though Liam was a biologist, he loved the wonderful precision of all this technology, the miniature landscapes of almost impossibly intricate detail that were created…Liam believed that a second wave was coming—one even bigger than the information revolution. When the technologies of the information age were applied to biology, life would become an engineering discipline. Using tools such as microfluidic labs-on-a-chip, PCR machines, and assemblers such as the Micro-Crawlers, you’d be able to make living cells the way you made computer chips, process DNA like so many ones and zeros. He was incredibly excited. He thought that in five years he’d be making fungi from scratch.”

Ah, doesn’t it make you want to grab a textbook! No? Maybe it’s just me. And, relax, I pulled a very technical quote because clearly I love that stuff. The novel is so very satisfyingly smart, but it’s also fully accessible to any lay reader. Dr. McEuen must be a pretty impressive lecturer himself, and he’s writing about a world and subjects he knows intimately.

Now, a lot of gee whiz science does not a thriller make. Thrillers require plot and pacing and character, and McEuen supplies them all in spades. I’m sorry, don’t get too attached to lovely Liam, as his death—well, murder—is the main catalyst of a plot that centers on his scientist granddaughter, Maggie, teaming up with Jake Sterling, the young nanotech expert who was Liam’s close associate. While at first they’re trying to understand why Liam appears to have killed himself, soon they’re unraveling clues Liam left from beyond the grave. Their path of discovery is engrossing, and the threat they uncover is terrifying.

I haven’t really told you much at all. Why should I? The pleasure is in the twists and turns along the way. The plot is there. The pacing is excellent. I flew through the novel in no time at all. And perhaps most impressive, all things considered, is McEuen’s deft touch with his characters. Not only does he do an excellent job fleshing out his central characters, he’s populated the novel with rich, colorful, and interesting secondary characters.

As I said, it’s a freakin’ auspicious debut!  I know that Dr. McEuen has a fairly heavy-duty day job as a physicist and professor.  I can only hope that he’s able to continue to carve out time for fiction.