The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The police of Manassus, Virginia, have their hands full. They are being forced to reopen a long-resolved (albeit sloppily processed) murder investigation as well as deal with a missing person. Are the two connected? It appears that the names that keep popping up in relation to both are those of Sarah Morgan, a high-profile criminal defense attorney turned non-profit founder, and her husband, Bob Miller, an attorney as well. As the two become more and more embroiled in their brutal divorce dispute, they both also become more and more connected to the investigation.

I defy anyone to claim they’ve figured this one out before all is revealed! There are more twists and turns in this novel than there are on the Amalfi Coastline! The vicious competition between Sarah and Bob over who will outsmart the other is the beating heart of the plot and with a rotating narration giving insight into their motives and frustrations, we think we will figure it out. But just when we believe we are onto them, the story is flipped on its head and we are given an entirely new perspective. It is an incredibly complex construction and it keeps us guessing until the finale.

Apparently, also, I did it again. I read this in the wrong order, as it is a sequel to The Perfect Marriage, which I didn’t realize. But it absolutely stands on its own and is a delightfully wicked read even without having the knowledge of the first book.

I highly recommend this novel – it’s the perfect escape!

Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Adam Gardner is rapidly approaching his 70th birthday, and he knows he will accomplish his life goal by then. Just wait until everyone sees what he will have discovered! It will make all of his many other achievements – and there have been a great many – seem small in comparison. He just has to adjust his meds so that he remains in this manic phase long enough to figure it all out…

Meanwhile, his children are continuing to experience the friction they’ve had between them since their youth. In spite of Ken having married his sister Abby’s best friend, Jen, they have yet to reconcile their very different values, their very different life goals. While Ken anticipates a huge financial deal that will situate him better for his run for congress, Abby is content with her quietly growing status as an artist.

At the same time, Steph, a Boston cop on vacation in Cape Cod, where the Gardners live full-time, is interested in getting to know them. Could this be her family?

With complex characters as well as a complex plot, this story is a winner – and not only because of all the Cape Cod references…! (Always appealing to me!) As Abby and Ken work toward the planned celebration of their father, Adam’s, 70th birthday, the tension builds and it is anyone’s guess how the event will play out. And it doesn’t disappoint, in my opinion. There are so many layers of conflict, so many issues needing to be resolved, and they all seem to be on a collision course.

I also feel that this is a thoughtful depiction of bipolar disorder and its ramifications. The author describes the allure of the mania so well: its intoxicating energy, the grandiose notions, the illusion of invincibility. There is also the fear of numbness, of coming down, and hitting rock bottom, which, as it says through Adam’s thoughts, can’t be described by the word “depression” alone. The narrative also reveals the impact the disease has had on Adam’s children: the fear of the swings, the not knowing which father they would be dealing with, and the abandonment they periodically experience. It is a complicated and painful disease that may impact those around the individual struggling with it.

I highly recommend this novel – it’s substantive, fun, and engaging. (And did I mention it takes place on Cape Cod?)

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Jess is exhausted. It is late and all she wants to do is get into her brother, Ben’s apartment so that she can get herself settled in this new city she’s arrived in. So why isn’t Ben answering his phone? Why isn’t he there to greet her, when she’s come all this way. Granted, she has not given him much notice – a sort of habit for her – but she knows he’d try to be there for her, to the extent he’s been. As she learns more and more about the apartment building he’s been living in for the past few months, and as she meets more of the characters who live there, it becomes more and more worrisome that she hasn’t been able to locate him…

This novel, while just a bit creepy, is also great fun. There are more plot twists here than in almost any other book I’ve read, and I dare anyone to say that they guessed the entirety of the final outcome! You’d think that since we hear what is going on in the minds of each of the characters, with the rotating narration, that we’d be able to figure out what has happened to Ben, but it is quite to the contrary. Rather, it builds the suspense and compounds the complexity of the plot. And each character is utterly complex, colorful and surprising.

This is not the great American novel, but it is absolutely worth the read! Allow yourself the fun!

Good Material by Dolly Alderton

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Out of nowhere, after a four-year relationship, Jen has broken up with Andy and Andy is devastated. Feeling blindsided, Andy obsessively tries to figure out why this happened, prodding his friends for clues, stalking Jen’s Instagram, even faking an identity with a therapist in order to see if she can figure out why this might have happened. He is truly and utterly lost. After repeatedly making bad decisions and floundering in his career, he slowly emerges from the depths. And when we finally hear Jen’s side of things, we begin to understand.

I almost didn’t make it through this book. Andy’s character is self-absorbed, indulgently obsessive, even adolescent, and his wallowing grows tedious. How many times can we watch him drink himself silly, make terrible decisions, and then question why he is failing? And while Andy is certainly kind, tolerant, and occasionally funny (he is a comedian, after all), he is also hopeless.

The only redeeming part of the book is when we hear Jen’s side, which comes ever so late. This is like a breath of fresh air, an adult is finally in the room. We are relieved.

You’re welcome: I just read this so you don’t have to!

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

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Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are friends and neighbors in the Cooper Chase Retirement Village. They have been meeting every Thursday when the Jigsaw room is available, not to work on puzzles, as one might suspect – rather, to solve murder mysteries. Elizabeth, their unofficial leader, has been gathering the group most recently to examine the evidence surrounding the recent murder of Tony Curran, a construction magnate who has demonstrated nefarious means of obtaining his financial goals. As the group work their sly magic, alongside (and sometimes even including) the police, they find that their mystery has broadened and become that much more complicated.

I actually chose to listen to this one from an audiobook, and so happy I did. There are so many great moments that are, I believe, made that much more comical with the dry, British-accented narration. This motley team of “investigators” are colorful and endearing, and while on in years, they are clever, aggressive, honorable, and are relentless in their pursuit of the truth. On the other hand, their experience has also taught them that life can be complicated, and they are able to show mercy, tenderness, and compassion when it is warranted.

This is absolutely a fun, suspenseful, and, occasionally hilarious read – and I highly recommend the audiobook.

(I have not seen the movie, but I have heard mixed reviews…)

The Dry by Jane Harper

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Aason Falk feels himself drawn, almost against his better judgement, to attending the funeral of his old high school buddy, Luke, back in his former, small farming town outside of Melbourne. He’s just learned that Luke, his wife and his older child were murdered in and around their home, and rumor has it that it was Luke himself who carried out this gruesome act. Sitting in the pews of the service, he senses many not-so-friendly eyes upon him, even though it’s been 20 years since he’s returned. The only sets of eyes that welcome him are those of his old friend, Gretchen, and Luke’s parents, the latter having been like parents to Falk himself when he was younger. When Luke’s father asks him to utilize his investigative experience to help the local police find out what really befell the family, Falk promises to assist in an unofficial capacity, immediately finding himself embroiled in the weeds of a sinister mystery.

This is a classic crime fiction novel, replete with a main character saddled with a colored past, reluctant involvement in the investigation, and a twisty, sad, and complicated -even dangerous – path to the truth. There are small town politics, with the stereotypic town bully placed at the center of the conflict. Yet despite these common tropes, the novel still manages to be both surprising and entertaining.

If you’re looking for a quick read that will keep you guessing, this is the one for you!

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

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Sam Spade, a hard-driving detective in San Francisco in the late 1920’s, is approached by a beautiful young woman, appearing deathly afraid of men pursuing her. She begged for either Sam or his associate to shadow her, and within hours Sam’s associate was murdered. Thus begins Sam’s journey through a maze of shady characters, suspicious dealings and double crossings, all over a valuable statuette.

This novel, made into a well-known movie with Humphrey Bogart, was likely considered good in its time, but has not aged well. The careless treatment of the women and the stereotypical homophobic comments by the obnoxiously “macho” men in the story were impossible to dismiss. Moreover, the story itself was as melodromatic and corny as they come.

I often like to include some of the older classics in my reading – just wondering how this rose to being considered among those!

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

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Sybil, at the age of 73, is struggling to come to terms with her life. She is living alone in Annapolis, her days busy with gardening, walks along the river, and the writing of letters to family, friends, politicians and writers, just as she has since the age of 9. But with her gradually diminishing vision and her fractured relationships, these activities are becoming more challenging. When circumstances, which include threats from an aggrieved victim of a long-ago judgement, a gift from her son of a DNA test kit, and the terminal illness of her ex-husband, force her to more actively confront her past, she sees that she must come to terms with both her accomplishments and her failures, and seek resolution for her future.

This is a thoroughly engaging story, told entirely via correspondence, both letters and emails. The tone of the letters is both revelatory and entertaining, as Sybil’s honesty, wit and intelligence shine through. While she is a strongly-opinionated and brilliant woman, she also shows compassion for those less fortunate, knowing that she has her own shortcomings, her own awkwardness.

The relationship between her and her friend’s son, Harry, is most moving. Harry is an autistic youth who has painful social interactions, is tortured by his fellow classmates, and has occasional outbursts. But he is also brilliant and compassionate in his own way, as we see in his curiosity about Sybil and her life. Because his father works so much (and minimizes his challenges) and his mother struggles with mental illness, he really has no other outlet than his letters to Sybil. They develop a unique closeness – deeply understanding each other and showing a beautiful allegiance to each other.

This is a gorgeous multi-layered narrative, told in a most creative and endearing way. A MUST READ for sure!

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Theo has just arrived in the small town of Golden, where, in the popular coffee shop near his hotel, he discovers the most beautiful portraits on all the walls. He is utterly intrigued, feels he can almost see each personality behind the faces drawn there. Seeing that each one is priced so reasonably, he is inspired to take on a project of bestowals – of ensuring that each incredible portrait returns either to the subject or to a loved one who’ll appreciate it. And with each bestowal, he becomes more familiar, more integrated into the lovely community around him.

Many, I imagine, will find this story incredibly sweet. And it is. Theo is a lovable character, whose kindness, humility and quiet wisdom sets him apart. He is generous in an unassuming way, not seeking praise for his gifts, just wanting to do for others because he derives joy from the giving. It is also his way of connecting with others in the town, hearing their stories, and providing solace and encouragement in return. And these characters are colorful and diverse.

What niggled at me throughout the story, however, was that Theo’s character was just too perfect. He always had the perfect response to a challenge, always had an insightful, kind thing to say. I suppose there is the chance that when I reach Theo’s age of 86, I’ll always know just what to say and when to say it. But I believe it is much more likely that I will continue to have those frequent moments when, 3-4 hours after a conversation, I will think of just the right way to have said something (as I do now).

I also was bothered that while Theo installed himself in a quaint little Southern town, if he were truly as famous as he turned out to be, someone would’ve recognized him and not been as shocked to learn his true identity. He interacted with folks who were cultured, educated, and sophisticated – how could they not have known who he was???

So while this is a sweet tale, it is just a bit too sweet, a bit too perfect. Poetic license can only go so far, at least in my opinion.

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Zoe has always been the outgoing sister, the one for whom social situations have been easy to navigate. On the other hand, Cassie, with her shy awkwardness, her larger body, and without the beauty that nature seems to have bestowed upon her sister, human interaction has always been a challenge. And for most of their formative years, Zoe has been protective of Cassie, admonishing those who insulted her, including her against others’ wishes. But there is one thing Cassie has that Zoe doesn’t – that innate musical gift, that magical voice. When Zoe enters a local battle of the bands, she knows that having Cassie by her side will virtually guarantee her a win – and this is where they begin their journey together. For better or worse…

This is an incredibly moving story, not only about the sisters’ meteoric rise to fame and sudden crash, but also about love and trust and what can become blinding drive for notoriety. It is told from the perspective of both sisters as well as from Zoe’s daughter. It is also told in 3 different time periods. While this might seem confusing, it is not – rather, it is an effective means of building suspense up to the point of discovery of exactly what has fractured the sisters’ relationship, the band disaster, and Cassie’s subsequent self-isolation.

This is also a poignant depiction of how size discrimination can impact one’s entire self-perception. While Cassie is likely autistic, her discomfort with social interactions is hugely magnified because of bitter memories of the many children who picked on and alienated her because of her size. Years later, it is perpetuated by those in the music business, as she is constantly compared to (and compares herself to) her thin, beautiful sister. For example, while her sister is provided with hundreds of wardrobe options, she is given one or two, always black, always ugly – merely efforts to make her appear smaller, disappear. What she can’t see is how inspirational she is to so many girls throughout the country who can identify with her and her challenges.

I worried that this would be a too-light book, a bit of fluff that would not be meaningful. I was quite wrong: it brought me to tears by the end.

I hope their story moves you too, the way it moved me.