Reviews

The Gilded Chalet by Padraig Rooney

Posted on by Jeff Grim / 0 Comment

I will be the first to admit that I am not one of the most well-read book readers. I know very little of great literature other than the books I had to read for school (such as The Scarlet Letter, Moby Dick, Great Expectations, etc). So, when The Gilded Chalet:Off-piste in Literary Switzerland by Padraig Rooney came in the mail, I was not sure what to think. Once I started reading the book, I grew to enjoy its excerpts from great Western writers and its history of those writers in Switzerland and the world.

From the publisher:

From Rousseau to the Romantics, from James Joyce to James Bond, from Conan Doyle to Le Carre, from Hemingway to Hesse to Highsmith – Switzerland inspired them all.

In the summer of 1816 paparazzi trained their telescopes on the goings on of poets Byron and Shelley – and their womenfolk – across Lake Geneva. Mary Shelley babysat and wrote Frankenstein. Byron dieted and penned The Prisoner of Chillon. His doctor, Polidori, was dreaming up The Vampyre. Together they put Switzerland on the map.

Switzerland has always provided a refuge for writers attracted to it as an escape from world wars, oppression, tuberculosis. or marriage. While often for Swiss writers from Rousseau to Bouvier the country was like a gilded prison or sanatorium. The Romantics, the utopians (Wells, D. H. Lawrence) and other spiritual seekers (Hesse), viewed Switzerland as a land of milk and honey, as nature’s paradise. In the twentieth century, spying in neutral Switzerland, spawned espionage and detective fiction from Conan Doyle to Maugham, Fleming, and Le Carre.

Padraig Rooney finds the rooms crammed with curios: lederhosen and Lepidoptera, spas and spies, fool’s gold and numbered accounts. Literary detective work and treasure chest, history and scandal, The Gilded Chalet will make you strap on your skis and come off-piste to find out the real Swiss story.

Rooney clearly knows his literature. He examines nearly two centuries of writers and their works and how those writers were influenced by their stays in Switzerland. It is a magnificent tribute to a country many only see as being a banking and holiday country, with a dash of international organizations.

I am fascinated to learn little things about the writers in the book. For instance, I had no idea that Lord Byron and Percy and Mary Shelley hung out together in Switzerland. They were quite close.  In fact, Mary Shelley’s stay near Lake Geneva greatly influenced her writing of Frankenstein.

Although Rooney has benefited from his stay in Switzerland (teaches English at International School Basel), he is not shy in criticizing it – everything from its Calvinist roots to its shady dealings with Nazi Germany to its international banking scandals. Rooney seamlessly weaves these criticisms in with his discussions of the various writers.

Reviews

Tracking the Beast by Henry Kisor

Posted on by Kevin Holtsberry / 1 Comment

I stumbled on Henry Kisor and his character Steve Martinez in Northern Minnesota while visiting my in-laws.  Which seems appropriate since the Steve Martinez novels are set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan which share much with its neighbor rural northern Minnesota.

Over a dozen years later and I am still reading Kisor (who retired from his role as the Chicago Sun-Times book editor and columnist to spend half the year in the UP) and he is still writing Steve Martinez novels.  The act of getting his books published has been a challenge but the stories continue to entertain.

The most recent novel, The Riddle of Billy Gibbs, came out in November but I wanted to get caught up by reviewing Tracking the Beast which I neglected when I read it last June.

Here is a plot teaser:

When the remains of three little girls turn up inside railroad hopper cars, Sheriff Steve Martinez faces a troublesome case, for the cars had sat for years on a siding deep inside his beloved Porcupine County. After Steve and his comrades do the spadework, the FBI moves in, thinking their Unsub is both rapist and murderer. But Steve believes the killer or killers instead hired someone to dispose of the bodies. With the help of lawmen of all kinds, including the Ontario Provincial Police, and even Detroit mobsters, Steve doggedly tracks the Beast.

What Kisor offers is a police procedural/mystery with an interesting hook and the people, history and culture of the Upper Peninsula as a setting and important background.

He uses the hook, in this case railroad hopper cars as a place to dispose of bodies, and turns it into an exploration of that world.  For this book that means trains and their enthusiasts or “foamers.”  But it also involves a tour of the coast of Lake Superior and the involvement of a number of law enforcement agencies state, local, national and international.

Kisor doesn’t offer fast paced thrillers or literary creations that explore the internal lives of their characters but intricately plotted and engaging mysteries that highlight a unique part of the country.  Even though Kisor is not a former police officer or detective, You get the sense that you understand law enforcement and crime solving better when you finish his books.  You understand what it takes to collect information, weigh clues, use your gut, and work together with others to find out what happened, as best you can, and compile the evidence needed to solve a crime.

You also get the perspective of the folks rarely on the mind of the so called coastal elites, those living in sparsely populated northern midwest. For Steve Martinez and his team, his longterm gal Ginny, and the other residents of Porcupine County the benefits of living in the UP outweigh the challenges.

Having gotten to know Steve and his world it is easy reading to slip back into that world and watch as he tackles the latest mystery (while juggling the politics of being a county sheriff not to mention a relationship).

In the minds of publishers Kisor may only be a regional mystery writer but I am glad he has continued to find a way to share his stories (more on that in the next review).  If you or someone you know enjoys police procedurals with a unique setting and style, I recommend Kisor’s Steve Martinez series.  As an added bonus, Kindle users can grab them for less than $4 each.

 

Reviews

Pharaoh by Wilbur Smith

Posted on by Jeff Grim / 4 Comments

As far as I am aware, there are not many historical fiction novels based in ancient Egypt. However, Wilbur Smith has made a name for himself in that era in a book series that follows the fictional Taita, advisor and general for different pharaohs. Smith’s latest novel in the series, Pharaoh, is the fifth book.

Here is a brief summary of the book from the publisher:

Pharaoh Tamose lies mortally wounded. The ancient city of Luxor is surrounded, All seems lost.

Taita, advisor to the Pharaoh, prepares for the enemy’s final, fatal push. The ex-slave, now general of Tamose’s armies, is never more ingenious than when all hope is dashed. And this is Egypt’s most desperate hour.

With the timely arrival of an old ally, the tide is turned and the Egyptian army feasts upon its retreating foe. But upon his victorious return to Luxor, Taita is seized and branded a traitor. Tamose is dead and a poisonous new era has begun. The new Pharaoh has risen — and he must be stopped…

The plot is intriguing. Smith portrays Pharaoh Utteric, Tamose’s son and heir, as an immature, insecure leader who is threatened by Taita’s power and wealth. He ruthlessly tries to eliminate Taita, but fails due to luck and incompetence. Although I am not sure of the historical accuracy (whether there was contact between Egypt and Sparta at this time), Smith expands the scope of the story to ancient Greece – specifically Sparta. This twist brings in new old characters – old in that they were in earlier stories, but fled to Sparta.

Although Taita is a demigod, Taita is kind of an annoying heroine. I only say this because he is extremely arrogant and seems to be always right (maybe I should expect this more from a demigod character). He is smarter, better looking, stronger than most of the other characters in the book (at least according to him – the book is narrated by Taita) – it gets a bit old.

Other than that, the book is great. The other characters, soon-to-be Pharaoh Rameses, his wife Serrena, King Hurotas (Serrena’s father), and many others are likable and have realistic qualities – including brashness and good leadership.

The story also is very engaging. Taita’s quest to oust Utteric and replace him with Ramses is compelling.

Smith’s latest book captivates the reader throughout.

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2016: My Year In Books

Posted on by Kevin Holtsberry / 0 Comment

Well, here we are in 2017.  Kicking the tires, perhaps quietly depending on how much champagne you had.  Getting our sea legs under us as they say. Nervously looking around at our favorite celebrities maybe.

But let’s take a quick look back at 2016 as it pertains to books.  My year in books as it were.  For this post I just want to take a high level look.  In a separate post I will get into favorite books of the year.

So the numbers from the above graphic: 82 books (the highest since I started tracking using Goodreads) and 20,620 pages.  Some not included:

More on my favorites from 2016 in another post.

What was your year in books?

Reviews

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Posted on by Jeff Grim / 0 Comment

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen, the last book in the Tearling trilogy, finishes the series with a bang and twist. It is just as good, maybe better, as the other two books in the series.

From the publisher:

In less than a year, Kelsea Glynn has transformed from a gawky teenager into a powerful monarch. As she has come into her own as the Queen of the Tearling, the headstrong, visionary leader has also transformed her realm. In her quest to end corruption and restore justice, she has made many enemies—including the evil Red Queen, her fiercest rival, who has set her armies against the Tear.

To protect her people from a devastating invasion, Kelsea did the unthinkable—she gave herself and her magical sapphires to her enemy—and named the Mace, the trusted head of her personal guards, regent in her place. But the Mace will not rest until he and his men rescue their sovereign, imprisoned in Mortmesne.

Mind-bending and awesome are the words that come to mind after reading this book. Mind-bending in the different turns that the book takes (it goes to very unexpected places) and awesome in finding out the fate of different characters and the events that led to their destination.

As she has in the previous books, Johansen liberally uses Kelsea’s ability to “see” into the past.  Johansen introduces us to Katie and the events that led to Jonathan Tear’s death (and how the Fetch and Row Finn played a part). Most of the holes from the past are filled in – such as, how the New World broke into different countries and how the Red Queen rose to power.

Character development is a big strength in the book. The Red Queen is made more human and frail. Her faults are highlighted, especially as the book progresses. The Mace is shown to be struggling with holding power and knowing what to do.

The biggest strength though is the twists. I do not want to go into too much detail, but Johansen surprises the reader toward the end of the book and then surprises the reader again in a bigger way at the end. I am not sure I like the ending, but I definitely did not see it coming.

It is 475 pages, but those pages fly by. It is a trite saying, but it is hard to put down.

Reviews

The Flame Bearer by Bernard Cornwell

Posted on by Jeff Grim / 0 Comment

Bernard Cornwell’s The Flame Bearer is the tenth book in the Saxon Tales series. It is as well-written as the previous nine books.

Here is a summary from the publisher:

Britain is in a state of uneasy peace. Northumbria’s Viking ruler, Sigtryggr, and Mercia’s Saxon Queen Aethelflaed have agreed a truce. And so England’s greatest warrior, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, at last has the chance to take back the home his traitorous uncle stole from him so many years ago—and which his scheming cousin still occupies.

But fate is inexorable and the enemies Uhtred has made and the oaths he has sworn combine to distract him from his dream of recapturing Bebbanburg. New enemies enter into the fight for England’s kingdoms: the redoubtable Constantin of Scotland seizes an opportunity for conquest and leads his armies south. Britain’s precarious peace threatens to turn into a war of annihilation.

But Uhtred is determined that nothing, neither the new enemies nor the old foes who combine against him, will keep him from his birth right. He is the Lord of Bebbanburg, but he will need all the skills he has learned in a lifetime of war to make his dream come true.

Throughout the series, Uhtred has been focused on getting Bebbanburg back. Despite this focus, for one reason or another Uhtred was never able to recapture it – whether from insufficient manpower or other more pressing threats. Finally, he has a real chance of taking it, but there is a catch.

Cornwell is considered either one of the greatest or the greatest male-centered historical novelists of today. He proves his mastery again by the character development, story line, and battle descriptions. Each book in the series seems to get better.

Cornwell captures the visceral nature of battle during the unification of England, but he does not do it in a gratuitous manner. He also thoroughly explains the different battle tactics.

Regarding the characters, I look forward to seeing how Cornwell deals with Uhtred’s age. In this book, Uhtred is in forties or fifties and he appears to be slowing down. Although Cornwell still has him leading from the front in the pivotal battles, I can’t imagine this can go on much longer – after all Uhtred is human, even if he is a great fighter. In fact, the believability of the books would be become less so if Uhtred continue to be a hard-charging fighter into his sixties – just not possible.

The Flame Bearer continues Cornwell’s excellent pedigree for writing.