In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1) by Tana French

“They are running into legend, into sleepover stories and nightmares parents never hear. Down the faint lost paths you would never find alone, skidding round the tumbled stone walls, they stream calls and shoelaces behind them like comet-trails.” pg 14, ebook.

Rob Ryan is a detective in the Dublin Murder Squad. He has a curious past, being the only survivor of a strange afternoon in the woods. Rob and two of his friends went into the woods, but only he emerged. His memories of that time are a blank. It may be that his subconscious prefers it that way.

“Obviously, I have always wished I could remember what happened in that wood. The very few people who know about the whole Knocknaree thing invariably suggest, sooner or later, that I should try hypnotic regression… I worry that I might come out of hypnosis with that sugar-high glaze of self-satisfied enlightenment, like a seventeen-year-old who’s just discovered Kerouac, and start proselytizing strangers in pubs.” pg 35, ebook

Fast forward twenty years, a child’s body is found in the same town, Knocknaree, where Rob lived when he was a child. Could the two cases be related?

“This is what I read in the file, the day after I made detective. I will come back to this story again and again, in any number of different ways. A poor thing, possibly, but mine own: this is the only story in the world that nobody but me will ever be able to tell.” pg 15, ebook

I loved the unfolding of both of these stories. Tana French was able to build tension through the slow reveal and she kept me guessing. Rob was the quintessential unreliable narrator and likable (for the most part). He made some bone-headed decisions that I didn’t agree with, but the reader always knew why he was making them.

Rob’s partner, Cassie, was my favorite character in the story. She’s the only woman on the Dublin Murder Squad and loyal to a fault. Cassie also has some dark secrets in her past. She and Rob complement each other perfectly.

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“When we went into work the next morning we were friends. It really as simple as that: we planted seeds without thinking, and woke up to our own private beanstalk.” pg 30, ebook

I also loved the layers of this story. There’s the relationship between Cassie and Rob, their relationship to the rest of the squad, Rob’s memories, Cassie’s backstory, the two cases, and the reactions of everyone around them.

“Now death is un-cool, old-fashioned. To my mind the defining characteristic of our era is spin, everything tailored to vanishing point by market research, brands and bands manufactured to precise specifications; we are so used to things transmuting into whatever we would like them to be that it comes as a profound outrage to encounter death, stubbornly unspinnable, only and immutably itself.” pg 57, ebook

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Recommended for readers who enjoy mysteries and not-so-scary thrillers. I’m definitely picking up the next book in this series.

For any readers who enjoy page to screen viewing, the show adaptation of this book and its sequel called “Dublin Murders” was pretty well done.

Thanks for reading!

Mary B: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice by Katherine J. Chen

Mary B is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice (before and after the original story) from Mary Bennet’s point of view. It is well written and unique… and probably will be hated by any serious “Austenites”.

Katherine Chen takes major characters and adds to their stories in ways that were difficult to swallow. In that way, it reminded me of Longbourn. And I’m not even what you would call an Austenite.

“It was therefore acknowledged, long before my younger sisters and I had any say in the matter, that beauty, goodness, and intelligence had disproportionately concentrated themselves in the two eldest and gone woefully amiss the three following; namely, that I had been touched with a plainness in appearance unrivaled throughout the whole country…” pgs 3-4

Mary Bennet is the forgotten middle child of the Bennet family. Her two older sisters, Jane and Elizabeth, are the main focus of Pride and Prejudice and her younger two sisters, Kitty and Lydia, create scandal and mayhem almost wherever they go.

Mary just wants to play piano and relax quietly with her own thoughts. She doesn’t get to do that often between her sisters and her ever-worrying mother.

“I wonder sometimes that Mary is so plain and what, in consequence, will become of her!” pg 12

Readers can empathize with her love of books and writing. But Mary has also weaponized these things, using them to keep the world that has rejected her at arm’s length, so that it cannot hurt her even more. Or so she thinks.

… the act of reading is a silent rebellion. To read in the presence of company is a most convenient excuse for not partaking in conversation. The book is a better tool than the piano in this regard. pg 21

In addition to an excuse not to mingle, Mary uses reading to escape her carefully restricted world and its expectations of beauty, wit and submissiveness.

“But there is pleasure, is there not, Mr. Collins, unrivaled by any other feeling in the world, to reach the last page of a book and know that you have lived in it, that you have stood witness to the performance of momentous deeds at the hands of extraordinary personalities?” pg 33

Most of Mary B is actually rather sad. Because of her looks and circumstances, Mary has very little say in what happens to her or what goes on around her. In small ways, she pushes back. This book has made me appreciate, as a modern woman, how much gender equality has advanced.

Not that everything is perfect. But at least I can own property now, hold a job and make decisions that affect my own life.

“So you see, dear cousin, the lesson to be learned from this is that one should never settle in life for what others may think is best and right for you. There is always the larger and more delicious fruit hanging from a higher branch, just out of your grasp, and which might easily be yours, if someone would only lend you the ladder to reach it.” pgs 66-67

Surprisingly, I found myself feeling some pity for the generally despised Mr. Collins. But the way Chen alters the fate of Mr. Darcy was not my favorite change. The ending of this book, in fact, was what lessened my enjoyment of it.

Prior to the ending, I was thinking highly of the book. It finally gives Mary Bennet a story and a moment in the limelight. I think she deserves that considering the way she was treated, or almost completely ignored, in the other story.

“The fewer Mary Bennets there are in the world, the better. They add no beauty to their surroundings and will all grow up to be ugly old maids, living on the charity of their families.” pg 71

Recommended for readers who like books that are written in the style of Jane Austen and who can also bear new major story arcs to beloved characters. They may not be so beloved after this book.

Thanks for reading!

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” is a contemporary fictional story about a book shop owner and how he handles the unexpected twists and turns that life has in store for him. If you are a reader who enjoys mulling over and applying what you read to your real life, you may really like this book. The main characters are all about that — learning lessons from books.

“Her mother likes to say that novels have ruined Amelia for real men. This observation insults Amelia because it implies that she only reads books with classically romantic heroes. She does not mind the occasional novel with a romantic hero but her reading tastes are far more varied than that.” pg 12, ebook.

There’s some romance, some mystery, some heart break in this tale. There’s also fantastic book analysis of classic works written by the character A.J. Fikry that add dimension to the story as it unfolds. It is through these mini book reviews (and his actions) that the reader gets to know A.J., who is otherwise a rather introverted and sometimes curmudgeonly character.

“Despite the fact that he loves books and owns a bookstore, A.J. does not particularly care for writers. He finds them to be unkempt, narcissistic, silly and generally unpleasant people. He tries to avoid meeting the ones who’ve written books he loves for fear that they will ruin their books for him.” pg 39, ebook.

But he’s not unpleasant to the extent that I didn’t like him. In fact, A.J. was my favorite character. I felt like he lashed out at people or kept them at a distance because he was hurting. I think at one point or another in our lives, we’ve all been there.

“So it’s basically like a book party.” “Yeah, sure.” Lambiase has never been to a book party. “I hate book parties,” A.J. says. “But you run the bookstore,” Lambiase says. “It’s a problem,” A.J. admits. pgs 74-75, ebook

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There’s plenty of relate-able moments in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. The characters feel real with all of their imperfections and dreams.

The thing is, though, sometimes people tell you you’re on one kind of trip, but it turns out to be another kind of trip, you know what I mean? I just want to know what kind of trip I’m on. Are we going to see topiaries, or are we going to see something else? Maybe that lady friend of yours, say? pg 118, ebook.

The trip this story takes you on is unexpected, very much like life. Who know where we’re all headed and what we’re going to do along the way. But, at the very least, I hope we all get to read as much enjoyable fiction as we want to before the trip ends.

Recommended for readers who enjoy contemporary fiction and book clubs.

Have you heard they’re making this into a film?

Thanks for reading!

Ghost Story (The Dresden Files, #13) by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden, wizard for hire, is dead. And he still has to save the world by discovering his killer. How is that fair?

Maybe I was dead, but I was sure as hell not ready to go. I had to make sure the people who’d helped me take on the Red King were taken care of. pgs 32-33

He quickly discovers that magic and dead people don’t mix. Now, instead of taking on god-like enemies with the backing of the Winter Queen, he can’t even pass through thresholds without permission.

It’s frustrating for both Harry and the reader. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed reading about Harry blowing stuff up until he couldn’t do it anymore.

One of the things a lot of people don’t understand about magic is that the rules of how it works aren’t hard-and-fast; they’re fluid, changing with time, with the seasons, with location, and with the intent of a practitioner. pg 179. And if you’re alive or dead.

We spend a lot of time in Harry’s mind and memory in Ghost Story and less time in action. Frankly, it’s not as much fun as the other books in the series.

“You have entered a new world. Your old life is no more. You cannot be a part of it any longer. The wide universe stretches before you.” pg 185

I also didn’t realize how much I enjoyed the give-and-take of the characters in this series until the main character couldn’t interact with most of them anymore.

Ghosts who weren’t supermighty manifested all the time. It wasn’t a question of raw power, and it never had been — it was a matter of desire. You just had to be crazy enough to make it happen.” pg 550

That being said, the ending of this book was strangely satisfying. And I cried at the part with Mouse. Overall, I’m glad I read it, but I’m not of the opinion that it was the best in the series.

I would have already started on the next book but there’s a wait list for the digital copy. Library user problems, sigh.

Thanks for reading!

Circuit of Heaven by Dennis Danvers

“Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are. And thou sayest, How doth God know? Can he judge through the dark cloud? Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.”pg 14

Humanity has created a computer program that can contain a person’s soul within its code. The programmers have made a new world — one without disease, violence or hunger, where those who leave their bodies behind and enter it, can live forever.

Prior to this breakthrough, programmers learned how to implant portions of people’s personalities into biological bodies, to work as laborers and earn money for the ultimate project of building the new paradise. They called these creations, “constructs”.

Not everyone, including some leftover constructs, have chosen to take advantage of this “heaven” and entered the program. Religious fundamentalists and those who have other objections to entering have remained behind. However, society has broken down without the leaders, who entered the program along with billions of other souls. Food is hard to come by and wild packs of dogs roam the streets.

Nemo, for reasons he can’t totally explain even to himself, has chosen not to enter the program (commonly called ‘the Bin’) to be with his parents. But on a recent visit, he meets a beautiful woman and his life will never be the same.

Justine is a recent arrival to the Bin. But her memories are confused and she can’t remember where she has been for the past few weeks. Is it a programming error or indicative of a bigger problem with the Bin itself?

There were scare stories about people going into the Bin and breaking up like a virtual in a thunderstorm, that there were flaws in the crystalline structure of the Bin, and you could find yourself in nightmarish worlds that made no sense, completely alone.” pgs 12-13

I enjoyed the science fiction portions of this story and contemplating the power that humanity could one day potentially wield over life and death. With computers advancing the way they are, it’s not too hard to imagine that someone someday will figure out how to code a personality or soul. And that raises a whole host of other questions, doesn’t it.

What about the psychological effects of everything you could ever want being available at the touch of a button? What does it mean when a mother can program herself to look younger than her children? And what about children in a world without death? Should babies be uploaded immediately into the Bin or programmed from pure code without ever having existed in the real world?

The dilemmas go on and on. Beyond considering the hypothetical moral questions, I had a few problems with this book.

The characterizations were weak. A few of the major plot twists were clear well before they happened. But there was one, a big one, that I didn’t expect and it was pretty messed up. Then, the characters just seemed to get over it and move on. They had a few conversations and that was that. To be honest, it took me awhile longer. (No spoilers, but if you read this one, I’m certain you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.)

Then the ending, when it came, was too rushed, which was rather a shame. So, that’s why I gave this a middling review. The premise was fantastic. Then it devolved into a so-so science fiction.

Thanks for reading!

Dead Letters by Caite Dolan-Leach

Dead Letters is a mystery and psychological thriller about a dysfunctional family and two unhealthily entwined twins. It is also about how relationships with those closest to us can be an unending source of unhappiness, if that is what we choose.

Ava has felt stifled by her family. Her mother has dementia, her father left them to start another family and conflict with her twin sister, Zelda, has dominated her existence. She now lives in Paris, when she receives an unexpected email from her mother… Zelda is dead.

The whole thing was so very Zelda. Too Zelda. When I finally reached my mother on the phone, she slurrily told me that the barn had caught fire with Zelda trapped inside. pg 8

From the very beginning, Ava has her doubts about Zelda’s “accidental” death. Then, when the police reveal evidence that points towards a murder, things begin to spiral out of control.

Adding to the confusion, Ava and Zelda are/were identical. The whole community confuses one sister for the other. Even their own mother, whose mind is slipping away, calls Ava by her dead sister’s name.

Alcohol contributes its own fog to this story as Ava deals with her childhood demons while tangling with some new ones.

Not wanting to acknowledge consciousness in that desperate, dry-mouthed morning-after horror, I’m eventually forced to crack open my eyes. Jolted awake in suddenly sober distress, I blink owlishly and struggle to open my exhausted, quivering eyes, which are agonizingly dry, filched of liquid. … I should quit drinking, I reflect. It’s not the first time I’ve had this thought. pg 170

And, of course, there’s the highschool sweetheart hanging around and the relationship that ended very badly, as if Ava doesn’t have enough going on.

The mystery of this story isn’t all that mysterious, but the characters and the slow unwinding of the past are superb. I read this book almost in one sitting the day before Thanksgiving and it made me appreciate my own fairly-functional family much more.

Our mother had started her mimosas somewhat earlier, and I knew from her glassy eyes and gingery steps that Nadine was approaching the danger zone, the state between mildly and mindlessly drunk wherein she could marshal enough sobriety to do real damage but was uninhibited enough to not care how much damage was inflicted. pg 116

We can’t control what’s happened to us in the past, but moving forward, our lives are what we make of them. Look at the stories you tell yourself and examine why you do the things you do. You wouldn’t want, like the characters in this tale, to be controlled by incessant competition, booze or your weight on a scale, would you?

Caite Dolan-Leach doesn’t turn over every stone, leaving some of the characters’ pasts foggy. But she leaves hints everywhere and allows readers to fill in the blanks.

A criticism: some of the twists in the story are too perfectly orchestrated, and I doubted that such things would be possible, even with intricate planning and if you knew someone as well as you know yourself.

I’ll certainly have plenty to talk about at book club tonight. It was a good pick and I’d recommend it for other groups who read psychological thrillers. There’s a lot to unpack: the family dynamic, mystery, thrills, romance, layered characters and alcohol, so much alcohol.

Thanks for reading!

Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) by Jim Butcher

Changes was, in my opinion, the best of The Dresden Files so far. We have Harry with his usual hang-ups but the problem is more thorny than anything he’s faced so far. Susan Rodriguez, an old flame who’s been turned into a half-vampire, kept a major secret. Now Harry’s enemies know it and they’re out for revenge.

… I could feel the emotions that were stirring somewhere deep inside me, gathering power like a storm far out to sea. I couldn’t see them. I could only feel their effects, but it was enough to know that whatever was rising inside me was potent. Violent. Dangerous. pg 19, ebook

Because of the nature of the secret, Harry is going to need to call in all the favors he’s owed. And, maybe, make a few bargains he’d rather not make.

The man once wrote: Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger. Tolkien had that one mostly right. I stepped forward, let the door bang closed, and snarled, “F*ck subtle.” pg 46

In the past few books, Harry has become more powerful but also has more responsibilities. What will happen to his apprentice Molly if he goes off the deep end? There’s also Mister, Mouse and Bob to consider.

So we do what a good wizard always does when the odds are stacked up against us: We cheat. pg 95, ebook

Readers are treated to more information about Harry’s murky past and a cliffhanger of an ending that will have you immediately reaching for the next book. Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy. I loved it.

Thanks for reading!

Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, #11) by Jim Butcher

For once, Harry Dresden was minding his own business when trouble showed up at his doorstep. Morgan, one of the wardens of the White Council who has hounded Harry for nearly his entire life, needs saving… from the wardens of the White Council. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Why would Harry stick his neck out for one of the few men on the planet who has never liked him?

“Because Morgan wouldn’t break the Laws of Magic,” I said quietly. “Not even if it cost him his life.” pg 19, ebook.

Something strange is going on and, as usual, Harry’s going to get to the bottom of it. But, this time, the solution comes at great personal cost and Harry’s life may never be the same.

Excellent entry in the Dresden Files which, despite concerns that after 11 books it may have become repetitive or go off the rails, continues to impress. Jim Butcher seems to have found a sweet spot between bringing in old characters and plot lines while introducing new twists. It is an urban fantasy reader’s treat.

There are bad things in the world. There’s no getting away from that. But that doesn’t mean nothing can be done about them. You can’t abandon life just because it’s scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt.” pg 45, ebook.

The lines between good and evil are truly becoming blurred as the White Council continues to be assaulted from the outside. As a reader, I thought of the wizards of the highest council as unassailable gods, but in Turn Coat, they are revealed to be as human as the next person. They can be confused, manipulated and used for other ends.

Harry’s sardonic humor is in evidence throughout this tale, delivering his one-liners with his usual flair: “They always have good coffee here,” Ebenezar said a few moments later. “And they don’t call it funny names,” I said. “It’s just coffee. Not frappalattegrandechino.” pg 138

But as the story lines get darker, I can’t help but wonder how much more Harry can take before he snaps. Or the bad guys finally win the day.

“Everyone dies, honey,” I said, very quietly. “Everyone. There’s no ‘if.’ There’s only ‘when.’… When you die, do you want to feel ashamed of what you’ve done with your life? Feel ashamed of what your life meant?” pg 338, ebook.

Highly recommended for fantasy fans.

Thanks for reading!

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti Ekeopara Zuzu Dambu Kaipka of Namib is from a small tribe on Earth. They have the ability to use mathematics to create instruments called astrolabes that can read and interact with the energy of the universe. These astrolabes can be used for purposes ranging from a simple “phone call” to interpreting a person’s future.

Even among her people, Binti is extremely talented in this art. She is a mathematical genius who contemplates complex equations to enter a flow state. She is also the first from her tribe to be accepted at Oomza University.

I was the only Himba on the ship, out of nearly five hundred passengers. My tribe is obsessed with innovation and technology, but it is small and private, and, as I said, we don’t like to leave Earth. We prefer to explore the universe by traveling inward, as opposed to outward. pg 21

Can she leave everything and everyone she’s ever known or loved to go to the university?

Binti is a science fiction novella with an extraordinarily unique premise and world. But I felt it was complex enough that it would have been more enjoyable as a full length novel. I wanted to know more: about the Meduse, the astrolabes, the meditative “treeing” or mathematical contemplation.

“My people are the creators and builders of astrolabes,” I said. “We use math to create the currents within them. The best of us have the gift to bring harmony so delicious that we can make atoms caress each other like lovers.” pg 62

Perhaps that’s not fair of me, to expect more out of a novella rather than appreciate it for what it is. I mean, Binti is a Hugo and Nebula award winner. There is something almost magical about it. I could see this becoming an extraordinary science fiction series of books or even a television show.

Highly recommended for readers who appreciate science fiction short stories, which (apparently) isn’t my thing.

Thanks for reading!

The Help Desk Book Blog

Sharing reviews and deep thoughts about life.

Category: Fiction

In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1) by Tana French

Mary B: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice by Katherine J. Chen

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Ghost Story (The Dresden Files, #13) by Jim Butcher

Circuit of Heaven by Dennis Danvers

Dead Letters by Caite Dolan-Leach

Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) by Jim Butcher

Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, #11) by Jim Butcher

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

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