Secret Daughter

This is a story about stark contrasts. We meet two families whose every day lives could not be more different. One family is struggling to escape the overwhelming poverty in India, and the other is a married couple in America-- both doctors, one Caucasian, one Indian -- who are unable to conceive a child.

Gowda gives us a window into India -- a country and culture  practically defined by contrasts. The fabulous luxury of the rich versus the crushing and endless poverty of the poor. The murder of female babies versus the three-day celebration of the birth of a baby boy. Add to this the contrast between the life of a woman in India who gave birth to an unwanted baby girl and the Stanford-educated couple who are unable to conceive and you may wonder how these families are at all similar.

Their life experiences intersect through the power of maternal love and the inevitable heartache and joy that comes with it. Add the pretty significant wrinkle of adoption and you get the stories of Kavita and Jasu in India and Somer and Krishnan in California.

I appreciated the insight into the Indian culture -- seeing American culture from the Indian perspective was eye-opening in itself -- but I also gained insight into the emotional toll of adoption and (surprising to me, anyway) the aftermath of adoption.

Given the above, I might have given it 4 stars except that the writing was just average.

Double Indemnity

Greed. Lust. Betrayal. Twists. Suspense. This thriller has it all.

I read this to fill a reading challenge category "Seen the Movie but Haven't Read the Book". I am so glad I chose this one. The 1944 classic film noir with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck is one of my favorites. It's one of those I'll stop and watch whenever I come across it.  So I was pleased and not at all surprised to find that this, the basis for that movie, is better, darker and "twistier" than even that great film. And that's saying something.

I recently read Farewell, My Lovely the basis for another film noir of 1944 by Raymond Chandler, featuring hard-boiled detective Philip Marlowe. Maybe a one-to-one comparison isn't quite fair, as James M. Cain's works are more about what drives people to do the dark deeds that they do rather than the detective experience, but I come down squarely in the Cain camp.

Mildred Pierce and The Postman Always Rings Twice -- here I come.

A Traitor to Memory (Inspector Lynley)

Why oh why did I mentally promise to read all the books in this series? The series has such potential. Sir Thomas Lynley, Eighth Earl of Asherton juxtaposed with blue collar Barbara Havers provides tension and opportunity for demonstrating how each one's background affects how they view and interact with homicide suspects. The back story of these main characters also lends depth to each of these murder mysteries. I lost patience with the pouty Lady Helen, Lynley's true love, early on, but as she is relegated for the most part to scenes that have nothing to do with the plot I decided to tolerate her.

As to this particular installment, where do I begin? The story of miserable people in a variety of miserable situations is dragged out for more than 1000 pages. The ending was unlikely at best and illogical at worst. I did not like it.

But will I continue to read this series? Probably. Hopefully the next one will be better.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

As noted by the author himself in the acknowledgements, this is a hard book to explain. It is the story of Frankie Presto, guitar virtuoso, from his birth to his death as narrated by Music. Music, the entity itself, is the narrator. Music walks us through Frankie's life in a Forrest Gump-like saga in which he meets and interacts with famous musicians ranging from Duke Ellington to Elvis to Burt Bachrach to Paul Stanley (KISS, for those of you who don't recognize this name). This means that this book is particularly well-suited to an audio-read, as these various artists (or in some cases their bandmates) are heard relating their memories of Frankie.

We see how Music has the power to transform lives, bring great joy and (sometimes at the same time) bring tears to our eyes. But in this story there is a mystical, truly magical aspect to the strings of Frankie's guitar. If you believe in the spiritual power of music, you'll enjoy this book.

Death at La Fenice (Commissario Brunetti, #1) by Donna Leon

For a mystery buff like me, this warrants an addition to my ever-growing list of mystery series I'd like to read. Interesting characters -- enough to support a series. 

I realized the solution just before it was revealed -- that's not necessarily a bad thing. All in all, a nice read and an admirable effort for a debut.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

This book is the reason I am such a fan of historical fiction. I've always been curious about Paris salons of the 1920s, and McLain's account of the love story of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson, takes us into the world of the hard-drinking, fast-living American artists who emigrated to Europe in the decades between the two World Wars. But more than that, we become the confidant of Hadley as she describes what it's like to fall for and love the charismatic Hemingway.  Throroughly enjoyed.

The Fortune of the Rougons by Emile Zola

If you're interested in learning a little something about the political and social climate in France in the years after the French Revolution of 1789 this is probably a good choice. I learned that this is the first in a series of twenty (20!!!!) books by [author:Émile Zola|4750] about the Rougon-Macquart family. This first volume introduces the reader to this delightful clan and establishes the reasons for the jealousies and bitterness that (I assume) carry on through the rest of the series.

On the up side, Zola succeeds in giving what appears to be an accurate picture of the fear and instability that existed in France after the Revolution. Not surprisingly, there was a power vacuum which was ultimately  and famously filled by Napoleon and the establishment of the French Empire. But in the interim there was plenty of back-stabbing and power-grabbing. And that's where the Rougon-Macquart family comes in.

The rest of the series might have been a candidate for my "to-read" list except that these people are, almost without exception, among the most greedy, grasping, corrupt and altogether unattractive bunch I've ever encountered via the written word. So I really can't imagine sticking with this series.

But for you history buffs and Francophiles -- this might be the series you've been looking for.

The Dead Duke His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse

Did the 5th Duke of Portland, noted for his eccentricity and reclusiveness, establish a second identity, that of T.C. Druce, prominent merchant in Edwardian London, and live two separate lives? That is the claim of Anna Maria Druce, who says that her deceased father-in-law was in reality the Duke and that T.C. Druce's death in 1864 was faked by the Duke as he had tired of the charade. If Druce's claim is true, the vast fortune that passed to a distant cousin of the Duke upon his death in 1879 properly belongs to Anna Maria's son as a direct descendant of the Duke.

This complicated true story of secret identities, mistresses, offspring both legitimate and illegitimate comes complete with secret passageways, court room drama and even a mysterious "Veiled Lady".

The author, [author:Piu Marie Eatwell|7259236] conducted meticulous research using newspapers, court documents and where possible personal correspondence in an attempt to discover the truth behind the many and various claims about the Duke, the Druce family and the fortune that hung in the balance. The result is an entertaining and informative expose of Edwardian England and the prejudices, hypocrisy and chicanery that impacted the lives of everyone -- from Dukes to scullery maids.

The Doppelganger Deaths by Edmund Glasby

Detective Inspector Gregory Vaughn and his right-hand man, Detective Sergeant Paul Tyler are faced with a series of gruesome murder scenes, each of which features a beautifully crafted, but decidedly creepy, porcelain doll.
What could have been a standard procedural crime mystery is improved by the originality of the motivation of the killer, and by the fact that Tyler is a true partner in solving the crime.instead of the stereotypical bumbling foil for the brilliance of the lead detective. As a fan of British crime TV programs like "Midsomer Murders" and the like, I settled in for a pleasant read, and Glasby delivered. For the most part.
On the down side, the writing seems a little self-conscious at times, as if adjectives were added for the sake of adding them. For instance, "Richard Greene, the bespectacled crash investigator". This character never appears again, so why the gratuitous description?
I wasn't crazy about the ending either. I found myself questioning the choices made here.
I enjoyed it, but not enough for 4 stars.

Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler

Philip Marlowe, the original wise-cracking private detective, finds himself drawn into the search for a missing night-club singer and on the way meets beautiful and dangerous women, corrupt city officials, and a psychic who may be part of a jewel theft ring.

I was surprised to find that this story, written in 1940, featured hidden marijuana cigarettes and a somewhat casual attitude about their use: "On the other hand lots of tough guys smoked marihuana, also lots of band musicians and high school kids, and nice girls who had given up trying."

Even more surprising to me was Chandler's frank treatment of the blatant racism that existed with regard to crimes against people of color. I won't include a quote here but it's clear that Marlowe is not surprised to learn that the murder of a black person isn't going to get the attention that the murder of a white person would.

Sprinkled through this detective tale are the classic metaphors that are so much a part of our collective cultural memory as to become cliches. But when you remember that these are from the original source you appreciate  how they reveal the cynical but humorous aspects of Marlowe's personality and we begin to understand why this character is the basis of the stereotypical private eye.
Upon meeting a hopelessly alcoholic woman: "Uh-huh," the voice dragged itself out of her throat like a sick man getting out of bed." and She was as cute as a washtub.
When confronted with a tough guy: "He looked as nervous as a brick wall."

This was my first Raymond Chandler. I feel I have filled a gap in the cracks of my cultural reading wall.