Review: Learning to Swim

Summary: When she witnesses a small child tumbling from a ferry into Lake Champlain, Troy Chance dives in without thinking. Harrowing moments later, she bobs to the surface, pulling a terrified little boy with her. As the ferry disappears into the distance, she begins a bone-chilling swim nearly a mile to shore with a tiny passenger on her back.

Surprisingly, he speaks only French. He’ll acknowledge that his name is Paul; otherwise, he’s resolutely mute.

Troy assumes that Paul’s frantic parents will be in touch with the police or the press. But what follows is a shocking and deafening silence. And Troy, a freelance writer, finds herself as fiercely determined to protect Paul as she is to find out what happened to him. What she uncovers will take her into a world of wealth and privilege and heedless self-indulgence—a world in which the murder of a child is not unthinkable. She’ll need skill and courage to survive and protect her charge and herself.

Sara J. Henry’s powerful and compelling Learning to Swim will move and disturb readers right up to its shattering conclusion. -- Crown

How could I not want to read LEARNING TO SWIM by Sara J. Henry after a description like that? The entire premise for the book sounded so good, and those last few words ("move and disturb readers right up to its shattering conclusion") absolutely put me over the edge. This book sounded like one that I couldn't afford to miss.

I have to say that I really enjoyed LEARNING TO SWIM and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. It was an action-packed mystery that kept me guessing all the way to the end. In fact when I realized that there weren't many pages left in the story and I had no idea how it was going to end, I began questioning how the author was going to wrap up the story so quickly. Needless to say, she did while also managing to pack a pretty powerful punch! And when that "shattering conclusion" finally occurred, I admit that I was kind of blown away -- my jaw might have even dropped and I quite possible let out a little gasp! Maybe some readers are more astute than I am, but I didn't see this coming one little bit!

I found LEARNING TO SWIM to be a terrific mystery. It was full of action, suspense, and surprises -- really, everything I look for in a good mystery book. However, I also thought this book had some additional strong qualities. For example, I really liked the character of Troy and thought she was developed fairly well for a character in this genre. Troy was extremely likable, but she was also rather complex and multi-dimensional (and maybe even a bit of a mess.) She has commitment/relationship problems with men and she was kind of estranged from most of her family; however, she immediately bonded with Paul, the little boy that she rescued, and felt almost a maternal instinct towards him.

This might sound strange, but I was actually surprised by how much LEARNING TO SWIM kept me guessing. In some mystery books (namely cozies), I don't spend much time trying to solve the crime. I just sit back and enjoy the story. Well in the case of LEARNING TO SWIM, I definitely enjoyed the story, but I didn't find myself sitting back too often. Rather, I was more on the edge of my seat and took a much more active approach to figuring out the crime. There were characters that I really wasn't sure whether Troy should trust, and I found myself both wanting to restrain her as well as hit her upside the head. For whatever reason (and it probably is a credit to the author), I felt as if I were part of this story.

While I certainly enjoyed the ride that LEARNING TO SWIM took me on, I have to mention that there were a few parts of the story where I felt as if I had to suspend reality. For example, right off the bat, I had some issues with why Troy kept the child rather than turning him over to the authorities. Of course, if she had done that, there wouldn't have been a story, but it seemed a little odd that she just took the little boy home with her. I guess I understand that Troy was worried about what would happen to him if she let him go, but it was still a little leap for me. To give the author credit, she did address Troy's thought process and behavior in the next chapter, and she convinced me enough that I didn't dwell on it longer than a minute or two.

LEARNING TO SWIM is Sara J. Henry's debut novel, and I think it's a fabulous start. I couldn't put this book down because it was just so intense -- from the crime, to the characters, to the mystery, to the twists! I actually can't wait for another one of her books, and I'm even hoping to see the character of Troy again. At the end of LEARNING TO SWIM, the situation with Troy's personal life was left open-ended enough that it's entirely possible for her to return to solve another mystery!

I highly recommend LEARNING TO SWIM to fans of mysteries/thrillers as well as fans of women's fiction.

Mystery Mondays is a "somewhat" regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.

Review: Wanna Get Lucky?

Summary: A young woman plunges from a Las Vegas sightseeing helicopter, landing in the Pirate’s lagoon in front of the Treasure Island Hotel in the middle of the 8:30 Pirate Show.  Almost everyone writes her off as another Vegas victim.

But Lucky O’Toole smells a rat.  She’s head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, the newest, most opulent mega-casino and resort on the Strip, so she’s got a lot on her plate: the Adult Film industry’s annual awards banquet, a spouse-swapping convention, sex toy purveyors preying on the pocket-protector crowd attending ElectroniCon….  Still, Lucky can’t resist turning over a few stones.  

When a former flame is one of the snakes she uncovers, Lucky’s certain she’s no longer dealing with an anonymous Sin City suicide.  To top it all off, Lucky’s best friend Teddie—Las Vegas’ finest female impersonator—presses to take their relationship to the next level.  Leave it to Lucky to attract a man who looks better in a dress than she does.

Lucky must manage the Babylon’s onslaught of outrageous festivities, solve a murder, and struggle to keep her life and libido from spinning out of control… not to mention keep her balance in six inch heels. -- Forge

I'm sure you'll relate to the saying that there are "so many books, so little time," but I've been especially feeling this sentiment the past few weeks. Since I started blogging, I've read more books than I ever did before, but I also realize that I'm still missing out on loads of fantastic books. Another thing I've noticed is that my reading habits have changed -- I seem to read less and less mysteries every year. And that's kind of ironic because I do enjoy good mysteries and thrillers!

Recently, I read a very entertaining mystery called WANNA GET LUCKY? by Deborah Coonts. I absolutely adored it and can honestly tell you it was the most fun I've had reading in a book in a long time (that is until I read the second book in the series. But more on that tomorrow!) WANNA GET LUCKY? had an intriguing mystery, but it also had a great setting (Las Vegas), terrific characters, lots of twists and turns, humor, and even some sexy romance. It truly was a book with a little bit of everything! It even was chosen as one of the New York Times Notable Crime Books of 2010.

I kind of knew when I picked up WANNA GET LUCKY? that it was going to be a light read -- almost chick lit if you will. To be honest, I was thinking along the lines of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series -- a series that I enjoyed at the beginning but that has kind of fizzled out for me. However, WANNA GET LUCKY? was really a pleasant surprise for me. It did have the fun elements of chick lit, but it also had a fairly complex mystery and even some suspense. I also really appreciated the humor that was woven into this story from the vivid descriptions of the Las Vegas hotels and some of its patrons, to the Adult Awards Industry's actors and awards ceremony, to Lucky's constant hassles as head of PR at the Babylon, and even to Lucky's relationship with her mom!

And these items would have probably been enough to make this book a hit in my eyes, but I think what I appreciated the most were the variety of characters. Of course, Lucky was my absolute favorite one and I loved how complex she was (I certainly wasn't expecting that.) Like many women, she has issues with her mother (although most women probably can't claim that their mother is absolutely gorgeous and runs an extremely successful brothel.) But she also has some other issues like an unknown father, a demanding boss, an unhealthy addiction to her job, and relationship/commitment issues. I truly loved that this book explored Lucky's character as much as it did, and I have a feeling that readers are going to see her "mature" throughout the rest of the series.

As likable as I thought Lucky was, the supporting characters were equally fun. In fact, this series has an amazing cast of characters. Lucky's mother is an absolute hoot as is Lucky's personal assistant. Lucky's boss and owner of the Babylon is also intriguing, and I'm almost certain he has a pretty interesting past. And for those of you who enjoy a little sexual tension in your books, there are also quite a few "hot" men who cross Lucky's path. There is a Texan security guy, an Australian private eye, and my favorite Teddy. Teddy is Lucky's best friend who just happens to make his living as a female impersonator.

If you enjoy light (and fun) mysteries, then you won't want to miss WANNA GET LUCKY? It's just an extremely entertaining book and it's even available in mass market paperback -- so it's totally a bargain!

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this novel.

Review: Birds of a Feather

Summary: The sequel to Jacqueline Winspear's compelling debut, Maisie Dobbs—"chilling, suspenseful, [and] riveting" (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Jacqueline Winspear’s marvelous and inspired debut, Maisie Dobbs, won her fans from coast to coast and raised her intuitive, intelligent, and resourceful heroine to the ranks of literature’s favorite sleuths. Birds of a Feather finds Maisie Dobbs on another dangerously intriguing adventure in London "between the wars." It is the spring of 1930, and Maisie has been hired to find a runaway heiress. But what seems a simple case at the outset soon becomes increasingly complicated when three of the heiress’s old friends are found dead. Is there a connection between the woman’s mysterious disappearance and the murders? Who would want to kill three seemingly respectable young women? As Maisie investigates, she discovers that the answers lie in the unforgettable agony of the Great War. -- Penguin

It's that time again -- another edition of Book Club Girl's I'm Mad for Maisie! I realized how much I enjoyed Jacqueline Winspear's first MAISIE DOBBS book (my review) when I re-read the book a few weeks ago; and after reading BIRDS OF A FEATHER, I realized that I truly am Mad for Maisie! I just love this series about a smart and intuitive female detective that takes place in England in the 1930s.

I'm not quite sure how I'm going to review all eight books (assuming I get all of the books read for the read-alongs!) because many of the things I enjoyed about the first two books are the same. First of all, I enjoyed the mystery and it did keep me guessing. Having said that, in books like these, I don't spend too much time trying to figure out the crime -- I just enjoy the story. In BIRDS OF A FEATHER, I thought the murder mysteries were intriguing, and I did like how Maisie unraveled all of the information to arrive at her conclusions. I was bit frustrated when Maisie admitted that she had it all figured out and I was still a little clueless, but that's a good thing in a mystery book, right?

Even though BIRDS OF A FEATHER is a mystery, I find that the parts of the book that most appealed to me have to do with Maisie. She really is such a fantastic character and so interesting to me. In MAISIE DOBBS, I was introduced to Maisie and discovered a lot of information about her past and especially the time she spent as a nurse during the war. All of these events definitely explained much of Maisie's personality and actions, but I was still left with quite a bit of questions about her character when I finished the first novel.

In BIRDS OF A FEATHER, I felt as if I was able to learn more about Maisie's character. This novel not only delved deeper into her relationship with her father, but it also explored some of the lessons she learned from her mentor Maurice. I loved seeing how Maisie "interpreted" crime scenes to learn more about the victims. Her incredible intuition skills almost bordered on the supernatural to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the story.

Besides learning more about Maisie in this novel, I also got to see more of her assistant Billy Beale. In MAISIE DOBBS, I found him to be a great character who also provided a little bit of comic relief -- until the end when he went undercover to help Maisie solve a crime. However, in BIRDS OF A FEATHER, Billy's character was much more complex and even dark at times. I admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of Billy's character and I really appreciated that the book explored Billy's troubles as well as his recovery.

One of the things that I loved most about both MAISIE DOBBS and BIRDS OF A FEATHER was how Maisie managed to learn some valuable things about herself while investigating the crimes. In the case of BIRDS OF A FEATHER, Maisie's concerns about not fitting in as well as her lack of close female friendships came to light while looking into the disappearance of a wealthy woman and the deaths of her friends. I really liked how, in both novels, the author tied Maisie's growth and character development to the circumstances surrounding the mystery. So smart and so well-done!

I just loved the second book in the Maisie Dobbs series, and I can't wait to read the third novel -- PARDONABLE LIES! Make sure you stop by and see what everyone is saying about BIRDS OF A FEATHER!

Review: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Summary: Tom Franklin's extraordinary talent has been hailed by the leading lights of contemporary literature—Philip Roth, Richard Ford, Lee Smith, and Dennis Lehane. Reviewers have called his fiction "ingenious" (USA Today) and "compulsively readable" (Memphis Commercial Appeal). His narrative power and flair for character-ization have been compared to the likes of Harper Lee, Flannery O'Connor, Elmore Leonard, and Cormac McCarthy.

Now the Edgar Award-winning author returns with his most accomplished and resonant novel so far—an atmospheric drama set in rural Mississippi. In the late 1970s, Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds were as different as night and day: Larry, the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, single black mother. Yet for a few months the boys stepped outside of their circumstances and shared a special bond. But then tragedy struck: Larry took a girl on a date to a drive-in movie, and she was never heard from again. She was never found and Larry never confessed, but all eyes rested on him as the culprit. The incident shook the county—and perhaps Silas most of all. His friendship with Larry was broken, and then Silas left town.

More than twenty years have passed. Larry, a mechanic, lives a solitary existence, never able to rise above the whispers of suspicion. Silas has returned as a constable. He and Larry have no reason to cross paths until another girl disappears and Larry is blamed again. And now the two men who once called each other friend are forced to confront the past they've buried and ignored for decades. -- William Morrow 

I was so excited to see that CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by Tom Franklin was nominated for a 2011 Edgar Award. I have only read one other book on the list  -- Laura Lippman's I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE (my review) which I adored, but I can most definitely see why CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is considered one of the best mystery books of the year. It was soooo good!

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER tells the story of Larry and Silas, two men who were friends when they were younger despite their many differences. When a girl goes missing in a small Mississippi town, Silas (who is now the town constable) begins to investigate and the immediate suspect is his old friend Larry. That's because, over 20 years ago a teenage girl went missing after a date with Larry. Larry never admitted to the crime, nor was he ever found guilty, but he has always been blamed for the crime.

After the first girl went missing, Larry chose to stay in his hometown, leading basically a very lonely existence -- oh how my heart broke for him; while Silas disappeared for years before returning as a constable. The two men had no contact after the strange disappearance of the girl. Fast forward 20 years, Larry and Silas are brought back together as a result of another unfortunate crime; and now, they both have to face their past and come to terms with each other's actions.

Based on the description of CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER, you can probably guess that the cases of the missing girls are the "mystery" parts of this novel. The book does delve into these crimes and eventually offers the reader explanations for both; however, I wouldn't say that the mystery is what made this book so special (although it was a good one.) Rather, it was Mr. Franklin's writing -- it was nothing short of spectacular!

I just want to rave about how well written CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER was. Not only did the story unfold beautifully as the book went back and forth between the present day and the past, but the characters were remarkably well developed, especially for a book of this genre. Both Larry and Silas were incredibly complex, yet flawed, characters; and I just felt as if their relationship was portrayed so realistically -- and honestly. In addition, I thought Mr. Franklin's dialogue was spot-on, right down to the regional colloquialisms and dialect.

And that brings me to my next point... Mr. Franklin's descriptions of the setting. The book takes place in rural Mississippi (thus the title -- it's a rhyme to help kids remember how to spell Mississippi) and Mr. Franklin brought this small town to life. I could see and feel this town right down to the old jeep that Silas drove, to Larry's deserted automobile shop, to the woods where the girl's body was found. Mr. Franklin's word choice was so perfect -- it seemed as if each and every word was used to evoke a particular feeling in the reader.

Because CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER was such a great literary novel, I do think it would be a wise choice for book clubs. There is a reading guide available with 23 questions! Some of the topics you might want to discuss include honesty, betrayal, parent/child relationships, friendships, prejudice, deception, responsibility, and redemption. There are even some symbols in this novel that you could explore.

If you are a fan of literary suspense, then you won't want to miss CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER!

This book counts toward the Okra Picks Challenge and the Criminal Plots 2011 Challenge. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this novel.