A Time Travel Mystery

 

January Cole, the chief security officer at the Paradox Hotel, is having health issues related to all the time travel she’s done. She’s starting to get Unstuck experiencing periods of fading out that soon will be permanent. The solution is to get away from the time machine, but that’s not an option for January because being where she is gives her an occasional glimpse of her lost love.

The hotel is also experiencing problems. It’s an ultra luxurious place where the uber-rich come to relax and experience time travel. However, the machinery isn’t working properly, and it’s getting expensive to run, so the government has decided to privatize it. A senator is there with the wealthy bidders to hold an auction to decide the hotel’s fate. However, accidents start to happen and in addition there’s a body in room 526 that comes and goes and only January can see.

This is a book with a lot going on. In addition to the murder mystery, there’s political commentary and the personal story of January. Personally, I thought January’s story was the most compelling part of the novel. The book can be hard to follow. There are a great many characters and the science fiction character of the descriptions can be difficult to grasp immediately.

The book is interesting, but definitely an acquired taste. If you’re into time travel, this may work for you.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Luscious Modern Gothic

 

Lena Gereghty, a medical school dropout, returns to New York and her family after spending two wonderful years in Italy with her aunt, a medieval botanist. Lena’s family is on the verge of bankruptcy because of her father’s accident after being laid off. She must immediately got a job to cover not only her student loans, but to help the family survive.

Lena lands a job with the Verdeaux family, one of the richest in the city. Her duties involve being assistant to the family physician whose main job is to care for the sickly son, Jonathan, who also drinks copious amounts of red wine. She begins to suspect that things are not what they seem. Jonathan takes small black pills that look suspicious. There’s also Jonathan’s intriguing sister, who manages to distance herself from many of the goings-on in the mansion. Then there are the exotic parties at the family’s estate which show a dark side of the family and their friends.

If you enjoy dark, rather creepy Gothic set against a luxurious background, this is your book. The setting drips with wealth, over-the-top parties, and mystery. I thought the author did an excellent job creating the atmosphere.

The characters are not as well drawn as I would have liked. Lena is naive. She moves from courageously asserting herself get the job, to falling back into poor decisions. I thought her mother was a caricature. However, the story is plot driven and enough happens that you don’t get too involved with the characters. It’s a good read if you enjoy the genre.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

A Crazy, Loving Life with Rescue Animals

 

Laurie Zaleski grew up on a rescue farm. Not the fancy kind where donors pay to keep a variety of animals that are not wanted by their owners, or headed for the slaughterhouse. Her mother, Annie, escaped a brutal marriage with her three children and set up housekeeping in a one bedroom house with animals everywhere. Annie couldn’t bear to see animals mistreated or euthanized.

Laurie wasn’t ambitious for that kind of life, but she loved her mother. When she could afford it, she purchased a small farm and planned to move her mother to it. Unfortunately, her mother died just before the move and Laurie found herself in the rescue business. Now she has six-hundred animals and a wonderful group of volunteers to help.

If you love animals, this is a must read book. Laurie tells the story of her family and their struggles interspersed with tales of the animals. The family’s story is sometimes a little dark, but the animal stories are wonderful. The whole book is a heartwarming tribute to Annie and to Laurie’s desire to keep on with her mother’ dream.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

A Remarkable Woman in a Male Dominated World

 

Marjorie Post grew up poor. She worked with her father in their barn folding and taping cereal boxes to hold the breakfast food he was selling. All the hard work paid off . C.W. Post became the cereal king and Marjorie was heiress to his immense fortune. It didn’t come easily Marjorie had to fight he stepmother for control of the company after her father’s death, but she had to do it through her husband. Because of restrictions on women at the time, she couldn’t sit on the board. However, she was successful at controlling the company from outside.

Business success came with hard work, but love wasn’t so easy to find. Marjorie married and divorced four times. Each time she thought she’d found the right man. Each time she was wrong. Instead she filled her life collecting beautiful things and decorating her homes; one of the famous ones is Maralago now the home of Donald Trump.

The book is fiction although the author has done a great deal of research and is basically true to Marjorie’s life. The story is told in the first person. I found that a bit jarring. I typically don’t like to read historical fiction where the author pretends to be in the head of the subject. My other criticism was the amount time spent detailing Marjorie’s possession. I would have found it interesting to read more about her philanthropies and business career. However, it’s fascinating to learn more about one of America’s most celebrated heiresses.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

A Talented Boy, a Priceless Violin, and a Mystery

 

Ray McMillan is an unlikely candidate to become a world famous violinist. Growing up in rural North Carolina, his mother thought music was a waste of time. Luckily he had a wonderful grandmother who supported his talent and even gave him an old violin, a family heirloom handed down from the days when his family were slaves.

Ray blossoms as a musician and when he discovers that the violin he loves is really a Stradivarius his career takes off. However, not all the people in Ray’s circle are good. On the eve of the most important competition of his life, the Tchaikovsky Competition, the violin is stolen. The thief asks for a ransom of five million dollars. Now with the competition hanging over his head, Ray must discover who is responsible and get his violin back.

This is a wonderful story. Ray is determined, talented and kind. His character makes the story. His grandmother is also a delightful character. Her belief and support of Ray is inspirational. However, not all the other characters are as appealing. There are plenty of bad actors including his mother.

The music background of the story is well done. The author is a musician and it is evident in his ability to portray the classical music world. He highlights the prejudice faced by a black classical musician. There is plenty of jealousy and competitiveness in the music world. The author clearly knows what he is writing about.

This book is more than a mystery. It is the portrait or a talented young man fighting against the odds to succeed in a career he loves.

I received this book from Vintage Books and Anchor Books for this review.

A Chilling Look at China’s Takeover of Hong Kong

 

Once a British colony, Hong Kong came under China’s control through an agreement signed in 1984. In the agreement Hong Kong was to have the status of a Special Administrative Region under China. Freedom of speech, the press, religion, and the rule if law were supposed to be guaranteed. However, China began to slowly dismantle these freedoms. The author points out numerous cases where this has happened and is still happening.

The chilling part of the narrative is that China is looking ahead to take over other regions such as Taiwan and the islands in the South China Sea. The book is an eye-opener. China has an aging population and as such needs to advance quickly while there are still young people capable of sustaining it’s military. The world can expect to see an increased suppression of freedom as China plots to take over other areas.

This is a very well done book. The author lived in Hong Kong for many years. He has first hand knowledge of what’s happening and how it’s affecting the people. I didn’t know much about Hong Kong and it’s relationship to China before reading this book. Now I feel much more aware of the problems not only Hong Kong, but the rest of the world is facing from China.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

A What-If Tale of Agatha Christie’s Disappearance

 

In December 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared. What happened during that time is still unknown. This is an historical fiction recreation of the events. Agatha’s disappearance was triggered by her husband Archie telling her that he was leaving her and getting divorce. Archie had been having an affair with Nan O’Dea. He planned to marry her In reality his mistress and second wife was Nancy Neele.

The story is told from Nan’s point of view. In the opening she is presented as a scheming home-wrecker, a rather unattractive character. However, Nan has a backstory. It’s tragic and it drives her desire for the kind of life Archie offers. Of course, since this is a Christie story there is a mystery that is solved at the end.

The book is well written. However, there were several aspects that were not what I expected. The period was true to life, but I had expected more about Agatha. Instead the novel focuses on Nan. Although Nan becomes more sympathetic as we learn more of her story, I never completely got over my initial dislike.

This story is more than a murder mystery. The novel is character driven and explores the strength of love and loss.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.