Review: The Red House Mystery

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Red House Mystery, TheA.A. Milne, The Red House Mystery

In the time-honored tradition of the classic British mystery, a house party goes terribly awry when one of the guests is murdered and the host disappears. Mark Ablett, owner of the Red House, enjoys collecting people around him, so the house party includes such diverse characters as his private secretary, a military man, an actress, and several idle young people. The party appears to be going well until Ablett learns that his brother, the black sheep of the family who had been living in Australia, will be visiting the Red House for an unspecified but sinister reason. When Robert is inevitably murdered, Mark is nowhere to be found. Is he the murderer, or did someone else in the house party do the deed? Young man-about-town Antony Gillingham just happens to arrive on the scene at a pivotal moment, so he decides to try his skill as an amateur detective; but ultimately he discovers that the solution to the mystery is far more tragic than amusing.

When I came across this book a few years ago, I was delighted to discover that the creator of Winnie the Pooh had written a mystery story! It follows many conventions of the classic Golden Age mystery — such as being “fair,” with all clues presented to the reader as the detective discovers them — but it turned out to be a bit darker and sadder than I was expecting. Tony discovers the murderer’s identity fairly early in the book, so the bulk of the mystery lies in discovering how and why the deed was done. And the thing is, I found the murderer very sympathetic! So I was disappointed that this character turned out to be the guilty party. Also, unlike many mysteries from this period, this book doesn’t contain much humor, nor are there any subplots to lighten the mood of suspense and doom. Tony’s sidekick provides a few funny moments, but otherwise the tone remains pretty dark. Finally, Tony’s character isn’t developed very much, which disappointed me; he seemed really interesting, and I would have liked to know more about his backstory. The book is still worth reading if you enjoy Golden Age mysteries, but I have to admit, it wasn’t my favorite.

Review: Something New

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Something NewElise Mac Adam, Something New: Wedding Etiquette for Rule Breakers, Traditionalists, and Everyone in Between

As the title indicates, this book is a wedding etiquette guide for brides (and others) who don’t quite fit into the traditional wedding mold. They don’t necessarily want to feel like a princess on their “special day,” they don’t want to spend six figures on their wedding reception, and they don’t want to buy a whole bunch of crap and annoy their families in the name of tradition or etiquette. To address this audience, Elise Mac Adam (erstwhile etiquette columnist at the now-defunct Indie Bride website) has written a straightforward, bare-bones approach to wedding etiquette. She describes the most common traditions surrounding various aspects of wedding planning, from the wording of invitations to the etiquette of gift registries. Then she explains why these traditions exist and how they can be modified to work for modern brides. Finally, she shares questions and answers from her days as an advice columnist to give examples of proper etiquette in action.

As I read this book, I couldn’t help comparing it with Meg Keene’s A Practical Wedding, which I think is a fantastic resource for engaged couples. This book is good, too, but it fulfills a somewhat different need. Keene’s book is more philosophical and doesn’t get into very much detail about invitation wording and the like. In contrast, this book gets a little bit more specific about the nitty-gritty aspects of wedding planning. Still, it’s not as detailed as it could be, so brides who are extremely type-A or who dream of the perfect Martha Stewart wedding likely won’t get much out of it. But for brides who want a more laid-back affair and just don’t want to upset their grannies, this book could be a good resource. I’ll likely keep my copy around for future reference!

Review: In Tearing Haste

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In Tearing HasteCharlotte Mosley, ed., In Tearing Haste: Letters Between Deborah Devonshire and Patrick Leigh Fermor

Deborah Devonshire began life as the youngest of the (in)famous Mitford sisters, but she unexpectedly became the duchess of Devonshire when her husband, Andrew Cavendish, inherited the duchy from his brother. Patrick Leigh Fermor was a travel writer who became a war hero by kidnapping the commanding German officer on the Nazi-occupied island of Crete. (The movie “Ill Met by Moonlight” is a fictionalized account of his experience.) The two first met when Deborah was still a young debutante, but they eventually formed a deep friendship, as well as a correspondence that would last for more than half a century. Although “darling Paddy” and “darling Debo” lived through many political upheavals and personal tragedies, their letters to each other always remained upbeat, humorous, and cheerful.

I usually find nonfiction very slow going, but this book was a pleasure to read. Both “Debo” and “Paddy” wrote in a lively conversational style that’s very easy to read, and I felt truly immersed in their day-to-day lives. Patrick often wrote about the various exotic places he visited, including the little town in Greece where he and his wife eventually settled. Deborah largely stayed on the Devonshire estates in England and Ireland, where she waxed poetic about sheep breeding and various fox-hunting excursions. The book also provides some fascinating insights into the psychology of the British upper classes: for example, Deborah mentions, with the utmost casualness, dining with President Kennedy several times. Though there’s not much in-depth discussion of the historical events through which they lived, anyone who is interested in reading a firsthand account of the 20th century should pick up this book! I’d also recommend it for fans of the Mitfords or early 20th-century British literature in general.

Review: The Young Clementina

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Young Clementina, TheD.E. Stevenson, The Young Clementina

Charlotte Dean can’t remember a time when she wasn’t in love with Garth Wisdon, her childhood playmate and next-door neighbor. Although Charlotte is merely the daughter of the local vicar, while Garth is the heir to a large estate, she grows up confident that they will marry someday. As they reach adulthood, Garth seems to reciprocate her feelings, but their love is arrested by the outbreak of World War I. Garth goes off to fight in the war, and when he returns, Charlotte no longer recognizes the man she once knew. The new Garth is angry and cynical and seems to hold her in contempt. Nevertheless, she is still overwhelmed with shock when he quickly becomes engaged to her younger sister, Kitty. Now Charlotte is living in a shabby flat in London, where she has little contact with Garth and Kitty. But a tragic turn of events brings them both back into her life — along with their strange, shy daughter, Clementina — and Charlotte must make a decision that could alter the entire course of her life.

I’m so glad Sourcebooks is reprinting the novels of D.E. Stevenson, because I’ve really enjoyed all the ones I’ve read so far! This book is a bit more somber than her Miss Buncle series, but it’s still a nice, leisurely, and ultimately sweet read. I was expecting the central storyline to be a romance, but really the book is much more about Charlotte’s growth as she is forced out of her comfort zone. In the beginning, it’s a bit difficult to feel much sympathy for her because she accepts her sister’s betrayal so passively. But as she emerges from her solitary cocoon and starts to cultivate friendships, she becomes a much stronger person who is capable of standing on her own two feet. On the other hand, I never felt much sympathy for Garth, even after he explained his actions; in my opinion, everything he suffered throughout the novel was his own stupid fault! But overall, I’d definitely recommend this book to people who like slower-paced, old-fashioned books with a contemplative feel.

Another Pemberley Digital web series!

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If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you may remember my gushing about Pemberley Digital’s previous web series, “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” and “Emma Approved” (which is still running, but I think it will be wrapping up soon). Now they’ve come out with another project, and this time it’s based on a book by a different 19th-century female author. The web series is called “Frankenstein, MD,” based on — you guessed it — the 1818 novel by Mary Shelley. The first three episodes are already available to watch:

The most obvious deviation from the original book is Frankenstein’s gender: in this adaptation, the main character is Victoria Frankenstein, a bright young almost-doctor who is determined to achieve the impossible through science. Even from the first three episodes, it’s obvious that her singleminded pursuit of her goals will cause tension in her friendships, as well as with her university’s ethics committee!

So far, I’m liking the show a lot more than I thought I would (Frankenstein is fine, but it’s no Jane Austen!), for several reasons. First, I think they nailed the character of Victoria. Right off the bat I’m horrified by her, but I also somehow like her! The series as a whole seems more confident, with a better pace than Pemberley’s previous work. I assume part of that is due to their greater experience, while the rest is probably because of their partnership with PBS (which gives them more money to achieve their vision).

Finally, I’m curious to see what elements of the book they’ll change for the adaptation. Surely Victoria won’t actually assemble a monstrous creature from the body parts of dead people and bring it to life…will she? (Frankly, I wouldn’t put it past her!) And will the outcome be the same as the book’s, or will Pemberley Digital actually be able to pull off a happy ending that doesn’t totally disrespect the source material? Part of me is very skeptical…but on the other hand, they actually changed P&P quite a bit too by redeeming Lydia.

So the short version of all this is that I’ll be watching “Frankenstein, MD” with great interest, and if you like the book (or the idea of a web series focused on a female scientist), you should be too!

Review: Exclusively Yours

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Exclusively YoursShannon Stacey, Exclusively Yours

Keri Daniels is a career-focused tabloid reporter who is determined to become an editor, but her latest assignment fills her with nothing but dread. She’s been commanded to get a hard-hitting (and preferably scandalous) interview with Joseph Kowalski, a reclusive bestselling author who also happens to be Keri’s high school sweetheart — a fact her editor wants her to exploit when she approaches him. To Keri’s surprise, Joe agrees to be interviewed, but he has conditions: Keri must accompany him on his family’s annual two-week camping trip in rural New Hampshire. For every day Keri can stick it out, Joe will answer one question. With no other choice, Keri agrees to the scheme, but her high-powered life in the city doesn’t translate well to living in a cabin, dousing herself with bug repellent, or riding an ATV through the mud. But the more time Keri spends with Joe’s big, loud, loving family — and with Joe himself — the more she enjoys herself. Can she and Joe rekindle their romance without encountering the same obstacles that originally tore them apart?

I’d heard good things about Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski series, so I decided to pick up this first installment. Overall, I liked but didn’t love it. My favorite part of the book by far was Joe’s rambunctious family, from his mother with her deadly wooden spoon to his noisy, irrepressible nephews. While the Kowalskis certainly have their share of dysfunction, ultimately it’s obvious that they love and care about each other. That said, I wasn’t particularly invested in the romance between Joe and Keri. I didn’t really buy their reasons for breaking up after high school, nor did I understand what was keeping them apart in the present. Keri wanted to focus on her career, but she certainly doesn’t seem to have a lot of pride in her current job as a tabloid reporter. And Joe didn’t want to follow Keri to the big city because he loved his family, but surely a bestsellng author could afford frequent trips back home to see them. So basically, I thought they were both acting stupidly, and I found myself dismissing their supposed obstacles. All in all, I’m not sold on this series, but I may pick up the next book sometime.

Review: Landline

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LandlineRainbow Rowell, Landline

TV writer Georgie McCool is at a turning point in her life. For several years, she and her best friend Seth have been working on a dumb but popular sitcom, but now they’ve been given a chance to create their very own show. Georgie is thrilled, but her husband Neal is less so: Georgie now has to spend Christmas in L.A. and wants to cancel the family trip to Neal’s mother’s house in Omaha. But instead of deferring to Georgie like he usually does, Neal takes their two daughters to Omaha without her. At first Georgie assumes this is just one of the many small fights they’ve been having lately…but then Neal stops answering his cell, and she can’t seem to get ahold of him. Stunned and grieving, Georgie goes to her own mother’s house for comfort, where she finds an old rotary phone in her closet. She soon discovers that the phone has magic powers: when she uses it to call Neal, present-day Georgie is able to talk to 22-year-old Neal the week before he proposed to her in 1998. Can Georgie use the phone to solve the problems in her marriage? Or will she learn that she was never supposed to marry Neal in the first place?

I’m a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell’s previous books, so it’s no surprised that I devoured this one in two days, albeit with a couple of quibbles. But first things first: I love that Georgie and Neal are already married when the book starts, and I love that they’re having such a common problem. Georgie wants her husband to support her career dreams, while Neal feels taken for granted as the stay-at-home parent, and I could really sympathize with both points of view. I also love the flashbacks to the beginning of Georgie and Neal’s relationship. They really lent a lot of weight to the story, because we know exactly what Georgie will be losing if she can’t find a way to reconnect with Neal. That said, I wasn’t a fan of Seth; he seemed to exist as “the other man” who comes between Georgie and Neal, yet he’s never really presented as a viable option for Georgie, so I just didn’t see the point. I also didn’t like the way that Georgie’s career ambitions seemed to be the sole cause of her marital problems. To me, the message was that she should be willing to give up those ambitions to make her husband happy. But aside from these grumbles, I really loved the book and would definitely recommend it, especially to fans of Rowell’s other books!

Review: The Black Lung Captain

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Black Lung Captain, TheChris Wooding, The Black Lung Captain

***Warning: SPOILERS for Retribution Falls!***

Darian Frey and the crew of the Ketty Jay are once again down on their luck. The airship needs repairs, but Frey can’t afford to buy the engine parts he needs. Crake, still tormented with guilt over accidentally killing his niece, is trying to drown his sorrows in a bottle. Jez is struggling to come to terms with being part Mane, afraid that this feral, violent side of her will eventually consume her humanity. Harkins is so jittery and terrified that he can’t even cope with Slag, the Ketty Jay‘s ancient and ornery cat. Even the loutish Pinn is depressed, missing his girlfriend back home. So when Frey is offered the chance to salvage a mysterious treasure in the heart of the jungle, he leaps at the opportunity despite the obvious dangers ahead. He even teams up with Trinica Dracken, the most feared sky pirate on the planet — and Frey’s ex-lover. But of course, nothing about this job is what it seems to be, and the supposed “treasure” may lead to widespread destruction, unless Frey and his crew can stop it first.

Retribution Falls was an unexpected delight when I read it earlier this year, so I couldn’t resist picking up this second book in the series! I’m thrilled to say that this book is just as much swashbuckling fun as the first, with tons of action and some wonderful character development. The stakes are even higher in this book, because Frey and his crew have more to lose: their last adventure created bonds of friendship and loyalty, and now those bonds are being tested. I really loved that the book switches between many points of view; although Frey, Crake, and Jez are probably the most fleshed-out characters, everyone has a moment to shine — even Slag the cat! And because the main characters of the series have already been established, the book has more time to spend on worldbuilding, giving tantalizing glimpses of the bigger picture surrounding Frey’s adventures. I am really looking forward to learning more about the geopolitical situation of this planet in future books, because I just know Frey and his crew are going to get involved somehow! I can’t wait to continue with this series!