Inferno by Dan Brown

On a recent trip to California, I was complaining to Sierra about my inability to find good books to read. I explained my methods of getting recommendations, and she had one of her own: had I ever tried Dan Brown? No, I admitted. Is he a good writer? Interesting characters? She said she thought I would enjoy the diverse settings of his novels and how much one can learn about the cities and the history he shares as his stories unfold. When we got back to South Dakota, she lent me Inferno, which is where I began. It had to be good, right, with Tom Hanks on the cover?!

Well, I have to say, it was just okay. It was good reading at the end of every busy day we had on a bike riding and pickleball trip across Minnesota. I didn't need anything great, just a little read to get me ready to sleep. This was a little more action and suspense than I'm used to, but nothing too violent or disturbing. The story moved right along, with details of miraculous escapes and twists and turns that got a little redundant....all set amidst the beautiful museums, art, and buildings of Florence. So it probably would have been more meaningful to me if I had been there and enjoyed those things as Sierra had, and then it would have been a nice memory-connection. It did make me want to explore Florence, though...

And the characters....very shallow. Kind of interesting, but only on a surface level. The villains were villainous and the heroes heroic, along with a turncoat or two. Just ho-hum. But what really surprised me was the absolute terror Dan Brown tries to instill in the reader about overpopulation. That theme is very thick throughout the book, along with terrible statistics and immoral solutions. One immoral solution is the crux of this story. All of the dire predictions about the impending doom of our planet are presented as scientific facts...this blatant political subplot interfered with my enjoyment of the book. Actually, not that much, since my enjoyment level was pretty low anyway, but I was surprised at this author's attempt to propagate his views. Maybe I'm just unaware of how bad our situation is, but this story did nothing to convince me of its veracity. If I were on Amazon, I would give this two stars--one for the beautiful descriptions of Florence and its art, and one for the introduction to Dante's literary work.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

This book was down in the corner "Little Library" box, so I pulled it out. The hype on the back cover promised intriguing, cerebral literature. The "Oprah's Book Club" stamp also sold it as worthy to carry home. Meh.

Edgar is a youth whose family raises dogs. They all have an uncanny ability to communicate with the dogs, and have perfected a breed that is intuitively tuned in to mankind in amazing ways. Yet this is all a little hazy and sci-fi, but interesting nonetheless. What could have been a fascinating read was darkened by murder, hatred, and anger in the characters. It was also a little vague and mysterious, or maybe I was too dense to pick up on the clues. I'm still not sure who murdered whom, but it made me sad. I'm taking it back to the box...

Still, I have to say, the characters were interesting, just not particularly likable. Edgar, though, was fascinating, and the story is told from his point of view. His inability to speak yet ability to communicate was interesting. And how he survived when he ran away was also interesting...but not particularly pleasant as he raided abandoned cabins and stole food, eventually landing with a loner who welcomed him in. Interesting yes, but I want to inhabit more pleasant environments!

And...the dogs loom large as fascinating characters...

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley

This is another enjoyable entry into the Flavia de Luce series, one that made me chuckle, for sure. Bradley's characters are interesting and surprising and fun to listen to as they interact with each other. Dogger is getting more airplay now, since he's Flavia's partner. I anticipate that Undine will have a greater role in the future, but is still somewhat peripheral here. This story centers on a murder committed right before Flavia's sister Ophelia's wedding, and features some recently-returned Christian missionaries. Probably not worth a second read, but certainly entertaining for the time I spent with it. Off to Sierra it goes!

King and Maxwell by David Baldacci

So...the recent David Baldacci book I read was disappointing, with shallow characters. But this one is part of a supposedly popular series about a male/female private investigator team called King and Maxwell and so I thought I should give this author another try.

Disappointing. Like the other one I read, it had an exciting, complex plot of military and political shenanigans, and like the other one, the characters were shallow and flat. Even the supposed chemistry between King and Maxwell wasn't there. The kidnapping of an Army Special Forces man's son and the revenge of a demented military contractor were the major plot happenings, and they were interesting. I liked all the internet spying and satellite tricks, etc., but many of the coincidences as the case unfolded were not believable. Neither were the skills of Edgar, the guy who could hack into any system and learn whatever King and Maxwell needed.

However, it was a light, fun read on warm summer nights and afternoons when I needed a book to put me to sleep. But I'm done with this author. I don't think Mother liked him either, now that I think about it. I think I may have confused him with Richard Russo. He's one I KNOW she enjoyed. I may try him again in the future.