P is for Peril by Sue Grafton

 I am already to P! This one was different in two ways. First, there was a whole lot of technical detail about Medicare and Medicaid funding and its relationship to care homes. It was boring! And I kept thinking there must be a reason for this, but I'm still going to skim it because it's entirely too detailed. The other difference is that this story ends without an epilogue. Typically, Grafton ties up about 80% of my questions in an epilogue that comes after the final action in the story. This one had no such epilogue, and the exciting "ending" to the side-story of Kinsey's almost-romance came well before the end of the book. So this "soft" ending with Kinsey chatting on the patio over a glass of wine with the two murderers was surprising. Also, that these two are the murderers is only implied, not spelled out. Like many other readers, I thought maybe the epilogue had been torn out of my used copy! But as I thought about it, I realized Grafton was giving me the hints of the ending and letting me figure it out. Which I did. 

It isn't one of my favorites; there isn't enough of Henry or William or Rosie, but the Havener brothers are rather intriguing characters. It was interesting to experience Kinsey's initial attraction to Tommy Havener turn to distaste and fear. I was totally unprepared for Mariah's character to turn out to be an imposter... So there was a lot to manage in this story. Still, the characteristic Kinsey humor made this an enjoyable read, although her penchant for descriptive detail got a bit tedious. 

It was a good airport read as Len and I flew in from Bozeman, Montana to Denver and had HOURS to await our delayed flight to St. George. It made that time enjoyable, even though it was late and frustrating! The de-icing took over an hour!!! It's always good to have a diversion that is engaging, and this series always is!

I read some reviews of this book mostly to test my theory of who the murderer was, and many fans were disappointed in this installment in the series. One reviewer recommended J.D. Robb instead of Grafton, so I'm considering trying her out after I get to Y. 

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

 I seem to have a somewhat "down" time every January. Christmas and its wonderful anticipation and excitement are over, and it's usually cold. This year we had just returned from South Dakota when I picked up this book. I have read it before; I read it years ago, but somehow neglected to write about it. I found this copy on a "free" table at Vernon Worthen Park, where the Sun River Library was giving away some of their books. I remember liking it, so I thought it was worth visiting again. I originally read it because Sierra told me it was her favorite book. This is probably because it evokes Africa in vivid ways for her. I have always appreciated Barbara Kingsolver, so this was another reason I read it. My first time through was at least ten years ago, and I just remember being appalled by the father's behavior and marveling at the way the family figured out how to live. 

This time around, I was again blown away by the level of detail, understanding, and research that goes into a Kingsolver story. The native languages, the culture, the other languages like French and Afrikaans are all contributors to the story and characters. The political history is detailed and heart-breaking. And of course the agriculture, the history, the anthropology, the climate, the biology and whole milieu are loaded with fascinating detail that enrich and give context to the story. And...the biblical references are meaningful too...this author goes deeply into every aspect of her story.

The story of the Belgian Congo becoming independent is the backdrop to this family's drama. As the father, a Baptist preacher, attempts to bring his version of Christianity to the local village, it becomes clear that this will be a culture clash. It clashes at every level: belief, how to farm, how to think, how to BE. All of it! It's astonishing and depressing to watch. I'm not sure if my January doldrums contributed to my sadness when I read it, or if this all-encompassing book caused my doldrums! At any rate, it wasn't exactly depressing, just food for thought about how much can go wrong when we think we have the answers for how others should live.

The characters grow over time. They are fascinating. The twins Adah and Leah, in particular, are uncommonly brilliant and as we read their thoughts and conversations, I was hanging on by my fingernails. I'm not sure I understood it all...especially the depth of Adah and her cynicism and Leah and her politics. Rachel, the oldest daughter, exhibited so much selfishness and obtuseness and cluelessness that she was often unintentionally hilarious. However, I could definitely relate to her thinking as she suffered through their village life. Maybe that's the beauty of this story; I could relate to all of the characters except the father. He was too far gone, but the others...yes, I could relate to Leah's passion for freedom for Africans, to Adah's loneliness, and to Mary Ruth's free spirit and love for other children. And the poor mother...it was very hard watching her suffer and navigate her marriage, but eventually she got up and moved. Especially in her later years and her thinking about motherhood, I could relate to what she was feeling.

I'm not sure if I will take this one up again. I'm going to ask Sierra if she's read it lately and if so, if she understands it differently now that she's a mother. 

O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton

 

N is for Noose by Sue Grafton

 Over Christmas and three weeks in South Dakota, I finished M. I didn't take N because I thought it would be good to take a break, and it was. I read Conference talks, catalogs, and of course my scriptures. Still, it was a long break and I was excited to get back into a good mystery!

I enjoyed this one. The setting reminded me of a Lake Tahoe area, only a small town with small town people. The small town characters turned against Kinsey during her investigation, and that was scary. I also related to her discomfort to staying with Selma, the police detective's widow who hired her. Her anxieties over the temperature, the food, just being a guest were all relatable, especially coming off three weeks of being a guest at Melissa's. Gratefully, my experience was good; Kinsey's was bad!

I enjoyed the learning about the high moral character of the police detective who had recently died, and it was refreshing to know there are people like that in the world. Of course I know that, but it's good to read about them as well. The snowy and cold setting were hard to live through again, having just returned from a harrowing icy road trip, so I had to take a break near the end to catch my breath! 

Still and all, an enjoyable read and a good one to unravel!