Rumpole and the Angel of Death is a 1995 book of short stories, part of the Rumpole of the Bailey series. There are six mysteries, featuring Horace Rumpole, a barrister who takes on “hopeless” cases, legal aid clients, and anyone needing legal representation for a fair and just trial. These stories raise discussions on animal protection, human rights, gender awareness, euthanasia, and racism. … Continue reading →
Elephants Can Remember is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie featuring Hercule Poirot and recurring character Ariadne Oliver (a novelist). It was the last Agatha Christie book written about either character. The detectives are trying to solve an older mystery of the deaths of two people, which had been proclaimed a double suicide. The task is to find out what really happened, but how … Continue reading →
Brooklyn is a novel about a working-class girl from Ireland who emigrates to New York to find work in the 1950s. A priest sponsors her, supporting her travel across the ocean, finding a place to stay in a women’s boarding house, and securing a position in a retail store in Brooklyn. We are introduced to Eilis Lacey, a clever and industrious young woman who goes … Continue reading →
The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Agatha Christie’s first book. She wrote in on a dare in 1916 and tried to get it published, unsuccessfully until 1919. It was then releases in serial format with 18 parts. It was not published as a full book until 1920. In the book we are first introduced to Hastings, the narrator of the story and to the Belgian detective … Continue reading →
The House on the Cerulean Sea is a fantasy about an orphanage of very unusual magical children. Each of the children are interesting and unique characters and this could have been the central part of the story, but it is a tale of redemption, compassion, and humanity as seen through the lead character, Linus Baker. As a worn-out case worker he arrives on the island with … Continue reading →
American Dirt is a harrowing tale of the journey of a Mexican woman and her son fleeing from narcos in Acapulco. It has a straightforward driving narrative of the dangers they face in an attempt to migrate to America. The story is a compelling one that was very successful. It has many admirers, but some detractors too. The author is not Mexican and some people object … Continue reading →
Conclave is a fictional story based on the Vatican’s practice of holding a sequestered meeting of all Cardinals after the death of the Pope, in order to elect a new Pope. Robert Harris writes historical fiction which is thoroughly researched, but he also creates fictional characters who are well-defined, believable, and interesting. In this case, he has created Cardinal Lomeli, the Dean of the … Continue reading →
Nickel Boys is narrated by Elwood Curtis living in New York City in the present time, looking back at a period of time when he attended the Nickel Academy (a reform school in Florida) when he was a teenager. Colson Whitehead tells the story at various points in Ellwood’s life and it isn’t until the end of the story that we find out that there are … Continue reading →
The Cadfael stories are medieval mysteries set in England in the mid 12th century. Brother Cadfael, a Benedictine Welsh monk, is the central character. Before entering the life of a monk in his 40s he was a soldier and a sailor, lived in Palestine, had relationships with several women, and had a wide range of experiences from his travels. When he entered the monastery and became … Continue reading →
Great Expectations was written in 1860, Charles Dickens’ eight novel. It is one of many great classic books by the author. I chose to reread this book after 50+ years. I have read many of his books and have remained a dedicated fan for these decades. The story is well known and has been made into movies and TV series. Some of the … Continue reading →
