THE EYRE AFFAIR by Jasper Fforde

THE EYRE AFFAIR

by

Jasper Fforde

            Despite top of the line security, Dickens’ Martin Chuzzlewit manuscript has been stolen. Thursday Next is called to the scene. Next works for SpecOps – the Special Operations Network; specifically, she is an SO 27, one of the Literary Detectives. And, she believes that the thief is the supposedly dead Acheron Hades.

            In The Eyre Affair, we get to know Thursday Next. We also meet her Dad, who used to be a Colonel in the ChronoGuard, before he went rogue, and who can stop time, as well as her aunt and uncle, Mycroft and Polly Next. As a child, Thursday was read into Jane Eyre and met Rochester. It is an interesting family.

But now, as Thursday is on the trail of the stolen manuscript, the thief uses one of Mycroft’s latest inventions, the Prose Portal, to abduct Mr. Quaverley from the original Martin Chuzzlewit manuscript; once Quaverley was killed, the character disappeared from all versions of the book. He then attempts to hijack Jane Eyre in a similar manner. Can Thursday find the thief and save the book before the story is changed forever?

            The blurring of the line between “real” life and the reality within a book is always a draw for a bibliophile – think of the wonderfully done, fantastical Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke. And, although that portion of The Eyre Affair draws in the reader, the parallels to the Ink World end there. Fforde’s book feels like it has too much “weirdness” going on at once. It took me half the book to start figuring out who the characters were and to make some sense out of the confusing plot. Once I was able to sort some of that out, I did enjoy the latter part of the book; but, Fforde did not lead me in and through his world like Funke did with her trilogy. In retrospect, The Eyre Affair appears to be creative and fun; however, it was often a bumpy, confusing experience during the read.

THE 17th SUSPECT by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

THE 17^th SUSPECT

by

James Patterson

& Maxine Paetro

            In The 17^th Suspect, the latest installment in Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series, Lindsay Boxer is approached by a woman who tells her about the serial murders of homeless people, the slow response time of the police, and how the shootings are not being actively investigated by the police. Although most of the deaths are outside Boxer’s jurisdiction, she begins to look into the allegations. Meanwhile, ADA Yuki Castellano is trying an interesting sexual assault case, a man who alleges that he was raped by his boss, a woman. Can she convince the jury that a woman can rape a man?

            Both plot lines are interesting, but it feels as if there are two separate books in one. There does not seem to be any ties between the main plot with Lindsay and the secondary plot with Yuki. And, there is not much mention of Claire and Cindy, the other members of the Women’s Murder Club. Although Joe is included, it feels as if his role in the book disregards the upheaval we lived through in the last few books. The writing reminds me of Patterson’s BookShots series – it is adequate, but wanting. Instead of painting a picture, enabling the reader to experience the book, there is a bit too much just relating of the story (e.g., this happened, then that happened, etc.).

            I do enjoy the Women’s Murder Club characters, and I will read an 18^th book; however, in my opinion, The 17^th Suspect is a mediocre experience.

MARCH by Geraldine Brooks

MARCH

by

Geraldine Brooks

            March, by Geraldine Brooks, is the 2006 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Fiction. It is a work of historical fiction, examining the civil war and slavery in America. The vehicle for this examination is Mr. March, the absent father from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.

            Although the subject matter renders this book troubling to read in parts, it is well written and very interesting. In some ways, my experience reading this book was similar to my experience reading The Secret Chord, Brooks’ recent book (see review dated May 11, 2018): after a somewhat slow start, the pace picked up, with my admiration for the book growing the more I read.

            I felt a little ambivalent while reading March; unlike King David in The Secret Chord, March is a fictional character. But, then I read the wonderful “Afterword” in which Brooks explains how she looked to Bronson Alcott, Louisa May Alcott’s father, in her portrayal of March. Not only did this resolve any uncertainty I may have been feeling, but it was a poignant reminder of just how very clever Brooks is. March is very well done.

THE BOMBER by Liza Marklund

THE BOMBER

by

Liza Marklund

            The Bomber is a work of Swedish crime fiction written by Liza Marklund. Victoria Stadium, the main Olympic arena in Stockholm for the upcoming games, has been bombed. Annika Bengtzon, a crime reporter who is head of the crime team for the Evening Post, is covering the story. Bengtzon has wonderful instincts. But what happens when she gets too close to the bomber?

            The Bomber provides an interesting look at journalism and police work in Sweden. For the most part, the writing is adequate; there are times when it feels stilted, but it is difficult to tell if that is the writing or the translation. The plot is engaging and suspenseful.

            I look forward to reading more of Marklund’s Annika Bengtzon series – as well as The Postcard Killers, which Marklund co-wrote with James Patterson.