THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT by Hilary Mantel

THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT

by

Hilary Mantel

            The Mirror and the Light is the third and final installment in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Thomas Cromwell. The book begins with the beheading of Anne Boleyn and covers the latter part and final years of Cromwell’s life.

Wolf Hall, the first book in the trilogy, was published in 2009, while the second book, Bring Up the Bodies, was published in 2012. It was a long wait for the 2020 arrival of the over 700 page conclusion of Mantel’s masterpiece, but it is well worth the wait. Both Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies won the Man Booker Prize, and The Mirror and the Light has been longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize.

            Thomas Cromwell was a very interesting man; it is incredible how the poor son of a blacksmith from Putney ended up as the rich, powerful chief minister to King Henry VIII. His life certainly provides plenty of fodder with which Mantel could work. And, Hilary Mantel is an incredible writer; The Mirror and the Light, like the prior two parts of the trilogy, is beautifully written. I knew Cromwell’s fate before beginning Mantel’s trilogy. Nonetheless, I was still on edge as Mantel led me to, and through, it.

            Mantel did a wonderful job bringing Cromwell to life. In my opinion, The Mirror and the Light deserves the Booker Prize. I highly recommend the trilogy – especially this final installment.

DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips

DISAPPEARING EARTH

by

Julia Phillips

            Disappearing Earth is Julia Phillips’s debut novel. It was a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award.

            At the beginning of the book, two sisters living on the Kamchatka peninsula in far eastern Russia, ages eight and eleven, were abducted. The police investigation was unsuccessful, and the book, like the world, moved on from there.

            I did not like Disappearing Earth. I wanted to quit on it in the beginning, when it became apparent that the abduction was going to occur. But, because the book had been a National Book Award finalist, I decided to continue. The only thing that changed by the time I reached the end of the book was that my dislike of it had grown.

            After the abduction, the book seemed to jump around from short story to short story. To be fair, I listened to the audio version of the book. Although the narrator did a fine job with the reading, I think that format made it more difficult for me to follow the story. I had difficulty distinguishing some of the Russian names. So, I was bit surprised to later learn from the publisher’s description that the characters were all connected by the crime. Perhaps if I had read the text, I would not have missed that vital connection. In addition, the lives of each of the characters seemed miserable and bleak. Phillips’s descriptions seemed to support every preconceived, pejorative idea I have ever held about life in Russia. Again to be fair, perhaps I should not have undertaken this book in the midst of a pandemic.

            I obviously missed whatever literary value this book has that resulted in its consideration for a National Book Award. In my opinion, it was a negative reading experience.

THE FORK, THE WITCH, AND THE WORM Tales From Alagaesia (Volume 1: Eragon) by Christopher Paolini

THE FORK, THE WITCH, AND THE WORM

Tales From Alagaesia (Volume 1: Eragon)

by

Christopher Paolini

            Christopher Paolini has returned to the world of Eragon and Alagaesia with The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm. The new book is a collection of three stories. Paolini wrote The Fork and The Worm, while his sister, Angela Paolini, his inspiration for the character Angela the herbalist, wrote The Witch.

            I listened to the audio version of the book, read by Gerard Doyle. I have listened to other books narrated by Doyle, and I have been impressed with him; his work on this recent Paolini book is no exception.

I have always enjoyed the Eragon series, but I was a bit surprised to find just how much I have missed Eragon and Saphira. I was a little disappointed to find that this was a collection of three stories and that it was so short (the hardcover has 288 pages, compared to the 500 plus pages of the hardcover version of Eragon and the 700 plus pages of the hardcover versions of the other books in the Inheritance Cycle). But, I was thrilled to be back in Eragon’s world. I really hope that Paolini is working on additional stories set in Alagaesia with Eragon and Saphira.

THE 19TH CHRISTMAS by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

THE 19^TH CHRISTMAS

by

James Patterson

Maxine Paetro

            The 19th Christmas, written by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, is the nineteenth book in Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series. In this latest addition to the series, it is almost Christmas, and it is a busy time for all. Although Cindy, Yuki, and Claire have their own interesting things going on, the majority of the book is concerned with Lindsay’s case. Lindsay and her partner, Rich, received a tip about a major crime that was planned for Christmas day. But, they do not know who is planning the crime or what is the target, and time is running out, as Christmas is imminent.

            I have been a fan of the Women’s Murder Club series for a long time, and I continue reading the books even though the quality of some of the later books in the series has not, in my opinion, been as high as the earlier books. However, I think The 19th Christmas is one of the better additions to the series in some time. Granted, the Women’s Murder Club does not have as much group time in this book as in previous books – and I happen to think they often have too many group meetings to be realistic – but, we do have some group time and some Joe time. And, we are treated to some solid police work to boot.

            The 19th Christmas is a well-balanced, satisfying reading experience, and I recommend it.

Release Day!

It is here! The Lost Boys of London, by Mary Lawrence

THE MAN WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE Stieg Larsson’s Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin by Jan Stocklassa

THE MAN WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

Stieg Larsson’s Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin

by

Jan Stocklassa

            I was in a funk. I had finished the book I was reading, and nothing in my “to be read” pile appealed to me. I found The Man Who Played With Fire: Stieg Larsson’s Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin, by Jan Stocklassa, on my Kindle. I do not recall how it arrived there or how long it had been around; but, it turned out to be a perfect choice for me at that time.

            In 1986, Olof Palme, the prime minister of Sweden, was assassinated on a street in Stockholm. Despite extensive investigations, his murder has not been resolved. In fact, there remains a substantial reward for solving the murder. Stieg Larrson, the Swedish journalist best known for writing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the other Millennium Trilogy novels, did a great deal of investigation into right-wing extremism and the assassination of Palme. Jan Stocklassa found Larrson’s research and continued the investigation. The Man Who Played With Fire: Stieg Larsson’s Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin is the result of that investigation.

            Stocklassa’s book is well written and very interesting. At times I wondered if the Swedish police could really be so incompetent – or so corrupt. But it is not so simple. As the investigation into Palme’s assassination shows, the circumstances are complex and convoluted. I found Larrson’s initial investigation and Stocklassa’s subsequent investigation to be fascinating. And, the book certainly resolved my funk. I highly recommend The Man Who Played With Fire: Stieg Larsson’s Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin.

THE LOST BOYS OF LONDON by Mary Lawrence

THE LOST BOYS OF LONDON

by

Mary Lawrence

            The Lost Boys of London, by Mary Lawrence, is the fifth book in the Bianca Goddard mystery series. The book is expected to be released on April 28, 2020.

            If you have read prior books in the series – or my earlier reviews – you know that Bianca Goddard is the daughter of a disgraced alchemist and a white witch. Bianca draws from both parents as she works in her room of Medicinals and Physickes.

This latest installment in the series begins in February 1545 and essentially picks up where the last book, The Alchemist of Lost Souls, ended. Bianca’s husband, John, having been conscripted into King Henry’s army, is still away fighting in Scotland. Bianca, meanwhile, continues concocting her medicines that her friend, Meddybemps, then sells for her.

During this time, Bianca is summoned by Constable Patch. A young boy has been found hanging from the side of one of London’s churches – murdered – and Patch needs Bianca’s assistance. This is not the only murder, nor the only church. Who is killing these young boys? And, where is Bianca’s young friend Fisk?

            As we accompany Bianca on her journey, searching for Fisk and seeking the murderer, we learn a bit about London’s Lost Boys and about Fisk’s family. We also gain some insight into the changes in the religious tenor of Henry’s Tudor England.

            The Lost Boys of London is another interesting and well-written addition to the Bianca Goddard series. Lawrence does a masterful job of capturing the everyday life of the common people in Tudor times. The biggest disappointment for me came as I was reading the Author’s Note and discovered that this is the last book in the series. I was sure that Lawrence had a few more books planned, so this discovery was a shock. I am going to miss Bianca Goddard. However, I will await other new and exciting work from Lawrence. Meanwhile, I highly recommend the book.