Recent reads (Nov-Dec)

Found Wanting - Robert Goddard

 Enjoyably paced. My mother would have loved this; she was in thrall to to the plight of Anna Anderson.  It does raise interesting questions about 'evidence' and the use of 'fact' in propaganda. 

Safe House - Dan Fesperman (really enjoyed this book, especially the acknowledgement of the importance of back office work and Archiving, and archival research.)

Talking About Detective Fiction PD James

Cross & Burn Val McDermid 

 - both fun and engaging. Well-developed characters 

Nameless series by Bill Pronzini

Betrayers 

Fever

Schemes 

I am going to have to go back and delve into the previous 30 novels. These are well-paced and developed, thorough without being dry. 

The Hoarder Jess Kidd - Innovative use of interior board of directors as saints. Heartbreaking conclusion. It raises interesting questions about mental illness in children. 

The Girl Who Lived Twice David Lagerkrantz -a decent wrap-up, I suppose. I wish there had been more about Millennium and the publishing industry. It also makes me want to investigate further the polemics of writing in the voice of a predecessor. 

Light of the World James Lee Burke - Sumptuous but wrenching, as most of the Robicheaux novels are and the layers were physically painful. 

Not Dead Yet   Peter James- Struggled with this one and didn't finish it. But I loved the descriptions of Brighton. The characters were engaging. I just couldn't get under the words.

Displaced Barbara Nadel - Enjoyable and well-structured. The story will come in handy for the class I'm teaching in Jan. 

No One Ever had Sex on a Tuesday -Larky and fun. 

The Death of Lucy Kyte - Nicola Upson deliciously devestating, and AGAIN, such a great example of primary resources being interpreted, appreciated, abused and all the rest.  Based off a murder literally up the road, it has a sense of being Suffolk's 'Lizzie Borden' trial. Also delves into vicious, seething resentment as well as gender bias. Who takes care, obligation, and all the rest.