Library – Page 13 – Carol's Notebook

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

March 10, 2020March 10, 2020 by Carol10 Comments

Generally, I don't read emotionally heavy books, and I don't know if I would have picked up The Radium Girls if I had known that it would have me in tears on almost every page. That being said, it was an excellent book, one I would definitely recommend. At the beginning of the 20th century, dozens of healthy, young, working-class women (some as young as 14) were employed in a newly-born business: painting watch, clock, and other instrument dials with a luminescent paint containing radium, both for consumers and the military. At the time, this fluorescent wonder was believed so beneficial for the body, that medications, aesthetic treatments, and even toiletry items had started to employ it. Everyone who came in contact with this miracle of science was amazed by its property to make everything it touched glow, even the skin, teeth and clothes of the girls who worked with it. Painting with radium was a highly desired job, as it offered...

Doctored Evidence by Donna Leon

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020 by Carol2 Comments

I finished Doctored Evidence about a week ago- I'm a little behind on posting. The thing is, when I sat down to think about it, I remembered how unlikeable the victim was and really how good it was for the neighbor to come forward with her evidence that the maid, now dead too, was not guilty. What is took me a while to remember though was the killer's identity. I liked the basic plot - Brunetti sets out to clear the Romanian maid's name and find the real killer. It's the kind of thing he would do. I like Venice, the food and the characters as usual. I didn't care for the seven deadly sins conversations and obviously the mystery itself was not memorable. It had a lot to do with money and blackmail. Eh, maybe I've just read too many of hers lately....

By Its Cover by Donna Leon

February 26, 2020February 26, 2020 by Carol6 Comments

It's probably not a surprise to anyone that I'm a book lover, and I love the setting of the original crime here, a library in Venice. The descriptions of antique and rare books are fabulous. The original crime is that someone is stealing pages, mostly illustrations, from rare books as well as stealing whole books. I really found the whole topic of book theft pretty interesting. Of course, the thefts are followed by a murder, but it takes a little while to get there. The investigation was not particularly interesting, but I do like Brunetti. He and Venice are what keep me returning to these books. This one wasn't as rich as some of the others, but it's an enjoyable, quick read. Once again, we have an abrupt ending, something I realize I should just expect from Leon. We learn who the killer was and the why, but there's no wrap up that's become traditional with mysteries....

They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall

February 20, 2020February 20, 2020 by Carol2 Comments

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan, so when I was They All Fall Down is an adaptation of And Then There Were None, I was of course interested. Seven people are lured to an island in Mexico and if you've read/seen And Then There Were None, you have a basic idea of what's going to happen. In this case, I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say they all end up dead. The setting is great, an isolated private island in Mexico with a gorgeous house. The premise is obviously good, it worked for Christie, it works here. The people gathered each have their own secrets that have now caught up with them. The characters are mostly memorable if a bit caricature-ish. I didn't like any of them, but I wasn't supposed to either. The story is told in the first person by Miriam, a dance mom who has some definition. She is not a nice person...

The Big Kahuna by Janet Evanovich and Peter Evanovich

January 17, 2020January 17, 2020 by Carol4 Comments

The Big Kauna is the 6th in the Fox and O'Hare series, but can totally be read as a stand-alone. And maybe should be. It's a good adventure, just doesn't fit well with the rest of the series. Kate is FBI forced to team up with Nick, a con man/crook. Throughout the series, the relationship between those two has been the draw. They are attracted to each other, and equals in intelligence and toughness, but their different morals cause the tension. Here the chemistry wasn't as charming. It was more Nick makes a pass, Kate blows him off. I didn't buy it. They banter wasn't amusing, it was awkward. And I thought their relationship was a little close after #5 than it appears here, but I could be misremembering. In addition to Nick and Kate, we always have a rag-tag crew. Kate's dad is along to provide all the necessary explosions and big weapons. We've also got an instragram celebrity, her...

Newcomer by Keigo Higashino

August 28, 2019January 23, 2023 by Carol6 Comments

I have been a fan of Higashino's for years, but the order his books are translated into English seems rather haphazard. Thankfully the ones I've read have all been able to stand on their own, including Newcomer. The newcomer is Detective Kaga, who has been newly transferred to the district. He is investigating the murder of a divorced woman who lived by herself, also a relative newcomer to the area. Kaga is like Sherlock Holmes in a way, picking up on the tiny, seemingly insignificant clues, but he's friendly and nice and puts people at ease. And he doesn't have a sidekick. He works with others in his department, but only when he needs to, he does his best work when he's on his own. This is a puzzle-type mystery. We have an odd assortment of clues and a large batch of potential suspects, but no good, solid possibility. The way the book is set up is a bit unusual. Each section...