CBR4 #9 Defending Jacob- William Landay

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

I received a hardcopy of this book via Random House's EarlyBirdRead Program

I know many reviews compare this book to Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent, but I thought this book also had similar themes to Helen Schulman's This Beautiful Life.  Both books capture how a family reacts when one of their children is part of a scandal.

This book is told within a grand jury transcript of the father's testimony.  The reader doesn't find out why the father is testifying until 5 pages from the end of the book.  A smart reader will see some foreshadowing early in the book around why the father might be testifying.

Even with all the crime/detective dramas on TV, it was interesting to read how a case might be defended.  Unfortunately, halfway through the book I got tired of the case/trial and I was ready for the outcome to be shared.  I felt the last 20 pages were really unexpected and a little under developed.  Landay does incorporate some modern twists into the investigation by including references to Facebook.

While there were some interesting plot twists, I wouldn't say this book was written any better than any other mystery/thriller I've read in the past year.

CBR4 #8 The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

February Book Club Selection

At first I had a hard time following the book as each chapter goes forward or backward in time.  I think the book would have flowed fine if the chapters would have been chronologically ordered.  Also it seems like the magic part of the book was the main focus on the plot, but the more that you kept reading the more the magic was present in little ways.

I definitely enjoyed the Marco & Celia interactions and how they fought against the preconceived notions by their "puppetmasters" in order to be together in the end.  The story of Bailey & Poppet was very cute as well.  It was interesting to "explore" the circus with Bailey or Herr Thierson or the unknown narrator of the "present-day" circus.

There was a good sense of mystery surrounding all the characters.  I found myself taking my time reading this book and savoring the story as I didn't want the book to end.   

CBR4 #7 The Romanov Prophecy - Steve Berry

Atlanta lawyer Miles Lord, fluent in Russian and well versed in the country’s history, is thrilled to be in Moscow on the eve of such a momentous event. After the fall of Communism and a succession of weak governments, the Russian people have voted to bring back the monarchy. The new tsar will be chosen from the distant relatives of Nicholas II by a specially appointed commission, and Miles’ job is to perform a background check on the Tsarist candidate favored by a powerful group of Western businessmen. But research quickly becomes the least of Miles’ concerns when he is nearly killed by gunmen on a city plaza.

Suddenly Miles is racing across continents, shadowed by nefarious henchmen. At first, his only question is why people are pursuing him. But after a strange conversation with a mysterious Russian, who steers Miles toward the writings of Rasputin, he becomes desperate to know more–most important, what really happened to the family of Russia’s last tsar?

His only companion is Akilina Petrov, a Russian circus performer sympathetic to his struggle, and his only guide is a cryptic message from Rasputin that implies that the bloody night of so long ago is not the last chapter in the Romanovs’ story . . . and that someone might even have survived the massacre. The prophecy’s implications are earth-shattering–not only for the future of the tsar and mother Russia, but also for Miles himself.

I heard author Steve Berry talk in Dallas in January and decided that I wanted to read some of his backlog.  I decided to focus on the two novels that weren't part of his Cotton Malone series.  I found this book a good refresher on Romanov history.

I had a hard time believing that Miles Lord, a very resourceful lawyer, just trusted everyone.  Often times during the book being that trusting got him into trouble.  I can see how Steve Berry was influenced by Dan Brown throughout the book.  Miles and Akilina fulfilling Rasputin's prophecy was just a little too convenient.  I do give Steve credit for bringing some of the action to the US and how the pieces of the puzzle had to stand up to the technical enhancements from the late 1800s.  I also appreciated that Steve explained what was real based on history versus his imagination at the end of the book.

Overall this book is great read and Steve Berry is a very engaging author to hear speak in person.  

CBR4 #6 Save Me - Lisa Scottoline

Rose McKenna volunteers as a lunch mom in her daughter Melly’s school in order to keep an eye on Amanda, a mean girl who’s been bullying her daughter. Her fears come true when the bullying begins, sending Melly to the bathroom in tears. Just as Rose is about to follow after her daughter, a massive explosion goes off in the kitchen, sending the room into chaos. Rose finds herself faced with the horrifying decision of whether or not to run to the bathroom to rescue her daughter or usher Amanda to safety. She believes she has accomplished both, only to discover that Amanda, for an unknown reason, ran back into the school once out of Rose's sight. In an instance, Rose goes from hero to villain as the small community blames Amanda’s injuries on her. In the days that follow, Rose's life starts to fall to pieces, Amanda’s mother decides to sue, her marriage is put to the test, and worse, when her daughter returns to school, the bullying only intensifies. Rose must take matters into her own hands and get down to the truth of what really happened that fateful day in order to save herself, her marriage and her family

I've been a big fan of Lisa Scottoline since she writes her books in the Philadelphia area where I grew up.  I had a chance to hear her speak at a library conference a few years ago and I was entranced by her easy going manner and humor.

While I'm not a mother of any children, I have taken care of children in different capacities over the years.  Lisa tackles everyone's worst nightmare of having to decide whom to save in an emergency - someone you love or someone else.  I was intrigued by the book's premise from the first chapter and as the mystery continued to unwind I couldn't wait to figure out what happened.

I felt the backstory of Rose's past was not needed and seemed to just fit into the expected mold of an innocent mom having a dark past.  Some of the plot twists at the end were a little far fetched and it was a tad hard to believe that Rose could put together all the pieces herself.  I was touched to see the relationship between Melly and her gifted teacher.  It was also nice to see Melly and Amanda becoming closer friends at the end of the book. 

CBR4 #5 The Innocent - Taylor Stevens

Eight years ago, a man walked five-year-old Hannah out the front doors of her school and spirited her over the Mexican border, taking her into the world of a cult known as The Chosen. For eight years, followers of The Prophet have hidden the child, moving her from country to country, shielding the man who stole her. Now, those who’ve searched the longest know where to find her. They are childhood survivors of The Chosen, thirty-somethings born and raised inside the cult who’ve managed to make lives for themselves on the outside. They understand the mindset, the culture within that world, and turn to Vanessa Michael Munroe for help, knowing that the only possibility of stealing Hannah back and getting her safely out of Argentina is to trust someone who doesn’t trust them, and get Munroe on the inside.

Tautly written, brilliantly paced, and with the same evocation of the exotic combined with chilling violence that made The Informationist such a success, The Innocent confirms Taylor Stevens’ reputation as a thriller writer of the first rank.

 I received an ARC from Random House at ALA Midwinter in Dallas.

This book was on my list of most anticipated to read this year.  I simply fell in love with Vanessa Michael Monroe reading Stevens' first book The Informationist.  This book was just as well written as the first.  I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.  I cannot recommend these books enough.   

There were some interesting parallels between the plot of this book and The 19th Wife which I read in December. I appreciated that the characters from the first book had more of their background explored in this book.  It was also good to see Munroe fight through her demons in her own way of course.  I'm not sure the Gideon & Heidi characters added much to the story after being introduced as the funders of the mission. 

CBR4 #4 The Devil In The White City - Erik Larson

Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing.

 January Book Club Selection

I had tried to read this book right after it came out and I had a hard time trying to get past the first couple of chapters.  Reading it this time, I still struggled to get past the first couple of chapters, but the different tidbits & trivia about the fair kept me reading further.

Overall, I felt this book was more historical fiction like than non-fiction.  I could have lived without the H.H. Holmes story.  The story about the fair was interesting enough.

At book club, we reviewed some virtual reproductions of the fair that were done by a team from UCLA.  Check them out to visualize how massive the buildings really were.

 

CBR4 #3 The Broken Teaglass - Emily Arsenault

In the maze of cubicles at Samuelson Company, editorial assistant Billy Webb struggles to focus while helping to prepare the next edition of a dictionary. But there are distractions. He senses that something suspicious is going on beneath this company’s academic façade. What’s more, his (possibly) flirtatious co-worker Mona Minot has just made a startling discovery: a trove of puzzling citations, all taken from the same book, The Broken Teaglass. Billy and Mona soon learn that no such book exists. And the quotations read like a confession, coyly hinting at a hidden identity, a secret liaison, a crime. As Billy and Mona try to unearth the truth, the puzzle begins to take on bigger meaning for both of them, compelling them to redefine their notions of themselves and each other.

I bought this book based on a recommendation in a year-end best books read list.  Overall I thought this book was cute and an interesting look into the lexicographer world.  The author captured the essence of a small company office environment.  The discovery of different citations definitely kept the mystery flowing and captured my attention.  When the citations weren't the main focus, I got distracted and a tad bored following the "relationship" between Mona and Billy.

I felt the mention of Billy's cancer was more an after thought and not necessarily a plot twist. I appreciated the author putting the citations in order (actually having the characters put them in order).  I thought reading the final listing would be like rereading a section, but ultimately I caught more nuisances on the reread.