color logo
 
January 2015
   Carol's Latest Picks
Descent
by Tim Johnston
     The author's writing is beyond any fictional novel I have recently read.  The Courtland family is vacationing in the Colorado Rockies when 18-year-old Caitlin disappears on an early morning run and her younger brother Sean is left behind seriously injured on the trail.  What happened to these teen siblings on that summer morning is a story Johnston tells through the voices of the family members in a tour-de-force that captures every emotion.  Caitlin's parents, Grant and Angela, and brother Sean follow their own paths, harrowing and solitary, assuming responsibility in their own way for their collective loss.  In Grant you see a father's hope as he refuses to give up in his belief that his daughter is still alive.  The ultimate answer is in a stunning climax that will keep readers spellbound until the very end.  This gripping narrative, combined with beautiful writing is a stay-up-all-night page-turner.  A five star pick from me.  (Algonquin Books, $25.95).  Reviewed by Carol 
The Escape 
by David Baldacci
A favorite suspense fiction storyteller of mine, Baldacci returns with his hero from Zero Day and The Forgotten.  John Puller, a special agent with the U. S. Army, is called to investigate a case he is not prepared for:  to hunt down his own brother, convicted of treason and now an escapee from the only minimum-security military prison--the disciplinary barracks at Fort Leavenworth--after serving just over two years of a life sentence.  The government believes John is their best chance to bring in Robert to face justice, but he soon finds his brother is being pursued by others who don't want him to survive.  Why is Puller troubled about his brother's conviction?  Is there someone who doesn't want the truth to come out as the manhunt for Robert grows more intense?  Are Puller's training and skills enough to save his brother--and even himself?  Suspense fans won't want to miss this thriller.  (Grand Central, $28.00).  Reviewed by Carol

The Girl On The Train  
by Paula Hawkins
     How many times have you ever ridden a train possibly planning a slower, much awaited vacation or a daily commute that takes you from a suburban community to your workplace in the city a few miles away for a comfortable ride without traffic worries?  Rachel is that girl who makes her daily commute on the train to and from London noticing one particular home she sees on the way.  The couple living there seems to have the life and marriage she hopes for herself.  She fantasizes about this couple--their names, their life story-- and she looks forward to watching them each day.  But then one day the fantasy world surrounding "her couple" changes when she reads a disturbing newspaper article.  Does Rachel become involved in the lives of these people?  Reading this gripping mystery may make you think differently when looking out the window on your next train ride.  This is a psychological thriller I couldn't put down, but it will also attract suspense fans of non-thriller mysteries.  (Riverhead Books, $26.95).  Reviewed by Carol
The Magician's Lie 
by Greer Macallister
Waterloo, Iowa, 1905.  Amazing Arden is the most famed female illusionist in the world; maybe the only one currently in existence.  One of her incredible tricks is sawing a man in half, disappearing in a cloud of smoke and then having him appear whole again on stage.  Then one night it is more than an act; it becomes murder when a body is discovered beneath the stage, the victim thought to be her husband.  When Arden is captured by Victor Holt, a young police officer who had been in the show's audience, he decides to listen to her story before turning her over to the authorities, a story which begins in 1892 Philadelphia where 12-year-old Arden, then Ada Bates, is being raised by her wealthy grandparents.  Throughout that night in 1905, Victor listens to Arden tell of her dashed dreams and then of her fortuitous luck, eventually rising to the number one spot on stage in a magic show.  Is this a believable story Victor is hearing or is it just another magician's lie?  Will Victor be convinced of Arden's innocence as she claims?  A mesmerizing tale of secrets, betrayal, and suspense that kept me guessing until the very end.  I highly recommend this for fans of Water for Elephants and The Night Circus.  (Sourcebooks, $23.99).  Reviewed by Carol
The Ship of Brides 
by Jojo Moyes
     At the end of a vacation in India with her granddaughter, eighty-year-old Frances Mackenzie stops for refreshments on her way to the airport for her return to London.  The tea house is located on a beachfront where a ship breaker's yard is dismantling World War II ships, stripping them for metal to be recycled and parts to be sold.  When Frances recognizes one of the ships being scrapped, she is overcome by memories from her past. Moyes weaves a wonderfully romantic and moving story together with historical fiction and factual accounts, told through the eyes of four women who joined more than 600 war brides in 1946 on a six-week voyage aboard the HMS Victoria, a warship carrier transporting arms and aircraft as well as 1000 naval crew members under strict rules to be enforced.  The Victoria is sailing from Australia to London where the brides will be reunited with their servicemen husbands.  The author's storytelling in this family drama is a captivating read; compelling and educational in its own good way and highly recommended.  (Penguin Books, $16.00).  Reviewed by Carol    

The Paying Guests
by Sarah Waters
In 1922 London ex-servicemen have come home from the war disillusioned and out of work, hungry and demanding a change. Frances, a 26-year-old spinster, and her mother find themselves in desperate financial circumstances. Frances' two brothers died in the war and her father's recent death has left them in debt. Now, without their servant staff they reconfigure their comfortable neighborhood home so they can take in lodgers. Mr. and Mrs. Barber, a young couple become the "paying guests" and soon after part of Frances' fixed routine and her life. As passions mount and frustrations gather, how far reaching and devastating will the disturbances be? A love story and tension-filled crime story during a fascinating time. Storytelling at its best and hard to put down.  (Riverhead Books, $28.99) 
Debbie Lane
Bookshelf Stores, Inc.
11429 Donner Pass Rd. Ste#2
Truckee, CA 96161

Thamk You for your continued support!