The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven even though I'm not crazy about dystopian fiction - a bleak future always puts me in a bad mood.  I saw that The Glass Hotel was about white collar crime and thought I'd give it a go.

We have white collar crime with a bit of The Sixth Sense thrown in.  We first meet Vincent (named after Edna St. Vincent Millay - great character name) as a troubled teen, and we follow her through her life. She's an opportunist and a chameleon, and I'm not sure we ever see who she really is.  Her husband/boyfriend is a much older, very wealthy, financier.  Her brother Paul also pops in and out of her life. 

The story is told through a variety of points of view and doesn't follow a linear progression of time.  This can often annoy me, but it worked really well here.  This book has such depth and so many themes, I know I am not doing it justice in this review.  I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. 

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Bonnie by Christina Schwarz

 

Bonnie by Christina Schwarz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bonnie and Clyde have always fascinated me. This book tells Bonnie's side of the story. Legend often paints them as a pair of romantic Robin Hood gangsters.  This book makes clear they were not.  They were cop killing petty thieves, often very stupid in their thievery. Their life on the run was not glamorous. They were often dirty and hungry, sleeping in their car or at campsites. 

The author suggests that Bonnie was smart and educated enough to provide a better life for herself.  She wrote poetry while on the run, and much of her poetry proved to be prophetic.  It was clear she had no delusions about how her story would end.  It makes me wonder why she was so attracted to Clyde and the life she chose.  This all occurred during the Great Depression when food, jobs, money, and maybe most importantly, hope were scarce.

I like that this book humanized Bonnie and Clyde; the good and the bad. It gave the reader a glimpse of the realities of life on the run, and showed what punks they were. Since it is historical fiction, the author took known events and then filled in the blanks. She did a good job.

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The Killer Across the Table by John E Douglas

 

The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's Original Mindhunter by John E. Douglas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What is it about true crime? I am addicted.

Ever since watching Mindhunter on Netflix, I can't get enough of John Douglas' books. In this book, he takes a very in depth look at four criminals and their crimes. He analyzes every aspect including predicting future crimes. He makes reference to other crimes and criminals, he minces no words, and he takes no prisoners (metaphorically). I'm not sure I'd want him as a friend since he's very opinionated and sure of his conclusions, but it makes for really good reading.

I tend to prefer to read text copies of nonfiction books since they often include photographs and references - which I am nerdy enough to devour. However, this audio book was read by Jonathan Groff...enough said.

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The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

Eudora Honeysett is an octogenarian living alone in London with her cat Montgomery.  She has no friends - not even her cat, and she's ready to leave this life.  She learns of a company in Switzerland that helps people leave "on their own terms", and she's interested.  Why not?  She's ready.  And then a ten year old, glittery, colorful, force of nature moves in next door...

I liked this book, but didn't love it.  It struck me as a cross between a lighter Man Called Ove and Olive Again.  The story is told through two timelines - today and Eudora's younger life.  The older timeline sought to explain Eudora's attitudes and behaviors today and it did, but it was a bit routine and predictable.  Rose, the neighbor was my favorite character.  The author wrote the voice of a 10 year old free spirit really well, and I always enjoyed scenes with Rose.  I am glad to see there are more books with older characters and I am enjoying reading them. 

#TheBrilliantLifeofEudoraHoneysett  #NetGalley

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen

 

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this better than the previous "Royal Spyness" entry. I feel like the author was moving Georgie back toward her roots.

Georgie and Darcy are back from their honeymoon (thank goodness!) and settling into life as master and mistress of a large country estate.  Darcy is off on an assignment and Georgie is left to her own devices.  

She quickly grows bored and is looking for a bit of excitement when the ever amusing Belinda arrives.  Belinda has inherited property and would like Georgie to join her on a trip to investigate the property.  Off they go looking for adventure, and adventure they find.  The property is not what was expected, there are old acquaintances, lost relatives, mobsters, and murders.  Georgie is back to being more resourceful and less snobbish.

This entry into the Royal Spyness series had most of what I love about the series.  Georgie being scrappy, commentary about the life of the upper crust, improbable crimes and bumbling constables.  Darcy is even doing what he does best in this book.  I did miss some of the quirky characters I've come to love - Queenie (who is now a cook, but I miss the real life POV she always brought to the scene), Grandfather, and Georgie's mother.  

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