Blog Archives - MADDERLY REVIEW

Thru My Looking Glass

4/24/2015

"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." – P. J. O’Rourke

We are living in a time where looking good seems to be more important than being good. We crave acceptance and understand that it may come at the steep price of our integrity. I remember my high school and college years, when "just saying no" meant being ridiculed and often left without the coveted party invitation. I watched some of my friends give in to social pressure, and some of them lived and died regretting it.

We are entering a time when lies and appearances will be more commonplace than truths. In nineteen months we will elect a new president. The insanity has begun, and neither side is immune. The candidates will lie about what they can and will do, and they will lie about what the other candidates have done and will do. We will listen to these lies and believe the ones we are most comfortable with while condemning those that the opposing candidates share.

What can we do to change our political atmosphere? I think we need to stop listening to the lies, and in fact, we need to stop supporting the liars. Neither republicans nor democrats have a monopoly on smear campaign politics. It has been going on since I can remember. I believe that is because publications like "The National Enquirer" set the tone for us. I also believe that most of us would much prefer a clean election where we can worry about the issues instead of poorly designed accusations and outright untruths. We can do this...come on now...we are readers...so let's read up on things before we believe them.

Speaking of reading and telling lies, The Stranger by Harlan Coben shows how lies can definitely be your undoing. Corinne lied to her husband Adam, he believed her, and their whole family paid the price. Coben has a way of taking commonplace situations and making them into nail biting experiences. In this story there are some bad guys who think they are good guys, and their are some really bad guys who really don't care. I am not sure how he does it, but this author ALWAYS keeps my interest and makes me dread turning the last page of any book he writes.

On the lighter side, Dog Day Wedding by Rich Amooi will keep a smile on your face as you root for the hero in his cute and humorous romance novel. Even the most annoying of characters in this book are ones we want to read about, because we just have a feeling that there is going to be a happily ever after ending

Happy reading

- Beverly

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The Stranger by Harlan Coben

4/24/2015

Genre: Mystery

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Harlan Coben's books always grab me on page one and never fully let me go. His characters always seem to have what I imagine is a part of his own personality, or a part he wishes he possesses. Their traits are real and their emotions are relatable enough for us to laugh or cry with them. This book is no different.

Adam Price has a beautiful wife, two terrific sons and a job he enjoys...an enviable life. One beautiful evening The Stranger approaches him and kindly says, "you didn't have to stay with her." Those seven words are the beginning of the end of Adam's seemingly perfect life. The Stranger approaches people and devastates them by giving them proof of a loved one's lies. When he gives Adam proof that Corinne faked a pregnancy and miscarriage several years before, Adam turns to Corinne for an explanation.

I do not want to give away any spoilers and will leave it at that, but if you ever read a Coben book then you know the reader is in for a wild ride. While Adam's story is the main one, the reader is also brought into other people's secrets as The Stranger continues his tasks. Of course it all comes together in a rather surprising ending, but the reader is given enough clues to figure out some of what is happening.

I read this book quickly...not because I had to but because I wanted to, and I hated to read the last page. I would love to see Adam pop up in another of Coben's tales, but of course I am still wistfully hoping that Myron Bolitar will come back soon, too. Coben has a way of making his characters people that you want to hang out with, which makes me suspect that a day hanging out with Harlan himself would be a day well spent.

Do yourself a favor and start reading The Stranger today.

- Beverly

Publisher - Dutton
Date of Publication - March 24, 2015

Dog Day Wedding by Rich Amooi

4/24/2015

Genre: Fiction

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For many years I was hooked on espionage novels, serial killer novels and historical novels. Over the last few years I decided to lighten it up a bit. I still love a good mystery though, be it legal, political, historical or medical. I also enjoy reading a few books just for fun, and Dog Day Wedding is just that...a romantic comedy that kept me smiling. Somehow author Rich Amooi even had me smiling when poor Giovanni Roma was left at the alter...for the second time as the story begins. The bantering between his friends about what could have happened to keep the bride away was funny enough to set the light hearted tone of what could be a pretty dismal experience.

We meet Giovanni's somewhat pushy mother in the first chapter too and quickly realize the role she will play in the story. This is just not a good day for Giovanni who leaves the wedding and finds himself stopping traffic when he leaves his car in the middle of the street to save a run-away dog. Of course the police woman who is writing a ticket for disrupting traffic is quite attractive and decides to give him a warning rather than a ticket when she hears his story. This was not subtle foreshadowing, and no one is surprised when these two meet again. No surprise, although she is engaged, Natalie is falling for Giovanni.

The story is cute, the characters are charming and this is a perfect novel to read during a bout of insomnia or a wait in a doctor's office. It won't depress you or scare you. Like any good, old fashioned romantic comedy, it will keep you smiling while you root for the good guys.

- Beverly

Sold by - Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Date of Publication - January 30, 2015

Thru My Looking Glass

4/17/2015

"In a good book the best is between the lines." –Swedish Proverb

Searching for a way to maintain youthfulness seems to be part of the human condition. Songs are written about it...who doesn't love Rod Stewart's " Forever Young?" Stories have been written about it through the ages. Written in the first half of the nineteenth century, Dr. Heidegger's Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the story of four people desperate to achieve eternal youth. An eccentric doctor gives four of his friends an "elixir" from the Fountain of Youth and observes their behavior as they grow "young" again. The Picture of Dorian Gray was written by Oscar Wilde in 1891. Dorian Gray decides to sell his soul, to ensure that a portrait of him, rather than he, will age and fade. Both are fascinating stories that paved the way for more current authors to have fun with this topic.

The book Younger by Suzanne Munshower is a modern day peek at the search for youth. Anna, agrees to test a new top-secret product guaranteed to make her look thirty years younger, and the trouble begins. There is, of course murder and mayhem and a good mystery to follow. The topic of aging makes for good philosophical conversations at get togethers too. Should we do all that we can do to keep the allusion of youth? How much plastic surgery, Botox, etc. is too much? Can I wear my skirt four inches above my knees when I am forty? Fifty? Sixty? When does chic start to look just pitiful?

On a personal note, I decided to age gracefully. Although I see nothing wrong with a woman or man doing all she/he can do to feel attractive, I am too chicken to go under the knife or be subjected to needles and chemicals. On the other hand, it is not my place to judge other people's decisions. It is important for everyone to face the world feeling their best, and if they need help to do that, more power to them.

Speaking of power, I seem to be drained of much of mine this week. Between Zach's Bar Mitzvah and Michael's visit, I had little time to relax with my books. Younger is the only review I will share with you this week, but it is a good one that I hope you enjoy. I am back to my books though, and next week should be back to normal.

Happy Reading,

- Beverly

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Younger by Suzanne Munshower

4/17/2015

Genre: Mystery

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Author Munshower captured my attention with the first chapter of her book. She took an interesting segment of the story and made it chapter one. By the time I got to chapter two, which took the reader back a bit, I was hooked. Anna Wallingham, the protagonist of the story, is in her later fifties and loses her last PR client. She is offered a job with Barton Pharmaceuticals as a tester for a secret product that will make her look thirty years younger. Since she has little savings and enjoys the good life, she accepts the job even though there are some things that don't seem to make sense. After all, who doesn't want to look on the outside as young as one feels on the inside. Unfortunately, people start to die around her as she starts to look younger and younger. She travels across Europe trying to discover the truth behind the product that might be too good to be true. The author does a good job bringing some of the characters to life, but I found myself uninterested in some of the other characters. I enjoyed some of her descriptions of food, and although some might find the story itself a bit farfetched, I had no issue with that aspect of the book. If you pick up a book that is about a product that will shave thirty years off your appearance, then don't be surprised if the storyline doesn't stick to pure facts. Enjoy it for what it is...a fun to read mystery with a farfetched concept that hits close to home for many people.

- Beverly

Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - April 1, 2015

Thru My Looking Glass

4/10/2015

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
― Jorge Luis Borges

Well, the holidays are over, and South Florida is starting to get back to a semblance of normality. For those of you who are not familiar with the concept of "snow birds," many Northerners avoid the freezing winter months by migrating down for our amazing winters. The highs are generally in the seventies and the lows in the sixties. The sun is always shining and outdoor eating is almost mandatory. It is difficult to resist these beautiful surroundings, and Floridians truly appreciate these wonderful people and their boost to the economy, but between December and April traffic becomes impossible and restaurants become unbearable.

April is the time Floridians can actually start going back to their favorite restaurants without making reservations at least a month in advance. We can go to malls, movies and museums without fighting traffic, and life in general feels easier. This is a perfect time to go to the beach or one of our many parks and get lost in one of the books we are meaning to read. I spent a few days on the patio overlooking our lake with Andrew Gross' newest book in hand. One Mile Under brought Ty Hauck back into my life, and not a minute too soon. I really missed this honest detective who never looks for trouble but it always seems to find him. This book was exciting and helped me understand fracking a little bit more. Ty is such a comfortable character to spend an afternoon with that I didn't even notice the clouds beginning to cover the sun.

Because Passover was celebrated this week I decided it would be the right time to review Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death by Mark Reutlinger. Some books are just fun to spend a few hours on, and this one qualifies as a perfect cozy mystery. You certainly don't have to understand Yiddish to read the book...Reutlinger does a great job explaining each term used without breaking the continuity of reading, but for those who know a bit of the language...an added bonus. The main character, Matzah Ball Queen Rose Kaplan, finds herself a suspect in a murder that she and her sidekick go all out to solve. A great story for the holiday season.

I don't think I will get much reading done in the days to come. We pick up son Michael tonight from PBIA and celebrate Zachary's Bar Mitzvah all weekend long. Lots of eating, dancing and family time for us. I hope you all enjoyed your holidays if you celebrated, and I wish everyone a great spring filled with flowers, warm showers and a pile of good books.

Happy Reading,

- Beverly

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Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death by Mark Reutlinger

4/10/2015

Genre: Mystery

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This is a perfect time of year to review Mark Reutlinger's humorous account of life and death (by murder) at the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors. The book starts off introducing us to Rose Kaplan, the Matzoh Ball Queen of the Home. Her friend Ida narrates this charming mystery and helps Rose solve the book's mystery.

Since Rose won the honor of preparing this year's matzo ball soup, she becomes a suspect when poor Bertha Finkelstein chokes to death on a diamond earring that was found in her matzoh ball. This was the same earring that was stolen earlier from resident Daisy Goldfarb.

Poetic license gives the writer the ability to turn these senior citizens into Holmes and Watson as they out sleuth the sleuths in solving the mystery and clearing Rose's name.

This very light mystery is filled with Yiddish words and phrases but is easy for everyone to understand. Most of the words are common knowledge, and the author handily translates anything that might confuse the reader. There actually is a good mystery to follow here and some clues to help the reader take part in the search.

I enjoyed the characters and descriptions of their antics and think this is an excellent book to lighten the holiday's workload while preparing your own Passover or Easter dinner.

- Beverly

Publisher - Alibi
Date of Publication - November 18, 2014

One Mile Under by Andrew Gross

4/10/2015

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

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Since I first "met" Ty Hauck he has been one of my favorite fictional characters. His unwavering search for truth and willingness to put his life on the line to find it, is quite appealing in today's world. My friend, Madeline, describes Hauck as the man that every woman wants to marry and every guy wants to be. Andrew Gross took a several year break from writing about Ty Hauck, and I for one am very glad that he is back.

Those who followed Ty's previous adventures know that his previous case was a tough one. He is recuperating physically and emotionally in the Caribbean when his good friend asks him to please go check on his daughter (Ty's god-daughter), who has gotten herself arrested. Dani Haller, has become a guide for a whitewater rafting company in beautiful Colorado. While leading a tour she comes across the body of her good friend, Trey Watkins. The death seems suspicious to her, but local police chief Wade Dunn (Dani's step-father)tells her that the case is closed. When she refuses to stop digging Dunn arrests her. When Ty obtains her release, the two of them find themselves pitted against giant energy companies that seem to be controlling the water and some influential people in the area.

This novel, like all of Gross' works, is tightly written and draws the reader into the beautiful surroundings and a story that is both relevant and frightening. His main characters are always slightly flawed but always morally unshakeable. His "bad guys" are despicable but show a human nature rather than the caricature-like qualities some authors resort to using.

I always seem to learn a little something in Gross' books too. In One Mile Under his
description of what fracking for oil entails helped clarify the process for me. As always he tries to show both sides of every issue and helps the reader understand the politics of some very sticky situations.

I did miss some of the more humanistic aspects of Ty in this novel though. There was no real interaction with a love interest, and Ty can be so lovable. His cooking skills were not brought to light in this novel either, and that is quite a loss. When this man prepares a meal the reader definitely is ready for his/her own snack.

After waiting several years for Ty's return though, I was not disappointed. I recommend this and all of Andrew Gross' books to anyone who has not come across this talented author. I promise that you won't be sorry.

- Beverly

Publisher - William Morrow
Date of Publication - April 7, 2015

Thru My Looking Glass

4/3/2015

"Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light." –Vera Nazarian

Sometimes I just find the perfect book. Generally, it is not a literary masterpiece or even on the New York Times best sellers list. It just speaks to me. You know...the kind of book that makes you want to curl up on the couch and spend the day immersed in the story. I believe that we all look for different things in a book. Some people need a great deal of action, some need a convoluted plot, and some need characters that feel real. I need a little of the first two, but I have come to the realization that it is the characters who always pull me back to the story. Sometimes I can relate to them, sometimes they make me laugh, cry or love, and sometimes I just want to invite them to dinner. I need to feel those emotions to call a book terrific.

Second Chances by K.L. Phelps was a book that piqued my curiosity. This poor guy spends a year mourning the death of the love of his life and then sees her catching a plane at the airport. I picked it up fully realizing that it could really be a silly read with a plot that has been done many times before in many mediocre novels. Those novels, however, did not have Nathan. There is something about this young man that brought out the mother in me. I really believed the depth of his emotions for Paige, and that allowed me to accept the unrealistic parts of the book without snickering. I truly liked Paige too. Was it an epic...far from it. Will it ever be anywhere near the New York Times best sellers list? Hmm...only in the newspaper/magazine kiosks. It doesn't matter though, because it spoke to me.

Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag spoke to me too, but not so gently. Not being a fan of serial killer books, the first few chapters yelled at me to put the book down. Since I know that many of my readers are fans of the genre I did keep going though. This book was filled with a very different kind of emotion, but it did make me feel and think, so I am recommending it to you. The serial killer was only a small part of a much more complicated plot. There is a murder investigation, traumatic brain injury and PTSD to take the readers mind off of serial killer Doc Holiday.

Yes, a good author knows how to grab his/her reader and hold on tight. Whether you like romance, mystery, espionage, fantasy or any other genre, you are sure to find a host of authors who will push your buttons and make you dread the last chapter of their books.
As a child I used to worry that my favorite authors would get bored and stop writing. Authors like Phelps make me realize that most authors are having too much fun to ever put down their pens, and I, in turn, am having too much fun reading to ever put down the book.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag

4/3/2015

Genre: Mystery

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We are told that protagonist Dana Nolan was a sweet and cheerful young television broadcaster before she was kidnapped, raped and tortured by a serial killer. She was the only victim who escaped, but she is left with a traumatic brain injury, a very disabling memory issue and an inability to control many of her actions. With all that she endured, she is also battling PTSD. Ms. Hoag does an excellent job helping the reader experience these issues along with Dana. In fact, at times I felt almost too involved. I felt her fear and pain in the first few pages and her mother's fear in the following pages.

Trying to pull herself together, Dana returns to her childhood home. We are introduced to old friends and a first love, but Dana soon focuses her attention on finding out what really happened to her childhood friend, Casey Grant, many years ago. Casey's ex-boyfriend John was a suspect originally, but he is now a young veteran who is also fighting PTSD.

Her stepfather, Roger, is another questionable character. He is a state senator running for re-election and has very little time for Dana's problems or suspicions. As the book progresses we realize that the author is definitely throwing a great deal of possible suspects into the mix, but I have seen Hoag do a better job of suspense writing in previous novels. I believe she was probably focused on the brain injury and PTSD and had some difficulty pairing it with the mystery at times. I also felt Dana needed to be more involved in therapy for her problems.

Although there were several weak areas, on the whole Tami Hoag did what she always does. She presented a story, a graphically written story, that captured my interest and gave me information about things I didn't know before I read her book. If you can handle some gory scenes and a protagonist with a somewhat tortured soul, then I think you will find a great deal to enjoy in Ms. Hoag's latest novel.

- Beverly

Publisher - Dutton
Date of Publication - January 13, 2015