Hope Never Dies

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer, 301 pages

In this wonderfully refreshing mystery novel, former Vice President Joe Biden is chilling at home in Delaware eight months after leaving office, grousing to himself about Barack Obama's post-presidential celebrity-filled, globe-trotting adventures, when he learns that his favorite Amtrak conductor has died under mysterious circumstances. And who should be the one to deliver this news but 44 himself, appearing in Biden's yard in the dead of night with a Secret Service agent named Steve. From that moment on, Biden and Obama are on the case, dragging poor Steve through rough neighborhoods, into the den of a biker gang, and, of course, to the Amtrak station.

Oh, how I needed this book right now. This campy and cozy mystery is exactly the heroic story that's needed in today's messy political climate. (Just look at that cover! Isn't that enough to tell you how great it is?) Shaffer plays on the shoot-from-the-hip, everybody's-favorite-uncle persona of Biden and the lovingly-put-upon, smarter-than-your-average-bear persona of Obama that spawned a thousand memes. I hope that Shaffer writes more of these, and I hope that they gain enough readers that someone, somewhere convinces Joe Biden to do the audiobook.

Hope never dies

Hope never dies / Andrew Shaffer, 301 pgs.

Obama and Biden, best amateur detective team EVER.  Ok, maybe they aren't the greatest detectives but so much chemistry!  This tongue in cheek mystery series (it says book 1 so I'm hoping there will be another) is set in Delaware where an Amtrak conductor is killed on the track.  Or was he already dead?  Thus begins the mystery.  A friend of Biden's, Joe thinks this smells fishy but he soon finds that his friend had money troubles, a very sick wife and maybe other secrets.  Biden is still missing the White House and feels like Obama is having too much fun with celebrities.  When these two team up again with unsuspecting Steve, a secret service agent on Obama's detail, they find themselves in plenty of interesting situations.  The run-down motel where the victim lived is the site of an unlikely sleepover and an assault with a high heel.  This book is so fun to read, you don't need to over analyse the plot.  Just hop on the bandwagon and start lobbying for Biden to do an audio version.

Hope Never Dies

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer (2018)  301 pages

Inspired by Kara, I started reading this work of fiction featuring Joe Biden and Barack Obama on election day. Told from Joe Biden's point of view, the story begins with Biden feeling hurt because Obama hasn't reached out to interact with him since they left office, and trying to assuage his jealousy when he sees media reports of Obama's interactions with the rich and famous. But then who should appear but Obama himself, to tell Biden that a longtime acquaintance of Biden's, Amtrak conductor Finn Donnelly, has been hit by a train. The Feds found a map indicating that the conductor was trying to contact Biden. Worse, Biden learns later from a Delaware police detective that the conductor had heroin in his pocket.

The story takes off from there, with Biden making sure the conductor's family is okay and then trying to vindicate Finn. Obama and his Secret Service agent, Steve, go along for the ride (often literally) as the details come out. But who can be trusted? The story is filled with folksy aphorisms and metaphors galore, which make Biden sound so authentic. The wrap-up is quite thrilling. Fun book!

Hope Rides Again

Hope Rides Again by Andrew Shaffer, 284 pages

In this followup to last year's Hope Never Dies, Shaffer once again puts too-cool Obama and folksy Biden on the crime-solving beat. But unlike their previous detective work in Delaware, this case embroils them in the seedier side of Chicago, complete with gangs, corruption, and the St. Patrick's Day parade.

It's not quite as wonderful as the first book in this series — perhaps because the narrator's real-life counterpart is on the campaign trail, making the Obama-Biden bromance of meme-dom that provides the basis for the fictional versions less believable — but I did enjoy the inclusion of Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Biden's ceaseless desire for ice cream. And, of course, a round of applause to the cover artist, who has once again made a fantastic, heroic portrait of our 44th president.

Everything I Never Told You

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, 297 pages.

I think this was Ng's first book, not sure, too close to midnight to fact-check. Lydia is the middle child of Marilyn Walker and James Lee. Marilyn feels forced into her role of stay-at-home mom and puts all her hope in Lydia's academic success. As Lydia dies in an apparent suicide as the book opens, this was obviously not the best plan. The book moves backward and forward, exploring how Lydia's parents met, following her and her older brother in the events leading up to the tragedy, and showing how the family copes with the aftermath.

Notes for the everlost

Notes for the everlost: a field guide to grief / Kate Inglis, 196 pgs.

Premature labor results in two tiny twins, one of whom doesn't have much chance.  Liam dies at the hospital but Ben comes home.  How does a mother cope with this loss?  Not very well despite all the helpful people telling her how it could be worse.  A stunning memoir of loss, grief, love and survival, I hope like hell I never say some of the incredibly stupid things that Inglis endured.  She does recognize that people are very bad at condolences but still recounts a lot of pain brought on by others.  All of this just added to the pain that nature provided.  Much here is helpful for anyone who is experiencing grief.