Lethal White

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith, 650 pages

In this most recent Cormoran Strike book, the private detective and his partner Robin have taken up the case of a politician who is being blackmailed by someone (he won't say who) for some reason (he won't say why). Robin goes undercover in his office to do some covert poking around at the Ministry, while Strike follows up on a feeling he won't deign to call a hunch (it's a hunch) dealing with a mentally unstable man who showed up in his office, ranting about a decades-old murder that may or may not have happened. Could these two things possibly be related?

At 650 pages, Lethal White is a whopper of a book, and honestly, about 250 pages in, I was wondering what J.K Rowling Robert Galbraith was going to use the last 400 for. But then a thing happens and the reason for all those pages becomes crystal clear. It's a complex plot that intricately weaves dozens of threads together — the planning for this book must have been monstrous — and I feel that I need to read it again to fully catch all the clues. I thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly Robin and Strike, who continue to evolve and grow with each new entry in this series.

A Curious Beginning, by Deanna Raybourn

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn, 368 p.
The first in a series, A Curious Beginning introduces us to the enjoyably mouthy and delightfully eccentric natural scientist Veronica Speedwell. Orphaned at a young age, she was raised by her two aunts. As we meet her, both of her aunts have died, and Veronica is preparing for the life of spectacular worldwide travels of which she has dreamed, snaring rare butterflies and handsome suitors in all corners of the world. Abruptly, however, she is thrown into a mystery that may reveal the secrets of her parentage. As an opinionated, educated woman ahead of her time, she scandalizes and delights her friends and enemies alike.
I enjoyed the quick pace of this book, and the sharp dialogue between Veronica and her companions. The historical setting is well realized, and I even learned a new vocabulary word or two - Veronica being an accomplished lepidopterist, or butterfly collector. With plenty of mysteries still left to explore, I look forward to seeing Veronica on her next adventure.

The Hollow Ground

The Hollow Ground by Natalie S. Harnett, 336 pages

This book took me a long time to get through. It is based on the real-life coal mine fires that devastated Pennsylvania in the 1960's. Brigid Howley is an 11 year-old girl whose life is in shambles after the coal mine has destroyed the town's local economy and made the area inhabitable. On top of that, she faces social rejection for being Irish, lives with a family curse, and has a troubled home life. I would read a chapter and then have to put to down for a day or so. However, Brigid perseveres and maintains a strong spirit despite all of the hardship she experiences. This is a great book for anyone who loves a coming-of-age story.

Transcription

Transcription / Kate Atkinson read by Fenella Woolgar, 343 p.

Usually when I get a new book early after release, I feel the responsibility of spending time and thinking hard about my blog post because people will be needing this information.  In this case, I'm already number 4 posting about his book because everyone here looks forward to a new book by Atkinson.  So now I'm not going to repeat what Patrick, Kara, and Kathleen have already said.  Instead, I'll tempt you with the small part about the cute little dog Lily who touches many characters' lives and comes back to haunt Juliet.  These little interludes are one reason a book by Atkinson is so much better than most.  Nobody wants to take the dog at first but then it ends up being very popular and well loved.  I can just imagine petting those silky little ears myself.  Then we find out in the authors note that the name is used as a tribute to a real double agent that showed up in the archives. Too cool. But don't take my word for it, read it yourself.

My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me

My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family's Nazi Past by Jennifer Teege & Nikola Sellmair  221 pp.

German born Jennifer Teege was 38 years old when she found a book in the library titled I Have to Love My Father, Don't I?. She was shocked to discover it was about her birth mother, Monika Göth who had put her up for adoption as a small child. Teege is the daughter of Göth and a Nigerian man. Her mother's father was the infamous SS-Hauptsturmführer Amon Göth, commandant of the Plaszów concentration camp near Kraków, Poland who would be played by actor Ralph Fiennes in the film "Schindler's List." The horrifying discovery of her ancestry and that the grandmother she adored was complicit by denying the deaths of thousands of Jews at the hands of her husband devasted Teege's entire life. The books tells the history of Amon Göth's brutality and how Teege was able to eventually come to grips with the knowledge that had he known her, her grandfather would have wanted her dead. Chapters alternate between the historical facts and Teege's personal experiences.

Lethal White

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith, 650 pages.
Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacot are back in the fourth of J. K. Rowling's mysteries. Their personal relationship move in fits and starts in this installation, mostly because the detective agency is so busy after their success in the Shacklewell Ripper case in the previous volume. This book opens with a more detailed look at Robin's wedding, giving a recap of the end of the last novel, and then quickly goes through the next year. The case around which Lethal is focused, the blackmailing of a prominent Tory politician, soon takes center stage. Strike is particularly intrigued by the politician's relation to a mentally ill man who had come to their office raving about a child's murder. Is the man raving, as everyone close to him claims, or did something horrible happen on the minister's estate years ago?
As the blackmail case winds to a close, the large cast of suspects and interested parties become suspects in what appears to be another murder. And near-evidence of the alleged murder from long ago keeps wandering in to orbit of the current cases.
 Ellacot and Strike, compelling and likable characters, find their personal lives unraveling and fraying as the main case and a few others, take their toll. The agency has hired a few other detectives, but they're not always reliable. It's a huge book, but it moves along nicely, and all-too-soon it's over and you're facing a long wait for the fifth volume. A great read.

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy, 376 pages.
Macy presents a stunning and depressing overview of the current opioid epidemic, traces the twenty-some-year timeline of said epidmic, and explores the marketing campaign behind Purdue Pharma's new OxyContin, a supposedly addiction-free pain-relief compound that fueled its current fire. Macy focuses (many of) her stories in and around Roanoke, Virginia, reporting on the quickly growing problems with OxyContin and prescription opiods, and then with regular old heroin when the supply prescription pills dries up there.
Macy tells the story of Purdue spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on OxyContin-related merchandise, and pushing the "Pain: the fifth vital sign" mind-set among physicians and patients, encouraging the belief that pain-relief, with then new "non-addictive" drugs was the way to go.
There are the stories of many of the individuals caught up in the crisis, drug users and their family members, law enforcement officers, lawyers, doctors and the people at Purdue. An interesting book, shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for nonfiction.
The downloadable audio was narrated by the author.

The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman, 399 pages.
The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman, 326 pages.

I listened to the first two books in the "His Dark Materials" trilogy after listening to the new volume, The Book of Dust, at the end of last year. I was anticipating reading the rest of the new series, but I sort of lost my enthusiasm for the whole thing. Not that the first two books didn't hold up. They're fine as stories, but there's a little too much exploitation of children (sure, for very different reasons in this world) for me, currently. I don't remember liking the third volume quite as much, and given the author's recent comments, I think I will give this series a rest.

Why Not Me

Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling, 228 pages.
The TV comedy writer, actor, and humorist is back with her second book about her life and outlook. Something like that. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author, and enjoyed it. Kaling talks about the two shows she worked on, The Office and The Mindy Project. She recounts how she went from being a writer, to a writer /actor to getting her own show and achieving the coveted status of show-runner. Interesting and fun to listen to.

Uprooted

Uprooted, Naomi Novik, 448 pages

Naomi Novik's Uprooted is November's Orcs and Aliens book club book. It centers around Agnieszka and the Dragon's fight against a deeply corrupted evil forest. It draws a lot of influences from Eastern European folklore, and Agnieszka's magic shares a connection to the stories of Baba Yaga. Novik's storytelling is clear and well written, and her protagonists have wonderful depth and purpose. I'm very excited to see what the rest of the book club thinks of this novel, as I highly enjoyed it.