The Body in the Castle Well by Martin Walker

THE BODY IN THE CASTLE WELL by Martin Walker is the first mystery in the Bruno, Chief of Police series that I have read and it certainly won’t be the last. This appealing series is set in the Dordogne region (the former province was called Périgord) of France allowing Walker to skillfully incorporate references to local history, specialty wines (like Bergerac and Monbazillac), and delicious food. In THE BODY IN THE CASTLE WELL, a young art history student disappears from the small village of Limeuil near fictionalized St. Denis. When Bruno and Balzac, his basset hound, discover her body, several questions arise. And further inquiries into the death of the vivacious and likeable Claudia Muller lead to suspicion of foul play and several suspects, including a recently released convict with interests in falconry, an art historian and former Resistance fighter, and a lawyer boyfriend based in London. The mystery is written mainly as a police procedural with various government officials being involved due to the wealth and prominence of the young woman’s family. Walker juggles numerous characters, plus some romantic interests and is adept at describing the locale and its residents, with mention, for example, of Josephine Baker, the famous singer and WWII agent. THE BODY IN THE CASTLE WELL is a relatively cozy crime novel with enough twists to merit a starred review from Booklist. For me, it was a perfect introduction to a new series and an engaging summer read.  

Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One

YOUR SECOND LIFE BEGINS WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU ONLY HAVE ONE by Raphaelle Giordano shares the tale of Camille (30-something years old and Parisian) who is suffering from a case of acute routinitis, wherein she is “finding it hard to feel happy despite an abundance of material wealth, a feeling of disillusionment and lethargy, amongst other things.” Claude, a therapist of sorts, offers suggestions like de-cluttering her house and trying new adventures.  Camille resists, but eventually feels transformed and finds happiness in this light and sometimes superficial work which was a best seller in France. The cover conveys the charming, feel good content such as “instead of counting sheep before you fall asleep, tonight try to remember three nice or encouraging things that happened to you today.” There is a helpful dictionary (inner dialogue, positive anchoring, etc.) at end, plenty of quotes throughout (such as Churchill’s “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”) and the author herself stresses that “there is nothing more important than to live life to the limits of one’s childhood dreams.” 

Those looking for a more positive attitude and self-image may find inspiration in Camille’s story, but one is left wondering if offering these self-help suggestions as actions intertwined in a novel is ultimately more or less effective than creating a workbook with therapeutic exercises (like acting as if, be a cat), templates, and/or checklists. The author has expertise in personal development and in France has previously published non-fiction works on stress management and relationships.   

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

THE GREAT BELIEVERS by local author Rebecca Makkai is one of the most well-written books that I have read this year. Quite a bit of the novel is set in 1980s Chicago with references to Boystown, the gay pride parade, and views on the escalating AIDS “crisis” from those who were directly impacted. Makkai excels at building compassion and empathy for her characters: Yale Tishman works for the fictional Brigg Gallery at Northwestern University and his partner, Charlie Keene, is owner/editor of the gay publication, Out Loud Chicago. Initially readers are drawn to their shared grief for Nico, a friend who has contracted AIDS and died. Nico’s younger sister, Fiona, is very supportive and reappears (with several other characters who have survived) when the story shifts to 2015 Paris. In addition, readers meet Nico’s great aunt Nora and learn about her life as an artist’s muse in WWI era Paris. There are so many themes and avenues to explore – fidelity, mortality, the meaning of family, value of art, ethics, prejudice, loss, love and friendship. THE GREAT BELIEVERS was recommended by the Bookstall as an outstanding book group selection – more on that and book groups in general in an upcoming post – and here is a link to the publisher’s discussion guide.

In reflecting on her work, Makkai said, “It is my great hope that that this book will lead the curious to read direct, personal accounts of the AIDS crisis – and that any places where I’ve gotten the details wrong might inspire people to tell their own stories.” THE GREAT BELIEVERS received well-deserved starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. Mark your calendars: Rebecca Makkai will be at The Book Stall in Winnetka this Fall (tentative date is Sept. 11).