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.  

The Red Address Book and The Museum of Modern Love

THE RED ADDRESS BOOK by Sofia Lundberg is a wonderful work of historical fiction.  Lundberg introduces her readers to Doris, an elderly recluse living in Stockholm, who is desperately trying to capture her life story for a faraway great niece, Jenny, who is busy raising her family in California. 

By cleverly referring to entries in the address book, Lundberg shares Doris's life events, spanning the Great Depression, WWII, and the latter half of the twentieth century. It is difficult at times to accept the gullibility and rather short term “luck” (particularly in regards to finding shelter and support) that Doris experiences while facing dire circumstances. She travels between two continents and deals with the deaths of family members, physical abuse, prejudice against homosexuality, and star-crossed love. 

THE RED ADDRESS BOOK is certain to evoke emotion in its readers. Adult book groups should enjoy this debut novel which is a LibraryReads pick for January 2019.  

THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE by Heather Rose is the first novel by this award-winning Australian writer to be published in the United States.  Rose is exploring the transformative power of art and I found this text caused me to be contemplative and reflective.   

I was initially drawn to the characters, Arky Levin (a successful movie score composer facing a life crisis) and Jane Miller (a recently widowed art teacher), who meet at an art exhibit.  There, Marina Abramovic offers performance art where she sits completely still all day and leaves open an invitation for others to sit across from her. That part of the novel is based on fact; the actual performance was called “The Artist Is Present” and took place over 75 days in 2010 at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. In the novel, Arky and Jane return repeatedly to join others in observing this form of endurance art where some participants are even moved to tears.  Overall, I was intrigued, but felt that the book began to drag a bit and honestly would tend to recommend Meet Me at the Museum first which also features bonding across cultures by more mature characters. 

Please note, though that THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE received a starred review from Booklist and has won several awards in Australia, including the Stella Prize and the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction. Definitely consider it for adult book groups.

LibraryReads Selection Ideas

It is almost Thanksgiving and that long break from school and work may provide a nice window to sit down and relax with a longer read.  There is certainly plenty of choice – with recent National Book Awards announcement, The New York Times’ list of Notable Books being released this week, and voting ongoing for Goodreads Choice Awards.  Here, I am going to note several LibraryReads selections – some of the 10 books chosen each month by librarians to recommend to their patrons:

I look forward to and definitely recommend titles by Kate Morton, international bestselling author of The House at Riverton, since she offers a kind of Gothic mystery that both challenges and entertains. There’s suspense and a bit of romantic tension in each, including her latest, THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER which was a LibraryReads selection in October. In this novel, which bridges 150 years, Morton introduces Edward Radcliffe and his artistic associates who are spending the summer of 1862 at Birchwood Manor on the upper Thames. Intending to escape and focus on creative endeavors, they instead experience a murder, a disappearance, and a jewelry theft. Once again, Morton features a house that bears witness through generations as a modern day archivist, Elodie Winslow, discovers a photo and drawing which prompts her hunt for family connections. Pick up this novel if you are looking for historical fiction dealing with art and secrets; THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.  

 

A LibraryReads selection in September, TRANSCRIPTION by Kate Atkinson is another suspenseful work of historical fiction set during the Second World War and 1950s London. The main character is Juliet who at 18 is first employed to rather naively transcribe wartime conversations for the British intelligence service, MI5, and who increasingly becomes involved in espionage activities, and later works as a BBC producer on children’s programming.  Once again, Atkinson describes how events and choices reverberate across time, causing the reader to reflect on the meaning of patriotism, on guilt, and on fate’s tragic repercussions.  TRANSCRIPTION received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal.

VIRGIL WANDER by Leif Enger (Peace Like a River) was an October LibraryReads selection and could easily work as a Junior Theme choice given the publisher’s description as a “timeless all-American story that follows the inhabitants of a small Midwestern town in their quest to revive its flagging heart.” Virgil’s car runs off the road into Lake Superior near Greenstone, Minnesota and he suffers memory loss as a result.  Virgil’s subsequent and sometimes humorous interactions with residents (including a romantic interest, a best friend and newspaper editor, and a pet raccoon called Genghis) and also visitors (like Rune, a fan of kite flying who is looking for his long lost son) charmingly chronicles attempts at recovery for both Virgil and the town. VIRGIL WANDER received starred reviews from Library Journal (“surprises and delights throughout”) and Booklist (“Virgil's narration is a joy: he lost his adjectives in the crash, making for their gleeful insertion each time he remembers one.”).

 

THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean is actually a narrative non-fiction work that tells the story of the Los Angeles Public Library fire which occurred in 1986. This text, too, includes a bit of a mystery given that the cause of the fire was suspicious and Orlean deftly explores the story of suspect Harry Peak.  She also comments on her own relationship with books and reading, especially reflecting on childhood visits to the library with her mother. Overall, this is a fascinating look at library operations. Please see the video below for more visual detail from a PBS NewsHour interview with author Susan Orlean:

A LibraryReads selection in October and recipient of starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, THE LIBRARY BOOK will be appreciated by bibliophiles and fans of libraries everywhere.