Wild Chamber by Christopher Fowler

BRYANT & MAY: WILD CHAMBER by Christopher Fowler is number 14 in a series of mysteries involving London’s Peculiar Crimes Unit.  It’s fun and light-hearted, set in contemporary London, with this one involving murders in some of London’s parks – the wild chambers of the title. Fowler has won acclaim and awards for this series, although WILD CHAMBER was the first I had read.

Bryant and May are long time partners and the former is especially eccentric, with a long list of equally bizarre acquaintances and a tendency towards hallucinations. At one point his supervisor tells him, “You can do some proper police work for a change and be a bit more realistic, instead of spending all of your time rooting about in filthy old books and talking to autistic academics.” I love Bryant’s response: “Reality is for those who lack imagination …” And his colleagues clearly respect him and hold him in affection, often joining him for a pint at a local pub. That’s one of the places where Fowler has fun with his readers, since the characters imbibe local brews such as Camden Liver Damage and Farmer's Arse Best Bitter. One can’t help but smile and enjoy the surprises in this solid mystery which received starred reviews from both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.   

Never Coming Back by Alison McGhee

NEVER COMING BACK by Alison McGhee is a beautifully written story that deserves reflection and quiet – a perfect Boxing Day read by the fire. It’s a story about Clara Winter and her mother, Tamar, who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.  For Clara, a talented young woman who loves music and writing, moving back to rural New York State and the Adirondack Mountains brings not only the need to cope with the present situation, but confrontation with questions concerning the past and glimmers of a possible future. McGhee is an extremely talented writer – I chose this title in part because of its evocative setting, but also because I remember reading and being moved by McGhee’s Snap (a middle grade novel) over a decade ago.

In NEVER COMING BACK McGhee describes dementia as: “What happens when someone close to you starts to disappear is that they aren’t always there. They are with you and then they aren’t.  This happens while their hearts still beat, while their lungs still breathe, while they look directly at you.  They talk and laugh and sing and then they don’t. They are here and they are gone, are and were, simultaneously.” NEVER COMING BACK is an emotional, yet gentle, contemplation on mothers and daughters and on the challenges we face in life.  

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

NEVERMOOR: THE TRIALS OF MORRIGAN CROW by Jessica Townsend is a great story aimed at middle grade students.  Part of the adventure will be reading this over 600 page book!  I do think that lovers of fantasy and alternate worlds will enjoy Townsend’s novel, particularly because it features a strong female protagonist.  However, did I mention that it is long?  In some ways, this felt like The Hunger Games for a younger, less violence prone audience.  Kirkus says “Readers will feel as though Harry Potter is meeting Alice in Wonderland...”

Morrigan Crow is rejected by her family, rescued by Jupiter North (who possesses unique inventions and magical abilities) and transported to a strange city where she struggles with challenges set forth for joining the Wundrous Society.  Yes, she is special (only nine of several hundred contestants will ultimately be accepted) and she is kind (forming bonds and aiding other contestants), but she is also a bit naïve and trouble-prone. NEVERMOOR: THE TRIALS OF MORRIGAN CROW is a fun read set in an appealing fantasy world; sequels are very likely.   

This tale, filled with humor and brave exploits, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.