Death Comes To the Village

Death Comes to the Village. Catherine Lloyd. 2013. Kensington. 304 pages. [Source: Library]

Death Comes To The Village was a very enjoyable--quite pleasant--mystery set in Regency England. Major Robert Kurland, our hero, is an invalid soldier. He's recovering from his injuries, but, no one can begin to predict if he'll make a complete recovery. The mystery opens with his frustration at its highest. He is unable to sleep because the curtains have not been closed. He--for better or worse--decides to try to take care of it himself. Of course, he isn't able to walk properly. And it's amazing he even makes it all the way to the window before collapsing in a heap on the floor. But before he falls oh-so-dramatically, he witnesses something through the window. A man carrying a large-bulky-heavy-something. Is he a burglar or a murderer? Is there a reasonable explanation? He's not sure. He feels something happened, and he tells the rector's daughter, our heroine, Lucy Harrington. He shares with her his notion that a crime may have happened--not mentioning murder--and he wants her to keep her ears open. Did anyone else hear anything? see anything? Were any homes robbed? Anyone gone missing? Any strange behavior? Soon these two have teamed up and are working hard to solve a mystery...

There HAVE been thefts in the area. Many homes are missing small objects, it appears there is plenty of reason to suspect a burglar...

But two maids have also vanished...and Miss Lucy Harrington fears the worst...

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Cherry Cola Book Club (2013)

The Cherry Cola Book Club. Ashton Lee. 2013. Kensington. 272 pages. [Source: Library]

If you like your books cute and quirky, then The Cherry Cola Book Club might work for you. It has a cute premise. A young librarian, Maura Beth Mayhew, learns that her job is in danger. The city council want to close down the library because there are only a small handful of people using it. (Probably less than ten people a week.) So Maura Beth Mayhew decides to do something to turn the situation around. She's been given six months or so to make a difference with her library. Fortunately, there's a new comer in town who offers a suggestion and the necessary funds to make that suggestion a reality. She used to be part of a book club. She'd be willing to help start one here. She'd be willing to buy what it takes to make the club meetings a success. Between the two of them, they find five or six people to join the reading club. The book focuses on their first two meetings. The first in which they 'discuss' Gone With The Wind, and the second in which they 'discuss' To Kill A Mockingbird.

Readers meet plenty of quirky small town characters. Do they truly get to know them beyond the surface? I'm not sure they do. The characters all felt as substantive as the cardboard cutouts of the movie stars they buy to decorate for club meetings. What we do see of the characters is interesting enough I suppose. It's just there isn't enough to make the book feel genuinely satisfying. (The dialogue didn't feel quite right, quite natural.) The story is predictable and pleasant. Readers know just what to expect from the start: a cozy, quirky, cutesy read about small-town Southern life. 

I was not wowed by this one. It's a pleasant enough read, however.

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second

Ferguson, Drew. 2008. The Screwed Up Life Of Charlie the Second.

Okay, so maybe getting my scrawny ass pushed into the back of a Crystal Lake cop car wasn't the smartest thing I've done, but Dana's party last night--it sucked. She should thank me. The only thing anyone'll remember about the party is me getting busted.

What can I say about this one? I think you'll either love it or hate it. If you're looking for a book about the awkwardness and glory of a guy having his first boyfriend--plenty of firsts elaborately and graphically described--then this one may be for you. Not that you have to be looking for that to enjoy it. Drew Ferguson does a great job with characterization in general. From our main narrator, Charlie, to his boyfriend, Rob, to his best friend, Bink, to the families of Rob and Bink. Good characters. Good plotting. This is a nerdy coming-of-age story that no doubt is authentic--the awkwardness of being that age in general, the uncertainty of what to expect out of a more intimate relationship, the bittersweetness of life itself at any age--the loves lost and gained.

The writing is full of humor. But it isn't without heart. Charlie falls--and hard--for Rob. And the joys of learning that that love is returned brings happiness and joy. But it also adds complications. Rob is going through a rough time. His mom is dying (and does in fact die through the course of the novel). And Rob and his father are going through the stages of grief--shock, denial, anger, etc. Charlie is young and inexperienced (in more ways than one). He doesn't know how to deal with Rob's heartaches. Rob is on an emotional roller coaster, and Charlie doesn't know how to deal with the situation. I think few people his age would.

Friendship. Love. Heartache. Life lessons learned the hard way. Not for everyone certainly--no one book is for everyone.

A much better review is at Bookshelves of Doom.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews