Still Life at Eighty

Finished February 27

Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing: A Memoir by Abigail Thomas

This is the second memoir I've read by this author, following Three Dog Night, a memoir she wrote after her husband's death. This memoir is about aging, starting as she begins her eightieth year. Abigail doesn't want to relive her life differently, but she finds memories coming to her, forgetfulness becoming more common, and her body failing her at times. 

She has moved from New York City to a house in the Catskills, living with her four dogs, who are also aging. She watches nature both outdoors and as it creeps into her home. As lockdowns from Covid keep her from much social contact she relies on friends and family for support, and finds herself with memories, emotions, and the ability to notice even the small things. 

She writes about aging and its accompanying challenges and emotions, about her losses and small joys. 

This is a lovely book that will have you taking the time to notice the small things in your life as well. 

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch

Finished November 12

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay

This fun holiday romance has a lot happening, and was a page-turner for me. On the evening before her wedding, Holly Beech's fiancé Matt tells her that he won't go through with the wedding, that they aren't really 'in love' with each other, and that he's met someone else. Holly is at her best friend, Ivy Casey's apartment getting ready for the wedding, and Ivy is left consoling her and feeling that she was right in her sense that Matt wasn't the right man for Holly. 

Holly can't bear to go to the luxury Hawaiian resort that her parents paid for, and since it is nonrefundable, she suggests that her and Ivy trade vacations. Ivy, a graphic designer, has an art vacation every year, where she uses her favourite oil pastels to create landscape pictures. Ivy has compartmentalized her art and makes it special for this time only. She has booked an eco-cabin in the Hudson Valley for this year. 

Both women are in for surprises when they arrive at their destinations. Holly finds the host of her cabin, who drops by to help her figure out some of the technology involved, is her high school academic rival Aiden. Ivy finds that someone else is already in the honeymoon suite at the Kauai resort, Matt and his new girlfriend. As she tries to find a place to stay in the popular season there, the extremely attractive bartender at the resort, Oliver, comes to her rescue. As both women weigh the decision to engage in a new relationship, they also must come to terms with their own issues, of confidence and routines. 

This is a novel of friendship, of unexpected love, and of taking chances. Thoroughly enjoyable. 

The Christmas Countdown

Finished October 30

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy

This seasonal romance is a satisfying feel-good novel. The main character, Callie Meyer grew up in small town Virginia. Her mother's best friend lived next door, and both were thrilled when Callie and Oliver, the best friend's son started dating in high school. They'd been together for several years when Oliver got a job in the town of Fallbrook in upstate New York and asked Callie to join him. She quit her job and followed, and got a new job in the same company he worked for, only to have him dump her shortly thereafter. 

Callie is an accountant, and good at her job. She enjoys the city and has made a good friend in her department, Hazel. 

After the breakup, she moved in with her sister Anita, an engineer who designs rollercoasters. (I loved this detail!) As Anita observes Callie stuck in a depression as the year draws to a close, she revives a childhood tradition, an interactive advent gift adventure. Anita has put a lot of thought into this, and the gifts alternate between treats and tasks, with the tasks to get Callie out and about and hopefully making some more friends in the community. 

I really enjoyed the sisterly interaction and how they obviously cared deeply for each other. I also liked how the advent focused on Callie's personality, drawing on strong ties to her family and their traditions, as well as things Callie would actually get into once she tried them. 

This was a fun read, with lots of ideas of Christmas activities that a reader might be intrigued by. 

Parting Shot

Finished March 11
Parting Shot by Linwood Barclay, narrated by Jim Meskimen and James Babson

This is another tale set in Promise Falls, a year after the horrible incident. The story follows a couple of plot lines. Cal Weave, private investigator, is called in to protect a young man, JeremyPilford, who has been convicted of killing a girl while drunk. Jeremy has been given probation, but part of his defence was that he was mollycoddled as a child and thus a nickname for him has emerged, Big Baby. Cal isn't sure at first about accepting the case, and after an incident when he was followed, he has decided to take the Jeremy away and not tell others where they are. He starts getting to know Jeremy and asking him about the accident, and suspicions arise in him about the truth of Jeremy's guilt.
Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth has been given an odd case. A young man, Brian Gaffney, left a bar one night, and woke up in the bar parking lot a couple of days later, not remembering anything about what has happened to him. He does however, have a large tattoo on his back. As Barry follows up Brian's actions before his memory loss, he finds that his own son may be a witness to what happened to Brian. But his son is already feeling low after having to move back home after losing his job, and their relationship is a bit tenuous. When the case is escalated, first through a missing person, and then through a murder, Barry is sure there is more going on that it first seems. He is reminded of a past case of revenge against someone that was a vigilante act.
Great plot and characters, as usual for Barclay.

Hid From Our Eyes

Finished December 6
Hid From Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming

This book was a long time coming as the author took a hiatus from writing due to several things happening in her personal life, including the illness and loss of her husband. My advance copy came with a letter explaining the reasons behind the hiatus, some of which I already knew as I follow her online. The new book is well worth waiting for however, and I had to remind myself to savour it rather than devour it.
There are several themes present here that provided a lot of plot opportunities: a transgender character, the struggle against addiction, the corruptive nature of power, taxes versus services, and the oft-thwarted path of youthful love.
Clare and Russ are dealing with the way their lives have changed with a baby, young Ethan. Clare wants to avoid institutional daycare, but that makes new parenting more complicated. She also has guilt over whether Ethan has long term effects from her struggles with addiction before she realized she was pregnant. A possible placement with her church may offer some respite for her.
But this novel doesn't just deal with events of the present day. It takes us back to two previous time periods through the occurrences of similar strange murders in each. The first is in August 1952, where a young woman dressed in a party dress is found dead in the middle of a lonely road with no apparent signs of trauma to explain her death and no personal effects to identify her. That August, young Harry McNeil is with the State Police and shares information with the chief of the Millers Kill police force.
In August 1972, Harry is chief of the Millers Kill police when a similar crime presents itself. A young woman in a party dress, dead on the same stretch of road. She is found by a young man on his motorcycle, a young man recently home from Vietnam and dealing with PTSD. A young man Harry knows, Russ Van Alstyne.
It is August in the present day, and a woman comes across another crime scene. This one is the same. A young woman in a party dress, on the same stretch of road, and Russ, now chief of police himself, recognizes it immediately, but waits for the rest of his team to look at all the evidence before sharing the previous cases. Neither of the two earlier cases was resolved, although the woman from 1972 was identified. But the coroner of the present day is determined to figure out the hard-to-determine cause of death and uses every means he can to do so. And forensics has come a long ways over the years. Russ hasn't shared this part of his past with Clare and so she begins to dig as well, looking for explanations.
Russ is also dealing with upcoming votes on whether to close the local police force down and use the State Police instead. Having to campaign and deal with the politics of this and the worry over the future of his staff occupy a large part of his time as well.
The crimes were very interesting, and the situations in Russ and Clare's lives even more so. We also saw more of the young female police officer Hadley, and of the former Millers Kill, now state police officer Kevin Flynn, which provided another couple of interesting plot lines.
This book has a lot going on, and a lot to think about. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Ruin Falls

Finished April 23
Ruin Falls by Jenny Milchman, read by Cassandra Campbell

This thriller follows Liz Daniels, a woman who is setting off on a family vacation as the book begins. She, her husband Paul, and their two children, Reid (8) and Ally (6) are heading to the western part of New York State to visit Paul's parents. She's never visited them before, although she's met them a couple of times. Paul doesn't have a close relationship with them. Paul is a professor at the agricultural college that he graduated from and Liz works with a friend to supply local restaurants with organic and specialized produce and make products with the crops they raise.
But as the drive west progresses and a couple of incidents make Liz nervous, when Paul suggests they stop at a hotel, so they can be fresh to arrive at his parents, Liz agrees. When she wakes up in the morning though, the children are missing. Liz is beside herself and Paul helpful, yet distracted.
As things grow more and more confusing, Liz learns that she didn't know her husband as well as she thought, and that she needs to grow more independent.
There are side stories about a young woman with a six-year old son and a controlling husband, and young pregnant woman with a controlling mother whose stories eventually converge with Liz's.
This is a story of relationships with dominant people, of how much we really know about those we think we are close to, about idealism and the dangers of the internet. A book that kept me engaged right to the end.

A Catalog of Birds

Finished April 7
A Catalog of Birds by Laura Harrington

This novel takes place in 1970 with the main characters Billy Flynn and his younger sister Nell. Billy has an amazing affinity for birds. From a young age he watched them, drew them, and knew their sounds. He always wanted to fly, and when the war in Vietnam started, he signed up. He flew helicopters in the war, but has now returned home, damaged and hurting. His hearing has been affected, and his right arm, meaning that he can no longer draw like he did.
Billy's parents are supportive, and so is Nell. Nell's best friend was Billy's girlfriend, but she has suddenly gone missing, and no one seems to know where she is, or whether she left of her own accord. Billy's best friend Harlow also did his time in the war, and came back changed. He tried college, but now works as a mechanic at a local service station.
Billy and Nell both have their own secrets, and they hold them close. Billy has nightmares about his, and their father Jack tries to talk to him about it, citing his own period of nightmares following his stint in World War II. Billy and Nell's other siblings aren't as close, but they still play roles here.
This is a story of a bond between siblings, but also a story of coming of age, of the terrible effects of war, and of loss.  A beautiful read.

American by Day

Finished July 12
American by Day by Derek B. Miller

I really enjoyed Norwegian by Night by Miller, and this is a follow-up book to that one. Set in 2008, shortly after the earlier book ended, but published this year, there are occasional allusions to some of the events of the present, which I enjoyed.
Chief Inspector Sigrid Ødegård has taken a leave after the conclusion of an investigation into the case covered in the earlier book, and finds that instead of relaxing on the family farm, her father is sending her to the United States to look for her older brother, Marcos, who appears to be missing.
Marcos was an adjunct professor at a small college in upstate New York, and Sigrid flies through Iceland, to Montreal, and then on to Watertown.
Sigrid's reactions to her environment, her questions about the things happening around her, and the reactions of those she interacts with are a big part of this book, and a source of humour, insight, and storyline.
When Sigrid arrives she finds that her brother is indeed missing, and that he is connected to the death of a professor at the same college he worked at, a professor he was involved with romantically, and a professor who was African American and wrote and researched race issues. There is another death connected to the professor on a personal level, also race-related, and Sigrid's view of the situation is vastly different than the one the police seem to have.
The sheriff of the area seems like a nice man, but he ignores the media to his peril, and sometimes bends too much to the political pressure of the state authorities. He takes a close watch on Sigrid, asking that they work together, but, as Sigrid envisions a different outcome she isn't always on board with his actions.
This is a story that involves American race relations, politics, the view of "outsiders," mental illness, police relations, motivations, and communication. There is also guilt, perceived and felt, and the search for what is right. A wonderful read.

Things To Do When It's Raining

Finished April 26
Things To Do When It's Raining by Marissa Stapley

This novel was inspired by the author's grandmother's history. It is a story that draws on some of the elements of her grandmother's life for inspiration, but it is not a story of her grandmother.
There are multiple storylines here. One is the story of Mae Summers, a young woman who has been living in New York City, and has recently discovered that her fiance was not the man he thought she was, and who feels guilt about not picking up on some of the clues to just what was happening. Nearly broke, and with no place to live, she decides to return to Alexandria Bay, the small upstate town she grew up in. Mae was raised by her maternal grandparents, after her parents died when she was a young child. Her grandparents ran an inn there.
Another storyline is that of Gabe Broadbent, also from Alexandria Bay. Gabe was raised by his father after his mother ran off, and his father had issues. Soon after Mae's parents died, her grandparents also took on Gabe's upbringing, although he still had regular contact with his dad.
A rift between Gabe and Mae's family, created by her grandparents' reaction to something has led Gabe to a new life elsewhere. Now that his marriage has ended, he is at loose ends. When he gets a call about his father's precarious health, he realizes that he can do his freelance graphic work anywhere, and he goes back upstate to see what is up with his dad.
Mae's grandparents are also undergoing some changes. A thoughtless slip by her grandmother has led to her grandfather leaving the inn and staying at a nearby motel. But her grandmother is keeping a secret, one that she really should tell, but that she is in denial about, waiting for confirmation on.
As these stories converge, and we see back into Mae's grandparents' story, and the story of both Mae's parents and Gabe's parents, we become more aware of the power of narratives.
The title is based on a list created by Mae's mother when she was a teenager, a list of things for guests of the inn to do when it is raining. The ideas from that are wide-ranging, and show the sense of fun her mother had.
This is a story of families, both blood and otherwise, and about the power of choice.

Far From True

Finished August 1
Far From True by Linwood Barclay

This novel follows another one I read recently, Broken Promise, with many of the same characters, along with some new ones, and continuing plot lines. One of the central characters here is Cal Weaver, also featured in Barclay's book A Tap on the Window. Cal is working as a private investigator here, and he gets involved in a couple of plot lines. One new one is the death of a man who has some secrets his daughter wasn't aware of, and the other is the continuing plot line of Sam, a young mother whose ex is in jail and whose in-laws blame her.
One of the themes of a recurring number related to crimes in the community continues here as well, getting more intense. The head of security from the local college is a more central character here as he gains depth.
Local ex-mayor Randall Finley is still vying for another chance at leading the community, but definitely lacks social graces, putting his foot into it even as he tries to become more appealing. And detective Barry Duckworth is still trying to find time to put in on two murders, which he believes are related.
There is so much going on here that it is hard to keep track of, but still very entertaining. Many characters are appealing and I found myself hoping they would come through this unscathed. A page-turning read.

Broken Promise

Finished July 12
Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay

This book brings back characters from his previous book Never Look Away, and is the start of a new trilogy set in Promise Falls, in upstate New York. David Harwood is back in Promise Falls with his son Ethan, now 9, living with his parents until he gets a place of his own. Following the events from the previous book, David had moved to Boston to make a new start, but his job there required a lot of evening work, and he wasn't spending the time with Ethan that he wanted. So he left Boston to take a job back on the local paper, the Standard. Unfortunately for him, the paper decided to shut down, and now he has no job.
Ethan also seems to have trouble adjusting to his new situation and David is worried about some of his behaviour. As the book opens, a crisis is beginning for the extended family.
David visits his younger cousin Marla to drop off some food from his mother, and finds her with a baby. As he tries to figure out where the baby came from, he follows clues to a nearby home where the situation gets worse.
Local police detective Barry Duckworth is trying to follow his diet, and he almost welcomes the distraction of a call from the ex-mayor to come to the scene of a supposed crime. What he finds is disturbing and when more disturbing events follow, he starts to wonder if they are connected. Duckworth is a good, seasoned detective and his insight brings a lot to the situations unfolding in this novel. I liked him.
The ex-mayor Randall Finley is a real piece of work, but it is hard to tell whether he's a bad guy, or just a jerk. He definitely has bad attitudes towards women, and is not against collusion, bribery, and blackmail when it serves his own ends. He's an interesting character, but not a likeable one.
There is lots going on here, and the ending makes me want to go out and get the next book in the series.

Through the Evil Days

Finished December 15
Through the Evil Days by Julie Spencer-Fleming

Once again, Spencer-Fleming writes a novel I can't put down. And it was a perfect snowy day to read this mystery which occurs during a terrible snow and ice storm in upstate New York.
An eight-year-old girl, recent recipient of a kidney donation, is abducted from the foster home she is living in, with an attempt to cover up the evidence with a fire.
Russ and Clare are supposed to be on their honeymoon, trying out a remote cabin with an eye to buying it. Russ has some ice-fishing in mind, and both have a lot on their minds.
With the abduction news coming after the two are away, weather stymies their return to Millers Kill, and threatens their lives.
There is much drama here, with a little girl's life in the balance and a large drug operation at the center.
A side story between the two young Millers Kill police officers Hadley and Kevin also moves forward in an interesting way.
A well-done installation in one of my favourite mystery series.

A Cold and Lonely Place

Finished May 24
A Cold and Lonely Place by Sara J. Henry

This novel follows the freelance journalist Tory Chance. Tory lives in Lake Placid, renting rooms in a large old house to other young single people. She is covering the annual building of the ice palace on Lake Saranac and is present when the ice harvesting is halted as a body is discovered frozen in the lake. Tory and others there recognize the young man frozen in the ice as Tobin Winslow. Tobin is the boyfriend of one of Tory's roommates, Jessamyn, and she wants to be sure Jessamyn doesn't hear it from idle talk. When a young reporter oversteps his bounds on the story and writes about rumours, he is fired and Tory is asked to assist by writing a series of articles on Tobin. She ends up making new friendships, finding out that she must guard against her own preconceptions about people, and coming into her own as a writer.
I really liked Tory, her independence, her caring about others, and her quickness in understanding situations. This was an interesting mystery, where you learned more and more about the victim and his life as you went along. The other characters like Jessamyn, and Tobin's sister Win, also grow as the story progresses. I'll definitely be recommending this one.

Cover of Snow

Finished January 27
Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman

Wow, great new thriller mystery by a new voice. I will definitely be looking for more from this writer.
The setting is the village of Wedeskyull in the Adirondacks in upper New York state. Nora moved to the village several years before when her husband decided to leave law school and join his hometown police force. As the book begins, Nora wakes up one morning to find her husband has committed suicide. It makes no sense to her, and she begins to ask questions. As she does she finds that she knows less about her husband than she thought, and that she didn't ask the questions of him that she should have. But there are those that don't want the truth to come out, and will do many things to prevent Nora from finding the truth.
With a story reaching back twenty-five years, this mystery looks at the past and how one incident can have so many impacts years later. It also asks the question of how much we really know about those we care about. Do we ask questions to learn more when we know the subjects are touchy ones. With twists and turns and interesting characters, this book will keep you wondering right until the end.

One Was a Soldier

Finished June 5
One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming
This is one of my favourite mystery series, featuring Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne. This one continues the story, with Clare returning from duty in Iraq (as a helicopter pilot). The story moves back and forth between events beginning with Eric McCrea's return from duty and group therapy sessions for those returned from overseas duty. Eric returned in June (and Clare not much later) and the therapy sessions start in September. Besides Eric and Clare, who are both in the National Guard, with Eric an MP, there are also Dr. Stillman who did medical work overseas as part of the Guard, Tally McNabb, and Will Ellis. Will is a former high school track star who lost both his legs in Fallujah as a Marine. Tally had an affair while overseas the effects of which followed her back and threaten her marriage. All the vets are dealing with issues due to their overseas experiences. Coming home is hard on all of them and they all have issues they are struggling with.
Clare hasn't been upfront with Russ about her issues, and she is struggling with even admitting the issues to herself. When one of the vets dies, the others take it hard. Clare particularly can't accept the police verdict of suicide and this drives a wedge between her and Russ. She draws the other vets into an unofficial investigation and that has effects on them all.
This is a good one, with a variety of issues brought forward, and a good plot.

Murder Mystery

Finished November 12
Too Close to Home by Linwood Barclay
Just as entertaining as I expected, this fast-paced mystery kept me reading.
Set in a small town in upstate New York, this mystery begins with a family, the Langleys, shot to death in their own home. Nearby neighbors Jim and Ellen Cutter and their son Derek become more involved in the crime than they expected at first. Derek was friends with Adam Langley and it turns out he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Past indiscretions are dredged up in the search for the truth about the murders, and Jim isn't sure who he should trust.
From the corrupt mayor to the conniving college president, there are plenty of interesting characters.

Latest in a series

Finished July 18
I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming
This is the latest in the series featuring Clare Fergusson, an Episcopalian minister (and ex-army helicopter pilot) and Russ Van Alstyne, police chief in Millers Kill, New York, a small town in the Adirondacks.The two have been drawn together, but the attraction has just resulted in frustration and Russ is married. Now however his wife is dead, but Russ is extremely depressed about it, and Clare feels guilty because he was with her rather than his wife when she died. Clare is still struggling against some more conservative members of her parish and her bishop has convinced her to join the National Guard to explore her true feelings regarding her purpose. Recently Clare has become involved with a program run by a Roman Catholic nun to assist Mexican migrant workers with various needs from transportation to assistance dealing with the government. Russ's sister and her husband have hired some Mexican workers to assist with their dairy farm.
When Latino bodies start showing up in the area, both Russ and Clare become involved in trying to find out what is going on and whether there is a tie to the Mexican workers.
The two also get thrown together again on a personal level and have to assess their true feelings regarding each other.
This one also involves a new police woman, an interesting new character with her own issues