SERENA by Ron Rash, 2008.

This novel sucked me in completely from the very first page, and I found it very difficult put it down or stop thinking about it when I wasn't reading it.
   Set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, the story opens in 1929 with the return of George Pemberton from Boston to Waynesville, North Carolina, bringing with him his bride, Serena. Driven by greed, ambition, and power, and ideally suited, the couple is ready to lead a spectacular and thrilling life. They want to turn the area into a vast timber empire, harvesting the trees and despoiling the valleys and ridges until there's nothing left, and then move on. However, nothing in life is ever so simple, and they find themselves distracted by several issues: the Federal government's desire to create a national forest; the existence of Pemberton's illegitimate infant son; the numerous deaths of workers; the continuous hunt for new investors in their projects; an interfering local sheriff named McDowell, and Serena's tragic pregnancy. The Pembertons use every method available to vanquish all those who stand in their way--bribery, violence, and murder. And when Serena discovers she can never give Pemberton a child of her own, she ruthlessly sets out to murder both his young son and the boy's mother.
   Rash is a wonderful storyteller and brilliant in his writing--his descriptions of the western Carolina mountains are beautiful, the period details of the Great Depression in Appalachia are well integrated, his narrative flows smoothly, the story moves at a good pace. He provides details about timber harvesting, the logging industry, the whole concept of creating the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and how it was done, of the Appalachian people and their terrible poverty. His characters are larger than life: Pemberton, the handsome and powerful lumberman who realizes his fatal flaw much too late; Rachel, the young girl who gives birth to Pemberton's only child and then struggles to protect them both; McDowell, the honest sheriff who can't be bought and wants to stop the Pembertons; Galloway, the one-handed flunky of Serena's who protects her and carries out her bidding; old Adeline Jenkins, who takes care of Rachel's baby and pays dearly for it, and many others, some real--like Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil of Biltmore--all brought to life by Rash's pen. But it is the character of Serena that is his most stunning creation--Rash's portrayal is amazing--she is brilliantly intelligent, practical, utterly ruthless, manipulative, and cruel, and at the same time able to show her care for Pemberton, her Arabian horse, her pet eagle, and, occasionally some concern for Galloway and other workers. I found this novel hugely entertaining, compelling, well plotted, with fine suspense and plenty of intrigue, violence, betrayal, lust, bribes, fraud; in short, an absorbing story of two intense and passionate people with a complete willingness to destroy a natural area for personal gain and to crush those who dared go against them. Hard to put down, totally recommend it.

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY by P.D. James, 2011.

I'd never read a P.D. James novel, but the review of this intrigued me enough to give it a try, even though it's a departure from the type of writing she is famous for. I like Jane Austen's novels and will occasionally read one of the many knock-offs, updates, sequels out there, so I was game to try this one. Pride and Prejudice is probably my favorite Austen novel, so I was curious to see how she would do with those characters.
   It's October 1803, and the plot swirls around the death of Captain Denny, which occurs while traveling with Elizabeth Bennet Darcy's sister Lydia and Lydia's husband, the infamous Wickham, to Pemberley the night before the Lady Anne's ball. In the woodlands area of the estate, Denny leaves the carriage after an argument with Wickham, is followed by Wickham--shots ring out and Lydia hysterically drives on to Pemberley. A search party sets out from the house, including Darcy, finds Denny bloodied and dead in the woods, with Wickham standing over him, saying "It's my fault. I killed him." But why is Denny dead? Why would Wickham murder his only friend? Did he do it? And if not Wickham, then who? And why? The rest of the novel concerns the local police investigation, Wickham's imprisonment and trial, the final details and solving of the murder, and the aftermath. The epilogue shed light on what happened later to some of the players, which I found more interesting than the mystery preceding it.
   I found the book as a whole casually diverting, I enjoyed the updating of the well loved characters like Elizabeth, Darcy, Georgiana, and the Bingleys (plus several that James cunningly pulled in from Persuasion and Emma), and James got the Austen tone down right...but the story wasn't as compelling as I'd hoped it would be. When I picked it up, I thought I'd gulp it down quickly, but I discovered it wasn't hard to put down and walk away from. Perhaps I was expecting too much of it, knowing James's reputation, and maybe that isn't fair. The writing is fine and James does keep the story moving, but at times it seemed stretched out, and I found myself quite often unable to keep focussed on the story very well. I found myself less interested in the crime investigation than I was in the familiar characters' lives. And the ending was just rather ho-hum to me. All in all, it's okay for what it is, a light mystery using Jane Austen characters, but not anything to write home about.

DOUBLE DEXTER by Jeff Lindsay, 2011.

Dexter Morgan is back and in fine form in this sixth novel in the series. Dexter, the professional blood spatter specialist who's always been so careful with arranging his playdates with bad guys to send them into oblivion has been seen in action, but he hasn't a clue who the witness is. And what's worse, someone is pounding cops in the Miami Police Dept. into pudding, and the heat's on his sister, Sergeant Deborah, to find the beast behind the murders ASAP. Dexter, meanwhile, is also having to deal with family matters: his wife Rita is having issues concerning finding a new house for their family and suspiciously imbibing too much wine, Astor is rebelling against braces, and Cody is beginning to need Dex's guiding hand. And then when Dexter realizes that his Witness has become a monster, mirroring himself, and not only that, he has decided to expose Dexter for what he is and kill him, he knows he's in up to his neck in trouble. Dexter is stalked, manipulated, and tormented, knowing all the while that his double is out to do him in. A trip to Key West with his family to attend a home foreclosure auction (at Rita's insistence) leads to a riveting climax that involves not just Dex and the killer, but the kids as well. Lindsay writes with a fast pace and keeps the pages turning--it's dark and witty and wickedly entertaining, if gruesome. Even though Dexter is a horrendous psychopath who murders all these people (but only evilly bad people), he is just so damn likeable, you can't help but root for him. I totally enjoy his banter with his sister (not as much of it in this book, though), his smart comebacks are great, and the whole Cub Scout camping trip episode with Cody was so funny (poison ivy and mosquito bites, anyone?). Some readers have not liked this book as much because Lindsay has made Dexter more human here, but I think this novel adds layers and dimensions to Dexter, Rita, and several other characters, which made it more enjoyable for me. If you haven't given these novels a try, by all means do so, but be warned, Lindsay's powerful mix of black humor and enormously grisly descriptions are not for everyone. I give this one kudos for being a fast read, keeping me totally interested, and for continuing to make Dexter an intriguing character.

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP by S. J. Watson, 2011.

One of those thrillers that just takes hold and won't let you go! Fifty-something Christine Lucas goes to sleep every night, and the next morning discovers all her memories are gone. Totally. She has to begin again each day to piece together her past. She's been told she's an amnesiac due to an accident years before when she was in her twenties. Unknown to her husband, Ben, she's seeing a doctor, who advises her to keep a journal, but recommends hiding it. Writing in it and then re-reading it every day, spurs more feelings and memories--of a child, of having a loyal girlfriend, of publishing a novel. And as more memories come back in dreams and sudden flashes, Chris becomes more aware that everything is not as it seems, that Ben is not telling her the whole truth. Compelled to find out her past, she becomes more determined to discover the truth about her life, but realizes there's an element of danger involved as well, as someone doesn't want her to remember everything--at least not in the way it actually happened. Watson keeps the pages turning with intense writing, high suspense, and an unexpected conclusion. Totally absorbing and riveting.

MURDER ON THE CLIFFS by Joanna Challis, 2009.
A pleasant little mystery set on the coast of Cornwall in 1921, a young woman is found dead on the beach by none other than the visiting Daphne du Maurier. She also discovers a lovely young girl near the body as well, young Lianne Hartley, whose handsome brother, David, was to marry the victim. The Hartleys are local gentry, and occupy an Elizabethan mansion high on the cliffs known as Padthaway (can anyone say Manderley?). Daphne, before she knows it, is deeply involved with the mystery of Victoria Bastion's death (murder, it turns out) and with the Hartley family with all their bizarre personalities and odd servants. Secrets and clues abound, and everyone is not what they seem in this tidy little mystery. While it is an interesting device to have Daphne du Maurier as a sort of detective, Challis' descriptions of the Cornwall area are nicely done, and Daphne's musings about ideas for writing novels are clever, I cannot say this was any more than adequately satisfying. It was a fine cozy mystery, no more, no less, and I'd recommend it as that. Will I read more in the series? Not sure about that.

Vampires and Cannibals and Siblings, oh my!

DEXTER IS DELICIOUS by Jeff Lindsay, 2010.
I stayed up till almost midnight finishing this fifth instalment in the Dexter series. This one finds Dexter learning to be a new father to Lily Anne, plus dealing with the return of his psychopathic killer brother Brian and helping his sister Sergeant Deborah Morganwith a horrific case involving murdered victims being eaten and finding a missing teenage girl who could be next on the menu. Loaded with Dexter's dark humor, with enough sex and violence to keep the story moving at a fast pace, this is enjoyable and thrilling. Dexter is such an interesting character in this novel, with his attempts to change himself for Lily Anne, to give up his listening to the his Dark Passenger, and to lead a more human life with Rita and their family. Events conspire against him all through the book, and it doesn't help matters at all that near the end of the book his frustrated sister makes a request that startles even Dexter. The very premise of this series has intrigued me from the beginning, and Lindsay has kept my interest up with each succeeding adventure. I find them generally suspenseful, humorous, exciting, and totally entertaining. With plenty of unresolved issues at the end of this story, I'm looking forward to the next chapter in Dexter's life.

THE LITTLE STRANGER by Sarah Waters, 2009.
I stayed up past midnight the other night reading this, as I just had to know how it ended. Set in post-World War II English countryside, the story involves a crumbling estate and its owners, the Ayers family. The narrator of the story is Dr. Faraday, a middle aged local GP who has been fascinated with Hundreds Hall since he was a young boy and visited there. The current family consists of the lovely and delicate Angela, her spinster daughter Caroline, and her war scarred son Roderick, and they are struggling with changes in society, have sold off most of their land, have only one full time servant to wait on them, and are strapped for cash. Dr. Faraday becomes involved with the family when he is called to Hundreds to treat their servant, Betty, who is having some trouble adjusting to life at Hundreds. After a disastrous dinner party in which a young guest is seriously injured by the family dog, Faraday finds himself drawn to Hundreds and becomes a frequent visitor. Over time, he comes to realize, as the Ayers do as well, that something isn't quite right in the old Georgian mansion, that the strange creaks and tappings and the series of "accidents" are being caused by something that is dark and menacing. As their lives intertwine, each of them experiences genuine fear and horror over the sinister events at Hundreds Hall. A wonderfully compelling gothic story, full of quiet, unnerving incidents, interesting characters, and a great eerie atmosphere. Waters is a good storyteller and manages to pull the reader in fairly easily and keep those pages turning. If you have enjoyed novels like The Turn of the Screw or Rebecca or The Haunting of Hill House, that are full of creepiness and give you goosebumps, this has a lot of the same elements. I found it quite enthralling, and I am still thinking about it...

DOUBLE BIND by Chris Bohjalian, 2007.
Excellently written novel that intertwines the homeless, bipolar disorder, and a mystery involving Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan (from The Great Gatsby). Set mainly in Vermont, the story moves back and forth from the 1920s to present day, and involves Laurel Estabrook, a social worker at a homeless shelter with a horrifyingly violent incident in her past, and an elderly, mentally ill homeless man, Bobbie Crocker, who has a box of photos that he won't let anyone see. After Bobbie's sudden death, the truth about him comes out: before he was homeless, he was a successful photographer who worked with subjects like Eartha Kitt and Robert Frost. Laurel, in looking through the photos, becomes fascinated with Bobbie's life and is convinced that there is a dark secret behind the photos. As she tries to fit the pieces of Bobbie's life together, she becomes aware that it is connecting with her own troubled past, and that someone desperately wants to keep that connection hidden. Interesting characters, an imaginative tie-in to a classic novel, beautiful Vermont scenery, vivid language, suspense enough to keep the story moving at a good clip, and a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. This is a really good page-turner.

THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE by Katherine Howe, 2009.

The second adult novel about the Salem witch trials I've read in a year's time, the other being THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER. This one is also written by a descendant of someone tried for witchcraft at Salem in 1692.

There are two storylines in this novel: one concerns Deliverance Dane, a real person who lived in the Salem area during 1692, and was accused of witchcraft. Deliverance is a practitioner of herbal medicine, with deep knowledge of herbs and healing power. She possesses a book, however--called at various times a receipt book, recipe book, physick book--that contains rare information about remedies and such, but also something more--actual spells. She uses her magical powers for healing, but unfortunately a patient (a child) dies under her care and years later this incident comes back to haunt her when she is accused of witchery and murder and thrown into prison to await trial and certain execution. Her daughter Mercy is left with the responsibility of keeping the physick book safe and flees to Marblehead.

The second storyline is set in modern day Cambridge, and concerns Connie Goodwin, a graduate student in history at Harvard, who is commissioned by her absent mother to clean out and get her grandmother's old home in Marblehead ready to put on the market. While she's looking through some old books in the house, a small key drops out of an old Bible; the key contains a scrap of paper with the name "Deliverance Dane" on it. Connie becomes determined to find out who this woman was; during her search, she discovers the fact that Deliverance once owned a physick book. Recognizing its research value gives Connie great impetus to discover its whereabouts. If such a rare item could be located, it could definitely add prestige to Connie's career. But someone else is most anxious that Connie find the book as well, and is willing to use any means to lay hands on it.

Smooth narrative, likeable characters, easy transition between stories, good details about the trials, some humor and romance with a small bit of menace thrown in. Not as intense or detailed as THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER, but enjoyable in its own way.

I just finished reading

A RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick, 2009.

Set in Wisconsin in 1907-08, a wasteland of snow and ice, this novel really was just so engrossing and it's hard for me to describe it. It begins with a 50+ year old wealthy man, Ralph Truitt, advertising for "a reliable wife"; Catherine Land answers the ad and arrives by train from Chicago. Both characters have dark secrets and hidden plans, slowly revealed, and they are both involved with a third character, Antonio. There's drama and heartbreak and rage and guilt and misery and love and sex (lots of sex) and motives that at first are not clear. Some good surprises, and the ending, while sort of expected, still is rather shocking. Overall, very interesting, well written, good suspense, description, and complex characters in their emotions and motives. Not a quick read, but very satisfying.

SONGS FOR THE MISSING by Stewart O'Nan, 2008.

Reviews for this book were good, so when I saw it the other day and decided I needed to read a contemporary story, I went with this. It's set in a small town in Ohio near Lake Erie. Kim Larsen, a teenage girl who, the summer before she is leaving for college, simply vanishes between the time she left her friends at the river and the time she's due for work. Disappears into thin air. The people closest to her do everything to find her: search parties are formed, TV appearances made, fund raisers held, and private investigations unearth secrets, and everyone struggles to keep hope alive. But as time passes and her disappearance becomes old news, the story then becomes a portrait of how those left behind cope with the unexplained loss of a child. Kim's parents and sister each call on hidden strengths to survive the tragedy and move forward, and her best friends and boyfriend follow different paths to come to their own conclusions about their own parts in the awful drama and how to live with it. A heartwrenching, suspenseful, and believably written book.

THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT by Barbara Vine, 2008.

I finished this last night, a rather odd book that intrigued me enough that I kept reading. The story involves an unmarried British MP named Ivor and his marrried mistress, Hebe, who enjoy sex games. For her birthday, he arranges for her to be kidnapped, bound and gagged and delivered to his home. However, there is a terrible accident, and Hebe and one of the kidnappers are killed, and Ivor fears a political scandal that will break over his head. Over time, there are threatening letters, hints, and incidents that play into his fear, and involve other characters and their agendas. A good psychological tale, with interesting characters and motivations, dark desires, and obsessive behavior. This is a slowly unfolding story that reveals bits that eventually come together to form the whole complex picture. If you're into this type of suspense, this is worth the time. Barbara Vine is aka Ruth Rendell.