If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga

I just finished reading the Giller short-listed novel, If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by author Noor Naga.

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, an Egyptian American woman and a man from the village of Shobrakheit meet at a café in Cairo. He was a photographer of the revolution, but now finds himself unemployed and addicted to cocaine, living in a rooftop shack. She is a nostalgic daughter of immigrants “returning” to a country she’s never been to before, teaching English and living in a light-filled flat with balconies on all sides. They fall in love and he moves in. But soon their desire—for one another, for the selves they want to become through the other—takes a violent turn that neither of them expected.

This is a uniquely written novel about a destructive relationship between a man and a woman. The story is told from two different points of view. The first is a woman, who's name is not given. She was born in Egypt, grew up and was educated in the U.S. before moving back to Cairo. The other is an unnamed boy who grew up in a small impoverished Egyptian village. 

I found it confusing at first, as the dialogue flips back and forth, and there are times I had to really a few paragraphs to know who was speaking but after 20 or so pages, I became familiar with the flow.

Throughout, I found the story interesting and wanted to keep reading. It reads differently from anything else I have ever read and part three really twists the readers imagination. Not for every taste, but a book I enjoyed.

Bluebird by Genevieve Graham

I just finished reading, Bluebird, by Nova Scotia author, Genevieve Graham. 

Present day

 

Cassie Simmons, a museum curator, is enthusiastic about solving mysteries from the past, and she has a personal interest in the history of the rumrunners who ferried illegal booze across the Detroit River during Prohibition. So when a cache of whisky labeled Bailey Brothers’ Best is unearthed during a local home renovation, Cassie hopes to find the answers she’s been searching for about the legendary family of bootleggers... 

1918 

Corporal Jeremiah Bailey of the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company is tasked with planting mines in the tunnels beneath enemy trenches. After Jerry is badly wounded in an explosion, he finds himself in a Belgium field hospital under the care of Adele Savard, one of Canada’s nursing sisters, nicknamed “Bluebirds” for their blue gowns and white caps. As Jerry recovers, he forms a strong connection with Adele, who is from a place near his hometown of Windsor, along the Detroit River. In the midst of war, she’s a welcome reminder of home, and when Jerry is sent back to the front, he can only hope that he’ll see his bluebird again. 

 By war’s end, both Jerry and Adele return home to Windsor, scarred by the horrors of what they endured overseas. When they cross paths one day, they have a chance to start over. But the city is in the grip of Prohibition, which brings exciting opportunities as well as new dangerous conflicts that threaten to destroy everything they have fought for.

Bluebird is an excellently written, and obviously, well researched historical fiction. The story bounces back and forth from the present day to the past throughout but in an unconfusing way. When the past is written about, it is done in chronological order, as is the events of the present. 

I really enjoyed the writing style and the stories plot and would not hesitate to read another one of her many novels.

I Was Never Here: My True Canadian Spy Story of Coffees, Code Names, and Covert Operations in the Age of Terrorism by Andrew Kirsch

Today I finished I Was Never Here, by former CSIS spy, Andrew Kirsch, which possibly is his real name. Proudly this is the 30th book I have read this year, surpassing my previous reading record of 29 books, set in 2011 and 2020. 

Andrew Kirsch didn’t grow up watching spy movies, or dreaming about being a real-life James Bond. He was hardly aware that Canada even had its own intelligence service—let alone knew what its officers did. But when a terrorist attack occurred near the office of his financial services job, all of a sudden fighting terrorism meant a lot more to him than the markets. Within 18 months he had landed a job with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)—where he spent the next decade of his life.

In I Was Never Here, Kirsch (now an in-demand security consultant) spills the secrets of what life as an intelligence officer is really like, and dispels a few myths along the way. With humour, honesty, and candour, Kirsch shares his on-the-ground experience (or as much of it as he’s allowed to) of becoming a member of CSIS: from his vetting and training, to his initial desk job as a policy analyst, to his rise up the ranks to leading covert special operations missions. If you’ve ever wondered whether spies can have real dating lives, how they handle family responsibilities, or how they come up with cover stories or aliases, you’re in luck.

From the time he tried to get the code names “Burgundy” and “Anchorman” assigned to human sources (with no luck), to the night a covert operation was almost thwarted by a flyer delivery man, Kirsch takes you behind the scenes with an authentic view of Canada’s spy agency, and the intricate intelligence-sharing apparatus that works day and night to keep us safe. I Was Never Here is also a testament to one man’s drive to serve his country, and the sacrifices, big and small, that he made along the way.

I always wondered what the mandate for CSIS was vs that of the RCMP. This book explains it. CSIS really has a first look at any possible threat to Canada, including foreign espionage, theft of secrets and, of course most prominently, terrorism.

Even though Kirsch could not go into great detail, it was interesting reading, hearing the day to day operations he was a part of. No dirt. No inside scandal, just he job they did. There were some funny tales of some jobs which had issues, interesting midnight jobs and how his life with CSIS affected his life outside of it.

It's a book, I quite enjoyed.

Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay

I just finished reading Linwood Barclay's, Look Both Ways.

The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go and, because the fleet is networked and aware of one another, car travel is now 100% safe. The future, it seems, has arrived.

As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, Sandra Montrose – islander, single mom, and public relations executive – prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. Sandra is more than ready for this new world. Her husband died after falling asleep at the wheel and she’s relieved that her two teens, Archie and Katie, will never need driver’s licenses.

But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter.

Is this all just a tragic accident, a technological malfunction with deadly consequences? Or were the vehicles programmed to act this way in a cruel act of corporate sabotage? Or could it be that the Arrivals have a mind of their own?

This novel is a departure from the usual books which Barclay writes .... and it's excellent. Reads like a horror story. Picture Stephen King's, Christine, but where thousands of cars are out to kill. If that's not bad enough, the residents all live on an island with no way to escape.

A gripping, exciting novel, one of Barclay's best. I finished it quickly as I couldn't put it down.

Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi, David Boyd (Translator) , Lucy North (Translator)

I just finished reading the translated book, Diary of a void by Japanese author, Emi Yagi.

When thirty-four-year-old Ms. Shibata gets a new job in Tokyo to escape sexual harassment at her old one, she finds that, as the only woman at her new workplace--a company that manufactures cardboard tubes--she is expected to do all the menial tasks. One day she announces that she can't clear away her colleagues' dirty cups--because she's pregnant and the smell nauseates her. The only thing is . . . Ms. Shibata is not pregnant.

Pregnant Ms. Shibata doesn't have to serve coffee to anyone. Pregnant Ms. Shibata isn't forced to work overtime. Pregnant Ms. Shibata rests, watches TV, takes long baths, and even joins an aerobics class for expectant mothers. But pregnant Ms. Shibata also has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Helped along by towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app on which she can log every stage of her "pregnancy," she feels prepared to play the game for the long haul. Before long, though, the hoax becomes all-absorbing, and the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.

This is an entertaining story. The main character, Shibata, is highly likable. I thought at one point in the story, I saw a twist coming and was disappointed I could figure out what it would be. However, I was wrong and the story went in a different direction. Well done Emi!

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

I just finished reading, Killers of a Certain Age, by Deanna Raybourn

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman--and a killer--of a certain age.

This is an entertaining story. Four woman in their sixties who are trying to figure out why they've been targeted for death and what to do about it. What I feel is really well done is how they constantly have to deal with the limitations of their age. Not being agile as they once were, hot flashes, taking longer than usual to recover from aches and pains, plus their limited ability in a hand to hand fight.

Killers of a Certain Age, is a terrific escapist read.

Hat Talk by Debbie Henderson

According to my parents, I have been wearing a hat since I was three years old. They bought me a straw hat which I clamped onto my head and never took off. I've been wearing a hat ever since. So, when I saw Hat Talk by American author, Debbie Henderson, in BeauChapeau Hat Shop in Niagara on the Lake, I just had to have it. Never walked out of there with a book instead of a new hat before.  

Subtitled "Conversations with Hat Makers about their hats -- the Fedora, Homburg, Straw and Cap", the author delves into the history of hats through the very personal visions of those who lived hats all their lives. This focus enables her to examine how of some of the best known hat companies founded and maintained their activities, their fashion leadership and their national and international commercial roles.

It's an interesting read about the the hat industry in North America, from the very early days of hat making and felt processing, to modern times. 

The book describes how the decline of the hat followed the popularity of the automobile. When people ask me why I wear a hat, I always answer by saying it's to keep the weather off my head. Turns out, that was the reason men and women did back then, but when the car came along and more and more people were driving, the car's roof protected them instead.

I was surprised by how the film, Urban Cowboy, from the 80's popularized the wearing of hats. Production of hats ramped up causing some companies to flourish, some to prolong their lives and brought others into bankruptcy.

For anyone who enjoys wearing a hat, this is an excellent book to read. 

Rebel by Rahaf Mohammed

I just finished reading, Rebel, by Rahaf Mohammed.

 
A gripping memoir of bravery and sacrifice by a young woman whose escape from her abusive family and an oppressive culture in Saudi Arabia captivated the world.

In early 2019, after three years of careful planning, Rahaf Mohammed finally escaped her abusive family in Saudi Arabia—but made it only to Bangkok before being stripped of her passport. If forced to return home, she was sure she would be killed, like other rebel women in her country. As men pounded at the door of her barricaded hotel room, she opened a Twitter account. The teenager reached out to the world, and the world answered—she gained 45,000 followers in one day, and those followers helped her seek asylum in the West.

Now Rahaf Mohammed tells her remarkable story in her own words, revealing untold truths about life in the closed kingdom, where young women are brought up in a repressive system that puts them under the legal control of a male guardian. Raised with immense financial privilege but under the control of her male relatives—including her high-profile politician father—she endured an abusive childhood in which oppression and deceit were the norm.

Moving from Rahaf’s early days on the underground online network of Saudi runaways, who use coded entries to learn how to flee the brutalities of their homeland, to her solo escape to Canada, Rebel is a breathtaking and life-affirming memoir about one woman’s tenacious pursuit of freedom.

Rebel is a well written account of the author's horrifying life growing up in Saudi Arabia and her subsequent escape to Canada. She really shows the oppressive, brutal life life Saudi women are subject to.  

I remember seeing on the news Chrystia Freeland, our Deputy Prime Minister, welcoming Rahaf at the airport upon her arrival, but not knowing the background of why. Now I know. In light of her story and what is currently happening in Iran, I feel this is an important book to read. 

I'm glad she found her way to Canada.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

I just finished reading Emily St, John Mandel's new novel, Sea of Tranquility.  

In this captivating tale of imagination and ambition, a seemingly disparate array of people come into contact with a time traveller who must resist the pull to change the past and the future. The cast includes a British exile on the west coast of Canada in the early 1900s; the author of a bestselling novel about a fictional pandemic who embarks on a galaxy-spanning book tour during the outbreak of an actual pandemic; a resident of a moon colony almost 300 years in the future; and a lonely girl who films an old-growth forest and experiences a disruption in the recording. Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, Emily St. John Mandel’s dazzling story follows these engrossing characters across space and time as their lives ultimately intersect.

It was an enjoyable read. At first I wasn't sure how the story would all come together but the author does a great job of intersecting all the time lines and does so in an interesting way.

This is the second book I've read of hers and wouldn't hesitate to read her again.

About Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel was born and raised on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. She studied contemporary dance at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and lived briefly in Montreal before relocating to New York. She is the author of five novels, including The Glass Hotel (spring 2020) and Station Eleven (2014.) Station Eleven was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award, won the Morning News Tournament of Books, and has been translated into 34 languages. She lives in NYC with her husband and daughter.

Ghost of the Hardy Boys: An Autobiography by Leslie McFarlane

I was a huge fan of "The Hardy Boys" series when I was young and pretty much read every one. It was surprising to find out that the original author, Franklin W. Dixon, did not, in fact, exist. The entire series was written by ghost writers. It was a further surprise was the first 21 were being written by Canadian, Leslie McFarlane, the father of famed Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster, Brian McFarlane.

When I saw that Leslie McFarlane had published an autobiography in 1976, I had to read it.

In 1926, 23-year-old cub newspaper reporter Leslie McFarlane responded to an ad: “Experienced Fiction Writer Wanted to Work from Publisher’s Outlines.” The ad was signed by Edward Stratemeyer, whose syndicate effectively invented mass-market children’s book publishing in America. McFarlane, who had a few published adventure stories to his name, was hired and his first job was to write Dave Fearless Under the Ocean as Roy Rockwood—for a flat fee of $100, no royalties. His pay increased to $125 when Stratemeyer proposed a new series of detective stories for kids involving two high school aged brothers who would solve mysteries. The title of the series was The Hardy Boys. McFarlane’s pseudonym would be Franklin W. Dixon.

McFarlane went on to write twenty-one Hardy Boys adventures. From The Tower Treasure in 1927 to The Phantom Freighter in 1947, into full-fledged classics filled with perilous scrapes, loyal chums, and breakneck races to solve the mystery. McFarlane kept his ghostwriting gig secret until late in life when his son urged him to share the story of being the real Franklin W. Dixon. By the time McFarlane died in 1977, unofficial sales estimates of The Hardy Boys series already topped 50 million copies.

This is a must read for fans of the Hardy Boys and readers who have an interest in northern Ontario mining communities in the 1920s-30s. It's not just about writing the original 21 books of the series but is mostly about life in the 1920s-30s of Sudbury and Cobalt.

McFarlane has an excellent sense of humour and is an entertaining writer. I learned much about life in the north and it was fascinating to have the curtain pulled back, not only on the Hardy Boys, but also Nancy Drew.

It was a fun and interesting read.

Edvard Munch by Hajo Düchting

First of all, I have to admit, I'm not much of an art fan. I have, however, always loved Edvard Munch's painting, The Scream. Since I saw it and the Munch exhibit when it came to the Art Gallery of Ontario, a few dozen years ago, I have been interested in the artist and his work. So I finally got around to buying a book, Edvard Munch by German art historian, Hajo Duchting. 

Edvard Munch is the most important Scandinavian artist and a pioneer of Expressionism. With him, the existential fear, the loneliness of man, and the unpredictability of his feelings are drawn into art. With a novel and experimental painting technique, Munch demonstrated man's soul-suffering.

Written in short paragraphs which are then translated into five other languages, the book covers different art show where Munch featured his latest works. which To me, it seems that it was in the 1890's where he finally began to create his Expressionist paintings. I love the way his works display the angst of his subjects. Below are a five of my favourites from the book. 

My absolute favorite, The Scream, is on the book's cover, shown above, done in 1893. It's interesting to note that when I saw the exhibit, it showed how he also did this in various lithographs. This he did with many of his works.

Here is a self portrait he did in 1895. an oil on canvas, he calls it, "Self Portrait with Cigarette". 

Next up is "Madonna". It's a lithograph which he created in 1895. I love the sperm around the picture and the weird little guy in the corner. I bought a small plaque of this work when I saw the show. The book shows the different versions of this work which he created.

Fear, also known as "Angst", an oil on canvas was done in 1884. This bay or lake must be a local spot for him as it is the same background he used in The Scream, nine years later. He also used it in a few of his other paintings.

Where much of his work is about death, fear, despair, "The Kiss", a dry point etching, is an excellent depiction of passion between a man and a woman. I read that he never married as he felt as if it would interfere with his work. 

Finally, "Kneeling Female Nude". It's an oil on canvas done in 1919. If not crying, she is definitely feeling despair, fear or loss. I love the emotion shows.

It's my hope that one day, I'll be able to visit the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway.

Her Dark Path by Ken Ogilvie

I just finished reading, Her Dark Path, the debut novel from Canadian Author, Ken Ogilvie.

16 years ago, Rebecca Bradley’s mother was murdered. Rebecca was only eight years old. The killer has never been caught. Growing up, Rebecca vowed that one day she would track him down and make him pay. 

Now Rebecca is a young police woman in Ontario. She wants to become a homicide detective. Her first investigation is the cold case of a woman who vanished for 16 days and then was found dead in her own home. The brutal crime shocks the remote Canadian town of Conroy. 

The puzzling case has uncanny similarities to the murder of Rebecca’s mother. Both victims were found strangled in their own kitchens. 

Can Rebecca keep her emotions together as she closes in on a killer with connections to her family and tragic past? And will she finally get justice for her mother?

Her Dark Path is a book I really enjoyed reading. I found Rebecca Bradley to be a fascinating character. She's a broken figure, who prefers to keep people an arms length away from her, but finds she is drawn to some of the people in small town of Conroy. Soon, she discovers she is becoming friends with various local people and comes to trust them as she searches for clues in the murder case she's working on, something which is hard for her to do.

All in all, it's a story well told.

About Ken Ogilvie

From his website: 

Ken has worked in a variety of roles in the environmental field, including holding positions with three governments in Canada (Federal, Manitoba and Ontario) and serving as the Executive Director of Pollution Probe, one of Canada’s longest standing environmental organizations. He remains active as an environmental policy consultant and has served on the Board of Directors of several organizations – most recently the Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development, and QUEST (Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow). He has been awarded honourary doctorates from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, and Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia. 

Ken’s first book, Her Dark Path, was published in September 2017 by Joffe Books, London, England. His second book, Hound, was published by Joffe Books in April 2019. Digital and paperback versions are available on amazon.ca (as well as in several countries, such as the U.S., U.K., and Australia).

The Winter Wives by Linden MacIntyre

The Winter Wives by Canadian author, Linden MacIntyre has been on my list to read for awhile. This week I finally got around to reading it.

Two old friends, who first met in university, get together for a weekend of golfing: Allan, a football hero, worldly and financially successful, and his quieter friend, nicknamed Byron, lame from a childhood injury, a smart fellow who became a lawyer but who has never left home, staying put so he could care for a mother with Alzheimer's. 

During a long night of drinking, the fault lines between them start to show. One of the biggest: the two men married sisters, though Allan was the one who walked down the aisle with Peggy, the sister both of them loved, and Byron had to settle for Annie. 

Out on the course the next morning, Allan suffers a stroke. In one traumatic moment, he loses control of his life, his wife and his business empire, which turns out to have been built on lies and the illegal drug trade. And Byron has to suddenly confront his own weaknesses and strengths, his tangled relationship with Allan and the Winter sisters--both the one he married and the one he thought was the love of his life. No one will anticipate the lengths to which Byron will go to make sense of his life.

It's a story which kept me reading. The Winter Wives was on the Canadian top 10 list for weeks and months. I can see why.

About Linden MacIntyre

Linden MacIntyre's bestselling first novel, The Long Stretch, was nominated for a CBA Libris Award and his boyhood memoir, Causeway: A Passage from Innocence, won both the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-fiction and the Evelyn Richardson Award. His second novel, The Bishop's Man, was a #1 national bestseller, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Dartmouth Book Award and the CBA Libris Fiction Book of the Year Award, among other honours. The third book in the loose-knit trilogy, Why Men Lie, was also a #1 bestseller as well as a Globe and Mail "Can't Miss" Book. 

His novels Punishment and The Only Cafe were also national bestsellers, as was his 2019 work of non-fiction, The Wake. A distinguished broadcast journalist, MacIntyre, who was born in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland, and grew up in Port Hastings, Cape Breton, spent twenty-four years as the co-host of the fifth estate. He has won ten Gemini awards for his work. MacIntyre lives in Toronto with his wife, CBC radio host and author Carol Off. They spend their summers in a Cape Breton village by the sea.

All Is Well by Katherine Walker

I just finished reading, All is Well, the debut novel from Canadian author, Katherine Walker.

Christine Wright is having a bad day. She’s an ex-special forces soldier and a recovering alcoholic, and now her new career as an Anglican Minister has started off with the worst kind of bang. Could it be her reflexes are a little too twitchy for this job? From the opening page, this fast-paced tale is all about a cover up: the burying of a body, while fending off an angry widow, and a very suspicious parishioner appalled by the loss of a precious church artifact. And then there’s the vengeful plot of a terminally ill military-cop-turned-stalker who plans to get Christine locked up if it’s the last thing he does.

I really enjoyed this novel. The murder, committed by the former special forces soldier, who has become an Anglican Minister since leaving the military, occurs quickly in the story. In fact, it happens on the first page. The rest of the story is Christine doing her best to keep the murder covered up.

Christine Wright is a flawed character, and is one I was constantly rooting for. It's a well laid out story and a fun one to read. I can see why it made the short list for the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada, Awards of Excellence, for Best Crime First Novel. 

About Katherine Walker

From alllitup.ca

Katherine Walker was born and raised in Calgary where she studied fine arts. After working as a graphic designer, Katherine joined the Royal Canadian Navy, which took her to both coasts and out to sea. Her recent graduate studies in divinity, along with her artistic and military background, enhance her journey through life. You can talk with Katherine about divine guidance, dismantling underwater mines, or the connection between beauty and truth. Katherine is grateful for the tradition of story, the wilderness, and every breath in this amazing life. "All Is Well" is her first book.

If These Walls Could Talk: Toronto Blue Jays: Stories from the Toronto Blue Jays Dugout, Locker Room, and Press Box by Bob Elliott

I just finished reading If These Walls Could Talk: Toronto Blue Jays: Stories from the Toronto Blue Jays Dugout, Locker Room, and Press Box by Canadian Sports writer Bob Elliot. 

Since their inception in 1977, the Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the most dynamic franchises in all of baseball. As an award-winning, longtime Jays columnist, Bob Elliott has witnessed more than his share of that history up close and personal. 

In "If These Walls Could Talk: Toronto Blue Jays", Elliott provides insight into the Jays' inner sanctum as only he can. Readers will gain the perspective of players, coaches, and front office executives in times of greatness as well as defeat, making for a keepsake no fan will want to miss.

This is not a history of the Toronto Blue jays from their inception in 1977. Instead, it's the story of the Blue Jays from their back to back World Series Victories to the near present. 

And it's not just a history. The book is mostly the behind the scene stories, how different deals were made. Humorous, never before told tales. It's a book that as a Blue Jay fan, I really enjoyed.

About Bob Elliot

Bob Elliott (born September 10, 1949) is a Canadian former sports columnist, who covered professional baseball in Canada. He began in 1978 as a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen, covering the Montreal Expos, before leaving in late 1986 to cover the Toronto Blue Jays for the Toronto Sun. On June 1, 2016, Elliott announced his retirement.

He has written three books, including Hard Ball about George Bell, in 1990; The Ultimate Blue Jays Trivia Book, in 1993; and The Northern Game: Baseball The Canadian Way, in 2005. Elliott is also the mind behind the Canadian Baseball Network website, which tracks all active Canadian baseball players.

In 2012 became the first Canadian to be awarded the J.G. Taylor Spink Award by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay

I just finished reading. "Take Your Breath Away", by Linwood Barclay.

One weekend, while Andrew Mason was on a fishing trip, his wife, Brie, vanished without a trace. Most everyone assumed Andy had got away with murder--it's always the husband, isn't it?--but the police could never build a strong case against him. For a while, Andy hit rock bottom--he drank too much to numb the pain, was abandoned by all his friends save one, nearly lost his business, and became a pariah in the place he once called home. 

Now, six years later, Andy has finally put his life back together. He sold the house he once shared with Brie and moved away. Truth to tell, he wasn't sad to hear that the old place was razed and a new house built on the site. He's settled down with a new partner, Jayne, and life is good. But Andy's peaceful world is about to shatter. 

One day, a woman shows up at his old address, screaming, "Where's my house? What's happened to my house?" And then, just as suddenly as she appeared, the woman--who bears a striking resemblance to Brie--is gone. The police are notified and old questions--and dark suspicions--resurface. Could Brie really be alive after all these years? If so, where has she been? 

It soon becomes clear that Andy's future, and the lives of those closest to him, depends on discovering what the hell is going on. The trick will be whether he can stay alive long enough to unearth the answers.

If you are a fan of Linwood Barclay, like I am, you'll enjoy this one. I loved the mystery of the woman who appears and disappears, and how people, except for the police, begin to believe could be his lost or murdered wife. As with most Barclay stories, the plot meanders around in surprising ways. 

I quite enjoyed it.

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

I just finished reading Mickey7 by American author Edward Ashton.

Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.

On a fairly routine scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time he returns to the colony base, surprisingly helped back by native life, Mickey7’s fate has been sealed. There’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for Expendable duties. The idea of duplicate Expendables is universally loathed, and if caught, they will likely be thrown into the recycler for protein.

Mickey7 must keep his double a secret from the rest of the colony. Meanwhile, life on Niflheim is getting worse. The atmosphere is unsuitable for humans, food is in short supply, and terraforming is going poorly. The native species are growing curious about their new neighbors, and that curiosity has Commander Marshall very afraid. Ultimately, the survival of both lifeforms will come down to Mickey7.

That is, if he can just keep from dying for good.

Mickey7 is an excellent, well thought out, fun story. Told in first person, Mickey7 is very descriptive about his life, what convinced him to volunteer for such a roll where he is purposely put in positions where he not only dies, but in his next form remembers vividly, each and every death, how it felt and the pain he endured.

I enjoy Sci-fi novels and certainly enjoyed this one

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I just finished reading Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Mexico in the 1970s is a dangerous country, even for Maite, a secretary who spends her life seeking the romance found in cheap comic books and ignoring the activists protesting around the city. When her next-door neighbor, the beautiful art student Leonora, disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for the missing woman—and journeying deeper into Leonora’s secret life of student radicals and dissidents. 

Mexico in the 1970s is a politically fraught land, even for Elvis, a goon with a passion for rock ’n’ roll who knows more about kidney-smashing than intrigue. When Elvis is assigned to find Leonora, he begins a blood-soaked search for the woman—and his soul. 

Swirling in parallel trajectories, Maite and Elvis attempt to discover the truth behind Leonora’s disappearance, encountering hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies. Because Mexico in the 1970s is a noir where life is cheap and the price of truth is high.

This was an entertaining read. I enjoyed how the story was told from the view of two different characters. Maite is a reluctant hero who finds herself in a situation way over her head. All she really wants is for her neighbour, Leonora to return and pay her what she is owed for looking after her cat. Who knew, that just by saying yes to cat sitting, her life would be in danger. 

One other thing I liked. All the way through the book, two of the characters would be putting on records or playing the jukebox. As the story is based in the 70s, I knew many of the songs, but some were covers done by Mexican artists. There were some Spanish rock bands. Many times as I was reading I thought it would be fun to play some of the songs. A nice surprise is at the end of the book, the songs and artists are listed. I will be having a listen.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another of Moreno-Garcia's novels.

About Silvia Moreno-Garcia 

Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of a number of critically acclaimed novels, including Gods of Jade and Shadow (Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, Ignyte Award), Mexican Gothic (Locus Award, British Fantasy Award, Pacific Northwest Book Award, Aurora Award, Goodreads Award), and Velvet Was the Night (finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize). 

She has edited several anthologies, including She Walks in Shadows (World Fantasy Award winner, published in the USA as Cthulhu’s Daughters). Silvia is the publisher of Innsmouth Free Press. Her fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. 

She has an MA in Science and Technology Studies from the University of British Columbia. Her thesis can be read online and is titled “Magna Mater: Women and Eugenic Thought in the Work of H.P. Lovecraft.” She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Maid by Nita Prose

I just finished reading The Maid by Nita Prose. 

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection. 

But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it's too late? 

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

I really enjoyed this story which has a very clever plot. Molly is a simple minded, trusting, really likeable character who is easy to sympathize with. Nita Prose does an excellent job of incorporating humour into the story of a murder which she finds herself involved with. I can see why it's currently on  Canada's top 10 best seller list!

About Nita Prose

 Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker

I have found over the years of going to the theater that I really enjoy Greek tragedies. Not sure what there is about them but I find them enthralling. Recently I was in Type Books on Queen and saw The Women of Troy on the shelf. As I love the stories told on the stage, why not try a novel?

Troy has fallen. The Greeks have won their bitter war. They can return home as victors - all they need is a good wind to lift their sails. But the wind has vanished, the seas becalmed by vengeful gods, and so the warriors remain in limbo - camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed, kept company by the women they stole from it.

The women of Troy.

Helen - poor Helen. All that beauty, all that grace - and she was just a mouldy old bone for feral dogs to fight over. Cassandra, who has learned not to be too attached to her own prophecies. They have only ever been believed when she can get a man to deliver them. Stubborn Amina, with her gaze still fixed on the ruined towers of Troy, determined to avenge the slaughter of her king. Hecuba, howling and clawing her cheeks on the silent shore, as if she could make her cries heard in the gloomy halls of Hades. As if she could wake the dead. 

And Briseis, carrying her future in her womb: the unborn child of the dead hero Achilles. Once again caught up in the disputes of violent men. Once again faced with the chance to shape history.

The author, Pat Barker, pervious winner of the Guardian Fiction Prize and the most coveted Booker, awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland and the style of writing in this novel shows why. 

I really became caught up in the story which takes place after the fall of Troy by Greek soldiers hiding inside the fabled Trojan horse. Where usually stories from this mythical period are told from the male point of view, this one is told first person, through the eyes of Briseis, the former Trojan queen who was the slave of Achilles Greek hero of the Trojan war before his death. 

The point of view was interesting, as was the story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.