Fifteen years before the story opens, in 2002, Napoleon (Nap) Dumas was an 18-year-old high school jock in Westbridge, New Jersey, looking forward to college and a future with his beautiful girlfriend Maura.
Then Nap's world collapsed overnight. While the athlete was at an away hockey game his twin brother Leo, and Leo's girlfriend Diana, were hit by a train and killed.
On that same evening, Maura broke up with Nap, left town, and disappeared. Nap couldn't believe these traumatic events were unconnected and became obsessed with finding out more about that fateful night.
Nap talked to Maura's mother, who would only say her daughter had changed schools, and nothing more. Nap even broke into Maura's house to look for information, with no luck. Afterwards, Nap was taken under the wing of Diana's heartbroken father, Police Captain Augie Styles, who ascribed the deaths of Diana and Leo to foolish behavior caused by drugs and alcohol.
Ever since the calamitous high school events, Nap has been mourning his brother - with whom he'd shared 'a womb and a room'; and yearning for Maura - who he considered the love of his life. Thus Nap forewent college, became a police officer, and is now a detective in Westbridge. Nap's a good cop, but he doesn't always follow the rules.
For one thing, Nap 'corrects' the behavior of men who commit domestic abuse by beating them up. For another thing, Nap illicitly put Maura's fingerprints and DNA into the national database, asking to be informed if there's a hit.
And now, a decade and a half after Maura vanished, there's a hit. Maura's fingerprints are found in the rented car of a man who shot and killed a Pennsylvania police officer, Sergeant Rex Canton. As it happens, Rex Canton was Nap's high school classmate, and belonged to a teenage 'Conspiracy Club' with Leo, Diana, Maura, a boy named Hank - who has since succumbed to mental illness, and a girl called Beth - who's now a physician in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
In high school, the members of the Conspiracy Club were 'investigating' a secretive government installation near Westbridge - a facility that was fenced off and liberally posted with 'No Trespassing' signs. The base supposedly contained Nike missiles during the cold war, and was now used for some unknown purpose. The teenagers would lurk around the installation, go up to the fence, try to peer in, take photos, and so on.
Nap comes to suspect that the activities of the Conspiracy Club led to the deaths of Leo and Diana fifteen years ago, and to Maura running off. Moreover, reverberations from those old days may have sent a murderer after Rex Canton just a few days ago.
Nap wants to interview the remaining members of the Conspiracy Club, but this turns out to be a difficult task. Mentally disturbed Hank, who was recently accused of exposing himself to schoolgirls - and bullied online - has disappeared; and Dr. Beth seems to be hiding out and not answering the phone. What could possibly be going on?
As Nap pursues his inquiries he questions people who knew Maura, Leo, and Diana; consults with Captain Augie Styles; helps investigate Rex Canton's murder in Pennsylvania talks to Walt's distressed father; comes face to face with pushy government agents; unearths important evidence; and so on. In the end, Nap learns the truth about all the deaths and disappearances, and the solution is a corker.
Most of the story is told by Nap, partly as a first person narrative, and partly as a one-sided conversation with his dead brother Leo. Nap has a snarky sense of humor, and his amusing quips lighten the otherwise dark story.
The novel is engaging, but I sometimes found it difficult to suspend disbelief. For instance, I don't think an average 18-year-old girl has the know-how to disappear at the drop of a hat. Other things bothered me as well, but I don't want to give away spoilers.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to fans of thrillers.
Rating: 3 stars
I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan so I was interested to learn a little about his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. This short colorful biography of Doyle by Hesketh Pearson seemed to be just the ticket.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Scotland in 1859 and went to school in England for most of his primary education. Doyle was a burly fellow who liked to box, and often defended kids who were being bullied. He also enjoyed reading, particularly adventure stories and detective tales.
Doyle attended medical school at the University of Edinburgh and - while a student - apprenticed as a 'doctor' on a Greenland whaler. This was a pretty easy job except for the distressing seal hunts.
Greenland whaler
Arthur Conan Doyle graduated from medical school in 1881
Afterwards, Doyle did a short stint as ship's surgeon on a vessel that traveled down the coast of Africa, but was miserable for the entire trip. By now, at 21 years of age, Doyle was an imposing fellow - 6 feet tall and 225 pounds, with brown hair and gray eyes.
Doyle next joined the medical practice of his former classmate, George Budd, in Plymouth.
Dr. George Budd
Budd was a 'half-genius, half maniac' who was interested in everything and had a variety of schemes for making money. The personality and energy of Sherlock Holmes is based, in part, on Budd.
Doyle soon fell out with his partner and in 1882 - with £6 (six pounds) in his pocket - moved to Portsmouth to open his own medical office. Doyle had few patients, was perpetually broke, and had to pawn his watch three times. In a way this was a blessing in disguise because Doyle started selling stories for extra cash. After a while Doyle's practice improved and he was fairly busy between 1884 and 1886. During this time he married Louisa Hawkins, with whom he had two children.
Arthur Conan Doyle's first wife, Louisa Hawkins
Mrs. Louisa Hawkins Doyle and the couple's two children
Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes story, 'A Study in Scarlet' came out in 1886, followed by a couple of historical novels.
The success of these publications led Doyle to devote more time to writing. Still, Doyle continued to strive for a successful medical career and went to Vienna to study ophthalmology. The classes didn't go well because of the language barrier and - when Doyle opened a new 'oculist' practice in London - he didn't get a single patient. Thus Doyle eventually became a dedicated writer and gave up doctoring.
Arthur Conan Doyle gave up doctoring to become a full time writer
Doyle wrote much more than Sherlock Holmes stories, but the detective yarns were his most successful publications. The fictional sleuth's phenomenal powers of observation were based on Doyle's medical school professor, Dr. Joseph Bell....who made shrewd deductions about his patients.
Dr. Joseph Bell
For instance, Bell identified a man as a cobbler because 'the inside of the knee of his trousers is worn down where he rests his lapstone'; and Bell pegged another patient as a recently discharged army man who served in Barbados because 'he kept his hat on (as was customary in the army) and had elephantiasis.....which was prevalent in the West Indies.'
In time Doyle got tired of Sherlock Holmes and, in 1893, tried to kill him off at the Reichenbach Falls.
Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls, but it didn't work
The subsequent backlash from readers, editors, and publishers forced Doyle to resurrect the consulting detective.....who went on to live for many more years. People seemed to think Holmes was a real person and Doyle received hundreds of letters from all over the world - some addressed to Holmes, some to Watson, some to Doyle....asking for help solving mysteries. 😊
Amongst his other activities Doyle tried to enter politics and stood for Parliament in central Edinburgh in 1900. Doyle was unsuccessful because he wasn't schooled in 'political doubletalk.' Doyle openly supported a Catholic University in Dublin - which alienated Protestant northerners, and was against Home Rule - which put off Catholic southerners. Having a sense of humor, Doyle declared ''this united Ireland north and south for the first time in history."
Doyle's first wife died from tuberculosis in 1906 and he wed Jean Leckie In 1907. Jean has been called the 'great love of Doyle's life' and they had three children together.
Arthur Conan Doyle's second wife Jean Leckie
Arthur Conan Doyle, Jean Leckie, and their children
Doyle was a sort of 'Renaissance man', with a wide array of interests. He played football, cricket, and golf. He joined a 'volunteer force' (for older men) during WWI, and happily participated in the drilling, marching, camping, rifle practice; and so on. He suggested improvements in military equipment (like body armor and shields) and advised new medical practices for soldiers.....and many of his ideas were accepted.
Doyle's religious beliefs changed over the course of his life. He was brought up Catholic, then became an agnostic, and finally accepted spiritualism. Doyle wanted to believe in a 'future life' and would attend seances to commune with the dead.
Arthur Conan Doyle accepted spiritualism
He also studied phenomena like haunted houses, sepulchral voices, moving tables, automatic writing, materialization of limbs, levitation of bodies, mysterious sounds, fairies, etc. Many people disdain Doyle for these beliefs.
I'll always be grateful to Doyle for creating one of my favorite people (fictional or real). Kudos sir, for a job well done. 👍
There are many biographies of Arthur Conan Doyle, most of them more detailed than this one. Nevertheless I'd recommend this book to fans interested in a quick overview of Doyle's life, told with heart and humor. (FYI: I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith.)
Rating: 3.5 stars
In this 29th book in the 'Dr. Alex Delaware' series, the child psychologist - and LAPD consultant - can't anticipate the trouble that will ensue when he consults on a child custody case. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Constance Sykes - a pathologist, is worried about her niece.
Constance claims her sister Cherie Sykes - a band groupie, is an unfit parent.
So Constance tries to get custody of Cherie's toddler. When Alex comes down on Cherie's side Constance becomes enraged and hires a hit man to get rid of him. (These child custody cases can get really ugly! 😕)
Unfortunately for Constance the hit man is Alex's former patient and spills the beans. Soon afterward Constance is killed, Cherie and the baby disappear, and several other people in Cherie's orbit turn up dead. Is Cherie the killer? Or is it the baby's unknown dad? Alex is on the case with his detective friend Lt. Milo Sturgis.
This turns out to be a rather thin story without much going on. The new characters are not terribly interesting and even the series regulars aren't particularly compelling. They don't engage in their typical humorous banter and Blanche the pet French bulldog - who usually provides a few smiles - is hardly there.
A disappointing addition to the series. I fear Jonathan Kellerman is running out of good ideas for the Alex Delaware books. 😒
Rating: 2 stars
The killer in this book, who sometimes calls herself 'Goldilocks', had a horrific childhood. Her mother, who used to read her fairy tales, died when Goldilocks was eight - probably murdered by her father. Goldilocks had to take over her mom's responsibilities - shopping, cooking, cleaning, and being 'wife' in the bedroom. The sexual abuse probably contributed to Goldilocks becoming a sociopath, and - as an adult - Goldilocks means to 'right' her life by killing three people: 'Daddy Bear', 'Mummy Bear', and 'Baby Bear'.
For Daddy Bear, Goldilocks chooses a 47-year-old, married banker named Nigel Baxter, who's been very generous in exchange for sexual favors. Goldilocks dispatches Nigel in a luxury hotel in London, making his death look like a suicide.
However, Goldilocks carefully places a custom made teddy bear at the scene of the crime (dressed like a 'daddy')......to make sure the police figure out it was a murder. The reason for the 'fake suicide' scenario isn't clear and unnecessarily complicates the story.
The detective assigned to the case is Dan Riley, a man consumed by the death of his pregnant girlfriend Rachel two years ago. Rachel was killed when a drunk driver called Craig Mathers hit her motorbike, and Dan CONSTANTLY fantasizes about the life he and Rachel could have had together, raising their wonderful child. Moreover, Dan is furious that Mathers is out of prison, and obsessively stalks him. This compulsive behavior is threaded throughout the book, and detracts from the main story (IMO).
Dan also seems to be clairvoyant, since - after observing Nigel Baxter's body - the detective immediately intuits that the killer plans to commit three murders: of 'daddy bear', 'mommy bear', and 'baby bear'.....though there's no evidence of this at the crime scene. It's not clear how Dan makes this brilliant deduction so early in the book, and it's not credible.
As Dan and his team are investigating Baxter's murder - and learning a good deal about the banker's unorthodox sexual proclivities (including 'dogging', which I had to look up) - Goldilocks is grooming her next victim. The killer, who now calls herself Danni-Jo, befriends her neighbor - a lonely, middle-aged divorcee named Kizzy who has a cat, Esmerelda.
I was rooting for Kizzy to wise up, grab the cat, and run for the hills.....but no dice. Again a custom made teddy bear is left at the crime scene, this time dressed like a mommy.
After the second murder Dan is very alarmed about a baby being killed next, and fervently searches for a break in the case. Serendipitously, a clue is found, and it's a shocker.
While all this is going on Dan decides to get on with his life, and registers at an online dating site. After a couple of unsuccessful dates, Dan meets Florence - a beautiful, sexy blonde from North London.....and they hit it off. Dan tells Florence EVERY SINGLE THING about Rachel, which is a bad move in any new relationship, and another plot point that doesn't ring true. Dan's romance complicates his job and adds suspense to the novel.
The story is narrated by Dan and the killer, in alternating sections - so we see deep into the psyche of these two individuals. There's also an array of secondary characters, including Nigel Baxter's betrayed wife, Dan's colleagues, and Goldilocks' childhood psychiatrist.
The police inquiries and Dan's personal life race along to a climax, but the book's ending was a disappointment. I was expecting a dramatic exciting denouement, and the book concludes with a fizzle. At one point I thought the detective might be suffering from schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, and that Dan and Danni-Jo were the same person. But no. (Too bad.)
That said, I enjoyed most of the story and would probably read more books featuring Dan Riley. I hope though, that the cop gets over his obsession with Rachel's death and develops better detective radar.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Anna-Lou Weatherley), and the publisher (Bookouture) for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3 stars
Since time immemorial there's been a tug-of-war between entrepreneurs - whose goal is to make money - and anything that might reduce profits. Thus employers/corporations have been known to sell harmful or flawed products; make employees work in unsafe conditions; despoil the environment; and so on.
In the United States, laws have been passed to curtail these injurious practices, but enforcement is often lax (or nonexistent) because businesses provide jobs; create new products; propel the economy; contribute to political campaigns; and so on. As stated in the book: "This was business, big business, with a lot of money at stake and a lot of money to spend. Politicians depended on big business and big business depended on politicians. It was the American way."
In this equivocal situation, lawyers for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have struggled against mighty odds to bring scofflaws to justice.
'The Cyanide Canary' details the case against Allen Elias, who ordered a young employee named Scott Dominguez to clean a cyanide-contaminated tank WITHOUT safety equipment.
As a result, Scott suffered severe brain damage, lost his fiancé - who was unable to care for him, and became dependent on his family - who could ill afford his medical/rehab bills. At the time a newspaper noted, "Scott Dominguez once loved to ski, play hackysack, hunt and fish. No more. An accident at work severely damaged his brain and left him with little muscle control." It became difficult for Scott to walk or speak, and it was only with enormous effort that he was able to do anything at all.
Scott Dominguez with his mother after he suffered brain damage
Elias, for his part, tried every trick in the book to squirm out of taking responsibility for the tragedy.....because he didn't care to pay reparations; didn't want to go to prison; and wanted to continue making money.
At the time of the incident, on August 27, 1996, Elias owned Evergreen Resources - a fertilizer company near Soda Springs, Idaho.
A fertilizer manufacturing plant
For production purposes, Elias planned to use an old 25,000 gallon storage tank (36' long and 11' high) to hold a large shipment of sulfuric acid. However, the tank had previously been used to store the byproducts of a cyanide leaching process, and was still contaminated with a ton or two of cyanide-laced sludge. Thus Elias ordered a few workers, including Scott, to clean the tank. The circular entrance to the tank, located on top, was only 22" wide.....and Scott was slim - so he was sent in first.
During the cleaning process Scott collapsed and passed out, and - because the entrance to the tank was so small - his co-workers were unable to get him out. Emergency services were called but it took a long time to rescue Scott, and he was permanently damaged.
As soon as the incident occurred, Elias went into cover-your-ass mode. He proceeded to lie repeatedly; blame everybody else; forge documents; fake the availability of emergency equipment; convince his other employees (who needed their jobs) to conceal the truth; line up attorneys; and so forth.
Meanwhile, government lawyers worked day and night to make a case against the fertilizer maker, who had been flouting safety laws for years.
Elias was eventually tried for various crimes, including 'disposing of hazardous waste without a permit' and 'knowing that his actions placed others in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.' The trial, and the innumerable machinations leading up to it, are well documented in the narrative, and the book should be a must-read for up and coming environmental lawyers.
Elias's attorneys - as was their job - obfuscated the issues; made numerous motions and pleas; delayed the trial; tried to suppress evidence; attempted to discredit witnesses.....you get the picture. And Elias, who seemed to think he was Teflon-coated, smirked and sneered and went on with his life - apparently convinced he'd never be convicted of anything.
The prosecutorial team, in turn, made it's own maneuvers and counter-maneuvers, and I was frequently on tenterhooks to see who would prevail with each step and counter-step.
I won't tell what happened in the end.....but you can look it up if you're dying to know.
The book is compelling and detailed.....perhaps too much so. The story includes not only the backgrounds of the victim and the defendant, but of the lawyers, witnesses, and other interested parties. Moreover, the yarn is dramatized way beyond what the writers could possibly know.....so it's kind of a fictionalized true story. However, the basic premise - that the EPA tried to make Elias accountable for his actions - is correct.
Sadly, Elias's case is far from an isolated incident, and harmful business practices are still going on. An epilog to the book makes it clear that some industries continue to ignore safety legislation, and it's very difficult to catch and prosecute them.
In addition, many legislators don't want to pass more stringent environmental and worker protection laws - and actually suggest that industry be allowed to police itself. Ha ha ha.......who could possibly take that idea seriously! 🤢
This is an engaging (if overlong) book about an important topic, and I'd recommend it to readers interested in industrial safety, the preservation of the environment, and the kinds of selfish business moguls who look out only for themselves.
Rating: 3.5 stars
In this 16th book in the 'No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series, set in Botswana, Mma Ramotswe is gently manipulated into taking a vacation by her assistant Mma Makutsi - who thinks Mma Ramotswe needs a little break. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a plus.
*****
Though Mma Ramotswe, owner of the detective agency, is reluctant to leave the business in the hands of Mma Makutsi - who tends to be stubborn, brash, and undiplomatic - she takes a couple of weeks off. During this time Mma Makutsi is thrilled to take over as 'Acting Director' of the agency.
Mma Ramotswe spends some time cleaning her cupboards; drinking tea at a hotel café while gossiping; and visiting a friend. The detective soon tires of being idle, however, and - in accordance with the old Botswana ways - slips back into helping people. When a spiteful young boy purposely scratches Mma Ramotswe's white van the detective learns that he's being abused by the woman he lives with and takes the matter in hand.
Soon afterwards Rra Polopetsi - a part-time chemistry teacher who temps at the detective agency - comes up with a case.
A deceased politician was to have a road named for him, but following the revelation of a secret scandal the road naming was cancelled. The politician's sister wants the detective agency to disprove the (unknown) allegations, and Acting Director Mma Makutsi gives the job to Rra Polopetsi - who doesn't have a clue how to do it.
Mma Ramotswe worries that Mma Makutsi assigned Rra Polopetsi the political scandal case because she doesn't know how to handle it herself. Mma Ramotswe wants to help Rra Polopetsi but is fearful of offending Mma Makutski, so she secretly looks into the matter - which leads to a sticky situation.
In addition Mma Makutski's old nemesis, secretarial school classmate Violet Sepotho, is causing trouble again.
The shallow, sarcastic (but beautiful and fashionable) woman has opened the "No. 1 Ladies' Secretarial School." This name-stealing is deeply distressing to Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi....but what can they do?
While dealing with these various situations Mma Ramotswe drinks a lot of bush tea; eats some fruit cake; and exhibits her usual intelligence, common sense, and sensitivity. In the end, everything turns out satisfactorily.
It's always a pleasure to visit with the series' recurring characters, including Mma Ramotswe's husband, garage owner Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni; his mechanic Charlie; Mma Makutsi's husband, furniture store owner Phuti Radiphuti; and Mma Potokwane, director of the Orphan Farm and baker of delicious cakes.
All these folks add wisdom to the story. There are even some talking shoes that have their say.
Overall, a very enjoyable book, highly recommended to fans of the series.
Rating: 4 stars
