In this spinoff from Anne Perry's popular 'Detective Thomas Pitt' series, Pitt's son is all grown up and taking center stage in his own novels.
In this second book in the 'Daniel Pitt' series, set in the early 1900s, Thomas's son Daniel - a fledgling attorney at the London law firm of Marcus fford Croft - defends a man accused of embezzling. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
As the story opens, Daniel Pitt is excited to see his sister Jemima, who's come to England from her current home in Washington DC. Jemima, her American husband Patrick Flannery, and their two children have arrived for a visit, and the entire Pitt family has gathered for dinner and conversation. Patrick is happy see his in-laws, but has an additional agenda.
Patrick, who's a policeman in America, pulls Daniel aside and tells him the following story: A British diplomat named Philip Sidney, stationed in Washington DC, assaulted a young woman named Rebecca Thorwood in her bedroom. Sidney then snatched Rebecca's diamond necklace and ran away.
Sidney was spotted by Rebecca's father, who raised the alarm. Unfortunately, justice couldn't prevail because Sidney claimed diplomatic immunity, then fled back to London. Patrick wants Daniel to finagle some way to get Sidney punished.
Jemima aligns with her husband about reviling Sidney, but is concerned that Rebecca might not want the assault made public. People might think Rebecca encouraged Sidney's attentions; made a secret assignation with him; and so on.
In any case, luck (or something else) is on Patrick's side, because Sidney is arrested for embezzling funds from the British Embassy in America. Sidney will now go on trial in England, and events are manipulated so that Daniel will help defend him. The idea is that - during the trial - Daniel will somehow bring up Sidney's assault on Rebecca, and Sidney's reputation will be ruined forever. (This is breathtakingly unethical, of course.)
As things turn out, Daniel takes a liking to Sidney, and starts to doubt the diplomat's guilt of BOTH the assault and the embezzlement. This puts Daniel in a tough position, especially because he fears Patrick may have helped frame Sidney for theft.
The trial begins (justice was much quicker in those days), and while it's proceeding, news arrives that Sidney's colleague in America - who has been mysteriously missing - was found dead. Now it appears Sidney may ALSO be accused of murder.
Needing help to mount a defense, Daniel approaches the forensic pathologist Miriam fford Croft to help investigate. The duo make some very important discoveries, and things take an unexpected turn. To say more would be a spoiler. (For romance lovers, there's a frisson of attraction between Daniel and Miriam, which I expect will play out in future books.)
The ambiance of early 20th century London is well-depicted in the story, as are the social and political mores of the time. Women are viewed as fragile creatures, incapable of dealing with serious issues or doing meaningful work, but there are always one or two ladies that show their mettle in Perry's books. So good on them!
The story is drawn out more than necessary, and feels a bit repetitive - with Daniel constantly cogitating about Jemima's feelings, Sidney's situation, and his own responsibilities. Still, this is a good mystery, appropriate to the time period and setting.
Rating: 3 stars
In Nutshell, a sort of modern take on 'Hamlet', a son becomes aware that his mother Trudy and her lover Claude are planning to murder his father John - who happens to be Claude's brother. The twist in Ian McEwan's novel is that the son, and narrator of the book, is a late term fetus.....in utero.
The not-yet-born baby, who's preternaturally knowledgeable and articulate, explains that he got his smarts from overheard conservations and the many podcasts his mother listens to. (The descriptions of the podcasts alone make the book worth reading. LOL)
Trudy is separated from her husband John but continues to live in the London home he inherited from his parents, while hubby languishes in a small apartment. The family property is worth millions of pounds, and the greedy adulterers plan to kill John, sell the house, and reap the rewards.
To add insult to injury, Claude has mentioned 'placing the baby somewhere' after the murder - so the couple can go on their merry way unencumbered. Naturally, this doesn't sit right with the unborn infant.
Trudy and Claude think John - a rather dreamy poet - is unaware of their liaison. To the adulterers dismay, John shows up unexpectedly one day and disabuses them of this notion. John tells his wife and brother that he's moving back into the house, and they have to leave.
Taken aback, the adulterers decide to accelerate their murder plot. That's about all I can say about the story without spoilers.
The eavesdropping fetus is quite a hoot. He's like a tiny sommelier - very smart about wine - and tipsy half the time from Trudy's drinking. The infant is also savvy about sex, and privy to lots of hot coupling between Trudy and Claude. As a result, the baby frequently worries about his uncle's wiener poking (and spraying) his head.....thinking he might absorb some of Claude's (unwanted) characteristics.
In fact, the poor baby has a lot to worry about as he ruminates about everything he overhears. So....concerned for his personal welfare, the fetus takes matters into his own hands at the book's climax.
I enjoyed this unique story and would recommend the book to fans of literary novels, and readers looking for something a little different.
Rating: 4 stars
Toni Murphy, who grew up in Campbell River, British Columbia, was a rebellious teenager. Irritated by a mother who tried to rein in her behavior, Toni acted out by smoking cigarettes, toking marijuana, drinking, sneaking out to see her boyfriend Ryan after curfew, and engaging in mild criminal behavior.
Besides having problems at home, Toni was bullied by a vengeful girl named Shauna, who had been Toni's friend until they fell out over a boy. Since then, Shauna and her clique made Toni's life hell. They harassed her, lied about her, and turned all of Toni's friends against her.
Trying to rise above the fray, Toni and Ryan were optimistic about their future. After high school graduation, they planned to rent an apartment, get jobs, make money, and travel. They were even getting a head start by working part-time until school finished.
Toni was employed as a waitress in a local restaurant, which was fine unless Shauna and her cohorts dropped in and made trouble.
For a while, Toni's one ally was her younger sister Nicole, who tried to smooth the waters between Toni and her mom. When Nicole turned sixteen, however, she was drawn into Shauna's circle, thrilled to be one of the 'popular girls.' Nicole started drinking, sneaking out to be with older boys, and spending weekends at Shauna's house. Nicole even joined Shauna's coterie in taunting Toni at the restaurant.
Nicole's behavior became odder and more secretive until the unthinkable happened and she was killed. One night, when high school kids were partying at the lake, Nicole was bludgeoned to death. Toni and Ryan were convicted of the murder and sent to prison for 15 years.....though they loudly proclaimed their innocence.
The story, which is narrated by Toni, shifts back and forth between the past (starting in the late 1990s) and the present (2014). In the sections set in the past, Toni relates events preceding her incarceration.....and then her years in prison. In the chapters detailing the present, Toni talks about being released on parole and her activities afterwards. ALL of this is unutterably bleak and depressing.
Toni's description of her adolescent years reads like a young adult novel, recounting the intense teenage love between herself and Ryan, and the beastliness of the high school clique. I could have done with a good deal less of Toni and Ryan's infatuation.
In addition, I had little sympathy for Toni's rude, disrespectful conduct toward her mother and her deliberately delinquent behavior.
Toni's sister Nicole was no peach either, and the girls' parents were UNBELIEVABLY obtuse. They were blind to Nicole's misbehavior; refused to believe Shauna was a bully; and blamed Toni for ALL the friction in the household.
Toni's recollection of her time in jail - and then a halfway house prior to parole - is also grim, filled with ruffians and fights. Toni's worst nemesis is an awful woman named Helen, who'd rather kill Toni than look at her.
In fact, all the major protagonists in the book are unlikable, and the only sympathetic characters are secondary figures like Toni's employer, a few friends she makes in jail, and Captain (a pit bull).
Toni's current decisions also strike me as poor, since - once she's on full (but monitored) parole - she moves back to Campbell River. This is a place where everyone thinks she's a murderer and Shauna and her compatriots still live. However, Toni 'wants to find the real killer', which seems like asking for trouble. And trouble follows.
And then there's Ryan, also out on parole. Toni is forbidden - by the provisions of her parole - to see Ryan, but she still loves him just as fiercely as when she was a teenager. Is this believable? After more than fifteen years of a very tough life?
All this activity leads to an appropriately dramatic climax.
The book, though well written, feels overdone and not credible (to me). However, I can see the novel appealing to other readers.
Rating: 3 stars
In this 2nd book in the 'Jade de Jong' series, the South African private investigator/security expert goes up against a powerful criminal enterprise. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
As the book opens, English police are raiding a London brothel. During the bust, the prostitutes - who turn out to be victims of sex trafficking - are rescued and one of the brothel owners is arrested.
However a mysterious older woman rushes out, viciously attacks the cops, and escapes with a companion.
The authorities learn that the victimized women were trafficked from South Africa and the two brothel owners, both savage thugs, hail from Bosnia. One of the brothel owners was out of the country on the day of the raid, and escaped arrest.
It's obvious that there's an international element to the criminal enterprise, and the exploited women are being transported long distances.
The British police realize that major players in the sex peddling ring are in South Africa, and others may be making their way there. So the London authorities contact their counterparts in Johannesburg, and ask them to be on the lookout.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, private detective/bodyguard Jade de Jong is hired by wealthy, elegant Pamela Jordaan.
Pamela's husband Terence - a strip club entrepreneur - is missing, and Pamela fears for her own safety. Knowing Jade's reputation for toughness, Pamela employs her for protection.
Jade thinks Pamela is being paranoid, and figures this will be an easy gig for big bucks. The private detective is soon disabused of this notion, however, when someone tries to shoot Pamela. Moreover, Pamela's daughter Tamsin - a manager in her dad's strip club - goes missing as well.
Subsequent events show that sinister and sadistic hands are at work. In addition, the trafficking enterprise involves abducting, brutalizing, and exploiting innocent girls. Much of this is gruesomely graphic, so consider yourself warned.
Jade's ex-boyfriend, Police Superintendent David Patel, is working on the sex-trafficking case for his London compatriots.
Jade soon realizes that her security job and David's investigation are connected, and the former lovers help each other in an atmosphere of sexual tension.
As all this is going on, the POV periodically shifts to dangerous criminals in South Africa. These lawbreakers are desperate to get out of the country, and will do anything to line up the necessary (forged) South African passports.
Unfortunately for the felons, Johannesburg has just cracked down on illegal passports, which were once easily obtained for a bribe. So the bad guys resort to devious cruel measures.
To add to the activity, the British cops make discoveries that lead them to Cypress, and we see some action there as well.
The story seems to head in numerous directions, but the threads come together in the end.
If the author is basing her book on reality, it seems like South Africa is a very dangerous place to live; there's major corruption in government departments; and sex trafficking is rampant. Not a pretty picture.
The book is a compelling - but somewhat over-complicated - thriller in an interesting setting.
Rating: 3 stars
In this 2nd book in the 'Mick Stranahan' series, the ex-cop helps a damsel in distress. The book can be read as a standalone with no problem.
*****
I always enjoy Carl Hiaasen's satiric, comic novels - which generally highlight some atrocity humans are inflicting on the state of Florida. In this book, Hiassen concentrates on Everglades pollution.
The story: Chaz Perrone - who likes to be called 'Dr. Perrone' - has a Ph.D. in marine biology and a cushy job for the state of Florida - monitoring pollution in the Everglades.
The thing is, Chaz should really be called 'Dr. Scumbag' because he's being paid off by Red Hammernut, a south Florida farmer whose fertilizer is contaminating the region. Chaz pretends to test Everglades water samples, makes up fake results, and collects his payoff. Job well done (in his own mind)!
Things start to go bottoms up when Chaz thinks his wife, Joey, has cottoned on to his scam. So Chaz takes Joey on a luxury cruise for their second wedding anniversary, and throws her overboard in the middle of the night. Chaz pretends to be overwrought about his 'missing wife', but Detective Karl Rolvaag - who gets the case when the ship returns to port - is immediately suspicious.
Meanwhile, Joey - a champion swimmer - has survived. She evaded predatory wildlife, latched onto a bale of marijuana, and drifted toward shore on the Gulf Stream.....all the time seething at her husband. Luckily, Joey was rescued by Mick Stranahan, a fiftyish ex-cop living on a tiny island off Florida's coast. After hearing Joey's story Mick wanted to call the police, but Joey had a better idea. She planned to drive that lowlife Chaz crazy!!
Chaz, convinced he got away with murder, proceeds to live his life. He rids the house of Joey's belongings; romances his long-time girlfriend/hairdresser Ricca Spillman; and dreams of a fruitful, long-lasting partnership with Red. Though Chaz is repeatedly questioned by Detective Rolvaag (à la Columbo), he believes there's no proof of his crime.
Joey starts her campaign against dirtbag Chaz by hanging a favorite black dress in her (now empty) closet and leaving a torn photo under his pillow.
Chaz is bewildered, and thinks some stranger is breaking into his house. When Chaz reports the intrusion to Red Hammernut, the farmer saddles Chaz with a 'bodyguard' - a big, hairy galoot named Earl O'Toole ('Tool').
Tool is in pain from a bullet lodged mid-butt, so he sneaks into hospitals/nursing homes and peels Fentanyl patches off elderly patients - then puts them on his roughly shaved back. In the course of this larceny Tool meets an elderly lady, Maureen, and they develop a rather sweet friendship.
Through all this, Joey continues to play tricks on Chaz - with the help of her brother Corbett and Mick. As the pranks escalate, Chaz's anxiety increases, and he becomes alarmed when he 'can't get it up anymore.' Chaz starts taking 'little blue pills' - and the results are priceless. Eventually Joey and her fellow tricksters perpetrate a jaw-dropping hoax, which is wonderfully effective. As they spend time together, Joey and Mick develop an attraction, which should appeal to romance fans.
As Chaz's life falls apart, he starts to become suspicious of everyone around him. In fact - in the course of the story - Chaz 'kills' several people. However, none of them stay dead. LOL
All this action and hilarity leads to an appropriate climax that's quite satisfying.
Some fun animal characters in the story (besides the Everglades alligators and mosquitoes that freak Chaz out) are: Mick's dog - a lovable, but slow-witted Doberman called Strom, who tries to bark potential intruders away from the island; and Detective Rolvaag's two pet pythons - who don't have much personality....but might just be eating the building's pet cats and dogs.
I enjoyed the book, which made me laugh. Recommended to fans of light, amusing books (with a message).
Rating: 3.5 stars
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
The book's author, Jeffrey Rosen, is an American scholar and law professor who's been called "the nation's most widely read and influential legal commentator."
Jeffrey Rosen
Rosen first met Ruth Bader Ginsberg in an elevator in 1991, when he was a law clerk and she was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Not knowing what to say, Rosen blurted out a question about what opera Ginsburg had seen recently, and they immediately bonded over their mutual love of opera.
Afterwards, when Rosen became the legal affairs editor of the New Republic - writing about the law and the Supreme Court - he and Ginsburg began corresponding about articles he'd written and operas she'd seen. Rosen and Ginsburg have been exchanging letters, talking, and occasionally attending operas together ever since.
Rosen interviewed Ginsburg many times, and draws from those talks for this book.
Rosen notes that Ginsburg's approach to cases "didn't focus on abstract principles; they always focused on the real world challenges faced by individual men and women trying to define their life paths."
Young Ruth Bader Ginsburg
As general counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union's Women's Rights Project from 1972 to 1980, Ginsburg's mission was to convince the Supreme Court "that legislation apparently designed to benefit or protect women could often have the opposite effect."
Ginsburg observed, "There wasn't a great understanding of gender discrimination. People knew that race discrimination was an odious thing, but there were many who thought that all the gender-based differentials in the law operated benignly in women's favor. So my objective was to take the Court step by step to the realization that the pedestal on which some thought women were standing all too often turned out to be a cage."
To convince the Supreme Court, Ginsburg took the case of a man, which might resonate with the nine male justices. In 1975 Ginsburg represented Stephen Wiesenfeld, a computer consultant whose wife - a teacher - died during childbirth. Wiesenfeld applied for his wife's Social Security benefits, so he could work part-time and stay home with the baby. However, the law only permitted widows - not widowers - to collect special benefits, and Wiesenfeld's application was denied.
When Ginsburg took Wiesenfeld's case to the Supreme Court she won, and the case set an example for the equal treatment of men and women.
Ginsburg often discussed cases from "the bad old days", when the Court repeatedly upheld distinctions based on sex. For example, in 1961 a woman named Gwendolyn Hoyt killed her abusive husband, and was convicted of murder by an all-male jury. At that time, women were either not called for jury duty, or excused if they requested it, just because they were female.
In an appeal, Hoyt's lawyer challenged the gender-based exclusion of women from the jury pool. She held that the inability to have a jury that included females - who might have argued for manslaughter rather than murder - deprived Hoyt of her rights. Hoyt lost the case. However, a fire was lit under Ginsburg and - due to her efforts - the 'opt-out' policy for women serving on juries was ruled unconstitutional in the late 1970s.
Ginsburg's policy for chiseling away at gender discrimination continued after she was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice on August 10, 1993.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg being sworn in as a Supreme Court justice
Rosen notes, "every one of the cases she chipped away at involved a law based on the premise that men earned the money and women tended to the home and children" - legislation that Ginsburg thought was unfair.
As evidence of Ginsburg's leanings, Rosen mentions seeing a photograph in her chambers of the justice's son-in-law gazing at his child (Ginsburg's grandson). Ginsburg told Rosen 'this is my dream for the future.' At first Rosen took it to mean something about the joys of grandchildren. He later came to realize that Ginsburg was referring to the transformation of sex roles, that fathers and mothers take equal responsibility for children.
Ginsburg always insisted that "men and women would be truly equal only when they take equal responsibility for child rearing." This was a policy followed by Ruth and her husband Martin Ginsburg, a brilliant attorney specializing in tax law.
Young Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Martin Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Martin Ginsburg with their daughter
In fact Ginsburg's very first hire on the Supreme Court was a male law clerk whose application said he was studying law at night because his wife - an economist - had a good job at the World Bank and he had to help take care of his two small children.
Rosen remarks, "By 1997 Ginsburg was seen as the new face of liberalism on the Supreme Court", and over the years "she has become one of the most inspiring American icons of our time and is now recognized as one of the most influential figures for constitutional change in American history."
Asked about her favorite cases on the Supreme Court, Ginsburg cites a 1996 case that struck down the Virginia Military Institute's all-male admissions policy. This marked the climax of challenges to single-sex public schools that she'd launched with her husband in the 1970s.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg and her husband Martin Ginsburg were loving lifelong partners
Ginsburg explains that the changing views of the Supreme Court over time follow changes in society. In her view, "justices should generally defer to other decision makers (Congress, state legislatures, state courts, constitutional amendments) and should be guided by 'measured motion' - meaning they should not leap too far ahead of public opinion." Shifts in society lead to evolving decisions about gender equality, civil rights, gay marriage, and so on.
Nevertheless, Ginsburg notes that there are times when the Court has to step ahead of the political branches - in the case of race discrimination, for instance. Ginsburg recalls, "Because there was little prospect of state legislatures dismantling segregation in the South, the Court had to step into the breach." The Court ultimately rejected Jim Crow legislation and killed the prospect of separate but equal.
In addition to the cases I've cited above, the book includes many of Ginsburg's views about other topics, including abortion legislation, pregnancy discrimination, civil liberties, unconscious bias, life-work balance, and the importance of dissenting opinions. According to Ginsburg, "the value of dissenting opinions is in persuading future generations to correct perceived injustice."
For example, in a 2014 5-to-4 vote, the Supreme Court upheld a law that allows Hobby Lobby to deny health care coverage for women's contraceptives because of the owners' religious beliefs. Ginsburg wrote a dissenting opinion because Hobby Lobby, a for-profit business, employs hundreds of women who don't share those religious beliefs.
In more recent interviews, Ginsburg talks about issues like the #MeToo movement. This crusade, in which women used newspapers, social media, and other platforms to demand respect, is an example of "how quickly social change can be produced by political activism from the ground up." Ginsburg hopes the #MeToo movement is here to stay, and that "it becomes as effective for the woman who works as a maid in a hotel as it is for Hollywood stars."
#MeToo took down some Hollywood bigwigs
Ginsburg observes that no further legislation is needed to ensure that women are respected in the workplace. She notes, "the laws are there, the laws are in place. It takes people to step forward and use them. Women have to say this is bad behavior. You should not engage in it, and I will not submit to it." Ginsburg goes on to say, "It's easier today because there are numbers to support women who say so. We no longer hear as often as we did in the past, 'She's making it up'."
Ginsburg also insists there should be due process for the accused. "The person who is accused has a right to defend herself or himself. Everyone deserves a fair hearing."
Asked about her advice to men in this new regime, Ginsburg says, "Just think how you would like the women in your family to be treated, particularly your daughters."
To the new generation of feminists who look to her as a role model, Ginsburg says, "Work for the things that you care about. Don't take no for an answer. If you have a dream, something you want to pursue, and you're willing to do the work that's necessary to make the dream come true, don't let anyone tell you, you can't do it. And you have, nowadays, many like-minded people who can join with you in opposing unfair treatment, treatment of you as less than a full citizen."
As for Ginsburg's hopes for the future, she'd like to see campaign finance reform.
On a personal level, Ginsburg talks about her friendship with Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Antonin Scalia, and her great fondness for Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who she served with for her first 12 years on the court.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Justice Antonin Scalia
Chief Justice William Rehnquist
Ginsburg and Scalia were philosophical opposites. In fact, Ginsburg led the Court's liberal wing while Scalia led the Court's conservative wing (until his death in 2016). Despite their differences, Ginsburg and Scalia were close friends. When they disagreed about cases, "they did so with relative equanimity because of the strength of their friendship, sustained by gourmet meals cooked by Marty Ginsberg and culminating in an annual New Year's Eve dinner at the Ginsburgs' home that often involved singing together around the piano."
An amusing offshoot of the Ginsburg-Scalia friendship is a comic opera called Scalia/Ginsburg written by Derrick Wang - a writer, librettist, and composer who attended the University of Maryland law school.
Derrick Wang
The opera "celebrates the virtues of the court through an affectionate, comic look at the unofficial leaders of its conservative and liberal wings."
The Scalia/Ginsburg opera
Ginsburg is amazed at her transformation into a judicial celebrity, especially when she became an internet sensation and then an American icon. In 2013 Shana Knizhnik, an NYU law student, created the Tumblr blog 'Notorious R.B.G', and afterwards co-wrote a book called 'Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.'
Khizhnik was inspired by the justice "because Ginsburg defies stereotypes. She is a grandmother, but she shows so much strength, and she is who she is without apology." To add to her mystique, Ginsburg works out regularly with a trainer, whom she shares with Justice Elena Kagan.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg working out
Ginsburg's fame inspired all manner of RBG merchandise, especially sweatshirts and tee shirts.
On a light note, Ginsburg observed that Chief Justice Rehnquist added four gold stripes to each sleeve of his black robe in 1995. To explain the uptick in sartorial splendor, Rehnquist admitted "he did not wish to be upstaged by the women." (Justices O'Connor and Ginsburg always wore attractive neckpieces.)
Chief Justice Rehnquist added stripes to his robe
In his acknowledgements Rosen writes a moving tribute to his mother Estelle Rosen, and says about Ginsburg: "Justice Ginsberg is an inspiration on so many levels, including how to live a good life - a life of disciplined focus and self-mastery, dedicated to the welfare of others. Thanks to her efforts as a pathbreaking advocate, judge, and Supreme Court justice, she is a personal and constitutional hero."
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Jeffrey Rosen), and the publisher (Henry Holt and Co.) for a copy of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
