Review of "The Blackbird Season: A Novel of Suspense" by Kate Moretti

As the story opens, Nate Winters is a popular math teacher and sports coach at Pennsylvania's Mt. Oanoke High School.



Nate - a married father - takes a real interest in his students, and has helped some of his players get college opportunities. The town's goodwill for Nate goes down the tubes, though, after thousands of blackbirds plummet to their death in Mount Oanoke.



As the strange phenomenon is being investigated, a slew of reporters descend on the area - and one snaps a photo of Nate hugging a pretty student outside a cheap motel.



The student, Lucia Hamm, is a striking 18-year-old senior, with white-blonde hair, black-rimmed eyes, and luscious red lips. Nate claims he was only helping a pupil in need.....a girl who couldn't go home. Lucia's mother ran off long ago, and her father left when the paper mill closed and he lost his job. Since then Lucia has been living in squalor with her violent, drug-addicted brother Lenny. When Lenny burns Lucia with a cigarette and hits her one too many times, she walks out for good.

After the 'hug photo' hits the newspapers, Nate claims that Lucia called him for assistance, and he got her a motel room for one night - sending her to a shelter the next day. Nevertheless, Nate is suspended from his job pending an investigation.....



.....and it doesn't help that Lucia 'admits' they had sex.



This news spreads through town like wildfire, making Nate a pariah among Mt. Oanoke parents.



Nate hopes his wife, Alecia, will be more understanding - but she's not.



Alecia is exhausted from caring for the couple's autistic, five-year-old son Gabe, and already believes Nate is more attentive to his students than his child.



So when Alecia finds a sexy photo of Lucia on Nate's phone, and discrepancies in his story, it's the last straw. She throws him out.

The only person on Nate's side is his colleague, English teacher Bridget Peterson.



Nate and Alecia were 'couple friends' with Bridget and her husband Holden, until Holden died of cancer a year ago. This was shattering to the widow, who's been grief-stricken and distracted ever since.....especially at school.

Lucia is in Bridget's creative writing class, and the girl's journal suggests she has serious problems.



Moreover, many fellow students call Lucia a witch and avoid her. Bridget thinks Lucia isn't being entirely truthful about Nate, and sticks up for her friend as best she can.

Soon after the 'photo incident' Lucia vanishes, and things go from bad to worse. The Mount Oanoke detectives seem to think Nate is involved in her disappearance, and the coach becomes more isolated than ever.



The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Alecia, Bridget, Lucia, and Nate, switching back and forth from 'before the blackbirds fell' to 'after the blackbirds fell.' We see what each character thinks and does, and learn something about their motivations.

I was especially moved by Alecia's sections, which detail the difficulties involved in raising an autistic child: the need for constant attention; the meltdowns; the soiled pants; the lack of speech; the rigid routines; the numerous (expensive) therapies; and so on.



Alecia is overwhelmed, and it's hard to see how she copes. This situation would put a strain on any marriage, especially when hubby doesn't help much at home.

As for Lucia, she's in dire straits. The troubled girl has been living in poverty since the paper plant closed, and has little hope for a better future. When Nate is kind to her, and expresses interest in her well-being......well, let's say Lucia develops high hopes.



In fact, there's an atmosphere of desperation throughout Mount Oanoke, where many young people long to get away, but don't see how - since money is scarce and college is costly. This drives a lot of the behavior in the tale.

In Nate's chapters, we see how hard he tries to understand and assist his pupils, going so far as to follow them on social media.....a big no-no for teachers. One has to wonder about Nate's judgement here. Furthermore, the coach gets over-invested in boys who are offered sports scholarships for college, which clouds his thinking.

The 'sleuthing' sections of the story belong to Bridget, who thinks the Mount Oanoke detectives are biased against Nate. Bridget sets out to clear Nate's name, and gets some help from uniformed cop Tripp Harris - a long-time friend of the Winters' and Petersons. There's some attraction between Bridget and Tripp, which should appeal to romance lovers. :)



The story's climax is believable, fits the plot, and explains everything.

I enjoyed the book, which provides a realistic look at high school culture; a marriage in crisis; a grieving widow; and a town in decline. The characters are well-rounded and compelling, and I was interested in all of them. All in all, a good mystery, recommended to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Kate Moretti), and the publisher (Atria) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Ed King: A Novel" by David Guterson

The storyline in this modern take on the 'Oedipus' tale is well known, so the basic plot is not a surprise.

In 1962, Walter Cousins - a nebbishy, married actuary living in Seattle - gets his 15-year-old British au pair, Diane Burroughs, pregnant. The wily girl leaves the baby on a doorstep and demands that Walter send her monthly payments in perpetuity. Walter, thinking Diane is raising the child, accedes.



As it happens the baby is put into a foundling home and adopted by an upscale Jewish couple, Dan and Alice King. They name the child Edward Aaron.



The Kings soon have a biological son, Simon. 'Eddie and Simie" have very happy childhoods including schools for gifted children, a loving extended family, sports, hobbies, bar mitzvahs, etc.



When Ed enters the teen years, his rebellious nature leads him to become very sexually active, both with teen girls and an 'an older woman' (his teacher).



Young Ed's reckless behavior soon causes a road accident that kills his biological father, Walter Cousins. Ed feels terrible guilt about the accident though he doesn't know who Walter is. In fact Ed doesn't even know he's adopted.



Some time after Ed finishes college he meets his biological mother Diane - an older woman who's maintained her beauty with rigorous dieting, work-outs, and plastic surgery - and marries her. And that's the jist of the story.

The book is very long and follows the life of each of the main characters in great detail.

Walter: has numerous affairs and is a failure as a husband and father; his children - Barry and Tina - don't like him and flee home as soon as they can.



Diane: starts her own 'escort' business when she's sixteen (her smarts here are completely not believable); marries a rich ski manufacturing scion; fools her husband into thinking she's infertile; eventually becomes single again.



Dan and Alice King: fine Jewish parents who raise their kids right. The King family atmosphere - including all the 'stick their two cents in' grandparents - is amusing, entertaining, and rings true.



Ed King: very bright young man who apparently inherited his biological mother's wiliness and business acumen. As the book's main protagonist we follow Ed's life step by step, including his youthful love for candy and comic books, swimming ability, math smarts, sexual exploits, psychiatric therapy, success as a 'search engine king', eventual wealth...all the way to middle age when Ed discovers some troubling truths.



I had a hard time getting through this book. The story plods along slowly, most of the people are not likable. and - in the end - I really didn't care what happened to Ed, Diane, or most of the other characters. Narcissistic Diane is especially appalling to me. She's clearly a capable girl who didn't need to be a blackmailer, prostitute, user, and liar.

This is a hard book for me to rate. I debated giving it 2 stars (for tediousness) but the effort put into the writing and characterizations get 3 stars.

Note: I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by Arthur Morey. Though most of Morey's narration is fine, his 'British accent' (for Diane) is appalling. British accents are pretty familiar to most people from TV and movies and his is weird and nowhere near authentic. This became quite off-putting and pulled me right out of the story time after time. 

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye: A Continuation of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series " by David Lagercrantz

Fans of the 'Millenium Series' know that Stieg Larsson, the original author, passed away after writing the third book. Subsequent stories have been written by David Lagercrantz, who hits his stride with this book (IMO).

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As this fifth book in the 'Millenium Series' opens, Lisbeth Salander is in Flodberga Prison - sentenced to two months for refusing to cooperate with the (compromised) police while protecting an endangered autistic boy (in book four). Salander is indifferent to her surroundings, though, because she has her math books in her cell, and spends her time working on quantum physics equations. Moreover, jailhouse food is better than the the junk she usually eats.



One thing does bother Salander though. Her maximum security cell block is under the thumb of a sadistic prisoner named Benito (formerly Beatrice) Anderson, who frightens almost everyone - including fellow prisoners, guards, and even the warden.



Salander isn't intimidated by Benito, but the swastika-tattooed thug is abusing a beautiful Bangladeshi inmate named Faria Kazi.



Salander isn't about to let this pass, and takes matters into her own hands - making a mortal enemy of Benito.



Meanwhile, Salander's former guardian - elderly, infirm Holger Palmgren - comes into possession of confidential documents that detail cruel experiments Salander was subjected to as a child.



With great difficulty, Palmgren makes his way to Flodberga Prison, to inform Salander about these new discoveries.



Afterwards, Salander 'persuades' (blackmails) the warden into letting her use his computer to look into these decades-old events. Salander also asks her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, to gather information about a man called Leo Mannheimer.



When he's back home, Palmgren continues to pore over the secret papers, and sees the name of someone he's met - Professor Martin Steinberg. When Palmgren calls Steinberg and alludes to the clandestine experiments, the professor freaks out.



Steinberg calls his fellow perpetrator, Dr. Rakel Greitz, who's now an old woman suffering from cancer. Greitz isn't about to let her reputation be sullied, and will do ANYTHING to prevent this. Greitz is one of the worst villains in the book....and that's all I'll say about her.



As the story unfolds, Salander is released from prison, continues to look into her past, and plans her revenge. (This is one chick you don't want to get on the wrong side of!!)



For his part, Blomkvist gathers information about Leo Mannheimer and shares his findings with Salander. The journalist also plans an exposé for Millenium Magazine.....about the child experiments. As usual, Blomkvist also romances an attractive woman. LOL



A sub-plot in the novel tells the story of the Bangladeshi prisoner, Faria Kazi, who's in jail for killing her brother. Before going to prison, Faria was severely oppressed by her strict Muslim family, who planned to marry her off to a rich old fart in the home country.



When Faria fell in love with a handsome Bangladeshi boy in Sweden, her family wasn't having it....and all hell broke loose. Salander is sympathetic to Faria, and arranges for Blomkvist's sister - lawyer Annika Giannini - to represent the Muslim woman.....with an eye to springing her out of jail.

The book's intricate plot is well-constructed and compelling, and I enjoyed catching up with Salander and Blomkvist. The major villains in the story are suitably evil (if a little cartoonish), and I hoped they'd get their comeuppance. The story's secondary characters - including selfish liars, violent thugs, cold-hearted experimenters, self-serving murderers, and attractive ladies - also add interest to the novel.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year" by Andy Cohen

Andy Cohen Television host Andy Cohen seems like an affable guy, so I figured a one-year diary of his life might be fun The book is exactly what the title implies - diary entries that detail Andy's everyday activities. Andy notes up front that he'll be doing a lot of name dropping, and indeed he does. He's acquainted with a wide assortment of celebrities and there's tons of stuff like: had frozen yogurt with SJP (Sarah Jessica Parker); met Matthew (Broderick) at a bar; invited myself to Kelly (Ripa) and Mark (Consuelos) for lunch; got a phone call from Cher; discussed producing a new show with Joan Rivers; went to a party at Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld's house; hobnobbed with Madonna; texted Anderson (Cooper), and so on. Sarah Jessica Parker enjoying a frozen treat There are also innumerable entries about Andy's frequent visits to Fire Island, where scads of eating, drinking, partying, and hooking up goes on. Partying in Fire Island In fact Andy constantly talks about drinking, both in his daily life and on his late night talk show. Andy Cohen likes to tipple Andy also admits to flirting with every attractive male he sets eyes on - even if they're straight, too young, married, not interested, etc. In his defense, Andy seems to be seeking a loving long-term partner rather than a series of one night stands. Still, the constant flirting comes off as adolescent, desperate, and icky. On a different note Andy documents a self-improvement program in which he's determined to eat well, drink less, work out a lot, and lose weight. And Andy does buff up over the year covered by this diary. Andy Cohen getting buff My favorite parts of the book are about Andy's dog, Wacha (AKA Norman Reedus...ha ha ha). Andy Cohen with his dog Wacha It's fun to read about Andy adopting Wacha, a beagle mix, and about Wacha's activities - chasing his shadow for hours, running on the beach, cuddling with Andy, playing with other dogs, etc. These diary entries are sweet and touching. I also like that Andy is a devoted son, frequently skyping with and visiting his parents. Andy's mom, Evelyn - who sounds like a hoot - even acts as an occasional bartender on her son's late night talk show. Andy Cohen with his parents When it comes to work, Andy often mentions his "Real Housewives" series (he's the executive producer). There's apparently a lot of cast juggling on these shows - hirings and firings, demotions from permanent status to guest appearances, and cast members leaving and returning. Andy's descriptions of phone calls from spouses of fired (or downsized) housewives, begging Andy to reconsider because hubby gave up his job to be on the show, are sad and funny. Not too bright to quit your day job, Mr. Housewife! I think the book probably gives a skewed impression of Andy, who comes off as a shallow, good-natured fellow who's sole concerns in life are eating, drinking, flirting, getting massages, hanging out with celebrities, getting good guests for his talk show, visiting with family members (a bit), and so forth. I imagine, in truth, that Andy also reads books, follows the news, and is concerned with deep issues - but I guess that's a different book. Since writing this book Andy adopted a baby, and is a happy dad. 😊 I'd recommend this book to fans of Andy Cohen and his TV shows. These readers would probably enjoy the inside look into Andy's life. Other people, not so much.

Andy Cohen

Television host Andy Cohen seems like an affable guy, so I figured a one-year diary of his life might be fun The book is exactly what the title implies - diary entries that detail Andy's everyday activities.

Andy notes up front that he'll be doing a lot of name dropping, and indeed he does. He's acquainted with a wide assortment of celebrities and there's tons of stuff like: had frozen yogurt with SJP (Sarah Jessica Parker); met Matthew (Broderick) at a bar; invited myself to Kelly (Ripa) and Mark (Consuelos) for lunch; got a phone call from Cher; discussed producing a new show with Joan Rivers; went to a party at Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld's house; hobnobbed with Madonna; texted Anderson (Cooper), and so on.


Sarah Jessica Parker enjoying a frozen treat

There are also innumerable entries about Andy's frequent visits to Fire Island, where scads of eating, drinking, partying, and hooking up goes on.


Partying in Fire Island

In fact Andy constantly talks about drinking, both in his daily life and on his late night talk show.


Andy Cohen likes to tipple

Andy also admits to flirting with every attractive male he sets eyes on - even if they're straight, too young, married, not interested, etc. In his defense, Andy seems to be seeking a loving long-term partner rather than a series of one night stands. Still, the constant flirting comes off as adolescent, desperate, and icky.

On a different note Andy documents a self-improvement program in which he's determined to eat well, drink less, work out a lot, and lose weight. And Andy does buff up over the year covered by this diary.




Andy Cohen getting buff

My favorite parts of the book are about Andy's dog, Wacha (AKA Norman Reedus...ha ha ha).


Andy Cohen with his dog Wacha

It's fun to read about Andy adopting Wacha, a beagle mix, and about Wacha's activities - chasing his shadow for hours, running on the beach, cuddling with Andy, playing with other dogs, etc. These diary entries are sweet and touching.





I also like that Andy is a devoted son, frequently skyping with and visiting his parents. Andy's mom, Evelyn - who sounds like a hoot - even acts as an occasional bartender on her son's late night talk show.


Andy Cohen with his parents

When it comes to work, Andy often mentions his "Real Housewives" series (he's the executive producer). There's apparently a lot of cast juggling on these shows - hirings and firings, demotions from permanent status to guest appearances, and cast members leaving and returning. Andy's descriptions of phone calls from spouses of fired (or downsized) housewives, begging Andy to reconsider because hubby gave up his job to be on the show, are sad and funny. Not too bright to quit your day job, Mr. Housewife!





I think the book probably gives a skewed impression of Andy, who comes off as a shallow, good-natured fellow who's sole concerns in life are eating, drinking, flirting, getting massages, hanging out with celebrities, getting good guests for his talk show, visiting with family members (a bit), and so forth. I imagine, in truth, that Andy also reads books, follows the news, and is concerned with deep issues - but I guess that's a different book.

Since writing this book Andy adopted a baby, and is a happy dad. 😊





I'd recommend this book to fans of Andy Cohen and his TV shows. These readers would probably enjoy the inside look into Andy's life. Other people, not so much.

Rating: 3 stars