At one time Dr. Anna Fox - 38-years-old - was a successful child psychologist living in a renovated four-story Manhattan townhouse with her husband Ed and school age daughter Olivia.
Now Anna is an agoraphobic who can't leave her home.
Ed and Olivia reside elsewhere, and Anna lives alone except for her cat Punch, and her tenant/handyman, David - who rents the house's basement maisonette.
Since Anna is housebound, she gets her medication, groceries, produce, wine, and other needs delivered.....and David takes care of trash and routine maintenance.
Anna calls Ed and Olivia every day, always opening the conversation with a cheery, "Guess whooooo?" Anna misses her family terribly, and delights in these daily talks.
Though Anna is confined, she's not averse to seeing people, and her doorbell rings frequently - heralding visits from her renter David, her physical therapist Bina, her psychiatrist Dr. Fielding, and her new neighbors, Alistair and Jane Russell and their teenage son Ethan. The Russells just moved into a multimillion dollar townhouse across from Anna's home, and the agoraphobic has a clear view into their residence from her windows.
With all this traffic through her house, you'd think Anna would take care of her appearance, but the psychologist takes A LOT of medication - including powerful psychotropic drugs - and drinks AT LEAST a bottle or two of Merlot a day (which is strictly contraindicated with her meds).
Thus Anna is usually 'impaired', and often wanders around the house unshowered, in a grubby bathrobe and slippers.
Anna occupies her time playing online chess, taking computer French lessons, visiting a chat website for agoraphobics, and watching vintage suspense movies - especially Hitchcock classics.
Anna's favorite activity, though, is spying on her neighbors with her Nikon telephoto camera.....and data mining them online.
Thus the psychologist knows all about her neighbors' education, jobs, income, day-to-day routines, spending habits, food preferences, favorite television programs, book clubs, romantic affairs, and so on. (If I had a neighbor like this I would buy blackout curtains!)
After a visit from her new neighbor Jane Russell - during which the women play chess, tour the house, and drink 3 or 4 bottles of wine - Anna thinks she's made a new friend.
Things go south, however, when the psychologist sees a violent occurrence in the Russell household. Anna calls the police, but the Russells deny that anything happened, and NO ONE believes the 'delusional' agoraphobic.' One male detective tries to be kind but his female partner is especially cruel, and makes it clear she thinks Anna is an attention-seeking liar.
The psychologist is positive she saw a crime, though, and sets out to look for evidence. Anna makes it her business to investigate the Russells, and proceeds to accuse everyone in sight of various misdeeds. Meanwhile, strange things start to happen to Anna, which she can't explain. In part, this is the agoraphobic's own fault, since she overshares online. You'd think an intelligent woman with a Ph.D would know better.....but maybe it's the drugs and alcohol.
As the story unfolds we find out what led to Anna's illess and what secrets the Russells are hiding. Eventually, everything comes to a head in a dramatic - though VERY drawn out - denouement.
For the most part, I enjoyed the book.The portrayal of Anna's debilitating syndrome is realistic, and I found her to be a (mostly) sympathetic protagonist. The other characters in the book are also well-drawn, and the story is compelling.
I do have reservations about (what I consider to be) huge holes in the plot. These are spoilers, so if you haven't read the book you might want to skip this part.
SPOILER ALERT / SPOILER ALERT
First.....haven't these New York detectives ever heard of fingerprints? When there's a question about whether someone was inside Anna's house, the police should just dust for prints. Even if it's just to humor the 'delusional' agoraphobic. Fingerprints (or the lack thereof) would prove the matter one way or the other.
Second.....There are VERY STRICT hipaa regulations about doctor-patient confidentiality. In the book, Dr. Fielding (moronically) blabs all about Anna's condition to the cops. Psychiatrists are NOT PERMITTED to do this. I was ABSOLUTELY AGHAST at this breach of professional responsibility!!
Third.....When the cops learn about Anna's diagnosis, they proceed to talk to her about it in front of David and the Russells. WTF?? The police shouldn't have this information to begin with, and CERTAINLY HAVE NO BUSINESS discussing it in front of the whole neighborhood.
If it was me, I would sue the crap out of the psychiatrist and the cops.
END SPOILER ALERT / END SPOILER ALERT
In spite of my reservations, this is one of the better mysteries I've read recently. I had an idea about the book's climax - and I was right - but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. I'd recommend the novel to fans of psychological thrillers.
Rating: 3.5 stars
In this 23rd book in the 'Miss Seeton' series, the elderly artist/accidental sleuth has adventures in Glastonbury. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Miss Seeton is the heroine of a long series of humorous cozy mysteries. She's a former art teacher, now grey-haired and retired, who faithfully does her yoga every morning. This discipline keeps Miss Seeton exceptionally spry, which permits her to have madcap adventures and help Scotland Yard solve crimes.
Miss Seeton is usually oblivious to her own hijinks, however, and thinks she's just living the routine life of a well-mannered older lady.
The original author of the series was Heron Carvic, and - after his death - other writers carried on. This story was penned by Hamilton Crane.
*****
Miss Emily Seeton is a retired art teacher who lives a quiet life in the English village of Plummergen. However, unlike most elderly ladies, Miss Seeton is on retainer to Scotland Yard. MissEss, as she's known to the Yard, has a knack for inadvertently bashing criminals with her umbrella, earning her the moniker 'The Battling Brolly.' Moreover, Miss Seeton has a supernatural ability to sketch felons and their crimes - and these 'doodles' (as she calls them) provide important clues to the police.
Miss Seeton's contact at the Yard is Chief Superintendent Delphick, known as 'The Oracle.' In this book, Delphick - at the request of his colleagues - 'consults' MissEss about three crimes: a kidnapping, distribution of marijuana, and a murder.
The book, set in the 1970s, starts off with glimpses into two families.
In Plummergen, Nigel Colvedon - the scion of Sir George and Lady Colvedon - has returned home with his French bride - and is living with the folks while his new house is built. Nigel is caring for the sheep on the Colvedon estate when a ewe kicks him in the face and gives him a black eye. This leads to a lively conversation about sheep when Nigel visits Miss Seeton.
Further west, in Glastonbury, four Callender siblings - Bill, Crispin, Octavia, and Valentine - are having a meeting. They recently inherited 'Callender's Coats' from their father, and are discussing expanding the business. For this purpose, they'd like to take back a parcel of land being used for sheep by their poor relations - a matter that's governed by official regulations. Bill and Crispin are very involved with the factory, while Val is a professional weaver and Octavia owns a bookstore. This plotline is threaded through the entire book.
Back home in Plummergen, Miss Seeton is asked to design scenery for the Amateur Dramatic Society's Christmas pantomime, which will feature a play about King Arthur. MissEss wants her Arthurian sketches to be authentic, so she plans a trip to Glastonbury, which has strong ties to the King Arthur legend.
Before Miss Seeton embarks on her journey, she's visited by Chief Superintendent Delphick, who tells her that Christy Garth - the playboy son of wealthy Caleb Garth - has been kidnapped. Delphick shows MissEss a photo of Christy, and asks her to make a sketch - hoping her drawing furnishes clues to the young man's whereabouts. MissEss's rendering turns out to be a quirky cartoon of grinning sheep.
The next day, the narcotics squad contacts Delphick with a report of rampaging sheep in Glastonbury. It appears that drug dealers left town in a hurry, leaving behind marijuana bales that were consumed by the marauding (but happy) animals.
Unaware of this brouhaha, Miss Seeton makes her way to Glastonbury, where she checks into a small guesthouse. Glastonbury is a 'hippie' town with a mystical atmosphere and a scent of incense on the breeze. The men in the area tend to sport long hair, flared trousers, and sandals; and the women often don caftans and strings of beads. Unlike Plummergen, the Glastonbury shops sell amulets, star charts, Tarot cards, crystal balls, cauldrons, books about witchcraft, occult candles, statuettes of wizards and elves, costumes, robes, pointed hats, and glittering crowns.
Miss Seeton is captivated by the atmosphere of Glastonbury and - after settling into her room - starts her sightseeing activities. This includes visiting the Abbey ruins where (mythical) King Arthur is supposedly buried and climbing Glastonbury Tor, which has a ruined church tower at the summit.
While she's walking around, MissEss meets people who lecture her about the local legends. This is an opportunity for Hamilton Crane to include A LOT of information about King Arthur and his Knights as well as Glastonbury folklore. For example, legend has it that the ancients mapped the constellations of the Zodiac (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces) into the town's landscape.....and that Glastonbury Tor is an entrance to Annwn, the original Celtic Underworld.
Miss Seeton also wins a raffle, and gets a free ride in a hot air balloon. This is a chance for fellow balloonists to point out the Zodiac and other mythical sites on the ground, including a topographical replica of one of King Arthur's swords. (Unfortunately - hard as she tries - MissEss can't make out any of this. 😉)
I'd estimate that about a fifth of the book is devoted to this mystical/legendary/Arthurian information. I found this material tedious...but fans of historical fiction might like it.
While Miss Seeton is gallivanting around, Scotland Yard is trying to find Christy Garth (the kidnap victim), round up the marijuana growers who got the sheep high, and solve the murder of a tourist who was killed in Glastonbury. Delphick manages to get MissEss to draw some sketches, which turn out to be prophetic, and everything is resolved by the end of the book.
The Miss Seeton books are meant to be humorous cozy mysteries, and this book is amusing. One scene, where a rural constable thinks Miss Seeton in one of Scotland Yard's most wanted, is quite funny. However, the Miss Seeton novels by Hamilton Crane are not as laugh out loud funny as those written by the original author, Heron Carvic. If the series continues, I hope Miss Seeton goes back to her former zany antics.
This is an enjoyable cozy mystery, suitable for a few hours of light reading.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Hamilton Crane), and the publisher (Farrago) for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3 stars
This is the first book in the 'Bruno, Chief of Police' series.
Benoit Courreges, Chief of Police of St. Denis, France, is known as Bruno to everyone in the tight little community.
Bruno
loves the town and tries to ensure that the local traditions are not
disturbed by pesky regulations from the European Union. Bruno turns a
blind eye (and even helps the scofflaws), for example, when health
inspectors who would ban some homemade goods from the weekly market are
held up due to slashed tires or potatoes in their exhaust pipes.
Though
St. Denis has a mixed population of native French men and women as well
as Algerians and other foreigners, people get along and there is little
serious crime. Thus Bruno has plenty of time to socialize, play tennis,
teach tennis to youngsters, follow the local rugby team, make his own
wine and paté, garden, and so on.
Then
one day an Algerian grandfather is found brutally murdered in his
cabin, a swastika carved into his chest and his medal of honor and a
treasured photo missing. Members of the right-wing National Front, a
political party that opposes immigration, immediately rise to the top of
the suspect list.
Given
the background between France and Algeria - as well as some
anti-immigration sentiment - the investigation is politically sensitive.
Thus big-wig detectives and officials are sent to St. Denis to take
over the inquiry. Bruno has invaluable local knowledge however, and -
with the help of some acquaintances - is instrumental in uncovering
important clues.
Along the way Bruno has a romance, plays tennis
doubles, has a delicious English meal prepared by two British ladies,
drinks a good deal of wine and champagne, has a unique picnic, and so
on. The author skillfully weaves the wonderful ambiance of St. Denis
into the story, and the reader is simultaneously charmed by the town and
intrigued by the murder investigation.
The
story is full of interesting characters, including an Algerian math
teacher and his family, two patriotic World War II veterans who haven't
spoken for thirty years, mischievous children,
hard-partying/drug-dealing teenagers, attractive ladies, political
operatives, gendarmes, and more.
The murder investigation
uncovers some interesting aspects of French/Algerian history while
driving the story forward at a steady clip. All in all a very enjoyable
cozy mystery, highly recommended.
Rating: 4 stars
This book is about the effect of a wrongful conviction on a young, upwardly mobile, black couple who - at one time - had high hopes for their future.
Roy Hamilton grew up in Eloe, Louisiana with his mother Olive and his stepfather Big Roy, who raised the boy like his own son.
Little Roy was aided by 'leg-up' programs like Head Start and Upward Bound, and eventually got a scholarship to Morehouse College, where he did well in class and was a 'playa' with the ladies.
At Morehouse, Roy's roommate Andre introduced the playa to his long-time friend Celestial Davenport - a beautiful, upper middle-class, Atlanta native who was at Spelman College.
Andre and Celestial grew up as next door neighbors, and often joked about being bathed together as babies.
There may have been low-key sparks when Roy and Celestial met, but nothing lit up until years later - when they got reacquainted, embarked on a romance, and wed.
The union had rocky moments, since Roy considered it his right to (AT LEAST) 'flirt' with the ladies and collect phone numbers. However, the couple persevered and made plans for a future.....ideally with children. Roy planned to be a businessman and Celestial - a gifted artist - hoped to open a boutique to sell her beautiful, handmade, one-of-a-kind, baby dolls - which she called poupées.
Roy and Celestial settled down in Atlanta, and - eighteen months after the nuptials - decided to visit Roy's parents in Eloe. During an overnight stay in a Louisiana motel, Roy was accused of raping another guest. Roy was innocent, but his trial went badly because he was black - and he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Roy broke down in tears when the verdict was announced, knowing the rest of his life would be blighted.
SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
During the early part of Roy's incarceration, he and Celestial exchange letters, and we follow their shifting relationship through these epistles. Roy believes he's meant to be with Celestial, is anxious to retain her love, AND feels it's his due. Roy tries to express his feelings in letters, but finds it hard to find the right words. Meanwhile, Celestial's uncle, an attorney, is working day and night to get Roy's conviction overturned.
However, this endeavor runs into roadblock after roadblock.....and Celestial and Roy start to lose hope.
For a couple of years, Celestial writes Roy regularly, and even visits the prison occasionally - though the trip is long and grueling. However, this isn't what Celestial signed up for, and - lonely and disoriented - she grows closer to her friend Andre. In time, they become a couple.
Celestial sends Roy a 'Dear John' letter (without mentioning Andre) and begins to contemplate divorce. By now Celestial has gained fame as an artist, been featured in a magazine, and opened her upscale doll shop, called Poupée.
After the letter-writing between the couple ceases, the story is narrated by Roy, Celestial, and Andre, in rotating sections.
Roy, who's sad about Celestial and angry about his unjust fate, describes his experiences in prison -where he falls under the protection of his cellmate, 'Ghetto Yoda.' Roy's commissary account is funded by Celestial and his parents, so the jailbird is able to get Ramen noodles, cigarettes (for barter), toiletries, and so on.
Meanwhile, Roy's devoted parents are heartbroken, and we learn how his imprisonment affects their lives.
In Celestial's sections, she describes her ambivalent feelings for Roy; her business successes; her interactions with her parents - who were never Roy's biggest fans; and the evolution of her relationship with Andre.
For his part, Andre explains that he feels sympathy for Roy, but has been (secretly) in love with Celestial since they were kids......and feels it's his turn to be with her.
I don't want to say more about the plot, except that dramatic developments occur.
Readers who wrote reviews of this novel seem to express a wide array of opinions, depending on their feelings about the Roy-Celestial-Andre triangle. People who believe marriage is a sacred bond that must NEVER be broken - NO MATTER WHAT - are angry at Celestial and Andre, and rake them over the coals.
Other readers (like me), who think people are allowed to change their minds - especially when one partner is incarcerated - are more sympathetic to Celestial and Andre. That said, I didn't love this book. Though the writing is excellent, and I felt sympathy for the characters - especially poor Roy - I didn't find the story very compelling.
For one thing, I was never convinced the Roy-Celestial relationship would work, even if the playa never went to jail. Roy had an entitled attitude and a roving eye, and I don't believe he would have been a faithful husband. Additionally, I'm convinced Roy WOULD NEVER wait for Celestial to get out of prison if their positions were reversed. Thus my empathy for the convict was tamped down.....and I was impatient to get to the end of the book.
END SPOILER ALERT END SPOILER ALERT
That said, Oprah Winfrey chose this novel for her book club, and many people have made glowing comments about the story. So - though I don't personally recommend the book - you might want to check it out and make up your own mind.
Rating: 3 stars
In this 7th 'Matt Royal Mystery', the lawyer and a police colleague are after killers in Florida. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Disturbing things are happening on Longboat Key, located off St. Petersburg, Florida. Serial murders that happened in Miami twelve years ago seem to be happening on Longboat Key now. The first local victim is Nell Alexander, the wife of Gene Alexander, an agent with a secret government organization. Was Nell killed because of her husband's job?
Moreover, is it just a coincidence that J.D. Duncan, a new detective with the Longboat Key police, once worked on the Miami cases?
Could someone be sending her an ominous message? J.D. and her friend, retired attorney Matt Royal, look into the crimes. (For readers who like a spot of romance there's some chemistry between these two.)
Before long there are several attempts to kill J.D, some of which she escapes by sheer luck. People also seem to be trying to kill Matt, the most likely suspects being suspicious-looking Guatemalans who've been hanging around.
To cap it all off, Gene Alexander is soon found murdered, though his death has been staged (incompetently) to look like suicide.
As luck would have it Matt's friend Jock - who works for the same secret agency as Gene Alexander - is in town for some fishing. Jock has very high connections, and a word from him helps Matt get all kinds of inside information. The main action of the story consists of Matt and J.D. trying to figure out what the heck is going on while their lives are in jeopardy and additional murders are occurring all over Longboat Key.
There are plenty of characters in the story, the main bad guys being a fake lawyer and various hired assassins. These criminals seem to have very little backbone, however, and - as soon as they're apprehended - start blabbing everything they know. Meanwhile, the official investigation limps along slowly, with Matt and J.D (and sometimes Jock) going to a lot of restaurants, bringing everyone sandwiches, and so on.
I don't want to reveal spoilers so I'll just say the plot doesn't hold together and the ending - where all is revealed - is complex and completely unbelievable. 😒 I don't recommend this book. There are plenty of better mystery/thrillers available.
Rating: 2 stars
