Review of "Pianos and Flowers: Brief Encounters of the Romantic Kind" by Alexander McCall Smith

 

 

Alexander McCall Smith


Alexander McCall Smith is the author of several popular series including the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, the Isabel Dalhousie books, and 44 Scotland Street stories. I think of his novels as gentle, humorous books that demonstrate the breadth of human nature, from selfish to saintly.

Pianos and Flowers is a compendium of short stories, each tale inspired by a photo from the archives of The Sunday Times newspaper. The pictures prompted Smith to pen anecdotes that range from slices of life to mini-biographies, and the narratives are touching, humorous, and surprising.

The collection is composed of 14 stories, some short and some long. I'll give examples of a few narratives, to provide a feel for the book. 🙂


⦿ Pianos and Flowers

A British brother and three sisters spend their childhood in Malaysia, then go home with mom, leaving dad behind to work. We see the unfortunate fate of British expats in Malaysia during WWII, and observe the youngsters growing up and getting on with their lives. The brother is expected to provide for his single sisters, so of course he'd like them to get married....and tries to help things along.





*****

⦿ Sphinx

A young woman called Margaret meets a nice gentleman, and they discover they both like to visit London's attraction, the Sphinx.



The couple have a strong attraction and plan to meet again, but things go wrong. Margaret subsequently drifts into another relationship that's only lukewarm (for her), and expects to get a proposal. What happens next is a surprise.

****

⦿ Maternal Designs

An architect named Richard is at odds with his mother, who wanted him to go into a different - and more prestigious - line of work. Mom thinks architects just draw pictures, and doesn't understand the structural/engineering elements of construction. This has consequences that are both funny and unfortunate.



*****

⦿ Pogo Sticks and Man with Bicycle

Francis Crick and James Watson are struggling to understand the structure of DNA until boys having fun on pogo sticks provide a clue.



*****

⦿ Duty

Claire and Dotty are identical twins but Claire, being two minutes older, considers herself the boss of the siblings. As young adults Claire acquires a beau, and chivvies Dotty into meeting his friend. Things take an unexpected turn from there.



*****

⦿ Blackmail

Nell and Harry had good jobs until bad behavior got them fired without references. They're now streetsweepers, and like to chat about people they see during the workday. Nell is especially observant and notices a blackmailer who targets men who cheat on their wives. Nell and Harry take action, and it's hilarious.



*****

Other stories deal with two boys who have an attraction to one another; a 'before and after' commercial where a scrawny little fellow is paired with a pretty girl; an anthropologist who studies headhunters; an English professor who likes figures of speech called zeugmas; poor boys who have different experiences growing up; a woman concerned about her anxious husband; and more.

The book is entertaining and fun, highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alexander McCall Smith, and Pantheon for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "Wrong Alibi: A Murder in Alaska Mystery" by Christina Dodd

This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/wr...


Petie's gang activity as a young teenager in California lands her in juvenile detention, where she cleans up her act and learns accounting.



While Petie is locked up, her mother and sister move to Rockin, Alaska, and Petie follows them there when she's released from jail at the age of eighteen.



In Rockin, Petie gets a job as a live-in assistant to antiquities seller Donald White, and plans to surprise her mom with her first paycheck.



Unfortunately, Petie is naïve and trusting, and Donald White is a conman and killer. White frames Petie for the murder of a woman and child, then skips town and disappears.

Rockin's crooked female police chief ensures Petie is convicted, and Petie is being transported to prison when a freak incident wrecks the convict transport bus.



Petie escapes, injured and disfigured, but the outside world thinks she's dead.



Healed and with a new face thanks to plastic surgery,



Petie changes her name and gets a job at Alaska's remote Midnight Sun Fishing Camp.



The resort is run by Hawley Foggo - a large flamboyant man who pays a pittance and is willing to overlook Petie's past.



Midnight Sun is open only four months a year, but Petie lives there permanently, maintaining the facility during the winter months.



During the fishing camp's long dark off-season, Petie takes computer classes, learns different languages, does internet research, and attempts to locate Donald White.....so she can get revenge.



Fortuitously, Petie's data mining uncovers information of interest to wealthy businesswoman Jean Lee, who comes to Midnight Sun Fishing Camp every year. Lee is very grateful, and offers to help Petie with her endeavors.



After working at Midnight Sun for eight years, Petie gets news of Donald White, who's back in Alaska. Petie is determined to get justice and clear her name, and Jean Lee provides generous assistance.

Regrettably, Petie has a couple of dangerous enemies. One is Zone Jameson - who has discovered Petie's real identity and believes she killed his wife and son;



and the other is Bradley Copeland, an egotistical former guest at Midnight Sun who has a grudge against Petie.



So while Petie is hunting Donald White, Petie's adversaries are hunting her.

The book has an interesting array of characters, including Petie's beautiful Belorussian mother; Petie's loving sister; a kidnapped businessman; a Police Chief who feeds everyone gumbo; a banker with a crush on her boss; employees of the fishing camp; and more.

Rugged Alaska provides a nice backdrop for the story, and the Midnight Sun Fishing Camp - which offers comfortable accommodations, fishing guides, wildlife sightings, gourmet meals, and an open bar - seems like a lovely vacation spot.





This is an adventurous thriller with strong female characters and plenty of twists and surprises.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Prodigal Son: An Orphan X Novel" by Gregg Hurwitz

 

In this 6th book in the 'Orphan X' series, Evan Smoak protects the life of an impound lot worker who witnessed a crime. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the series is beneficial.

*****

When Evan Smoak was a spindly twelve-year-old living in an orphanage - where he slept on the floor between bunks - he was 'rescued' and placed in a black ops program that trained orphans to be highly skilled assassins. Evan was dubbed Orphan X.



After doing his assassin job for many years, Orphan X left the black ops program and set himself up as 'The Nowhere Man', a badass who helps people in trouble. When a person in dire straits is given Evan's number by a former client, the call goes to Evan's uber-encrypted RoamZone phone, which he answers with the phrase "Do you need my help?" The 'help' always involves Orphan X killing people, so it's frowned on by the authorities.



Evan's controversial work puts him the sights of government assassins until Evan makes a deal with President Victoria Donahue-Carr. POTUS grants Evan an unofficial pardon with the stipulation that he has to give up being the Nowhere Man.



In accordance with his deal, Evan stops answering the RoamZone phone. However one caller is very persistent, phoning again and again. When Evan finally responds, the caller claims to be his mother, who gave him up as an infant. The woman, whose name is Veronica LeGrande, has a mission for Evan.



Veronica implores Evan to protect a man called Andrew Duran, who's the target of assassins. Duran was working at a Los Angeles impound lot when he was visited by two people claiming to be U.S. Marshals.



The supposed marshals coerced Andrew into informing them when a man named Jake Hargreave was coming to pick up his battered truck. Duran complied, and when Hargreave showed up at the impound lot, he was killed.



Duran - who saw the murder - was targeted as well, but managed to escape. Now the killers are after him.

When Evan meets his mother, he experiences all kinds of emotions. Evan longs for the connection, but is angry that Veronica abandoned him to a miserable life in a downtrodden orphan asylum.



Evan has flashbacks to the institute, where he was housed with a bunch of 'lost boys' who were always clawing for food, space, and the chance to get out.



This is the first time we get a clear look at Evan's childhood, and his acceptance into the Orphan Program, and it helps us understand the direction his life took.

In any case, Evan agrees to protect Andrew Duran, who's an impoverished alcoholic living in a hovel above a Chinese restaurant. Duran scrimps and saves to provide child support for his 11-year-old daughter Sophia, but is too embarrassed by his circumstances to actually SEE the girl. Moreover, Duran is so depressed he doesn't even want Evan's help.



Evan forges on regardless, and gets assistance from his 16-year-old protégé Josephine (Joey), who's one of the best computer hackers in the world.



Evan discovers that Jake Hargreave was killed because he was about to expose a controversial government program involving killer microdrones that mimic dragonflies.



Proponents of the scheme are determined to go forward, and will kill anyone who gets in the way. They're now after Duran and his protector Orphan X.

As always in this series, there's plenty of action, including hand-to-hand fighting and skirmishes with (almost) surreal advanced weaponry, some of which is provided by Orphan X's friend Tommy Stojack - who's on the cutting edge of weapon design. Beautiful former Orphan V, Candy McClure, helps Evan as well.



We also get to see Evan's fortress penthouse apartment, which has a secret surveillance/computer/

weapons room; a parachute to jump off the building; and a freezer room filled with expensive vodka.

When Evan isn't actively pursuing his mission he shows his softer side, which includes looking after the welfare of Joey and her pooch Dog; visiting his neighbor Mia and her 9-year-old son Peter; attending the moving party of an elderly Jewish woman in his building; chatting with the doorman; and so on. Most of this is very difficult for Orphan X, whose upbringing gave him no facility for social interactions.

There are plenty of twists in the story, and a dramatic finale that has me anxious to read the next book in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Gregg Hurwitz, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the book.

Rating:  3.5 stars

Review of "Mercies in Disguise: A Story of Hope, a Family's Genetic Destiny, and the Science That Rescued Them" by Gina Kolata

 

One by one, members of the Baxley family of Hartsville, South Carolina - respected members of the devoutly Christian community - were struck by a devastating neurodegenerative illness. The first victim was family patriarch Bill Baxley. Bill's symptoms began with a shuffling walk, which escalated to stumbling, weaving, and lurching. As Bill's illness progressed his memory faded, he lost control of his hands, speech became difficult, and he was unable to eat without choking. Eventually Bill could no longer walk or talk. The senior Baxley was confined to a wheelchair, his face a frozen mask, only able to communicate by grunting, nodding, and clumsily pointing to an alphabet board. For sustenance, Bill was fed liquified meals prepared by his devoted wife, Merle. Bill's children - Billy, Mike, Buddy, Tim, and Andrea - looked on with sadness and dismay.


Alphabet board

The medical community was mystified by Bill's illness. Starting in 1988, Bill's sons took him to doctor after doctor, all of whom diagnosed the sick man with 'a combination of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.' In desperation, sons Buddy and Tim - who were physicians - performed their own medical tests and devised their own treatments, but nothing helped and Papa Bill died in 1998.


Dr. Buddy Baxley tried to diagnose his father's illness with his brother Tim

Serendipitously, a woman at Bill's funeral - after some words of condolence to son Tim - mentioned, "I remember [Bill's] daddy walking through the plant. He had to hang on to the machines." This was the first hint that Bill's disease might be hereditary - passed from one generation to the next. Sadly, the inheritable nature of Bill's illness was confirmed when son Mike researched the family tree and found ancestors with the condition.

In time researchers learned that Bill's illness was related to two other neurodegenerative diseases, Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). Kuru is a sickness seen in members of the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea. In the 1950s and 60s, American doctor Daniel Carleton Gajdusek - who worked with the Fore - discovered that brains of Kuru victims are filled with tiny holes and contain amyloid plagues - similar to the brains of people with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).


Dr. Daniel Carleton Gajdusek


Boy in the Fore Tribe stricken with Kuru


Brain of a Kuru victim

Gajdusek's research also showed that both Kuru and CJD are caused by infectious agents - thought to be 'slow viruses' - that could be transferred from one animal to another. Gajdusek won the 1976 Nobel Prize for his Kuru work, but was never able to isolate the 'slow virus.'

Following Gajdusek's studies, an Amerian scientist named Dr. Stanley Prusiner became determined to isolate the agents that cause Kuru and CJD. He discovered they aren't viruses at all. In fact, the culprits are defective proteins called 'prions' which can be passed from diseased to healthy individuals. Furthermore, mutated genes code for the nasty prions. In 1997, Prusiner also won a Nobel Prize for his work.


Dr. Stanley Prusiner



Some neurogenerative diseases are caused by defective proteins called prions







In 1999, still unaware of the identify of their disease, additional members of the Baxley family began to succumb. Oldest son Billy fell ill first, followed by his sibling Buddy, and then Aunt Faye (Papa Bill's sister). Enlightenment was on the horizon though. Tim Baxley - studying for his medical boards - came across an article about Gerrstmann-Sträussler–Scheinker Syndrome (GSS).....and came to realize this was his family's ailment Patients with GSS - like victims of other neurodegenerative diseases - have brains filled with tiny holes, plaques, and damaged neurons.


Brain of GSS victim

By the early 2000's a blood test could detect the presence of the gene that causes GSS. This created a dilemma for the Baxleys. Would at-risk family members want to know if they were destined to fall ill.....or would they prefer to remain in the dark? Brothers Mike and Tim were tested early and learned they were free of the deadly mutation. Other Baxleys were more ambivalent, especially sick Buddy's children.

Buddy's daughter Amanda was a rebellious teen who grew up to become a nurse practitioner. For years Amanda wrestled with the problem of being tested for GSS - did she want to know if she had the gene or not? In time, hoping to get married, Amanda HAD to know! A good portion of the book tells her story.


Young Amanda Baxley with her father Buddy

Gina Kolata covers a lot of territory in this book. She gives a brief overview of neurodegenerative diseases and prions - and describes the work of Gujdusek and Prusiner in some detail. All of this is very interesting and informative. Kolata also provides a sympathetic picture of the extended Baxley family, all of whom show remarkable strength and faith in the midst of their ongoing ordeal.


Amanda Baxley Kalinsky, her husband Brad, and their three children

On the downside, parts of the book read like fiction. Kolata dramatizes scenes - providing conversations and inner thoughts - that seem made up. To me, this was distracting.

Still, this is a very good book about an engaging topic. Highly recommended.

[FYI: If I was in the Baxley's situation, I'd get tested in a second. Better to know than live in dread (IMO)]

Thanks to Netgalley, Gina Kolata, and St. Martin's Press for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4 stars