The Night Villa

I always like Carol Goodman books. Some are better than others, but she always brings a degree of class to the mystery genre. I find that I feel less like I am reading a mystery and more like I am reading a good story.

"The Night Villa" is typical in a Carol Goodman sort of way, with strong ties to ancient myths and main characters who are academics. Her writing allows her characters to have a degree of truth that you don't often find in mysteries, possibly because it isn't the usual "loner detective" style plot line. I always find that when I think of what is actually happening in her books, they are usually pretty absurd. That said, her writing definitely makes it believable, and as we said in the theatre, I suspend my disbelief.

This story, centred around a classics professor, revolves around an academic excavation of a series of Roman Ruins on the island of Capri. The actual plot is just OK, but I would argue that the better-than-average writing makes it worthwhile. I know that while I was reading it, just the descriptions of the food made me crave Italian food like no one's business. Mmmmmm....still thinking about buffalo mozzarella... Also, the juxtaposition of the modern characters with the ancients also was relatively well done, especially considering my aversion to reading "stories within stories". I hate that crap.

Overall, I give "The Night Villa" 4 evil cult leaders out of 5. It gave me a prosciutto and tomato hangover. Not that I'm complaining.

A Foreign Affair

I picked up this book last weekend in Seattle while browsing the Borders.  Really, what more could I ask for in a non-specific bookstore browse?  Victorian period mystery - I have a type.  

Now, for quality Victorian period mysteries, this book gets a fail.  It was not original, nor was it all that inventive, and it distinctly lacked in the foreign - the majority of the book took place in Windsor, England.  It was a mediocre piece of prose that ticked all the boxes for what should be an entertaining read.  Unfortunately the main characters were both too predictable and too boring, and the mystery was easily figured out in about 50 pages.  Also, not to nitpick, but the language and several historical points were glaringly modern.  Also, one thing that totally irked me was the author's decision halfway through the book to stop phonetically describing one character's Hereford accent.  That is just straight laziness - either write the accent or don't, but to come up with some ridiculous, half-assed reasoning on why it won't continue was just lame.  

All of that said, I read this book on the plane home while trying not to shit my pants from the turbulence.  For that, I thank it - I needed the distraction, and I am sure those passengers around me were relieved when I was able to stop hyperventilating and start concentrating on my story.  While it was moderately crappy, it was also mildly entertaining, so I give it a fair 2 incorrectly referenced undergarments out of five, with an additional adult diaper recognition of thanks from Air Canada's flight 206 from Vancouver on Monday night.  We all thank you!

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched

Before you judge, let it be known that in every life a little Chicklit must fall. This is not Shakespeare. I acknowledge this. That said, sometimes you just need to read a Meg Cabot. Is it great quality? No. Am I a better person now? No. Was it mindless entertainment that, while eye-rollingly ridiculous, kept me entertained on the bus for the last couple of days? Absolutely.

I won't bore you with the storyline - it is pretty much the same as any other Meg Cabot book. Some clever yet unlucky-in-love girl is under appreciated at work/home/in romantic situations. There is some guy who is wrong for her, and a guy that is right for her. She dates the bad one for the entire book and then realizes through a death in the family/natural disaster/life-changing trip abroad that she has made a mistake and eventually hooks up with the right guy, after he tells her what she wants to hear and turns out to be completely perfect. While it was ridiculous, and I know that this would never happen in real life, it is fun to read. Besides, if I can't get some, at least the girl who is just like me/every other 20-something woman out there can. I give this 1 snooty English prof out of 5, but 4 pink themed girls nights out of 5. I am a bit dumber, but at least I am in a bit of a better mood too.

Mystic River

I bought this book for $4 off of my office's buy and sell, because hey, why not? I have seen the movie, but to be honest I didn't remember the ending until right before I finished the book. I recently watched "Gone, Baby, Gone" as well, which is a movie based on a book by the same author, Dennis Lehane.

For a paperback mystery, I have to say this wasn't too bad. It was pretty gritty and depressing but it kept my interest, despite the fact that it was pretty wordy and could probably have done with a bit of a trim. It seemed to have this bizarre, laid back pacing, despite the pretty intense subject matter and the fact that the whole book takes place over just a few days (minus the prologue).

Would I run right out and get another Dennis Lehane book right away? Probably not. It was a bit wordy and I did find myself thinking towards the end "just freaking end already!", but, let's be honest, I've read a lot crappier stuff. I give this book a mediocre 2.5 child molestors out of 5. It was entertaining, but nothing special.

The Lost King of France

This was actually a pretty interesting book, part biography of Louis XVII, part historical mystery. The first half outlines the history of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and their experiences with the Revolution. It then goes on to the family's history during imprisonment, and the executions of both regents. there is a great deal of detail regarding the timeline of the imprisonment of Louis XVII, and it is both terrifying and sad. The theory is that he was replaced at some point during his years of solitary confinement and a second, unknown boy died in his place.

The second half of the book discusses the lives of the people who came out of the woodwork after the revolution claiming to be the lost prince. Supposedly several dozen people from around the world made the claim, however a couple of them were fairly believable. It talks about their lives and the lives of their decedents, many of whom still believe that they are direct descendants of the French Royal Family.

Finally the book goes into the scientific, and outlines the process that was undertaken to determine if a dried up heart belonged to a relative of the Austrian royal family, and could indeed by that of Marie Antoinette's son. Overall, this book was pretty interesting, although perhaps a bit too detailed in it's earlier history of the family. I give it 3 beheaded aristocrats out of 5. Vive le France!