Lightning Strike

 Have you read any of the many Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Kruger? Set in the northeastern Minnesota town of Aurora, this series is about a sheriff and his family. In Lightning Strike: A Novel, I read the prequel to the Cork O'Connor series. In this book, during the summer of 1963, Liam O'Connor is the sheriff and 12 year old Cork is his son. I am not a huge mystery fan but I do like William Kent Kruger's writing style. In this story Cork and his friend go to a sacred Native American site beside a lake where lightning struck a lumber camp and burned it down. Cork and his friend plan to camp overnight after walking three miles to get there. Once there they smell the body of a friend who his dead and hanging from a tree. Cork and his father solve the mystery of this apparent suicide. I do enjoy coming of age stories and stories that include camping and canoeing and historical fiction. This book has a lot going for it besides the mystery.

Truly Madly Guilty

Liane Moriarty is a famous author in Australia and I like her too. This time I read Truly Madly Guilty which is a novel about 3 couples and 3 children who attend a summer barbeque. Something happens at this barbeque. Every chapter talks about what happened at the barbeque. The author makes  you wait a long time to find out what happened at the barbeque which was annoying. The book is more than what happened at the barbeque. The story is about the people who were there. The barbeque takes place on a cul-de-sac neighborhood. At the end of the cul-de-sac is a crochety old man who lives alone. His name is Harry. He is rude to most neighbors. Harry is the kind of guy who would call the police if he thought your music was too loud. In the end though, this grumpy old guy is the hero of the story and I thought that was very clever of the author to do. 

A Book Of Hope

Jane Goodall and Douglas Carlton Adams wrote A Book Of Hope: A Survival Guide For Trying Times. Douglas Adams interviewed Jane Goodall five times and transcribed her opinions and remarks into a book. They met in Africa, Europe, California and once via zoom. Jane Goodall, world famous naturalist and studier of chimpanzees, has four reasons for hope which are the amazing human intellect, the resilience of nature, the power of young people, and indomitable human spirit. Jane Goodall has hope for the future. Using stories of events through her life, she explains her philosophy and beliefs. I enjoyed reading her story. She has led an interesting life.

 

The Finishing School

 Joanna Goodman wrote The Finishing School, a story about the Lycee International Suisse school. This elite boarding school educates the children of the rich and famous. Kerstie, from Toronto, is a scholarship student from a family of limited means. Kerstie's mother went to this school. Her roommate, Cressida, is her roommate and friend from the moment they met in 9th grade. Just before graduation Cressida falls from a fourth floor balcony and has a severe head injury. Twenty years later Kerstie tries to investigate whether Cressida was pushed from the  balcony or if the fall was accidental. The story jumps back and forth 20 years in time. The story is about friendship but also a mystery with a dark ending.

The Sea House

 The Sea House is a fiction novel about a house on the Scottish island named Harris. In 1860 the house was occupied by a minister and his maid. A century later the house is bought by a young couple who are fixing it up to be a bed and breakfast. As the couple replaces floorboards, the body of a new born is found in a fox in the soil. The baby was born with fused legs. Elizabeth Gifford weaves the story between the centuries by telling the story by the minister, the maid, and the female owner in modern times. The minister was a science researcher as well as a cleric. He was especially interested in selkies because he was told he was a descendent of a selkie. A selkie is noted in Scottish and Irish stories about men who swim in the Atlantic with a seal skin covering their lower bodies. When selkie's want, they can shed the seal skin and walk with their legs. The minister believed the seal men were real. What I enjoyed most about this story was the description of the sea house and the island of Harris.

Viral

 I don't recommend you read Viral, the latest medical thriller by the prolific author Robin Cook. The virus in this story is eastern equine encephalitis which is spread by mosquitoes. In this story a family of three goes to Cape Cod. While picnicking on the beach a mosquito bites the wife. She comes down with flu like symptoms. The husband brings her to the hospital. The story is about the virus but also the huge hospital bills and the poor health insurance plans that refuse to pay for treatment. The dialogue is wooden. The story was melodramatic and predictable. I already knew that our health care system is broken and I didn't appreciate the author lecturing me on this point over and over again.

The Rum Diary

 The Rum Diary was written by Hunter Thompson in 1959 but published in 1998. The story is about a traveling journalist, Paul Kemp, as he moves from working at a newspaper in New York City to working at a newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Paul, like the other staff at the newspaper, spends his evenings and some morning drinking beer and large quantities of rum with ice. Paul and his buddies lead a most unhealthful lifestyle. When Paul first arrives he appreciates some of the natural beauty of the island such as the sand dunes and the ocean. As time progresses the natural beauty of Puerto Rico fades with his growing malcontent.  Paul falls for the girlfriend of a coworker. With inhibitions lowered by the rum, lust and nudity and crazy behaviors happen. Things were different back in 1959 in San Juan.