The Life We Bury - Allen Eskens

I only discovered Allen Eskens when I read a synopsis of his forthcoming second novel, The Guise of Another. His first book is The Life We Bury - and this is what I found when I went to read about it....

"The Life We Bury, winner of the Rosebud Award for Best First Mystery Novel, has been named a finalist for five additional awards including the prestigious Edgar® Award for Best First Novel. It was chosen by Suspense Magazine and MysteryPeople as one of the best books of 2014, and called a "masterful debut" in a starred review by Publishers Weekly." How did I miss this book?!

Joe Talbert is trying to make a life for himself. He's escaped his manipulative, dysfunctional mother, moved away and is working hard to put himself through college. His only regret is that his autistic brother is still with his mother. A routine English assignment asking students to interview and write about someone 'with an interesting life' leads Joe to a nursing home.....and to inmate Carl Iverson, who is dying of cancer.

Carl is infamous - he has spent thirty years in prison for raping and killing a young girl - all the while proclaiming he didn't do it. As Joe digs deeper with the help of his enigmatic neighbour Lila, he begins to have doubts about Carl's conviction as well.

What an excellent read! I really liked Joe as the protagonist, rather than a 'formal' detective. I appreciated the depth Eskens has given to his lead character. I was just as interested in the secondary story line involving his mother and brother as I was in the mystery. And it wasn't just the lead player who had a 'full' story. Carl's life is uncovered, bit by bit, as Joe investigates. Carl's background is unsettling and had me firmly in his corner as I too began to doubt his conviction.

Eskens deftly combines his mystery with excellent character studies and an exploration of many themes - family relationships, war, obligation, love, abuse and more.

The Life We Bury was a fitting title. Every character, 'good' and 'bad' has something in their lives they choose to hide, buried beneath the light of day. Read an excerpt of The Life We Bury.

Such a great debut! And an intriguing, satisfying read. Eskens is now firmly planted on my must read list. I'm off to start The Guise of Another - watch for my review. You can connect with Allen Eskens on his website, follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.

The Outcast Dead - Elly Griffiths

The Outcast Dead is the sixth entry in Elly Griffiths' absolutely wonderful series featuring Forensic Archaeologist Ruth Galloway.

I stumbled across the first in this series (The Crossing Places) in 2009 and have eagerly awaited each new installment - I just know I'm before I even turn a page that I'm going to enjoy it.

The series is set in the Norfolk area of England - a setting rife with history and the perfect setting for these mysteries.

On her latest dig at Norwich Castle, Ruth turns up a female skeleton - one with a hook for a hand. Could she have uncovered the remains of the infamous 'Mother Hook', hanged for killing the children left in her care? The find stirs up interest outside archaeology circles as well. A television series, "Women Who Kill", wants to make the discovery the focus of their latest show. But the present is mirroring the past - a local mother is suspected of killing her own child....and then another young one goes missing. And DCI Harry Nelson is on the case.

Griffiths always weaves a fascinating tale, combining a well thought out mystery with fascinating bits of the past. (I often head to the Internet to follow up on the historical bits.) The theme of motherhood and mother love is also explored from many different viewpoints.  But the draw for me is the characters.

I have so enjoyed the character of Ruth. I think it's because she isn't a 'cookie-cutter' protagonist. She's become a single mother later in life, she's hard on herself, generous with her friends, is highly intelligent, but shuns the spotlight. She's not beautiful in a conventional sense, but has that something that draws people to her.  Griffiths has not endowed her with super sleuth abilities, rather she comes off as an actual person - one I would enjoy meeting.

The relationship between Ruth and Harry is a complicated one. And one small complication named Kate is now three years old. The supporting cast is wonderfully eclectic, and diverse. Cathbad, the self proclaimed Druid, is one of my favourites. He's quite enigmatic, showing up just when needed and he seems to see and recognize things that the others don't.  A wonderful little sense of the mystical is woven throughout the series. Cathbad's storyline with another returning character has been building over the last few books and a resolution is reached in The Outcast Dead. I've become invested in these characters and feel like I'm settling in to catch up on the latest when I pick up the newest of Griffiths' books.

Setting plays a large part as well. The Norfolk area, while seemingly bleak, is beautiful in Ruth's eyes. I think I would enjoy living in her little cottage in the Saltmarsh, 'where the sea and the sky meet.'

And the title? "'And we ask your abundant blessing, Lord, on these, the outcast dead...' This brief ecumenical service is held every year for the unknown dead of Norwich: the bodies thrown into unmarked graves, the paupers, the plague victims, forgotten,  unmourned, except by this motley collection of archaeologists, historians and sundry hangers-on."
 
I highly recommend this character driven mystery series. You could certainly read this book as a stand alone, but do yourself a favour and start with the first book.

Read an excerpt of The Outcast Dead. You can find Griffiths on Twitter and on Facebook.

Mandarin Gate - Eliot Pattison

Every once in a while it's good to step out of my reading comfort zone and pick up something different. The something different this time was Eliot Pattison's latest book Mandarin Gate.

This is the seventh book featuring Pattison's recurring character Shan Tao Yun. Shan was once an Police Inspector in Beijing, but was too good at his job. Corrupt officials sent him to one of the harshest work camps where he was taken under the wing of a Tibetan monk. Shan has embraced their philosophy and way of life. Newly released, he now labours as a ditch inspector for the Chinese government, but in Tibet.

When a local abbess and two unidentified male bodies are discovered in an old convent, Shan finds it hard to not use his old investigative skills. Shan's immediate concern is to protect the local Tibetans. There are numerous suspects to consider - a wandering monk, an American journalist, a German photographer, a local gang, bounty hunters, corrupt officials, those sent to 'pioneer' camps and many more.

What an absolutely riveting read this was on so many levels. Pattison makes a strong political and social statement with Mandarin Gate. The plight of the Tibetan people at the hands of the Chinese government is not simply a plotting device, but the state of things as they truly (and sadly) are. I learned so much by reading this book - the customs and mores of the people, the philosophy of Buddhism, the rituals and much more. All this plus a complex plot, filled with a rich and varied cast of supporting characters. But most of all, I enjoyed discovering Shan. He is such a wonderful character - smart, stoic and and staying true to the path he has chosen for his life.

Mandarin Gate was a compelling combination of commentary and crime. And a darn good read.

Read an excerpt of Mandarin Gate.  You can find Eliot Pattison on Facebook.

The Purchase - Linda Spalding

Linda Spalding's new novel The Purchase is a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction. Trust me, it's an absolute must read.

1798. Daniel Dickinson is a devout Quaker. But when his wife dies leaving him with five young children and he quickly marries Ruth, a fifteen year old orphan, he is cast out of the fellowship. With no home and no community, he then packs his family in a wagon and heads to Virginia to homestead. At an auction to buy needed farming tools, Daniel instead ends up with a young slave boy. As an abolitionist, this goes against everything he believes in. This purchase is the catalyst for a series of events that will change the lives of family, friends, enemies and more.

I literally hurtled through the first part of The Purchase. Spalding drew me into the lives of the Dickinson family. The characters are exceptionally well drawn. Daniel struggles with his ownership of Onesimus, his marriage to a girl he doesn't even know, his efforts to build a new life for his children in a wilderness that he is ill prepared for and trying to follow his beliefs. His oldest daughter Mary is stubborn, petulant, wilful but also kind and giving. But not to her stepmother. But it is quiet, silent Ruth that I was most drawn to. And to the slave Bett as well. There is a large cast of characters, each bringing a turn in the tale. And all elicit strong emotions and reactions. The interactions between the players sets up an almost tangible sense of foreboding.

I stopped after part one, which ends on a cataclysmic note, to gather my thoughts. Where could the story go from here? I started part two a few days later and didn't put the book down until I turned the last page. And then I sat and thought again.

Spalding's prose are rich, raw, powerful  and oh, so evocative. She explores so much in The Purchase - freedom, faith, family, love, loss and more.

On reading the author's notes, I discovered that The Purchase is based on Spalding's own family history. She visited sites and settings that are used in the book. I think the personal connection added so much to the book.

Brilliant. One of my top reads for 2012. Can lit rocks!

Read an excerpt of The Purchase.

The Wrong Man - David Ellis

David Ellis's latest book - The Wrong Man - is the third featuring recurring character Jason Kolarich.

Kolarich is a defense lawyer, with a penchant for taking on seemingly impossible cases. This time he's asked by the family of  homeless Iraq War vet Tom Stoller to defend him against murder charges. It seems hopeless - Tom was found with the victim's personal belongings and the murder weapon in his hand. But Tom can't or won't defend himself - he's suffering from severe PTSD and perhaps other mental illness. It's up to Jason to speak for him.

The opening line of the prologue was written to catch and hold a reader....
"Something bad is going to happen to Kathy Rubinowski tonight." And this reader was captured from first page to last.

As Jason and his team (I liked the supporting cast a lot) dig further, they come up with an alternative scenario - and what they uncover puts a target on Jason's back.

Kolarich is a big, imposing guy with a larger than life personality. The courtroom scenes are interesting and I enjoyed the legal machinations. But Kolarich is not your run of the mill defense attorney. He's out chasing down leads with and without his investigator. I did question his inclusion of a woman he's seeing as part of the team - it just seemed odd. As a lawyer, he skirts the law sometimes and others he outright ignores it - all in the name of protecting his client. He is now sure Tom is innocent. "The rules of ethics in my profession, last I checked, weren't optional. when did I start treating them that way?"

Ellis has crafted a really good thriller, combining courtroom drama, conspiracy and more with the end result being a page turner of a read. The plot was a little far fetched in places and I saw the end coming, but I enjoyed the ride. Ellis has the thriller format down pat - lots of action, danger and a compelling plot. I'll definitely be picking up the next in the series. Read an excerpt of The Wrong Man.

You can find David Ellis on Twitter and on Facebook.