Cahokia Jazz

 

Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford 464 pages

 

I love this novel so much that I am going to claim that it will be one of the must-reads of 2024!

 

What Amazon says:  Francis Spufford’s Cahokia Jazz inhabits a different version of America, now through the lens of a subtly altered 1920s—a fully imagined world full of fog, cigarette smoke, dubious motives, danger, dark deeds. And in the main character of Joe Barrow, we have a hero of truly epic proportions, a troubled soul to fall in love with as you are swept along by a propulsive and brilliantly twisty plot.

On a snowy night at the end of winter, Barrow and his partner find a body on the roof of a skyscraper. Down below, streetcar bells ring, factory whistles blow, Americans drink in speakeasies and dance to the tempo of modern times. But this is Cahokia, the ancient indigenous city beside the Mississippi living on as a teeming industrial metropolis, filled with people of every race and creed. Among them, peace holds. Just about. But that corpse on the roof will spark a week of drama in which this altered world will spill its secrets and be brought, against a soundtrack of jazz clarinets and wailing streetcars, either to destruction or rebirth.

 

What I thought of it: This novel has it all! I was captivated by the opening scene that sets a harrowing stage of what is to come to the heartbreaking last scene. Part alternate history, part noir thriller, part mythology legends, with science, jazz, crime, mob scenes and the KKK all thrown in to make a highly readable novel.

 

Cahokia Jazz is a complicated, complex, easy to follow and fabulous novel. Therefore, it receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Never Never

NeverNever by James Patterson & Candice Fox, 363 pages

“Never... assume you know someone. Harry Blue is the top Sex Crimes investigator in her department. She's a seasoned pro who's seen it all. But even she didn't see this coming: her own brother arrested for the grisly murders of three beautiful young women. Never... accept a reassignment to the middle of nowhere "for your own good." Harry's been sent to a makeshift town in a desolate landscape-a world full of easy money, plenty of illegal ways to spend it, and a ragtag collection of transient characters who thrive on the fringes of society. A place where little grows, but evil flourishes. Never... trust anyone. Looking into a seemingly simple missing persons case, Harry's been assigned to a new "partner." But is he actually meant to be a watchdog? Still reeling from the accusations against her brother, Harry can't even trust her own instincts, which she's never doubted...until now. Never... go anywhere without leaving a trace. Far from the world she knows and desperate to clear her brother's name, Harry has to mine the dark secrets of her strange new home for answers to a deepening mystery-before she vanishes in a place where no one would ever think to look for her. Never Never is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride with enough intrigue and suspense to keep you guessing until the final page. You'll never be able to put it down.”  I liked this story, although it was a little too predictable because I had the mystery solved well before the end.  Also, I was a little disappointed that a major plot point was not resolved.  I’m assuming that there will be a sequel, but I will be bitterly unhappy if there isn’t, since such a large part was unresolved.  Patterson fans will enjoy it.

Greeks Bearing Gifts

Greeks Bearing Gifts by Philip Kerr   506 pages

Look at that – as I’m writing this, I open Publisher’s Weekly and see that Philip Kerr has died, so this is his last work (not that that will influence my opinion about the book).

This book only caught my eye because it was an AR, so I wasn’t paying attention to the fact that it is a serial novel – argh! As a rule, I have to start a series from the first book, and my thinking is right on target with regard to this novel. Although the story was ok, I was perpetually lost as to the character of protagonist Bernie Gunther and references to his questionable past within the Nazi regime. It’s not that I don’t recommend the book but I would certainly start with the beginning of the series to appreciate the nuances of setting and character development.

1957, Munich. Bernie Gunther's latest move in a long string of varied careers sees him working for an insurance company. It makes a kind of sense: both cops and insurance companies have a vested interest in figuring out when people are lying to them, and Bernie has a lifetime of experience to call on.

Sent to Athens to investigate a claim from a fellow German for a ship that has sunk, Bernie takes an instant dislike to the claimant. When he discovers the ship in question once belonged to a Greek Jew deported to Auschwitz, he is convinced the sinking was no accident but an avenging arson attack. Then the claimant is found dead, shot through both eyes. Strong-armed into helping the Greek police with their investigation, Bernie is once again drawn inexorably back to the dark history of the Second World War, and the deportation of the Jews of Salonika - now Thessaloniki.

Posted By:   Regina C.    

Christmas Caramel Murder

ChristmasCaramel Murder by Joanne Fluke, 210 pages

“Christmas normally descends on Lake Eden, Minnesota, as gently as reindeer alighting on a rooftop -- but this yuletide season the only thing coming down Hannah Swensen's chimney is a case of murder. It might take a visit from ghosts of Christmas past to wrap up this mystery in time for the holidays . . .” This story seemed slightly less dangerous and a little sweeter than usual, but the recipes seem fantastic and the story was a lot of fun.  Mystery lovers will enjoy it and fans of the series will definitely want to read it.

Detective Cross

DetectiveCross by James Patterson, 131 pages

“The suspect is your patient, Dr. Cross. An anonymous caller has promised to set off deadly bombs in Washington, DC. A cruel hoax or the real deal? By the time Alex Cross and his wife, Bree Stone, uncover the chilling truth, it may already be too late....”  This was fine.  It was a really quick read, but considering the amount of white space in a regular Patterson novel, it wasn’t that much shorter.  People who like Patterson’s book will want to read this.  Otherwise, adults who are looking for short, quick reads that deal with mystery and detective type stories might like it.

The Pursuit

The Pursuit by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, 304 pages

“Nicolas Fox, international con man, thief, and one of the top ten fugitives on the FBI's most-wanted list, has been kidnapped from a beachfront retreat in Hawaii. What the kidnapper doesn't know is that Nick Fox has been secretly working for the FBI. It isn't long before Nick's covert partner, Special Agent Kate O'Hare, is in hot pursuit of the crook who stole her con man. The trail leads to Belgium, France, and Italy, and pits Nick and Kate against their deadliest adversary yet: Dragan Kovic, an ex-Serbian military officer. He's plotting a crime that will net him billions . . . and cost thousands of American lives. Nick and Kate have to mount the most daring, risky, and audacious con they've ever attempted to save a major U.S. city from a catastrophe of epic proportions. Luckily they have the help of an eccentric out-of-work actor, a bandit who does his best work in the sewers, and Kate's dad, Jake. The pressure's on for Nick and Kate to make this work--even if they have to lay their lives on the line.”  This is typical Evanovich.  Her books are always funny with madcap adventures and just enough romance.  Fans of the genre or her previous books will read this.

Murder House

Murder House by James Patterson & David Ellis, 451 pages

Jenna Murphy is a detective who was forced out of her job in New York.  She's come to the Hamptons where her uncle Langdon, the police chief, has given her a job.  A murder case comes up immediately but no one will let Jenna work the case.  In fact, they emphatically tell her to stay out of it.  On her own time, Jenna investigates anyway and uncovers several other murders that she believes are related.  Unfortunately, her endeavors could put her in a lot of hot water.  Every day it looks more like she is risking her job, her freedom, even her life.  This was a pretty good story.  The beginning was a little confusing and slow, I thought.  The story was kind of convoluted too.   But at the end, I still liked it overall.  Fans of murder mysteries and Patterson will probably enjoy this book.

Legion

Legion by William Peter Blatty, 269 pages

Legion is Blatty's sequel to his best-known work, The Exorcist (Legion was eventually adapted into The Exorcist III, which Blatty directed himself, although the studio insisted on adding elements to justify the Exorcist title).  Detective Kinderman returns, investigating a series of murders that seem to be the work of a serial killer known to have been killed decades ago.  Father Dyer, Father Damien's best friend and fellow Jesuit, also returns, having forged a bond with the surly detective in the years since Damien's death.

Where The Exorcist held out the hope that the existence of supernatural evil implies the existence of supernatural good, Legion asks why natural evil seems to pervade the human world and whether there is any hope against it.

Unfortunately, the novel's problems run deep.  Kinderman, while initially charming in his endless, garrulous, rambling monologues, eventually becomes tiresome.  The Gemini killer is a silly Hollywood caricature of a serial killer.  The ending is absurdly anti-climactic, although it is thematically appropriate.  This is one of those instances where, against stereotypes, the movie is better than the book.

Tiger Shrimp Tango

Tiger Shrimp Tango by Tim Dorsey, 306 pages

Florida has become plagued with an epidemic of scam artists, and only one man can set things right in The Sunshine State... Serge Storms. Aided by his perpetually addled sidekick and noir private eye Mahoney, Serge must stop the scam artists and save the girl all while being tracked by the same assassin that killed the woman he loved two years before.

Another successful book by Dorsey, especially for the wide array of scams thought up. I was also glad to see that Serge still hadn't forgotten about the death of a certain character two books ago. Its also good to see Coleman continuing to become more than just extra weight, even figuring out one Serge's murder methods without it having to be explained.  

The Job

The Job by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg, 289 pages

This is the third book in the Fox and O’Hare series about master thief Nick Fox and FBI agent Kate O’Hare.  In this newest installment, someone is impersonating Nick and stealing some very expensive artwork.  Nick told Kate it wasn’t him and Kate believed him because the heists simply don’t look like Nick’s work.  Catching the actual thief leads to a new major job involving taking down a major crime boss and drug lord, Lester Menendez.  Unfortunately, Menendez has had plastic surgery and disappeared.  No one knows where he is or what he looks like.  Nick, however, has a scheme in mind that will not only locate Menendez, but will bring him to financial ruin and get him stuck in jail, which is exactly what they want to do.  It’s a great plan, as long as it doesn’t get Nick and Kate killed.  Told with Evanovich’s signature humor, this is a fun addition to this series and fans of humorous adventure stories will enjoy it.

Vanished

Vanished by Irene Hannon, 328 pages

Moira Harrison hits someone in an accident on a deserted road one rainy night.  Lost and confused from the accident, Moira was relieved when someone else shows up assuring her that he called 911 and help is on the way.  Moira passes out and when she comes to, an hour has passed and there is no sign of the man who stopped to help, the person she hit, or any emergency service people.  The police, when she calls them, obviously don’t believe her story, thinking that she was disoriented from the accident.  She decides to speak to a private investigator, and, with a recommendation in hand, contacts Phoenix, Inc., and speaks to Cal Burke.  Burke is intrigued by the case and agrees to check it out pro bono, since Moira can’t pay their fees.  Moira, a reporter so no stranger to investigation, also helps him out on stake-outs and other tasks.  As the two spend time together, they become aware of a growing attraction that neither wish to act on until the case is solved.  As readers, we get to know a lot more information than the characters and are clearly introduced to the perpetrator early on in the book.  However, the intrigue and suspense are still fun.  The Christian romance is also handled pretty well and doesn’t overpower the rest of the story.  People who like any of these aspects will probably enjoy this story.

Severed Streets

The Severed Streets by Paul Cornell
401 Pages


This is the second book of a series where a investigative team who was exposed to the occult London continue to learn to use their new ability of second sight to investigate a series of murders that make it seem as if Jack the Ripper has come back from the grave and is killing rich white men. 

While the story is interesting, I think since I hadn't read the first book, I lost some of the character building of the investigative team.  As a result I found the group dynamics to be lacking in this book.  Perhaps if I had the back story it would have been a better read. 

The Silkworm

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith 

           455 pages

Cormoran Strike is back, with his assistant Robin.  Life is a little better for Strike, he has more work and is certainly better off financially than we left him in the last book.  In this book, he has decided to take on a case involving a missing writer, Owen Quine.  Quine’s wife came to Strike, asking for him to take on the case, assuring him that his agent would foot the bill.  Despite his misgivings about the money, Strike agreed to take on the case.  What he found was that Quine had just written a manuscript that had made everyone in his immediate circle very angry, as he had demonized nearly everyone he knew, including his publisher, editor, agent, wife, and girlfriend.  As Strike questions people, he realizes that not everything adds up the way it should, but it’s up to him to figure out the truth before an innocent person is sent to prison.  I really liked this sequel and am looking forward to more books in the series.  I think that most murder mystery fans would probably like this series.

The Chase

The Chase by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg, 303

The sequel to The Heist leads FBI Agent Kate O’Hare and international thief and con artist Nicholas Fox into a new adventure. Since Kate caught Nick and the FBI allowed his escape in return for working for them they have come up with a new job. This time they are to track down a missing statue that is supposed to be returned to the Chinese government. The statue is supposed to be in the Smithsonian, but the one that is there is a fake. The real one has been stolen and Kate and Nick have two weeks to find it, steal it back, and replace it at the Smithsonian before it is supposed to be returned. Typical Janet Evanovich, this book is funny with plenty of adventure and doesn’t end where you might expect. A really enjoyable read.