Mailbox Monday/It's Monday! What are you reading?

                






My books are a real mix of genres this week. Policy and Passion was a recommendation from Fleur
and the others are recommendations by bloggers on FB and elsewhere. All are free downloads.






I am in the middle of several books but Circling the Sun is very very good. The setting of Kenya and the timing of the story is fabulous.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

I received this book from Jackie of Farm Lane Books blog awhile ago. I had read about this but I knew that the possibility of me getting to this book was remote. Atmospheric books like this are never going to be sold in Sri Lanka! so thanks Jackie for this.

The story is set in 1829 based on a true incident of murder and subsequent execution. The setting, the houses, the characters themselves seem bleak, grey and cold. The overall feeling of coldness and deep icy surroundings are constantly with you. This was not an easy read. It takes time and effort and you have got to immerse yourself in the characters and the story for this book to appeal.

A debut novel by the author the story of Agnes, Sigga and Frik who stand charged with the murder of Natan by bludgeoning him to death. Each person is sent somewhere and Agnes is sent to this remote farm to await her sentence. The family who have been put in charge of Agnes are horrified by their charge but they can do nothing about it. The head of the household is a government employee and has no way of avoiding this charge. How Agnes's stay in the house changes the attitude of all its members towards her and the mellowing and understanding her character, and how she got involved in this case becomes the entire story.

Descriptive not only of Iceland but also of the workings of the bureaucracy in Iceland at the time, it was astonishing how much detail was recorded by local officials and which would have made research into this book so fascinating.

I am also hopeful that hereafter my reviews could be posted with images! for some reason my ipad refused to allow me to post images and all my posts were rather dull. I have updated most of my reviews so that an image of the cover of the book would also be visible. 

Murder in Court Three by Ian Simpson

A glittering function is not the ideal place for a murder to take place especially since police officers and more so the top brass are all around. How did this murder take place in such a crowded place. On top of it all the murdered QC had an eye for the ladies and was having an affair with the wife of a senior police officer.  The lady in question was blatantly open about the affair, despite all the damage it could do to the officer's career.

This delicate operation has been handed over to Inspector Fortune and Sergeant Chandavarkar who have to face interrogations with people who can remember only that much, religious groups and the media which is being set up by an ex Inspector who wants to see the present force look like fools.

Kept me guessing till the end.

The book was sent to me by Netgalley courtesy of Troubador Publishing.

Mailbox Monday/It's Monday! What are you reading?

       




                        


The above are downloads from Netgalley and Edelweiss. Two of them are free Amazon downloads.






The meme is inactive right now but we continue with it nevertheless.

        

Two opposite sides of the coin.

One is whimsical, quirky and I still dont quite get it. About fifty pages in. The Atwood on the other hand is so impossible, it is quite probable and keeps me on edge (as usual). Almost done with it.



Came back mid day on Monday and trying to catch up.






Have been here. Thats' a waterfall in the distance!

The Sound of Glass by Karen White

I was very glad I got this book after I read many reviews which were very positive on the blogs.

Set in two parallel lifetimes we alternate between the late Edith Heyward who kept her secrets hidden to the grave and the young Merritt Heyward, equally secretive with her history and shying away from anyone who shows her the slightest kindness and affection.

Merritt has been widowed. Her husband Cal has been left a house and this has now been inherited by Merritt who now decides to make the change from Maine to South Carolina exchanging lifestyles and attitudes which are not easy for the reserved New Englander. Moving to a dilapidated house she now faces friendly neighbors on top of the surprising arrival of her step mother the glamouress and loving Loralee along with her son Owen, who is Merritt's step brother.

Unravelling secrets hidden for decades this story of family and the spirit and determination to survive despite over riding odds is one that fascinates. The human spirit is strong and not willing to give in or give up. The Heyward women epitomize this and the power of good over evil is also distinctly seen. The need to protect one's own at all costs is a striking feature of this book.

I received this book from Netgalley courtesy of Penguin Group Berkeley NAL/Signet Romance DAW

The West Winford Incident by John Parker

Based partly on a true life incident this story starts on a very non technical note. The year of Neil Armstrong 's landing on the moon was equally momentous for Dave and Sue who are moving to rural Wiltshire where Dave is taking up a new job and Sue is hoping that she can get a new job and change her way of life, becoming more independent and hopes that her two daughters will adapt well to a new environment.

Whilst Dave enthusiastically embraces his new job and dives in, Sue initially finds country life humdrum and routine. Left alone for long hours she is bored. Meeting with Pam who is full of life and who introduces her to Peter who shares Sue's passion for searching for ancestors, one sees the rift in the marriage beginning as small cracks beginning to appear.

An incident at the plant resulting in the destruction of a turbine (extremely technical) leads to Dave's total involvement in work and work only.

At this stage the technicalities of turbines, metal and corrosion was far too much for me. The survival of marriage itself is the subject here, when pressures of jobs, outside relationships, growing up of children and extraneous factors come into play. The book became a bit slow for me as I was hoping to see how this was going to effect the two of them as a couple. Nothing happened which was a bit of an anti climax!

The book was a download from Netgalley courtesy of Troubador Publishing Ltd.

Mailbox Monday/It's Monday! What are you reading?

           

           


   

All the above are from Netgalley.  








Set during WWI told in alternate time frames the book is very good reading.

Am back for these two memes after almost three months. Nice to be back.