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Reading Rescue, July 2009:
Stories for Your Summer
 By Anne Allen and Mary Anne Fulmer
Summer may have come late this year (what is it with all
this rain and cold?), but for the Reading Rescuers (no boring books
here!) it is always a sunny day. We are ready and eager to help you
stock up on stories to keep you engrossed, amused, or on the edge of
your chair, whether you are lazing at the beach or vacationing at home.
Leo Demidov is a Soviet war hero who is now working for
the Soviet State Security (the MGB). In Tom Rob Smith's Child 44,
set in 1953, Demidov is assigned to handle an internal problem: one of
his subordinates claims his young son has been murdered. As Leo well
knows, murder doesn't exist in this worker's paradise (the only
criminals are enemies of the state), and he brings the power he commands
at work to force the bereaved family to unwillingly accept the official
verdict of accident. This seemingly small action starts a landslide that
results in Leo's downfall. Demoted and exiled to a small village far
from Moscow, Leo slowly realizes that a serial killer is murdering
children across the country and that he will have to work against the
state to stop the deaths. Smith's portrait of the Soviet Union is
chilling and realistic, and the hunt for the murderer (based on Russian
serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, the Rostov Ripper) will keep you
engrossed. If you enjoyed Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith, you'll
love this book.
You won't be able to stop smiling as you read Spencer
Quinn's novel Dog On It. Bernie Little and Chet are partners in
the Little Detective Agency, but there's a twist: Chet is a dog. Even
though Chet flunked out of K-9 school, he's still a crime solver, albeit
one with a little different set of skills (tracking and security are his
specialties, memory not so much). As the two work to track down a
missing teenager, Chet's hilarious narration will keep you in stitches
and author Quinn is masterful at maintaining the canine point of view.
We are looking forward to the next Chet and Bernie adventure, and we bet
you will be, too.
Suspect by Michael Robotham begins with
psychologist Joe O'Loughlin on a London rooftop, talking down a suicidal
cancer patient. Regarded as a hero in the media, Joe is approached by
the police to help them with a stabbing case. To his shock, he
recognizes the victim as a former patient. As 42-year-old O'Loughlin
tries to deal with a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and unravel
the victim's connection to him, the police believe they need look no
further to find the dead woman’s murderer. When more and more damaging
facts emerge and his family is threatened, Joe looks to his past to
discover who would want to frame him and why. Robotham has written a
dark and suspenseful thriller that you won't want to put down.
If you haven't read any of Alexander McCall Smith's
mysteries set in Botswana, go right to the library and borrow one. It is
always fun to visit the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, and Tea Time
for the Traditionally Built is no exception. Smith's latest novel
finds Precious Ramotse called upon to investigate a professional soccer
team's lack of success and help her assistant Grace Makutsi deal with an
enemy from the past. Trouble with her beloved little white van calls for
Precious' husband’s (Mr. Matekoni) help and the mechanics at Speedy
Motors have their part to play as well. Pour yourself some bush tea and
prepare to be entertained as Mma Ramotse uses commonsense and an
understanding of human nature to solve her cases.
In Alan Bradley’s first novel, The Sweetness at the
Bottom of the Pie, the year is 1953 and the setting is the great
house of Buckshaw, located near the English town of Bishop's Lacey.
Flavia de Luce is a precocious 11 year-old with an interest in science
and poisons. Her two older sisters torment her, her father is remote and
absorbed in his stamp collection, and Flavia spends most of her time
alone in her great-uncle's old laboratory doing experiments. When a
strange man is found dead in the cucumber patch and her father is
suspected of the murder, it is time for Flavia to lend a hand. Assisted
by the family gardener and traveling by bicycle, she uncovers a
carefully laid plot, with much pleasure for the reader. Author Bradley
has indicated subsequent novels will delve deeper into Flavia's mother’s
disappearance and the past of Dogger the gardener. This is a
light-hearted and fun book to read, with an engaging young heroine, a
lot of humor, and some surprises.
John Wells, the protagonist of The Faithful Spy
by Alex Berenson, has spent 11 years as a CIA mole in al-Qaeda. Unaware
of the plans to attack the U.S. on 9-11, Wells believes his operation
has been a failure for his employers, and he knows that the terrorists
don't trust him. Then he is summoned to meet one of Bin Laden's
associates and given a plum assignment: carry out a mission in the U.S.
Wells' former handler, Jennifer Exley, hasn't heard from him in years
and wonders if he has changed sides. Bombs explode in Los Angeles and
there is mistrust and doubt on both sides as the two work to uncover
al-Qaeda’s true plans and what Wells' role in them will be. This is a
fast-paced page-turner, reminiscent of Vince Flynn, with
thought-provoking issues and plenty of excitement.
The Friends of the Library have a short summer book sale
scheduled for Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25 during regular
library hours (9:00 to 5:00). Donations are always welcome (bring them
to the library) and helpers are needed. For more information, please
contact the library at (724) 744-4414 or
mfulmer@pennlib.org.
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