Spring slowdown... moving into summer.
Cahokia Jazz
Francis Spufford
Spufford tries very hard to keep a lot of balls in the air in this alternate history-cum-police procedural. He nearly succeeds.
Same Bed Different Dreams
Ed Park
A novel-within-a-novel-within-a-novel modernist mashup, where everything is connected to everything else and organized around a tour of modern Korean history. In this case, confirming the old cliché, truth is often stranger than fiction, as you discover if you keep Wikipedia near at hand. It is a book that demands steady focus and– given the need to keep flipping back and forth to name-check– should be read in hard copy rather than on a Kindle (alas). I may grab a copy at the library and try again.
Skeletons in the Closet
Jean-Patrick Manchette
A briskly humorous private eye story, with some of the flavor of The Maltese Falcon, but more graphic violence and a good dose of profanity. Our hero Eugene Tarpon is hardly a straight arrow, but he has a moral compass, and that, naturally, gets him into deep trouble. An enjoyable romp.
The Hunter
Tana French
The sequel to The Searcher is just about as good as the first installment. The characters– including both the appealing if flawed heroes as well as the collectivity of the townsfolk of little Ardnakelty– are well drawn and continue to grow into their roles, and the suspense builds slowly but steadily. If the plot is a bit Baroque and the ending overly dramatic for my tastes... well, your mileage may vary. And for sure I'll be back to find out what's next for Cal, Trey, Lena, and their not-always-to-be-trusted neighbors.
The Peacock and the Sparrow
I.S. Berry
Dumb spy gets what's coming. Meh.
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