Books in February
A short, but tough, month is February; thank goodness for time to read!
Professor Kate Fansler takes over a house in the countryside to sort through the correspondence between a deceased publisher and the luminaries he published, including James Joyce. She also reluctantly takes on her nephew, a troubled young boy who, it is hoped, will thrive with the undivided attention of a tutor. She also has an assistant in her literary work, and a visitor in the shape of assistant district attorney Reed Amhearst, along with two invited guests, both female professors at the end and the beginning of their careers respectively. When a local woman who is notorious for her unpleasant personality dies, accidentally shot to death by the tutor using a gun that had never previously held live bullets, Kate feels that she must find out who loaded the gun in order to save her household from ignominy at the very least….This is the second Kate Fansler mystery, published in 1967, and it’s quite a delight, especially in terms of the language. The characters spend pages chatting about obscure stories by James Joyce, the realm of academia and other esoteric matters. At the same time, the difference in attitudes between the 1960s and the 2020s is striking: for example, after Reed has proposed to Kate (and been turned down), and they have an argument about how best to deal with the legal situation, he notes that they should marry because “if it’s not exactly legal to beat your wife, it’s less illegal than to beat a woman to whom you’re not related in any way.” This is presented as banter, but it is also an example of how such treatment of women was condoned in the United States in 1967. Chilling. Such commentary on my part aside, however, this is quite a fun read; recommended, keeping in mind that the world was indeed a different country then.
There has been a lot of upheaval at the College in recent months, and Kate Fansler is reluctantly drawn into various groups trying to effect change in the light of student revolts. One change in particular is to bring University College, a former extension program now including degree courses, into the fold of the College as a whole. A reasonable idea, Kate thinks, but there are powerful people at the College who oppose it vehemently. When one of those people dies unexpectedly as a result of an allergic reaction, Kate and assistant district attorney Reed Amhearst, her fiance, try to determine whether that death was purely an accident or if there is a more sinister explanation…. This is the third Kate Fansler novel, published in 1970 and set against the backdrop of student activism in that era. I felt that the whole “student revolution” theme was treated very dismissively, although the students themselves were very earnest about their demands in the real world, but I suppose long-serving academics might well have felt that way. In terms of the infighting and politics of the school itself, all rings especially true in this story, at least with respect to what I know about such situations (having worked in an academic setting myself and also knowing numerous people more deeply ensconced in that environment). All that said, though, somehow Kate came across as rather more waspish in this novel as compared to the earlier ones, and I found myself not liking her very much for most of the book. Not enough to prevent me from reading further into the series, but I’m a little more impatient with her at the moment; therefore, mildly recommended.
Masie Dobbs is asked to look into the murder of an Indian woman by her grieving brother, who has arrived from India some months after the event. Indeed, Maisie is somewhat unhappy with the fact that the murder occurred two months previously and that Scotland Yard had done next to nothing in terms of investigating the death; after all, their thinking seems to have been, Indian women aren’t English in spite of the continuing Empire control of that country! Before too long, though, Maisie has more than a few suspects, along with a missing person and another murder on her hands…. If one didn’t know that the series continues beyond this, the 10th novel in the Maisie Dobbs series, it would be quite reasonable to assume that this is the last book, given developing events in Maisie’s personal and professional life; indeed, a fair amount of time is spent in tying up loose ends, making arrangements for future work and other “end of series” storylines. That said, the pursuit of the truth in solving the murder leads Maisie to many new ways of thinking, and it was a joy for me as a reader to see her character develop and grow in that way. One thing I like about this series is the focus on Maisie’s psychological self-awareness and growth (although I understand that this can seem like navel-gazing to some readers), and this entry in the series emphasizes that aspect of the novels more than most; recommended!
The 20 stories (plus one reprint by Ambrose Bierce from 1888) in this anthology were all published in 2020; each is preceded by a short introduction to the author and is followed by a brief note by the author concerning the genesis of the story. As with any such anthology, one reader’s favourites will be another’s most-hated; that said, my favourite stories in this collection include Michael Bracken’s “Blest Be the Tie That Binds,” about a Mob attempt to launder money through church tithings; “The Locked Cabin” by Martin Edwards, which takes place in the 1930s aboard the Queen Mary; Sue Grafton’s “If You Want Something Done Right…” which slyly illustrates that saying; the poignant “The Truth About Lucy,” by Dennis McFadden, showing how the past affects future generations; Joyce Carol Oates’ lovely imaging of how a member of the Manson Family might prepare for a “Parole Hearing, California Institution for Women, Chino, California”; Stephen King’s take on one of the famous steps of AA, “The Fifth Step”; and Andrew Welsh-Huggins’ “The Path I Took,” in which a student of languages travels to Gaelic Ireland in 1983, where his studies are disrupted by The Troubles. There is also a list of honorable mentions at the end of the book, for the reader who wants to find more stories in this genre. My one quibble with this anthology (which I believe is the first in a projected series overseen by Otto Penzler of the Mysterious Bookshop) is the choice to present the stories alphabetically by the author’s last name; that just seems like a rather daft way to go about it. In any event, a good compilation of recent mystery short stories; recommended.
Valentine and Roderick DeVere are avid opera-goers, and usually enjoy themselves in their private box at the Metropolitan Opera House, but when a noisy group of people occupy the next box, one that has been rented out to them, Roddy in particular is not pleased. Before the end of the opera, the group leaves, but one man remains - dead in his chair! During their tentative exploration of the box, Val loses an earring, a piece of “material evidence” that could spell very hot water indeed for her, if she and Roddy are unable to solve the murder themselves…. I’m very much enjoying this set of historical mysteries, taking place in this case in January of 1899, when the gap between the very wealthy (like the DeVeres) and everybody else is as large as it ever had been; a subplot in this book involves Val’s increasing involvement in a women’s organization determined to look into the unhealthy and ill-paying working conditions of young women in department stores, with the aim of improving their circumstances. The mystery itself is fairly plotted, although I found myself disappointed in the final reveal simply because I had no reason not to like a certain character and plenty of reasons to dislike several other suspects; by which I mean, of course, that I didn’t figure it out until the end, which I generally consider to be high praise in the mystery genre! I look forward to reading more from this author; recommended. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It’s 1937, and Maisie Dobbs is on her way home to England when she decides to stop off in Gibraltar for a spell. Almost as soon as she arrives, though, she quite literally stumbles upon the body of the apparent victim of a thief and, being who she is, naturally she must try to find out what happened. In the meantime, civil war is raging in Spain just across the border, and the flood of incoming refugees, potential mercenaries and others with a vested interest in the conflict serves to further complicate matters in this small British garrison, already renowned for its diversity…. This 11th book in the Maisie Dobbs series takes place some four years after the end of the previous one, Leaving Everything Most Loved; I don’t want to say why there’s such a time gap, except to note that while I understand what I imagine the author wanted to do, I’m a tad conflicted about it. That said, the story moves along briskly, there’s an interesting peek at the insular lives of Gibraltar’s small Jewish community, and Maisie herself remains, as ever, a complicated and intriguing character; so, recommended - although I would not want to start the series with this entry!
Professor Kate Fansler reluctantly agrees to take on a seminar at the Theban, the private girls’ school she had attended some 20 years earlier, although she has very little faith in her ability to “relate” to adolescent girls in 1970 New York City. When the mother of one of her seminar students is found dead at the school, the day after the brother of that same student was found unconscious there, naturally Kate’s curiosity is piqued - but she may have to dig deeper into familial relationships than she is comfortable doing…. I must admit that I had to look up Sophocles’ play “Antigone” before starting this book; I can retell Celtic myths for days, even some Greek, but Greek tragedies never figured too much in my schooling; that said, one doesn’t really need to know the play to get this novel as enough of it is brought into the story for context. The Vietnam War is a recurring theme in this novel, along with caustic mentions of the then-current Vice President (Agnew) who is never mentioned by name; to many modern readers these will seem as interjections of history unless, like me, they are old enough to remember those entities first-hand. I am enjoying this series, although sometimes flabbergasted by how much social attitudes and societal norms have changed since the books were written; I only wish I was as erudite as the author supposes her readers to be! Recommended.
“Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies” is a study of a number of women, from late 17th Century Britain to modern America, who inherited vast wealth, what they did with it and what it did to them. There were few such women until modern times, as inheritance laws generally favoured male offspring, but in the odd event that all other claimants died, sometimes only a daughter was left. Some of these women employed their millions in championing causes and doing good works; others spent themselves into anorexia, alcoholism and drug addiction; many were preyed upon by unscrupulous men, including several who were literally kidnapped and forced into marriages so that their kidnappers could avail themselves of her money. Not until the 20th Century did rich women have much in the way of legal protections to prevent such doings, and even then a lot of the women found themselves swept off their feet - in part at least, the author argues, because they never could tell if someone loved them for themselves or only for their money. The “poor little rich girl” is exemplified here especially by Betty Hutton (Woolworth heiress), but fortunately there are some counter balances to that stereotype such as Angela Burdett-Coutts, 19th Century heiress, friend of Charles Dickens and creator of numerous charity organizations and other works that directly aided the poor. The book is rather more heavily researched than I expected, a good thing, and there is quite a lot of editorial commentary from the author (largely about the treatment of women in general and specific attempts to legislate changes to that treatment), but it somehow still felt rather lightweight to me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and learned quite a bit - it just seemed to me that the author could have written a magazine-length article about Betty Hutton and left it at that. Mildly recommended.
Shortly after she finally returns to England, Maisie Dobbs is approached by members of the Special Branch to take on an undercover assignment: a British “boffin” (loosely, someone who invents useful things) has been imprisoned in Hitler’s Germany, having been charged with either undermining or insulting the leader, and Britain badly needs him back. Various diplomatic negotiations have resulted in an agreement for Germany to release the man, but only to a relative, and the man’s only child is very sickly and cannot go. Fortunately, Maisie somewhat resembles the woman and so she is asked to travel to Munich and bring the man home. This being 1938, and Germany being increasingly under the spell of an authoritarian government, this is by no means a simple task; and in the meantime, Maisie has also been asked to find the daughter of her enemy, said to be enjoying herself far too much in Munich…. This is the twelfth Maisie Dobbs story, and I think the series has come to an end for me - not because I didn’t think the book was well-written and the characters deeply engaging, but because I simply can’t stand reading fiction (or, for that matter, non-fiction) about World War II. Obviously, that war hasn’t started yet in this book, but much of Hitler’s apparatus (the brownshirts, SS, Gestapo, Dachau) is in place and that’s too much for me. I felt that the series could have ended with Book 10, which is how I plan to think of it in the future; other readers will of course continue to read and appreciate the later books, but it’s not for me.
It’s the summer of 1898, and Val and Roddy DeVere, along with much of the rest of New York City Society, are vacationing at their “cottages” in Newport; cottages, of course, being almost as huge and splendid as their city palaces. They are meant to be having a lovely time taking yacht rides, playing golf and tennis, and otherwise comporting themselves at lavish teas and balls every week, but Val and her friend Cassandra are drawn into a mystery when the only daughter of Cassie’s late aunt dies suddenly in a slum in New York City. In trying to discover the cause of the woman’s death, they find themselves caught up in a web of inheritance, business dealings and, possibly, the suffrage movement, to Roddy’s dismay; and soon they learn that even Newport is not immune from danger…. “A Gilded Death” is the first in a series of Gilded Age novels, set primarily in New York and featuring the amateur sleuths Roddy (Roderick, scion of a very old and respected New York family) and Valentine (daughter of an Irish immigrant who made a huge fortune in the silver mines out west), along with various friends and servants. I had already read and enjoyed later stories in the series, but wanted to go back to this, the beginning. It is quite delightful, although as it happens I was able to figure out the culprit early on, only because I had read later entries and therefore knew something I shouldn’t have known. As a result, while I definitely recommend this series (and would love to try all the cocktails Roddy invents!), the reader should certainly start with this installment before moving to the next; recommended!
In 1974, 12-year-old Gwendy Peterson meets the enigmatic Mr. Farris on the recreational ground above Castle Rock; he gives her a box, on the top of which are eight colored buttons and with a lever on each side. The buttons represent six continents (Antarctica is left out), plus the red button which can be anything and the black button which is the whole shebang; one of the levers reveals a chocolate, the other a coin. Mr. Farris asks her to keep the box and of course she knows it’s a secret, but she can’t help but be curious about its properties…. To say more about this novella would be to give it away, so I’ll just add that this is the first story in a trilogy, the other two of which are, I think, full novels. If you’ve ever read Stephen King, you’ll know his knack for characterization and situating his people within specific times and place; Mr. Chizmar is certainly less well-known but he’s a long-time author of horror stories and the editor and publisher of the very fine magazine, Cemetery Dance (which itself includes a regular column discussing the myriad creations related to Mr. King’s voluminous output, on a more or less bimonthly basis). I already have the second book in this series (written by Mr. Chizmar alone), but will have to wait until late May for the third; so this is just to whet my whistle, so to speak. As enjoyable as King always is, and at 90 pages a very quick read; recommended!
So, a good month for reading, although this February has been rotten - colder than usual weather but also wildly variable, and a husband with health problems (fortunately not *too* dire) made for a heightened sense of the blahs. Not to mention we're *still* not out of the pandemic, sigh....
Professor Kate Fansler takes over a house in the countryside to sort through the correspondence between a deceased publisher and the luminaries he published, including James Joyce. She also reluctantly takes on her nephew, a troubled young boy who, it is hoped, will thrive with the undivided attention of a tutor. She also has an assistant in her literary work, and a visitor in the shape of assistant district attorney Reed Amhearst, along with two invited guests, both female professors at the end and the beginning of their careers respectively. When a local woman who is notorious for her unpleasant personality dies, accidentally shot to death by the tutor using a gun that had never previously held live bullets, Kate feels that she must find out who loaded the gun in order to save her household from ignominy at the very least….This is the second Kate Fansler mystery, published in 1967, and it’s quite a delight, especially in terms of the language. The characters spend pages chatting about obscure stories by James Joyce, the realm of academia and other esoteric matters. At the same time, the difference in attitudes between the 1960s and the 2020s is striking: for example, after Reed has proposed to Kate (and been turned down), and they have an argument about how best to deal with the legal situation, he notes that they should marry because “if it’s not exactly legal to beat your wife, it’s less illegal than to beat a woman to whom you’re not related in any way.” This is presented as banter, but it is also an example of how such treatment of women was condoned in the United States in 1967. Chilling. Such commentary on my part aside, however, this is quite a fun read; recommended, keeping in mind that the world was indeed a different country then.
There has been a lot of upheaval at the College in recent months, and Kate Fansler is reluctantly drawn into various groups trying to effect change in the light of student revolts. One change in particular is to bring University College, a former extension program now including degree courses, into the fold of the College as a whole. A reasonable idea, Kate thinks, but there are powerful people at the College who oppose it vehemently. When one of those people dies unexpectedly as a result of an allergic reaction, Kate and assistant district attorney Reed Amhearst, her fiance, try to determine whether that death was purely an accident or if there is a more sinister explanation…. This is the third Kate Fansler novel, published in 1970 and set against the backdrop of student activism in that era. I felt that the whole “student revolution” theme was treated very dismissively, although the students themselves were very earnest about their demands in the real world, but I suppose long-serving academics might well have felt that way. In terms of the infighting and politics of the school itself, all rings especially true in this story, at least with respect to what I know about such situations (having worked in an academic setting myself and also knowing numerous people more deeply ensconced in that environment). All that said, though, somehow Kate came across as rather more waspish in this novel as compared to the earlier ones, and I found myself not liking her very much for most of the book. Not enough to prevent me from reading further into the series, but I’m a little more impatient with her at the moment; therefore, mildly recommended.
Masie Dobbs is asked to look into the murder of an Indian woman by her grieving brother, who has arrived from India some months after the event. Indeed, Maisie is somewhat unhappy with the fact that the murder occurred two months previously and that Scotland Yard had done next to nothing in terms of investigating the death; after all, their thinking seems to have been, Indian women aren’t English in spite of the continuing Empire control of that country! Before too long, though, Maisie has more than a few suspects, along with a missing person and another murder on her hands…. If one didn’t know that the series continues beyond this, the 10th novel in the Maisie Dobbs series, it would be quite reasonable to assume that this is the last book, given developing events in Maisie’s personal and professional life; indeed, a fair amount of time is spent in tying up loose ends, making arrangements for future work and other “end of series” storylines. That said, the pursuit of the truth in solving the murder leads Maisie to many new ways of thinking, and it was a joy for me as a reader to see her character develop and grow in that way. One thing I like about this series is the focus on Maisie’s psychological self-awareness and growth (although I understand that this can seem like navel-gazing to some readers), and this entry in the series emphasizes that aspect of the novels more than most; recommended!
The 20 stories (plus one reprint by Ambrose Bierce from 1888) in this anthology were all published in 2020; each is preceded by a short introduction to the author and is followed by a brief note by the author concerning the genesis of the story. As with any such anthology, one reader’s favourites will be another’s most-hated; that said, my favourite stories in this collection include Michael Bracken’s “Blest Be the Tie That Binds,” about a Mob attempt to launder money through church tithings; “The Locked Cabin” by Martin Edwards, which takes place in the 1930s aboard the Queen Mary; Sue Grafton’s “If You Want Something Done Right…” which slyly illustrates that saying; the poignant “The Truth About Lucy,” by Dennis McFadden, showing how the past affects future generations; Joyce Carol Oates’ lovely imaging of how a member of the Manson Family might prepare for a “Parole Hearing, California Institution for Women, Chino, California”; Stephen King’s take on one of the famous steps of AA, “The Fifth Step”; and Andrew Welsh-Huggins’ “The Path I Took,” in which a student of languages travels to Gaelic Ireland in 1983, where his studies are disrupted by The Troubles. There is also a list of honorable mentions at the end of the book, for the reader who wants to find more stories in this genre. My one quibble with this anthology (which I believe is the first in a projected series overseen by Otto Penzler of the Mysterious Bookshop) is the choice to present the stories alphabetically by the author’s last name; that just seems like a rather daft way to go about it. In any event, a good compilation of recent mystery short stories; recommended.
Valentine and Roderick DeVere are avid opera-goers, and usually enjoy themselves in their private box at the Metropolitan Opera House, but when a noisy group of people occupy the next box, one that has been rented out to them, Roddy in particular is not pleased. Before the end of the opera, the group leaves, but one man remains - dead in his chair! During their tentative exploration of the box, Val loses an earring, a piece of “material evidence” that could spell very hot water indeed for her, if she and Roddy are unable to solve the murder themselves…. I’m very much enjoying this set of historical mysteries, taking place in this case in January of 1899, when the gap between the very wealthy (like the DeVeres) and everybody else is as large as it ever had been; a subplot in this book involves Val’s increasing involvement in a women’s organization determined to look into the unhealthy and ill-paying working conditions of young women in department stores, with the aim of improving their circumstances. The mystery itself is fairly plotted, although I found myself disappointed in the final reveal simply because I had no reason not to like a certain character and plenty of reasons to dislike several other suspects; by which I mean, of course, that I didn’t figure it out until the end, which I generally consider to be high praise in the mystery genre! I look forward to reading more from this author; recommended. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It’s 1937, and Maisie Dobbs is on her way home to England when she decides to stop off in Gibraltar for a spell. Almost as soon as she arrives, though, she quite literally stumbles upon the body of the apparent victim of a thief and, being who she is, naturally she must try to find out what happened. In the meantime, civil war is raging in Spain just across the border, and the flood of incoming refugees, potential mercenaries and others with a vested interest in the conflict serves to further complicate matters in this small British garrison, already renowned for its diversity…. This 11th book in the Maisie Dobbs series takes place some four years after the end of the previous one, Leaving Everything Most Loved; I don’t want to say why there’s such a time gap, except to note that while I understand what I imagine the author wanted to do, I’m a tad conflicted about it. That said, the story moves along briskly, there’s an interesting peek at the insular lives of Gibraltar’s small Jewish community, and Maisie herself remains, as ever, a complicated and intriguing character; so, recommended - although I would not want to start the series with this entry!
Professor Kate Fansler reluctantly agrees to take on a seminar at the Theban, the private girls’ school she had attended some 20 years earlier, although she has very little faith in her ability to “relate” to adolescent girls in 1970 New York City. When the mother of one of her seminar students is found dead at the school, the day after the brother of that same student was found unconscious there, naturally Kate’s curiosity is piqued - but she may have to dig deeper into familial relationships than she is comfortable doing…. I must admit that I had to look up Sophocles’ play “Antigone” before starting this book; I can retell Celtic myths for days, even some Greek, but Greek tragedies never figured too much in my schooling; that said, one doesn’t really need to know the play to get this novel as enough of it is brought into the story for context. The Vietnam War is a recurring theme in this novel, along with caustic mentions of the then-current Vice President (Agnew) who is never mentioned by name; to many modern readers these will seem as interjections of history unless, like me, they are old enough to remember those entities first-hand. I am enjoying this series, although sometimes flabbergasted by how much social attitudes and societal norms have changed since the books were written; I only wish I was as erudite as the author supposes her readers to be! Recommended.
“Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies” is a study of a number of women, from late 17th Century Britain to modern America, who inherited vast wealth, what they did with it and what it did to them. There were few such women until modern times, as inheritance laws generally favoured male offspring, but in the odd event that all other claimants died, sometimes only a daughter was left. Some of these women employed their millions in championing causes and doing good works; others spent themselves into anorexia, alcoholism and drug addiction; many were preyed upon by unscrupulous men, including several who were literally kidnapped and forced into marriages so that their kidnappers could avail themselves of her money. Not until the 20th Century did rich women have much in the way of legal protections to prevent such doings, and even then a lot of the women found themselves swept off their feet - in part at least, the author argues, because they never could tell if someone loved them for themselves or only for their money. The “poor little rich girl” is exemplified here especially by Betty Hutton (Woolworth heiress), but fortunately there are some counter balances to that stereotype such as Angela Burdett-Coutts, 19th Century heiress, friend of Charles Dickens and creator of numerous charity organizations and other works that directly aided the poor. The book is rather more heavily researched than I expected, a good thing, and there is quite a lot of editorial commentary from the author (largely about the treatment of women in general and specific attempts to legislate changes to that treatment), but it somehow still felt rather lightweight to me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and learned quite a bit - it just seemed to me that the author could have written a magazine-length article about Betty Hutton and left it at that. Mildly recommended.
Shortly after she finally returns to England, Maisie Dobbs is approached by members of the Special Branch to take on an undercover assignment: a British “boffin” (loosely, someone who invents useful things) has been imprisoned in Hitler’s Germany, having been charged with either undermining or insulting the leader, and Britain badly needs him back. Various diplomatic negotiations have resulted in an agreement for Germany to release the man, but only to a relative, and the man’s only child is very sickly and cannot go. Fortunately, Maisie somewhat resembles the woman and so she is asked to travel to Munich and bring the man home. This being 1938, and Germany being increasingly under the spell of an authoritarian government, this is by no means a simple task; and in the meantime, Maisie has also been asked to find the daughter of her enemy, said to be enjoying herself far too much in Munich…. This is the twelfth Maisie Dobbs story, and I think the series has come to an end for me - not because I didn’t think the book was well-written and the characters deeply engaging, but because I simply can’t stand reading fiction (or, for that matter, non-fiction) about World War II. Obviously, that war hasn’t started yet in this book, but much of Hitler’s apparatus (the brownshirts, SS, Gestapo, Dachau) is in place and that’s too much for me. I felt that the series could have ended with Book 10, which is how I plan to think of it in the future; other readers will of course continue to read and appreciate the later books, but it’s not for me.
It’s the summer of 1898, and Val and Roddy DeVere, along with much of the rest of New York City Society, are vacationing at their “cottages” in Newport; cottages, of course, being almost as huge and splendid as their city palaces. They are meant to be having a lovely time taking yacht rides, playing golf and tennis, and otherwise comporting themselves at lavish teas and balls every week, but Val and her friend Cassandra are drawn into a mystery when the only daughter of Cassie’s late aunt dies suddenly in a slum in New York City. In trying to discover the cause of the woman’s death, they find themselves caught up in a web of inheritance, business dealings and, possibly, the suffrage movement, to Roddy’s dismay; and soon they learn that even Newport is not immune from danger…. “A Gilded Death” is the first in a series of Gilded Age novels, set primarily in New York and featuring the amateur sleuths Roddy (Roderick, scion of a very old and respected New York family) and Valentine (daughter of an Irish immigrant who made a huge fortune in the silver mines out west), along with various friends and servants. I had already read and enjoyed later stories in the series, but wanted to go back to this, the beginning. It is quite delightful, although as it happens I was able to figure out the culprit early on, only because I had read later entries and therefore knew something I shouldn’t have known. As a result, while I definitely recommend this series (and would love to try all the cocktails Roddy invents!), the reader should certainly start with this installment before moving to the next; recommended!
In 1974, 12-year-old Gwendy Peterson meets the enigmatic Mr. Farris on the recreational ground above Castle Rock; he gives her a box, on the top of which are eight colored buttons and with a lever on each side. The buttons represent six continents (Antarctica is left out), plus the red button which can be anything and the black button which is the whole shebang; one of the levers reveals a chocolate, the other a coin. Mr. Farris asks her to keep the box and of course she knows it’s a secret, but she can’t help but be curious about its properties…. To say more about this novella would be to give it away, so I’ll just add that this is the first story in a trilogy, the other two of which are, I think, full novels. If you’ve ever read Stephen King, you’ll know his knack for characterization and situating his people within specific times and place; Mr. Chizmar is certainly less well-known but he’s a long-time author of horror stories and the editor and publisher of the very fine magazine, Cemetery Dance (which itself includes a regular column discussing the myriad creations related to Mr. King’s voluminous output, on a more or less bimonthly basis). I already have the second book in this series (written by Mr. Chizmar alone), but will have to wait until late May for the third; so this is just to whet my whistle, so to speak. As enjoyable as King always is, and at 90 pages a very quick read; recommended!
So, a good month for reading, although this February has been rotten - colder than usual weather but also wildly variable, and a husband with health problems (fortunately not *too* dire) made for a heightened sense of the blahs. Not to mention we're *still* not out of the pandemic, sigh....