Reported by Ambrea
This
week, our Nevermore readers didn’t disappoint with a new and exciting array of
novels, starting with The Truth of All
Things by Kiernan Shields. In
Shields’ novel, Deputy Marshal Archie Lean spearheads an investigation into the
murder of a prostitute in Portland, Main.
Lean thinks the mystery will be an open-and-shut case, until he
discovers the victim was killed using traditional methods for killing witches
during the Salem Witch Trials. Now, with
the help of historian Helen Prescott and criminalist Perceval Grey, Lean will
wade through some of the darkest of New England history to find a killer—and
stop another murder. Although our reader
hadn’t yet finished The Truth of All
Things, he had very positive comments about Shields’ novel. He liked the undercurrents of political
intrigue and deception; however, he was most appreciative of the fact that
Shields, rather than following one mystery, follows many mystery. Even forty
pages from the end, he was curious to see how the author would resolve the
final mystery since everything seemed to be all wrapped up with a nice bow.
Next,
our readers switched gears and shared Of
Wolves and Men by Barry Holstun Lopez.
Lopez, an author and skilled essayist, takes a serious look at wolves
and their impact on human civilization, development, myth and folklore. He examines how wolves have managed to
ingrain themselves into many aspects of folklore and myth and, even, modern
stories, and reveals how human perception changes from culture to culture and,
more importantly, transforms within literature and science. Our reader was very pleased with her book
choice. She was fascinated by Lopez’s
research into literature, history, science and mythology, how he displayed
humanity’s experiences with—and perceptions of—wolves and what kind of impact
wolves had on the development of society and myth. She thought the illustrations were especially
wonderful, saying the photographs (which were taken by John Baugess) and
drawings were absolutely beautiful.
Our
reader received George Washington’s
Secret Six: The Spy Ring that Saved the
American Revolution as a Christmas gift last year, and she was incredibly
pleased by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger’s work. Focusing on the Culper Spy Ring, a top-secret
group of six individuals operating under George Washington during the American
Revolution, George Washington’s Secret
Six offers a glimpse into the beginnings of American espionage. It was a fascinating book, according to our
reader, chock full of illustrations—portraits of the spies who were involved in
the Culper Spy Ring, among others—and historical information. She thought it was interesting to see how
history played out, and she was surprised to learn that historians recognize
five of the six spies involved, but the last, the only woman in the group,
remains a mystery even today. Overall,
she enjoyed the book immensely.
Additionally,
our readers checked out Elizabeth George’s novel, A Banquet of Consequences.
Continuing the investigations of Inspector Thomas Lynley and Barbara
Havers, George’s new book digs deep into the suicide of William Goldacre—and
the poisoning of a student at Cambridge.
Havers, looking for redemption after suffering several setbacks in her
department, pursues a new thread of reasoning with Lynley and struggle to
uncover the link between the two deaths and solve the case before another young
life is torn apart. Darkly twisted and
full of suspsense, A Banquet of
Consequences received good reviews from our reader. She said the story wound around “this
beautiful, but very neurotic woman,” who was characterized brilliantly, and
George’s novel had an excellent buildup with Lynley and Haver’s
investigation—and, more importantly, it was gifted with a twist ending that was
unexpected, but “very, very good.”
Last,
our readers explored Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving
the Aftermath by Ted Koppel. In his
latest book, Koppel explores a hypothetical reality in which the United States’
power grid is attacked and essentially decimated, leaving the greater part of
North America in the dark. According to
our reader, Lights Out is an extraordinary
book that provides a highly detailed answer to a simple question: what would happen if America was left in the
dark for weeks at a time? It’s a
frightening possibility that’s incredibly plausible, said our reader. However, she think that the author could have
provided a more detailed examination of what happens not just in the first few
days, but within the next several months.
She was left wondering what a further future would have in store.
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