Nevermore: Unquiet Grave, When We Were Orphans, Orient Express, Crossbones Yard, Discourtesy of Death

Reported by Ambrea

Set at the turn of the century in Greenbrier, West Virginia, The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb is a masterful retelling of an infamous legend—and a murder than shook a small town to its core.  Shortly after the death of her daughter, Zona, Mary Jane Heaster visits the county prosecutor and claims the ghost of her daughter has appeared, saying she was murdered.  When an autopsy proves this to be true, Greenbrier is thrown into turmoil and headlines are awash with stories of the Greenbrier Ghost.  Switching between the perspectives of Mary Jane and James P.D. Gardner, the first black attorney to practice law in West Virginia, The Unquiet Grave, according to our Nevermore reader, is an incredibly fascinating novel.  Not only does McCrumb’s book draw on the history of the region, it tells a compelling story that’s sure to leave readers clamoring for more.  Our reader highly recommended it to Nevermore, saying she finished it within a few days because it was simply that good.

Next, Nevermore checked out When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro.  Christopher Banks was born in Shanghai, but, when he is orphaned at the tender age of nine, he’s sent to live in England.  More than twenty years later, Christopher has become a renowned detective and he returns to Shanghai to solve the mystery of his parents’ suspicious disappearance.  But, as the cover points out, “within the layers of his narrative is slowly revealed what he can’t, or won’t, see:  that his memory...is not unaffected by his childhood tragedies; that his powers of perception...can be blinding as well as enlightening; and that the simplest desires—a child’s for his parents, a man’s for understanding—may give rise to the most complicated truths.”  Our reader said When We Were Orphans was very good; in fact, she named Ishiguro as her new favorite author, saying he always published incredible works.  Insightful and imaginative, this novel is a fascinating look at loss, discovery, memory and desire.  Our reader highly recommended it.

Nevermore also took a look at The Discourtesy of Death by William Brodrick, a suspenseful mystery set in Britain that dives back into the world of Father Anselm, a lawyer turned monk.  When Father Anselm receives a letter accusing Peter Henderson of murder, he knows he must uncover the truth if he hopes to expose a killer—and stop a series of dangerous events that will inevitably lead to even more spilled blood.  Our reader said The Discourtesy of Death was a fine mystery; however, she noted it was filled with philosophical musing and it had a penchant to develop slowly.  She offered it to her fellow mystery readers, but she didn’t give it a high recommendation, saying she “honestly found the [history of the] author more interesting than the book.”

Next, Nevermore shared a new book by Kate Rhodes titled Crossbones Yard.  In this series debut, readers are introduced to Alice Quentin, a London psychologist with more family baggage than she would like to admit.  When Alice stumbles across a murder (quite literally), she finds herself drawn into a murder case that will put her—and everyone one she’s ever cared about—into danger.  Our reader said she’d never checked out any of Rhodes' novels, but “I will look for more from her.”  Crossbones Yard turned out to be a great mystery story, our reader continued, and the end was “pretty amazing.”  Rhodes' novel was passed on and quickly snatched up by the next person.

Last, Nevemore rounded out our meeting with a look at a classic mystery:  Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.  The tenth novel in the Hercule Poirot series, Murder on the Orient Express recounts Detective Poirot’s trip on the luxurious Orient Express as he returns to Belgium—and the unexpectedly grisly murder that pits Poirot against one of the most ingenious killers he’s ever faced.  Our reader picked up Christie’s novel, because she wanted to read it before she watched the new movie.  She said it’s the perfect winter story.  “You can feel the cold and the snow,” she said, noting that the novel is incredibly descriptive and wonderfully detailed.  Thus far, she has loved reading Murder on the Orient Express.  She’s currently taking notes on characters and trying to decipher clues, saying, “I’m going to figure it out eventually.”

Nevermore: B.A. Paris, Lisabeth Salander, Graveyard Book, Never Let Me Go, Astrophysics, and October Sky

Reported by Jeanne

B.A. Paris’ debut novel Behind Closed Doors was recommended again by a Nevermore member.  The story revolves around a husband and wife who seem to have the perfect marriage, but astute readers will see dark undercurrents early on in the book.  Our reader said she had to take a sneak peek at the ending but still enjoyed the book.

Many of those in Nevermore have been fans of Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander books, so there was great interest the new books in the series written by David Lagercrantz.  The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye was praised by our reader for catching the essence of the original characters.  However, the plot was deemed a bit thin and more than a bit implausible. 

The Newbery Award-winning The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is keeping another reader entertained.  The story revolves around Bod, an orphan boy who is being raised by the inhabitants of a graveyard after the murder of his parents.  She said it was the perfect book for this time of year, and she was enjoying the relationship between Bod and the various spirits.

Our next reader was impressed with Never Let Me Go  by Kazuo Ishiguro but said that it was a difficult book to talk about without revealing spoilers.  She did say that it was set in the 1990s but sort of an alternate time. The story takes place in Hailsham, which is an English boarding school for special students, and follows three students in particular as they grow up and learn their purpose in life. She picked up the book because she wanted to read something by the winner of the  2017 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Astrophysics for People  in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson might as well have been titled “Brain Surgery for People in a Hurry,” according to our reader.  He felt the title indicated the book could be read and understood quickly while there is a lot of information packed inside 224 pages.  That’s not to say that the book isn’t good, just that it takes a while to absorb it all.  

Finally, one member praised October Sky by Homer Hickam, which was first published under the title Rocket Boys.   The details Hickam’s youth in Coalwood, WV, a mining town in the Appalachian Mountains.  Homer was in high school when the Russians launched Sputnik, and that event captured the young man’s imagination.  He and some classmates set out to build their own rockets for the state science fair in hopes of earning a way out of a fading coal town.  Our reader found it to be a wonderful book and is looking forward to seeing the movie—which she had actually seen some years ago and hadn’t liked, but after reading the book she’s now anxious to see it again.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Reviewed by Meygan 

Downton Abbey seems to be the latest craze, so therefore I have spent some time creating bibliographies for Downton Abbey lovers! While I have yet to see the show, a fiction book listed in one of the bibliographies piqued my interest.  In The Remains of the Day, I was introduced to Stevens, a butler who served at Darlington Hall for Lord Darlington, one of the most prestigious men in England. After working for some time, Stevens takes a trip, a mini vacation in other words, across the West County. On his journey, Stevens reflects on his years as a butler and how his father was a butler was well. It was as if Stevens had it in his blood to serve others. Stevens and Miss Kenton, the head housekeeper for Darlington Hall, flirtatiously banter, even though Stevens would never classify their conversations as flirting. No, he is much too reserved and too dedicated to his work to allow himself to concentrate on anything else. 

Stevens is the epitome of someone who is so career-driven and overzealous that it is detrimental to his life. I am sure that we all know or have heard of that kind of person where work is always their first priority. Anniversary? There is paperwork to be done at the office! Romance can wait! Your child’s birthday party? They will have another one next year, right?  Yes, I believe we all can think of a fictional or non-fictional person of someone who meets this description. Stevens’ life is terribly sad. During his time spent reflecting, Stevens provides his readers his view about his important life events, all which take place at Darlington Hall, of course. It may be that he is not telling us the whole truth, but is omitting information. One of his most prominent reflections concerns the passing of his father. When Miss Kenton tells Stevens that his father is at death’s door, Stevens does stop by to see his father but doesn’t stay long because there is work to be done. 

Much of the book takes place in flashbacks to the World War II ear.  That has always been one of my favorite parts of history to read about, so perhaps this is why I was so inclined to read The Remains of the Day. Lord Darlington sympathizes with Germany. He doesn’t agree with how England has treated Germany in the Treaty of Versailles after WWI and uses his influence to try to persuade others that appeasement is the correct approach.  Not only are readers learning about Stevens and his past regrets, but Lord Darlington serves a big part in the book as well.  

The Remains of the Day was a good story. I have a difficult time reading a book where I do not agree with the protagonist, so perhaps this is why it took me a few weeks to finish Ishiguro’s novel. There were times when I wanted to slap Stevens and tell him to wake up and look at how his life is flashing before his eyes! However, Miss Kenton is my favorite character from The Remains of the Day and possibly the only reason I finished the book. Although there was a moment where I wanted to slap Miss Kenton as well (there’s a lot of slapping going on, huh?), she redeemed herself. I felt that all of the characters were well-developed, even though there were moments where I hoped Stevens would dig deeper into his past. Like Stevens, I am a future oriented person. Often that has been a good quality, but sometimes I am so focused on my future that I forget to enjoy the present. Perhaps everyone, including myself, can learn a lesson from Stevens’ story.