Nevermore Notes: The Harbor, Sunlit Weapon, Other Doctor Gilmer, Yellow House

 

Reported by Garry

 

The Harbor by Katrine Engberg is a Nordic noir novel set in and around the seamy underbelly of Copenhagen. This third entry in the Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner series sees our two investigators try to find a missing fifteen-year-old boy who has disappeared leaving behind only a cryptic note – was he kidnapped or did he run away? Our reader, who is a fan of other Nordic noir authors like Jo Nesbo, said that there were a lot of characters in this novel which proved somewhat confusing, but overall this was an exciting, tight, and well-written book that she thoroughly enjoyed.  NH

 

 

A Sunlit Weapon is the latest Maisie Dobbs novel by Jacqueline Winspear. Set in October 1942, this thriller sees Maisie aiding in the investigation of the shooting of a female ferry pilot. The pilot was delivering a Supermarine Spitfire (the fastest, most maneuverable fighter aircraft in the world at the time) to Biggin Hill Aerodrome. Maisie’s husband is an attaché at the American embassy and is coordinating a visit from Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of the United States and a high-profile target for German assassins. These two storylines converge and intertwine in this fast-paced tale of mystery and spy-craft, which comes highly recommended by our reader. WJ

 

The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, A Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice by Benjamin Gilmer is a fascinating and powerful true-crime/medical mystery set just “over the hills” in Brevard, North Carolina. When Dr. Benjamin Gilmer comes to town to take over the practice of Dr. Vince Gilmer, he starts to find out that the long-time and most beloved Dr. Gilmer was convicted of the horrific killing and mutilation of his own father. Benjamin becomes obsessed with finding out what would cause this seemingly kind and beloved doctor to commit such a horrible act. Abandoned by the prison medical system and labeled as a malingerer by the court system, Dr. Vince Gilmer was in dire need of both medical and psychological help but stuck in a system that prioritizes punishment over healing. This gripping story was first told on NPR’s “This American Life” and was recently published as a stand-alone book.  ML

 

The Yellow House is the award-winning memoir by Sarah M. Broom that chronicles her family and their relationship with a yellow “shotgun house” in East New Orleans. Sarah’s mother bought the house in 1961 and the family lived there until Hurricane Katrina, which Broom describes as “the Water,” destroys the neighborhood. Our reader stated that the book read like a collection of stories – pieces in the lives of the members of Broom’s family and that while she really liked the book, she found the disconnected stories to be somewhat confusing but thoroughly enjoyable.  CD

 

Also Mentioned:

Breaking Down Vonnegut by Julia A. Whitehead

Roots by Alex Haley

The Blonde by Anna Godbersen

Death of a Chimney Sweep by M.C. Beaton

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

Psmith in the City by P.G. Wodehouse

Jackaby and Beastly Bones by William Ritter

The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER by Thomas Fisher

A Coin for the Ferryman by Megan Edwards

Immortal Valor:  The Black Medal of Honor Recipients of World War II by Robert Child

ShadowMan: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling by Ron Franscell

Nevermore: Coates, Rogers, Winspear, Molteno, Wiltz, Brookhiser, Pace, Klein, Scalzi

 

Reported by Garry

Our first reader spoke about Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, published in 2015.  The book is set in Baltimore, a city which a number of our readers are familiar with and is presented as a letter from the author to his son about what it means to be a black man in America While our reader enjoyed the book, and felt it was very informative, she felt that if she were to read it a second and/or third time, she would understand it better. 

 

Our reader also reviewed Gone Tomorrow – The Hidden Life of Garbage by Heather Rogers, published in 2006.  Trash.  (The book isn’t trash, it is about trash!)  In the early days of New York, trash collection was part of the mob.  In the years before automobiles, horses were the main form of transportation in New York, but each horse released 20 pounds of manure and 2 gallons of urine per day onto the streets.   This book also goes into the problems of recycling.  While a great idea, recycling has never really paid because it costs more to recycle than to build new materials.  Our reader definitely recommended this book.

 

Our next reader reviewed Jacqueline Winspear’s Among the Mad, the sixth in the Maisie Dobbs series.  Set in 1931, this mystery thriller involves a woman who is sent to an asylum, and a madman who plans to poison thousands.  Investigator Maisie Dobbs is the main character in this easy reading book series.

 

Next up was Journeys without a Map by Marion Molteno, a collection of stories and reflections on the writing life.  Raised in South Africa, the author lived in Zambia and became an international aid worker with Save the Children before moving to London as a political refugee.  This autobiographical book looks at how the author’s life experiences influenced her novels, such as Uncertain Light about international aid workers.  The author also wrote If You Can Walk, You Can Dance, about a young woman fleeing South Africa after she participated in the anti-apartheid movement.  Our reader praised this book and said that Molteno is an interesting author.

 

Next came The Last Madam by Christine Wiltz, a non-fiction historical biography which examines life in the New Orleans underworld through the life of Norma Wallace, a powerful and well-connected madam.  Wallace started her business in the 1940s and operated it up until the late 1960s.  She started out as a street prostitute in New Orleans, and quickly parlayed her natural business skills into running one of the most successful houses of prostitution in New Orleans.  Our reader states that this book is not written in a salacious way at all, and is fascinating.  Wallace was not forced into prostitution at all, despite a pretty seedy upbringing.  She decided early on that that is how she could support herself, and for years was wildly successful.

 

Our next reader is a member of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society and read Alexander Hamilton, American by Richard Brookhiser.  Initially published in 1999, our reader praised says “This is such a good book – lots of information and details.”    

 

The same reader also re-read a childhood favorite Old Bones the Wonder Horse written by Mildred Mastin Pace and illustrated by Wesley Dennis.  This is the true story of Exterminator, a horse that won the 1918 Kentucky Derby despite his lack of training.  After unexpectedly winning the Derby, Exterminator went on to an extraordinary career, running over 100 races and winning many.  Our reader loved this true story – it brought back many fond memories for her. 

 

Our next reader took on Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klein.  This novel, while based on history, is the fictional account weaves together the lives of two young ladies, separated over time.  Our reader liked the idea of a late teenager building a relationship with a widow and compared this novel to Anne of Green Gables.  

Last up was A Very Scalzi Christmas by John Scalzi.  This Christmas themed collection of short stories was “kind of goofy,” but fun and thoroughly enjoyable. 

Nevermore: Winspear, Possibility Dogs, Atwood, Lee Smith, Erik Larson

Reported by Kristin

Maisie Dobbs is a favorite character of a few Nevermore readers, and this time she showed up in An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear. This series takes place after the Great War in England, as Maisie undertakes criminal investigations with a psychological bent. This outing has her researching a small village in Kent, and is full of the historical detail that readers of the series enjoy. Our reader recommends starting at the beginning with the first book, simply titled Maisie Dobbs.

Returning to non-fiction, another Nevermore member read and enjoyed The Possibility Dogs: What I Learned from Second-Chance Rescues about Service, Hope, and Healing by Susannah Charleston. The author was involved in search-and-rescue operations and began to find shelter dogs who had the potential to be of service to people with disabilities. Our reader found that she was amazed at how much the dogs have to learn to do, and found their capabilities heartwarming.

Graphic novels pop up in the group once in a while, and today it was Angel CatBird by Margaret Atwood. The author of the well-known The Handmaid's Tale and the more recent sequel The Testaments, Atwood wrote this fantasy novel of genetic engineer Strig Feleedus who ends up as part of his own science experiment based on cat and owl DNA. Strig becomes a superhero in this first part of a trilogy. Our reader noted that Atwood wrote this book as a bit of an apology to birds as she realized that her indoor-outdoor cats over the years had been stalking and killing avian prey. This book comes recommended if you would like something just a little different.

Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith has been passed around to several book club members, and is usually praised highly. Ivy Rowe was born in the Virginia mountains and never ventures far, but tells her tale of Appalachia through a series of letters. Written using local dialogue, this novel is touching and very identifiable to those who live in this region.

Finally, a reader discussed Thunderstruck by Erik Larson. With two interwoven stories of Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the telegraph, and Hawley Crippen, a man who probably would have gotten away with murder if he just hadn't chopped up his wife. As news was able to be communicated more quickly due to the telegraph, the murder investigation travelled across the Atlantic faster than the sailing ships could. This strange juxtaposition of stories sounds odd, but it works as Larson is skilled at telling the tales of quirky people.