Kittens Can Kill by Clea Simon

Reviewed by Jeanne

When animal behaviorist Pru Marlowe makes a house call, she expects to take a new kitten for a wellness check and perhaps dole out advice on litter boxes and scratching posts.  She does not expect to find a man dead from undetermined causes.  David Canaday, the deceased, was not a known animal lover, so it strikes Pru as a bit odd that his middle daughter decided to fly in from California to gift him with a kitty. The three Canaday sisters aren’t exactly a warm and loving family, and suspicion heats up when it comes out that their lawyer father may have been planning to change his will. Still, a lawyer makes many enemies so it could be someone else had it in for dear ol’ dad.  Pru is willing to let them fight it out until the eldest daughter demands the kitten be put down. Then her interest becomes personal.

Pru has a few advantages when it comes to an investigation.  Even though Jim her cop boyfriend (of sorts) isn’t exactly forthcoming about the case, she has some of her own sources:  Pru is an animal psychic who hears what every bird and beast has to say.  Interpreting what they say is another matter entirely.  Animals have their own interests and preoccupations, and generally aren’t interested in the doings of humans if it doesn’t impact them directly.  The other part is that Pru generally tries to understand their answers from a human point of view, which can lead to misunderstandings.

The other problem is turning conversations off, which Pru can’t do.  She hears courting sparrows and disgruntled dogs, hungry predators and frightened prey.  Doctor Doolittle, it ain’t.  That’s part of the reason that Pru tends to hit the bottle a bit more than she should, and is more than a little reluctant to let her boyfriend get too close.  She’s terrified of others discovering her secret; after all, the first time she realized she was hearing animals talk, she checked herself into a mental hospital.

The result is an interesting mix of hardboiled noir mystery and supernatural cozy.  It’s definitely grittier than your average cozy.  Pru’s life was difficult enough before; this odd ability only complicates things further.  She still has a self-destructive streak and a prickly personality.  She drinks too much, she tries to push away those who, like Jim, care about her—except for Wallis, her opinionated tabby cat who never pulls her punches and who never sugarcoats anything. Wallis and Pru communicate on a much higher level, though there are still things neither understands about the other.  On the other hand, Simon doesn’t wallow in explicit details of death, sex, or gastrointestinal disorders as some darker mysteries feel compelled to do.  I was heartened to see in this installment that Pru is starting to come to terms with some of her problems; it’s a first step, a crack in the character’s hard exterior.  

As with the earlier entries in the series, some of the most interesting characters are non-human.  Wallis the tabby is as imperious as her namesake the Duchess of Windsor and has very definite views on things.  She’s also not amused when Pru brings the upset kitten home with her; Ernesto is very much a toddler still, obsessed with play and looking for Mama.  Bitsy the Bichon who prefers to be known as Growler is another who has very firm views but who is kept in check by an owner to whom the little dog is just another possession. This time readers are introduced to a sheltie who is seeking her purpose in life now that her person is gone.  Biscuit, like most working breeds, needs something to do with her time, but her present owners are oblivious. However, I want to point out that the mysteries are solved via non-psychic means:  no animals name the murderer or give Pru clues.  What they do is remind Pru that most crimes come from the most primal of impulses, from competition for a mate, defense of territory or from a perceived threat, desire for resources, or the like. We are all animals after all.

As with most of the best books, Simon gives the reader more than just a mystery.  It’s an exploration of the relationships between people and animals, both domestic and wild, and how one can impact the other in unexpected ways and sometimes unhappy ways.  Food for thought! 

Kittens Can Kill can be read as a standalone book, but if you enjoy character development you’ll want to start with an earlier book in the series.  The titles are:

1. Dogs Don't Lie
2. Cats Can't Shoot
3. Parrots Prove Deadly
4. Panthers Play for Keeps
5.  Kittens Can Kill

Full disclosure:  I was sent a copy of the book by the author but that did not influence my review. It did, however, give me an idea for a photo op with blue eyed Bonnie who was not in a cooperative mood.

 

Nevermore: Alan Turing, Ralph Peer, Worst Case Scenario, and Malaria

Reported by Jeanne

As often happens with Nevermore, a particular book will prove so intriguing that several different members will read it. Such is the case with Alan Turing:  The Enigma by Andrew Hodges.  This was the basis for the recent movie The Imitation Game. Our current reader says that while the book isn’t a thrilling page turner, it is a compelling book which is enjoying.  He finds it interesting to contrast the view of mathematics as almost a philosophical construct rather than being something practical.  In fact, it seemed those who were looking for practical applications were seen as “sell-outs” in some quarters.  He appreciates that while math is discussed, the book is NOT a dry collection of formulas. The book is a biography, after all, and while mathematics played a major role in Turning’s life there were indeed other considerations.  One part he’s found particularly interesting so far is a section in which a young Turing wonders about the morality of codes and secrets.  Another member pointed out that a U.S. Secretary of State had once shut down the entire cryptographic department in 1929 because “Gentlemen do not read other gentlemen’s mail.” How things have changed! 

The Malaria Project by Karen M. Masterson describes how the U.S. government undertook to create a malaria vaccine.  After half a million soldiers were infected with the disease, researchers were diligently searching for something to prevent further infection.  Experiments were done using animals and then humans.  Not all the humans were able to give consent:  mental patients were a part of the testing as well as prisoners. In fact,  Nathan Leopold of Leopold and Loeb, one of the two wealthy young men who murdered a boy in a sensational case, was one of the prisoners.  Our reviewer thought this was a thorough examination of an important topic.  

The next book up was Ralph Peer and the Making of Popular Roots Music by Barry Mazor.  While many Bristolians think of Peer simply as “that guy who was here in 1927,” this book shows what a wide ranging effect Peer had on popular music.  He began his career selling records around the country which gave him great insight as to what kinds of music people wanted to hear, something that would serve him well when he became the person seeking out new talent.  The innovations in technology which allowed for better recording helped spur Peer’s success.  Our reviewer was impressed with both the book and with Peer.  He noted that readers who are country and folk music fans will be astonished at the number of careers Peer influenced, but those less well versed may get lost in some of the names.

The Ultimate Worst Case Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven is just the thing to pack the next time you think you may be caught up in an elephant stampede.  Need to perform the Heimlich maneuver? Instructions include human, dog, and cat.  If you’re in your car and end up in the water, this book will tell you how to escape.  The new edition even prepares you for the new danger du jour:  zombie attacks.  Our reviewer had been listening to the audio version of this book and found it to be a delightful blend of useful facts and humor.  She says it was the perfect thing to listen to while working around the house because of the brief sections.  She also advises that we keep a shovel on hand for those zombies, because it’s a dual function weapon.  You can whack and hack with it!

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Reviewed by Meygan Cox

“I don’t mean to be rude,” I said, “but what are you people?”

“We’re peculiar,” he replied, sounding a bit puzzled. “Aren’t you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“That’s a shame.”

Jacob is a teenage boy born into an affluent lifestyle. He states that he loves his mother only because that is what he is supposed to do and even though he likes his father, he is frustrated that his father never finishes a project (e.g. the numerous novels with a beginning but no end). The only person Jacob feels connected to is his grandfather who is a very peculiar man. Ever since Jacob was a child, his grandfather told him stories about other peculiar children he grew up with in an orphage on an island. Jacob, enjoying his grandfather’s stories but at the time same time concerned about his sanity, finally admits to his grandfather that he doesn’t believe what he is hearing. After that moment, his grandfather no longer tells Jacob about the peculiar children or the island until the night Jacob and his friend, Ricky, find his grandfather’s mauled body in the snow. Barely clinging to life, Grandfather tells Jacob that he must find a bird in the loop on the other side of the old man’s grave. He also tells him to remember September 3^rd, 1940, whatever all that mumbo jumbo means. As Jacob watches his grandfather take his last breath, he can’t help but feel that he is being watched. When Jacob looks up, a monster is staring at him from the bushes. Ricky shoots at the movement in the bushes but doesn’t get a good look at whatever it is. After losing his grandfather and seeing a monster, an overwhelmed Jacob passes out. 

Months later, Jacob is taken to a therapist. No one believes what he saw in the woods that night, and the therapist convinces Jacob that the monster was just an illusion. However, Jacob discovers where the orphanage is located and with the help of his therapist, he persuades his father to take a trip there. His father is reluctant at first but then agrees. (He hears that there are rare bird species on the island and studying the birds will allow him the opportunity to finish his new novel!) Jacob finally gets to the location, but to his dismay there is only an abandoned house. Not wanting to travel thousands of miles just to go back home, Jacob decides to explore the house. After finding peculiar pictures (there’s that word again) in a trunk, Jacob hears a girl ask for Abe, Jacob’s grandfather. Jacob follows the voice until he eventually catches up to the girl. Except for not only has he caught up to a girl who can ignite fire from her hands, but he has also entered a “time loop” that has taken him back to the 1940s.

I am still perplexed by this book. I finished it thinking, “What did I just read?” I read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children because I had been asked for it so often. Apparently, it is quite popular. When I was finally able to lay my hands on the book, I checked it out immediately. Let me begin by saying why I didn’t care much for the book. First, I thought the author worked too hard with TRYING to make the unusual (trying to avoid “peculiar”) pictures fit into his story instead of writing his story and then inserting the pictures. I thought some of the pictures were neat and freaky looking, but some of them made me laugh out loud because I thought the placement was too “worked into” the book. I give him a B+ for his use of creativity, but I can’t give him the full A+ because there were some pictures that didn’t add anything to the story. 

Also, I had a difficult time liking any of the characters, including Jacob. I felt that the author only scratched the surface with character analysis. By the last page of the book, I felt that I hadn’t learned anything at all about Jacob except that I thought he was dull. I wish Riggs would have delved more into their backgrounds even if that meant eliminating a few people to invest more time in the main characters. His friend in the beginning, Ricky, is never brought up after the first few chapters, which I found pointless. Why introduce a character that isn’t that very interesting anyways just to never mention him again? However, there is a second book so perhaps we will see Ricky again. 

Not to give too much away, but I also feel that the “powers” of the peculiar children are cliché. Where else have we read about invisibility (Marvel’s Invisible Girl), pyrokinesis (again, Marvel’s Dr. Storm from the Fantastic Four), the power of levitation/flight (a numerous amount of superheroes), those who are animorphs (can turn into animals i.e. Jacob from Twilight, shape shifters from True Blood), etc., and the characters who were “original”, well, they just weren’t that special.  

So what did I like about the book? Honestly, I am not sure. I don’t have an “I have to read the second book right away” kind of feeling, but I do have the feeling of “Eh, I may get to the second book sometime this year”. I am excited that Tim Burton is directing the movie in 2016. Hollywood couldn’t have chosen a person more suitable to give Miss Peregrine the spooky feeling it deserves. Due to the ominous cover, I felt that Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children should have made me sleep with my night light on. (Not that I still own a night light. Cough, cough!) But sadly, while there were parts that I found revolting, I was able to go to sleep right away after reading. Hopefully you will enjoy this book more than I did!

Note:  An earlier review of this book appears here.  Every book is not for every person, which is a good thing! The sequel to this book is entitled Hollow City.

Evil in the 1st House; Topped Chef

Reviews by Jeanne 

Evil in the 1st House by Mitchell Scott Lewis

David Lowell is a number of things: former musician, shrewd investor, detective, and astrologer.  The latter has made him independently wealthy and helps him solve his cases as well. This time he has an interesting one indeed:  a man has given him a case containing one million dollars.  He wants Lowell to find his son, no strings attached.

There’s an odd feel to the case, but Lowell isn’t quite sure what it is.  Meanwhile, he’s also trying to identify the employee who embezzled from the employee pension fund of a marshmallow company.  Throughout it all, Lowell uses both technology (he has a computer hacker on payroll), good old fashioned detective work, and astrology to find out the truth.  This particular entry has an emphasis on medical astrology, i.e. using a chart to predict possibly areas of physical disease.  

This is the third in the Starlight Detective Agency series and to my mind the best so far. Lewis has a surprising twist or two in the plot which made the pages turn a bit faster.  Lowell is becoming more fully developed as a character. His wealth allows him to take only those cases which intrigue him, regardless of payment. This installment delves a bit more into his past, giving us some insight into his failed marriage and his relationship with his daughter. The astrology aspect is the draw for me, as Lowell uses it in unexpected ways:  to figure out where someone might be hiding, to decide when to buy or sell various stocks, or who might be tempted to steal.  I’m almost tempted to drag out the old astrology books, but one look at the math required and I let them sleep quietly on the shelf instead.

You don’t need to read the books in order.

"I find a catnip garnish adds a bit of zip to any dish!" Flora, gourmet

Topped Chef by Lucy Burdette

Food critic Hayley Snow loves most aspects of her job, but she doesn’t enjoy giving bad reviews.  Still, when a particular eatery has failed multiple times to give satisfaction, she has to write an honest review.  That’s uncomfortable when you’re living in a relatively small community like Key West, when you’re likely to run into the unhappy owner of the restaurant in question.   Then Hayley is volunteered to be one of the judges on a new cooking show, along with Sam Rizzoli, the aforementioned owner.  It soon becomes obvious that it’s not just the contestants who are at each other’s throats—there’s no love lost between the judges as well. When Sam Rizzoli turns up dead, the list of suspects is long. . . and some might count Hayley as one of them.

I was underwhelmed by the first book in the series, An Appetite for Murder, but as I noted at the time first books in series usually have to spend a lot of time setting up characters and situations.  Topped Chef is the third book and is a much more enjoyable read as far as I'm concerned .  The Key West setting was used to better advantage and I found the food descriptions and analysis to be more interesting.  Also, there was not so much whining/obsessing over the ex-boyfriend—granted, he was more of an integral part of the first book, but he was such a sleazy character I found it difficult to understand why Hayley fell for him in the first place.  It made me really question her judgment and dragged the book down for me. I had doubts about continuing with the series, but I’m glad I gave it another try. The next book in the series is Murder with Ganache. I hope ol' whazzisname won't even be a passing memory by then.