book reviews of literary, mainstream and genre fiction and nonfiction http://www.curledup.com/index.htm Hayder brings a uniquely female perspective—that is to say, a precisely-turned edge--to the malevolence in this particular tale of incipient horror and obsessive behavior. Returning to an unresolved drama between Jack Caffery of Bristol’s Major Crime Investigation Team and Sergeant Flea Marley of the dive unit over the resolution of the Misty Kitson disappearance from a rehab clinic in an earlier novel, Caffery is haunted by his inability to give the girl’s grieving mother closure. But the crux of Poppet is a mystery at a Bristol asylum, Beechway Psychiatric Unit, where mental patients are caught up in hysterical rumors of the return of “The Maude”--a tiny figure stalking victims at night to torment them, driving some even to harm themselves. http://www.curledup.com/poppet.htm Cha’s debut is a great fun, the plot a perfect combination of pulp thriller and literary suspense that plays out on the gritty streets of Los Angeles. At twenty-seven, Juniper Song has achieved a measurable degree of independence and is happy living in her Park La Brea apartment. Her only regret is that her active life has been overshadowed by her sister, Iris, who still remains on her mind. A devotee of Chandler‘s quick-witted, masculine Philip Marlowe, introspective Juniper frequently finds herself obsessing on truth, guilt and personal responsibility. http://www.curledup.com/follow_her_home.htm Saigon in 1966 is a very lucrative place for the Chinese-born owner of an English-language academy. Percival Chen (formerly known as Chen Pie Sou) is the headmaster of a school catering to the translation needs of Americans during the Vietnam War. As the fighting intensifies, Percival continues to live a charmed life despite his gambling addiction. When his only son, Dai Jai, defies the Vietnamese authorities, Percival’s comfortable life ends abruptly. http://www.curledup.com/headmasters_wager.htm I have been enjoying Susan Wittig Albert’s several mystery series for about 20 years now. In my mind, Widow's Tears is the best China Bayles mystery yet. Albert has been giving voice to her other characters in the last couple of books, and it has been a marvelous experience, hearing from China’s husband and “Smart Cookie.” But Widow's Tears gives us Ruby’s viewpoint and perspective, and I really liked that. Ruby’s past has come back to--quite literally--haunt her. Seeing Ruby's take on things is enjoyable to see, realizing that she is not always comfortable within her skin, that she often strides ahead without complete certainty, and sometimes, despite her flamboyant nature, that she is downright scared! http://www.curledup.com/widows_tears.htm Capturing Restoration London in all its poverty and grandeur, Calkins’ seventeenth-century mystery is peopled not so much with historical characters as with a brutal, unforgiving landscape where the Quakers' strangeness of faith makes them outsiders and outcasts. In A Murder at Rosamund's Gate the bubonic plague comes to the slop-houses in the deepest parts of the city, and the helplessness of unfortunate girls, born without title or family for protection, becomes synonymous with the social turmoil that results from a society undergoing rapid change. http://www.curledup.com/murder_at_rosamunds_gate.htm The voices circling Joseph’s novel are reminiscent of William Faulkner as each character sifts through broken dreams, misdirected anger, and fragile, evolving love. Each family member rings true to themselves while providing a distorted view of those around them. Even the central character--fourteen-year-old Caleb Vincent, recently returned to parents Maureen and Jeff and his little sister, Lark--is swept up in societal expectations in a way that brings him both joy and anguish. http://www.curledup.com/where_you_can_find_me.htm Adolescent turmoil often persists into adulthood, which creates a confused and troubled world. Such is the major theme of Dan Josefson’s novel That's Not a Feeling. In this particular work, readers and characters alike find their world reduced in size to a unique school for troubled youths in New York State. The occurrences there mirror the problems of life in general, and so it is that the novel is a microcosm of larger themes. http://www.curledup.com/thats_not_a_feeling.htm When Beatrice Coleman retires from her museum curator position in busy Atlanta and moves to a small town in North Carolina to be near her daughter, she has no idea how her life will change. Nosy neighbor Meadow is not only the sheriff’s wife; she is also the president of the Quilters Guild and always looking for new quilters to join their fellowship and fun. The quiet, peaceful life in a small Southern town eludes Beatrice as she is constantly visited by her neighbor and Meadow’s giant lovable dog, Boris. http://www.curledup.com/quilt_or_innocence.htm If your favorite reality show is all about skimpy costumes and spray tans, you’re going to love Ella Barrick’s The Homicide Hustle. http://www.curledup.com/homicide_hustle.htm DeSanti fills the pages of her dense novel with vibrant intensity and decadence. The author tracks the life of Eugenie Rigault, “a goose-girl” from a tiny village hugging the Pyrenees, as she moves through the pampered halls of Paris aristocracy to the city's bawdy brothels and crime-riddled back alleys, where theft and deceit thrive. http://www.curledup.com/unruly_passions_of_eugenie_r.htm “We went down to see Dr. Rovner and today + he also stated that I should pull myself together + not destroy Joy + the kids because of my mental insecurity.” --From the diary of Bill McAuliffe http://www.curledup.com/mythical_bill.htm Jan Karski was a debonair young Polish diplomat in training when, in 1935, he was called to go to war for his homeland. After serving in its military, Jan willingly joined the Polish Resistance directed from England, becoming part of a mysterious, imperiled cadre of nameless operatives engaged in a deadly serious effort to thwart the Nazis and save Poland. So highly valued was his information gathering that it was he who in 1942 was charged with taking to London, and then the United States, the truth about the Nazi genocide of millions of Jews. http://www.curledup.com/story_of_a_secret_state.htm Joe Peta is a longtime Wall Street trader who analyzed sports in the same way he looked at finances, creating a market investment model for the 2011 Major League Baseball season. He treated the MLB as if it were a name on the S&P 500 index and focused in on those teams with a string of bad luck and players with overall talent. He made projections and used these figures to figure out who was going to win--and lose. http://www.curledup.com/trading_bases.htm If it weren't for Capp's strip, MAD magazine may have remained forever inside the head of Harvey Kurtzman, Bill Watterson may have never created "Calvin and Hobbes" and Garry Trudeau's "Doonesbury" might still be an idea floating in space somewhere. http://www.curledup.com/al_capp.htm The turbulent times created in Europe by the rise of Hitler in Germany and Stalin in the Soviet Union resulted in the departure of many first-rate scientists from their native countries to other nations of the world (and to the United States in particular). Delbruck ended up in the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, and Gamow found refuge in George Washington University in Washington, DC. From their new locations, both Delbruck and Gamow proceeded to make significant intellectual contributions to, respectively, molecular biology and cosmology. http://www.curledup.com/ordinary_geniuses.htm Rosamond Bernier has lived a life from which dreams are made. Born in Philadelphia and educated in the United States, France and England, she co-founded the iconic art publication L'OEIL. She became a famous lecturer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was a perennial on the International Best-Dressed List. But that's only a small part of it. http://www.curledup.com/all_i_really_want_to_do.htm “We went down to see Dr. Rovner and today + he also stated that I should pull myself together + not destroy Joy + the kids because of my mental insecurity.” --From the diary of Bill McAuliffe http://www.curledup.com/some_of_my_lives.htm Who wouldn't want to be a record producer? Studio musician? Recording engineer? Music supervisor? Everybody wants to be in the music business but only a handful are able to enter the hallowed doors. Redman's book may not put the key in your hand, but he will certainly provide you with the tools to obtain one. http://www.curledup.com/best_jobs_in_the_music_industry.htm When the well-to-do MacBrides gather for the first time since mother Lydia’s passing at the family’s weekend home—a restored barn in the English countryside—years of secrets surface, and they discover a stranger in their midst. A stranger who is convinced that Lydia was a murderer. A stranger who has been exacting vengeance upon the family for years without their ever knowing. And one who will threaten the youngest MacBride, baby Edie, and the clan’s memory of Lydia, shattering their world forever. http://www.curledup.com/win.htm Tweeting curledup.com, curledupkids.com and curledupdvd.com recommendations. http://twitter.com/curledupbooks