A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series Book 2) by Louise Penny

Since Louise Penny’s new mystery came out (her 16th in the Inspector Gamache series), I realized I had only read the first in the series and decided to read them in order starting with #2, where Inspector Gamache, haunted by the unsolved death of a homeless woman, also investigates the unusual electrocution of a brash, loathsome, socialite who attends a curling match in Three Pines, where his investigations often take him, and where the cast of delightfully odd townspeople provide background. While I don’t think this volume was as good as the last, I am still going to continue, mostly because Gamache, who works for the Sûreté Du Québec, the provincal police in Quebec, is a fascinating and appealing character –thoughtful, quirky, and intuitive, while his staff are complicated, and the backstory continues through several novels. 3 Stars

“The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig

The reviews I read on this book were mixed, but I have to say I quite liked the quixotic way the story echoed the charm of shows like “Quantum Leap” or “It’s a Wonderful Life”, combining them with philosophical musings, and modern-day woes, to tell the story of Nora, a young woman who feels she has made all the wrong choices in life, but when she tries to end it all, instead, is given a chance to explore possibilities she never expected. Once I bought into the somewhat predictable premise, and skimmed some of the preachier parts of the philosophizing, I was thoroughly entertained, and finished the book in one sitting. 4 Stars

“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett

There were parts of this book that kept my interest, and other parts where I started to skim, because the narrative, with its interesting take on racism, family ties, and twins who make different choices, was set aside to give cursory attention to transgender issues, alzheimers, misuse of steroids, and other areas, thereby losing focus on the main characters, Stella and Desiree, light-skinned, black girls who together escape the constraints of their small town only to live two completely different lives. The town of Mallard, designed specifically for light-skinned blacks, was an odd backdrop, with somewhat stylized characters, and while the characterization of Desiree is strong, Stella remains shadowy, and that, coupled with the quick jumps between reminiscences and actual events that left me confused, made me wish the author would’ve just told the story of the twins. 3 Stars

“The Midwife’s Tale” by Sam Thomas

Although it’s not deep literary ficition, I was pleasantly entertained and entranced by this tale and if you are a historical fiction fan or a mystery fan, you will love the story, set in the 1660s during the English Civil War, and revolving around a kind, wealthy woman who wields an amazing level of influence as she serves as midwife in the city of York. The book is filled with wonderful details about the political strife, class barriers, culture, and way of life in that era, and moves along quickly when Lady Bridget Hodgson angers powerful people in an effort to clear the name of a friend accused by the Catholic Lord Mayor of murdering her domineering, Protestant-leaning husband; and in between delivering babies, determining who fathered bastards, and protecting her servant from assault by a criminal, Lady Bridget uncovers the truth and brings events to a fitting and exciting conclusion. 4 Stars

P.S Apparently this book is the first book in a series of 5 books revolving around Lady Bridget and her work as midwife cum detective.