The Interpretation of Murder - Jed Rubenfeld (2006)

Author: Jed Rubenfeld is a Professor of Law at Yale University. He has been described as “one of the most elegant legal writers of his generation”. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut, with his wife and two daughters. The Interpretation of Murder is his first book. This novel was a huge bestseller and published in thirty-six countries. Since then he has published his second novel “The Death Instinct”.

My thoughts: I remember very well why I bought this book among so many other novels displayed on the shelf of the bestsellers in the Portuguese bookstore Bertrand. What seduced me in this book was the first lines of the novel. Immediately, I knew that I would like to read it.

« THERE IS NO mystery to happiness. Unhappy men are alike. Some wound they suffered long ago, some wish denied, some blow to pride, some kindling spark of love put out by scorn--or worse, indifference--cleaves to them, or they to it, and so they live each day within a shroud of yesterdays. The happy man does not look back. He doesn’t look ahead. He lives in the present. But there’s the rub. The present can never deliver one thing: meaning. The ways of happiness and meaning are not the same. To find happiness, a man need only live in the moment; he need only live for the moment. But if he wants meaning--the meaning of his dreams, his secrets, his life--a man must re-inhabit his past, however dark, and live for the future, however uncertain. Thus nature dangles happiness and meaning before us all, insisting only that we choose between them. »

This story is set in Manhattan in 1909. It is about solving a murder mystery using psychoanalysis with the help of Dr Sigmund Freud, who happens to be in America for one week with a group of colleagues, Sándor Ferenczi and Carl Jung, all followers of Freud’s psychoanalysis theories in Europe.

Dr. Freud is invited to lecture at Clark University, in New York. During this visit he is welcomed and escorted by Dr Stratham Younger, a professor at Clark University.

This story is narrated by Dr Stratham Younger.  A woman, Miss Riverford, is killed by strangulation and soon after, the beautiful 18 year-old Nora Acton, of a reputable family, is attacked. She shows similar wounds to those of Miss Riverford and theories abound that Miss Nora Acton’s attacker is the same person who killed the rich Miss Riverford. The arrest of the killer is complicated by the fact that Miss Nora Acton is unable to remember her attack, claiming amnesia. Hence, Dr Stratham Younger is given the job of analysing Miss Nora Acton and, with the help of Dr Freud, sets out to solve the mystery and help cure her.

As the story unfolds we feel the intrigue grow and start wondering who the villain is. Is it the wealthy entrepreneur George Banwell? Is it the mysterious William Leon of Chinatown, in whose room one of the corpses is found? Or is it Harry Thaw, the notorious murderer of Stanford White, who may have slipped out from the Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane?

I loved this intriguing plot. I also loved the fact that Jed Rubenfeld has done a tremendous amount of research in order to use true facts and events in this intelligent fictional story. This suspense story is different compared to other crime novels that I have read. There is much more focus on psychiatry, but it is still easy to understand and I must say the reader learns a lot, while being entertained at the same time. A masterpiece that I invite you to read this summer!

The Collector by John Fowles (1963)

A young London office worker, an avid collector, admires a giant butterfly from afar: a young and radiant student of Fine Arts. He kidnaps her, installs her in his country house, purchased with his winnings from betting on football results, and yearns for nothing more than the pleasure of her company. But neither the champagne nor the caviar nor the new dresses nor the art books make her accept her prison. Miranda tries to escape, to call for help and, even, to kill herself. Driven to desperation she offers herself to him. This is a fatal mistake; you cannot make love to a butterfly. Miranda catches cold and soon dies of pneumonia. Meanwhile, in the distance, a girl appears who looks like Miranda and the collector is already considering catching her in his net.

Author: John Fowles was born on March 31, 1926 near London. He studied French Literature at Oxford. He travelled widely in Europe, especially in France and Greece. He was much more influenced by French writers (Flaubert, Camus) than British authors. Fowles’s books have been translated into many languages and he was named by the Times of London as one of the fifty greatest British writers since 1945. John Fowles died in 2005 at the age of 79. 

My thoughts: I read this book twelve years ago (August 2006) and I have been a Fowles fan ever since. I love his writing! I chose this book at Payot bookstore along with the same author’s novel “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”, a Victorian-era romance. I read it in French translation. I adored this novel and remember reading it in one go. Right from the outset this story surprised, fascinated and deeply disturbed me. The plot remains uncertain and worrying until the final page. This is really not a fairy tale story but charts the evil instincts of a criminally insane madman who kidnaps women to remove boredom from his empty life. This is a very scary story - what freaked me out the most about this fiction is that it felt like a true story…

Amores da Cadela « Pura » by Margarida Victória Borges de Sousa Jácome Correia (The Loves of the Pure-Bred Bitch) (Vol. I, 1975 and Vol. II 1995)

The Marquise Jácome Correia was born in Ponta Delgada on 31 March 1919 into a wealthy aristocratic Azorean family. With a childhood dominated by an ultraconservative mother, she grew up almost left to herself and, very early, she clung on to a hopelessly doomed marriage. From then on, Margarida’s life was a constant laboratory of the oddest human experiences, shrouded by the veil of an exotic, fantastic and cosmopolitan romanticism.

Author: Margarida Victória Borges de Sousa Jácome Correia hesitated a lot before publishing her autobiography. She was a woman who had suffered deeply, chained to a society of ruthless prejudices. She dedicated her book to distressed and frustrated beings. She advised “Have the courage to sever your bonds to the environment you live in if it does not suit you. Follow your destiny. The essential is to fulfil yourself.”

My thoughts: Where do I begin? What a memoir! This is one of the most disturbing true stories I have ever read. It's a phenomenal account of a lady who went through numerous dramas in her life, but who never lost the faith in her capacity to overcome the challenges that life reserved for her.

This is the story of the Marquise Jácome Correia, known as Margarida Victória who has been raised in a very conventional way in a noble family where there was very little love. Her family raised her with such strict beliefs and weird ideas. She went to a boarding school in Switzerland, was forced into a psychiatric institute as a mentally unbalanced person, lived in Egypt and the USA. She married a several times and finally found her soul mate later in life. 

I loved this book of confessions written with great lucidity and courage. The writing is fluid and without pretensions. Its tone is conversational, very intimate, frank and terribly poignant. I read it twice in 2013 and 2015. At each reading I was overwhelmed by emotions. I am grateful to this lady for having written her testimony. She is inspiring in many ways. In 2010 Bertrand published a new edition, the two volumes in one book. Within a few weeks the book was sold out. While on vacation, I went to almost every Bertrand bookstore in Lisbon. The day before my departure I found a copy of this new edition. I have translated the synopsis of the book in my words because this book has not been published in other languages. For those who are fluent in Portuguese, I urge you to discover this poignant story - 464 pages of pure joy.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (2017)

“When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.

It’s about a jealous wife, obsessed with her replacement.

It’s about a younger woman set to marry the man she loves.

The first wife seems like a disaster; her replacement is the perfect woman.

You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships.

You will be wrong.”

My thoughts: Those who are fans of psychological dramas will adore this domestic thriller. I adored this book and found it totally captivating! It’s the best psychological thriller I’ve read so far this year. This novel has been sold in 30 countries and Hollywood has bought the film rights.

It was written by the duo of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, and became a bestseller. This is a difficult book to review since I can’t tell you much for fear of giving anything away. I can just say that this is the story of two women. The first is Vanessa, Richard’s ex-wife, who is obsessed with her successor, a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry her ex-husband. Then there is Nellie, the new wife-to-be, who feels safe, loved and protected by Richard, a good-looking, financially successful man, with an imposing personality...The story is told from the points of view of Nelly and Vanessa, who are very alike (apparently...) on the outside and who love the same man.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (1989)

This book is beautifully written and “unputdownable”. I wasn’t sure that I would like it when I first started reading, but I’m so glad that I persevered (after the 2nd chapter I was completely immersed in the book).

As the story unfolds, a host of events multiply and allow fate to intervene. I had a lot of fun reading this novel. I love Esquivel’s imagery and style, which are strikingly raw and simple, but also the mysterious and magical setting for the story and I found every character to be amazing.

Like Water for Chocolate (original title: Como Agua para Chocolate) was a number one bestseller in Mexico and has since been translated into more than 30 languages.

The book follows the story of Tita de la Garza, the youngest of three daughters of the tyrannical and generally unpleasant widow, Mama Elena. According to Mexican tradition, Tita’s lot in life, as the youngest daughter in the family, is to remain unmarried and care for Mama Elena until the latter dies.

Tita falls in love with her neighbour Pedro at the age of 15 and when Pedro asks Mama Elena for Tita’s hand in marriage, Mama Elena refuses because of an inhuman tradition. Instead, she suggests that Pedro marries Rosaura, Tita’s elder sister. He accepts this only in order to be close to Tita, whom he loves enormously.

From then on, as a passionate and skilled cook, Tita uses her cooking talent to secretly express her heartache and desire for Pedro through the food she prepares. This is the only way she can express herself because Mama Elena is watching them closely to see that they behave... Later on, we learn that Mama Elena had her own hard struggle in life and a lot of frustration too.

All of the chapters begin with recipes that are woven throughout the narrative to create a metaphor for Tita’s emotions. These recipes are methodically detailed. This allows us to dive into the beauty of ancient Mexican cuisine.

This is definitely a marvellous novel that I urge you to discover.

Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (1999)

The book centres on Vermeer’s prosperous Delft household during the 1660s. When Griet, the novel’s quietly perceptive heroine, is hired as a servant, turmoil follows. First, the 16-year-old narrator (Griet) becomes increasingly intimate with her master. Then Vermeer employs her as his assistant and ultimately has Griet sit for him as a model. A complex domestic tension rises in the household, ruled by the painter’s jealous, eternally pregnant wife and his taciturn mother-in-law.

Author: Tracy Chevalier was born on October 19, 1962. She grew up in Washington, DC. She moved to England in 1984, and worked for several years as a reference book editor. In 1994 she graduated from the MA course in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Her first novel, Virgin Blue, was chosen by WH Smith for its Fresh Talent promotion in 1997. She has written seven novels, mostly in the historical genre. Tracy lives in London with her husband and son.

My thoughts: I read this masterpiece twice. I loved this beautifully written historical fiction, all the more so as I am fond of Vermeer, a little known painter born in Delft in 1632. Johannes Vermeer painted mostly domestic interiors, often portraying a woman performing a task. He only painted about thirty-seven pictures and one of my favourite paintings is without a doubt the “Girl With a Pearl Earring”.

Although it is a fiction, the facts around the famous painter Johannes Vermeer are true. The author has respected the historical facts with respect to the dates and events that have taken place. I loved the character of the maid, Griet, a very intelligent and wise girl, who evolves in the course of the story. The other characters are intriguing, including the painter; most of the time the narrator (Griet) makes him seem very mysterious.

The style of the book is what I would call a “huis clos” in French (a claustrophobic drama behind closed doors). As the story develops the reader feels the tension growing and is gripped by an anxiety: how will Griet manage to survive among the vipers? It's an intense and sad story, but so beautiful. I urge you to read it.

Child of Happy Valley: A Memoir by Juanita Carberry (1999)

If you enjoy a pleasant read that takes you to distant horizons, such as Kenya in the 1920s, this book is well worth reading.

This is the memoir of Juanita Carberry who was born and raised in Kenya, it tells us about her both extraordinary and unhappy childhood. She lost her mother at the age of three and since that time she lived with her unloving father, stepmother and a vicious nanny.

As we read this book, we also learn a little more about the lives of those who made up the Happy Valley set and the events surrounding the death of Lord Erroll. Juanita wrote that Delves Broughton admitted to her privately that he was in fact guilty of the murder, but was acquitted at the trial. Juanita knew all the members of the Happy Valley set. She disliked this group and when she grew older she avoided becoming part of it.

Johannes Vermeer by Norbert Schneider

I was first attracted to Johannes Vermeer after receiving a reproduction of his painting “Girl with the pearl earring” as a gift twenty years ago. It still is my favourite, but I very quickly came to appreciate all of Vermeer’s paintings. One of my biggest dreams is to visit the Vermeer museum in Delft, which might happen soon, on my own, because Sweetheart is not a Vermeer fan.

I enormously love TASCHEN’s art books and have them for a variety of artists. This series is not only affordable, but it is rich in information. This art book features a detailed chronological summary of the life and works of Vermeer, covering his cultural and historical importance. It also contains a concise biography and it is full of illustrations with explanatory captions.

The author of this book, Norbert Schneider (born in 1945), is Professor of Art History at the University of Karlsruhe. His research focuses on the art history of the Middle Ages and early modern times.

Little is known about Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). We do know that he was the second child and only son of Reynier Jansz, a specialist in silk weaving who simultaneously practised the profession of art dealer. Vermeer married Catharina Bolnes in 1653 and lived in Delft. All of his paintings were done in his workshop in the attic of the house of his very wealthy mother-in-law, Maria Thins. 

Vermeer only produced 35 paintings; he was one of the great masters of the golden age of Dutch art. He sold very few of his works as he relied on other means to support his family. Most of his paintings (all shown in this book) depict women going about their daily business. Vermeer recorded the tasks and duties of women, the imperatives of virtue under which their lives were lived.

The last years of Johannes Vermeer were darkened by the dramatic deterioration of his finances. This afflicted him to the point of ruining his health and he died in a short space of time. He left 11 underage children.

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (2015)

Regular readers will know that Erik Larson is one of my favourite historical novel authors. It is therefore no surprise to learn that I loved this book tremendously. Even if we know from the beginning how it will end, we feel the suspense rise in each chapter and that, to keep you going all the way through 555 pages, is an art, believe me!

May 1st, 1915. As the First World War begins its tenth month, the Lusitania, a luxurious British liner, leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Nearly 2,000 passengers enjoy the modern amenities of this powerful and fast ship nicknamed the “Greyhound of the Seas”. Germany has classified the seas surrounding England as war zones, but the captain, William Thomas Turner, knows the rules prohibiting attacks on civilian ships. Shadowing the liner aboard the German submarine U-20 (Unterseeboot-20), Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger, nevertheless decides to ignore these rules. On May 7th, as U-20 and the Lusitania make their way to Liverpool, an array of forces both large and achingly small - hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret and more - all converge to produce one of the great disasters of history. 

Erik Larson enfolds us in an incredible plot with a suffocating atmosphere. He has done tremendous research work to tell us this true story where espionage mixes with sentimental setbacks and the rivalries of decision makers....

I can tell you that I was disgusted by the British leaders who, instead of behaving like noble men, behaved like idiots (to be polite). Instead of using information intercepted from their German enemies to save civilians, they remained in manipulative mode for the sole purpose of forcing the United States to join the war against Germany.

I find that the strength of this book lies in the characters of the story. Here are a few: the captain of the ship Thomas TURNER, an old sea wolf;  US President Woodrow WILSON, in full sentimental turmoil; Alfred VANDERBILT, a millionaire; Edith BOLLING GALT, the second wife of President Wilson; Winston CHURCHILL, already in a position of responsibility; the bookseller Charles LAURIAT who carries a unique manuscript copy of Charles DICKENS’s “A Christmas Carol” of 1843, a treasure; “Dowie”, the ship’s cat mascot, who leaves the ship before it sails...

And let us not forget the one by whom the horror arrives, the Captain of U-20, Walther SCHWIEGER, described by his officers as a handsome man of great culture and kindness.

Life and Soul by Helena Sacadura Cabral (2013)

Today there is a great need to rediscover values and emotions that most of us would consider lost. They are not. They just lie dormant. It is maybe this realisation that sparked in me the will to rethink them. This led to this compendium of feelings, one for each day of the month. At this difficult time for many, should we all not try to refocus our priorities in order to feel a little less unhappy and empty?

Author: Helena Sacadura Cabral was born in Lisbon in December 7, 1934. She is an economist, journalist and Portuguese writer. She was the first woman to join the Bank of Portugal. Since 2005, she has published over 10 books. She is divorced and mother of two boys.  One of her sons is the politician Paulo Portas.

My thoughts: I bought this beautiful book in the bookstore of El Corte Inglés in Lisbon a couple of years ago. As I was running early on my way to see a movie, I went downstairs to the book department to pass the time. To be honest, it was the cover that attracted my attention: tiny and girly. I read a few lines and I found it wise, inspiring and genuine. “Life and Soul” is a great little book that invites reflection, it banishes the superfluous noise that invades our everyday lives. 

I choose this daily maxim at random: “The worst betrayal is to our principles, because it is committed by us, against us” Think of what you owe to yourself in the defence of your dreams and be faithful to the principles you have chosen. I strongly think we should not use masks; we should love and accept ourselves even when we fail. Happiness can only come from authenticity.

You Can’t Win...by Jack Black (1926)

This is a fabulous read, a very entertaining and exciting memoir of an outlaw. I loved it enormously and I offered it to Sweetheart as a birthday gift. Any man will love this memoir. Jack Black has a storytelling talent that keeps us going all the way through the book’s 470 pages.

Thomas Callaghan, aka Jack Black, born in 1871, lost his mother young and was entrusted by his father to nuns to take care of his education. When he leaves the convent, he becomes fascinated by the criminal underworld about which he devours newspaper articles and stories. This young man of 14 years of age falls in love with this life on the margins of society that provides intense freedom.

In this magnificent memoir, Jack takes us with him on an exciting journey into the underground life where we get to know hobos, men who cross North America on freight trains. Petty larceny and arrests for vagrancy end up making him meet the brotherhood of the Johnsons, thieves with a strict code of honour based on mutual aid and join the ranks of the yeggs (safe crackers) and other burglars.

A reformed Jack Black became archivist for a San Francisco newspaper and wrote his memoir of thirty years of sometimes successful, but far more often aborted crimes, unwavering, unbreakable friendships and betrayals, addiction to opium, and, of course, fifteen years in prisons, from Canada to Folsom.

A woman in Berlin by Anonymous (1954) (Eine Frau in Berlin)

Sincerely, this book is the best I have read this year. Henceforth it will be part of my list of all time best reads. Despite the atrocities it describes, I found it very easy to read, given the detached tone of the narrator. Indeed, the text does not fall into melodrama, it remains objective. That said, I had tears in my eyes on many occasions.

The anonymous author makes a poignant, cold, detailed and humorous autobiographical account of the post-war period following the fall of Berlin, when the Red Army invaded Germany. It relates the everyday life in Berlin during the Soviet occupation, particularly in relation to women, victims of multiple rapes, starvation, loneliness and the relentless struggle for survival.

This memoir was published anonymously for the first time in 1954 in English. The narrator wrote her diary every day by the light of a candle. Later she gave her notebooks to a friend, who decided to have them published anonymously to preserve the privacy of the people described in her memoir. After the death of the narrator, in 2001, the name of the author was revealed. She was Marta Hillers, a German journalist.

Coeurs Silencieux by Anne Brécart (2017)

My thoughts: As I mentioned in my “October Monthly Round Up”, I have so many books on my bookshelf waiting to be read. But, as I am a passionate soul, whenever a book captures my attention, I take it home. Thus, I borrowed “Coeur Silencieux” by Anne Brécart from my local library. This Swiss author is a wonderful discovery. I finished this book in two days and can’t stop thinking about it. This will be one of those books that stay with me forever. It is a reminder of what love life is like; there are no bad decisions, just appropriate ones, made at that particular stage in our life.

In “Coeurs Silencieux” the narrator observes what time is doing to emotional attachments and she explores what is no longer and what remains unaltered: the old emotions, the links re-emerging from the mists of time.

This is an elegant and delicately written novel. I loved the nostalgia that this story evokes; the book oscillates between the old days and the present. The narrator, Hannah, is a woman in her fifties who, after a divorce and two grown up children, decides to return to the village of her childhood, using the excuse of the sale of her mum’s house. Upon her arrival, she is welcomed by Jacob, the sweetheart of her adolescence. They met forty years earlier; she was a 14 year old teenager and Jacob a 21 year old young adult teacher. Jacob entrusts her with the diary where he recorded the two years of their love story. Despite the forty years spent apart, Hannah succumbs again to this silent and mysterious man with ambivalent behaviour.

The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin (2016)

My thoughts: I borrowed this book from my local library in September.

This novel was an excellent surprise. I loved both the very detailed and meticulous description of the jet-set of the 50s and 60s and the exquisite, funny dialogues. This novel is not a true story, even though many of the facts it recounts are real. I think this is a very feminine book, written by a woman for us women.

This is the story of the great fortunes and great families of the 50s and 60s that made New York shine. It is mainly focused on a small circle of women (swans) who became acquainted with Truman Capote. Among these “swans”, ladies of high society, is Babe Paley. She was an editor at Vogue and embodied the elegance of the era. She was the wife of the founder of CBS.

Babe Paley is perfect; always beautiful, always well dressed, always organised. Behind this sequin-studded life, in reality hides an empty existence based on appearances. In this community, people get married for a prestigious name, money and beautiful houses. There are many “new rich” who are ready to do anything to be part of the famous families: Astor, Vanderbilt, Whitney, etc...

So, that small circle of women friends, nicknamed the Swans, befriend Truman Capote. Babe Paley, little by little, enters into a platonic relationship with Truman. Through her contact with Truman she finds a little thrill in her empty, lonely life. We follow the story of platonic love between these two fragile beings, all the way to their sad ends. Babe is serious, Truman is futile, she is married, he is gay, she is reserved, he is exuberant.

Along the way, we learn of dirty tricks, pettiness and deception, gossip, in short, a world where solid values ​​have little place.

The cases that haunt us by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker (2000)

Of the many horrendous crimes that have been committed over the years, certain criminal cases seem to have lives of their own. Despite the passage of time, they continue their hold on our collective imagination, and our collective fears. For some reason, each of these cases and the stories surrounding them touches something deep in the human condition, whether it be the personalities involved, the senseless depravity of the crime, the nagging and persistent doubts about whether justice was actually done, or the tantalising fact that no none was caught…

 “Each of these cases we’ll be examining in this book has been extremely controversial, and in each case that controversy has continued. And each of these cases contains some universal truth at its base to which we can all relate. Taken together, they present a panorama of human behaviour under extreme stress and an inevitable commentary on good and evil, innocence and guilt, expectation and surprise.”

Author: John Douglas is known throughout the worldwide law enforcement community for his unsurpassed expertise in the realm of criminal personality profiling and modern investigative analysis. Mark Olshaker is an acclaimed novelist specialised in thrillers. Both men live in the Washington, D.C. area.

My thoughts: This is a very good book and an exhaustive look into some of the most notorious criminal cases. This book has a scientific approach (based on both psychological analysis and investigative work). The storyteller is engaging.

I was very young when I first heard of Jack the Ripper and I thought it was a tale akin to stories of monsters and witches. It possessed all the classic elements: a man emerging from the shadows wearing a cape, attacking woman and then vanishing without a trace, spreading fear in the city, a hunt put in place to catch him without success…It was much later, though, in my late teens, that I learnt, sadly, that it was a story about real crimes. While I was a student in London, I never went to the Whitechapel area (I cannot explain why…).  Brick Lane, a historic street in this district, is now a popular place for great Indian food. I recently went for some excellent Indian/Pakistani food there and strolled the infamous streets…

There has been much speculation, with somebody claiming to have discovered Ripper’s true identity on a regular basis. A multitude of books have been written about him, groups of Ripper amateur investigators have been created, films based on the case have been made, and so on. 

In the Forest by Edna O’Brien (2002)

My thoughts: Lately, I have been trying to get through a big pile of books on my bookshelves, but sometimes I put aside my resolutions. That happened when I saw a book at the local library that pleased me enormously - In the Forest by Edna O’Brien.

When I first read a novel by the great Irish writer, Edna O’Brien, I immediately fell in love with her writing style. I found Edna O’Brien’s writing poetic, elegant, refined, enchanting and mesmerising.

In the Forest is based on a true story that took place in County Clare, Ireland in 1994.

The novel tells the story of Eily Ryan, a beautiful, bohemian and naïve woman and her son, Maddie, a vivid, sweet boy. Both were found dead in Cloosh Wood. The murderer is Michen O’Keane, nicknamed the Kinderschreck by a German man from whom he stole a gun. He had had an awful childhood, filled with abuse, rape and rejection. As a young adult, Michen had mainly known life in orphanages, prison and the woods.

This novel is a story of horror and sorrow, written in one long flashback, broken up into named chapters. Right from the beginning, we know that Eily, her son Maddie and Father John Fitzgerald are going to be murdered, but we don’t know the circumstances under which these murders will occur. This makes the whole story thrilling and full of suspense. When the tragedy happens, we feel horror and sadness...I had to put the book down until the next day because I felt extremely moved and anguished. The next day I finished it.

In the Forest is a very dark and yet beautifully written book. This is the second O’Brien novel that I have read. The first was “The Little Red Chairs”.

Author Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, Devon, South West England on September 15, 1890. She is one of the most famous detective writers of all time and is known as the “Queen of Crime”. She wrote her first novel in 1920. Her most famous characters are Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Agatha Christie grew up surrounded by a succession of strong and independent women from an early age. She was married twice and had a daughter. She died in 1976.

In a career which spanned over 55 years, Agatha Christie wrote over 70 novels and more than a dozen plays. Her superbly written detective stories are “unputdownable”. I’ve been a big fan of her novels since I was a teenager. I read her books one after another and I have loved all of them - that is why I suggest you discover her novels. In terms of crime novels, there is no denying that there is Agatha and then there are the others! My favourite book by Agatha Christie is And Then There Were None (1939) which I have reviewed already.

My thoughts about And Then There Were None: With this novel, again, Agatha Christie signs a brilliant puzzle that leaves the reader breathless and disoriented until final outcome. I love the atmosphere, the captivating plot, the quintessential British touch and the inescapable tea time. I love the overall ambience of those afternoon teas; the warm and comfortable event where guests feel welcomed and inclined to confidences and chatter…And most of all the final twist… justice has been done…shush!!!!!!

Author John Fante

John Fante was born on April 8, 1909 in Devon, Colorado. He wrote about writing and the people and places where he lived and worked, which included Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, the Bunker Hill district of downtown Los Angeles, California, as well as various homes in Hollywood and Malibu. Diabetes cost him his eyesight and led to the amputation of both of his legs. He died in 1983.

John Fante is a great author (but little known, at least in Europe). We can perceive his talent in his lyrical descriptions of Los Angeles, California (where most of his novels are set) and his vivid and somehow cynical portraits of his touching characters.

When I first read John Fante in July 2006, I instantly fell in love with his writing style and his universe. Within a few months I had read many of his books. My favourite is Ask the Dust (1939) which I have already reviewed. That said, I have loved all of Fante’s books. That is why I suggest you discover his novels.

My thoughts about Ask the Dust: This is an intense book which is easy to read. It made me want to read it again and, indeed, I have read it twice. The main character in this book is Bandini.  He encapsulates the entire history of an Italian immigrant childhood: the misery, the humiliation of the cheated mother and the beatings of the father. I have considered the possibility that Bandini is Fante, sitting in that dour Bunker Hill apartment, reflecting on a hard life of devastating failures punctuated by occasional successes. Bandini is a young man, among so many other aspiring writers. He only wrote a few books, leading a life in dingy hotel rooms and inspired by sensual love.

Indiana Gothic by Pope Brock (1999)

When Pope Brock discovered the truth behind the dramatic death of his great-grandfather, Ham Dillon, he travelled to Indiana to discover more about his family’s buried history. This is the extraordinary result.

A sweeping, powerful true story that reads like the best fiction, Indiana Gothic is the tale of two married sisters living in the poor, pious American midwest at the turn of the century. Bored, beautiful Allie falls in love with her sister’s charismatic husband and a reckless affair ensues. Encompassing adultery, scandal and a sensational murder trial, this is a haunting love story that echoes across the generations.

Author: Pope Brock was born in Atlanta, Georgia, raised primarily in Baltimore, and graduated from Harvard University in 1971. After training in New York as an actor, he became a freelance journalist, and has written for the American editions of Esquire, GQ, Rolling Stones, Life and several other magazines. Brock lives in New York, with his wife and has twin girls.

My thoughts: Indiana Gothic is an atmospheric and gripping read. This is a fictional novel based on true events that Brock re-created from a few surviving documents and a lot of imagination. It is the story of a family betrayal (adultery) that led to a murder in rural America of the early 20th century.

Allie and Maggie Thompson are two somewhat rival sisters. When they were young, they promised themselves never to marry farmers. They had a happy childhood in a good family. Allie married her teacher, Link Hale, and founded a family. Maggie married Albert Hamlet Dillon (aka Ham Dillon) and started a family. The two sisters lived far apart and, with time, the desire to get closer to each other, to create strong family ties, becomes stronger. So, Allie and her husband Link move to Elnora in Idaho. Ham, the brother-in-law, offers a teaching position to Link. Ham is pleasant and sophisticated. He is handsome, charismatic, educated and ambitious, qualities to which his sister-in-law, Allie, will soon succumb, the more so since she is locked in a joyless marriage to the depressive Link Hale.

These two are undeniably made for each other. They fall in love and have a passionate and long-lasting affair. All is well until the day the two lovers decide to have a baby. The baby is born sooner than expected, if Link was the father. He is different from his brothers and sisters. In addition, he was to be called Albert Hamlet Dillon (a name suggested by Ham during a family dinner). All of these factors gradually aroused the suspicions of Link, the cheated husband... The countdown to the murder, which takes place eighteen months later, has started...

Lady with Lapdog & Other Stories by Anton Chekhov

Today, I wanted to suggest an author whom I adore. Although his stories are dramatic, he has a somewhat humorous way of writing that warms the heart: it is his great art. So my dear readers, I will be frequently posting little reviews of the short stories of Anton Chekhov. Here is the first episode.

The Chemist’s Wife by Anton Chekhov (1886)

The young wife of the chemist cannot sleep. Her husband Chernomordik snores. She gets bored and feels upset, oppressed.

In the night she hears the footsteps of two men, two officers approaching. It is the doctor and the young officer Obtiossov. Passing the chemist’s shop, they decide to go in, despite the late hour, because the chemist’s wife is to their liking.

They buy her mint lozenges and then Seltz water. They talk amiably, want wine. She drinks with them, she is cheerful and momentarily escapes her loneliness. They flatter her... It is getting late and they leave with regret.

Once in the street, Obtiossov returns to the store and rings the bell again, hoping perhaps to talk more with her or to pay her court... But it is her husband who comes to serve him. His wife was much attracted by the officer, but her husband was unaware.

And here is the chemist’s wife of this little town, who repeats with bitter tears “How unhappy I am, how unhappy I am - and no one knows”

Author: Anton Pavlovitch Chekhov was born on 17 January 1860 in Taganrog, a port of Azov in southern Russia. He was a Russian playwright and short story writer and is considered to be the greatest writer of fictional short stories ever. In 1886 he graduated in medicine and practised as a medical doctor in Moscow, whilst writing in parallel. Chekhov died of tuberculosis in July 1904, he was 44 years old.

My thoughts: This book, re-edited in 2016 by Folio Classique, contains 15 short stories, each with a common theme, namely women, indeed the book is dedicated “to the kingdom of women”. In his work one finds happy women, even more unhappy ones and also bitches, even criminals. Their common point is that they are misunderstood women, very alone, aspiring to another life and not knowing how to change their existence.

Anton Chekhov was a little misogynous, cold and taciturn and with an unparalleled sense of humour (albeit very cynical, I must confess). Chekhov tended to believe that he wrote comic stories, even when he drew tears from his readers and, thus, he was astonished to learn that great Russian writers, such as Léon Tolstoï, had read “Douchetchka” four times in the same day saying that this short story had made him more intelligent.

This is not surprising, since Anton Chekhov drew his inspiration from real life models. Moreover, some of his friends and acquaintances were angry with him for having dared to take inspiration from a part of their life.

Finally, did you know that we owe this famous aphorism to Anton Chekhov: “If you fear solitude, do not marry.” In my opinion, this gives an accurate image of Chekhov’s attitude towards women. But for my part, I love this great author: his books and short stories are a real treat.

It is for this reason that I decided to publish here, over the coming months, brief summaries of the stories I prefer. Perhaps this review has aroused you curiosity?

For my part, they go right to my heart with their mixture of romanticism and nostalgia.