Broken Places: A Rachel Goddard Mystery

By Sandra Parshall

Rachel Goddard, the local veterinarian, is once again trapped in the midst of murder.  Her friend, Ben, has recently moved to town.  When she stops by to check on his dog, Ben is arguing with Cam Taylor, the local newspaper editor.  While driving home, Rachel notices Cam's car on the side of the road, hears a shot, and discovers Cam's body in the woods. 

Later that morning, the Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger drives to Cam's house to inform his widow.  He finds her car out front, and the house on fire.  Later, her body is recovered from the wreckage.  Who would kill both the husband and wife within hours of each other? Rachel refuses to believe that her friend Ben had anything to do with it.  Tom is not so sure, but has plenty of other suspects.

In the meantime Tom's ex-girlfriend, Lindsay, returns to Mason County.  She just happens to be the Taylor's daughter, and will do anything to get Tom back.  How much will she dig up in Rachel's past?  And will it lead to the end of Rachel & Tom's romance?

These stories are turning into a Murder, She Wrote serial, but I still like them.  I'm just glad I don't live in this county.  Lindsay's character is over-the-top crazy, but that's what keeps this story interesting.  I usually get bored with series since I get sick of the same characters (yes, I realize this is weird).  I only wish she didn't become more compassionate at the end.  Lindsay should have stayed crazy.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts In a World That Can't Stop Talking

By Susan Cain

How did society change from valuing integrity & courage to rewarding brashness & self-promotion?  This book researches how organizations like Harvard Business School encourage extroversion at the expense of quiet, rational thought.  The author also explains why "cult of the personality" megachurches, and self help gurus are taking over society.

One third of the population is made up of introverts, so why don't schools and jobs allow for solitary individualism?  Mostly, it's easier for teachers to use group projects to teach, and it's cheaper to have employees brainstorm  and work collectively, but most of the time the loudest are not the smartest.  Plus, while there's nothing wrong with confidence, it's not a comfortable fit for everyone.

The book also explains how to "fake" extroversion in order to deal with life.  Having spent my life doing just that, I was happy to know I'm not the only one pretending that I am upbeat and comfortable in new situations.

People of Darkness

By Tony Hillerman

A missing box of rocks, a truck explodes outside of a hospital, and a dying man is murdered -- Sergeant Jim Chee is caught up in seemingly unrelated mysteries.  Somehow they are all related to a decades old oil well explosion, at least in Chee's opinion.  With an assassin is on his trail, Chee must solve this case quickly before he becomes the next victim.

I like this series.  This story is the first one that focuses on Jim Chee instead of Joe Leaphorn, but still takes place in Navajo territory.  The only quibble I have at all is with the white schoolteacher, Mary.  She keeps cool in an emergency, but she's kind of snotty.  I couldn't tell if she was flirting or just obnoxious.  Chee is also trying to decide whether to join the FBI or stay and study his tribes' traditions.  Will he join the "white man", or stay true to his heritage?

Watched

By Cindy M Hogan

Christy is thrilled to win a scholarship to Washington DC and escape her friendless, bookworm existence.  But when her travel group is witness to a murder, Christy gets more excitement than she bargained for; the FBI watching over her & strangers tracking her every move, all while trying to decide which boy she truly likes.

I'd like to think that if a smart girl just straightened her hair & put on makeup, boys would realize how beautiful she is, but I just can't buy into it.  The other girls are typical stereotypes - a kind roommate, a jealous boy crazy snip, and a witchy, gossipy pain in the rear.  The guys aren't much better. 

The worst of it is that it was truly like reading the mind of a 15 year old girl - and I mean reading every single thought.  Ugh.  Way too much fretting, puzzling, and obsessing.  The book should have been WAY shorter.  Plus, I don't like stories that cop out at the end just because the author wants to sell a sequel.

So many other people loved this book, I was wondering if I read the same novel!

There's No Place Like Here

By Ceclia Ahern

Sandy Shortt's obsession began over 20 years ago, when a classmate went missing.  Ever since, Sandy feels a compulsion to seek out lost things, whether it is a missing sock, a stuffed animal, or her toothbrush.  It's no surprise that she has built her life around solving missing persons' cases, trying to find that missing part of her own life.  Her parents don't understand, and her only friends are those she has tried to help. 

Jack Ruttle is Sandy's latest client.  When she disappears the day they are set to meet, Jack is the only one worried.  Everyone tells him that Sandy disappears for days when she feels too attached or overwhelmed.  But Jack feels that Sandy might be the only person that can help him find his brother, Donal, who has been missing for over a year. 

Meanwhile, Sandy has found herself in another place - one that she cannot escape.  Here she meets some of her "lost" people, along with some of her missing possessions.  Can there really be a place where lost things go?

This story seemed to be a different take on The Wizard of Oz, except that Sandy didn't exactly yearn for home in the beginning.  She was relieved to finally find out where things end up.  I liked Jack - he felt guilty about not caring enough for Donal when he was around, and felt obligated to know what happened to him, even though his family felt he needed to let go.  It was two stories in one, which due to my own short attention span, was perfect.

The Heat of the Moon

By Sarah Parshall

Veterinarian Rachel Goddard has a panicky flashback when a child's dog is injured.  Is she just imagining her sister as a child, crying and terrified during a rainstorm?  Her mother sees no reason to discuss the past, and no reason to talk about their dead father.  When Rachel tries to discover the truth on her own, her manipulative mother does everything she can to stop her.  Only Luke, Rachel's boss, seems to sympathize and support her, which only turns Rachel's mother & sister against him.  But Rachel has no idea what she is about to uncover about her family.

This was kind of a cross between Mommie Dearest meets James Herriot. Weird combination, but it works.  There are the inevitable plot holes, but the characters were interesting and the story suspenseful.  I just kept wondering why she keep her revelations from her sister --- every time she talked to her, she either flipped out, or ran & told their mother.  Rachel could have saved herself a lot of grief by leaving her sister out of the loop.

Secrets

by Liz Schulte

The strange story of Olivia, a photographer who falls for Holden, a mysterious stranger.  What or who is he?  Why do they share dreams?  Who is following her?  Why are people around her killing themselves?

I really can't tell whether I enjoyed this story or not... I enjoyed the chapter being told from different characters, but I didn't understand why Olivia just blindly accepted all the weird things that were happening.  It wasn't bad, just odd.  Suspend your common sense, and read away!

Disturbing the Dead

By Sandra Parshall

Tom Bridger returns to his hometown after a car accident takes the lives of all but himself and his nephew.  He joins the sheriff's department, and is thrown into solving the only case his father couldn't --- the disappearance of a local woman.  Meanwhile, he is falling in love with Rachel Goddard, a local veterinarian who is trying to escape her own past.  After Rachel hires the dead woman's niece, both women become targets.  Tom must solve the murder, unravel old secrets, and protect Rachel.

This is supposedly the second book about Rachel Goddard, but except for it having her in the story, there is no continuity.  This is a stand-alone story about a vet and a deputy sheriff.  That being said, it's a good mystery.  There wasn't much to follow Rachel's story from the first book, including her relationship with her boyfriend.  It was kind of more realistic for him to overprotect her, and for Rachel to want to get away from him and her hometown.

Three Came Home

By Agnes Newton Keith

Published in 1947, Keith tells the story of her family's captivity by the Japanese during World War Two.  She followed her husband, Harry, to Borneo just a few years before the war broke, and decided not to leave him even though it meant that she and her young son would be prisoners.

This book not only tells about the prisoners' deprivation and suffering, it also demonstrates what happens to a human being as a captive and as a captor.  Keith does not hate the Japanese; she understands that their actions are a result of the war.  There are some soldiers that are kind, and some that smuggle food to the children.  But then there are others who enjoy hurting and demoralizing their captives; they believe death is more honorable than captivity.

I had no idea that women and children were taken prisoner during the war.  Keith explains that shouldn't bear leaving her husband behind.  But Harry is sent to the mens camp, so it is up to Agnes to keep herself and her son George alive for over 2 years. 

Agnes is very realistic in her writing, without being too graphic - she doesn't paint herself as a saint.  One part that I thought rang true was when she said that the women she liked before, she grew to love.  The women she felt indifferent to, she grew to hate. And the things she thought were useless - fine clothes and makeup - were lifesavers.  She could trade her clothes for food, and makeup made her feel more human.  I found myself thinking, "What would I do in the same situation?"  Then hoped I would never have to face it.