The Pale Horse, by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie is a wonderful writer. The plot for this book was so complex that I had to make myself a diagram for myself showing each character's relationship to everyone else. In a nutshell, a dying woman gives a priest a list of names. She dies, and the priest is killed. The police have no idea what the list of names means, but many of them are turning up dead, of natural causes. Dr. Corrigan sees the name Corrigan on the list and takes it upon himself to solve the mystery even though he is a medical examiner for the police and not actually a detective. He shares info with Mark Easterbrook, the main character, who also is not with the police, and Mark manages to solve the crime, largely without the help of the police.
I have a feeling Agatha Christie's trust in the local authorities equals my trust in doctors, because the police take such a small role in the case.
Throughout the story, evidence seemed to be suggesting that a certain person was the murderer. In the end, the solution to the mystery came out of the blue, and the murderer was a completely different person. This plot twist was a delight to read. I do have to mention though, that there seemed to be way too many coincidences in the plot. Too many people just happened to know Mark, or just happened to bump into Mark, or just happened to be friends with someone involved. I was willing to overlook it because it was an enjoyable story, however, someone more skeptical might dismiss the book because "that would never happen in real life."
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery read, and anyone looking for a beautifully complex plot.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Sunroom
The Sunroom, by Beverly Lewis
Becky is a young girl who plays the piano. Her mother becomes very ill and Becky is not allowed into the hospital. She adopts a mother role at her young age, in order to take care of her younger sister in her mother's absence. She also makes a deal with God in order to heal her mother.
Those are the circumstances. In actuality, the book is a study on the mind of a young child encountering hardships. It seems to capture the mindset of a child, despite the author being an adult. I believe the author accomplished this by using her childhood diary as a reference. The story is based on her mother's illness when she was a child.
It is a heartwarming story (how could it not be with a name like the Sunroom?) which I recommend to everyone. If you are interested in the old question, "why does God let bad things happen?" or if you have experienced an illness in the family, or if you want to remember life from a child's perspective, this is an excellent book for you.
Becky is a young girl who plays the piano. Her mother becomes very ill and Becky is not allowed into the hospital. She adopts a mother role at her young age, in order to take care of her younger sister in her mother's absence. She also makes a deal with God in order to heal her mother.
Those are the circumstances. In actuality, the book is a study on the mind of a young child encountering hardships. It seems to capture the mindset of a child, despite the author being an adult. I believe the author accomplished this by using her childhood diary as a reference. The story is based on her mother's illness when she was a child.
It is a heartwarming story (how could it not be with a name like the Sunroom?) which I recommend to everyone. If you are interested in the old question, "why does God let bad things happen?" or if you have experienced an illness in the family, or if you want to remember life from a child's perspective, this is an excellent book for you.
The Queen's Fool
The Queen's Fool, by Philippa Gregory
Set in 1553, this book follows the fictional story of Hannah Green, a Spanish Jew hiding from the Inquisition in England. She has the gift of Sight, and is sent to King Edward's court to be a holy fool and predict the future. Also, on the side, she is required to spy for the people who hired her, who are not always on the right side. As it turns out, she always manages to escape accusations of disloyalty, even when power shifts to Queen Mary and then Queen Elizabeth. No one else seems to be able to accomplish such a thing.
It is a very intriguing book, and is more about spying and romance than anything else. There seemed to be an anachronism; at one point, a character makes fun of Christopher Columbus' ideas, but by 1553, Columbus has already been proven right. Another thing that confused me is that Queen Mary becomes pregnant and waits more than 9 months for her baby. Mention is made of her large belly, but at 11 months they are still waiting for the baby. At some point in there, there must have been a miscarriage but one would think her maids would have noticed a lack of belly. This seems to occur twice. I am not familiar with British history, but I am certain I have never heard of an incident like this occurring.
This book was difficult to put down and very well written. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction, spy stories, or a good romance involving a tomboy-like character who falls in love with her culture, and therefore, with the boy wooing her.
PS. I read this in September and only got around to reviewing it now. Sorry!
Set in 1553, this book follows the fictional story of Hannah Green, a Spanish Jew hiding from the Inquisition in England. She has the gift of Sight, and is sent to King Edward's court to be a holy fool and predict the future. Also, on the side, she is required to spy for the people who hired her, who are not always on the right side. As it turns out, she always manages to escape accusations of disloyalty, even when power shifts to Queen Mary and then Queen Elizabeth. No one else seems to be able to accomplish such a thing.
It is a very intriguing book, and is more about spying and romance than anything else. There seemed to be an anachronism; at one point, a character makes fun of Christopher Columbus' ideas, but by 1553, Columbus has already been proven right. Another thing that confused me is that Queen Mary becomes pregnant and waits more than 9 months for her baby. Mention is made of her large belly, but at 11 months they are still waiting for the baby. At some point in there, there must have been a miscarriage but one would think her maids would have noticed a lack of belly. This seems to occur twice. I am not familiar with British history, but I am certain I have never heard of an incident like this occurring.
This book was difficult to put down and very well written. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction, spy stories, or a good romance involving a tomboy-like character who falls in love with her culture, and therefore, with the boy wooing her.
PS. I read this in September and only got around to reviewing it now. Sorry!
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