On the island of Penang in Malaya, a Japanese karate master asks to borrow a boat from a young man, half British and half Chinese, who is just eighteen. This is the start, or continuation if you believe in reincarnation, of the relationship at the heart of The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng.
The time is December 1941, shortly before the Japanese invasion of Penang, when the loyalties of multi-cultural Philip, now the master’s student, will be tested. The history of the invasion and occupation, with the parts played by the British, Chinese, and Japanese, is the backdrop for this exploration of free will and duty.
Much is made of these lofty concepts and after a while I was reminded of Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code – mysterious ways, secret societies, allusions to ancient power and knowledge. I usually like some hints of mysticism, but here, they felt forced. Duality, the ability to hold two opposing views at the same time, was an important lesson for Philip to learn, and the word sums up my view of the book. Some parts I liked and some, I didn’t.
Eng’s strongest point is his beautiful descriptive language. In remembering Philip’s youth, “the one impression that remains now is of rain, floating from a bank of low-floating clouds, smearing the landscape into a Chinese brush painting…like threads entwining with the perfume of flowers, creating an intricate tapestry of fragrance.”
Fabulous wealth, brilliance, intrigue, Russia, Israel – it’s The Cellist, a spy story by Daniel Silva. I’m not usually a fan of the save-the-world type of thriller, but this one came to me and I’m glad I read it.
Most disturbing is that its subject matter is probably true. The story is about the infiltration of Russia into the social media of the West promoting discord and radicalizing conspiracy theorists. One of the tools is large amounts of cash. Not just seven figures; that’s almost laughable.
Part of this book is a tutorial about how vast amounts of money laundering is done. What is scary is that even after the detailed explanations, I have no idea. I don’t like to think that there is a whole class of people out there (not just Russians) getting obscenely rich – and powerful – by manipulating money, probably illegally, in ways I won’t ever understand.
The “in” group at Manor Park School, London, did well for themselves. When they meet for their 21st reunion, they include a famous actress, a successful musician, and two MP’s, one of whom, by the end of the evening, will be dead.
In Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths, newly promoted Harbinder Kaur must look to a death in the past to solve the murder.
Griffiths, as always, does an excellent job of building her characters, who develop from one book to the next. Delightful Harbinder has finally moved out of her parents’ home to a flat in London where she finds herself a partner. The characters at the reunion, one possibly guilty of murder, are intricately drawn daughters, lovers, old flames.
The exciting and unexpected climax is a bit of a stretch, but these days, I’m glad to have a happy ending.
One of my reading groups discussed what made us like a particular mystery series. We decided that character development was more important than we would originally have thought.
Yes, we want intricate (but not too confusing) plots with satisfying endings. But we want to like the detective and his/her friends and family. If there is no connection, we’re less likely to pick up another book in the series. It isn’t just about solving the case.
I was thinking about Southern charm when I read about the death of Rosalynn Carter.
She and Jimmy presented themselves as a team; she was his political partner in the presidency. “I can’t stay at home and do Cokes and teas,” she said. Few people complained and she was a respected figure.
A few years later, there was Bill and Hilary. She was also a political partner who didn’t want to stay home and bake cookies and serve tea, but she was reviled not respected.
What was the difference? Maybe we gals should reconsider the demure submissive front.
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I just ordered it from the library after first reading House of Doors, which I thought was interesting but not great. It did make me want to read more by the author
Let me know what you think of it!
Demure- yes. Submissive- never.