The Hemingway Thief by Shaun Harris

The Hemingway Thief.  Shaun Harris. Prometheus Books. July 2016. 240 pp.  ISBN#: 9781633881754.

Henry “Coop” Cooper despaired of ever writing a best-selling novel until he turned to writing torrid romance novels under a pseudonym.  They instantly become best sellers, yet Coop is disgraced by this popularity. 

Taking a break, he travels to Mexico where he meets a calculating drunk, Ebbie Milch, who is running from enemies because he possesses a stolen manuscript and other papers of Ernest Hemingway.  Years ago, Hemingway’s wife, Pauline, was supposed to bring a suitcase of all Papa Hemingway’s writings to him when the suitcase holding these gems was stolen.  Hemingway, we know from history, never got over that loss, especially because it occurred before he became famous.  Now, the papers are worth thousands of dollars, if the manuscripts and papers Milch has are the “real deal.”

However, that simple plot isn’t really the essence of Harris’ novel.  To Milch, who manages to drag Coop everywhere in his mad schemes, these papers have a familial connection.  Now, joined with an ex-DEA agent, this trio travels across Mexico, coming close to being killed several times but escaping from those hair-raising moments with a type of slap-stick comedic routine at each disastrous challenge.  It’s even suggested that Hemingway may have been involved in the “theft,” maybe.

Harris offers the reader a window in which to see Hemingway’s brief disastrous participation in WWI and his desire ever-afterward to be a part of war.  The Hemingway novels are clearly a series of dramas of the writer’s observations but really acting out of vicarious battles, romances and dramas.

The Hemingway Thief is a compelling read where the reader must deduce what is real and what is comedic fraud.  High drama mixed with comedic satire makes for a genuinely intriguing read!  Nicely envisioned historical fiction!

Now and Then Friends: A Hartley-By-The-Sea Novel by Kate Hewitt

Now and Then Friends: A Hartley-By-The-Sea Novel.  Kate Hewitt.  Penguin Publishing Group.  July 2016. 368 pp.  ISBN#: 9780451475596.

Life hasn’t turn out the way Rachel Campbell or Claire West expected.  They were both best friends when they were in elementary school many years ago.  Now, they meet anew when Claire West returns to Hartley-By-The-Sea and the awkwardness between the two is obvious to everyone else in the small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.  But no one knows what the problem between these two characters is and the two women really can’t put their finger on the problem either.  Suffice to say that both women are “empty and a tad angry” inside. 

Rachel’s Mom broke her back years ago and is an invalid; thus, Rachel must care for her family as her father has been gone for years as well.  She cleans houses to make a small living and it’s obvious hers is a hard life.  Claire West, on the other hands, grew up as a rich girl who could have anything she wanted.  But now she’s returned, she has to honestly admit her life has been one big “show” run by her family and then fiancé.  Now she’s seeking something new but excessively timid as she’s never learned to function alone.  While this sounds like a dour story, it isn’t that bad at all.  There are enough snarky comments to add some humor to Rachel and Claire’s situations. 

Obviously, from the title, these two women might have a chance as good friends again, but first they have to get over their bitterness, fear and animosity toward anyone who reaches out to them with compassion.  One can see how these chronic attitudes can wear on other characters, but the chemistry between the two women just might thaw enough to make a different future.  Ironically, even though there are brief, bleak scenes, there’s a magic in this story that keeps the reader hoping for something better than what these two women have at the beginning of this novel. 

Life is as hard as one makes it.  Those who know Rachel and Claire also know that still waters run deep and turbulent, and the reader gets to see the unwinding of some rather nasty background junk.  Stuff sometimes only friends can unfreeze.  Very nicely written and recommended contemporary fiction!

The Secret Language of Stones: Daughters of La Lune (Book 2)

The Secret Language of Stones – Daughters of La Lune (Book 2).  M. J. Rose. Simon & Schuster.  July 2016. 320 pp.  ISBN#: 9781476778112.

Opaline Duplessi has run away to Paris with a Russian expatriate.  She makes jewelry but not just any common jewelry.  One could call it memento jewelry that will be bought by grieving mothers, wives, sisters, lovers, and/or friends of those who have perished during the horrific First World War.  She also makes watches that can be worn on the battlefield and easily used, unlike the more popular watches with covers worn by nonmilitary men. Within each beautiful jewel piece, Opaline inserts a lock of hair or another minuscule personal item.  Her skill is called lithomancy, an illegal practice involving contacting the dead.  When she is done choosing precious gemstones and working her magic, the stones emanate energy that enables her to communicate with the dead soldier and listen for the message to be spoken to the loved one of the dead person.  Opaline is just learning to use her gift but is clearly frightened beyond words at how this power overcomes her, even to the point of being ill.  She fears going insane and therefore seeks help to manage her gift or curse, depending on how it is experienced!

This, however, is just the basic gist of Opaline’s skill and the story to come is a wonder indeed!  A young mother comes to Opaline and questions her about how she acquired this skill and how she uses it.  Opaline begins to fashion a new jewel for this mother but before she can deliver any message she is haunted by the dead son and actually develops a relationship unlike any one any reader has encountered.  This then is the story which eventually turns into a mystery involving the family of the lately assassinated Tsar of Russia.

M. J. Rose is unlike any other writer this reviewer has ever read.  She has researched her fascinating subject and presents it uniquely in a mesmerizing fashion each reader will never forget.  The occult is depicted in a balanced manner that rejects any quick judgment and seeks only to find the truth with a purpose. Her descriptions of shapes, colors and sizes of different jewels and their arrangement are artfully presented as well. The Secret Language of Stones is the second book in the Daughters of La Lune series but stands as a solo novel just fine.  This is a must read that readers won’t be able to put down, crafted cleverly and skillfully by this very talented writer.  Highly recommended!

Dancing With The Tiger by Lili Wright

Dancing With The Tiger.  Lili Wright. Penguin Group (USA). July 2016. 464 pp.  ISBN#: 9780399175176.

An addicted character, “Looter,” finds an Aztec funeral mask and knows it’s very valuable.  He, however, has no interest in its cultural or artistic value but instead sees it as a cash cow for his insatiable addiction.  That mask is believed to be the funeral mask of Moctezuma II or Montezuma as he is more popularly known.  Anna, a fact checker, is highly qualified as an art collector, having begun to learn this field at the knees of her father, a failed art collector.  Both are humiliated at having their facts proved to be false in a book written by Anna, a humiliation that publicly spread and destroyed any credibility the father-son had in the art world’s tough, competitive field.  A drug lord and a gardener turned hitman also vie for possession of this mask and will do whatever is necessary to obtain it. 

Anna is the only character whose complex nature is gradually delineated in this novel that reads more like surrealistic segments.  She also seems to be the only one interested in the life behind this mask.  As the mask moves from the characters who steal it from each other, we learn that it possesses a mystical power that transforms the personality of those who attempt to wear it.  It’s mystery is the question it poses when worn: Does it bring out the true personality of the wearer or is it the supernatural power behind the original owner’s death mask, Montezuma? 

The other aspect of this long, drawn-out plot involves the beautiful descriptions of Mexican culture, setting, and artistic history that is juxtaposed with the poverty, greed, and despairing lifestyle of contemporary Mexicans.  Anna seems to be the only character truly in touch with the more noble aspects of Mexican history and art.  One can empathize with her intelligence and frustration at how she could have missed the errors throughout her book and her desire to set it aright with a new book about this phenomenal new find of a funerary mask from ancient Mexico.

Who is the Tiger?  Readers will discover the symbolic and pragmatic nature of the title throughout the complex plot that is worthwhile to persevere in following despite the meandering back and forth accounts interspersed throughout the story.  Interesting read with elements of mystery, adventure, paranormal, history, crime, romance, and art – something for everyone!

Princes of War: A Novel of America in Iraq by Claude Schmid

Princes of War: A Novel of America in Iraq.  Claude Schmid. Warriors Publishing Group. June 2016. 340 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9781504038805.

Christian Wynn and Cole “Moose” Murphy are two servicemen serving in Iraq.  Their job is called engaging in counterinsurgency activities.  One might see that as making friends with Iraqi citizens or one might see it as a “mole” activity in which one attempts to get important information from those same citizens.  At the same time they are on high alert 24/7 for there are IEDs planted on the roads they travel, snipers awaiting their appearance, and constant attacks on their peers.  The effect of all of these dangers is described so realistically that the reader can feel the constant tension and winds up questioning how anyone can endure under this unrelenting barrage, even when they are supposedly safe in their quarters where they eat, sleep and relax.

They and their peers are the “Wolfhounds,” a group in constant watch for insurgents who develop plans of attack that always seem one or two steps ahead of the Americans.  They bitterly accept that their leaders know no more or less than they do.  The lack of significant results from the Iraqis they attempt to befriend combined with the frequent devastating attacks is a source of despair that they battle as well, attempting with humor and strict rule adherence to boost morale in constantly, highly volatile situations.

We learn that within Iraq itself, though this account deals with Northern Iraq, there are numerous groups with different ideologies and goals but they all share one common objective – kill Americans.  One wonders about the counterinsurgency methods as we learn that anyone who cooperates with Americans also becomes the enemy and may just as easily be shot for such complicity.  One has to realize that such strategies are doomed but this calls into honor the noble and superhuman efforts being made by soldiers, officers or enlisted men and women, to accomplish the goal of peace through whatever means are possible to use. 

This is one of the most realistic accounts, which reads more like a memoir than a novel, this reviewer has read.  The reader is left with more questions than answers but a vivid realization of just what our military endure and why it is so devastatingly life-changing for them whether they serve one or multiple tours of duty.  Kudos to Claude Schmid for writing a fictional account based on day-to-day reality for Americans serving in Iraq!  A must read!

Sunshine Beach: A Novel by Wendy Wax

Sunshine Beach: A Novel. Wendy Wax. Penguin Publishing Group. June 2016. 432 pp.  ISBN#: 9780425274484.  

Wendy Wax is back to offer readers hope and optimism in the face of financial and emotional loss. 

Avery’s relationship with her mother had healed but come to a shocking end upon her mother’s death, a loss keenly felt by Avery and accompanied by all too many associations to remind her of that empty spot in her life. 

Maddie has fallen in love with a former rock star who has been through success, alcohol and drug rehab, and fear only to find himself writing again and being plunged back into the spotlight, along with every worshipping female from the past. 

Nikki’s former lover, a star as well, visits Nikki and their son but wants the romance and love back; Nikki is wisely aloof although physically propelled toward him. 

Maddie, Avery and Nikki lost all their money in a Ponzi scheme at the hands of Nikki’s brother. Devising a project to pay off debt and become financially comfortable is the present goal, easier said than done.

Now Maddie’s daughter, Kyra, during one of her runs, stumbles across an old, abandoned beach hotel in terrible condition.  The friends immediately upon seeing it want to restore it and make it another, but this time independent, TV series like their past ones which ended in disaster due to bad chemistry with others in charge of the projects. However, this novel has an extra glitch and a big one at that!  It turns out that the father of the present owners was murdered in one of the beach cottages and their mother disappeared on the same evening.  This turns out to be what is now known as a cold case involving the mother’s German background during the time of the Nazis in WWII.  The sisters who own the home are afraid to tear it down for fear that whoever killed their mother will not be caught, even though it’s fifty years after the fact.  Can all these sisters have it their own way – find answers to the murder and restore a beach hotel to new grandeur and pleasure for its designers and hopefully future customers?

Wendy Wax has done it again, putting just enough mystery, snarky comments, conflicts, and romance to make this a delightful summer read!  Nicely crafted and recommended!

Radio Girls: A Novel by Sarah-Jane Stratford

Radio Girls: A Novel.  Sarah-Jane Stratford. Penguin Group (USA). June 2016. 384pp.  ISBN#: 9780451475565.

It’s 1926, a time when change is happening globally as life settles down after the awful events of WWI.  Maisie Musgrave is poor and unemployed but aims high by applying for a typist position at the BBC or British Broadcasting Corporation.  Talk radio is in its early days and is catching on fast in spite of the hefty price to purchase a radio license.  After a difficult interview when the interviewer indicates Maisie isn’t up to snuff as the type of person BBC hires, need rules the day and the same day she’s hired.  Her first Supervisor is a tough, tight lady who rules like a dictator, but Maisie quickly demonstrates her ability to be flexible and highly focused and becomes the assistant to Hilda Matheson, Director of the Talks Program, the latter who is actually based on the real person of that name and job.  Their liberal attitudes are constantly monitored by John Reith, the General Director-General of BBC. 

Two years later, in 1928, women over 21 may now vote in the general election.  The talks program moves from literature, entertainment, and other relatively innocent topics to politics, social change, and literature by authors of questionable moral values (for that time), and more.  Readers cannot help but react to the changes happening under Hilda and Maisie’s guiding hands.  However, Maisie is now getting the hang of writing and has a veritably unlimited list of famous people of all economic, social, religious, literary, and artistic merit whose talks are making the program so popular as to be covered by the newspapers.  While the majority of the letters and editorials are positive, there are many who fear “change” and so urge caution with future topics.

At this time Maisie reads a certain pamphlet belonging to Hilda.  The topic makes Maisie suspicious, the taking over of BBC and beginning topics that are more sedate and acceptable.  At the same time some large companies are interested in increasing their profit by engaging with business and government in Germany.  The remainder of the novel describes Maisie’s investigation and shocking discoveries.  Here then is another novel, written in a mystery style, that addresses the supposedly innocuous ways that dictatorships rise to power under the guise of shaping public values and opinions. 

Hilda and Maisie are dynamic characters whose interaction with each other and other notable character inside and outside of the BBC are so intriguing as to keep the reader riveted to this story which ends far too soon.  This reviewer loved the style, the way the plot complexity increases to the level of final high pitch, the intriguing story of how radio talk shows began and developed, and how prosperity jettisons a country into new and different ways of perceiving culture.  A brief biography of Hilda Matheson and a Reader’s Discussion Guide follows the novel. Magnificent writing and story, Sarah-Jane Stratford!!!! A MUST read!!!