"The modern master of the hook-and-twist."

Or so said Dan Brown, author of the widely read novel, The Da Vinci Code, about Harlan Coben's Just One Look.

Suggestions for enjoying this sometimes macabre book:

• Read the preface to the first chapter carefully, thoughtfully. Make notes.
• Underline the first paragraph in chapter one. It is the scariest part of the book.
• Shift gears, step into the story, combine the impressions you've gathered so far with the veneer of normalcy surrounding the protagonist, Grace.
• Prepare to confront the unraveling of secrets and questions and mysteries as you try to get a handle on what's going on. All of this in the setting of a reality which requires the changing of diapers, getting the kids to school, buying groceries, etc.
• As usual, in "this kind of book", the "hook-and-twist" type, try to figure out who the good guy is, who the bad guy is, and what awful revelations are about to be unearthed.
• Are there any real villains or heroes anymore? Is there evil and good, black and white, or does gray fit in there somewhere? Look for unlikely villains, but in this story, look, also for unlikely heroes. What is good that can be picked out of the ashes of disappointment?
  

I haven't really told much of the plot, here, but if you have the stomach for murder and mayhem, or even if you don't, you might just want to read this book in the safety of your own home, cuddled up beside a snoozing loved one, or in the bright sunshine of the beach in the summer. Or with highlighter in hand, for the juicy tidbits of truth and relavency you might encounter. I would read Coben again.

And isn't it a sign of the times that all these authors have a website. A sign of the economic and digital age we live in!

An Elm Creek Quilts Novel

The Master Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini, seems at first like the kind of book you want to read on a wintry afternoon. But, there it was, featured in a Mother's Day Display at BAM. What could I possibly be thinking of? I am a fifty-something woman who would rather do anything than start another crafty project which would end up in a pile, unfinished, along with other impulsive forays into womanhood and homemaking. Nevertheless, I purchased the book and took it home, out of some sentimental feeling and step back in time to my younger, more productive days--back then, when I did make bread and vacuum and cross-stitch, etc.

Reading, I found myself absorbed by the odd assortment of the group who belonged to the Elm Creek Quilter's club. Anyone who thinks quilters are all older women, might remember that some "hobbies"/passions go beyond age issues and other issues in garnering a faithful following. And what challenges would stalk such a group? Again, I could identify with several of the characters and the lives that they lead. Thus, though at times, the repetition or review of events from the point of view of each of the quilters, did become a little boring for me and I skipped more than one paragraph, over all I found that I was drawn into the story and into the environment of the story. There's something to be said for homemaking, home crafting, and even housework: these seemingly mundane activities can bring great comfort, and even great creative juices into play. Quilting allows women to form friendships, express personality in beautiful ways that nurture individualism. Obviously, it is a venture that can become as therapeutic as genealogy in piecing together the puzzles of our lives and try to make some sense out of them.

South Carolina

At the present time, I am somewhat involved in looking at South Carolina history, what with the genealogy connection I have through my dad's Hill line. I am also trying to help a lady from Charleston find her roots. So, in a recent trip to BAM (Books-A-Million), I spotted Shem Creek, A Lowcountry Tale, by Dorothea Benton Frank. I enjoyed reading this slightly irreverant (there is some cussing) story about the protagonist, Linda, who has gotten in one of those deep ruts in life and decides to quit talking about it and do something about it.

The cussing is a part of the culture of New Jersey where Linda hails from and an attitude of almost unconscious disrespect/doubt/disappointment has trickled its way down to her daughters, Lindsey and Gracie, who have largely fended for themselves on a day to day basis, for far too long. Single moms, after all, do have to make a living. Being a natural born mother, Linda yearns for a life where she can be involved more in her daughter's lives. "Natural-born" translates as love and commitment to and for her children.

There are other common themes in this book that will attract the female heart: romance, friendship, the trials and tribulations of divorce, self-reliance, etc. Even if you haven't been one of "those women" you probably have a close friend who has struggled and hopefully, triumphed. My sentence is badly phrased, but you get the idea. Besides, there are plenty of other women characters from whom to draw comparisons and relavencies. This book is just too full of themes for me to discuss it intelligently in this short space and time I've alloted myself. Maybe I should read it again, more carefully, more analytically before I attempt a "real" review.