A Game for All the Family by Sophie Hannah MYS Han

A psychological mystery that kept me guessing.  Justine has retired from her job and plans on doing NOTHING.  That is her goal.  She and her husband, Alex, and daughter, Ellen, have moved from London to Devon.

Justin's life is being interrupted by some strange premonitions and 'feelings'.  Alex does a lot of traveling so it is often just Justine and Ellen.  One day she comes across a very strange story written by Ellen.  We continue to be given the chance to read more of the story as the book progresses.  It is an integral part of the mystery.

During a conversation with Ellen,  Justine discovers that Ellen is distressed because her best friend (Justine had never heard his name!) has been expelled from school because he was accused of stealing Ellen's coat (which she had given him).  When Justine goes to the school to explain the situation she is told that George doesn't exist.  Justine has no reason to believe that Ellen isn't telling the truth - yet why would the school lie to her?  There is no way to figure this one out - you just have to keep reading!

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Quiet Neighbors by Catriona McPherson MYS McP

I enjoyed this book even though it didn't move at a very past pace.  The mystery in the book is why does a woman named Jude flee London to go to the small village of Wigtown where she returns to a bookshop that she had been in once on a holiday.  If you want to find out why you have to read most of the book. (Well, I suppose you could take a quick look but that wouldn't really be playing by the rules.). The bookshop is a poorly maintained place filled with stacks of books. To Jude, a librarian cataloguer, it should have been a nightmare but on her previous visit she had found a treasure - a book by an author whose work she loved.  So when she ran away (with only the clothes on her back) that is where she went.  The owner is Lowell Glen and he is still there, as disheveled as ever.  He recognizes her right away and hurries to grab another book for her.  He found it and had been keeping it in case she returned.

Very quickly Lowell offers her a room in his house and some clothes (decades old!) that she can wear.  Lowell is a great character.  The description of his bookshop is great and I could imagine it in my mind.  Jude hasn't been staying with Lowell long before he has a young woman who shows up in his life - the daughter he never knew he had.

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The Boys in the Bunkhouse by Dan Barry 362.384 Bar

In 2009, a social worker from Muscatine traveled to the small town of Atalissa to follow up on a strange complaint of abuse.

The caller claimed there were about 20 intellectually disabled men living in squalor in the old Atalissa school house.  The men worked in a nearby turkey processing plant and did some of the worst jobs while being paid substandard pay. The social worker was doubtful but followed up on this outlandish claim - only to discover it was true.  And worse.

The Boys in the Bunkhouse by Dan Barry is the story of these disabled men: how they went from institutional care into a experimental group home promoted as a means to give them job skills and independence while providing a warm home environment. Instead, over the years it devolved into a situation of medical neglect, emotional abuse, and unsanitary living conditions.

I used to live near Atalissa, and I try to read Iowa stories whenever I get the chance, so, of course, I grabbed this one off the new shelf.  To say it is very compelling is an understatement.  I have been talking about this book to almost everyone I see.

While reading it, I asked myself over and over "How could no one have seen what was going on?"   Of course there are reasons, and this book does a great job trying to suss them out.  Barry doesn't take the easy way of just pointing fingers but he seeks out the perspectives of the Atalissa community, the men's caretakers, and Iowa's social services agencies who perfected the art of passing the buck when it came to these men.

I was especially caught by the life stories and personalities of these men, and appreciated the author's effort in tracking down their backgrounds and following up on where they are today.  Although it is a heartbreaking story in many ways, it's also complex and nuanced.  It's great nonfiction writing, and I highly recommend it.

PS - And in case you were wondering about the book cover - yes the schoolhouse was bright turquoise.  The inside was just as garish, but much shabbier.

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The Year We Turned Forty by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke FIC Fen

You have to suspend reality to enjoy this book but it was worth it!  Jessie, Gabriela, and Claire have been friends forever and part of their friendship involves the yearly celebration of their birthdays. The year they turned forty was a pivotal point in their lives.  Jessie had just given birth to a son who joins two sisters.  The problem? Well, Lucas is not her husband's child and he doesn't know. Gabriela has worked hard on her successful career as a writer.  She loves her husband who knew from the beginning that she didn't want children.  She wouldn't change her mind - until she turned forty and wanted a baby more than anything - but now he doesn't. Claire is in a fairly good place.  She is engaged to a great guy. Although she has had a lot of problems with her daughter Emily over the years, things are a bit better.

For their fiftieth the three friends go off to Vegas.  They go to a show with a magician.  After the show he meets them privately and offers them a chance to go back in time to when they were turning 40.  The trick is that all three have to agree to go back.  They will stay there for one year and then they have a choice to make - they all have to decide to stay or return.  An interesting premise and I found it thought provoking - would I have taken the journey back?

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As Time Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark MYS Cla

I have read all of Ms. Clark's books so I was delighted to know that she had written another one. Delaney Wright has known forever that she was adopted and not surprisingly she has always longed to know her birth mother.  As is often the case she didn't want to hurt the feelings of her adoptive parents.  But since they have moved to Florida, Delaney feels that this is a good time to get some help in her quest.  She turns to her friends Alvirah and Willy (well-known characters from previous books) who are rather good detectives in that Miss Marple way.

In the meantime she has also been promoted to an evening news anchor and has been assigned to follow the trial of Betsy Grant. Betsy had been married for a long time to a successful surgeon. Six years before our story begins her husband began to act differently and was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.  Two years ago she quit her teaching job to be home full-time to care for him with some help.  When he is found dead one morning it is assumed he died from his disease.  But at the funeral home the undertaker noticed something and it is found that his death was homicide.  Now she is on trial and things are not looking good.  The worlds of Delaney and Betsy are going to collide.

It was a fast read.  Her books are certainly not psychological thrillers but I always find them entertaining.

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Salt of the Earth by Jack Olsen 364.1 Ols

If you are a fan of true-crime this is a great one to read.  The crime was the kidnapping and murder of Brenda Gere (I think she was 12 - can't remember for sure!).  What makes this book so different is that if you were to take all the sentences in the book that had to do with the actually murder you would probably have about one page.  This book is mostly about two families.  The "salt of the earth" in the title refers to Elaine Gere.  Olsen takes us back to the beginning of Elaine's life, her upbringing, her marriage, her family life, her tragedy and the years and years she waited for justice.  The other family is the Greens.  Michael Green is a suspect in Brenda's disappearance.  As with Elaine we learn all about his background.

It was a very interesting book about "One family's Journey through the violent American landscape" which is the subtitle of the book.  It is a good reminder that when a crime is committed there are far-reaching consequences for many people.

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Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman FIC Bac

Britt-Marie has left her husband after learning he cheated on her.  After repeated visits to the unemployment office (always showing how considerate she is by showing up at 9:02 rather than 9:00 when the office opens), she is assigned to a temporary job as the caretaker of the soon-to-be-demolished recreation center in the small town of Borg.  And somehow, this non-soccer person also becomes the coach of the local youth soccer team.

Britt-Marie loves structure. Forks, knives, spoons, in that order in the silverware drawer.  Lists to get her through the day.

But she also wants to know that when she leaves this earth, someone will know that "Britt-Marie was here."  And beneath that structured exterior beats the heart of a woman yearning for adventure and filled with love.  Her time in Borg expands her horizons in ways she could never have imagined.

I love the way this author describes people who wouldn't necessarily be described as "normal."  Britt-Marie is socially awkward but Backman manages to let the reader know the heart that beats beneath her crusty exterior.  At times I wanted to shake her.  But most of the time I wanted to give her the hug that she desperately needed.  By the time the book was over, I didn't need to worry because others were doing it for me.

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