The Henna Artist

The Henna Artist is a captivating story about a businesswoman in 1950s India. Our heroine, Lakshmi Shastra, is a thirty-year-old henna artist who lives in the pink city of Jaipur. She has left her husband because he frequently beat her and she has since built up a nice business drawing her original henna designs on the wealthy women of Jaipur. She has become the confidante of many of the ladies and must tread carefully in order to hide her own secret that she left her husband. One day her husband Hari shows up with a dirty young girl wearing rags. Hari wants money from Lakshmi for bringing her younger sister to her. Lakshmi did not know that her mother had another child after Lakshmi married and left her parent's home. However, she gives Hari some money and takes the girl in. 

I read several reviews of the book before writing mine and was surprised that many focused on abortion. Some of them gave a poor review because abortion was part of the story. I didn't even remember this part of the book as I began to compose my summary of the book. It was not central to the plot. Lakshmi uses herbs to heal people from whatever ails them. It is a skill she learned from her mother. Part of her herbal remedies includes a herbal drink that will cause a spontaneous abortion.  She also had a concoction that aided conception but other reviewers focused on abortion. In 1955 India when the story takes place it would not have been unusual for a pregnant woman to seek out someone with these skills. I think it is realistic to have a character perform this service for her community. It does not offend me that it happened. It is history.

That said, the novel has plenty of historical detail. The author lavishly describes the clothing, food, and atmosphere of India.  The reader learns what it feels like to ride in a rickshaw, visit the noisy street markets, have an arranged marriage, as well as seeing how the division of the upper castes and lower castes affects the daily lives of the characters. I particularly loved reading about the bright colors of the saris that the women wore. The artistry of Lakshmi's henna designs was vividly illustrated, another aspect of the novel I relished.

I loved this novel. I can highly recommend it but if you do not want to read about an abortion provider, you will want to skip this one. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Moonlight Child

The Moonlight Child is a riveting suspense novel. It is intense and will keep you up all night reading. The story begins with Sharon Lemke heading outside her home to see a lunar eclipse on a cold January night. While outside, she notices something odd at the house behind her backyard. Through her neighbor's window, she sees a little girl washing dishes late at night. However, the Fleming family does not have a child that age, and even if they did, why would she be doing dishes at such a late hour? Sharon could not let go of her concerns over the child. When eighteen-year-old Niki, a former foster child, comes to live with Sharon, she too notices suspicious activity at the Fleming house.  When they call child protective services, a short interview is conducted at the Fleming home.  Because nothing more was going to be done with the Flemings, Sharon and Niki decide to investigate on their own.

This book takes spying on the neighbors to the ultimate degree. The back and forth nastiness between neighbors Sharon Lemke and Suzette Fleming provides much of the suspense in the novel.  Every bad deed deserves another.  Right?  The book begins with Sharon googling her neighbors after she took that photo of the child washing dishes at 11 pm.  She finds out their names, the name of their son, what they paid for their home, what the husband does for a living and their prior addresses.  All of the characters have dramatic life stories and secrets that enhance the suspense and I would have to say that this book has one of the best suspense plots that I have ever read. 

The characters reside in a small town. Usually everyone in a small town knows everyone else's business.  When you grow up in a small town you know that someone is always watching you and talking about you.  While you may have only a nodding acquaintance with someone, if you have a car accident everyone will know in a matter of hours.  As a contrast, when the Flemings moved in six months ago, they were secretive and did not associate with their neighbors.  Suzette only became friends with those who could help her maintain a philanthropic reputation. She is a great villain!

The Moonlight Child is one of my favorite books of the year. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Cartiers

The Cartiers is scheduled for publication in June 2021. However, I was able to buy a Kindle copy last month.  The author, Francesca Cartier Brickell, is a Cartier descendant.  When her grandfather, Jean-Jaques Cartier, was still alive she found a box full of old letters and documents in his home.  They reviewed them together and this knowledge became the basis for the book.

The book covers the beginning of the Cartier jewelry dynasty from its beginning in 1819 with Louis-Francois Cartier.  Louis-Francois started out in the jewelry business as an apprentice to Bernard Picard who owned  a well established workshop.  Workshop managers were known to use a whip when apprentices made mistakes. Many apprentices did not fulfill their apprenticeships but Louis-Francois was very determined because he had watched his father build a life from nothing.  His son Alfred learned the business from him and was able to pass it on to his three sons, Louis, Pierre and Jaques. The next generation sold their jewels to the Romanov dynasty as well as other royal families throughout the world.  Today, Cartier is a prominent international jeweler known for their creativity and excellence in workmanship.  

This book is an inspiring read for entrepreneurs.  Entrepreneurs will learn how to run a business so that it grows and maintains relevance through good economic years and bad.  The Cartiers figured out how to survive during the French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon, the fall of the Romanovs and both world wars.  It was interesting to read about the thoughts of the family on how to accomplish this. The book is also a behind the scenes look at how the Cartiers sold to the rich, royal and famous and offers tidbits on some of their best clients.

The Cartiers is a wonderful history book on the world of high jewelry.  5 out of 5 stars.

The Murder of Emma Brown

This short murder mystery is packed full with interesting twists and turns. Emma Brown's best friend is Charlotte Martin.  Charlotte drinks excessively, takes plenty of drugs and is a bad influence on Emma.  Emma has future plans of owning a business and refrains from pharmaceuticals as best as she can.  However, one night the two women go out partying in their hometown on Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada. Only one of them returns home. Major Crimes Division inspectors William Gagnon and Scarlett Gauthier have to find a killer.  Someone severely beat and strangled a woman to death with bare hands and a leather belt. At first they think that only a man could have committed the crime.  It would have taken someone strong to strangle Emma as hard as her wounds showed.  Scarlett believes that it could have been a woman though. They wonder whether a gang war had broken out as two young people were killed in a single night in town.  Friends and relatives turn on each other, battling it out on Facebook and blaming each other for Emma's death.

While it was obvious who killed Emma, it was interesting to read how the killer's memories of the day of the crime were revealed. The killer had blacked out and could not remember what happened that night.  Through reading social media posts about the party, the killer was able to recover some memories but not all of them.  The police felt that they knew who the guilty party was but were unable to obtain a confession. There was no character development here.  If there had been I am sure that this 205 page book would have been longer and with more mystery. It is strictly a whodunnit. 

3 out of 5 stars.

Murder in Venice

Murder in Venice is a historical mystery that takes place in Venice in 1752.  High magistrate Marco Pisani is tasked with investigating the grisly murder of a man found strangled in a dark alley. When two more bodies are discovered, it is clear there is a serial killer on the loose.  Helped in his investigation by lawyer Zen, daring gondolier Nani and the cunning Chiara Renier, Pisani is determined to uncover the truth before the murderer strikes again.  In order to find answers, he must move among the city's criminal underworld of spies, shady taverns and gambling halls.  When the innocence of the victims is called into question, the case is turned on its head.  For the first time in his career, the principled Pisani has to ask himself what is more important: following the letter of the law or pursuing justice?

I am so glad that this story is going to be a series. The Pisani, Nani and Chiara characters work well together and I would hate not to read about them in the future.  They are a marvelous team of investigators. The secondary characters were interesting as well.  The first person to be arrested for the murder is Tommaso Grassino, a/k/a Maso, and he is Chiara's apprentice.  He is quickly let go after the other murders occur. The first person to be killed, Marino Barbaro, is an impoverished noble who cannot stop gambling his money away.  His business dealings are suspicious and are subject to Pisani's investigation as well. Several other noble families were prominent in the story and it was interesting to read about their power, businesses and foibles.  The lives of their servants were also chronicled and the lack of influence of these characters revealed even more about the Venetian power structure.

The Venetian setting is charming.  If you have ever been to Venice you will recognize the street and place names.  You will also know how far it is for the characters to go from point A to point B.  The descriptions of the markets and foods served at parties always captivates me and I cannot get enough of novels set in Venice.  The grand palaces that the nobles lived in contrasted with the tenements that their servants resided in.  I was surprised to read that there were slum areas of this great city. It as always seemed golden to me.

Marco Pisani was methodical in his solving of the murders.  As an avogadro (magistrate) he was in charge of the investigation.  His gondolier Nani was meticulous in garnering information for Pisani.  Since he was not a noble, people felt more free to talk with him concerning what they knew about the suspects and their businesses.  Chiara did not become a part of this team until the latter third of the novel.  What she was able to reveal about the murders through clairvoyance was confirmed by Pisani as he carried on with his investigation. 

I loved this novel and cannot wait for installment #2 to be published.  Since the author is Italian, her books need to be translated into English and that takes time.  5 out of 5 stars.

Honolulu

I cannot wait to retire to Hawaii. It has been my dream for over thirty years and since I can't be there for another year, reading about my favorite state is the next best thing. This book  follows an earlier book published by the author called Moloka'i. I don't know why I decided to read Honolulu first. It just happened. Honolulu is about a young bride who emigrates from Korea to Honolulu in 1914 and lives through the city's rise from a ramshackle town to a great modern city.

The publisher's summary:

"In Korea in those days, newborn girls were not deemed important enough to be graced with formal names, but were instead given nicknames, which often reflected the parents' feelings on the birth of a daughter. 'I knew a girl names Anger, and another called Pity. As for me, my parents named me Regret.'  Instead of the affluent young husband and chance at an education that she has been promised, she is quickly married off to a poor, embittered laborer who takes his frustrations out on his new wife.  Renaming herself Jin, she makes her own way in this strange land, finding both opportunity and prejudice.  With the help of three of her fellow picture brides Jin prospers along with her adopted city, now growing from a small territorial capital into the great multicultural city it is today.  But paradise has its dark side, whether it's the daily struggle for survival in Honolulu's tenements, or a crime that will become the most infamous in the islands' history.  With it's passionate knowledge of people and places in Hawaii far off the tourist track, Honolulu is most of all the spellbinding tale of four women in a new world, united by dreams, disappointment, sacrifices, and friendship."

Honolulu is more than a history of a city. It is the story of picture brides who emigrated from Korea to Hawaii. The husbands who bought them selected them from photographs and sent money for their transportation and other expenses. The brides did not meet their husbands until they disembarked the ship and saw them standing on the shore.  Some were married right there on the beach after disembarkation as was our heroine Jin.  The book is also the story of five other picture brides that Jin met on the ship.  The lives of Jade Moon, Wise Pearl, Sunny, Beauty and Tamiko and two other women central to Jin's life, Evening Rose and Blossom are prominently featured. Sunny took one look at her soon-to-be husband and went back to board the ship to sail home.  Blossom was engaged to marry Jin's youngest brother at the age of 5 and was left by her parents in Jin's family home until she was old enough to marry.  Evening Rose was a prostitute who befriended Jin during a dark period in her marriage to Mr. Noh.  There were other picture brides who came from China and Japan.

The history of the city of Honolulu is covered from the 1914 to 1957.  This time period began with the abdication of Queen Liliuokalani to the post-WWII boom in population from the U. S. Mainland. When Jin arrived in the city, she did not recognize it as a city.  The Korean city of Taegon, near Jin's ancestral home, was bigger and had more infrastructure.  The beautiful Waikiki Beach wasn't created until the Ala Wei Canal was built, revealing the sandy shoreline.  The homes of the immigrants and natives were nothing more than poorly built wooden structures. Only the wealthy white residents had opulent houses.  Jin remarked upon her arrival that the home she grew up in was sturdier with lovely decor inside.  Her Hawaiian homes were unstable and bare of decoration. 

The lives of workers on the pineapple and sugar plantations are covered in great detail.  The author did not sugarcoat his story to match today's idealism of the Islands.  The work was backbreaking and everyone worked 12 hours per day in the fields under the hot sun.  Not everyone could handle it and some people decided to leave even though they had no means of getting food once they left.  The quality of the food that the workers received from their bosses was poor.  Jin ate better food at home in Korea.  

Prejudice among the white elites is also shown.  A famous murder committed by the white family members of a rape victim against a native, Joseph Kahahawai, has a central place in the story.  The white family, U. S. Navy officers and their mother, kidnapped and beat Joseph to death.  The jury convicted them but the judge sentenced them to one hour in jail.  It caused a huge uproar in the community and became the basis for the emergence of local culture in Hawaiian society.  It stirred pent up anger over the local's oppression from wealthy whites.  History books have been written about this case, known as the Massie case.  The natives referred to the whites as haoles, (pronounces howlies) which they still do today.  Given that Hawaiian Natives cannot afford housing in today's climate and have to leave their home state, not much has changed in their feelings toward haoles.  

I thought it was interesting that Jin had better food and housing at home in her poor Korean village than in Honolulu.  She expected something better which is why she agreed to become a picture bride.  What she did gain from emigration, were legal rights concerning education and divorce.  Freedom.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Hawaiian Discovery

This is the second book in a three part series. I have already read books 1 and 3. I was not aware that these 3 novels were connected and read them out of order. It was easy to follow the story though.

On this installment of the series Ellen Lambright, an Amish girl living in Middlebury, IN, receives permission from her church to fly to Kaui in order to help a friend deal with her husband's accident. Ken Williams was attacked by a shark while surfing and might not survive. His wife Mandy, also from Middlebury, is Ellen's best friend so after the accident happened Ellen knew Mandy would need support.  When she arrives Ellen meets Rob Smith, a farm hand working on the organic farm owned by the Williams family. Sparks fly between them and both try to ignore their mutual attraction. With Ellen having joined the Amish Church she cannot marry an Englisher and it is best not to become involved with one. Both of them know this and try to resist the temptation.

I love Amish fiction and I also love Hawaii. Put the two together and you have a winning novel. I love reading about these characters and hope Brunstetter continues their story in another book. However, it is the setting that grabs my attention most. With every description of the scenery I feel as though I have been transported there.  Yes, I feel that warm sun even though I am living in a cold climate. While these characters are hard workers, I have some problems relating to their fatigue after a day's work. They have the sunshine when the day is over which gives me a disconnect. I cannot imagine feeling tired in such a glorious setting. My personal issues do not affect my enjoyment of the story. It was well written and I read it this morning before I went to work.

5 our of 5 stars.

The Night Away

The Night Away is an unputdownable book. The story opens with Amber struggling to care for her newborn daughter Mabel. Her husband George thinks that they need a short vacation with just themselves in order to rekindle their relationship. Amber finally agrees to one night away in a resort hotel and her sister Ruby will be babysitting Mabel. Just as she is about to leave, Amber worries about Ruby being alone with her daughter. Ruby is known to be a little scatterbrained and forgetful. Still, Amber leaves with her husband. What she doesn't know is that someone has been following her and noting her habits. Someone who desperately wants a baby of their own and who believes that Mabel is supposed to be their's. 

When Amber's sister Ruby reports that Mabel's cot is empty, Amber's world implodes. She knows that if her baby is not found, she will never forgive her sister. However, Amber also has a secret.  She wonders whether the person who knows the truth will try and make her pay for her actions. Amber will do anything to get Mabel back but in the back of her mind she wonders if her lies have put Mabel at risk.  

I think that the point of view that the story was written from provided much of the suspense. The reader does not know who the person is until the end. What is known from the beginning is that this person does not like Amber.  Amber isn't a likable character. Before she gave birth to Mabel, she took advantage of her co-workers and ignored any one who could not help her advance in her career. She stopped being lovey-dovey with her husband George as soon as the baby was born, causing a rift in her marriage. Amber was always berating him while George was excessively "understanding." This made me suspicious of George but there will be no spoilers here.  

Lilac Park is the setting of the story. It's name evokes wealth and beauty. George and Amber are well off and seeing well dressed neighbors in the park where mothers stroll with their babies contributes to this feeling.  Everyone knows everyone else here. In the park there are tennis courts, kid's play area,  rose garden, ornamental pond, and a cafe. Mothers gather there, clustering around large tables discussing baby issues on weekday mornings. Amber was there every day too but she did not always meet the other ladies,preferring to be alone.  

The solving of the crime, namely the kidnapping of Mabel, begins with the week before Mabel is taken. The reader gets information here that will give clues to whodunit. Then it is told 7 days before the kidnapping, the day of the kidnapping and then one, two, three, etc. . . days after it occurs. I think this was written well. I could not put the book down and read into the early hours of the morning to finish reading it. I highly recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers.

5 out of 5 stars. 

The Lantern Boats

The Lantern Boats takes place in post WWII Japan. The story follows the life of Elly Ruskin who is struggling with getting settled in Tokyo. Elly is half Japanese and she was repatriated to Japan from an internment camp in Australia even though she doesn't know the country well. 

The publisher's summary:  

Elly Ruskin is trapped between worlds.  Half-Japanese, Half- Scottish, she is deported from Australia to Japan after the war, but Tokyo is a city Elly barely knows.  In a whirlwind romance, she falls in love with a Scottish journalist and they marry.  Kamiya Jun is a teenage war orphan from the lost Japanese colony of Karafuto.  He is smuggled to the mainland on a fishing boat.  Captured by the police, he is handed over to the occupation forces, and finds himself unwillingly recruited to work in an underground intelligence unit run by a maverick American officer.   Now Elly thinks her husband is having an affair, and her suspicions will her down a treacherous path that will put everyone in danger.  Jun might be the only person who can help her.

The setting descriptions are what make this novel shine.  The realities of the post-war occupation of Japan are prominent.  You see that individuals who had jobs or lived in China or other countries before the war were viewed with suspicion, even though many of them were loyal Japanese citizens. The American troops occupying Japan were afraid of the anti-communist stance going on in their nation, promulgated by Senator Joe McCarthy, and possibly being accused of associating with one. The proximity of communist China and North Korea to Japan heightened the fear that there were spies everywhere. When Jun is captured by the Americans he tells the truth of how he came to be a spy for an underground organization.  No one believed his story though because nations did not select uneducated, homeless people to spy on their behalf.  A mysterious character named Vida Vidanto was being watched by several groups because she lived in China during the war where she wrote poetry.  No one actually believed that Vida was her real name either which resulted in some serious research into her background to determine who she was and whether she was a threat.

The realities of what mixed race people faced were also shown well.  Our Elly is always having to explain her heritage to police officers and military officials as well as the average citizen, who is just trying to avoid trouble be avoiding Elly.  Elly tries her best to put forward the fact that her mother was Japanese before she arouses any suspicion from others. The author knows her subject matter well.  She as an Emeritus Professor of Japanese History at the Australian National University. 

I enjoyed reading The Lantern Boats. Having never read anything before about the occupation of Japan, I learned alot. The average Japanese citizen was just trying to survive the occupation and were acutely aware when it would end. The hope was always "when the occupation is over we can do X."   The ending was sad and I liked that the author used this approach.  It was realistic. Besides, do you really want to read books where you always know that all turns out well for the characters? 

I highly recommend this historical novel. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Girl From Silent Lake

Wow!  What an exciting, pulse throbbing book.  This crime thriller is the first in a new series featuring former FBI detective Kay Sharp. The second book in the series, Beneath Black Water River, was published last week and I will definitely be buying it. Although she was written 19 novels, Leslie Wolfe is a new author for me. It always feels good when you find an author you love.

The publisher's summary:  

When single mother Alison Nolan sets off with her six-year-old daughter Hazel, she can't wait to spend precious time with her girl.  A vacation in Silent Lake, where snow-topped mountains are surrounded by the colors of fall, is just what they need.  Hours later, though, Alison and Hazel disappear.  Detective Kay Sharp rushes to the scene.  The only evidence that they were ever there is an abandoned rental car with a suitcase in the back, gummy bears in the open glove compartment and a teddy bear on the floor.  Kay's mind spins.  A week before, the body of another woman from out of town was found in a wrapped blanket, her hair braided and tied with feathers. Instinct tells her that the cases are connected - and it won't be long until more innocent lives are lost.  

As Kay leads a frenzied search, time is against her, but she vows that Alison and little Hazel will be found alive.  She works around the clock, even though the small town is up in arms, saying she's asking too many questions. Then she uncovers a vital clue - a photograph of the blanket that the first victim was buried in.  Just when Kay thinks she's found the missing piece, she realizess she's being watched. Is she getting too close, or is her own past catching up with her?  With a little girl's life on the line, Kay will stop at nothing.  But will it be enough to get inside the mind of the most twisted killer she has ever encountered, or will another blameless child be taken?  

I loved this novel!  The main character, Kay, is a superb detective. Her background in profiling the personalities of serial killers is a great asset and the author revealed her expertise gradually as the plot developed.  I thought this was written well. Normally you see a detective's entire skillset revealed in the beginning of a novel. This added to the excitement while I was reading.  Her partner in the investigation was a good foil for her personality. Elliot is a Texas good old boy who thinks he knows more than Kay because he is a man. However, Elliot was continually impressed by Kay's analysis of the case they were working on. 

The setting includes the Native American tribes in the Mount Chester locale where the story takes place. Several tribes were known to be in the area but their burial traditions were slightly different from each other.  Knowledge of this was essential to solving the crime.  I enjoyed learning about the differences between them. 

The Girl From Silent Lake is a fabulous story. I highly recommend it to mystery lovers. 5 out of 5 stars.