The Book of Lies

The Book of Lies
Brad Meltzer
fiction
Grand Central Publishing
mmp June 2009
432 pages

from the back: "In chapter four of the Bible, Cain kills Abel. It is the world's most famous murder. But the Bible is silent about one key detail: the weapon Cain used to kill his brother. That weapon is still lost to history.

In 1932, Mitchell Seagel was killed by gunshots. While mourning, his son dreamed of a bulletproff man and created Superman. The gun used in this unsolved murder has never been found. Until now. Today in fort Lauderdale, a young man named Cal Harper encounters his long-missing father--who has been shot with the same gun that kidded Siegel. But soon after their reunion, Cal and his dad are attacked by a killer tattooed with the ancient markings of Cain. What does Cain, history's greatest villain, have to do with Superman, the world's greatest hero? And what do two murder, committed thousands of years apart, have in common?"


This is my first Brad Meltzer book. Picked up for the cover, purchased because it sounded interesting but it would have gone on my library list if I didn't need a "New to You Author" book. I wasn't sure how quick I could get it at the library or if I'd feel like reading it when it came....

Normally, I can get into a book and finish quickly, even with other stuff going on. This one was different. Not because it was bad, but because it has that so-scary-it-could-be-real feel to it. All the characters were alive to me and I needed to take breaks to get them out of my head. Surprises and twists kept me guessing and I'm extremely glad I kept reading, the ending was fantastic and not rushed, leaving us just enough unanswered questions to wonder about. I inhaled the last third, without even potty breaks :)

5 stars

After Etan

After Etan: The Missing Child Case that Held America Captive
by Lisa R. Cohen

Grand Central Publishing
May 2009
400 pages (per amazon my copy has 367)

info on May 29m 2009: Amazon.com Sales Rank: #689 in Books

Popular in these categories:
#2 in Books > Nonfiction > True Accounts > True Crime
#3 in Books > Nonfiction > True Accounts > Murder & Mayhem
#24 in Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology


There is a longer post on my blog, mainly the product description.


From John Miller, former co-anchor of 20/20: "The story of the disappearance of Etan Patz is a story that almost everyone remembers the beginning of and only a handful of people know the end of. For the first time, Lisa Cohen finally unravels a complex and tangled mystery while seamlessly telling the heart wrenching story of a family trying to cope with every parent's worst nightmare. The vivid descriptions and the incredible detail make you feel like you are there every step of the way. The book pulls you in. It can be painful at times and still, you can't put the book down."

~*~

"Julie walks Etan down the three flights to the front door. He isn't tall enough to reach the lock himself... She sees the familiar figures of other parents and their children beginning to congregate near the bus stop, which is just barely out of sight around the corner..." Her friend and neighbor, Karen, was going to pick Etan up from the bus stop after school. When 3:30 p.m. comes around, Julie's concerned but thinks the buses are delayed since it is the first week back since the strike. Finally, she phones Karen. Karen assumed that when Etan hadn't gotten off the bus he had gone to another friend's, as he often did, for a semi-regular playdate. With Julie on the line, she asked her daughter if she knew where Etan had gone after school. "Etan wasn't in school today".

At 3:50 p.m., on a Friday before a three-day weekend, she calls the police to report her son missing. Now it was almost 4:30 p.m. and the cops still hadn't shown up. You see, way back when, the cops first thoughts were custody dispute or run away. What's the hurry, you'll find him at a friends house, what's one more in a crowd of kids - some other mother just forgot to call you to say he was at her house. By the time the police get there, there is no one at the school office to confirm Etan's absence. Luckily, one of the officers remembered he knew the janitor and they were able to get in. Absence confirmed. Etan never showed up to school.

Twenty years later, they still don't know what happened to their little boy.

This is a heartwrenching story but also a story of survival and triumph, friendship and hope. May 25, 1979 may have been the day innocence died for many but it is also the day eyes were opened. Okay, not exactly on the 25th but Etan was the catalyst for many of our child safety laws, including the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He's why we teach our kids "good touch, bad touch" and "stranger danger". It is a must read for all who work with or have children, not to make you paranoid, but to make you aware. In Julie's own words, "They have to grow and gain confidence in themselves. You can't lock them in the house or in class. They'll never learn how to fend for themselves. Walk with them. Teach them how to protect themselves. Give them a life." (page 346)

Death by Cashmere

Death by Cashmere
by Sally Goldenbaum

An Obsidian Mystery
NAL, a division of Penguin Group
August 2008
294 pages plus scarf pattern




Isabel "Izzy" Chambers leaves her law career in Boston and heads to Sea Harbor, the quaint fishing town where she spent summer vacations as a girl. She opens a knitting shop where a diverse group of women begin congregating each week to form the Seaside Knitters.

Izzy rents the apartment above the shop to a returning home-town girl, even though it raises concerns and eyebrows. People thought Angelina was too big for the town and wondered why she would take a job at the local museum. Angelina saw everything in black and white and had a temper. She may have been unpopular with some of the townspeople but would any of them hate her enough to kill?


Have you ever had someone tell you a story where they put in so much detail you just want to shake them and yell, "get to the point already!"? This book was a little like that for me at the beginning. I almost felt like I was dropped in the middle of the story but that cleared up. This was a library book (that's one challenge), a new author (that's another challenge), and a mystery (that's a third challenge) and just interesting enough that I kept picking it back up. I am very glad I persevered. All the details filled in what life is like in the small town, how everyone fit together and how the death (murder?) of one pulls the weave off center.

I was very satisfied with how this one ended, how all the pieces fit together without loose ends or a big rush to the finish. I'm looking forward to reading the next book, Patterns in the Sand.

category: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense type
book 7
I will re-read this one but I won't pay full price for print.





This is a duplicate of my blog post.

The School of Essential Ingredients (49/81)

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Category: New-to-me Authors

Lillian, now the owner of a restaurant, knows the magic of food. She discovered it for herself as a child, and now she shares it with her cooking classes, "The School of Essential Ingredients." The Prologue sets of the story like so: "Lillian knew that whatever their reasons for coming, at some moment in the course of the class each one's eyes would widen with joy or tears or resolution -- it always happened. The timing and reason would be different for each, and that's where the fascination lay. No two spices work the same" (3).

The story hinges on description and character, as we follow the course of the class and see each character's "moment" through his or her point of view. The descriptions are sometimes awkward but never boring or cliched. The tastes and smells of the kitchen are lovingly rendered. The characters are unique, and I enjoyed their back stories and internal growth. Like the food described, the story has a light flavor that doesn't bole you over with plot but asks you to savor and enjoy. 4.5 stars.

Cross-posted at Born Reader.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (42/81)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Category: New-to-me authors

Aibileen is a black woman working for Elizabeth Leefolt taking care of Mae Mobley. Minny is Mrs. Walters' maid, constantly at odds with her employer's daughter for speaking her mind. And Eugenia Phelan (more commonly known as "Skeeter") is an educated white woman who didn't really think about "the help" too much until her own family's maid disappeared. These women at first appear disparate, but find that they are alike where it truly counts.

This historical fiction set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 is surprisingly hopeful in tone, even while depicting tragic and horrific events in history. The narrative voices of Aibilieen, Minny and Skeeter tell us most of the story, each with a distinctive voice and point of view, and the characters feel very real. An emotional but overall uplifting read. 4.5 stars.

Cross-posted at Born Reader.

Blood and Iron by Elizabeth Bear (41/81)

Blood and Iron by Elizabeth Bear
Category: New-to-me authors

Matthew is a magician in New York City, a member of the Prometheans, who works to protect humans from the Fae that would steal them into their world as changelings. Elaine is a human bound to the Faerie world by the Mebd, one of the Queens of Faerie, and by her loyalty to her son, Ian. She is also the Seeker, one who prowls shadows looking for Fae children. A collision of their worlds seems inevitable, and as players are drawn into events beyond their control the morality of either side becomes ambiguous.

This urban fantasy is a bit different from my normal fare -- darker, more sensual than the fantasy I usually choose to read. I kept going because I wanted to see what would happen to Elaine and the other characters, if their fates were truly predetermined or if they could choose a different outcome. Bear throws readers into her alternate universe and leaves them to discover along with her characters (a knowledge of Arthurian legend and the ballad of Tam Lin would be especially helpful, but I got along alright knowing only basics). I'm interested in seeing where the series heads from here. 4 stars.

Cross-posted at Born Reader.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (41/81)

Category: New to Me Authors

I’d heard good things about this book but wasn’t particularly attracted to it, but when it was the monthly choice of my book club, I decided to give it a go.

Despite my misgivings, I was hooked from the first page. This is good old fashioned story telling. The plot is about an amateur biographer who is invited to hear the life story of a famous author, who has always fabricated elaborate stories about her background. What follows is a family saga, mixed with elements of ghost stories and references to classic literature such as The Woman in White and Jane Eyre.

It was a gripping story although the resolution was perhaps a little too neat and did require a leap of imagination to make it seem plausible. But that did seem entirely fitting for the style of the novel.

A great book to curl up with on winter's evening (although I read it in a sunny garden!)

Tales from the City by Armistead Maupin (37/81)

Category: Authors that are New to Me

I’d been meaning to read this book for years, and then on holiday in San Francisco, our apartment had a copy on its shelves. As it is the definitive San Francisco book, I had to read while I was staying in the city.

I loved the references to the city and I found it a compulsive read, but I didn’t ever fall in love with it or the characters. I was interested in the characters in the way that you might be interested in gossip about celebrities – I never really cared, but it filled up some time without having to think too hard. It struck me as rather a shallow book and the characters, despite being overtly quirky, never seemed real.

Moreover the naivety of the 1970s and the sexual free for all didn't sit comfortably with me, knowing that the scene it was portraying was later to be hit by AIDS. I found it hard to read it in the light way it was written with this hindsight.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum (39/81)

Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
Category: New to Me Authors

Ruby Lennox knew almost from conception that she was unwanted. Her mother Bunty, father George, and sisters Patricia and Gillian live Above the Shop that George and Bunty grudgingly own and run. Ruby insightfully narrates their lives, inserting "footnotes" between each chapter that detail the lives of her ancestors.

I'm finding it difficult to summarize my impressions. The story that unfolds of an ordinary family kept me reading primarily because of Ruby's voice rather than my interest in the characters (I was often annoyed with them) or the plot (internal and retrospective even while being narrated in present tense). At times beautifully descriptive, it was an often unsettling story that I found compelling even when I didn't enjoy it. 3.5 stars.

Cross-posted at Born Reader.

The Man Who Was Thursday by G K Chesterton (34/81)

Category: New to Me Authors

Gabriel Syme is an undercover policeman who infiltrates a secret anarchist group who plan to bring down society. To protect their identities each member of the group is known by a day of the week, with Syme taking over the post of Thursday.

Another odd book (like The Third Policeman) that I enjoyed in part but am not entirely sure I fully understood and at times made me feel like I was going mad! It was very funny in places and absolutely ridiculous in others and up to a point can be enjoyed as an absurd adventure. But in the latter chapters there is higher allegorical meaning, which was lost on me.

So I was glad I read this and would encourage others to give it a try, but I don't think I'll be reading more of Chesterton in the future.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (30/81)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Category: New-to-me Authors

In 1986, the current owner of the Panama Hotel begins remodeling, and finds possessions of several Japanese families who left Seattle in the 1940s when they were sent to internment camps. This discovery makes the news, and reminds newly widowed Henry Lee of his experiences as the son of Chinese immigrants in 1942. "Scholarshipping" in an all-white school, he makes a friend when Keiko Okabe transfers to his school and works alongside him in the cafeteria.

The narrative shifts between 1942 and 1986, and we see past and present from Henry's perspective. Ford evokes a rich sense of place in his descriptions of Seattle neighborhoods and the jazz scene in the 1940s. More a story of internal discovery than external events, the story and its characters insinuated their way into me until I found, to my surprise, that I cared enough to cry. 4.5 stars.

Cross-posted at Born Reader.

Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox (29/81)

Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox
Category: New-to-me Authors

Laura and Rose have been inseparable since birth. They are cousins, both the daughters of dreamhunters, and expect to soon be allowed into the Place to catch dreams themselves. Only certain people can enter the Place, and even fewer of them have the ability to catch dreams that can then be shared with the populace - exciting dreams like Wild River or healing dreams like Convalescent One. But there seems to be something inexplicably sinister about them...

This first book in the Dreamhunter Duet takes awhile to get going, but once it does it's a compelling read. The story sometimes gets sidetracked into history of dreamhunting or other explication, but the world Knox creates is rich as a result. Mostly told from Laura's perspective, we see her change from a young teen who follows her cousin's lead to someone who takes action. I look forward to seeing where the story goes in Dreamquake. 4 stars.

Cross-posted at Born Reader.

The Flood by David Maine (30/81)

Category: New to Me Authors

The Flood is a retelling of the Bible story of Noah and the ark. The original story is a good one anyway (whatever your beliefs, it is hard to deny that the Old Testament has some great stories) but the author has managed to bring the characters to life. He has used a lesser known edition as his source, so the names differ somewhat to the ones with which we are most familiar, for example the main character is Noe.

The story is told from different perspectives, which anyone who has read my other reviews will already know is something that I love when it is done well, as it is here. So we see the flood from the point of view of Noe’s wife, his three sons and their respective wives. There is also the occasional chapter written in the third person thrown in for good measure which shows us Noe’s story, but at more of a distance than the others.

The book starts with Noe receiving God’s message about the impending flood, through time on the ark (although that word is never used) and then onto the period afterwards, when the family are dispersed to repopulate the earth, which was less familiar territory for me as I think my school teaching of this tended to end with the flood receding.

I thought this was a great book. I found it very funny in place (there is a great discussion on how the animals should be kept on the ship) and it was just as much about how families react in crisis as it was about religion. However, I would be cautious in recommending this as some people may be offended by some of it (there is a lot of “rutting” in the book) and towards the end, there are questions asked about religion. So despite it being based on a Bible story, I think it might be enjoyed more by the less religious.

The Underground Man by Mick Jackson (22/81)

Category: Authors that are New to Me

This book is the story of an eccentric Duke, loosely based on the real life fifth Duke of Portland William John Cavendish Bentinck-Scott. Incredibly introverted, he had enough money to indulge his obsessions, most famously commissioning a series of tunnels underneath his estate that allowed him to move around with minimal contact with the outside population.

The story is mainly told through a series of the Duke's diary entries, so for most of the book we see things through the Duke's eyes. Despite the humour of the Duke's crazy schemes and wild ideas. the book is tinged with sadness as you can feel the Duke's isolation and descent into madness. His diary entries are also interspersed with accounts from servants and locals who came into contact with the Duke, and this presents a more troubled pictured.

This was a strange book. I enjoyed it in parts, but somehow felt that it benefit from re-reading so that I fully appreciate it.

The Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly (10/81)

THE END OF THE WORLD IS HERE

The secret of the Seven Ancient Wonders was only the beginning... After their thrilling exploits in Matthew Reilly's rampaging New York Times bestseller, 7 Deadly Wonders, supersoldier Jack West Jr. and his loyal team of adventurers are back, and now they face an all-but-impossible challenge. A mysterious ceremony in an unknown location has unraveled their work and triggered a catastrophic countdown that will climax in no less than the end of all life on Earth. But there is one last hope.

If Jack and his team can find and rebuild a legendary ancient device known only as the "Machine," they might be able to ward off the coming armageddon. The only clues to locating this Machine, however, are held within the fabled Six Sacred Stones, long lost in the fog of history. And so the hunt begins for the Six Sacred Stones and the all-important knowledge they possess, but in the course of this wild adventure Jack and his team will discover that they are not the only ones seeking the Stones and that there might just be other players out there who don't want to see the world saved at all.

From Stonehenge in England to the deserts of Egypt to the spectacular Three Gorges region of China, The 6 Sacred Stones will take you on a nonstop roller-coaster ride through ancient history, modern military hardware, and some of the fastest and most mind-blowing action you will ever read.

Well this was a real roller coaster of a book and I loved it !!!

This is this months book club novel and I cannot wait now until the next installment comes out to find out what happens !!!

If you love adventure then this book is for you !! It is a real page turner and you cannot help but visualize Jack and his team battling their way out of impossible predicaments !!! It is so like Indiana Jones that you just see Jack as a true hero out to save the world !!!

Although some people will say that this is a boys book because it does go into detail of guns, tanks, planes etc but I loved it ( may be because at the moment with playing Call of duty on X-Box I actually know which guns he is talking about ... lol ..... ) But as a girl reading this book I loved it ...... Maybe it is the action Hero which every girl looks to ........ not to mention that he has cool gadgets like 007 ........

This is the second book in the series and I will definitely be rushing out to purchase the 1st one !!! YOU can read this book without reading the first one and thoroughly enjoy it and understand the plot ...... BUT you will prob be like me and be dying to read how Jack's adventure started !!! ......... The only sucky thing is that we where left with a cliff hanger at the end and have to wait for the next installment .........

If you haven't read any Matthew Reilly books yet ................. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR GO OUT AND GET ONE !!!

I rate this book 41/2 ****

Here's the man himself talking and showing us where he writes !!

Wicked by Gregory Maguire (14/81)

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Category: New-to-me authors

In this reworking of The Wizard of Oz, Maguire tells the history of Elphaba from birth to death. In between, we see her growing up years, school and friendship with Galinda, and her strong feelings about injustices in the world. The cast of characters includes a smorgasbord of humans, Animals (including a Goat who teaches at the school), and animals, as well as familiar characters like Dorothy, the Wicked Witches, and the Good Witch, each with a new twist. Maguire mixes serious moments, such as discussions about the existence of a soul or the nature of evil, and purely weird fantastical elements that left me wondering if this was something I really wanted to read.

I still don't know if I like the book, which is making it extremely hard to review. The tale is definitely unique, and includes moments that I liked and others I didn't. I'm not planning on reading this book again, but I'd try another book by this author. So, I'm giving it a rather ambivalent rating of 3 stars.

Cross posted on Born Reader.

The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman (7/81)

The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman
Category: New-to-me Authors

In the 1960s, Natalie Marx and her family are looking into various hotels and cottages around Lake Devine, where they're going to be vacationing. Most get back to them with rates and accommodations, but one in particular, the Inn at Lake Devine, suggests that Gentiles would feel more comfortable in this lodging. Natalie becomes somewhat fascinated with the establishment that would flout laws (she sent the proprietor a copy of the Civil Rights Act), and finagles her way into a visit.

This is hardly even the start of the story, but the plot is much more delightfully fun when you don't know what's coming. Natalie is the narrator as well as the main character, and she's a fun person to be "in the head" of. All the characters were great: I never had the sense that any of the secondary characters were cookie cutter or background, all of them felt very real. Also, it was a somewhat "local" New England story, so it was fun recognizing a surprisingly large number of locations mentioned in the tale. Though racism is a main theme throughout, it's dealt with both seriousness and humor and isn't a heavy story. I'm definitely going to be looking to read more by this author. 4.5 stars.

Thanks to LibraryThing members detailmuse and bonniebooks for recommending this as my first book by Elinor Lipman!

Cross posted at Born Reader.

The Shack by William P. Young (2/81)

The Shack by William P. Young
Category: Recommended Reads or New to Me Authors

Mack hasn't been the same ever since his youngest daughter, Missy, was kidnapped during a camping trip he took with three of his children. Her body was never found but the trail ended at a shack in the woods. Now he's received a note asking him to go to this shack, and it's signed "Papa." As this is his wife's favorite name for God, this seems like some sort of cruel joke. But when Mack decides to take the trip, his life will never be the same.

At first I wasn't sure if I liked the book or not. The book is a very emotional, internal read. Not much happens in terms of plot; we're mostly along with Mack during a series of conversations and interactions. Some of the conversations seemed a little transparent and heavy-handed at times, a little bit of God-explains-it-all while Mack listens or reacts. But to my surprise, it resonated for a long time afterward. I would recommend it for those who enjoy inspirational fiction. 4 stars.

Cross posted at Born Reader.

Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann (5/81)

Category: New to Me Authors

When George, a shepherd is murdered, his flock of sheep decide to solve the crime. George named each of his sheep and used to read them bedtime stories, so these sheep are much more intelligent than the average sheep.

I loved the premise of this book when I first read about it as I’m particularly fond of quirky takes on the traditional detective story. However, I didn’t find the book quite as engaging as I had hoped it would be and really struggled to lose myself in it for the first 150 or so pages. The book was originally written in German and I do wonder if in translation, the prose didn’t flow quite so well. I also thought that the book was far too long for the slightness of the plot and would have benefited from stricter editing.

On a positive note, I did grow to love the sheep characters and was charmed by their individual personalities which were reflected in their names. My edition of the book also had cute little sheep drawings on the bottom corner of right hand pages, which I thought was a sweet touch.

Overall, I did enjoy parts of the book, but it did not live up to my high expectations.