News of the World by Paulette Jiles

 

From the publisher: In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

News of the World is a soft, slow-moving, meditative look at a certain time and place (Texas in the 1870s). I don’t know anything about this time in history, but it seemed well researched to me – at least, everything was believable.

This book is a western. There are attacks and shootouts. But action is not the main point; the relationship between the two characters is. I also really enjoyed the information about people who travelled around entertaining people with news stories from other places, and the nostalgia for newspapers and printing presses.

The native people are not treated as bad guys or as good guys. Nor are the white people. There are very bad men in the book, and good people as well. There are also people in the grey area between bad and good. The natives and most of the settlers are on the periphery of the story. The focus is on the aging Captain Kidd and his growing love for his charge, the kidnapped child Johanna.

News of the World has just come out as a movie starring Tom Hanks and I’m eager to see it now that I’ve read the book. I found the book overall quietly moving, and the characters of the Captain and Johanna very real. I recommend it to fans of contemplative historical fiction.

(On a side note, I am a big fan of the TV series The Mandalorian on Disney+, a western set in space. It is also about a lonely man and the child who comes in to this care. If you are also a fan and especially like that aspect of The Mandalorian, you may enjoy News of the World.)

The Galesburg Public Library owns News of the World in print, as an ebook, and as an electronic audiobook.  

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

From the publisher:
Named an Indie Next Pick and #1 LibraryReads Pick for January 2021
One of the "Best New Books Coming Out in 2021" ––PopSugar
One of the "Most Anticipated Thrillers of 2021" ––She Reads
One of the "Best and Most Anticipated Thrillers of the Year" ––Mystery and Suspense Magazine
One of the "Most Anticipated Books of 2021" ––CrimeReads

A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins's The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.

Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.

But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.

Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?

Disclaimer: I've never read Jane Eyre. Before this book, I vaguely knew there was a secret wife upstairs, but that was about it. I did skim the Wikipedia entry for the plot, but this review will be based on the book itself, without comparisons to the original classic.

As described by the publisher, it follows Jane (if that really is her name) as she moves up the social ladder from dog-walker to girlfriend to fiancee of Thornfield Estates' most eligible widower. Struggling to fit in with bored Birmingham housewives, Jane also struggles with the constant reminders of the superlative woman who came before her, as well as running from her own past.

I really enjoyed this novel. Thrillers and suspense aren't my usual cup of tea, but I was entranced by this one.  I was guessing at who the murder was up until about 75% of the way through. I would have liked to have seen more character development and backstory for Eddie and Bea, as they are narrators later on. There are time jumps as well as POV changes, but I didn't have any issues in following them. Overall though, I think this is a great thriller and recommend it.

The Wife Upstairs will be available from Galesburg Public Library after its January 5, 2021 release date. Thank you very much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys

 From the publisher:
 

After attacking Devil’s Reef in 1928, the U.S. government rounded up the people of Innsmouth and took them to the desert, far from their ocean, their Deep One ancestors, and their sleeping god Cthulhu. Only Aphra and Caleb Marsh survived the camps, and they emerged without a past or a future.

The government that stole Aphra's life now needs her help. FBI agent Ron Spector believes that Communist spies have stolen dangerous magical secrets from Miskatonic University, secrets that could turn the Cold War hot in an instant, and hasten the end of the human race.

Aphra must return to the ruins of her home, gather scraps of her stolen history, and assemble a new family to face the darkness of human nature.

 

I've been a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's mythos for a long time but hadn't actually read any of his stories in years. Last year I was reading the nice collector's edition my husband had gotten me and I simply had to stop due to the racism. Lovecraft's world-building is still fantastic, and more and more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) and queer authors like Victor LaValle and Ruthanna Emrys are coming to play in his sandbox. And they're providing enthralling takes on his works. 

As described by the publisher, Winter Tide picks up after the events in The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Aphra and Caleb Marsh travel back to Massachusetts with Aphra's employer and student of magic Charlie, Agent Spector, and Neko Koto. The Koto family arrived at the internment camps after all the Innsmouth residents save the Marshes had died, and they took the children in. Aphra has been living with them since, while Caleb is more concerned with reclaiming their family's books and heritage.

It took me a couple tries to get into this book, due to the combination of a slow start to the novel, jumps in the timeline, the constant distraction of new books at work, and a global pandemic in an election year. However, the story definitely picks up after the first quarter or so, and I was captivated by the end. It's not the fastest paced book, but it beautifully builds on the mythos and weaves threads and channels of blood and water, found family and birthrights, and discovering your own place in the world. I've already added the sequel and novella prequel to my To Be Read list.

Winter Tide is available from Galesburg Public Library as both an e-book and e-audiobook.    

The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson

 Do you love a good gothic mystery with a touch of romance? You may enjoy books by Abigail Wilson. Her newest, The Vanishing at Loxby Manor, is due out in January 2021. It features Charity Halliwell, a young woman whose family has left England for America during the Regency era. She has gone to stay with long-time family friends – a family that includes Piers, the man she loved and lost.

Charity has secrets. Piers has secrets. His brother, sister, mother, and father have secrets. Everyone in this book has secrets. My primary criticism of this book is that it reads a bit like an exercise in writing a gothic mystery, with loaded phrases and descriptions, and people saying and doing cryptic things instead of fessing up so that the truth can be known. At times I could almost hear the “dun dun dun” noise in the background. For example:

“A door slammed somewhere in the distance, and Loxby’s old walls seemed to groan in response. Muffled footsteps resonated through the twisting corridors of the ground floor, and then an unexpected silence took hold.” (p. 22 of the advance reader copy)

Some of the plot twists are a little contrived. Some of the characters are a little flat. But still this book is a lot of fun and a nice diversion in troubled times. The book has no sex or language and minimal violence. It is not particularly religious.

I read an advance reader copy of The Vanishing at Loxby Manor from Netgalley. The Galesburg Public Library will own The Vanishing at Loxby Manor in multiple formats when it is published.