Much to the alarm of many friends and family members, who do not understand this obsession, I am an avid fan of the violent, serial killer, murder mystery. The scarier the better. I think one reason is that no matter what problems, struggles, or trials I am going through, these things pale in comparison to what the hero or heroin of the story is facing. I have never been pursued, or my family threatened by a criminal mastermind bent on my destruction. Think John Sandford, Patricia Cornwell, and Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series. I must confess, my fellow librarians, I am even a fan of the ubiquitous Alex Cross. Please don't hold this against me.
I also have a great love of history. "Truth is stranger than fiction," as they say. I have read so many incredible stories throughout history that, if cast as fiction, would be seen as preposterously improbable. I enjoy reading a variety of biographies, adventure stories, and history books.
These two genres are almost polar opposites in terms of appeal factors, but it depends heavily on what I am in the mood to read. Sometimes, I just need an escape from the cares of everyday life and need to read something engaging, but that doesn't require too much thought. Other times I really need to sink my teeth into something to expand my knowledge and understanding of the world. So I can see how taking a customer's current mood into account can be an important factor in readers advisory.
John Sandford's Prey Series features Minneapolis-Saint Paul detective Lucas Davenport as a tough, ex-hockey player and video game designer. The books in this series are definitely fast reads, and the reader is quickly drawn in to the plot. There is a lot of action and dialog, and as the story unfolds, excitement builds as each new clue brings us tantalizingly closer to the stunning conclusion.
Lucas Davenport is a classic good guy - tall, handsome, and athletic, he is a ladies' man who nevertheless meets his wife, Weather, while working a case. He is compassionate and kind, actually adopting his daughter, Letty, who was left an orphan by one of the criminals that Lucas investigates. He is a smart cop who knows how to think like the criminals that he pursues. While the reader knows that Lucas is definitely a good guy, he has his own failings and weaknesses, and he is willing to compromise his principles when it comes to justice.
The story line of all of the books in this series is predictable in that the reader knows what to expect from the story. A murder has been committed, sometimes the reader finds out right away who the bad guy is, sometimes it takes until the end of the book to figure it out. But either way, the chase is on as Lucas follows the clues.
The language of the Prey series is simple and straightforward, with quite a bit of action and dialog. The author also manages to inject quite a bit of humor into the story.
The series takes place in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, and this is a key feature of the series. The reader is introduced to the residents, politics, and climate of this part of the country. Winter Prey, one of my favorites, takes place in rural northern Wisconsin, where residents must keep a fire burning in the garage all night long so that their car battery will not freeze.
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates , by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger, covers the time period from 1785 to 1805 when our new nation faced threats to our merchant shipping from the Barbary Pirates of North Africa. Furthermore, American citizens were being captured, enslaved, and held for ransom, for much more than the new nation could afford to pay in tribute.
This title is an excellent choice for someone who enjoys history, particularly American history, but is not necessarily a die-hard history buff. The book moves quickly through the time period, covering key events very succinctly. There are many characters, and many heroes, in the story, and the writers give brief backgrounds on each one without delving into great detail. The reader comes to understand the motivations of the officers and sailors who made such sacrifices for their country.
The story line of the title focuses on the struggles of a new nation, admonished by our first president to avoid foreign wars, to establish itself as an independent nation able to carry out international commerce. It focuses on the bravery and sacrifice of America's forgotten heroes. The book is very simply written, and focuses on moving the story along rather a great deal of description. Most of the book is set in northern Africa: Tangier, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. But the book is not descriptive in nature, and only deals with geography and culture to point that it is necessary to the story. The overall tome of the book is uplifting, as it details the adversity that our new nation had to overcome. A strong appeal factor of this book is the opportunity to learn about this relatively unknown period of American history.
The Winter Girl by Matt Marinovich
A good read-a-like for Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, The Winter Girl introduces us to Elise and Scott, who are temporarily staying near Southampton, NY so that Elise can care for her dying father. The unemployed Scott is drawn to the mysteriously vacant house next door, and decides to break in. The story that unfolds draws us into Scott and Elise's troubled marriage, and Elise's abusive relationship with her tyrannical father. This would be a great pick for someone who enjoys psychological thrillers without the CSI type element.
While the dialog and story line is very engaging, it does not feel like a fast-paced book because the reader is trying to unravel the mysteries behind the interwoven relationships of Scott, Elise, her father, and other characters who enter the story.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the characterization. The story is told by Scott, who is not always able to discern the motives of the other characters. As the book progresses, things are not always as they appear and Elise may not be as completely innocent as she appears.
The Winter Girl is well-written, and takes an insightful look into marriage and family relationships. The location of Southampton, NY is an important part of the story, as it is primarily a Summer community that is mostly vacant during the wintertime, when Scott and Elise are staying. Vacant houses are not so unusual at this time of year, yet Scott's curiosity is piqued by the one next door. Other than this aspect, there is not a lot of description of the area. The details of the story focus more on Scott and Elise's troubled marriage, and Elise's highly dysfunctional relationship with her father. The tone of the book is dark and suspenseful, and also very witty in a dark sort of way.
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