Review

“Beneath the Bleeding” by Val McDermid

McDermid, Val. Beneath the Bleeding (2007)   Audiobook by Recorded Books (2010), narrated by Gerard Doyle This book opens with Dr. Tony Hill in his office late one night at the psychiatric facility where he works. When one of the most violent patients stages an escape, Hill manages to distract him long enough to allow […]

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“The Mermaids Singing” by Val McDermid

McDermid, Val. The Mermaids Singing (1995)   Audiobook by Dreamscape Media (2011), narrated by Graham Roberts Note: This novel contains graphic descriptions of torture and sexual violence. The bodies of four men, brutally tortured and murdered, have been found in the fictional town of Bradfield, England. Police have no leads in the case and have

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‘America’s Final Beginning’ a clumsy, preachy novel written by a beginner

‘America’s Final Beginning’ a clumsy, preachy novel written by a beginner. I offer this review as a good definition of what is commonly known as a “program novel” or a “propaganda novel”: a novel that is written to portray a message but that forgets the first requirement of a novel is to tell a good

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“The Opposite of Me” by Sarah Pekkanen

Pekkanen, Sarah. The Opposite of Me: A Novel   Simon & Schuster, 2010   Kindle Edition: ISBN 978-1-4391-3475-7 Former journalist Pekkanen’s debut novel presents a full-life makeover.  Lindsey Rose has spent her entire adult life climbing the corporate ladder. At age 29 she’s on the brink of a big promotion at her high-level ad agency

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book review

“The Storytelling Animal” by Jonathan Gottschall

Gottschall, Jonathan. The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012ISBN 978-0-547-39140-3 Recommended “We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories,” declares Jonathan Gottschall in the preface to his recent book The Storytelling Animal. Gottschall, a member

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“Left Neglected” by Lisa Genova

Genova, Lisa. Left Neglected: A Novel   Simon & Schuster, 2011   ISBN: 978-1-4391-6463-1 Sarah Nickerson has it all: a Harvard business degree, a high-power position in a global consulting company, a loving husband, three young children, a house in an affluent Boston suburb, and a weekend home in Vermont. She’s also doing it all:

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“The Chalk Girl” by Carol O’Connell

O’Connell, Carol. The Chalk Girl (2011)Audiobook by Recorded Books   Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat  When a little red-haired girl with blue eyes shows up in Central Park and hugs everyone who will let her, psychologist Charles Butler’s cleaning woman, Mrs. Ortega, knows something is amiss. She takes the little girl to Butler’s house, where he

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“V” Is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Grafton, Sue. “V” Is for Vengeance (2011)Putnam, $27.95 hardcover   ISBN10: 0399157867   Audiobook by Random House Audio. Narrated by Judy Kaye  While shopping at a department store, Kinsey witnesses a woman obviously stealing some expensive merchandise. She reports what she has seen to a store clerk, who then notifies security. Kinsey hangs around to

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New Material Added to Notes in the Margin

Yesterday I added the following new material: The Sue Grafton Page The Dennis Lehane Page The Minette Walters Page Most of this material is actually “old” notes that I’m just now getting around to posting after moving the site. But the review of “V” Is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton really is new.

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“Still Alice” by Lisa Genova

Genova, Lisa. Still Alice   Simon & Schuster, 2008   ISBN: 1439116881  Simon & Schuster Audio.  Narrated by the author Highly Recommended As the book opens, Alice Howland, Ph. D., a cognitive psychologist at Harvard, works on a peer-review evaluation of an academic paper submitted for publication in a scientific journal. She is disturbed by

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