Book Review: Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson; Translated by Quentin Bates (Dark Iceland #1)

Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ari Thor Arason is living in Reykjavik, Iceland and finishing up his university studies to become a police officer.  He lives with his girlfriend, Kristin, who is in medical school.  He receives a job offer in Siglufjordur, the northern most point in Iceland, and accepts without discussing it with her.  He moves north in November, a season of short daylight and incredible amounts of snow and cold.  While trying to adjust to a new job and a new town, two seemingly unrelated injuries and deaths occur.  Ari Thor works with his two co-workers to uncover what really happened.

This story immerses the reader in a very cold, snowy and lonely town in the middle of winter.  I kept reaching for a blanket to keep me warm as I read the book.  It's a police procedural set in a small town where everyone knows the business of everyone else.  Ari Thor has to step lightly when investigating.  It's relatively slow-paced as thrillers go, but I found myself racing through the pages to find out what happened.  Bonus points for the two maps -- Iceland and Siglufjordur.  It should be a very interesting discussion at my book club next week.  

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Book Review: The Address by Fiona Davis

The Address by Fiona Davis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 Stars - This historical fiction book is set in two different time frames (1884 and 1985) and revolves around two different characters (Sara Smythe, the first 'managerette' of The Dakota, and Bailey Camden, an interior designer hired to renovate her cousin's apartment in The Dakota).  We see how The Dakota was initially envisioned and built so far from the rest of the Gilded Age mansion of New York City.  

This book was definitely well researched by the author, and it gives the reader a definite sense of place in 1884.  However, I don't think that the 1985 storyline is nearly as strong or evocative of that time period.  There's a mystery from the 1884 timeline which encompasses most of the second half of the book.  There are some very unsavory scenes resulting from this mystery which I didn't like at all.  In addition, I wasn't fond of either of the main characters.  I think they both made some very bad life decisions which had very serious outcomes for each of them.  

If you are interested in a very fictionalized version of The Dakota history, this book is for you.

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Book Review: Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetta #1)

Postmortem by Patricia Daniels Cornwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A serial killer is stalking the women of Richmond, Virginia, brutally killing them while they sleep. Kay Scarpetta is the Chief Medical Examiner and has personally autopsied all of the victims. She teams up with Benton Wesley, an FBI profiler, and Pete Marino, a Richmond detective to find the killer.

I initially read this book back in the 1990s when it was first published, and subsequently read more than twenty of the novels in this series. The current Prime streaming series "Scarpetta"starring Nicole Kidman renewed my interest and I wanted to re-read this book to see if it as compelling as it was 30+ years ago. The answer is YES - it's quite a page-turner and I stayed up way too late several nights in order to finish it. Highly recommended, but I also suggest that you read these books in order (no surprise there because this is almost always my suggestion!).

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Review: The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #3)

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Thursday Murder Club (Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim) are at it again, meeting every Thursday to discuss and hopefully solve cold cases.  First of all there is a money laundering scheme where several people have died -- killed or suicide??  Next, Elizabeth and her husband Stephen are kidnapped by "The Viking" who threatens to kill Joyce if Elizabeth doesn't kill "The Russian."  The four retirees work together and separately to solve these mysteries, but not before a fair number of red herrings, bumbles, and cups of tea!  It's a fast paced cozy and you'll fall in love with camaraderie and friendship shared by these four.  

This is the third book in the series, and I think it's important to read them in order.  In addition, it's helpful to read them in close succession.  There are quite a few characters that appear in each of the books, and it was more almost two years since I read the second in the series and I lost track of some of the peripheral characters.

I'm looking forward to #4 in the series -- The Last Devil to Die -- and also viewing the movie on Netflix!

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Book Review - Update (Re-reading): Funny Story by Emily Henry

Funny Story by Emily Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full disclosure -- I love Emily Henry's books. She always manages to come up with very interesting and unique situations, to write believable characters, to have them encounter plausible obstacles, and most of all write incredible dialog! I just immerse myself into the world in each of her books, wanting to be friends with her characters.

Funny Story has everything in my personal reading wheelhouse: a children's librarian, set in Traverse City, Michigan, wine, books, and reading! Daphne is the children's librarian who moved to northern Michigan with her fiance, whose family lives there. At his bachelor party he realizes that he is in love with his childhood platonic friend and breaks up with Daphne. In a twist of fate, she moves in with Miles, the ex-boyfriend of said childhood friend who needs a new roommate. Daphne is an introvert trying to make her way in a relatively new town where all of her friends were actually her fiance's friends. Miles serves as an unofficial area tour guide, and you can predict what happens next.

I just need Emily Henry to write faster! It's difficult to wait for her next book. However, it's gratifying to know that three of her books are in the process of being made into movies! I can't wait!
https://www.today.com/popculture/book...

March 2026 Update -- I just re-read this book for one of my book clubs, and it's just as good the second time around!! The good news is that Netflix has picked this up for their streaming service (film or series...unknown at this time). Emily is writing the screenplay and casting has not yet begun. I can't wait...again!!
https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/m... 

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Book Review: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Harriet M. Welsch is an 11-year old girl in the 6th grade, living on the upper east side in New York City.  She is an aspiring writer and spy, and spends her days carrying around her notebook, making entries about the people she encounters.  Harriet is a unique individual who doesn't worry what other people think of her until one day.  She accidentally drops her notebook while playing with her classmates and they read the snarky and embarrassing entries she has written about them.  What happens next and how Harriet resolves the situation is genius.  

I absolutely love the sketches in the book of the various individuals that are in Harriet's life.  And I really love the sketch on the cover the classic edition (not the subsequent covers).

I was shocked when I recently read that this book has been banned at various times since it was published in the 1960s for promoting bad behavior, back talk and swearing.  In spite of that, it remains a children's classic.  

I originally read this book in 7th grade and absolutely loved it.  My best friend and I formed a spy club, went around spying on neighbors and writing in our notebooks.  That didn't last too long, but my love for Harriet has endured and it's no surprise that my favorite genre of books is mysteries.  I wanted to read this book as an adult to see if it still captured the charm and uniqueness that is Harriet.  And it does!  On to the second entry in this series - The Long Secret.

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Book Review: Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-Reum; translated by Shanna Tan

Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-Reum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a charming book, written originally by Hwang Bo-Reum in Korean and translated to English by Shanna Tan.  There are 53 chapters, each about three pages long.  She covers a lot of bookish and reading subjects in these 215 pages -- how to start reading again, how to select books (read small books, read big books, read bestsellers), how to track books (keep a reading list, organize your bookcase), and much much more!

It's very easy to read just one essay at a time, then pick it up again later to read another essay.  In fact, the author and publisher originally bundled a weekly planner with each book, intending the reader to read one essay a week over the course of a year.  

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves books and reading!  This is the first book that she has written, but has subsequently Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop.  This book is about a young very stressed woman who quits her job, divorces her husband, moves to a small neighborhood and opens a bookstore.  It's definitely on the short list of books that I would like to read this year!  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133938826-welcome-to-the-hyunam-dong-bookshop 

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Book Review: The Keeper by Tana French (Cal Hooper #3) (Advanced Reader Copy)

The Keeper by Tana French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4 1/2 stars, upgraded to 5 stars - because it's Tana French!  

This is the third and final book in the Cal Hooper series, set in a small farming village in western Ireland - Ardenkelty.  Rachel Holohan is a young girl who has been dating the son of the town "big shot" for several years and goes missing one night.  She is later found dead in the local river under suspicious circumstances, but it's not determined whether it's a murder or suicide.  Trying to get to the truth, Cal, the men and their dogs take up the investigation.  There are rumors, lies, confrontations, innuendo, threats, subterfuge, bar fights, and more as they try to arrive at the truth of the matter.  

Cal is joined once again by his found family - fiancee Lena and 16-year old Trey.  It is the scenes of the three of them together in Cal's cottage preparing dinner that I really love about this book.  This book series is definitely one that should be read in order, so I recommend reading both The Searcher and The Hunter prior to reading this one.  

Once again, Tana French is at the top of her form in creating an atmosphere and mood while weaving the story, involving us in the mystery, and immersing us in her wonderful language.  I literally could feel the Irish November cold, rain and wind even while I was sitting in the comfort of my reading chair sipping a cuppa tea.

I am anxiously awaiting what to see what Tana French has up her sleeve for her next book.  Don't let me wait too long!! 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking for an advanced reader copy of this book!

Read my review of book #1 in this series - The Searcher.
Ready my review of book #2 in this series - The Hunter.

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