Home » Articles posted by Kirsten (Page 302)

Book Review: Yesternight by Cat Winters

Yesternight by Cat Winters

William Morrow Books, 2016

ISBN-13: 978-0062440860

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, Audible, Audio CD

 

In this age of instant gratification, the slow burn novel can be a tough sell for commercial audiences. Horror and suspense readers generally expect the action to move along, but fans of historical novels thankfully are used to this more measured pace, allowing the beauty of the setting to wash over them, building up and surrounding them.  Cat Winters strikes gold with Yesternight, a gem of a novel that straddles genres, and has emerged as one of 2016’s strongest efforts in all three genres.

 

Winters hit the scene running with the impressive Uninvited and Shadow of Blackbirds, writing for both adult and YA audiences. Yesternight leans more towards the adult crowd, fitting easily in the “new adult” genre, but could easily find favor with the high school crowd. It’s the perfect choice for a chilly day when you are trapped at home, looking for a good read.

 

Set in 1925 Oregon, Yesternight introduces us to Alice Lind, who has the unlikely role of being a female school psychologist, tasked with administering IQ tests to school children. At that time, a woman holding such a job was rare, and succeeding as a professional for the state which depended on providing services for needy students would have been definitely uncommon. Alice arrives and immediately finds a strange task– a seven year old girl who appears to be a mathematical genius, and may be the reincarnation of a woman who was murdered several years prior. Alice, caught between the opposing wishes of the girl’s separated parents, must find a way to solve the mystery of who little Janie O’Daire really is, opening up a dark secret within herself that may destroy who she is. Janie and Alice steal the show as they both struggle to find who they really are, both literally and figuratively, in a world that would rather keep women under the surface.

 

Gothic in nature, but simmering in its building of the characters, Yesternight is a complex tale with a serpentine plot. The many layers of the characters peel away, leaving the reader to delve into something much deeper, and more enjoyable, than expected. Recommended.

 

Contains: violence and gore.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms.


Posted on February 1, 2017 by , Reply

Book Review: Anatomy of Innocence: Testimonies of the Wrongfully Convicted edited by Laura Caldwell and Leslie S. Klinger


Anatomy of Innocence: Testimonies of the Wrongfully Convicted  edited by Laura Caldwell and Leslie S. Klinger

Liveright Publishing, 2017

ISBN-13: 978-1631490880

Available: Pre-order hardcover, Kindle edition

As much as we would like to believe our criminal justice system works the way it is supposed to, it has many flaws. Every year, people are wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit, and serve time they don’t deserve to lose from their lives. Some of these are eventually able to prove their innocence, and are freed and exonerated of their crimes. With an introduction by author Scott Turow and Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project,  Anatomy of Innocence collects the stories of 15 exonerees, each working with a bestselling author of mysteries, thrillers, and crime fiction, to effectively share their personal experiences. Authors involved include(but are not limited to) Sara Paretsky, Lee Child, Laurie R. King, and Arthur Miller. Different stories focus on different parts of the process the exonerees went through, from arrest to trial, time served, appeal and exoneration.

The purpose of this book is to show how easily errors can occur in our justice system– in some cases, genuinely well-meaning, honest people contribute to the conviction of an innocent person. The book also illuminates parts of the justice system we’d rather not see: David Bates, tortured into confessing; Michael Evans, convicted in spite of evidence pointing to innocence when the one holdout juror caved to peer pressure; Peter Reilly, freed when hidden evidence was revealed after the prosecutor for his case died; Alton Logan, whose accuser admitted the crime on an affidavit to be released only after his death, under the veil of attorney-client privilege. It’s obvious that in many of these cases race was a factor– in Ray Towler’s story, it’s pretty clear that eyewitnesses identify him almost completely by skin color, despite considerable physical dissimilarities to the person they describe initially.

The stories also show the indomitable spirit these men and women exhibited (and still do) under extremely traumatic circumstances– solitary confinement, separation from loved ones, deliberate attempts at the destruction of self. Kirk Bloodsworth drew on his POW training as a Marine; Ginny Lefever took up running and reading; Antione Day formed a band. And while there are tragedies and abuses of the system, many of these stories show the best in people. Peter Reilly’s community raised money for an appeal; an elderly African-American inmate encouraged Bill Dillon to apply for a DNA test of crime scene evidence; a prison trustee’s reading suggestions led Jeff Deskovic to contact the Innocence Project.

Anatomy of Innocence brings to light perspectives we rarely see, of those wrongfully convicted, with powerful emotional impact. With the tensions in our criminal justice system today, it provides an opportunity for thoughtful reflection and compassion, in a time of anger, fear, and moral confusion. A list of member organizations of the Innocence Project is included at the end of the book. A majority of funds raised by the sale of the book will benefit Life After Innocence, an organization that helps exonerees adapt to life after release from prison.  Highly recommended.


Posted on February 1, 2017 by , Reply

Book Review: The Gambling Bug by Dan Graffeo

The Gambling Bug by Dan Graffeo

Great Old Ones Publishing, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-0692532294

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

“My name is Lance, and I’m a gambling addict.” A chorus of five voices call out a welcome in unison at the weekly meeting of Gamblers’ Anonymous, held in the small back room of St. Reese’s Church. Lance, Eve, Isabelle, Everett and Suzanna are conflicted gamblers that have dug themselves in deep. They are led by Cliff Ronicah, the only gambler of the bunch who has beaten “The Bug”. They need all the help and support they can get. The Gambling Bug will not let go without a fight. No one is safe from his tools of temptation. He wants them all back in his fold. It is a fight for their lives!

I thought this story had a really interesting premise: a group of gambling addicts trying to get help and reform are tempted by Satan to continue to slip. Unfortunately, this work was just not up to the task of telling the story. I only read to page 120 of 281 before calling it quits. Each page had at least two errors in either grammar, spelling, or style. The author did too much “telling” and not enough “showing”, the pacing was sluggish, and the plot was not going much of anywhere. The book did have some good points. The characters were distinctive and easy to keep separate from each other. The Gambling Bug/Satan in particular was a strong, well-written character. While The Gambling Bug has a promising idea behind it, and some interesting characters, the book needs a lot of editing before it is readable and ready for public consumption. I have not read any of this author’s previous work. Not Recommended.

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher

Posted on January 17, 2017 by , Reply
First « 300301302303304 » Last