Candice
My Shelf
The Square of Sevens
by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction
This "intricately plotted, epic" (The Times, London) international bestseller—in the vein of the vivid novels of Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry—follows an orphaned fortune teller in 18th-century England as she searches for answers about her long-dead mother.Cornwall, 1730: A young girl known only as Red travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient Cornish method of the Square of Sevens. Shortly before he dies, her father entrusts Red's care to a gentleman scholar, along with a document containing the secret of the Square of Sevens technique. Raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendor of Bath, Red's fortune telling delights in high society. But she cannot ignore the questions that gnaw at her soul: who was her mother? How did she die? And who are the mysterious enemies her father was always terrified would find him? The pursuit of these mysteries takes her from Cornwall and Bath to London and Devon, from the rough ribaldry of the Bartholomew Fair to the grand houses of two of the most powerful families in England. And while Red's quest brings her the possibility of great reward, it also leads to grave danger. "Intricate, haunting, and magical by turns, Laura Shepherd-Robinson's tale is an absolute immersive read you won't soon forget" (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author).
Paris like a local : by the people who call it home.
by
914.43604 /Eyewitness
Travel, Nonfiction
A guide to the architecture, museums, theaters, restaurants, hotels and other sights of London.

This is part of a series called "Like a Local" and I recently took the Paris version with me on a trip. In addition to a regular guide, like Fodor's or Frommer's or your preferred travel series, this lends a nice local flavor to your travel research and exploration! It's small and lightweight enough to take with you, and even with the wide world of info on our smartphones, I still prefer to take a guide or two with me--all the info in one place, good maps, and, for me, much easier to read than a screen. The highlight of this guide in my opinion (among the many fun things it pointed out) was the section on stores that carry stationery and writing instruments, and it guided me to a lovely store called L'Ecritoire, where I had a unique and friendly shopping experience. -Candice
Everybody Knows: A Novel
by Jordan Harper
OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Mystery
In this "hardboiled mystery" (Maureen Corrigan) from an Edgar Award winning author, a fearless black-bag publicist exposes the belly of the L.A. beast. Welcome to Mae Pruett's Los Angeles, where "Nobody talks. But everybody whispers." As a "black-bag" publicist tasked not with letting the good news out but keeping the bad news in, Mae works for one of LA's most powerful and sought-after crisis PR firms, at the center of a sprawling web of lawyers, PR flaks, and private security firms she calls "The Beast." They protect the rich and powerful and depraved by any means necessary. After her boss is gunned down in front of the Beverly Hills Hotel in a random attack, Mae takes it upon herself to investigate and runs headfirst into The Beast's lawless machinations and the twisted systems it exists to perpetuate. ... Recommended by New York Times Book Review • NPR/Fresh Air • Wall Street Journal • Washington Post • LA Times •CrimeReads• Alta Online • Lit Hub• Kirkus Reviews• Publishers Weekly• NBC/TODAY and many more! • An ABA January 2023 Indie Next List Pick • A NYTBR Editors' Choice Selection "The book everybody's been waiting for" —Michael Connelly "An absolute tour de force"—S. A. Cosby "The best mystery novel I've read in years" —James Patterson

This was so good! I came across this title on ICPL's 'Featured Collections' scroller on the website (which, by the way, is a great way to find titles you might not be aware of), and I was hooked from the beginning. The story is told in alternating chapters by Mae and Chris, and the first thing of note is that I found both narrators to be unique and excellent, with a nice range of emotion (even hard-on-the-outside Chris). You know when a narrator sounds just like the character you're imagining? This had that going on for me. The story itself is compelling and original, even while having well-known elements that are in the miasma surrounding Hollywood: the big players, the world of dirty secrets perpetrated by those who hold the power, the broken systems, the people who fall through the cracks, and the people who perpetuate all of this in various ways. I found all the characters to be nicely fleshed out, especially Mae and Chris of course, but the side characters are also given unique characteristics and situations that tell their stories. One final note: this is the second book I've read or listened to recently that has a female "cleaner" at the center of it, someone who helps cover up bad situations for powerful people in Hollywood (the other is the Devil's Playground), and it is making for some very interesting post-book thinking. -Candice
The devil's playground : a novel
by Craig Russell
FICTION Russell Craig
Fiction, Mystery
"A riveting 1920s Hollywood thriller about the making of the most terrifying silent film ever made, and a deadly search for the single copy rumored still to exist. This is the breakout from Craig Russell, author of The Devil Aspect. 1927: Mary Rourke-a Hollywood studio fixer-is called urgently to the palatial home of Norma Carlton, one of the most recognizable stars in American silent film. Norma has been working on the secret film everyone is openly talking about...a terrifying horror picture called The Devil's Playground that is rumored to have unleashed a curse on everyone involved in the production. Mary finds Norma's cold, dead body, and she wonders for just a moment if these dark rumors could be true. 1967: Paul Conway, a journalist and self-professed film aficionado, is on the trail of a tantalizing rumor. He has heard that a single copy of The Devil's Playground-a Holy Grail for film buffs-may exist. He knows his Hollywood history and he knows the film endured myriad tragedies and ended up lost to time. The Devil's Playground is Craig Russell's tour de force, a richly researched and constructed thriller that weaves through the Golden Age of Hollywood and reveals a blossoming industry built on secrets, invented identities, and a desperate pursuit of image. As Mary Rourke charges headlong through the egos, distractions, and traps that threaten to take her down with the doomed production, she discovers a truth far more sinister than she-or we-would imagine. This is Craig Russell's strongest novel to date, and one that will resonate with American readers"--

This book has it all--a solid crime for someone to solve, interesting characters (including more than one strong, intriguing female), old Hollywood glamour coupled with whip-smart dialogue, and a healthy dose of the kind of supernatural that is just a little too real for comfort or dismissal. Author Craig Russell manages all of this really well, and has a deft hand with vocabulary (this book presented me with one of the few times in recent memory where I had to resort to a dictionary). A perfect read for heading into the spooky season! -Candice
I have some questions for you
by Rebecca Makkai
FICTION Makkai Rebecca
Fiction, Mystery
"In the riveting new novel from the author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist The Great Believers, a woman must reckon with her past when new details surface about a tragedy at her elite New England boarding school"--

This was a really engaging, smart read! The story sucks you in right away, with the main character, Bodie, returning to her posh prep boarding school out East to teach some classes during an interim session, and dropping the news that while she was a student there her former roommate was murdered and it has never set easy with her. There are a few stories here: the events of the 90s when Bodie comes to the school, and a couple years later when the murder happens; the current day where students producing a podcast decide to reinvestigate the murder; the person who was convicted of the murder; and Bodie's own personal life in current day, where she and her husband live somewhat separate lives, and they both get caught up in the Me Too movement. Makkai deftly weaves them together, and is very nuanced in her approach to dealing with many aspects of the issues. All the while, Bodie's narrating the events of the book to someone she at first only refers to as You, a clever tactic that takes us along as she lays out her evidence that points towards who she thinks committed the murder. If you like your mysteries up-to-date and with a small side of that prep school/dark academia thrown in, this is for you! -Candice
Treasure State
by C.J. Box
OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Thriller, Mystery
Christina Delaine's spot-on performance ensures that Box's story and dialogue are as entertaining as ever." —AudioFile on C.J. Box's The Bitterroots #1 New York Times bestselling author C. J. Box's Treasure State finds Cassie Dewell in Montana on the trail of a con man. Private Investigator Cassie Dewell's business is thriving, and her latest case puts her on the hunt for a slippery con man who's disappeared somewhere in the "treasure state". A wealthy Florida widow has accused him of absconding with her fortune, and wants Cassie to find him and get it back. The trail takes Cassie to Anaconda, Montana, a quirky former copper mining town that's the perfect place to reinvent yourself. As the case develops, Cassie begins to wonder if her client is telling her everything. On top of that, Cassie is also working what's easily one of her strangest assignments ever. A poem that promises buried treasure to one lucky adventurer has led to a cutthroat competition and five deaths among treasure-hunters. But Cassie's client doesn't want the treasure. Instead, he claims to be the one who hid the gold and wrote the poem. And he's hired Cassie to try to find him. Between the two cases, Cassie has her hands full. In Montana, a killer view can mean more than just the scenery, and Cassie knows much darker things hide behind the picturesque landscape of Big Sky Country. Treasure State, C. J. Box's highly anticipated follow-up to The Bitterroots, is full of more twists and turns than the switchbacks through the Anaconda Range. A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

As a reader of thriller/mystery, I find myself perplexed as I say that this is the first C.J. Box book I have ever read or listened to...Box is well-regarded and a prolific author in the genre, and while they may not be my regular go-to, sometimes you just want a 'does what it says on the tin' type of book. At least, that's what I was expecting when I downloaded this, but to my surprise, there's a whole lot more going on here than I expected. The setting is unique, and the author rightly spends a fair amount of time highlighting the beauty and environmental aspects of the big sky state. There's a double mystery going on here as well (unless they merge at some point...), and both are engaging and fitting for where the action takes place. All of the characters are, if not entirely fully realized, fleshed out enough to be interesting and believable (even honestly menacing) even those that fill a sometimes well-worn role (the bad cop, the odd-but-loveable relative, the quirky outsider). Christina Delaine is a fine narrator, and voices all the characters really well. I'm enjoying this book much more that I thought I would, and this won't be the last for me. -Candice
The candy house : a novel
by Jennifer Egan
FICTION Egan Jennifer
Fiction
"The Candy House opens with the staggeringly brilliant Bix Bouton, whose company, Mandala, is so successful that he is "one of those tech demi-gods with whom we're all on a first name basis." Bix is 40, with four kids, restless, desperate for a new idea, when he stumbles into a conversation group, mostly Columbia professors, one of whom is experimenting with downloading or "externalizing" memory. It's 2010. Within a decade, Bix's new technology, "Own Your Unconscious"--That allows you access to every memory you've ever had, and to share every memory in exchange for access to the memories of others-has seduced multitudes. But not everyone. Egan spins out the consequences of Own Your Unconscious through the lives of multiple characters whose paths intersect over several decades...The Candy House is also a testament to the tenacity and transcendence of human longing for real connection, love, family, privacy, and redemption."--Dust jacket flap.

This is the latest BYOBook read, and I've really enjoyed it, even though I am somewhat at a loss to truly explain what it's about in a big sense, other than the ideas of connectivity, authenticity, and memory. Those are hefty themes in literature and IRL, and Egan is poetic, inventive, and thoughtful in constructing stories about them. If you read A Visit From the Goon Squad, you'll be familiar with some of the characters, as well as with Egan's penchant for using the form of the book itself in new ways, which is illuminating in itself. You needn't have read her previous work, though, to jump into this one, which I do recommend. -Candice
Exiles
by Jane (Jane Elizabeth) Harper
MYSTERY Harper, Jane
Fiction, Mystery
"New York Times bestselling author Jane Harper is back with a new mystery featuring Aaron Falk, the detective from the bestseller and major motion picture The Dry. At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her stroller, her mother vanishing into the crowds. A year on, Kim Gillespie's absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family. Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems. Between Falk's closest friend, a missing mother, and a woman he's drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge"--

This is the latest in Harper's Aaron Falk series, and I recommend all of them. Like the others, this novel is slow-burning, atmospheric, and thoughtful. Human relationships and emotions are often at the fore of the story, but the underlying mystery is always there, waiting to be teased out via the small details that Harper drops here and there. This book isn't loaded with red herrings, and there isn't a lot of suspense--it's much calmer, more real, and I appreciate that. Also, the Australian setting is always a bonus, another character in the story in some ways. You don't have to start with the first in the series (The Dry), but again, all of the books are worth a read. -Candice
The Maidens: A Novel
by Alex Michaelides
OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements "Michaelides as a major player in the field" (Publishers Weekly). Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana's niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? When another body is found, Mariana's obsession with proving Fosca's guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life. A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books

This is a great, twisty, psychological thriller that's perfect for anyone looking for something in the vein of Gillian Flynn (more Dark Places or Sharp Objects than Gone Girl, though, which is a plus imho) or Ruth Ware. It's got some nice, atmospheric elements--mysterious Greek temples, old English colleges, and a somewhat shady professor with a weird, culty vibe about him. There's also some physical and emotional trauma here, but the strong and unique characters carry it well. While some of these tropes can begin to feel a little gratuitous, I think that, on the whole, this is a fresh take and worth a listen or read. -Candice
Lore
by Alexandra Bracken
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Bracken Alexandr
Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult
Every seven years there is a hunt offering mortal descendants of gods the opportunity to claim their divinity by killing any of nine immortals made mortal for one night. Lore Perseous has no desire to participate in the Agon, embittered because her family was killed by a rival who then ascended to godhood. When a childhood friend asks her to help, and a wounded god offers an alliance, Lore overlooks the steep cost of this decision in exchange for vengeance.

I chose this book to take on a recent trip to Greece, and it was perfect! A little mythology, but very up-to-date in terms of scenario and personalities involved. This book is suitable for adults and high-level YA, and made for a great beach read. Dialogue is snappy and the main characters are likable, and very human even while being, well, not entirely human (or mortal, I guess). The action takes place in New York, but those of you looking for an exciting, modern take on what Greek myth might look like today won't be disappointed. -Candice
The Villa
by Rachel Hawkins
FICTION Hawkins Rachel
Mystery, Fiction
"From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls' trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend. Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce's girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album--and ends in Pierce's brutal murder. As Emily digs into the villa's complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce's murder wasn't just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred--and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind. Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge--and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends. Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle--the birthplace of Frankenstein--The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy"--

I read this while on vacation in Italy, and it was SO GOOD. I flew through it in about two days, honestly couldn't wait to get back to it when I wasn't reading it. The story is modern but with a gothic feel at times, and has twists and turns that are surprising and feel real, and real-life drama that ties you to the characters. I found the writing and dialogue to be detailed when needed, while also refreshing and humorous. I highly recommend this! -Candice
Cork dork : a wine-fueled adventure among the obsessive sommeliers, big bottle hunters, and rogue scientists who taught me to live for taste
by Bianca Bosker
641.22 /Bosker
Nonfiction
A tech reporter describes her introduction to the world of master sommeliers and her in-depth investigation into the source of their interests and skills, an effort marked by work with elite tasting groups, encounters at exclusive New York restaurants, visits to California winemakers and more. --Publsiher's description.

This is the May read for the library's book group, BYOBook, and it's very enlightening and entertaining! I'm going to say upfront that, based on this book, there is a big mess of snark (against each other, against regular ol' wine drinkers, against restaurant-goers) and the icky feel of a boys' club about the world of wine and sommeliers, but if you're willing to get past that there's a lot in here to learn and enjoy. (If you've read Bourdain, that's not anything new, right?) I applaud the author's desire and willingness to dive into this world, and I'm appreciative of the scientific and historical info she serves up. This behind-the-scenes look at wine in our daily lives--from learning about the doings of vendors and sommeliers, to all the ways one might determine what makes wine good--is truly interesting, and while it might make me want to hop on downtown for a glass to test my skills on, it also makes me really glad it's not my job to taste and choose SO. MUCH. WINE. If you like fun schtick-lit, if you like a little science in the vein of Mary Roach, and whether or not you imbibe, this is a really good read. -Candice
The Wager : a tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder
by David Grann
910.9164 /Grann
Literary Nonfiction, Nonfiction, History
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z, a mesmerizing story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as "the prize of all the oceans," it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they had a very different story to tell. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes - they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous captain and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death-for whomever the court found guilty could hang. The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann's recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O'Brian, his portrayal of the castaways' desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance, and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller. As always with Grann's work, the incredible twists of the narrative hold the reader spellbound. Most powerfully, he unearths the deeper meaning of the events, showing that it was not only the Wager's captain and crew who were on trial - it was the very idea of empire"--

I actually bought my own copy of this book because I just couldn't wait...it was worth the splurge! It's no secret that I'm already a fan of David Grann's writing, so it should come as no surprise that I'm loving this book. It's not even like seafaring and wrecks are my thing, but the way he writes about it, they might as well be. The story comes alive, through the details of the souls on board the ships and everything they went through, their dreams, emotions, fears, and actions. The ships and the environments even become characters of a sort in the story, as they have their own powers over the fates of everyone on board and waiting at home. Thrilling history here! -Candice
The devil and Sherlock Holmes : tales of murder, madness, and obsession
by David Grann
364.1 /Grann
Nonfiction, True Crime
Collection of the journalist's articles previously published in varous periodicals.

I love David Grann's long-form writing (Lost City of Z, Killers of the Flower Moon), and the short pieces in this collection are like delicious little snacks to tide me over while waiting for my hold on his newest work (The Wager: A tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder) to come up. I think a lot of folks who find themselves in the business of libraries are really just interested in a little bit of everything, and Grann shows himself to be of a similar ilk here, chasing down random, elusive, interesting stories that he'd heard about and taken note of. His writing is both detailed and effusive, and of course, well-researched. Reading this book is like being told the best stories from a super-smart, congenial friend! -Candice
Marcel the shell : the most surprised I've ever been
by Dean Fleischer-Camp
jE Fleischer-Camp
Picture Books
One morning, Marcel the shell is walking on the blanket when he is suddenly launched high into the air and gets a bird's-eye view of the baby, Nana Connie's house, and more before falling back down.

This book is not in my regular wheelhouse, for sure, but I was lucky enough to have it recommended to me by a colleague who shall remain nameless, but who has a thick Northumbrian accent and is a sassy lass. Anyways, I haven't laughed so hard while reading a book in a long time, and this story--albeit short--is full of elements that I like! A likeable narrator, some suspense, travel, a lot of humor, and of course, a nice ending. I mustn't forget the art--it's no secret that children's books often have absolutely amazing illustrations, and this little tome doesn't disappoint. Kids or no, I definitely recommend taking this book out for a spin! -Candice
Every City Is Every Other City
by John McFetridge
OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Mystery
Behind the scenes, nothing is what it seems. Gord Stewart, 40 years old, single, moved back into his suburban childhood home to care for his widowed father. But his father no longer needs care and Gord is stuck in limbo. He's been working in the movie business as a location scout for years, and when there isn't much filming, as a private eye for a security company run by ex-cops, OBC. When a fellow crew member asks him to find her missing uncle, Gord reluctantly takes the job. The police say the uncle walked into some dense woods in Northern Ontario and shot himself, but the man's wife thinks he's still alive. With the help of his movie business and OBC connections, Gord finds a little evidence that the uncle may be alive. Now Gord has two problems: what to do when he finds a man who doesn't want to be found, and admitting that he's getting invested in this job. For the first time in his life, Gord Stewart is going to have to leave the sidelines and get into the game. Even if it might get him killed.

This was a really fun listen! The subject matter is a nice blend of serious and otherwise, with a main character who is both a private detective and movie location scout. The action takes place is Canada, which was part of the reason I gave it a listen--a different setting is always nice. The mystery here is a slow-burner, and worth the wait. The discussion of male depression and suicide is important and nicely done, and then there's a bonus side-mystery involving lots of stake-outs and following, and perhaps the occasional double-crossing and a modicum of violence. The main characters--the aforementioned detective/scout, along with his burgeoning love interest who's a late-30s bit-part actress with an endearing fondness for early-century architecture--are worth following and rooting for. The narration is excellent! -Candice
Empress of the Nile : the daredevil archaeologist who saved Egypt's ancient temples from destruction
by Lynne Olson
932 /Olson
Nonfiction, History
"In the 1960s, the world's attention was focused on a nail-biting race against time--an international campaign to save over a dozen ancient Egyptian temples, built during the height of the pharaohs' rule, from drowning in the floodwaters of the gigantic new Aswan High Dam. But the massive press coverage of this unprecedented rescue effort completely overlooked the feisty French archaeologist who made it all happen. Without the intervention of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the temples--including the Met Museum's Temple of Dendur--would now be at the bottom of a gigantic reservoir. It was a project of unimaginable size and complexity that required the fragile sandstone temples to be dismantled, stone by stone, and rebuilt on higher ground. A willful, real-life version of Indiana Jones, Desroches-Noblecourt refused to be cowed by anyone or anything. As a brave member of the French Resistance in WWII she had survived imprisonment by the Nazis; in her fight to save the temples she had to face down two of the most daunting leaders of the postwar world, Egyptian President Abdel Nasser and French President Charles de Gaulle. As she told one reporter, "You don't get anywhere without a fight, you know." Yet Desroches-Noblecourt was not the only woman who played a crucial role in the endeavor. The other one was Jacqueline Kennedy, America's new First Lady, who persuaded her husband to call on Congress to help fund the rescue effort. After a century and a half of Western plunder of Egypt's ancient monuments, Desroches-Noblecourt had done the opposite. She had helped preserve a crucial part of its cultural heritage and, just as important, made sure it remained in its homeland"--

An energetic and astute account of someone I'd never heard of before, but who exhibits all the intellect, daring, humanism, and bravery of the heroic Indiana Jones! No doubt, part of the appeal of this story is seeing a woman blaze her path in a man's world, while also leaving that world better than she found it. But there's also the historical intrigue of exploration and discovery, of war-time cunning, of the changing worlds of academia and societal norms. I'll be first in line to admit that it takes a romantic gaze to look back with enjoyment on this time period and it's colonial trappings, but the author is careful to work in acknowledgment alongside a healthy dose of the understandings of historical cultural relativism. Christaine Desroches-Noblecourt's story deserves to be told, and this book does it well. If you like this, you might be interested in reading the very excellent "The Riddle of the Labyrinth" by Margalit Fox, which recounts Alice Kober's work in deciphering the Linear B script that was used in Mycenaean civilization. -Candice
An assassin in utopia : the true story of a nineteenth-century sex cult and a president's murder
by Susan Wels
364.1523/Wels
Nonfiction, History
From 1848 to 1881, a small utopian colony in upstate New York, the Oneida Community, was known for its shocking sexual practices, from open marriage and free love to the sexual training of young boys by older women. And in 1881, a one-time member of the Oneida Community, Charles Julius Guiteau, assassinated President James Garfield in a brutal crime that shook America to its core. This is the first book to weave together these explosive stories in a tale of utopian experiments, political machinations, and murder.

I was excited enough about this book that I went and bought a copy before the library got it...I'm hopeful it won't disappoint! For those of you who read Candice Millard's fantastic book about the assassination of President Garfied--"Destiny of the Republic"--and wondered what the heck his assassin had been getting up to before the event, this book might fill in some of those details for you. Turns out he spent a bit of time in the Oneida community in upstate New York, and if you think that it was all about making silverware, think again! There were a lot of interesting communities around this time, working to turn their ideal ways of life into a reality, and Oneida was one of the most successful. If you're a history buff with a penchant for a little of the weird, this book might be worthwhile. -Candice
Black Bottom saints : a novel
by Alice Randall
FICTION Randall Alice
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Black History
In the black-owned-and-operated Kirkwood Hospital, Joseph "Ziggy" Johnson reflects on his life. From the Great Depression through the post-World War II years, Ziggy had been the pulse of Detroit's famous Black Bottom. A celebrated gossip columnist for the city's African-American newspaper, the Michigan Chronicle, he was also the emcee of one of the hottest night clubs, where he rubbed elbows with the legendary black artists of the era. In his hospital bed, Ziggy curates his own list of Black Bottom's venerable "52 Saints," local heroes whose unstoppable ambition, love of style, and faith in community made this black Midwestern neighborhood the rival of New York City's Harlem. -- adapted from jacket

This was an enlightening and uplifting read. The story of jazz-era Detroit, told through the lives of some of its most mesmerizing and affecting Black residents. The book begins with the narrator, Ziggy, recounting what he calls the "Caramel Camelot," the area and world of Detroit where Black families had migrated to, and having found solid employment in the burgeoning auto industry, made their homes in the neighborhoods where they could buy houses and support enterprises (ie, jazz clubs, schools, hospitals, stores, restaurants, etc.) run by their people and for their people. It's a book that shows the reader what once was, what's been lost, and just possibly, what could be again. -Candice
Stone blind : a novel
by Natalie Haynes
FICTION Haynes Natalie
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics
"The only mortal in a family of gods, Medusa is the youngest of the Gorgon sisters. Unlike her siblings, Medusa grows older, experiences change, feels weakness. Her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know. When the sea god Poseidon assaults Medusa in Athene's temple, the goddess is enraged. Furious by the violation of her sacred space, Athene takes revenge--on the young woman. Punished for Poseidon's actions, Medusa is forever transformed. Writhing snakes replace her hair andher gaze will turn any living creature to stone. Cursed with the power to destroy all she loves with one look, Medusa condemns herself to a life of solitude. Until Perseus embarks upon a fateful quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon"--

To be fully transparent, I'll read anything by Natalie Haynes, so I'm probably not a fair judge. I've loved all her works, and this is no exception. Not only is Haynes to be commended for giving voice (sometimes, for the first time) to characters we know from the Greek myths, but her own voice--influenced by her skill, her amazing intellect, her sense of humor, her empathy--shines through and makes her writing so immediate and fulfilling to the reader (well, at least this reader!). Her (re)telling of these stories is fresh and necessary and delightful. -Candice
Sacred Britannia : the gods and rituals of Roman Britain
by Miranda J. (Miranda Jane) Aldhouse-Green
200.9361 /Aldhouse-Green
Nonfiction, History, Religion, Political
Two thousand years ago, the Romans sought to absorb into their empire what they regarded as a remote, almost mythical island on the very edge of the known world - Britain. The expeditions of Julius Caesar and the invasion of AD 43 brought fundamental and lasting changes to the island. Not least among these was a pantheon of new Classical deities and religious systems, along with a clutch of exotic eastern cults including Christianity. But what of Britannia and her own home-grown deities? What cults and cosmologies did the Romans encounter and how did they in turn react to them? Under Roman rule, the old gods were challenged, adopted, adapted, absorbed and re-configured. In this fresh and innovative new account, Miranda Aldhouse-Green balances literary, archaeological and iconographic evidence (and scrutinizes their shortcomings and how we interpret them) to illuminate the complexity of religion and belief in Roman Britain, and the two-way traffic of cultural exchange and interplay between imported and indigenous cults. Despite the remoteness of this period, on the threshold between prehistory and history, many of the forces, tensions, ideologies and issues of identity at work are still relevant today.

This book is literally as the blurb says--it describes the religious atmosphere of Britain when the Romans blasted onto the scene, and uses various historical accounts and archaeological finds to give evidence. If that's your thing, then you'll love it! It can lean a little to the technical side, and assumes the reader might have a slight comfort level reading socio-archaeological articles, but the information is presented in nice, small bites so you don't get lost in the details. If deep British history is your cup of tea, and you don't need a lot of color photos to spice up the info, then you won't be disappointed. -Candice
Dirt Creek
by Hayley Scrivenor
MYSTERY Scriveno Hayley
Fiction, Mystery
"In Hayley Scrivenor's Dirt Creek, a small-town debut mystery described as The Dry meets Everything I Never Told You, a girl goes missing and a community falls apart and comes together. When twelve-year-old Esther disappears on the way home from school in a small town in rural Australia, the community is thrown into a maelstrom of suspicion and grief. As Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels arrives in town during the hottest spring in decades and begins her investigation, Esther's tenacious best friend, Ronnie, is determined to find Esther and bring her home. When schoolfriend Lewis tells Ronnie that he saw Esther with a strange man at the creek the afternoon she went missing, Ronnie feels she is one step closer to finding her. But why is Lewis refusing to speak to the police? And who else is lying about how much they know about what has happened to Esther? Punctuated by a Greek chorus, which gives voice to the remaining children of the small, dying town, this novel explores the ties that bind, what we try and leave behind us, and what we can never outrun, while never losing sight of the question of what happened to Esther, and what her loss does to a whole town"--

This was a detailed and engrossing read. I especially liked the child characters, and felt that their thoughts and actions rang very true. This book was more about the procedure and the lives of the people than the crime itself, really, and has a full resolution that both smacks of the cruel unfairness of life, and the profound consequences of peoples' actions. -Candice
The retreat
by Sarah Pearse
FICTION Pearse Sarah
Fiction, Mystery
"An eco-wellness retreat has opened on an island off the English coast, promising rest and relaxation--but the island itself, once the playground of a serial killer, is rumored to be cursed. Detective Elin Warner is called to the retreat when a young woman's body is found on the rocks below the yoga pavilion in what seems to be a tragic fall. But the victim wasn't a guest--she wasn't meant to be on the island at all. When a guest drowns in a diving incident the following day, Elin starts to suspect that there's nothing accidental about these deaths. Elin must find the killer--before the island's history starts to repeat itself"--

This is the second book focusing on detective Elin Warner, and doesn't disappoint. A fine addition to the "people getting murdered in a unique, sequestered location" genre, and a creepy backstory to boot. Elin continues to get fleshed out more, and her motivations and actions add depth to the story. Check out the author's previous title, The Sanatorium, to fill in some gaps if you like! -Candice
Slenderman : online obsession, mental illness, and the violent crime of two Midwestern girls
by Kathleen Hale
364.1523 /Hale
Nonfiction, True Crime
"The first full account of the Slenderman stabbing, a true crime narrative of mental illness, the American judicial system, the trials of adolescence, and the power of the internet. On May 31, 2014, in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin, two twelve-year-old girls attempted to stab their classmate to death. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier's violence was extreme, but what seemed even more frightening was that they committed their crime under the influence of a figure born by the internet: the so-called "Slenderman." Yet the even more urgent aspect of the story, that the children involved suffered from undiagnosed mental illnesses, often went overlooked in coverage of the case. Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls tells that full story for the first time in deeply researched detail, using court transcripts, police reports, individual reporting, and exclusive interviews. Morgan and Anissa were bound together by their shared love of geeky television shows and animals, and their discovery of the user-uploaded scary stories on the Creepypasta website could have been nothing more than a brief phase. But Morgan was suffering from early-onset childhood schizophrenia. She believed that she had been seeing Slenderman for many years, and the only way to stop him from killing her family was to bring him a sacrifice: Morgan's best friend Payton "Bella" Leutner, whom Morgan and Anissa planned to stab to death on the night of Morgan's twelfth birthday. Bella survived the attack, but was deeply traumatized, while Morgan and Anissa were immediately remanded into jail, and the severity of their crime meant that they would be prosecuted as adults. There, as Morgan continued to suffer from worsening mental illness after being denied antipsychotics, her life became more and more surreal. Slenderman is both a page-turning true crime story and a search for justice"--

This is a thorough, very readable account of the Slenderman-related crime that happened in Wisconsin, in 2014. The author has done their research, and is able to add a lot of great detail due to the interviews they had with involved persons. The gentle focus on mental illness is welcomed, as it brings so much to light here. Also especially interesting is the background on the whole Creepypasta/Slenderman thing, which, to be honest, was a bit of a mystery to me. Adults will like this, but some higher-reading young adults with a judicious interest might as well. -Candice
The verifiers
by Jane Pek
MYSTERY Pek Jane
Fiction, Mystery
"Claudia Lin is looking at a cliched post-college future as a chronically underemployed English major--much to the consternation of her mother, who wants her to settle down and start dating a nice Chinese boy already; her brother, who pushes her to follow in his model-minority footsteps; and her sister, who can't get over Claudia's privileged place in their mother's affections. But Claudia is used to keeping secrets from her family. Such as the fact that she prefers girls--and that she's embarking on an unsuitable but supremely fun career. Veracity, a two-and-a-half-person detective agency that operates out of a Manhattan townhouse and verifies people's online dating personas, has recruited Claudia via an online murder mystery game. A lifelong reader of mystery novels, Claudia takes to her new job sniffing out cheaters and catfishers like a latter-day lovechild of Elizabeth Bennet and Sherlock Holmes. But when one of her very first clients turns up dead, Claudia breaks with Veracity's protocols to investigate what happened, unconvinced by the story everyone else believes. The deeper she digs, the more she discovers that nothing--her client, the death, the dating platforms that claim to know us better than we know ourselves, Veracity, even her own family--may be as it seems. Part literary mystery, part family story, The Verifiers is a witty and incisive examination of how technology shapes our choices, and what role romantic love plays in the digital age"--

This is a really fun read, with a believable and slightly bizarre premise that plays out nicely. Lots of interesting family dynamics going on here, as well. Claudia has a great sense of humor, and is so likeable in all her endeavors, that you can't help but keep reading in order to find out what happens to her. -Candice
The night she disappeared : a novel
by Lisa Jewell
FICTION Jewell Lisa
Fiction, Mystery
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone and The Family Upstairs comes another riveting work of "gloriously twisted" (Marie Claire) psychological suspense. On a beautiful summer night in a charming English suburb, a young woman and her boyfriend disappear after partying at the massive country estate of a new college friend. One year later, a writer moves into a cottage on the edge of the woods that border the same estate. Known locally as the Dark Place, the dense forest is the writer's favorite area for long walks and it's on one such walk that she stumbles upon a mysterious note that simply reads, "DIG HERE." Could this be a clue towards what has happened to the missing young couple? And what exactly is buried in this haunted ground? With her signature "rich, dark, and intricately twisted" (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Lisa Jewell has crafted a dazzling work of suspense that will keep on the edge of your seat until the final page"--

If you're looking for one more book to get in before Halloween is over, I suggest this one! I have to admit, this was so much better than I thought it would be...a seriously intriguing storyline with good twists but nothing too outrageous that it becomes unbelievable. Also, the character development is top-notch, and the writing downright lovely. There's a lot of real emotion in this story, with some eerie goings-on to boot. A proper chilling read, for both adults and young adults looking to branch out a bit. -Candice
Cold cold bones
by Kathy Reichs
MYSTERY Reichs Kathy
Mystery, Nonfiction
"Winter has come to North Carolina and, with it, a drop in crime. Freed from a heavy work schedule, Tempe Brennan is content to dote on her daughter Katy, finally returned to civilian life from the army. But when mother and daughter meet at Tempe's place one night, they find a box on the back porch. Inside: a very fresh human eyeball. GPS coordinates etched into the eyeball lead to a Benedictine monastery where an equally macabre discovery awaits. Soon after, Tempe examines a mummified corpse in a state park, and her anxiety deepens. There seems to be no pattern to the subsequent killings uncovered, except that each mimics in some way a homicide that a younger Tempe had been called in to analyze. Who or what is targeting her, and why? Helping Tempe search for answers is detective Erskine "Skinny" Slidell, retired but still volunteering with the CMPD cold case unit--and still displaying his gallows humor. Also pulled into the mystery: Andrew Ryan, Tempe's Montreal-based beau, now working as a private detective. Could this elaborately staged skein of mayhem be the prelude to a twist that is even more shocking? Tempe is at a loss to establish the motive for what is going on... and then her daughter disappears. At its core, Cold, Cold Bones is a novel of revenge--one in which revisiting the past may prove the only way to unravel the present" --

I'm a big fan of the Dr. Temperance Brennan series, and this new entry did not disappoint. Tempe is a smart character with real-life woes and a good sense of humor, and her banter with friends and colleagues is always realistic and entertaining (especially with regards to former detective turned PI Skinny Slidell, who has become one of my favorite characters). After so many books in a series, one can expect to know the ins-and-outs of how the story will go, but this series stays fresh and interesting and eerie, and author Kathy Reichs does a good job of evolving the characters and situations to keep with the times. -Candice
The lamplighters
by Emma Stonex
FICTION Stonex Emma
Fiction, Mystery
The Cornish coast, New Year's Eve, 1972. A boat pulls up to the Maiden Rock lighthouse with relief for the keepers. But no one greets them. When the entrance door, locked from the inside, is battered down, rescuers find an empty tower. A table is laid for a meal not eaten. The Principal Keeper's weather log describes a storm raging round the tower, but the skies have been clear all week. And the clocks have all stopped at 8:45. Two decades later, the wives who were left behind are visited by a writer who is determined to find the truth about the men's disappearance. As long-held secrets surface and truths twist into lies, what does it take to keep the light burning when all else is swallowed by dark? -- adapted from jacket

This book is just eerie enough that I stopped reading it before bed...but other than that, I highly recommend it! Part of what makes this 'where'd they disappear to?' story so compelling is the viewpoint of those who are left behind, and the number of years between the incident and the re-telling that really lets you see how it all plays out for everyone. The setting is perfect--an isolated lighthouse surrounded by frothy seas, disconnected from the land yet always visible to those who live there, a silent reminder of the unknown. -Candice
Death at Greenway : a novel
by Lori Rader-Day
MYSTERY Rader-Day, Lori
Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction
"Bridey Kelly has come to Greenway House-the beloved holiday home of Agatha Christie-in disgrace. A terrible mistake at St. Prisca's Hospital in London has led to her dismissal as a nurse trainee, and her only chance for redemption is a position in the countryside caring for children evacuated to safety from the Blitz. Greenway is a beautiful home full of riddles: wondrous curios not to be touched, restrictions on rooms not to be entered, and a generous library, filled with books about murder. The biggest mystery might be the other nurse, Gigi, who is like no one Bridey has ever met. Chasing ten young children through the winding paths of the estate grounds might have soothed Bridey's anxieties and grief-if Greenway were not situated so near the English Channel and the rising aggressions of the war. When a body washes ashore near the estate, Bridey is horrified to realize this is not a victim of war, but of a brutal killing. As the local villagers look among themselves, Bridey and Gigi discover they each harbor dangerous secrets about what has led them to Greenway. With a mystery writer's home as their unsettling backdrop, the young women must unravel the truth before their safe haven becomes a place of death ... "--

This is a great book to get cozy with, taking place in none other than Agatha Christie's vacation home! That link sets the tone, a nice, clipped-accented British mystery set during the WWII bombings of London. Strong, winning heroines abound, with the well-meaning but troubled Bridey, the mysterious and sophisticated Gigi, and a host of others who serve as reminders of just how much women picked up the slack during the war, and various ways they also suffered. The relocation of children to the countryside--to protect them from the falling bombs--allows the book's characters to shelter in what should be a more idyllic location, but the sadness, death, and mystery follow them there, in more ways than one. Particularly poignant is the mother who keeps her child in London with her, with unforeseen consequences. -Candice
The swerve : how the world became modern
by Stephen Greenblatt
940.21 /Greenblatt
Nonfiction, History, Philosophy, Biographies
In this work, the author has crafted both a work of history and a story of discovery, in which one manuscript, plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it. Nearly six hundred years ago, a short, genial, cannily alert man in his late thirties took a very old manuscript off a library shelf, saw with excitement what he had discovered, and ordered that it be copied. That book was the last surviving manuscript of an ancient Roman philosophical epic, On the Nature of Things, by Lucretius, a beautiful poem of the most dangerous ideas: that the universe functioned without the aid of gods, that religious fear was damaging to human life, and that matter was made up of very small particles in eternal motion, colliding and swerving in new directions. The copying and translation of this ancient book, the greatest discovery of the greatest book-hunter of his age, fueled the Renaissance, inspiring artists such as Botticelli and thinkers such as Giordano Bruno; shaped the thought of Galileo and Freud, Darwin and Einstein; and had a revolutionary influence on writers such as Montaigne and Shakespeare and even Thomas Jefferson.

I'm a little late to this book, but I am so glad that I am reading it (on the recommendation of Natalie Haynes, for you podcast lovers!). This book so eloquently relays an important aspect of the humanism movement--that of finding and preserving and making known again--works from the Romans and Greeks. In this case, our questing hero goes by the name of Poggio, and he re-discovers a text by the Roman thinker Lucretius, who had been heavily influenced by Greek philosopher Epicurus. It's a layer cake of scrumptious meditation on how to live, combined with juicy details of the lives of Romans and Florentines--a real treat! -Candice
The glass hotel
by Emily St. John Mandel
FICTION Mandel Emily
Fiction, Literary Fiction
"From the award-winning author of Station Eleven, a captivating novel of money, beauty, white-collar crime, ghosts, and moral compromise in which a woman disappears from a container ship off the coast of Mauritania and a massive Ponzi scheme implodes in New York, dragging countless fortunes with it"--

This book is the August BYOBook read, and it's very good. There are many themes that resonate throughout, but several kept me thinking long after I'd finished the book: we are all haunted in one way or another (mistakes, guilt, people); the blurring of boundaries between different aspects of life that we think are solidly separated; and how so much of our existence is based on structuring that isn't really there, or is there but we don't see it. -Candice
Siracusa
by Delia Ephron
FICTION Ephron Delia
Fiction
"An electrifying novel about marriage and deceit from bestselling author Delia Ephron that follows two couples on vacation in Siracusa, a town on the coast of Sicily, where the secrets they have hidden from each other are exposed and relationships are unraveled. New Yorkers Michael, a famous writer, and Lizzie, a journalist, travel to Italy with their friends from Maine--Finn, his wife Taylor, and their daughter Snow."From the beginning," says Taylor, "it was a conspiracy for Lizzie and Finn to be together." Told Rashomon-style in alternating points of view, the characters expose and stumble upon lies and infidelities past and present. Snow, ten years old and precociously drawn into a far more adult drama, becomes the catalyst for catastrophe as the novel explores collusion and betrayal in marriage. With her inimitable psychological astuteness, and uncanny understanding of the human heart, Ephron delivers a powerful meditation on marriage, friendship, and the meaning of travel. Set on the sun-drenched coast of the Ionian Sea, Siracusa unfolds with the pacing of a psychological thriller and delivers an unexpected final act that none can see coming"--

I initially picked this book because it takes place in Italy, and partially, in a town on the island of Sicily--I love reading books that take place in areas that I want to travel to. The story itself captivated me pretty quickly, and I enjoyed it in its entirety. It's told in turn by each of the main characters, which makes for interesting character development--seeing the people and the events as described by everyone, who's interpretation differs and how--makes the telling pretty rich! -Candice
Meet me by the fountain : an inside history of the mall
by Alexandra Lange
381.11 /Lange
Nonfiction, Business, History
Since their birth in the 1950s, malls have been temples of commerce. Amid the aftershocks of financial crises, a global pandemic, and the rise of online retail, abandoned shopping centers have become one of our era's defining images. Lange chronicles the postwar invention of the mall, and shows how the design of these marketplaces played an integral role in the cultural ascent. She shows that they are environments of both freedom and exclusion, of consumerism but also of community. --

Oh wow, when I first saw this title, every remnant of my teenaged self reached for the Aqua Net and whatever dayglo clothing I could find! The mall was such a feature of my adolescent years, the word was synonymous with both fashion and social life. Now that I'm older and the wants and ways of people and buying have changed, the mall takes on a bittersweet/wasted space element. Lange's book, however, not only looks back at what the mall was, but also forward, finding ways to repurpose and make equitable the space and resources they provide. Is there hope for the mall yet?? Find out! -Candice
Hell's half-acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier
by Susan Jonusas
364.1523 /Jonusas
Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Literary Nonfiction
"In 1873 the people of Labette County in Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried on a homestead seven miles south of the town of Cherryvale, in a bloodied cellar and under frost-covered soil, were countless bodies in varying states of decay. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for over two decades, and the land on which the crimes took place became known as 'Hells Half-Acre.' When it emerged that a family of four known as the Benders had been accused of the slayings, the case was catapulted to infamy."

Sometimes, when summer comes, you just want a good, historical true crime book to get lost in. This book does the trick. The author does a good job of telling the eerie story of the Benders and their crimes, while giving context through the descriptions of burgeoning frontier towns, the hardworking people who populated them, the political schemes of the day, and the lawlessness that pervaded an environment that was created by taking the land from one people and giving it to another. A great mix of crime and solid history. -Candice
Deliberate evil : Nathaniel Hawthorne, Daniel Webster, and the 1830 murder of a Salem slave trader
by Renehan, Edward, 1956- author.
364.1523 /Renehan
Nonfiction, True Crime, History
The 1830 murder of wealthy slaver Joseph White shook all of Salem, Massachusetts. Soon the crime drew national attention when it was discovered that two of the conspirators came from Salem's influential Crowninshield family: a clan of millionaire shipowners, cabinet secretaries, and congressmen. A prosecution team led by famed Massachusetts senator Daniel Webster made the case even more newsworthy. Meanwhile, young Salem native Nathaniel Hawthorne-- who knew several of the accused-- observed and wrote.

This looks to have a lot of interesting facets to it...wealthy and powerful families, a savvy prosecutor, a canny witness to unfolding events, and a murder. And of course, Salem. -Candice
Hell's half-acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier
by Susan Jonusas
364.1523 /Jonusas
Nonfiction, True Crime, History
"In 1873 the people of Labette County in Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried on a homestead seven miles south of the town of Cherryvale, in a bloodied cellar and under frost-covered soil, were countless bodies in varying states of decay. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for over two decades, and the land on which the crimes took place became known as 'Hells Half-Acre.' When it emerged that a family of four known as the Benders had been accused of the slayings, the case was catapulted to infamy. The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders--one among thousands who were relocating further west looking for land and opportunity after the Civil War--were capable of operating 'a human slaughter pen' appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree, and what became of them when they fled from the law is a mystery that has remains unsolved to this day--not that there aren't some convincing theories. Part gothic western, part literary whodunnit, and part immersive study of postbellum America, Hell's Half-Acre sheds new light on one of the most notorious cases in our nation's history while holding a torch to a society under the strain of rapid change and moral disarray. Susan Jonasus draws on extensive original archival material, and introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, including the despairing families of the victims as well as the fugitives that helped the murderers escape. Hell's Half-Acre is not simply a book about a mass murder. It is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and wearily building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact, and an entire family of criminals can slip right through a community's fingers, only to reappear at the most unexpected of times"--

I love true crime and I love history, so this book hits a sweet spot. The writing is so good--super informative and interesting, and vividly descriptive of not just the crimes, but also the time and setting. A good book to kick the summer off with! -Candice
My Lists

About Me
I work at the Info Desk on the second floor, and I select books for the adult nonfiction collection. I have a degree in anthropology, which really helps in selecting...well...almost anything. I also manage the Art To Go collection of framed prints and original art, and the nonfiction DVDs.
What do you like to read?
In no particular order: mysteries that take place in other countries, travel writing, true crime, histories of religion and science, books about the Renaissance, knitting books full of beautiful things I probably won't make, nice books about animals, and every once in a while, a sweeping historical novel that you can get lost in.
Do you have pets?
Do I ever! Six cats: Dickens, Huckleberry, Hazelnut, Cecil, Romeo, and Newt. I also have seven litter boxes, about ten lint rollers, and I am constantly finding hair bands and plastic lids everywhere. Lucky girl, I know.
What are your hobbies?
In my free time I like to hike, travel, eat good food, listen to music, garden, and maybe have a glass of bubbly. Not all at once, though.
What is your favorite thing about ICPL?
That we are so much more than a building with books in it. If you ask ten people what they come to the Library for, you might get ten totally different answers. We try to meet a lot of needs for our community, and I think we do a pretty good job.
An engrossing account of a young woman finding her way in 17th century England, from plying her trade of reading tarot on the streets and in fair booths, to seeking out the story of her family in the country homes of Bath and Devon. Red (aka Rachel) is at once an intelligent and curious waif, and a cunning teenager who balks at restraints and finds her own strength, as well as her weaknesses, as she grows up. This is a heroine one can root for at the same time they cringe at some of the choices she has to make, or chooses to make. Expertly read, as ever, by Imogen Wilde, who knows how to nail all the voices and dialects. Aimed at adults, but I think older teens would like this as well. -Candice