Book Review Thursday - 11/17

I am a few weeks behind on reviews, but I am still reading so I am a few reviews behind. But I will only review 2 books a week until I catch up. I'm sure it won't be too long with the holidays coming up fast.

A few weeks ago, I returned to an old favorite author - Anita Shreve. I read Rescue which is about Peter Webster who is an EMT in New England. He rescues Sheila from an accident she caused while she was driving drunk and he falls for her. She seems very aloof towards him, but allows him to date her and she ends up pregnant so they get married. Eventually, she is involved in another car accident with the baby in the car and Webster sends Sheila away. Fast forward several years and Rowan, the baby, is a senior in high school and struggling with drinking and the loss of her mother so many years ago.

I used to read a lot of Anita Shreve's books and the last few books have just felt off to me. I am not sure if I can put my finger on what is missing, but I just didn't feel like I connected with any of the characters so I wasn't really concerned with what happened to any of them. Considering how much I enjoyed The Pilot's Wife and Sea Glass, and how much I was left with a feeling of, "huh?" after this one and Body Surfing, I'm not sure that I will be as eager to read another Shreve novel anytime soon.

And back to another from my new favorite author - Desperate Measures by Kate Wilhelm. Another Barbara Holloway mystery. Gus Marchand is a God-fearing farmer who has very old fashioned ideas about men and women. When he is found dead in his home, a neighbor is accused of murder, but this is not a normal neighbor. Alex was born with a birth defect that left his face hideously deformed.

At the same time that Alex's doctor and friend hires Barbara for Alex's defense, Hilde Franz consults with Frank Holloway about the possibility that she will be accused in the murder. Gus had made some pretty severe threats towards Hilde who is the principle at the school Gus's children attend. With Frank and Barbara on opposite sides, Barbara has to work twice as hard to stay ahead of all the players in the game.

I'm sure I sound like a broken record when I say that I am really enjoying this series! There is courtroom drama, investigative drama, drama with witnesses and clients and, in this book, drama between Barbara and Frank. I like how the characters evolve and adjust to circumstances in each of the books and things that are 'learned' in the other books are not forgotten. Also, the disfigurement of Alex is not forgotten and brushed under the table. And there are multiple ways that a person can react to the appearance and Wilhelm doesn't ignore any of them. Overall, a fantastic read!