Review of GOOD GUYS by Sharon Bala (New Release)

 4 Stars

I read Sharon Bala’s debut novel, The Boat People (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2018/05/review-of-boat-people-by-sharon-bala.html), which I loved and which I don’t think received enough recognition. I was equally impressed with her sophomore title.

Claire Talbot is a publicist for Children of the World, an international aid charity. The organization is on the verge of bankruptcy so Claire is thrilled when she is able to arrange for Dallas Hayden, a well-known actress, to volunteer at their orphanage in Central America. Dallas documents everything on social media so the exposure brings in much needed donations. Then Dallas decides to adopt a baby and promises a massive donation. But a journalist, Emmanuelle Clemmons, digs into the charity’s operations and uncovers a shocking crime which could ruin its reputation.

The novel explores philanthropy and international charity organizations which are often ineffective if not even exploitative. One of the characters remembers how as a teenager she’d worked with an inner-city ministry “traipsing downtown to save the souls of fallen women.” She now realizes “What did she, a middle-class virgin, know of homelessness and pimps . . . She’d been so bloated with arrogance, so secure in the righteousness of all her actions, the delusion that she knew what was best for complete strangers.” Her conclusion applies to several people who have good intentions but it’s obvious that these do not guarantee good outcomes.

The book emphasizes how philanthropy is an expression of power: “philanthropy was an act of supremacy, the giver forcing their desires on the unwilling recipients.” Donations are often given with expectations: “There was no such thing as a gift; there were only strings donors could yank to make recipients do their bidding.” And the wealthy demand fanfare: “Stamping their names on hospital wings and law schools, like dogs marking a fence.” Such donations can be problematic: “Every millionaire wanted to stamp their name on a new building, but once the ribbon was cut, mundane expenses, like payroll and hydro bills, were left to the charity, stretching operational budgets thin, necessitating more fundraising to attract more major donors who demanded more buildings. But hey! The robber barons got to jack off their egos.” Is it a stretch to argue that “’It’s a threat to a nation’s democracy when the people calling the shots and deciding how to solve a country’s biggest problems are outsiders with deep pockets and no stake in the outcome’”?

Some organizations use philanthropy as a distraction and to rehabilitate tarnished reputations: a grocery chain is embroiled in a price-fixing scandal and the charity’s founder tells a representative, “’I think we can work together to make customers think differently about your brand’” though a director argues she doesn’t want the charity to become “’a laundromat for dirty corporations.’” And it’s unfair that “glamorous causes monopolized attention and resources, leaving others orphaned.” In the novel, for example, there’s a boy who could use the actress’s help but would “anyone want a nine-year-old boy when there was a baby girl in the picture.” Employers sometimes have employee campaigns, and Emmanuelle complains about “the employer’s fingers in her pocket, skimming her meagre salary to pad the coffers of the VP’s pet charity.” And why should stores get the credit for donations made by customers at the till?

The book is replete with deeply flawed characters who may want to do good but also have self-serving hidden agendas. Claire, for instance, is looking for redemption after years of helping wealthy corporations escape the consequences of wrongdoings. Emmanuelle wants to reveal the truth but there is no doubt that she wants to advance her career. Dallas is hoping that the positive vibes of her adopting a child will help her get an Oscar nomination. Everyone makes ethical compromises to achieve their goals. One woman admits to ignoring “her better judgment, lured by the false promise of yet another big cheque.”

The author does make suggestions as to what would improve charity organizations. She implies that it would be best to put money into people’s hands instead of setting up an “elaborate middleman scheme.” One of the director’s says, “’The problem with foreign aid is foreign aid. No one is saying How can we give people a hand up and, once they’re on their feet, let them take charge?’” Emmanuelle argues, “’Interventions should be dictated by local needs, not foreign whims.’” Even Claire asks, “’Why do we have orphanages anyway? Why does anyone? Especially if it would be cheaper to give families money and let them keep their kids at home.’” In her Gratitude notes, the author mentions family members who “quietly change lives, without strings or fanfare, exactly the way good deeds should be done.”

There is so much in this novel. I think it would be a great choice for a book club because there’s so much to discuss. The book is sometimes an uncomfortable read because the reader knows things cannot end well, but it is very thought-provoking and so I have to recommend it.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review of EVELYN IN TRANSIT by David Guterson (New Release)

 3 Stars

David Guterson is best known for his debut novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, which, like most people, I loved. Over the years, I’ve read other of his novels like Ed King (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2017/10/archival-review-of-ed-king-by-david.html) and The Final Case (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2022/02/review-of-final-case-by-david-guterson.html) but have been less impressed. His latest book, Evelyn in Transit, was also not a page turner for me.

There are two storylines set in very different parts of the world. Evelyn Bednarz is born in Indiana. From the beginning she feels like a misfit. She’s tall and large and very physically strong. Restless and fiercely individualistic, she is unsuited to life at school. At the age of eighteen, she leaves home and travels across the American West, taking odd jobs and living life on her own terms. She becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son she names Cliff River Bednarz. The other story is set in Tibet. Tsering Lekpa, a young boy believed to be the reincarnation of a high lama, is taken from his home and raised as a Buddhist monk.

The two stories merge, two-thirds through the novel, when a trio of Buddhist monks arrives at the Bednarz home to announce that 5-year-old Cliff is the reincarnation of a high lama. Evelyn is forced to question whether she believes in reincarnation and whether she should relinquish her young son to a monastic life.

The ending is so predictable. First there’s the title. Then there’s Evelyn’s desire “to live the right way”; she says, “’from my earliest memories, I’ve felt like something’s wrong, something’s missing, something isn’t right.’” Her attitude to life seems to be that of a Buddhist: she’s detached and aloof, showing little emotion, and lives mindfully in the present, not needing to control the future. Her love of nature and her nomadic lifestyle can only be foreshadowing. Of course, if readers know little about Buddhist practices, they will not perceive the inevitable narrative direction.

I did not enjoy the narrative style. Evelyn and Tsering’s lives are described through a series of vignettes. This episodic style feels disjointed. And the predominance of short, simple sentences makes for tedious reading. In addition, there is little plot. For the longest time the plot just meanders: something happens and time moves on and something else happens. The lack of momentum means a lack of tension which means a lack of interest. The narrative just feels aimless, especially because the two storylines intersect late in the book.

Because of the style, much is not explained. For instance, the political situation in Tibet leading to Buddhist monks fleeing the country should be explained. Much of Tibetan culture and Buddhist tradition is described vaguely or left unexplained. It is by fortuitous chance that I just finished reading The Last of Earth by Deepa Anappara set in Tibet; this novel describes much about Tibet. Were it not for this reading, I would have been confused for large parts of Evelyn in Transit.

I’m afraid this slow-paced novel about spiritual quests was not for me.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via Edelweiss.

Review of THE LAST OF EARTH by Deepa Anappara (New Release)

 3.5 Stars

This novel is set in 1869 on both sides of the India-Tibet border. At this time Tibet was closed to Europeans, this policy of isolation intended to preserve Tibet's culture, Buddhist traditions, and political independence.

The novel follows two European explorers venturing into the Forbidden Kingdom from India. Fifty-year-old Katherine, the illegitimate child of an English father and Indian mother, can pass as Indian. She hires Mani, a young man, to pretend to be her son as he guides her into Tibet. She intends to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa and thereby perhaps secure a place with the Royal Geographical Society. The other explorer is an Englishman called Captain who, disguised as a monk, undertakes a surveying expedition. He hires Balram, an Indian teacher who has periodically worked as a surveyor for the British, to lead him into Tibet where he wants to chart the course of a major river. Balram, however, has his own agenda: he is intent on rescuing his friend Gyan who went missing on a previous expedition and is rumoured to be imprisoned in a Tibetan monastery. Both parties encounter various obstacles on their treks: storms, bandits, soldiers, illness, injuries, and wild animals.

I kept expecting the two expeditions to meet, but there is virtually no interaction. I’m not certain what the point is of two parallel stories that barely intersect. Midway through the book, Katherine sees the captain but “she hurried away, afraid he would look in her direction and see her for who she was as clearly as she saw him.” This avoidance creates some suspense, but a subsequent meeting is certainly anti-climatic. In fact, the conclusion of the entire book is unsatisfying.

Katherine and Balram, the two characters whose perspectives are the focus of the book, are well developed with interesting backstories. Katherine has always felt like an outsider and this may account for her restlessness. Haunted by her sister’s death, she is seeking redemption and hopes to find it in Lhasa. Balram’s thoughts reveal that he feels responsible for Gyan’s fate, that he is an inept guide and an unsatisfactory father, especially to his son, and that he has unresolved feelings for his friend. Though both he and Katherine have positive qualities, I didn’t particularly like either of them. Katherine’s treatment of Mani, her prejudices, and her falsehoods in her journal don’t make her admirable. Balram pretends to follow the Captain’s orders but is not above theft and manipulation.

There are many minor characters. Balram is in charge of a team of men who are individually identified, but there are so many of them, it is difficult to remember who is who. Each remains a flat character. Then there’s Chetak, a mysterious figure who appears, almost like an apparition, whenever his help is needed. He interacts with both sets of travellers, but his motives are obscure. His behaviour towards Katherine, because of his dislike of the English, is particularly strange.

I was not enamoured with the writing style. There are poetic descriptions of the landscape: “Walking alone under clouds silvered by the sun, past fields yellow with rapeseed and pewter mountains striated with snow, he felt his heart beat to the rhythms of the world: the lapping of the waves of a river, the wind whistling down hills, even the snorts of a yak or the rustle of grass as a startled hare leaped toward its hiding place.” Unfortunately I found that the many descriptions really slow down the pace of the novel. Then there is the piling on of sentences like “The captain invited . . . Chetak and the young guide seemed . . . Samarth went to sleep. Balram looked up at the sky.” When I read I visualize the action, but I had difficulty doing that because the action sequences are described vaguely.

Of course there are elements I enjoyed. I liked how Balram often imagines what his wife or Gyan would say in reaction to something. I appreciated how the discrepancies between Katherine’s journal and reality reveal her character. Colonial attitudes, characterized by a sense of cultural and racial superiority, are clearly emphasized in a way that cannot but affect the reader. I also enjoy learning about Tibetan culture and religious practices.

I loved the author’s debut novel, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2020/02/review-of-djinn-patrol-on-purple-line.html), but was not as impressed with this one.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review of SCARS OF SILENCE by Johana Gustawsson (New Release)

 4 Stars

I loved Yule Island, the first book in the Lidingö series, so was anxious to read this second one. It did not disappoint.

At the end of 2023, two teenaged boys are murdered on the island of Lidingö in the Stockholm archipelago. They are dressed in white tunics and wear crowns of candles like St. Lucia. Maïa Rehn has fled Paris after a family tragedy. Though on leave from her job with the French police, she is drawn into the investigation, joining Commissioner Aleksander Storm. One of the things they must consider is whether these murders are connected to a similar case 24 years earlier when a 16-year-old girl was killed and her body left in a similar manner. Besides dealing with the murders, both Maïa and Aleks have issues in their personal lives, the emotional impact of which they must keep from affecting their professional lives.

The novel is a compelling read from beginning to end. It opens with a truly shocking chapter which certainly captures the reader’s attention. Then there are questions for which the reader wants answers: How are the victims connected? Why are they dressed as St. Lucia? Are the current deaths connected to the one in 1999? Chapters alternate between Maïa and Aleks, but there are also some italicized interludes: who is the narrator of these? And the setting – the cold and dark of a Swedish winter – adds to the foreboding atmosphere.

Characterization is strong. Both protagonists are developed as complex individuals. Maïa, for instance, is intelligent and determined. Her outstanding trait is her ability is illicit information; Aleks says, “’You have a way of putting people at ease, or rather, you hold space for them to share their story. Not to give a witness statement, but to tell you what really happened. . . . It’s something that comes from within you. Like an aura. Most people listen to answer. You listen to hear.’” During the investigation, she remains completely professional, though she is grieving a great personal loss.

What I appreciate is the writer playing fair with the reader: she provides clues throughout. There are revelations which some readers may find surprising, but I did not because I’ve learned that this writer must be read carefully and thoughtfully. Her word choice is significant. Even though I guessed beforehand some of the twists, that did not lessen my enjoyment. I wanted to know if my suspicions would be confirmed.

This is not just a simple whodunit. It examines loss and grief and generational trauma, how individuals and families are shaped by traumatic events even long afterwards. The book also comments on the treatment of women by society and the justice system. Survivors of sexual assault, for instance, are often silent during attacks and the guilt of that reaction silences them afterwards. And in this regard, the title is perfect because it works on many levels.

I highly recommend this book. Its fluid writing style, its complex characterization, its thematic depth, and the tension maintained throughout ensure a great reading experience.

Review of THE STORM by Rachel Hawkins (New Release)

 3.5 Stars

This book relies on the trope of “a storm is coming” in both a literal and figurative sense.

St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, is known for its hurricanes. After Hurricane Marie in 1984, 19-year-old Lo Bailey is charged with the murder of her married lover, Landon Fitzroy, the son of Alabama’s governor. His body was found near the Rosalie Inn, a century-old seaside hotel. Though Lo is not convicted, many suspect that Landon’s death was not caused by the hurricane and that she used it to cover up her actions.

In 2025, Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, plays host to August Fletcher, a journalist co-writing Lo’s memoir. He arrives with Lo for an extended stay while they work on the book. As Geneva gets to know Lo and August, she develops theories about what happened in 1984, but it seems obvious that the truth is more complicated than she expects.

There are some issues with narrative structure. There are alternating timelines with alternating points of view, and this approach can be confusing. For instance, Chapter One begins with a section where Geneva narrates some events (June 21, 2025), followed by an excerpt from a tabloid newspaper (1985), pages of an unfinished manuscript (Sept. 3, 2025), an excerpt from a book published in 1988, and then an email (Oct. 4, 1983). It’s not always clear what one is reading or whose point of view is being presented until attribution is given at the end.

Pacing is uneven. At the beginning, not much happens. There’s a slow build up to the approaching hurricane which the reader knows will be accompanied by a confrontation of some type. In the latter part, there are a lot of twists which feel rushed. Unfortunately, many of the twists are predictable. One character has early-onset Alzheimer’s and this inevitably means that she possesses an important secret. Another character is vague about her past and this signals she has secrets as well. Sometimes characters react strangely to each other or avoid each other and these reactions almost always indicate a hidden connection. These are all not-very-subtle clues that regular readers of mystery and suspense will notice.

Men are not portrayed positively. Men are either abusive (Linus Bailey), incompetent (plumber), alcoholic (the handyman), or domineering (L. B. Fitzroy). Even Geneva’s father, a good guy, seems to have been rather gullible. There’s more than one man who has a hidden agenda. It is Landon who is most unbelievable. He’s nothing more than a smarmy playboy using his handsomeness and charm to manipulate much younger women.

The book is entertaining, especially if one is willing to ignore its shortcomings, but it is not exceptional in any way.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review of THE NANCYS AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING NECKLACE by R. W. R. McDonald

 4 Stars

This cozy crime story was a great way to begin the new year of reading.

Eleven-year-old Tippy Chan lives with her mother Helen in the small town of Riverstone in New Zealand. Tippy’s Uncle Pike and his boyfriend Devon arrive from Australia to look after her while Helen is on a Christmas cruise. Tippy is obsessed with her uncle’s Nancy Drew books and wishes she too could be an amateur sleuth. When the mutilated body of Tippy’s teacher, Ms. Everson, is found, Tippy and her minders form a detective club to investigate. The police arrest another teacher, Sally Homer, but Pike, having known her in the past, is convinced of her innocence. What begins as a bonding exercise and a way to help Tippy face her first Christmas without her father becomes dangerous. Tippy is even left symbolic messages to deter her from investigating what happened.

Tippy, the narrator, is a very likeable character. She’s inquisitive, observant, and intelligent and loyal to family and friends. She feels like an authentic pre-teen: she remains innocent in some ways as she tries to make sense of the world. There is, however, a vulnerability in her; because of the sudden death of her father earlier in the year, she needs reassurance and comforting.

I enjoy reading about dynamic characters and Tippy does grow in the course of the novel. With the help of Pike and Devon, she learns to open up about her feelings, something she has not been able to do with her mother who is overly protective. She also realizes that there is more to people’s lives than what they may publicly project. For instance, she learns that her uncle’s early life as a gay man in a small town was difficult, that teachers may be very different from what students see in the classroom, and that her father’s life was complicated.

There is also a motley cast of minor characters, Pike and Devon being the most memorable. Pike, for example, is definitely a unique personality; outrageous in his behaviour, he is anything but conventional in his interactions with his niece. He and the flamboyant Devon constantly banter back and forth. Tippy does not – fortunately – understand much of the sexual innuendo of their exchanges, though the reader will certainly be laughing. Some might question Pike’s approach to minding his niece, but there is no doubt that he loves her and wants to protect her. Pike and Devon also insert themselves into the life of Melanie, the neighbour’s teenage granddaughter. Melanie scares Tippy, but the men see beyond her spiky facade and reach out to help her. This decision speaks highly of the type of people the couple are beyond their campiness.

Though there is a mystery to be solved and a lot of comedy, the book also touches on some serious topics. It explores loss and grief and emphasizes the importance of family. Just like there is more to Pike and Devon than their appearance and audacious behaviour might suggest, there is more to the novel than just humour and suspense.

Anyone who grew up reading the Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys novels will enjoy this book. It’s witty and entertaining but also possesses some thematic depth. It is also heart-warming: at the end I reacted like Devon does when he receives Tippy’s Christmas gift.

Schatje's Favourite Books of 2025

 

Schatje’s Favourite Books of 2025

Of the 106 books I read and reviewed this year, here are among my favourite ones published in 2025. I divided my choices into two very broad categories: 25 novels classified as literary fiction, some with historical elements, and a dozen titles classified as crime drama, psychological suspense, mystery, thriller or gothic fiction. It was a great year of reading!

Favourite Literary (and/or Historical) Fiction

We Do Not Part by Han Kang https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/01/review-of-we-do-not-part-by-han-kang.html

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-three-days-in-june-by-anne.html

End of August by Paige Dinneny https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-end-of-august-by-paige.html

Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-nesting-by-roisin-odonnell.html

A House for Miss Pauline by Diana McCaulay https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-house-for-miss-pauline-by.html

The Immortal Woman by Su Chang https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/03/review-of-immortal-woman-by-su-chang.html

The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/03/review-of-paris-express-by-emma.html

The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/04/review-of-boy-from-sea-by-garrett-carr.html

The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/05/review-of-lotus-shoes-by-jane-yang.html

Fox by Joyce Carol Oates https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/06/review-of-fox-by-joyce-carol-oates-new.html

The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/06/review-of-homemade-god-by-rachel-joyce.html

The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/07/review-of-heart-of-winter-by-jonathan.html

The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/07/review-of-lies-they-told-by-ellen-marie.html

Solitaria by Eliana Alves Cruz https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-solitaria-by-eliana-alves.html

Bad Juliet by Giles Blunt https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/09/review-of-bad-juliet-by-giles-blunt-new.html

Ripeness by Sarah Moss https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/09/review-of-ripeness-by-sarah-moss-new.html

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/09/review-of-book-of-guilt-by-catherine.html

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/10/review-of-what-we-can-know-by-ian.html

Evensong by Stewart O’Nan https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-evensong-by-steward-onan-new.html

Benbecula by Graeme Macrae Burnet https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-benbecula-by-graeme-macrae.html

Listen by Sacha Bronwasser https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-listen-by-sacha-bronwasser.html

Songs of Love on a December Night by David Adams Richards https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-songs-of-love-on-december.html

Needle Lake by Justine Champine https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/12/review-of-needle-lake-by-justine.html

Seascraper by Benjamin Wood https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/12/review-of-seascraper-by-benjamin-wood.html

Flashlight by Susan Choi https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/12/review-of-flashlight-by-susan-choi.html

Favourite Crime/Psychological Suspense/Mystery/Thriller/Gothic Fiction

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-quiet-librarian-by-allan.html

Son by Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/03/review-of-son-by-johana-gustawsson-and.html

The Cure by Eve Smith https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/04/review-of-cure-by-eve-smith-new-release.html

Dangerous by Essie Fox https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/04/review-of-dangerous-by-essie-fox-new.html

Home Fires Burn by Anthony Bidulka https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/06/review-of-home-fires-burn-by-anthony.html

Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/07/review-of-home-before-dark-by-eva-bjorg.html

She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-she-didnt-see-it-coming-by.html

High Season by Katie Bishop https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-high-season-by-katie-bishop.html

Gone in the Night by Joanna Schaffhausen https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-gone-in-night-by-joanna.html

Venetian Vespers by John Banville https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-venetian-vespers-by-john.html

Small Fires by Ronnie Turner https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-small-fires-by-ronnie-turner.html

Jenny Cooper Has a Secret by Joy Fielding https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-jenny-cooper-has-secret-by.html