Shattered Silk

Shattered Silk, by Barbara Michaels

Publisher's Blurb:

Karen Nevitt has brought new life to old, abandoned things. Her vintage clothing collection, nestled away in Washington, D.C.'s picturesque Georgetown, features exquisite designer originals from decades past. But there is something deadly sewn into the lace and delicate fabrics she has—clues to a forgotten mystery that is pulling Karen into a dark and terrifying place. A secret once locked away in old trunks and dusty attics is crying out for justice, and only she can make things right. But a killer still lurking in the shadows has decided that the truth must remain hidden . . . and Karen Nevitt must die.  

General Impression:

It was fine-- a generally pleasant read.  Great literature?  No.  Dated?  Somewhat.  Enjoyable?  Certainly.

I liked the main characters and found the story interesting.  I think I'm a sucker for stories about people starting small businesses-- especially when it's a cute little shop.  I could happily have read more details about their plans, even though I know very little (and care even less) about high fashion, new or old.  (The vintage aspect, though, does catch my fancy...)

The mystery was... eh, okay, I guess.  This was another case where the title and cover sound/look much more mysterious and foreboding than most of the story merits.  When "all was revealed", I felt a little disappointed.  ("Is that all?")  But fortunately I enjoyed the bulk of the book enough to not really care that the mystery aspect wasn't absolutely mind-blowing.

I'll definitely continue to read more by Barbara Michaels.  Her work's not perfect (what is?), but she's more suited to my tastes than a lot of other (reasonably) contemporary authors.  Easy, relaxing reading.


More Detailed Comments:

--  At first, I was struck by some of the similarities between this and the last Barbara Michaels novel I read (Into the Darkness).  In both, a woman returns to a former home and works in a shop where someone she knows already works (or in this case, owns).  This person is a female so-called friend who is entirely unsympathetic.  What jewelry was to Into the Darkness, vintage clothing is to Shattered Silk.    ...But admittedly, the similarities soon faded.  I found Karen (heroine of this novel) much more likeable than Meg (from the other).

--  Of course there were a couple of references to Egypt/mummies.  It's required.  ;o)  "...Mrs. MacDougal's face-- which, as her son had once remarked, resembled that of one of the handsomer Egyptian mummies..."

--  I loved Mrs. Mac's explanation of how it felt to try on her wedding dress, however-many long years later:  "'Did you ever read She?'"  ..."'Immortal woman, Mrs. Mac explained.  'Bathed in the fire of Life-- two thousand years old-- superbly beautiful.  Went back into the fire, reversed the process-- aged two thousand years in five minutes.  Nasty.  Felt like that myself when I tried on this dress.'"  (And now I'm curious about She.  Barbara Michaels has a habit of mentioning books and authors in her novels.  I like it when authors do that.)

--  "Chichi clever".  I'd never heard the word "chichi" before, but Kindle told me what it meant.  (Deliberately chic.)   Thanks again, built-in Kindle dictionary!  (It is pretty helpful.)

--  Rob puzzles me.  I don't think I've ever known / read about / seen on TV or movies any male person or character who acts so... "fabulous" ;o)... and yet apparently is some sort of ladies' man.  I find it bizarre and unlikely, but maybe that's just me...

--  The "Congressman" element?  Meh.  Fortunately, politics didn't come into play much (just one reference to Mark as a liberal-- of course), but still... The whole idea of our "hero" being a Congressman just turns me off.  (I don't find politicians to be terribly attractive or romantic figures, as a rule.)

--  The Bell Witch?  Never heard of it. "The Stratford case"?  Nope, not that one, either...

--  "'You sure know a lot of fancy words,' Cheryl said."  Um...  I like Cheryl, but sometimes it felt like Michaels made her a little too unrefined in comparison to her brother.  Why was Mark not portrayed as slightly bumpkin-ish, when Cheryl goes around saying things like that? 

--  Conversely, some of the other characters speak too "fancy" (as Cheryl might say (g)).  How many homicide detectives do you know who go around quoting romantic poetry?  (Or men in general, for that matter!)

--  I was happy that Karen started out slightly overweight and "frumpy"-- but of course I knew she would begin to change for the better over the course of the novel-- and that's good, but... I don't know.  It was frustrating that she so easily dropped pounds and apparently transformed into a beauty.  Why can't a heroine ever be average?  Or just "pretty"?  Why must they all be beautiful?  ...It's just annoying sometimes.  (And it's one of the reasons I adore Jane Eyre so much.  She's physically plain through the whole thing.  She doesn't drop twenty pounds-- or get contact lenses-- or straighten her hair-- or get a new wardrobe-- and magically turn into a stunning beauty.) 

--  "All I had to do was get fat and sloppy... Her mouth dropped open as the truth dawned-- the answer to a question the psychologist has asked weeks ago.  That was why she had let herself go.  She didn't have the guts to come right out and tell Jack she wanted to leave him; she didn't even have the courage to admit it to herself.  So she had pushed him into taking the fatal step, by turning herself into a careless, unattractive frump."   ...Um, excuse me?  Ugh.  I guess we're meant to realize that Jack behaved like a cad and Karen's change in appearance just accelerated things-- not that a little weight gain and unattractive clothing is a legitimate excuse for a man cheating on his wife... but still.  That just irks me intensely.


SPOILERy Observations:

--  More appearance issues!  After Shreve is revealed as a Very Bad Guy (as opposed to just a b***h), we are treated to a description of how unattractive s/he is without her make-up.  What's the point of that?   It seemed rather silly and juvenile. 


Well, that's that. 
Now to figure out how to label this.  I always have a hard time labeling books like this one...

The Winter Garden Mystery

The Winter Garden Mystery: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery, by Carola Dunn.

Though the first Daisy Dalrymple mystery failed to really impress me, I thought I'd try another one, in case I found the series improved after the first installment.  And did I?  Somewhat, but not tremendously. 

This is another case of a book that's by no means awful, but not dazzling in the least.  The setting interests me, but the mysteries themselves are bland and rather predictable-- and though I don't dislike the recurring characters, they are not so engaging as to entice me to read a series of dull mysteries just for their sakes.  I suspect that a lot of the "cozy mystery" genre (these days, at least) is of similar quality.  (Indeed, the high ratings this novel has on Amazon leads me to wonder how much worse many other "cozies" must be.)  This type of book is acceptable if there were nothing better to read... but surely there is something better! 

So, I think this will be the last Dalrymple mystery I try for a while; though I might possibly read/listen to others, it's not something I'm anticipating with particular excitement.  Actually, the only reason I made it through the first two was that I listened to (library copy) audiobook versions, so I could be doing something else (knitting, crocheting) at the same time.  Otherwise, I doubt I'd have finished them.  I do like audiobooks while knitting/crocheting, but in future, I'd like to find stories that are slightly more entertaining.


SPOILERY BITS

--  The true nature of the relationship between Ben and Sebastian was painfully obvious, right away.  I can understand how a young woman of that time might not have realized what was going on-- but if she was that innocent, I doubt she would've been so instantly sympathetic and unperturbed by it when she did get the idea.  But whatever.  Clearly, we're more concerned with being PC than with being realistic, even in reference to the past.

--  So the bad guy decides to just blurt out a confession for no reason whatsoever?  Very convenient!

The Hobbit

The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien.

(I can never remember the proper order of the i and e in Tolkien's name!)

Tolkien's description of the novel:

If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck), here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men, when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of this humble adventurer, you will learn by the way (as he did) -- if you do not already know all about these things -- much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period. For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of the Five Armies. This is all the more remarkable, since he was a hobbit. Hobbits have hitherto been passed over in history and legend, perhaps because they as a rule preferred comfort to excitement. But this account, based on his personal memoirs, of the one exciting year in the otherwise quiet life of Mr. Baggins will give you a fair idea of the estimable people now (it is said) becoming rather rare. They do not like noise.

Donald and I read this together in anticipation of the film version that will be released later this year.  Donald had read it before (years ago), but though I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy when I was in middle school, I don't think I'd ever read The Hobbit. 

As usual with books read jointly, I didn't take notes, so I only have general impressions to mention.

--  The story was (mostly) much more lighthearted than the LotR trilogy (even though there was plenty of adventure and many life-threatening situations).

-- Most of the book felt like it was written with a younger audience in mind (again, compared to the LotR).

--  The songs are just as boring as I remember the ones in LotR being.  Boring!  Keep the amateurish poetry out of my prose, please.

--  Gandalf seemed kind of useless, for most of the book.  What good is having a wizard along if all he can offer is the occasional fireworks display?  ;o)

--  I thought the book got dull once the dragon was defeated.  From that point on, I just wanted it to be over.  (And descriptions of battles are not my favorite things to read at all.)

-- Where were some of these characters in the LotR books?  Beorn, for instance. I don't have a very clear picture/map of Middle Earth in my mind-- much less the details of the books-- so maybe they are mentioned, and I've just forgotten.  (Or maybe they're in a totally different part of the world and weren't involved simply because of distance and lack of liaison.)

--  I'll be curious to see how the book is adapted for film and how closely it resembles the other movies in tone. 

DNF: Moonlight and Oranges

Moonlight and Oranges, by Elise Stephens.

Blurb:

A timeless tale of young romance.

Lorona Connelly is ready for a change from her carefully planned, bookish life. When sparks fly at a costume party, she embraces a chance for romance with the handsome Kestrin Feather. However, she quickly realizes that even love and destiny may not be enough to overcome the reality of an overprotective mother-in-law and Kestrin's long, tarnished history of relationships.

When Lorona's curiosity leads her to Kestrin's journal, doubt plagues them both with insecurities and threatens the relationship. Can true love overcome the odds, or was their whirlwind romance just a frivolous crush? Author Elise Stephens shares a journey of young love, fate, and wounded trust in the story of Lorona and Kestrin, a couple who must learn to overcome their fears to share a life together. 

I got this as an Amazon freebie, and I'd forgotten what the story was even about by the time I started reading it (assuming I ever read the blurb at all).  I think it was the title that intrigued me, because honestly, the blurb doesn't catch my interest.  No wonder, then, that I ended up not getting through more than 16% of the book!  (Since this is a DNF--Did Not Finish--  I feel obliged to mention that the book wasn't bad-- just not enough to my tastes to warrant spending more time reading it.)


More particular observations:

--  The odd names!  Lorona?  Kestrin?  The best friend also have names that, though not bizarre, are far from common:  Yuki and Kahlil.  (A very multi-cultural group, I guess.  Yuki is Japanese-- or is she just of Japanese heritage?-- and Kahlil is from a Middle Easter family, while the red-haired, green-eyed Lorona is apparently the daughter of a Mexican mother?  I'm not sure, but she does speak Spanish... As for Kestrin, I'm not sure what he's supposed to be.  What "heritage" does the surname "Feather" suggest? ;o))

--  "Her large eyes and long neck made him think of an intelligent swan."  *GUFFAW*  How flattering!  Maybe I'm just jealous, because I don't have a swan-like neck... Why can't a heroine ever have a short neck-- just once?  (g) "He ran a fingertip delicately down the side of her neck, noting with satisfaction that it was of completely average length and not the least bit swan-like.  Swans.  He shuddered involuntarily.  Those freaks of nature had always given him the creeps..."

--  "He'd brought this innocent girl with glasses into a drunken, rowdy crowd and already he'd lost track of her."  Heh.  Yeah, innocent girls are easily spotted, what with their glasses and all.  (Glasses stereotypes irritate me greatly.)

--  "She took off her glasses and clipped them to her shirt.  She obviously didn't need them to see.  Without the lenses, her eyes were startlingly bright green, framed with thick lashes."  UGH.  Well, we couldn't have a heroine who needs glasses to see, because that's just gross.  No woman in glasses can be really desirable to a man, right?  (*grr*)  And let me just say that I hate the old cliche of "oh! I never noticed until now how *insert eye-color of your choice* your eyes were-- not until you took off those glasses!"  It's amazing how hard it seems to be for people to gauge eye color through clear lenses.  *grump grump grump*

--  I am not "into" the trope of the (ahem) "experienced" lady's man who is suddenly captivated (or even "tamed") by some lucky, awkward, completely inexperienced girl.  Magically, she's The One who can finally make him want to settle down!  OMG, that's so romantic!!  *eyeroll*  (And yet I love Jane Eyre... but I never think of Mr. Rochester as having been an old-fashioned version of a "player", so it's not really the same thing.)

--  Already, you can tell that Kestrin and his mother have a relationship that one can only describe as "messed up".  ;o)

--  It felt somewhat confusing.  The frequent switching between Lorona's and Kestrin's points of view might have had something to do with it, but I think it's more than that.  There are characters talking about things, at times, and instead of it feeling like the story's gradually being revealed, it felt instead like something had been left out... Just unsatisfying.  (Maybe it would've improved later in the book... but based on some reviews I've read, I'm doubtful.) 


SPOILERY:

--  So.  He proposes to her, and they barely know each other at all-- just that they're mutually attracted, share a bizarre orange/orange juice craving (that borders on a fetish), and he has been having some weird "visions of the future"-style dreams that he thinks show the two of them together... and that's enough information for them to make one of life's most important decisions?

--  "'The reason I've always had short, burnout flings with others is they meant nothing to me and I can't bear to hold close something that's meaningless.'  He paused.  'But I think, no, I know that I could hold you forever.'"  Er... So that's it?  That's your big explanation for why you've been a mimbo (male bimbo, duh) all this time?  It never occurred to you that you could, I don't know, abstain until you found the right woman?  No, of course not.  That would be unrealistic...  Unlike your fortune-telling dreams, which are totally realistic...

--  UGH, and she falls for him, based on that line.  Basically, it's "Yeah, so I've been having casual, meaningless sex with lots of girls because they weren't The One, and I like totally abhor the notion of getting really intimate (know what I mean?) with someone who's not My Destined Bride.  But I'm like definitely sure you ARE The (Lucky) One, so... What do you say?  Wanna get hitched?"-- and with that, she kisses him and (soon afterward) agrees to be his Lucky One.  (I mean, how could she resist, right?)

--  There may be a valuable lesson about trust and faithfulness in marriage, later on in the book, but at the point I read to, it felt like a really dubious message to send to impressionable young readers.  True, there will always be a need for trust and faith when you get married, no matter how long you've know each other beforehand, but I'm not thrilled with the romanticizing of slap-dash marriage.  Why encourage young people to idealize rushing headlong into marriage?  It just makes no sense, in the huge majority of cases.  


In conclusion:  Not my cup of orange juice.  ;o)

Nightmare Abbey

Nightmare Abbey, by Thomas Love Peacock

Blurb:

"Published in the same year as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Thomas Love Peacock's Nightmare Abbey is not just a burlesque of the Gothic novel, but a sustained critique of what he regarded as 'the darkness and misanthropy of modern literature.' His witty satire on 'the spirit of the age' can best be understood through an awareness of its complex intertextual relations with other works of Romantic literature."

--Nicholas A. Joukovsky

Well, that about sums it up-- a witty, satirical "send up" of the Gothic novel.  I found Nightmare Abbey amusing in spots, but unfortunately, dense and (honestly) dull in others, which interrupts the flow.  Where it's good, though, it's very good-- and many of the most biting criticisms feel just as relevant today as they must have done when it was written.

Do I recommend it?  It's probably not for the general public, but to the right sort of person, it would be a delight.  It's short, but it took me (what felt like) a long time to plod through it, and I'd have liked it better if certain of the trudgier parts had been left out.


Some tidbits:

--  Odd names abound, some amusing (Mr. Toobad, Mr. Glowry), some rather blandly attempting at humor (Mr. Listless), and some just odd (Scythrop). 

--  There are words in this novella that are not in some (most?) dictionaries.  Or, put another way, dude liked weird words.  ;o)  ("Jeremitaylorically", anyone?)

--  "Laughter is pleasant, but the exertion is too much for me."

--  "But I must say, modern books are very consolatory and congenial to my feelings.  There is, as it were, a delightful northeast wind, an intellectual blight breathing through them; a delicious misanthropy and discontent, that demonstrates the nullity of virtue and energy, and puts me in good humour with myself and my sofa."

--  Mermaids are the orangutangs of the sea.  Apparently.

--  "He was sitting at his table by the light of a solitary candle, with a pen in one hand, and a muffineer in the other, with which he occasionally sprinkled salt on the wick, to make it burn blue."  (Ooh, I want blue flame, too!  Must learn this salt-sprinkling trick... ;o))

--  "She had a lively sense of all the oppressions that are done under the sun; and the vivid pictures which her imagination presented to her of the numberless scenes of injustice and misery which are being acted at every moment in every part of the inhabited world, gave an habitual seriousness to her physiognomy, that made it seem as if a smile had never once hovered on her lips."

--  "'Fatout,' said the Honourable Mr Listless, 'did I ever see a ghost?'   'Jamais, monsieur, never.'"

--  I love the interactions between Fatout and Listless.  I need a Fatout to remember everything for me, too...

--  "'The Reverend Mr Larynx has been called off on duty, to marry or bury (I don't know which) some unfortunate person or persons, at Claydyke: but man is born to trouble!"

--  The "accurate description of a pensive attitude" (at the end of chapter 13)-- !