“The Sanatorium” by Sarah Pearse (audio book)

This book (audio) was riveting, but I did not like it. I did not like the “damaged” female protagonist", the overly convoluted plot with its inevitable holes, and the epilogue with the protagonist/detective being stalked by a vicious killer. Nor did I like the woman reading the book… I found her fragile voice to be irritating. One good thing… The setting of a sanatorium converted to a hotel in the Swiss mountains was a nice Gothic touch.

This is the second book I’ve tried from Reese’s book club, and it will be the last. She seems to have a fondness for plot twists, and values them more than good writing.

“The Case of the Fenced-In Woman” by Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason)

 I enjoyed the book, but it had too many court procedural technicalities for my taste. And I’m getting tired of all the smart, sexy women who are in fact subservient to men. I think I’ll take a break from Perry Mason for awhile.

“The Case of the Postponed Murder” by Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason #2)

 The plot was a bit too convoluted but still enjoyable.

“The Case of the Crimson Kiss” by Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason)

 I enjoyed this short novella. It was sweet and to the point.

“Hawaii” by James A. Michener

 I quite enjoyed this book and found it to be only slightly dated. Michener surprised me with his broad-mindedness. I expected less from a book written in 1959.

From this book, I now have a much better understanding of Hawaii. I guess it falls into the category of historical fiction, but it is very well researched and is so closely based on real people that it reads like non-fiction. Unti, I read this book, I had never had trouble separating the 2 genres.