“The Running Grave” by Robert Galbraith (Cormoran Strike Mystery)

 This JK Rowling novel about a cult was riveting. I stayed up half the night reading it. The characters are very well developed and I do enjoy the methodical descriptions of how the mystery is tackled. Obviously, I think, Robin’s character borrows a lot from Rowling herself. My minor complaint is that there are so many characters that it’s a bit hard to keep track of them. Fortunately, the search function in my ebook solves that issue.

"The Case of the Careless Cupid" by Erle Stanley Gardner

Enjoyable as usual. And as usual, I have fun with the retro elements in the book.

"Study for Obedience" by Sarah Bernstein

 This is an unreliable 1st person  account by someone who may be either a sociopath or a victim or both, and has moved to her brother's home in a country where the Jews were persecuted. The book was short listed for the Booker prize, and is well thought of.  It was well written but I can't say I enjoyed it. I prefer slightly more solid plots.

“Secrets of the Greek Revival” by Eva Pohler

 The story kept my attention and I liked that its focus was the rest cure. However, the writing style is quite average and simplistic. I would call it “middle-aged housewife style”. From the straightforward plotting and dialogue, you can tell that the author has written a lot of YA literature.

The main protagonists were middle aged women with empty nest syndrome. Among a number of other writing faults, I got tired of hearing about the times when the lead woman peed herself a bit. There were also too many people walking around who believed in ghosts as if it were the most normal thing in the world. The entertainment value of the book is not enough to overcome its intellectual failings. I will not read this author again.

"The African Queen" by C. S. Forester

 This was an amusing little read.  Rose and Allnutt were an interesting contrast in personalities. The descriptions of Africa and boating were well done... short and evocative. And Rose's strength of character and her supreme competence were pleasantly surprising in a book written in the 1930's.

“Killing Time” by Caleb Carr

 This was an odd SF book, that seemed more like an intellectual exercise than a novel. Caleb Carr has shown in other books that he can create believable characters, so perhaps he’s not comfortable with the genre. Despite its failings, the book was interesting because it touched on many modern issues, primarily the manipulation of large groups of people through technologically generated misinformation.

“Making it So: A Memoir” by Patrick Stewart

 I disliked this book so much I had to skim it. It was overly detailed, and I became particularly tired of the references to Stewart’s love life and unworthiness as an actor. The beginning was somewhat interesting because I approached it like a work of historical fiction, but it quickly dissolved into what felt like name dropping  and a pompous, falsely humble list of successes. I came away with the conclusion that Patrick Stewart is, at heart, a very ordinary and boring person.

"The Complete Supernatural Stories" by Edith Wharton

 It's nice to know that such an acclaimed author enjoyed the supernatural. The stories were well written of course, but sometimes they had too much atmosphere and not enough action. Several stories detailed absolutely horrific treatment of husbands towards their wives. Much more horrific than you would find in an ordinary ghost story, I think.