"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.

“The Case of the Terrified Typist” by Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason Mystery)

 This was another fun read in the series. The social norms of the day are hilarious to behold. Women have come a long way.

“The Valley of Lost Children” by David Barbur (Tye Caine Wilderness Mystery # 1)

 The book was riveting and even included a librarian. I enjoyed it but the characters were too cleanly drawn, and there was too much shooting and individual justice dispensation in the great wide wilderness. All that to say that I won’t be continuing the series.

“The Beautiful Ones” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 I absolutely hated the plot and the sappy reader’s voice in this audio book. I found it so unbearable, that I had to fast forward through a big chunk of it. The love triangle was very unpleasant, and people who compared the book to Jane Austen were totally off base. It lacked her ironic humour and intelligence. Moreno-Garcia should stick to more supernaturally focussed novels. This book has put me off of her for quite a while.

“H is for Hawk” by Helen Macdonald

 I really didn’t see the appeal of this book. It was interesting learning about TH White and his hawk, but the author’s dedication to hawking just made her seem like a weirdo to me. There was too much description for sure, though I did enjoy some of her philosophizing… she was dealing with the death of her father. And I must admit, the author was bravely very honest about her thoughts and feelings.

“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.