A Call From Jersey by P. F. Kluge

Kluge has taken an old theme, immigrants coming in search of the American Dream, and made it fresh and new. Two brothers, Heinz and Hans Greifinger, immigrate from Germany in the early 20s. The story is narrated alternately by Hans and his son, George. Hans describes his early days in New York's German town among immigrants who have come for a new life, but need their familiar language and food around them, and their conflicted feelings as the second world war approaches. George, grown up and a second rate travel writer, has no interest in hearing those early stories and feels no connection with his father. Hans has discovered the America he was looking for but then then the changes in society leave him behind. George's work involves traveling to cities his readers dream of visiting and finds nothing. The two take a road trip to Florida, looking for Heinz, and discover each other. I couldn't put this down. Masterfully written.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

Sherlock Holmes is retired and studying honey bees in Sussex. He meets Mary Russell, a young American girl, recently orphaned and living with her aunt. He immediately sees in her a kindred spirit with a mind like his own. The novel describes the unfolding of their relationship. Being a big fan of Conan Doyle's Holmes, I was apprehensive about how well King would capture Holmes' voice and if the plotting would disappoint. I needn't have worried. Her Holmes is totally believable. There are several plot lines that unfold to reveal the main story line, Holmes' mentoring of his apprentice. There are several novels in the Mary Russell series and I look forward to reading them.

Bad Boy by Peter Robinson

Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series has always focused as much on Banks' inner life and relationships as it did on solving the mysteries. This can be a strength or a weakness. It was one of the things I loved about this series when I first started reading them but some of the later books have been so dark, as Banks' dealt with disappointment and depression, that I found them hard to read. I think this latest book is a little different and the better for it. The book begins with Banks on vacation in San Francisco. The plot focuses on Banks' partner, Annie Cabbot, and his daughter, Tracy, and begins with a gun found by the mother of Tracy's roommate. The mother goes to the police, hoping for help from Banks, as British laws on gun possession are extremely severe. This sets off a series of events that make up the core of the mystery. The gun belongs to Jaff, a handsome charmer, drug dealer, "bad boy" who is dating the roommate and with whom Tracy is infatuated. Banks returns home to find Tracy missing and in danger. The resolution is unexpected and very satisfying. Robinson does a good job of creating secondary characters who come to life. The biggest weaknesses in the book were the parts describing Banks on vacation; most of these events were unrelated to the rest of the book. Robinson has done an amazing job of keeping the characters and stories fresh through a long series.

The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind

By Justin Pollard and Howard Reid. This is a very readable history of one of the most important places and times in Western history. The authors are not historians; both have film backgrounds, having worked on BBC documentaries and many films. This seems to have served them well in presenting a clear and interesting description of the founding and development of Alexandria.
The city was founded in 332 BC by Alexander the Great but, although a student of Aristotle, he was primarily a soldier, and it was left to his friend and fellow-student, Ptolemy, to build the city to it's greatness. In the chaos after Alexander's death, Ptolemy sought to unify Egypt with Alexandria as it's center. He used the principles he had learned from Aristotle to design a perfect city. It was the first city ever laid out on a grid, with sections for trade, residences, and public buildings.Ptolemy also had a real reverence for books and began to build the library for which it is so famous. So many developments happened there in geometry, astronomy, mathematics,and religion that it was truly the crucible that gave us the modern world.
I highly recommend this book for a better understanding of it's place in our history.