The Law and The Lady by Wilkie Collins

I was interested in reading this since it is described as the first mystery with a lady detective. Having enjoyed The Moonstone and the Lady in White, I was surprised at how dated this book is. The lady detective sets out to clear her husband's name of murdering his first wife and gets nothing but discouragement and anger from her husband and his mother. She carries on because she says she loves her husband so much. Frankly, it's hard to see why she is so devoted. He's a bit of a wimp and absolutely too sensitive for words. I wanted to slap him! Ultimately, the mystery is solved but the ending is absolutely unsatisfying!

One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming

This is the latest in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series. As with most series, there is a slow development of character and relationships but I think this one would stand alone very well. Fergusson is an Episcopal priest, just returned from National Guard duty in Iraq. Van Alstyne, the chief of police and now a widower, has been waiting anxiously for her return. These two are the main focus of the story but this novel differs from earlier ones in that supporting characters get equal story time. Five newly returned veterans, including Fergusson, gather in a support group. They are all coping in different ways with the damage they brought back with them. The author does an amazing job of looking at the problems of returning home with physical and mental problems and trying to pick up the life they left. Against this, there is a murder to be solved. I think this is the best novel of the series and I couldn't put it down. I'm looking forward to the next one ( )

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

This book had been on my ToBeRead list for a long time then a friend gave me a copy with a strong recommendation. McCullers is a gifted writer (reminded me of Faulkner, in many ways) but her underlying view of the world is just too grim for me to appreciate. The characters are fascinating, a deaf mute on whom everyone projects their expectations but no one actually knows, a young girl who is apparently a musical genius growing up in poverty and low expectations, an itinerant traveler who sees all the injustice in the world and is driven to spread this message however futile, a black doctor who struggles with his treatment by whites in his southern town and is frustrated that all his friends and family don't see what he does. Each one of these people rage against their situation and try to reach out to each other but they are ultimately alone and inconsolable. There seems to be no hope for anything better.