Audiobook review: The Apothecary by Maile Maloy

The Apothecary by Maile Maloy
Genre: YA historical fantasy
Length: 7h 35m
Audio publisher: Penguin Audiobooks, 2011
Read by: Cristin Milioti
From: Library

Story: In 1952, Janie moves from Los Angeles to London. The cool guy at school, Benjamin, also happens to be the son of the neighborhood apothecary. When the Benjamin's dad is kidnapped, he and Janie must keep safe his ancient book, the Pharmacopoeia. That doesn't mean they can't try out some of its secrets...

Thoughts: The Apothecary is a fun story of kids trying fit in and learning about a mysterious magic world right under their nose. Set in 1952, it takes place in a very realistic London where there are no sock hops or poodle skirts but instead food shortages and ration cards. Everything is backwards and grey in London after sunny Los Angeles, and I really felt for Janie as she adjusted to her new school and life. Then Benjamin catches her eye with his non-conformist ways and the story takes off with kidnappings, chases, murder, and magic.

Reading: Cristin Milioti's young-sounding voice works well for 14 year-old Janie. I liked all of the British accents she was able to put into the story, especially dreamy Benjamin.

Final thoughts: The Apothecary is a fun story of magic and growing up that stands well on its own while still leaving some room for sequels.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Graphic Novel Review: Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry

"As it did every morning...with spiteful inevitability...the sun rose."

Britten and Brülightly by Hannah Berry
Genre: Detective noir
Publisher: Metropolitan Books, 2008
Check out some sample pages
From: Local library

Story: There's not much sun in the noir city where Fernández Britten makes his living as a "researcher." He's tired of telling jealous and vengeful lovers what they already know, so now he doesn't get out of bed for less than murder. He doesn't get out of bed much. But today he has a case. With his partner, Stewart Brülightly, who happens to be a talking teabag, Britten is off to meet a lady of mystery and talk about murder.

Thoughts: Mysterious death. Long silences. Rain. Britten and Brülightly has it all. This isn't a kid's book but instead a noir mystery with violence, murder, and even swearing. I think this is the first graphic novel I've checked out that's shelved in the adult section. Instead of hard-boiled, Britten is world-weary. He's seen more than his share of deceit and cares too much to let it go. His partner, although a teabag, has managed to stay upbeat. Stewart adds some levity to the bleak existence that's weighing Britten down. The plot moves swiftly, and Britten is swept along. He wants to help people, but the truth only makes things worse. And he's too intelligent to go after anything but the truth.

Art: The artwork in Britten and Brülightly is amazing. Each panel is painted with just the faintest touch of color creating a washed-out image that adds to the bleak atmosphere. The city is  populated with the most beautifully drawn details. A desk. A fish. A shoe. The never-ending rain and angles looking down on Britten from a height only emphasize his insignificance. My one criticism is some of the lettering is hard to read. I love how the narration is written out in cursive, but it takes a couple of passes to get the whole gist. The story is well-done, and the art that makes this book.

Final thoughts: If you like noir or detectives or graphic novels or tea, you should read Britten and Brülightly. Well, maybe not tea. I wouldn't want Stewart in my cup. But it's an excellent choice for any graphic novel fan and mystery buffs who want to give graphic novels a try.

Grade: 5 out of 5

This review is part of the Graphic Novels Challenge.

Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison

Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison
Genre: Gothic historical romance
Length: 12h 22m
Audio publisher: Iambik audio, 2011
Read by: Ruth Golding

Story: Isabel Hart is almost twenty-one and has lived a very sheltered life. She has debilitating fears of the lake and the maze at her family's country house. She is also afraid to acknowledge the many secrets her family keeps: her mother's illness, her father's way of coping, why her fiance wants to marry her, her sister's early life. As she begins overcoming her fears, Isabel starts to see her family as they really are, and the true secrets of Trencarrow are revealed.

Thoughts: Trencarrow Secret could be described as Gothic, but it doesn't take place in the traditional Gothic setting. Trencarrow is an open and airy mansion filled with the Harts' friends and relations all congregating for Isabel's twenty-first birthday. The Gothic moodiness is in Isabel's mind, where her fears cast a shadow over everything and everyone. Isabel is naive and acts young for her age, although this could be a realistic portrayal of a sheltered gentleman's daughter of the time: dutiful, docile, and a slave to propriety.

Romance is on the sidelines as Isabel thinks about what she wants from life and from marriage. As the story progresses, more and more people reveal their true selves to Isabel, and she tries to come to terms with the unwelcome changes around her. The book moves fairly slowly as each person's secret is revealed. Mystery is downplayed as the secrets are plain to everyone except Isabel, and she wants to keep them hidden.

I enjoyed this book more in hindsight than while listening to it. At the time I didn't quite know what to think. Some of the secrets were not secret at all while others were too well hidden. I wish the hidden ones had come out a little sooner so I could have enjoyed them more at the time.

Reading: Ruth Golding does a fabulous job. Her older-sounding voice lends a feel of nostalgia to the story, as if Isabel is thinking back to her time in Trencarrow. The voice for Isabel is childish and whining, fitting the character. Sometimes the younger female voices started to sound a little similar, especially Isabel and Laura, but I enjoyed her male voices immensely.


Final thoughts: Not quite a romance and not quite a mystery, Trencarrow Secret is more Gothic in hindsight than it appears at first glance.


Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Thanks to Iambik and Audiobook Jukebox for providing an audio copy of this book for review.

Farthing by Jo Walton

Farthing (2006) by Jo Walton
Series: First in the Small Change trilogy
Genre: alternate reality mystery
Length: 9h 46m
Audio publisher: Audible, Inc, 2011
Read by: John Keating and Bianca Amato

Story: In a 1949 where Hitler retains control of Europe and England has withdrawn from the war, the Farthings are the well-connected family who orchestrated this "Peace with Honor." When one of the Farthings is found dead at their country estate, Scotland Yard inspector Peter Carmichael is on the case. Who did it? Was it Jews? Bolsheviks? Or someone more connected to the family?

Thoughts: Wow. In addition to being a fun cozy mystery worthy of Ms. Christie, Farthing shows life in a world where democracy is eroding and  persecution is tolerated. The point of view alternates from daughter of the house Lucy to Inspector Carmichael, and this dichotomy is inspired. Farthing is the first mystery I've read to use this convention, and it allows the reader to get an inside view into the family machinations and prejudices while also learning about events back at Scotland Yard. Does anyone want to solve this mystery, or do they only want use it for their political advantage? You don't need to like science fiction to love this book. It's real and chilling on a personal level in a setting that could be our history.

Reading: I haven't listened to either Bianca Amato or John Keating before, and I really enjoyed their interpretations. Ms. Amato has a very light, refined voice that perfectly captured the naive young wife, while Mr. Keating lent a world-weariness to Inspector Carmichael as his illusions are removed one by one the further he gets into the case.

Final thoughts: I started Farthing not knowing what to expect and left amazed. I'm so glad this book is out in audio.

Grade: 5 out of 5. One of my best 5 audiobooks of 2011!

Audiobook review: Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Series: First in the Art of Death series
Genre: historical mystery
Length: 13h 12m
Audio publisher: Penguin Audiobooks, 2007
Read by: Rosalyn Landor
From: local library

Story: Cambridge, 1171. A child has been murdered, and the town blames the local Jews. Since the Jewish population is locked in the local castle, they're not generating revenue. This doesn't sit well with King Henry II. In an effort to exonerate the Jews and get the taxes flowing, he sends for a "Master in the Art of Death."

Adelia is a physician and pathologist in progressive Sicily, but she could get herself killed in backwater England where women who know too much are called witches. Adelia needs to learn as much as she can about Cambridge's farmers, crusaders, tax collectors and clergy quickly and without giving offence, not her strong suit. She's not sure if she can trust anyone, but she has to find the killer before another child dies.

Thoughts: After a slow start with too much introduction (three preambles) the narrative takes off. Adelia is a fabulous, strong female character. I'm not sure if her difficulties relating to people are because she's Sicilian and doesn't understand English culture, because she's dedicated to her work so not picking up social cues, or if she just didn't care. She reminds me of the TV version of Bones, so she may have Asperger's syndrome. Of course, most of her issues are people saying "women don't do that," which she doesn't stand for. Instead, she fills us in on the state of medieval doctoring. I never know if washing one's hands in brandy is something one person of that time might think of or if it's all imposed on the characters from our modern perspective, but it's fun to see what goes on and what Adelia thinks about it. I especially liked her asking for vegetables and everyone else groaning about how she's such a picky eater.

Reading: Rosalyn Landor is an audiobook superstar. Her voices in Mistress of the Art of Death are spot-on, from the king to the sheep herder. I especially loved the little kids. She also aced my person audio hurdle by pronouncing "pastie" correctly. Not everyone does. Well done!

Final thoughts: A great medieval medical mystery. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Graphic novel review: kimmie66 by Aaron Alexovich

"But...is it real?"

kimmie66 by Aaron Alexovich
Genre: YA SF mystery
Publisher: DC Minx, 2007
From: Paperbackswap.com 

Story: Telly is a normal 23rd century goth teen. She lives most of her life in the virtual world, and who wouldn't? But she's worried about her friend, kimmie66. Kimmie sent Telly a suicide note that couldn't be real, could it? People are still seeing Kimmie all over the net. Telly has never met Kimmie in real life and doesn't know her real name, so she can't find out for sure. Unless she breaks the law.

Thoughts: kimmy66 is much darker than the other Minx titles I've read, both in its theme of suicide and from the black backgrounds used in most of the panels. The artwork is edgy and distorted, fitting with the virtual reality setting. I usually prefer clear and open artwork, but the darker images work to set the bleak tone. The story reminds me of Serial Experiments Lain, one of my favorite animes. Both titles have a sad and eerie feeling, but the scary clowns add an extra creep factor to kimmie66.  I like Telly. She figures things out and questions the status quo. She also has fab messy hair. The everyday use of virtual reality put me in mind of Ready Player One. In fact, both of these books could take place in the same world. The only difference is in Telly's world virtual travel is illegal while for Player One it's just expensive.

Aaron Alexovich contributed character designs to Nickelodeon's Invader Zim, and I recognized his unique drawing style from that show. He also did the art for Minx's Confessions of a Blabbermouth and has his own story, Serenity Rose, from SLG.

Final thoughts: I liked this creepy gothic cyber-mystery. It's a fast read but fun if you don't mind scary clowns.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Audiobook review: Envy by Gregg Olsen

Envy by Gregg Olsen
Genre: YA paranormal mystery
Length: 9h 29m
Read by: Julia Whelan
Audio publisher: Brillance Audio, 2011
From: local library

Story: Kaitlin feels like her life is over. When she unexpectedly dies in the bath, the secrets come out about her, her family, and her neighbors. Kaitlin's classmates, the Ryan twins, Hayley and Taylor, are determined to find out the truth about Kaitlin's death, and they don't mind using their special powers to do it. In their search, they discover more about the mysterious accident they all survived years ago.

Thoughts: I love the cover image for this book but didn't know what to expect from the story. It did start out a little rough. Some of the wording was awkward, and it felt like it was trying hard to be young, using words like Smashbox and fugly. Luckily, the realistic, non-whiny characters and improved writing style as the story progressed made up for the rocky start. It didn't hurt that the story gets darker and more complicated as it goes on. Following the points of view of both teenagers and adults, the book is primarily a mystery, with just the slightest bit of unexplained around the edges. The paranormal is unique, though a little confusing. I kept forgetting which twin had what power. I did cheer when they used Scrabble tiles instead of a Ouija board. Perfect! Ouija boards always seemed so useless. I also liked how the story stands well on its own but has enough questions left to expand upon in the sequel.

Reading:  Julia Whelan has a clear, young voice that fits perfectly with the teenagers in Envy. Her reading is nicely expressive without going over the top.

Final thoughts: Have a green Christmas with Envy, a dark and clever teenage mystery.

Grade: 4 out of 5
Purchase audio version from Audible    Purchase paper version from Amazon

Audiobook Review Roundup: Snuff, Crossed, September Society

In between the great science fiction I've been listening to lately, I've had to clean by aural passages with some quick listens. These are all sequels or later in series by authors I know and love. They don't really need full reviews, but I wanted to share my two cents.

Snuff is the latest by Sir Terry Pratchett
39th in the Diskworld series
Genre: Fantasy
Audio publisher: Harper Audio, 2011; Length: 11h 29m
Read by: Stephen Briggs

If you've read Diskworld then you know Commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch. In this outing, Sam and his wife, Lady Sybil, visit her country house with their young son. Now, I've read maybe ten Diskworld books. I knew Sam and Sybil were together, but didn't remember a son. Vimes is one of my favorite characters, so it's great to have another story with him. Snuff is marketed as a book for adults (as opposed to Wee Free Men), but there's an awful lot of scatological humor. My favorite part was when Sam and Sybil visited a family with six daughters, much like the Bennets. Sam tells the girls to quit sitting around waiting  for some unemployed layabout to marry them and instead find something productive to do like open a shop. He could give them a year's free rent. Priceless!

Stephen Briggs is an exceptionally good reader. I love his accents, and he really sounds like he's having fun with the reading.

Crossed by Ally Condie
Genre: YA dystopian SF
Audio publisher: Penguin Audio; Length: 9h 50m
Read by: Kate Simses & Jack Riccobono

I picked up Matched not knowing anything about the story, and it was such a pleasant surprise. I loved the YA retelling of 1984 and Brave New World. It was great learning about the Society, all of their rules, and the small ways that Cassia subverted those rules. Crossed takes us away from the Society as Cassia and Ky are each sent to the Outer Provinces. There's a lot of pining and some wandering in the desert. I have a very low tolerance for book love and prefer stories where the couple hates each other and calls each other names until they suddenly figure out at the very end that they're Meant to Be. Since Cassia and Ky found out they were Meant to Be in the last book, this one was all downhill. Even worse was hearing both Ky and Cassia's viewpoints. I didn't even have the "maybe he's not that interested in me" suspense. I will fess up that I have a huge crush on the radio announcer Kai Ryssdal from American Public Media's Marketplace, so I'm prewired to love anyone named Kai or Ky, but I'm still not at all excited for the next book in this series.

Crossed is very well read by Kate Simses and Jack Riccobono.

The September Society (2008) by Charles Finch
2nd in the Charles Lenox Mysteries
Genre: Historical mystery
Audio publisher: Tantor Audio; Length: 8h 46m
Read by: James Langton

I picked up the first Charles Lenox novel, A Beautiful Blue Death because I liked the cover. I also liked the story, and Lenox, the Victorian gentleman detective, won me over. The audiobooks just came out this year, so when I saw an ad for the 5th book, A Burial At Sea, I decided had to catch up. In this installment, Charles returns to his alma mater Oxford to solve a missing persons case. All his old quirky friends are here, neighbor Lady Jane Grey, manservant Graham, and eccentric physician friend Dr. McConnell. Lenox is a great detective. He's tenacious, has unlimited free time, and has People to do all the boring bits.

James Langton pulled out 20 or more different British accents for this book. The writing was very specific about which part of England each character was from, and even though I can't tell a Yorkshire from a Lancashire, but they all sounded spot-on to me. I also liked his female voices, which were equally distinct. I kept rewinding so I could listen longer.

Audiobook review: Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

A fast-paced neo-noir journey through present-day alternate reality South Africa. With animal familiars!

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
Genre: Modern fantasy mystery
Length: 9h 25m
Audio publisher: Angry Robot on Brilliance Audio, 2011
Read by: Justine Eyre
Awards: 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award,
2010 Kitschies Red Tentacle
From: Purchased from Audible

Story: Zinzi December lives among criminals and ex-criminals in the tough Johannesburg neighborhood of Zoo City with the other Animalled. Zinzi's animal is a sloth, and her talent is finding things. But don't ask her to find missing people.

Thoughts: My dream superpower is the ability to find lost things, so Zinzi December was a kindred spirit from the start. I loved her sloth, her tenacity, and her dress sense of "Grace Kelly meets Sailor Moon." Zoo City starts by following Zinzi as she goes about her piecemeal jobs. The beginning was a little rocky for me. It took a while to get a feel for the unusual setting and characters, but as soon as the main mystery plot came around, I was hooked. I'm a huge Raymond Chandler fan, and a noir detective story with magic is right up my alley.

The story is peppered with newspaper articles, website pages, and other media excerpts that describe the  recent appearance of animal familiars. The articles provide theories on where the animals might come from and why. They provide great back story and explain some of the differences between the Zoo City world and ours. Zoo City is also a travel log, showing Johannesburg from its slums and condemned buildings to multi-million Rand mansions. My one quibble is that the villain wasn't quite as unique and interesting as the rest of the cast. Luckily, Zoo City has more than enough characters to make up for it.

Reading: I'd heard Justine Eyre from her work on A Spy in the House by YS Lee, so I was a little surprised she was reading Zoo City. Zinzi is black African living in the inner city, but she's voiced with a very posh British accent. This choice is better explained as the story goes on and more of Zinzi's former life is reveled. I did enjoy the voices of Zinzi's friends and neighbors, especially Benoît, whose accent took me back to my time in West Africa and my own red and blue woven plastic bags.

Final thoughts: An amazing crime thriller through the backstreets of Joburg with a lot to say about guilt, discrimination, redemption, and fuzzy animals.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

This post is part of Devourer of Books' weekly audio roundup, Sound Bytes. Have a look at the other great audiobook reviews from this week.

Audio Review: Pirate King by Laurie R. King

Pirate King is the 11th Mary Russell book by Laurie R. King. When I found out there was a new book in this series, I couldn't wait to read it. I was surprised I could get it through my library on Overdrive. I still like Mary Russell, but this wasn't my favorite book of hers.

Genre: Historic mystery adventure
Length: 11h 12m
Audio publisher: Recorded Books, 2011

Recap: Mary and Holmes are caught up in another adventure as Mary infiltrates a silent film company to investigate allegations of illegal activity.

Review: I am a huge Mary Russell fan. She's independent, she speaks seven languages, and she can throw a knife. However, this book does not showcase her many talents. Pirate King is subtitled "a novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes." Unfortunately, there is a lack of suspense, little Holmes, and even Mary is missing for a stretch.

The movie industry is one of my least favorite settings. I've seen these stock characters and standard situations before. I was hoping in  a Mary Russell book some people might buck their stereotypes. Maybe the director could be accommodating or the female lead humble. No such luck. Even Mary falls into standard cliches as she travels and doesn't listen when her translator warns her about cultural differences. Listen to your informants, Mary. You're better than this.

The sections with Holmes were excellent, as always. I would have liked to have more time with him and Mary together. It would be great if they could just be home to see their day to day interactions.

Reading: For me Jenny Sterlin is Mary Russell. Her voice takes some getting used to. It's a bit gravelly, and she makes Mary a little more sarcastic than I picture her, but the reading is so energetic I just get swept away. This story had a couple British pronunciations I liked. Shiek is pronounced "shake" and harem "har-eem." It's always fun to learn a new language.

Final thoughts: For anyone who likes Sherlock Holmes or strong women characters the first Mary Russel book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, is great. Pirate King might be for people who like early cinema or Mary Russell completests. I'm looking forward to the next book, when Mary goes to Japan in the space between The Game and Locked Rooms.

Grade: 3 out of 5

Audio Review: The Return by Hakan Nesser

I am a big fan of Scandinavian detective stories, and Hakan Nesser's Van Veeteren series makes me happy with its solid plodding. The Return (English translation 2007) is the third Van Veeteren book and a great contribution.

Genre: detective, mystery
Length: 7h 18m
Audio publisher: HighBridge, 2011

Recap: The Return takes us back to the unnamed Scandinavian country a lot like Sweden where Detective Chief Inspector Van Veeteren is on the case.

Review: What I particularly like about this series is it concentrates on the mystery. There's no FBI angling to take away the case, no conspiracy theories hinting on a cover-up. The case is the case and the detectives are on the case. This time Van Veeteren is sidelined with health problems, so one of his underlings does the legwork. This isn't the type of detective story the reader can solve before the reveal, but is more a showcase of Van Veeteren's skills and deductive leaps. Van Veeteren has three solid co-workers who try to match his genius and who add their dry humor to the everyday work of following up leads.

Reading: I can listen to Simon Vance all day. His voice is smooth and sophisticated, and he pulls off world-weary really well. He's one of my favorite readers. The one issue I had was in the writing. Several times misleading pronouns took me out of the story while I stopped to work out who was meant.

Final Thoughts: A solid entry into the Van Veeteren cannon. To jump on the Van Veeteren train, start with Mind's Eye or Borkmann's Point. Currently five books out of the ten in the series have been translated into English.

Grade 4

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

Swedish detective stories are hot and Henning Mankell is one of the best. Faceless Killers (English translation 1997) is the first outing for Detective Wallanger.

Length: 8h 57m; Grade 4
Audio publisher: Blackstone Audio, 2006

Detective Kurt Wallanger is acting Chief of Police in the small town of Ystad, on the extreme southern coast of Sweden. I liked the back-to-the basics detective work in this book. The story concentrates on the mystery and refreshingly stays away from politics or conspiracies. Wallanger isn't the world's best detective by a long shot, but he's tenacious, and his police department, though mostly incompetent, works together as a team. I liked the dry humor of the book. At one point they're after a "foreign" suspect, so they start looking for Danes and Finns. I also learned about the geography of Sweden. I didn't know you could take a ferry from Sweden to Germany. Wallanger's home life is less sympathetic. I was actively put off by his efforts at romance. The isolation and monotony of small-town Sweden is clearly displayed as everyone's primary occupation is wondering when it will snow.

Reading - Dick Hill lends a gravity and weariness to the reading that really fits Wallangar's character. Fortunately, most of the book focuses on Wallanger since the other police detectives don't come off as well. Instead of distinct voices, they have strange speech impediments.

More - Mankell's books have been adapted a BBC TV series with Faceless Killers an episode in season 2.

I also enjoyed the Scandinavia detectives Inspector Van Veeteren in Mind's Eye by Haken Nesser and Harry Hole in The Snowman by Jo Nesbo.

A Spy in the House by YS Lee

A Spy in the House (2010) is the first book in The Agency series by YS Lee. I saw this audiobook on the shelf in the local library and loved the cover so had to try it out. I was not disappointed!

Length: 7h 29m; Grade: 5
Audio publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2010

A Spy in the House sets up the premise for The Agency series. After being arrested for stealing, Mary Quinn is saved from the gallows by Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. After graduating, Mary learns the school also serves as a training ground for The Agency, a spy organization of women. Mary's first case has her pose as a lady's companion in the house of a smuggling suspect.

I love Mary. She's smart, daring, and has all-important thief skills. She also has questions about her father. The story is divided between spying for her job and her search for her past. YS Lee has a PhD in Victorian literature and adds interesting historical content. The smell of the Thames, attitudes toward foreigners, and class tensions make the setting nuanced and historically accurate. There are even some long glances across a drawing room floor to heat things up a bit.

Reading - I had listed to Justine Eyre before with Fallen by Lauren Kate, but didn't recognize her because she pulls out a British accent for this book. I can't tell one British accent from another so can't judge if this one is geographically or historically accurate. Eyre's reading is very precise and suitable.

Final thoughts - I'm looking forward to more in the series.

For - anyone who wants intelligent Victorian YA
More - try the Enola Holmes mysteries by Nancy Springer, another fabulous Victorian strong-willed female YA sleuth

Nums - I love the cover for the French version of the book and the fact that it has a completely different title, The Jade Pendant.