Cleopatra

Cleopatra: A Life (2010) by Stacy Schiff. Cleopatra consorted with the likes of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Octavian (later known as Augustus Caesar). She was fabulously wealthy, and was Queen of Egypt for something like 20 years. She has been referred to as the last Pharoah. All the details are made much clearer upon reading this book, which has been thoroughly researched by Schiff. It is not just an informative read, but an enjoyable one. Grade: A

Faithful Place

Faithful Place (2010) by Tana French. This book starts with a body being found. It turns out to be the body of Rosie, the long-lost love of Detective Francis Mackey, a man who came from the projects and raised himself up. Mackey's single-minded pursuit of the killer leads in unexpected directions. This is an all-around excellent book. Good characters, well drawn, authentic-sounding dialogue, clever plot (though not too complicated). It was a good read from beginning to end, the only difficulty being the Irish vernacular that is spoken by most of the characters. Not only that, the protagonist is male and the book was written by a female, no mean feat. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes hard-hitting fiction with an edge to it. Grade: A

The Taken

The Taken (2009) by Inger Ash Wolfe. Hazel Micallef is a detective with the Canadian OSP. When a body is spotted in a lake, she drags herself out of her sick bed to unravel the mystery of who's been killed and who did it. It's a rather grisly thriller, with a story being published in the local newspaper that parallels the actual events being investigated. Modern technology plays an inescapable role, as a mysterious web site is found which shows a person being held prisoner in a basement. This is a pretty good book, nicely written, with some engaging characters. You couldn't go too far wrong by reading it, if you enjoy your thrillers a bit on the squinky side. Grade: B

The Frozen Rabbi

The Frozen Rabbi (2010) by Steve Stern. In the late 19th century, a rabbi is meditating by a pond in Russia. He goes into a trance, his soul leaves his body, and a sudden blizzard buries him in snow and ice. The pond rises until it becomes a lake, completely submerging his body; then the lake freezes. Long story short, he is frozen in a block of ice until he is accidentally thawed out in 1999 in Memphis, Tennessee. Miraculously, he also comes back to life. Thus begins the story of the Frozen Rabbi, a story which bounces back and forth in time between the past and present, telling how the rabbi was preserved and ended up in America, and also how he adjusts to life in the 21st century. (He adjusts very well, and prospers.) It's all pretty silly, and not the least bit believable, but it's a pretty entertaining book to read. Grade: B+