A Lonely Death

A Lonely Death (2011) by Charles Todd. Set in 1920, this is as much historical novel as mystery. Its protagonist is Todd's Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge, himself a casualty of World War I. The aftermath of the Great War permeates the book, with all men suffering some sort of ill effects from the fighting, either physical wounds or psychological wounds. Rutledge himself suffers from "shell shock," and his constant companion is the voice of Hamish, a man he fought with in the War and who died under his command. Hamish is a unique and effective literary device, often saying things Rutledge himself can't give voice to, often seeing things Rutledge doesn't see. "A Lonely Death" is a masterful mystery, shot through with human elements that keep you reading, all the while moving forward with the solving of the mystery. I'd be happy to read another of Todd's Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries. Grade: A-

The Diviner's Tale

The Diviner's Tale (2011) by Bradford Morrow. A witchy woman named Cassandra tries to deal with the problems caused by being a dowser in the modern world. Her two sons, Morgan and Jonah, keep her company during the difficult times that ensue after she sees (imagines?) a hanged girl in the woods. Nobody else ever is able to see or find any trace of the hanged girl, and Cass begins to doubt her own sanity as ensuing events prove equally troubling. This is a well told, atmospheric tale, and one that I enjoyed reading. Grade: B+

The Lonely Polygamist

The Lonely Polygamist (2010) by Brady Udall. Golden Richards, 45, has four wives and 26 children -- but he is tempted to commit adultery with Huila, a woman he is not married to. In this comic novel, Golden is a clumsy, ambling bear of a man without a mean bone in his body. His wives tell him what to do and his children mostly ignore what he tells them to do. This book takes an off-kilter look at what it might be like to be a polygamist, and the picture's not always pretty. But it is almost always funny, except for a few cases of children who have been lost to disease or accident. "The Lonely Polygamist" has my highest recommendation. Grade: A

Sunset Park

Sunset Park (2010) by Paul Auster. Sunset Park is a neighborhood in New York City, and in this book it contains an old abandoned house, which four friends come to occupy so that they can save on rent. Auster expertly weaves their stories together, starting with Miles Heller, who is living in Florida when the book starts. For the most part, they are stories of reconciliation, as each of the four occupants of the house must come to terms with their pasts, their sexual orientations, their place in the world. I thought the book was great, right up to the ending, which I found lacked a little punch. Nevertheless, this is a good book. Grade: B+

The Last Boy

The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the end of America's Childhood (2010) by Jane Leavy. You might wonder if a book about Mickey Mantle could possibly be interesting to anyone who's not a baseball nut. I was surprised to find that this book was as good as it is. Leavy has delved deep into the life of the Mick and reveals things about him that I had never heard, including the extent of the damage his drinking did to him and his excessive womanizing (even though he was married). The most amazing thing, to me, was that Mickey Mantle, baseball hero, never really did grow up. He started playing professional baseball at a young age, and his talent was so phenomenal that no one dared to tell him to straighten up and fly right. Leavy, a former sportswriter, also shows a kind of wonky interest in the arcana of baseball, including appendixes which analyze Mantle's batting swing and a thorough exploration of the statistics to make a best guess as to just who was the best -- Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle. Grade: A

Stone Arabia

Stone Arabia (2011) by Dana Spiotta. This novel is a tour de force, a description of an artist named Nik Kranis as seen through the eyes of his younger sister Denise. Nik is not only a musician, he is a graphic artist and an autobiographer. He has scads of talent; what he doesn't have is commercial success. He keeps track of his own imaginary career through the Chronicles, a self-generated, encyclopedic record of everything he has produced. The Chronicles include "reviews" of his music written by major media critics (really written by Nik himself), "articles" about his bands (the Demonics and the Fakes), and "letters" written about him by his sister Denise. Nik is an archetype -- the artist who never finds fame, but who keeps toiling away in anonymity, producing his art for a small audience of friends and relatives. And this book is a one-step-removed record of that artist's life. Grade: A