Tag Archives: Mystery

Holes by Louis Sachar

American Literature May 31, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Sent to a camp for juvenile delinquents, Stanley Yelnats is forced to dig holes for the duration of his sentence, but when he figures out that the Warden is looking for something, he decides to take action. Review: The reputation of Holes is well-deserved. It’s a fast-paced read with plenty of original plot elements that would appeal to both girls and boys. I’m glad I finally picked this one up and will be saving it for the permanent library for Superfast Toddler & Superfast…

The Whole World by Emily Winslow

British Literature May 25, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Three Cambridge students working with the blind daughter of a famous novelist have their lives disrupted when one of them disappears. Review: In her other life, Emily Winslow is a well-respected crafter of puzzles, and that expertise shines through in the intricate plotting of The Whole World. Through the use of multiple points-of-view, Winslow creates a layered mystery where it’s nearly impossible to figure out what really happened–but when you learn the truth, it all makes perfect sense. I loved the Cambridge setting and…

Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman

American Literature March 22, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Hired to teach at a secluded, artsy boarding school, a young widow discovers that mystery and murder roil below the bucolic surface. Review: I wanted to adore Arcadia Falls, but I only got about 80% there. I loved the atmosphere that Carol Goodman created for Arcadia, the creepy boarding school in the middle of the woods in upstate New York. The backstory was most excellent, starting with a 1920s artists’ colony founded by two lesbians, one deeply conflicted and not entirely committed to Team…

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

American Literature January 19, 2010 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A psychiatrist takes on a recalcitrant painter who attempted to stab a painting in the National Gallery, and his fruitless attempt to get the man to talk lead the doctor to investigate the artist’s life and loves–and obsessions. Review: There’s a solidly compelling mystery at the heart of The Swan Thieves, Elizabeth Kostova’s latest jaunt through history and memory. Nothing supernatural here, but it still has an otherworldy air about it that makes the experience of reading the book haunting and delicious. For the…

The Red Velvet Turnshoe by Cassandra Clark

British Literature November 24, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: 14th century nun Hildegard makes a hazardous journey from England to Italy in search of a holy relic, and finds herself embroiled a both a murder mystery and a political intrigue involving King Richard. Review: I’m afraid I don’t remember enough of Mrs. Philips’s eight grade British History class in order to appreciate Cassandra Clark’s The Red Velvet Turnshoe. I really liked Hildegard’s spunk and levelheadedness, but got lost in the details whenever the plot turned towards politics. I was also surprised by how…

The Blood Doctor by Barbara Vine

British Literature November 12, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: While researching a biography on the life of his ancestor, a hereditary peer in the House of Lords on the verge of losing his privileges thanks to a new bill faces his own family demons and uncovers the dark secrets of his heritage. Review: The Blood Doctor was not quite as dark or titillating as some of Barbara Vine’s other books. It doesn’t use crime as the engine for the mystery; rather, the story is fueled by the current Lord Martin Nanther’s obsession with…

The Water’s Lovely by Ruth Rendell

British Literature October 28, 2009 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: Convinced her sister murdered their stepfather, a young woman unravels when her relationship ends while her sister’s flourishes, and she wonders whether she should finally tell. Review: The Water’s Lovely is one of Ruth Rendell’s quieter books, with a fineness to it despite the emotional (and sometimes physical) violence that lurks in most of the relationships. While most of the characters have deep emotional flaws, some of them are appealingly good, even brave and admirable, and that’s what kept me really engaged in this…

The Glass of Time by Michael Cox

British Literature April 19, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: Upon arriving at Evenwood as a lady’s maid, young Esperanza Gorst discovers that she is in the center of a plot to topple her mistress. Review: The Glass of Time is Michael Cox’s follow up to The Meaning of Night, continuing his Wilkie Collins-esque tale of intrigue and revenge with a Bronte-inspired suspense melodrama. I devoured it like a madwoman in an attic. Raised a lady in France, Miss Gorst is an unlikely choice for a lady’s maid. Her breeding and manners make it…

The Likeness by Tana French

Irish Literature December 2, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: When a detective goes undercover to impersonate a murder victim sharing her face, she finds the family she’s always dreamed of and risks blowing everything. Review: I was a big fan of Tana French’s In the Woods, so I leapt at the chance to read The Likeness, her followup featuring several of the same characters. Former detective Cassie Maddox is stuck in Domestic Violence after being forced off the Murder squad due to her role in the catastrophe outlined within In the Woods. A…

Something Wicked by Alan Gratz

American Literature October 27, 2008 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: When his best friend Mac starts acting like a jerk after a fortune teller prophesies that he’ll be king of the Scottish games, budding investigator Horatio Wilkes thinks it’s just a bad mood, until Mac’s grandfather Duncan ends up dead. Review: Something Wicked is a clever, edgy young adult retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which happens to be my absolute favorite Shakespeare play. Author Alan Gratz doesn’t hew too closely to the plot of the Scottish play, taking what works, riffing on what’s memorable, and…

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