The Private Patient

Remember those old Agatha Christie mysteries where a murder would take place in an isolated English house and the murderer, of course was part of the group in residence? If you enjoyed Agatha you will enjoy the latest mystery by P.D. James featuring the detective skills of Adam Dalgleish and his team. This huge old English house is in an isolated part of Dorset and is now a private clinic used by a famous plastic surgeon in London. The murdered patient who came in to have a scar removed, was an investigative journalist known for uncovering devastating secrets. Indeed she has already been the cause of one young writer's suicide. This is a typical James novel where lots of emotion seeths underneath, but seldom surfaces-which is probably why someone gets murdered! Dalgliesh and his team must investigate everyone at the clinic in order to find the murderer. And of course almost everyone has secrets to hide including a resident who has already served time for murder. On a lighter note, there is a wedding to look forward to-that of Dalgleish and his Emma. This is a book to enjoy and savor on a cold winter day curled up with a cup of tea and English scones.

Nineteen Minutes

What can you do in nineteen minutes? In this novel by best-selling author Jodi Piccoult, one young man takes a gun to his high school and wreaks havoc and tragedy in that brief span of time. We know from the beginning of the book that this act of violence has occurred, but not all the details of how and why. The author takes us back in time to the main characters involved and tries to make sense of this senseless event. Picoult is adept at tweaking all the angles of major societal issues, such as school violence, and making us think about the perpetrators, their families, and their victims. She doesn't provide answers, but much food for thought. This is the February selection of the Delphi Morning Book Club, which meets on Friday, February 27 at 9 a.m. at the library. Feel free to join us.

The icelandic mysteries of Arnaldur Indridason

Indridason has won the Crime Writers Association Golden Dagger award for his mysteries. He is a great storyteller whose main character, Erlendur is hard to forget. Erlendur and his colleagues focus on missing person crimes in Reykjavik, Iceland. This is a particular interest of Erlendur because his brother disappeared when they were children. The pain of his past although submerged has greatly influenced his relationships with both of his children. His daughter Eva Lind is a drug addict who has a love/hate relationship with him and his son is not interested in any relationship with his father. His colleagues know that his personal life is a mess and he deals with it by focusing on the job. So he is not content every angle is checked or the crime is solved.
The library has four of his mysteries. Jar City is about a rapist who may have been murdered for his crimes. In the Silence of the Grave, Erlendur investigates the finding of a skeleton buried for 50 years and in The Draining Lake, the remains may be that of a cold war spy. In Voices, he investigates the murder of a Santa Claus in a luxury hotel.
Iceland is a major component of these novels. Most crimes of murder there are crimes of passion. Everyone knows everyone in the country or are related to them. Incredibly people do go missing and are never seen again. But you will be drawn to these mysteries not only for the story which is always interesting, but because you want to see Erlendur change as he begins to reach out to his colleagues, his children and possibly a love interest.

Genocide and Forgiveness

Left To Tell, by Immaculee Ilibagiza,
is a true and first-hand story of the Rwandan Holocaust. Immaculee Ilibagiza tells her story of fear, terror, murder and loss. Hiding in a tiny bathroom with 7 other women for 91 cramped and terrifying days, Immaculee survived and now tells us of her experience in a shocking and deplorable onslaught of innocent lives. The evil man is capable of will stun you, but Immaculee's story of faith and finding God in the midst of horror will lift you. Left To Tell is the other side of the coin to "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" and will serve as a true inspiration to anyone at odds with a brother, a people or themselves. Left To Tell will stay with you for a long long time.


This selection is the January 2009 pick for the "Faith-Inspired Book Club" meeting January 13th, 2009 at 9 a.m. Please join us on the library mezzanine for rich discussion!

"Dumpster Girl"

GRACE is another amazing story written by the author of THE CHRISTMAS BOX. For those who have never read anything by Richard Paul Evans, GRACE will not disappoint, and will most likely lead you to read the rest of his works.

Eric's life is far from wonderful. After his father hurt his back, the family packed up everything they owned and moved from California to Utah. Money has dried up in the summer of 1962 and, to survive, his family moves into the house left vacant by the death of his maternal grandmother. The house is falling apart, but they are together and have family nearby to help them.

To help with finances, Eric works at McBurger Queen after school. It's there, while cleaning up after closing, that he discovers a girl "dumpster diving" (sorting through the dumpster for food). He recognizes the girl from one of his classes, but doesn't want to embarrass her. Instead, he invites her inside and offers her the food that would otherwise be discarded.

While she is eating, he learns her name is Grace. She admits she is running away. Eric can't fathom what a girl his age will do to survive. Without thinking of the consequences, he offers up the only place he can think of, the clubhouse in the far corner of his backyard that he built with his younger brother, Joel.

He sets Grace up in the clubhouse with a heating pad for warmth, a flashlight, a transistor radio, and a supply of sleeping bags. As time goes by, the two become friends. He sneaks her food when he can. She sneaks out when it seems safe, and passes her time in the clubhouse with a collection of books from the library.

But her family starts a frantic search for Grace. Announcements are made at school. Flyers are put up around town. And eventually it makes the evening news. Eric is terrified he will be found out and that they will find Grace. He vows to keep her secret. His resolve grows more so when she reveals the reason for running away.

Eric is only fourteen, and the pressure from all sides start to mount. He knows Grace can never be turned over to her family, but what can a teenager do to help her in the end?

Mr. Evans has a way of bringing forth buried feelings. GRACE touches you deep in the spirit and makes you want to be a better person. With the upcoming Christmas season, may we all show a bit of grace to those around us.