winspear, winton

I read a modern mystery, and sampled another.

Read Jacqueline Winspear's An Incomplete Revenge. It was okay. I probably won't try any of her others. Good points: not graphic or vulgar, set between the wars, feminism but not the aggressive strain. Bad points: the gypsy vibe didn't do much for me, and once again I wasn't invested in the characters. I should have read the first Maisie Dobbs book first, but it was recalled to the library before I had a chance. Perhaps I'd be more attached to the main character if I had done things properly.

I sampled Dirt Music by Tim Winton. Certainly a skilled writer, but not my cup of tea. Rough and tumble characters in wild Australia.

becoming attached, incomplete revenge

I'm about a third of the way through Becoming Attached by Robert Karen, Ph. D. An excellent writer, he explains the theory of attachment by telling the story from the beginning, presenting a narrative of the history of child psychology and psychoanalysis. The story, with its fascinating personalities and raging controversies, is compelling. The detailed accounts of emotionally deprived children from the various studies makes for a sometimes painful reading experience.

So, to give myself a break, I'm also reading a mildly engaging mystery, Jacqueline Winspear's An Incomplete Revenge, set in England between the wars.

mystery recommendations

Mystery recommendations from the librarian:

Death in the Garden by Elizabeth Ironside
This was the most highly recommended title he gave me. I'm reading it now and it is very good. The bookcover tells me I might also enjoy
Minette Walters.

Death Comes as Epiphany by Sharan Newman
Patricia Highsmith (Strangers on a Train, etc. Have seen the HItchcock movie, probably too creepy for me.)
Thrones, Dominations, a finishing-up of Dorothy Sayers novel
Caroline Graham
Maisie Dodd books by Jacqueline Winspear

I recently read 3 pretty good books by Patricia Carlon: The Price of an Orphan, Crime of Silence, and Hush, It's a Game. She was Australian and wrote under many pseudonyms. The titles I read were written between 1965-1970. They were compelling and not offensive in the usual way many contemporary books are. But the 4th book, Death by Demonstration, was so dull I didn't finish it. It was concerned with student uprisings and filled with the students' political "thought." Blurbs on the back of the Carlon books indicate I might also enjoy Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell) and Patricia Highsmith, mentioned above.

Marty the librarian also recommended Josephine Tey, which I've read and liked very much. He based his other recommendations on this.