Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George

I love Elizabeth George's books, but when I start reading one, I always know it'll be a week or two before I'm done. I'm a slow reader and her books are long. But good!

I just finished reading Believing the Lie this morning. I tried to stay up last night to finish it but couldn't do it. I like to finish books in the light of day anyway, especially good ones.  This was sort of an "Elizabeth George light" because of the way it ended. Surprisingly the whodunit part wasn't addressed in the typical fashion, which is refreshing, since not all deaths are crimes. But there was still plenty of intrigue with the alternate story lines.

Do you read Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley mysteries?

Book Read: Believing the Lie

Author:  Elizabeth George

ISBN: 978-0-525-95258-9

A Reliable Wife by Charles Goolrick

A Reliable Wife by Charles Goolrick turned out to be just the ticket! I had been wanting to read a book that was engaging and suspenseful and this one was both.

The twists in the story may have been obvious to some but I go in blind when I read a book. I don't like to read reviews or even the dust jacket blurb before I read a novel. I want it all to unfold with no preconceived ideas on my part. The surprises along the way--I can think of two big ones--make this book a really reliable book.

Here's a tidbit from the Booklist review:  "Completely original. . .  The unforeseen conclusion provides a big payoff for readers of this tension-laden debut from a promising new talent."

Book Read: A Reliable Wife

Author:  Charles Goolrick

ISBN: 978-1-56512-596-4

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

I finished reading The Night Watch by Sarah Waters late last night. I stopped reading a little after midnight, was tired, sleepy even, which isn't always a given lately. I've had the windows open for a few weeks now day and night, and even though the cool night air was streaming in, I could hear people outside talking. I really (really!) hate that. I mean, it was after midnight. Go inside, already! It takes everything for me not to scream out the window! So, instead I turned the light back on and finished my book.

I would give this book a B (4 stars out of 5). It was very good but a little tedious. I'm not sure what kind of book I want to read, but none of them have been hitting it out of the ballpark for me lately.

One thing I really did enjoy though was the format of this book. It started the story in 1947, after World War II in England, telling the stories of the lives of Helen, Julia, Duncan, and Viv. Then the second part was set in 1944 during the war, when there were bombings and night watches daily. The third part is set  in 1941.

It's very interesting getting the back story at the tail end of the book! Ah, so that's why she knows here. Hmmm. Another book written in this format is Charles Baxter's First Light. I loved it a bit more, I think, but I really enjoyed seeing this drifting back technique in Sarah Waters' book too.

Book Read: The Night Watch

Author:  Sarah Waters

ISBN:  1-59448-905-X