Feast of Murder by Jane Haddam
I’ve been making my way through Jane Haddam’s Gregor Demarkian series of mystery novels after seeing it recommended by librarian Nancy Pearl online. Each title occurs near a different holiday—this one is Thanksgiving and is the sixth one I’ve read so far. Demarkian is an Armenian-American retired FBI agent and now an unofficial detective with a specialty in poisons. The series started in 1990 and one of the things I enjoy about it is how Haddam pulled in themes and events that were happening in the world at that time. Each book is very different—this one focuses on a rich family on board a Mayflower replica shortly after the poisoning of a Wall Street insider trader. Other settings have included churches, college campuses, political events, etc. a recurring cast of Demarkian’s neighbors and friends are often pulled into the action including fantasy author Bennis Hannaford who provides romantic tension. She and Gregor met in the first novel at her family’s Philadelphian mansion after her father is murdered. The books are a fun respite from some of my heavier reading and I’m determined to read all 30 of them.
Either/Or by Elif Batuman
When I finished reading The Idiot by Elif Batuman I wrote on Goodreads that I hoped she would write more about the adventures of Selin and luckily for me Batuman has decided to push on and publish a sequel. The Idiot followed Selin through her first year of college at Harvard as she stumbles through life, love, and the business of adulting for the first time. If you love Russian literature, Batuman wrote a book (which I haven’t read yet) The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and People Who Read Them which is definitely on my TBR pile after reading War and Peace this year along with George Saunder’s A Swim in the Pond in the Rain.