Well, I am off to a slow return to blogging, aren't I. Busier than I anticipated holiday season. Extra work things and both my Mystery Book Club and my Norwegian Society had holiday get togethers. Also went to a Celtic concert. Just extra things and extra prep.
But I did want to tell you about two good books I read/listened to recently. I do intend to catch up with our MBC selections from this year too.
The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan
About: "For fans of the compulsive psychological suspense of Ruth Ware and Tana French, a mother daughter story—one running from a horrible truth, and the other fighting to reveal it—that twists and turns in shocking ways, from the internationally bestselling author of The Scholar and The Ruin.
First Rule: Make them like you.
Second Rule: Make them need you.
Third Rule: Make them pay.
They think I’m a young, idealistic law student, that I’m passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system.
They think I’m working hard to impress them.
They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row.
They're wrong. I’m going to bury him."
Hannah is a college student living with her mother, who is an alcoholic. Hannah has always taken care of her mother. She finds her mother's diary from when she was a teenager, that explains her mothers behavior. There was a summer that her mother (Laura) worked as a maid for an agency that provided services for wealthy people. The story is so traumatic for Laura, that Hannah decides she will get revenge for her, find the man who made her what she is today.
Hannah applies to work for a legal project that helps people who have been wrongly accused and sent to prison, to get new trials with the goal of getting them released. She has to convince the project of her intentions and make a place for herself, literally.
Very good page turner. Who is the "bad guy" in this story? Who is the "good guy"? Are there any? The ending was very twisty and unexpected.
The other book I wanted to share is a historical fiction. Historical fiction seems to be very popular right now. I have always liked biographies and historical fiction. While not a mystery, it seems alot of mystery lovers, cross into historical fiction, like I do,
Switchboard Solders by Jennifer Chiaverini,
About: "In June 1917, General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe. He immediately found himself unable to communicate with troops in the field. Pershing needed telephone operators who could swiftly and accurately connect multiple calls, speak fluent French and English, remain steady under fire, and be utterly discreet, since the calls often conveyed classified information.
At the time, nearly all well-trained American telephone operators were women—but women were not permitted to enlist, or even to vote in most states. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army Signal Corps promptly began recruiting them.
More than 7,600 women responded, including Grace Banker of New Jersey, a switchboard instructor with AT&T and an alumna of Barnard College; Marie Miossec, a Frenchwoman and aspiring opera singer; and Valerie DeSmedt, a twenty-year-old Pacific Telephone operator from Los Angeles, determined to strike a blow for her native Belgium.
They were among the first women sworn into the U.S. Army under the Articles of War. The male soldiers they had replaced had needed one minute to connect each call. The switchboard soldiers could do it in ten seconds.
Deployed throughout France, including near the front lines, the operators endured hardships and risked death or injury from gunfire, bombardments, and the Spanish Flu. Not all of them would survive.
The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps served with honor and played an essential role in achieving the Allied victory. Their story has never been the focus of a novel…until now."
Really good account of these telephone operators who were recruited in 1918 to manage the switchboards in France during WWI. They volunteered, wanting to "do their part". Many of their families of course did not understand why a woman would want to do this, should stay at home and roll bandages and get married. The women went through some Army training and as the war went on, did not live in the best of conditions,. It was interesting to read about their devotion to the cause, how they managed and how they kept up their spirits. This was also during the pandemic of 1918 (sound familiar) of the Spanish flu. It was interesting to read about the women making masks and the mask requirements. Yep. Same thing.
Some of the characters are based on "real people". Some are added to make the story flow. There is also a documentary on Prime called The Hello Girls. Relatives of the actual "hello girls" are interviewed and there are pictures from there time. The book talks about how they didn't like being called "Hello Girls", by the way.
Next week, I will share the MBC choices for Best of the Year.
These both look good, Gayle!
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