Robert Galbraith, aka JK Rowling, adds a literary element to her mysteries. I like how she includes a quote at the beginning of each chapter that ties in with the chapter itself. It's an obscure clue about what's happening next. Her characters are extremely intelligent and knowledgeable.
I continue to love Strike and Robin. They are not perfect people by any means. Strike is overweight, eats a lot of McDonald's when on the road, and pines after a woman who is certainly not good enough for him! He focuses on her outer beauty rather than her inner ugliness. You would think that after 16 years he could let her go! I was thrilled that he didn't cave to her texts to him on her wedding day. Good riddance. And Robin, she didn't cave either! How awesome that she stood her ground with Matthew. She could have continued to sneak around and tell half-truths or lie through omission, but she just layed it on the table. I admit that Matthew surprised me by trying to accept Robin and her passion for detective work, rather than giving her an ultimatum of "it's me or your job". All three made progress in this book from The Cuckoo's Calling!
Strike spent most of the novel in pain, both physically and emotionally. He seems to be the better for it though. As for the murder of Quine, everything about it was complex. Solving the mystery of who killed Quine was more about delving into these unique characters and how they related to Quine, rather than an "ah-ha" moment. Strike had his "ah-ha" moment, but the reader doesn't share it. We just have to wait until the story unfolds. I thought it was interesting that Strike tells Robin to watch Michael Fancourt's interview until she figures out what was weird about it. Then when she does figure it out, we never get to hear about it from her. We don't know until Strike mentions it to Fancourt himself.
Other than Strike and Robin, the characters aren't that "likeable". Everyone has an edge to them - or something incredibly quirky or selfish - or sometimes they are just moody. I love joining Strike and Robin on their "journey" with these unique individuals. To me, it wasn't the solving of the mystery that was ultimately satisfying, it was watching Strike and Robin follow their instincts as they figured it all out.
I will continue to read whatever RG/JKR puts out. I just hope it's soon!
Wendy's Rating: *****
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Sunday, August 7, 2016
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
I am definitely on a roll. I have read a string (no pun intended!) of really good books, and this is certainly one of them. In some respects, this book reminded me of Forrest Gump. Frankie traveled through life, making a significant impact on other's lives - some of them famous/infamous for their talent. Forrest "ran" and Frankie "played", but they both influenced others' lives.
The story is narrated by Music. Frankie was born a musical genius with enormous talent. He is given a guitar that he carries with him for most of his life. The 6 strings of his guitar appear to have some mysterious magical power. The strings never break until after one turns blue, and then it snaps and needs to be replaced. The string turns blue when Frankie's actions affect someone else, usually in a life or death situation. What I loved about this is that, yes, there does seem to be something magical in nature when the strings turn blue, but at the end, the reader discovers that it isn't something purely magical. Things happen for a reason. Frankie's life is saved over and over, not because of magic, but because someone has pledged their life to keep him safe. I loved the ending of this story - not only because we get to understand how & why everything happened the way it did, but also because Frankie finally finds out who his parents were. (I just wish El Maestro knew who his son was!)
El Maestro was obviously an excellent teacher for Frankie. I loved how he kept Frankie on track. My favorite comment he said to Frankie though was, "The secret is not to make your music louder, but to make the world quieter." I think that is excellent advice! Although Frankie made his music too loud at the worst times in his life, he returned to his roots, both musically and literally, at the end.
Another favorite quote from this story was made by Music: "But then, had many of you left places even one day earlier, the landscape of your lives would be rearranged. You cannot unplay your notes. Time, like music, is indelible that way." I often think about how one decision - one turn - one minute of hesitation or impulsiveness can change the path of your life. Frankie made lots of decisions, some of them impulsively, some heavily influenced by drugs, some thought out and some that caused him great sadness - which made his life veer off into some negative experiences, but in the end, he was able to find his "center" again by returning to his music.
I have always thought that the most talented, the most genius, the most artistic people in our world are often the ones who struggle with mental illness and chemical dependency issues. I really loved how Music addressed that. Music lamented the fact that the most musically talented people often think their creativity or "genius" lays at the bottom of a bottle or in the midst of a drug-induced haze (I am paraphrasing here!) and that these people need to understand that it is their natural talent (gifted by Music) that they need to trust in.
I really loved this book! I have never read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, which is the bestselling memoir of all time. I think it's about time I read it!
Wendy's Rating: *****
The story is narrated by Music. Frankie was born a musical genius with enormous talent. He is given a guitar that he carries with him for most of his life. The 6 strings of his guitar appear to have some mysterious magical power. The strings never break until after one turns blue, and then it snaps and needs to be replaced. The string turns blue when Frankie's actions affect someone else, usually in a life or death situation. What I loved about this is that, yes, there does seem to be something magical in nature when the strings turn blue, but at the end, the reader discovers that it isn't something purely magical. Things happen for a reason. Frankie's life is saved over and over, not because of magic, but because someone has pledged their life to keep him safe. I loved the ending of this story - not only because we get to understand how & why everything happened the way it did, but also because Frankie finally finds out who his parents were. (I just wish El Maestro knew who his son was!)
El Maestro was obviously an excellent teacher for Frankie. I loved how he kept Frankie on track. My favorite comment he said to Frankie though was, "The secret is not to make your music louder, but to make the world quieter." I think that is excellent advice! Although Frankie made his music too loud at the worst times in his life, he returned to his roots, both musically and literally, at the end.
Another favorite quote from this story was made by Music: "But then, had many of you left places even one day earlier, the landscape of your lives would be rearranged. You cannot unplay your notes. Time, like music, is indelible that way." I often think about how one decision - one turn - one minute of hesitation or impulsiveness can change the path of your life. Frankie made lots of decisions, some of them impulsively, some heavily influenced by drugs, some thought out and some that caused him great sadness - which made his life veer off into some negative experiences, but in the end, he was able to find his "center" again by returning to his music.
I have always thought that the most talented, the most genius, the most artistic people in our world are often the ones who struggle with mental illness and chemical dependency issues. I really loved how Music addressed that. Music lamented the fact that the most musically talented people often think their creativity or "genius" lays at the bottom of a bottle or in the midst of a drug-induced haze (I am paraphrasing here!) and that these people need to understand that it is their natural talent (gifted by Music) that they need to trust in.
I really loved this book! I have never read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, which is the bestselling memoir of all time. I think it's about time I read it!
Wendy's Rating: *****
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