Book Review

The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the book but couldn't understand the motivation behind Rose. She is the most self-centered and thoughtless character I've read in a long time. Married and pregnant, she leaves her husband because she is unhappy. He does not know she is pregnant with his child. She ends up in Kentucky at a home for unwed mothers, never admitting she's married. The girls there are all single and have been abandoned by their boyfriends. Son (Wilson Abbott) a big, burly, handyman at St. Elizabeth's is captivated by her. One night he finds her wandering in the snow and asks her to marry him. She immediately accepts, although it is clear she doesn't love him. When she gives birth to her daughter, who she names Cecilia, because Son has tattooed that name on his arm, Son is listed on the birth certificate as the father. Cecelia was the name of an old girlfriend of Son's who died accidentally while she and Son were swimming. He begs Rose not to name their baby Cecelia but Rose always does what she wants regardless of others feelings, including Son and her daughter Cecelia. The ending was unbelievable but to say more would be a spoiler for those who haven't read the book. Good writing but strange story.


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Book Review

The 19th Christmas by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've loved the women's murder club series but this one was a disappointment. It mostly featured Lindsay and her partner Rich Conklin as they spent their days before Christmas hunting down a criminal mastermind who threatened a devastating happening on Christmas eve. The man went by "Loman" and he set up fake warnings for several days to keep the police confused and spending their time in the wrong places. People were casually killed once their purpose had been served. Although no one, including those who did his bidding, has seen Loman, Lindsay is determined to find him. The ending was too simple for a man who was supposed to be as clever as Loman. Why would he set up so many distractions when the heist he was planning could be carried out without the mess he created days ahead of time. Yuki has a small part when she helps free a man wrongfully convicted of murder. The four women do not come together until the last pages of the book. The epilogue was completely unnecessary unless it will lead to another book and had nothing to do with this one.


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