Six hot new books to read in March
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March 2014 book reviews
Love on the rocks
Imagine occupying the mind of a brilliant, funny, unflinchingly observant woman while she falls in love, weds, becomes a mother, then watches her marriage implode. As she copes with various adversities, from colicky babies to bedbugs, the heroine, referred to only as “the wife,” navigates her experience by referencing the likes of Darwin, Kafka, Keats, Russian cosmonauts and Zen masters. Jenny Offill’s stunning Dept. of Speculation is defined as a “novel” on its cover. But the slim volume, a constellation of vignettes and meditations, reads more like an ever-changing night sky.
The pared-down format of the book permits Offill’s caustic protagonist to cut to the chase: “Three things no one has ever said about me: You are very mysterious/You make it look so easy/You need to take yourself more seriously.” Insights about intimacy, betrayal and grief land like grenades: “The reason to have a home is to keep certain people in and everyone else out.” And her evocation of a parent’s fierce love of a child is heart-piercing. At 192 pages, Dept. of Speculation can be devoured in one sitting — or an entry at a time. Either way, once finished, you’ll want to read this profound, transporting book again, even more carefully, maybe from back to front. – Anne Kingston
Dept. of Speculation, Jenny Offill, $25. Available at Amazon and Indigo.
Crime of passion
George has never been able to forget his mesmerizing college sweetheart, Liana Decter, who disappeared decades ago amid rumours of murder. So when she mysteriously turns up at his local bar 20 years later, George is thrilled and besotted. He’s unable to say no when Liana asks him to do her a favour — one that turns out to involve fraud, violence and maybe even another suspicious death. – Anna Redman
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, Peter Swanson, $31. Available at Amazon and Indigo.
Head games
A murder is the catalyst for an investigation into the life of Nate Aspenall, a small-town Arizona loner living in a trailer park. His father is a lifelong friend of the sheriff in charge of the case. Told from multiple perspectives, this psychological case study unfolds in a chilling way that is entirely engrossing. – Courtney Greenberg
The Quiet Streets of Winslow, Judy Troy, $30. Available at Amazon and Indigo.
Skin deep
Television personality Gaby Mortimer appears to have it all: a loving family, a successful career and a beautiful home in a posh London neighbourhood. Everything changes when Gaby makes a gruesome discovery on her morning run. Soon she finds herself at the centre of the inquiry, with all evidence pointing toward her. As her seemingly perfect life begins to unravel, it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems, and the parallels between her and the victim become impossible to ignore. The denouement will make you want to read it all over again to search for the clues you missed the first time. – Allison Hall
Under Your Skin, Sabine Durrant, $23. Available at Amazon and Indigo.
Modern fairy tale
One night, groggy American expat George finds himself tending to an injured crane that bizarrely appears in his London backyard. The next morning, Kumiko — a quiet, independent woman — soars into George’s life. She vaguely reminds him of the crane and leaves him wondering whether he was dreaming. As if in a storybook, Kumiko brings opportunity, human interaction and love to the lonely man but remains an enigma. George’s yearning to know more about her threatens their relationship and endangers their lives. – Kristene Quan
The Crane Wife, Patrick Ness, $20. Available at Amazon and Indigo.
Wild ride
Ferret, a pickpocket turned ventriloquist, performs amid the potion peddlers, organ grinders and lion tamers at the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair, until he falls in love with Cecily, an actor in the midway’s Chamber of Horrors. The couple attract the attention of the fair’s sinister founder, only to prove that love cannot be defeated, even in death. Constantly surprising and utterly mesmerizing. – Sydney Loney
The Swan Gondola, Timothy Schaffert, $30. Available at Amazon and Indigo.
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