All Dressed in White by Mary Higgins Clark

Reviewed by Gerti

This is the second novel I’ve read where famed mystery writer Mary Higgins Clark teams up with Alafair Burke, and I must say, it’s better than their first joint effort! I have to praise “All Dressed in White” for not suffering from an overabundance of characters, with all those presented pretty clearly delineated. The plot is also less than simple, even if the villain in the end turns out to be less than plausible.

In the series, Clark and Burke are writing mysteries for a character named Laurie Moran to present in her Under Suspicion television specials. Each show in the series is supposed to be about a cold case, generally about wealthy, beautiful people, and this case is no different. It’s about “The Runaway Bride”, a woman named Amanda Pierce, who survived cancer to end up at the altar, planning to marry a poor-boy turned lawyer who wants to become a public defender. The wrinkle in the fairy tale is this – her maid-of-honor Meghan also had a crush on this fellow, named Jeffrey, and Amanda’s parents suspect he may be the man behind her disappearance and murder.

Laurie and her wacky team of producers dig up his past, learning that Jeffrey was also pictured with a girl from their college days who disappeared. Is he a serial killer? Or is it his crazy stalker wife behind both murders? The plot takes you in one direction, and then another, as Laurie and her team are helped by her retired NYC detective father to track down clues to the real identity of the person who took Amanda away all those years ago.

Add to the suspect list Amanda’s older sister, who inherited her place in the successful family business thanks to Amanda’s untimely disappearance. Charlotte is, as described in the book, “a weed growing next to a rose” in the family’s eyes, and both mother and father give her short shrift. Amanda’s mother is still obsessed with her one daughter’s disappearance, and that has led to a rift between the long-married couple, since the dad is tired of all the stress and just wants them all to go back to their normal lives, under the assumption that Amanda was dead, or if not dead, wanted to go missing, so probably happier after she ran away.

This book provides little sexual tension between TV producer Laurie and her sexy show host, the famed lawyer Alex, and that makes this book a little less exciting than the previous edition, since there is virtually no romance in this novel. Still, the mystery is good enough to hold your attention, and the twists and turns will keep you guessing. I applaude “All Dressed in White” for being a good effort by this writing duo, although not the best book Clark has ever written. And as I mentioned before, the villain, when unmasked, seems implausible. I’d have chosen the wimpier of the pair of friends to be the one with deep-seated psychological problems. 

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom

Reviewed by Gerti

I’m already a huge fan of Mitch Albom, so it was no surprise to me that I enjoyed his latest offering, “The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto.” The novel tells the heart-breaking story of a young boy born in Spain under the most trying of circumstances – his mother being killed during the Spanish Civil War. A young woman spirits him away from the burning church where he was born, but eventually tosses him in a river when he won’t stop crying.

With such an inauspicious start, you’d imagine that Francisco (Frankie) would not have had a very good life. And yet this boy has been blessed by the spirit of Music itself, and so many magical things happen to him, including being rescued (from the river, at least) by a hairless dog, and then raised by a wife-less man. Yes, many details from this magical life are implausible, but that doesn’t make them any less dramatic.

Frankie’s early affinity for music is so strong, that his adoptive father, Baffa Rubio, the man who owns the local sardine factory, takes him to a blind guitar player so the boy can learn to play. The two, Frankie and El Maestro, form a very close bond, so close, that when the boy’s adoptive father is falsely imprisoned during the Franco regime, El Maestro helps the boy recover, and eventually, enables him to flee the country.

The book is filled with heroes and villians, all of them interesting, and all of whom shape Frankie just as he impacts them. Like Forrest Gump, there are cameos here from some of musics greatest names: Duke Ellington, Tony Bennett, Lyle Lovett, and KISS, to name just a few. Frankie is at Woodstock, Frankie appears on the Tonight Show, Frankie lives a life as a successful musician despite his childhood traumas, but drugs and alcohol get to him, as it has to so many famous people.

Eventually, Frankie and the love of his life Aurora, find a little girl of their own to adopt, and she becomes Frankie’s guiding star when all else fails him. He drops out of the limelight and starts to teach music himself, not realizing until the end the relationship he and the Maestro of his youth actually had. Tying it all together are the magic strings on his guitar, given to his mother by a gypsy family, which have the power to change lives. Frankie does that several times, and while I’m not sure this book has the power to change your life, it is a fabulous tale told brilliantly by one of the most unique voices in American fiction today. I can’t tell you how many times I cried while reading this epic (500 pages!) work, but that just shows how much heart it has, and how invested I was in these characters. “TMSOFP” will take you on a magical journey, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I highly recommend it, although I probably enjoyed Albom’s more famous “Tuesdays with Morrie” more.   

The Making of a Lady movie

Reviewed by Gerti

You surely know author Frances Hodgson Burnett from her book “The Secret Garden”, which is a beloved children’s story and has been adapted for the screen several times now. This is one of her lesser known works, originally called “The Making of a Marchioness” which the filmmakers changed to “The Making of a Lady” since no one here in the United States would know what a Marchioness was. This is the story of educated but penniless British orphan Emily, who is trying to make her way in a world which has only caused her misfortune so far. She is played brilliantly by unknown to me Lydia Wilson, and her first employer is Joanna Lumley of “Absolutely Fabulous” fame. While not playing a man-crazy drunk here, Lumley as Lady Maria is a terrible person who is withholding her wages until she can sack Emily after she switches place cards at a dinner party.

You might think Emily is finally getting a break when Lady Maria’s widowed nephew, devilishly handsome in his army uniform Lord James Walderhurst, falls for her and offers to marry her and take her away to his family estate. But Emily has more to endure, for when James patriotically decides to rejoin his regiment in India, her husband’s good-for-nothing nephew Alec Osborn and his Indian-born wife Hester come to stay at the manor house, with a letter they say James sent them, asking the couple to look after his friendless young wife.

Things go from bad to worse for Emily, who soon discovers she is pregnant (yes, she and James have fallen in love!), but Hester’s calls her old ayah from India to the house to doctor her. That is, she comes to poison her, as Alec and his wife will inherit the estate if James is killed without an heir, and that is exactly their plan! Thankfully, Emily had her friend Jane from the big city come to work as her lady’s maid, and while Alec tries to seduce the girl, she remains (mostly) true to Emily, and eventually has to shoot Alec to keep him from killing them both. Emily has not been getting James’ letters to her, thanks to the conspiring couple, nor has he been getting her letters (same cause), and so she doesn’t know he is on his way home to save her. When he arrives, the Indian servant says Emily is already dead and Hester confirms it until she breaks, telling James the truth in enough time for him to keep the nanny from smothering Emily with a pillow.

The “saved by the bell” storyline is old-fashioned, yes, but the drama is real. This is a beautifully shot story filled with all the tension of a gothic romance, and the gorgeous costuming of a BBC period piece. Made in 2012, it boasts breathtaking sets and first-rate acting from the entire cast, and the men aren’t bad to look at either! Hero-husband Linus Roach made my heart go pitty-pat and evil wastrel James D’Arcy is also a pleasant eyeful, even if I as a viewer was not fooled by his act of friendship as was the good-natured Emily.

Written with intensity by Kate Brooke and directed by Richard Curson Smith, this movie should not be missed by mystery lovers or those who love a gothic yarn. 

Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

Reviewed by Gerti

I love cooking. I also love cookbooks, since I’m not one of those “whip it up based on what’s in the frig” types of cooks. But my personal “cookbook God” is James Beard, not Julia Child. FYI James was actually the first to have a cooking show on TV, but Julia is the one who is best remembered, mainly because of the hilarious skits lampooning her voice and cooking skills on Saturday Night Live.

Perhaps my feelings would have been different if my name was Julia. That connection is why Julie Powell, author of this autobiographical book, always related to the overly tall woman who co-authored “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” so long ago. I saw the movie when it came out and found it amusing, even if I didn’t like the salty language (I know. What a prude!) so it seemed natural when I found the book to read it.

I really enjoyed Powell’s story of how she was drifting in her life, approaching a milestone age and feeling like a stranger in her own life as a government worker in New York City. Her writing is generally smart, and her stories of wrestling with lobsters and cooking entrails are classic. You could almost see Lucille Ball trying to master the art of French cooking! But again, I found her use of expletives a little unnecessary, even while I appreciated her often clever turns of phrase. I liked her more as an innocent, both in the ways of cooking all the recipes in Child’s magnum opus, and in life itself, than as the jaded, opinionated sailor-mouth she sometimes becomes.

Her cast of supporting characters in her life is also amusing, but I am frequently appalled when she describes the state of her kitchen (filthy) and hold my breath each time she has people come eat her food. I’m pleased that her blog worked out for her, and landed her a career as a writer, and I enjoy the snippets of letters from Julia Child to her husband Paul (and his letters) which pepper the book. It is amusing that the real Julia Child also had a “wild child” streak in her. What I find sad is that Julia Child did not approve of the writer’s food blog, and what a major impact that had on Julie Powell. I like to think it’s because Julia Child was too old to appreciate what it all meant, and suffered from “snarky senility” rather than true disapproval of the young woman’s culinary tribute.

The book – if you can stand the “F-bombs” – is delightful, kind of like eating chocolate mousse even though you know it is terrible for your health. At least a third of the pages in my personal copy have dog-ears because I loved where Powell displayed her self-deprecating sassiness and gift for an artfully turned phrase. I also loved that she used the original French names of the dishes, so it was an educational journey as well, since cooking from the cookbook itself sounds like skiing uphill to me. I will stick with Beard when I want a gourmet meal, but will keep an eye peeled for Powell’s next literary offering.  

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Reviewed by Gerti

My husband says you should never read a “New York Times” bestseller, because you’re bound to be disappointed. I’ve never followed that advice, and this book makes me thankful for it. I found John Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas” to be a flat out delight, even if I didn’t get to read it till after the tree was already on the curb.

Now I’m a huge Grisham fan, but usually he puts out legal thrillers that have me trying to decide whether the jury is rigged or a judge corrupt. That’s why this is such a delightful change. It has all the advantages of a Grisham novel – his ridiculously original characters and brandy-smooth writing – with a whipped cream heavy plot, so it doesn’t require more thinking than say, whether to use bubble bath or not before you engage in a soak.

The principals are Luther and Nora Krank, and since they are sending their daughter off to the third world for Christmas, they decide to forgo their usual holiday rituals (which accountant Luther finds are costing them a fortune) and take a holiday cruise instead. Oddly enough, that will be cheaper by half than buying all the fruitcakes, trees, invitations and custom-made holiday cards and throwing the huge party they usually throw. What is thrilling, however, is seeing how it all goes wrong, for just as they are getting ready to leave, their daughter calls and says “surprise!” she is coming home for Christmas after all, and bringing her doctor fiancé who would really love to see an American Christmas celebration.

Luther has made a ton of enemies with his anti-Christmas stance, and it is heart-warming how his neighborhood, which has turned against him for his resistance to taking part in their theme decorating that year, bands together to bring his Christmas miracle to pass. Grisham’s sense of humor sparkles, and his mastery of clever plot shines as brightly as the lit up “Frosty the Snowman” meant to be mounted next to the Krank’s chimney. He leaves no omission without it’s consequences, and it’s wonderful to watch how all the plot elements gets knit together by the end as tightly as that holiday sweater your grandmother sent you when you were 12.

I loved this book, and felt like a child on Christmas morning that I’ve discovered it at last. Thank you, John Grisham, for giving me and your faithful readers the ultimate gift, tied up in a pretty holiday bow. I’m ordered the movie they made from the book matches the level of wit and merriment of Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas,” but (spoiler alert!) it does not. Read the book for real holiday laughs!

Where’d You Go, Bernadatte by Maria Semple

Reviewed by Gerti

In contrast to another book I just read by Dominick Dunne which deals with the lives of the rich and famous in New York City long ago, Maria Semple here deals with the lives of the computer nouveau riche, including the title character Bernadette Fox. She is married to a genius from Microsoft, but is a bit of a genius herself, something we don’t realize until about halfway into the story. At the start, Bernadette is simply a Seattle mom who is tired of dealing with the other mommies at her daughter Bee’s very special grade school, and that makes her character very approachable from this reader’s point of view.  

Bernadette is eccentric, and so is the unconventional format that Semple uses to present the story. She takes e-mails, letters, conversations, memos, etc. to tell us the story of this family: the brilliant-but-largely-absent father, the trying-hard-but would-rather-be-doing-something-else mommy, and the stuck-in-the-middle daughter, who is just trying to keep everyone happy. Part of the problem is that mom has a formidable adversary at Galer Street School named Audrey Griffin. Audrey is the Fox family’s neighbor, and she is hosting an event for the school, but is fixated and upset by everything Bernadette does. Among her crimes, Audrey starts a rumor (untrue) that Bernadette drove over her foot in car line, then sneaks onto the Fox’s property in order to remove some blackberry plants which she feels will ruin the party she is hosting. As fate would have it, removing those blackberries vines during the rainy season in Seattle leads to a mudslide which fills Audrey’s house and scares any number of children and parents.  

But other things are going wrong in Bernadette’s life as well. She thinks she’s been out-sourcing tedious jobs to a woman named Manjula in India, but in truth she’s been having her personal information stolen, including passport info and credit cards. By the time her husband catches on, law enforcement is also involved, and it all makes Bernadette look like she’s completely lost her mind. During an intervention at home, Bernadette flies the coop, and the search is on. 

Throw in other issues like her husband, Elgin Branch, being seduced by his new administrative assistant (a divorced mother at the Galer school who is one of the “gnats” bothering Bernadette), and Bee’s wanting to go to Antarctica on vacation, and you’ve got a hell of a quirky tale. I love Bernadette as a character, and admire the resilience of her daughter, who never believes for a minute that her mother would leave and not want to be found by her. I hate the husband for a while (who doesn’t hate a man who cheats on his wife?) but the e-mails etc. make clear how little he is really to blame for what happens with Soo-Lin. 

The final scenes will have you cheering as MacArthur prize-winning architect Bernadette gets her groove back building with limited resources in the frozen wasteland, and reuniting with her family. Strongly recommended roller-coaster of a tale that will have you laughing, crying and commiserating at every turn.  

Review of DVD: Charles Dickens’ Bleak House

Reviewed by Gerti

The BBC is well known for its productions of the works of famous British authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. This 1985 production of Dickens’ “Bleak House” fits into that category, and is at its heart a condemnation of the legal profession and the people who make their living in it.

The story is a simple one. Two young heirs to the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce come to light, and while the case goes through Chancery (the court system in Britain) the pair go to live with a distant relation, John Jarndyce. Ada and Richard, although distant cousins, fall in love there, but are eventually torn apart by Richard’s obsession with the outcome of the case, as he is hoping when it is settled (in his favor) it will make him a wealthy man. The older Jarndyce warns him that obsessing about the case will only lead to madness and ruin, but young Richard can’t listen, and when the case is finally settled, it is discovered that all the money has been used up by the lawyers. Richard falls ill and dies, leaving his young widow, Ada, pregnant.

But the love birds are not the only one’s caught in the legal trappings of the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce. Also interested in its outcome are Lord and Lady Dedlock, who are already fabulously wealthy. Their lawyer is the evil attorney Tulkinghorn, who when he’s not pursuing the case, is trying to find out why Lady Dedlock fainted when reading the handwriting on a particular legal document. He eventually is able to show that she had a child out of wedlock with the writer of the document, a former army officer who has since died because of his obsession with her (and illegal substances.) He was, however, a kind man, and gave his money away to a street urchin named Jo, who is hounded to death by lawyers and police trying to find out what he knows about the dead man.

The title is ironic, because although John Jarndyce’s house isn’t bleak, the story is incredibly so. The only shining light is Esther Summerson, who much as her name indicates, brings light into the lives of those around her. She is the natural daughter of Lady Dedlock and this army officer, but only finds out her heritage right before Lady Dedlock runs away to avoid bringing shame to her husband and his noble house. The only shades of comedy in this piece come from the ridiculous names, like the landlord Mr. Krook, the Neckett family, and of course Inspector Bucket. The BBC production is also bleak and lacks color in many scenes, but it is the picture of London at this time in history that is the bleakest of all.