December was a busy month, but I did get to eat some really good books that I am delighted to recommend.
The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel The Glass Universe, written by one of my favorite science writers, is a riveting and fascinating biography of the unsung heroines whose groundbreaking work at the Harvard College Observatory helped create modern astronomy. Painstakingly working with glass photographic plates of the stars, under often punishing conditions, they were the human computers who analyzed data, creating classifications and catalogs of stars that were used by astronomers for decades. I took an astronomy class in college, and had no idea of the contributions of Cecilia Payne, Annie Jump Cannon, Willamina Fleming, Margaret Harwood, Antonia Maury, and the other women whose work was the underpinnings of what I was studying. But Ms. Sobel has brought their brilliant contributions to light, and looking up at night will never be the same for me. Much of the scientific rigor and theoretical underpinnings of the entire discipline of astronomy began at the Harvard Observatory, and while it may have been run by men, the money that made it all possible provided by women, Anna Draper and Catherine Wolfe Bruce. If you are interested in science, woman in science, or astronomy, or just love a well-researched book, The Glass Universe is highly recommended. I am so glad that some of them were recognized during their lifetimes for their contributions, and even happier that all of them, and their contributions, are now recognized and celebrated. Just one quibble: in Chapter 13, Ms. Sobel is talking about Miss Fairchild and she mentions that she has a Ph.D. in astronomy. I would have preferred she be called Dr. Fairchild--she earned that degree at a time and in a field when that was incredibly difficult.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman The Thursday Murder Club was mentioned by several contributors to the Mystery Reader's Journal as an excellent first mystery novel, and the premise intrigued me: a set of retired seniors in England set about to solve a murder that takes place under their noses near their retirement community. The core group of retirees (or pensioners, as this takes place in England) are quite diverse in their backgrounds but united by their interest in mysteries. The group's weekly investigations were captained by a retired intelligence agent whose illness has escalated, affecting each of her friends. The story is told largely from the point of Joyce, a retired nurse; her voice is that of the average person. We need Joyce to explain the increasingly convoluted incidents and relationships that characterize the story. I enjoyed the book; it was well written and fast paced, but did every scene need to be its own chapter (there are more than 100 chapters in the book)? There were things to which I objected: police or intelligence people planting evidence, the stereotypes of some people and classes, and the overwhelming reliance on coincidence to solve the various murders and mysteries and make them all interconnected. And I have to point out one glaring factual error this archaeologist cannot overlook: the skeleton in the grave is radiocarbon dated to 1970. Radiocarbon dates would never work on such a recent specimen to begin with, and any carbon dates from 1945/1950 onward are suspect because the atomic bombs in 1945 wreaked havoc on the natural carbon decay rates. One would never submit a 50-year-old sample for radiocarbon dating (sorry, Sir Austin, you got it wrong). Enjoyable, and hopefully the reliance on coincidence to tie disparate story lines together is not relied on to such an extent in the rest of the series.
A Surprise for Christmas by Martin Edwards Delightful anthology of Christmas mysteries published by British Library Crime Classics. Martin Edwards' prologues to the British Library Crime Classics anthologies introduce modern readers to genre authors from the golden age of mysteries, many of whose novels have been long out of print. I love this series, from the wonderful art work of the covers to the short story selections included. I recommend this series to any fan of Christie or Sayers. What a great book to curl up with on a dark winter's night, mulled cider at hand and soft holiday music in the background. (Net Galley)
It Takes Two to Mango by Carrie Doyle One of the reasons I've always enjoyed the Agatha Raisin mysteries is because she's not completely likable, but there's enough in her to make her sympathetic to the reader. Carrie Doyle has created another wonderful, flawed main character, Plum Lockhart. She's annoying, she's oblivious and self centered, and when the book opens with her getting fired, the reader thinks "yup, she served that." The only job Plum can find is on a gorgeous tropical island, but she's so determined to spend as little time there as possible that she continues the same behaviors that got her in trouble in New York City, until, that is, a murder happens in a property Plum was responsible for, and suddenly Plum realizes that she has to care and make an effort or she'll lose her job (again) and maybe her life. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. Plum herself grows as a character and this reader found herself liking her as the story went on. The setting, Paraiso, is gorgeous, snd reminded me of many places I've traveled in the tropics. Plum's new coworkers are set up perfectly to become integral to future mysteries, and the potential love interest is perfect--adult, no jubilee high school hijinks, and realistic. The pace is fast and maintained steadily throughout the novel, and the writing is mature and flows. I am looking forward to the next set of scrapes that Plum gets herself into. (Net Galley)
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