Red Sky Over Hawaii

 

This is not my usual genre that I read. Although I do like to read Lit fiction. So when this book came by I had to grab it.

For me it was the characters, and the location (which I will be visiting soon) that made this book enjoyable. It centered around when Pearl Harbor got hit. And what was in front of everyone then.

Suspected sympathizers were dragged away in fear that they had some connection to the Japanese why Pearl Harbor is no more. Should the country have done that for war? Or violation of human rights? I think they did it for both. Our soldiers didn't know who to trust. Although some people weren't released until the end. 

It just wasn't Japanese. There were other nationalities as well. People that have lived for years.

How Lana gets along with her housemates is important to story. It's survival. 

Of course we can't forget the romance. Who would  thought thatLana finds the perfect guy and he's a soldier to boot.

She was a good sport on taking those children who were neighbors of her father's. Lana didn't have children of her own at that time. And it showed she can be a good mother to the two girls that were left when their mother and father was detained. Her Japanese friends too.

Sadly she was too late to see her father before he passed. And for that she regrets but finally knowing that he was proud of her. 

Memories Matter! Lana will always have good memories too of her dad.

I give Red Sky Over Hawaii 4

It was a good story. Not too much with history. Which you did learn something about Hawaii.

 I look forward to reading more from this author

Fatal Grace

Not sure where I should start with this #2 story in series.

I was pleased to see how the author (Louise Penny) has woven the characters in so the reader doesn't get confused with who is who. I myself could follow with ease and not have the characters be explained again. It was a nice smooth read. I didn't make too many notes/highlights. Surprisingly Gamache didn't come into story til later. It was good to visit the neighbors again of Three Pines. Makes you want to be part of the community.

Still don't like Agent Nichol. We find more about her. Did she know that her father was lying to her about Uncle Saul? Or is she setting up Gamache for some other reason? Like working with Brebouf of getting Gamache out?

Another character Lemieux seems like a good egg. At least Beauvoir is starting to think so. But is he working against Gamache?

Interesting take on CC de Postiers and her harsh way of living and looking at the world. It's a shame it comes down to what her mother did or said. On the flip side she does something to her own child. And her daughter, Crie takes matters into her own hands. Just to find out how The Three Graces protect that was done wrong.

Apparently there is this character Billy Williams. He is a minor character, but a major one just the same. Things he says are quoted by Gamache. And I read that he is woven into other stories.

The whole part of Gamache, Beauvoir, running into a burning house to get Agent Nichol was wild. Beauvoir losing it thinking he was trapped.

Was good to see that Gamache's wife, Reine-Marie is being more of an active character. Someone who Gamache can talk things out with.

Will be interesting to find out more about Gamache's old cases. Like he started to tell Reine-Marie about the Arnot case. He crossed that Blue line and told. One country is the same as others there is always a dirty cop somewhere.

As for how I feel about Fatal Grace another good novel. I give it 4 

I just felt it a bit long in the chapters

 

A Murder is Announced

 I can see why this story is a favorite not only to others I believe toAgatha Christie herself. The story I think you can see happening today. Of course with some time changes.

I have noticed especially with A Murder is Announced that Miss Marple doesn’t come into the story til midway. This way the story builds to where Miss Marple needs to help.

What an ingenious thing to do to put an announcement in newspaper about a murder (like a play). 

Poor Miss Blacklock someone is trying to murder her? Or Murder the others that live around her? Is it/will it be the Colonel, Philippe, Edward, or his mother, Mitzi, or poor Dora?

Miss Blacklock had no money.Although was going to inherit someday. So to stage a murder took some doing. Somehow a murder did happen but not what we though.Something to throw us all off.

    There were some twists and turns that surely I didn’t know Marple.In his own defense it’s hard to admit n older person especially a woman has clues before him. She did have some ideas and eventually Craddock was on board with.

Oh wow we find that Miss Blacklock had a sister. Was that sister there with Blacklock, or was she gone somewhere? Is this the key to what events happened?

I think A Murder is Announced is one of my favorite Miss Marple books so far. I will be looking forward to reading more of Miss Marple!

I give A Murder is Announced 5 

 

 

The Vanishing Triangle

I usually don't read non-fiction. This book caught my eye. Since I have family from Ireland and Northern Ireland too boot I wanted to know what this author was trying to bring into light.

What is the vanishing triangle?

Between 1993 and 1998, eight women went missing from an area roughly eighty miles around Dublin, leading some to nickname it the ‘vanishing triangle’.

What a terrible thing that happened. Lives cut off too early. So what is this author trying to say. I believe she wanted the reader to be aware that these women, who she found out didn't stop at eight, were just as important as anyone else. In her words

I want to look at how and why so many women could go missing without a national outcry, without the disappearances even being linked for so long.

She dives into a number of reasons why these killers/killer is overlooked. A lot are protected by others. And a big thing is also are helped across the border. Officers from the IRA was brought up especially. Political, mental, from church, economy (The Celtic Tiger) as it is put, the differences of people (if they are gay or not), abortion.

And why women? Women are thought of is a certain type. And that is how the priority is run down. If the woman is thought of a sex worker she's asking for it? To be raped and killed? NO! that is all screwed up!

 What kind of country allows crimes like this to happen? As author goes on, why are the perpetrators not being caught? Sadly if there are no bodies or evidence how could anyone go on? It's a small country with a lot of hiding places.

The author does make remarks about the US. She blames America giving Ireland the idea it's a fairytale. Yes we do give money over. For reasons other what the author is alluding too.

I take offense to that. It's just not Ireland this is happening too. It's happening all over the world. Even human trafficking is maybe another source that this author failed to write on.

Bottom line is not to forget!

Not only the remarks author made about America. I think she poured her own feelings out. By thinking of her own self walking around when she was living in Northern Ireland. Not even thinking she was blessed it wasn't her that could get caught in the net of some killer/s. She did make mention that men can be victims too.

I didn't like the idea she kept naming names that I couldn't remember all. And she was very repetitive which toward the end she could have cut the chapters short and ended book earlier.

Which leads me to give The Vanishing Triangle 4_____> 

I don't know what her fiction books are like. I just think she poured everything out how she felt. And made as many chapters to make a book.

 

The Widow

I started to read The Widow because of the political stuff that we are going through now. And I wanted to see how the author creates her mystery out of this.

I liked the idea of how Kaira started the chapters. With a little advice from a friendly spouse of a Congressman.

I had a whole thing planned out what to say about this book. I agree with the reviews sums up marriage, privilege, and oh so many lies!

Jody and Martin get married. The Ashers have it all. A daughter, the best seat in the place for a Congressman, and a nice house. What else do they want? Well we know Jody wants it all. Even after the death of Martin she finds a way to stay in DC

It was good to know Jody. How she came to what she turned out to be. Shame we didn't get to know her daughter Charlotte a little more.

What is a bit unbelievable is how the group of people VP, Mimi and Steve the best think tank. Or so it seems ;) all knew each other before the DC days.

I thought there might of been a bit more mystery. I thought there was something going on when Jody was giving her splash of eye drops to Martin. It wasn't what I thought. I guess Jody not having emotion gave to the allure of mystery with all her lies.

I wasn't surprised at an affair or who the woman really was. I was sad that it was long. The juice was in the beginning and early middle. A lot of what I like and thought about is in my Kindle highlights.

I thought of the proverbs that Mimi would say like "There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two emperors on the earth."

Comes to the point of one winner. One thought. And "As distance tests a horse’s strength, time reveals a person’s character"

After a lost, in character to speak of, what is the time going to be? Are you going to be strong or weak? Last one. “When the winds of change blow, some build walls, while others build windmills.”

Always setting yourself up to be strong. Depend on you.

I can give The Widow 4_____>

I like the author and have read some of her other books and will continue on.