Monday 12 November 2007

Finished two on the weekend

Finished November 10
The Worst Thing I've Done by Ursula Hegi
This novel is about relationships and related in an interesting way to the second book I read.
Here Annie, Mason and Jake grew up in houses side by side and remained a threesome through their lives until now. When Annie and Mason got married a few years ago, Annie's parents were killed in a car crash on their way home, her mother living only long enough to have Opal, Annie's sister delivered. Annie has been both mother and sister to Opal and Mason and Jake have been involved as fathers. Now that Mason has killed himself, Annie has pushed Jake away as well, and is trying to see the truth of the relationship that the three of them had. This story is told from many points of view: Annie's, Mason's, Jake's, Opal's, Aunt Stormy (her mother's best friend) and Pete (Aunt Stormy's lover).
At first Annie drives for relief from grief, listening to radio psychologists solving people's relationship problems, but later she paddles, and eventually finds solace in her work again.

Finished November 11
The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny
This is another mystery set in the village of Three Pines. Someone in the community has been frightened to death during a seance and Armand Gamache of the Surete of Quebec is called in to investigate the death. Along with this, Gamache and his family are being attacked in the newspapers as a result of his role in disclosing severe police misconduct years earlier. Gamache knows that a traitor is planted among his team, but tries to keep his own fight to himself.
He finds jealousy and other toxic secrets among the villagers.
It is the disclosure of the idea of the "near enemy" among emotions, explained to Gamache by Myrna, that I was able to relate to the previous book. It is an interesting idea, and one taking place more than we may think. A fascinating story.

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