Rarely has a book captured my attention from the first to last page, but The Cario Affair by Olen Steinhauer did just that. This contemporary spy novel is fast paced yet easy to follow. Although different time periods are used to unravel the story line, recent events surrounding the "Arab Spring" bring this novel full circle. I highly recommend this terrific read.

The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan is a good effort but doesn't quite make the grade. The characters are shallow and the story meanders. I found the attempt at interweaving past and present to be tedious and often confusing. While I am compuslive about completing a book, I was sorely tempted to put this one down. I gave it a 3 only because the historical research regarding the Inquisition is noteworthy.

If you are familiar with the spy novel genre via Clancy, Le Carre and Ludlum etc., “Sentinel” by Matthew Dunn will disappoint. Although the book starts off with a bang, it quickly becomes one very long and tedious road trip. Traveling miles and miles of desolate, frozen roads from Ukraine to Russia both on foot and in cars occupies most of the novel. Granted, there are the usual forgers and counterfeiters, agents from various intelligence agencies, and double-crossers but their characters are undeveloped and pretty much left behind as the main character, an M16 field officer attempts to stop a war between Russia and the United States. The premise of the plot is not very believable and the surprise ending really isn’t much of a surprise. Hope that Dunn’s next Spy Catcher is more adept.

I can only hope that the other novels by Mary Jane Clark are better than her latest, "The Look of Love." The book is not very well written and feels choppy due to the short chapters. (Some are only a page long) The story line is adolescent and predictable. I found myself skimming the last few chapters just to get finished.

The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner is a fun read but not a great read. As a historical novel it has a good bit of fact and enough fiction to keep the reader interested. However, the fiction is predictable and about mid-way through the book I found myself skimming pages to find a twist or “aha moment.” The basic premise lends itself to suspense and intrigue but the novel fails to produce what could have been a unique experience.

Dr. Nick Trout’s autobiography “Ever By My Side” is an honest assessment of his life. He highlights those events that played prominently in his youth and adulthood while also weaving the impact of both his two legged and four legged family and friends. While the book is sometimes dry, he compensates with those passages that touch the reader’s heartstrings, primarily when referencing one of the many animals that crossed his path. His descriptions are often tender but not saccharine. To his credit, Dr. Trout manages to remain objective about the pets of his parents and of his own family but the reader always senses an underlying sensitivity. Without being preachy, Dr. Trout relates the lessons learned from humans and animals and in particular how those interactions helped him find a way to cope with the inevitable difficulties of adulthood. This book is well worth the read for both pet owners and non-pet owners.

The best description of my feelings about Three Seconds is ambivalence. On the one hand, it is loaded with details that enrich the story and enhance the suspense. While the reader can probably figure out the ending before finishing the book, the story holds interest to the last page. On the other hand, I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters. None are multidimensional and there doesn’t seem to be anything about them that evokes empathy. The book is stern and stiff and lacking in even a hint of humor. If you can make it through the first 100 pages which are agonizingly slow, the pace picks up rather quickly. I am disappointed in not discovering another Steig Larson but willing to give the authors the benefit of the doubt by hoping that something was lost in
translation.

"The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai" authored by Ruiyan Xu is one of the most beautiful and absorbing novels I have read. She presents us with multidimensional characters who deal with issues of communication that are both obvious and nuanced. The main story line involves Li Jing, a successful businessman who after an explosion suffers from a form of aphasia that affects the portion of the brain that manages language. Although fluent in both English and Chinese he recalls only English as he begins to recover leaving him unable to communicate with his wife, child, friends and associates.

Dr. Rosalyn Neal, an American specialist is recruited by his wife and doctors to help him relearn Chinese. As the characters and story evolve the reader is gently led through the various forms of language both verbal and nonverbal that can strengthen or weaken relationships. Xu weaves and layers the struggles of Li Jing, his wife Meiling, their son Pang Pang, Dr. Neal and her expatriate friends, and Alan, the translator against the backdrop of language in its various forms. This book is enjoyable on many levels from the intricate relationships to the spectacular descriptions of Shanghai. It will charm readers while provoking thoughtful discussions on a myriad of topics. This novel grips the reader from page one and never lets go.

A good, semi challenging summer read. Set in Kenya, it offers a colorful look at the flora and fauna as well as the backdrop to the political machinations prior to independence. It is underscored by a murder mystery that leaves the reader morally ambivalent. The female lead in the novel leaves this female reader cold perhaps because the author is male and doesn't adequately express the complexities of her heart and mind.