A Long Time Dead (A D.I. Duncan McAdam Mystery)

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by J.M. Dalgliesh, 2023, Hamilton Press 4.0 stars

While on cruise this summer we had a lecture on noir crime novels. One of the elements of this genre is a sense of place. The itinerary of the cruise included some stops in Scotland, and our lecturer mentioned several Scottish authors, and while he didn’t mention Dalgliesh, I found this book on Amazon Unlimited and decided to give it a try. The story takes place on the Isle of Sky (which we didn’t visit this summer but did back in 2016). The plot was about a body that had been buried in the peat 20 years prior. The case was reopened as a result of the discovery as the deceased girl was thought to have been murdered.

The novel includes an investigator (Duncan McAdam) who is deeply damaged by his youth on the Isle of Sky, and a dark secret uncovered by McAdam in the course of his investigation. The plot is actually a bit slow, but the characters are genuine, and the sense of place is well defined.

While I am on the topic of “place”, our cruise left us disappointed. Most of the on-board lectures (the one on noir crime novels being an exception) and excursions dealt with the ancient history of each of the places we visited. When we went to Africa a few years ago, I read a number of books about the countries we visited, including histories, novels, biographies, etc. In preparation for this recent trip, I failed to do that and, as a consequence, didn’t feel the attachment to the places we visited. We had toured Scotland on our own many years ago and I felt that I had a much deeper understanding of the place than I did popping in for a visit of only a couple of hours. My conclusions are that the best way to travel to a country and really understand it is to do it on your own if you are able and to read as much as possible about it.

Going back to this book, I really enjoyed it. I liked the characters, the sense of place, and the plot was okay. I may read more of the series.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

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by Jonathan Haidt, 2024, Kindle Edition, Penguin Press 2.0 stars

This book focuses on the causes of the heightened anxiety of the young persons of Generation Z.

The author basically makes three points in this book:

  • Smartphones with social media are rewiring the brains of our children, especially in the ages of 10 to 14, and not in a good way. The “Great Rewiring” as he calls it, is destroying the ability of kids to develop the social skills that enables them to transition into well-adjusted adults.
  • Parents are overprotecting their children in the real world while allowing them to have unfettered access to social media online. Children need to have unstructured and unsupervised play time with other children with actual physical presence rather than hours on social media.
  • Cell phones and social media affect girls in different ways than boys.

Haidt makes a compelling case that these three phenomena are having profound and frightening effects on the development of Generation Z individuals. Unfortunately, he repeats these points over and over (and over and over) again (and again) to the point that reading the book becomes a real chore. I wish he had structured the book to complete the discussion on each of one of these points before going on to the next rather than bringing his points up again and again.

I have a grandchild who is 12 years old who doesn’t have a cell phone yet. The information Haidt provides reinforces some of the ideas I already had about our grandchildren’s’ access to cell phones. I was planning to recommend the book to his parents, but the organization of the book is such a mess that I am reluctant to recommend it. Too bad.

James

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by Percival Everitt, 2024, Audiobook narrated by Dominic Hoffman, Random House Audio 4.0 stars

This book is based on the novel Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, but it is told from the perspective of Huck’s companion, the slave Jim. Jim is actually an educated person who poses as a simple Black slave in order to please the white people whenever he is in contact with them. The book suggests that this is a common behavior of slaves in those times.

The book follows closely to the events in Twain’s book with Jim (who decides he should be addressed as James) reflecting on his many interactions with white people. He maintains a very close relationship with Huck throughout the book.

I recommend listening to the audiobook version of this book as it highlights the difference in tone that Jim/James takes when he is conversing with other Blacks or white persons. Also, the narrator, Dominic Hoffman, does a great job.

I am somewhat skeptical that such a highly self-educated Black person would have even been possible in those circumstances, but it is a work of fiction which highlights the intelligence and grace of Jim as a human being.

The Dentist (Detective Sergeant George Cross Mystery, Book 1)

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by Tim Sullivan, 2025, Atlantic Crime 3.5 stars

George Cross is an autistic detective who lives alone and is not valued by his superiors. Nonetheless, he solves crimes using his dogged methods. His partner Josie, who is a single Black mother, tries repeatedly to be assigned to another officer because she is exasperated by George’s anti-social behavior.

This case involves the death of a homeless person. The death is initially attributed to another homeless person who confesses. Cross isn’t convinced that he did it and discovers that there is more to it than it seems.

The book sometimes is a bit slow, and Cross’s behavior can be trying, but the author does a good job of portraying the detective and his partner.

Death of a Cad (Hamish MacBeth Mysteries Book 2)

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by M.C. Beaton, 2012, Kindle Edition, Grand Central Publishing 3.5 stars

This is the second in the series and I enjoyed reading it. Again, this is a plot that involves multiple characters assembling in a location far from their homes when a death occurs. At first it appears that the death is a suicide where the individual has aimed a shotgun at himself, but Hamish has his doubts. He determines that the death is a murder and identifies the perpetrator when he assembles them in a room ala Agatha Christie.

The relationship with Pricilla deteriorates in this book as she becomes engaged to another man, even though she has doubts about her fiancé and likes Hamish more. It will be interesting to see how that turns out if I read another book in the series.

Out of Order

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by Charles Benoit, 2006, Kindle Edition, Poisoned Pen Press 2.5 stars

I chose this book because I enjoyed his other books, Relative Danger, which I read on my way to Morrocco a few years ago. I really enjoyed that book. This one followed somewhat of the same formula, which is a young man who travels from place to place in a foreign country with no idea of what he is getting involved in. He meets an attractive female traveling companion who is a bit quirky. In Relative Danger, the plot carried the young man from country to country. This book takes place entirely in India, although in multiple places. I don’t think it is as exciting as the prior book as the plot is overly complex with new individuals popping in and out all throughout.

I will probably try one more book by this author, but I think I was spoiled by the first one by him that I read.

Death of a Gossip (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries Book 1)

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by M.C. Beaton, 2012, Kindle Edition, Grand Central Publishing 3.5 stars

This book is the first in a series of murder mysteries with the Scottish Highlands eccentric constable, Hamish MacBeth. The plot centers on a fishing camp where fishing “tourists” sign up to fish in the lochs in Scotland. The tourists are an eclectic collection of individuals, one of which is a gossip columnist operating under cover who is spoiling the experience for the rest of the group with her behavior. She ends up dead and it appears that she drowned, but Hamish MacBeth has doubts about that conclusion.

The book also has some romantic elements as a young upper-class lady has taken a shine to MacBeth, but he is awkward in his dealing with members of the feminine sex, and the relationship encounters some rocky moments.

The plot borrows heavily from the Agatha Christie model where everyone seems to have a motive to do away with the victim. Nevertheless, it is enjoyable to read and offers some priceless Scottish phrases such as “Och, Pricilla, it be yourself?” as Hamish’s typical greeting.

Isola

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by Allegra Goodman, 2025, The Dial Press, New York 3.5 stars

The book is about a young orphaned noble lady in France who has all of her possessions taken away by her guardian and then is forced to travel to New France with him. While on the voyage she falls in love with the guardian’s secretary. Once the guardian discovers the relationship, he abandons them both on an island and sails away.

The story focuses on her struggle to survive and eventually make her way back to France. The book is supposedly based on a real life individual. It is well written and depicts in detail the psychological aspects of her situation and how she manages to survive.

Mad Honey

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by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, 2022, Audiobook narrated by Carrie Coon, Key Taw, Jodi Picoult, and Jennifer Finn, Random House Audio 3.5 stars

The book is about a teenage couple who fall in love. They have some disagreements, and one day the boy tells his partner that he has had enough and texts her that he is coming over to find out why she won’t talk to him. He finds her dead on the floor at the foot of the stairs. He goes into shock and when the girl’s mother arrives home, he is holding her on the couch. When the police arrive, they become suspicious, and he is eventually charged with murder.

The book delves into the issues of transgender individuals and how they cope with their gender identity. While the plot wasn’t particularly interesting, the discussion of transgender issues was.

Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment

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by Allen Guelzo, 2024, Audiobook narrated by Justin Price 4.5 stars

Let me first say that I am a big fan of Allen Guelzo. He has an astounding grasp of historical facts and concepts. I viewed his online Great Courses course, Our Founding Fathers, and learned so much about the writing of our constitution. I then decided to read this book.

The book begins with an overview of the concepts of democracy in the United States. He then outlines Lincoln’s views on democracy, but then he also describes his views on slavery, religion, and race.

Overall, I think the book is very balanced. The author describes Lincoln’s qualities as well as his failings using many quotations from individuals who knew and dealt with Lincoln. Guelzo also explores the lasting impacts of Lincoln’s views, policies, and accomplishments and speculates somewhat on what would have happened if Lincoln had not been assassinated and completed his second term as president.

I was hoping that the author, Allen Guelzo, would also be the narrator as his presentation in the online course was so good. That didn’t turn out to be the case, but Justin Price did an outstanding job. He seemed to capture the import and mood of the text very well.

While the book may not appeal to a reader who doesn’t have a deep interest in history, I enjoyed it, and it gave me some different perspectives on Lincoln and the times he lived in. I would have rated it even higher, but reading history has a tendency to be dry and, no matter how well done, it doesn’t compare to the excitement of reading a good crime novel.