This was a TERRIBLE reading month for me. I managed to keep up with my two-month group read of Bleak House but that was about it for me in terms of motivation. Every time I would start a book I would very quickly DNF it. In the end I only finished three books this month and two of those were in the last week of the month.
These are the (very few) books that I finished in March.
The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
Winspear is the author of the very successful Maisie Dobbs series which I enjoyed very much, although I liked the earlier post-WWI stories better than the later WWII stories. This is a standalone novel set during WWI, so I assumed I would enjoy it. However, I found that the plot meandered too much for me. I started this novel at least two years ago and would read it sporadically on my e-reader. It became the book I would read when I was stuck somewhere with nothing to read. If it hadn't been written by Winspear I probably would have DNF'd it long ago. The main characters are two young women who make very different life choices. One is a suffragette and the other is a former teacher who marries and becomes a farm wife. WWI then intrudes. While I think Winspear did capture life in Britain, especially rural Britain, right before and during the first year of the war, the characters did not come to life for me. If you want to be transported to WWI Britain (and a bit of France) you may enjoy this book, but I did not think it was one of her best. My Quick Take is here.
Nonesuch by Francis Spufford
An historical fantasy set in London in the first year of WWII, the plot involves Iris Hawkins, a secretary at a financial firm in The City of London. Iris is trying to manage her career (she's ambitious), her love life, and the Blitz. But on top of that, she has been chosen by some otherworldly beings to save Britain from the British fascists who want to go back in time and change the course of history. I really liked this novel despite the fact that I didn't really understand (until the end) why the fantasy portion of the novel was at all necessary. f you are looking for a well drawn character living in a well evoked time and place, you will like this novel, even if you don't usually read fantasy. My Quick Take is here.
A Slowly Dying Cause by Elizabeth George
The latest in the Inspector Lynley mystery series, this novel finds Lynley and Havers in Cornwall where Lynley is dealing with maintenance issues on his family estate. Havers is dealing with the death of her mother (and with being a guest in a Great House). Lynley's ex-girlfriend Daidre is also in Cornwall. But none of them get to Cornwall immediately because the first part of the novel is concerned with the murder of a local citizen and we see very little of our principal characters. Once they get to Cornwall, however, they are caught up in the investigation. The mystery portion was good enough, she keeps you guessing on the whodunnit. I don't think there was enough Lynley/Havers in this novel but I did like finding out more about Daidre's family dynamics. This could be read as a stand alone novel, but as always I recommend you start at the beginning of the series. My Quick Take is here.
