“He’d been reading LIVING THE GOOD LIFE, which detailed the beginnings of the back-to-the-land movement, and had told her how fascinated he was by the philosophy that promoted a primitive existence with little dependence upon the exchange of money.”

Book Review:

Review by Poornima Apte (DEC 22, 2009)

When Helen and Thomas Deracotte—the protagonists of the novel A Country Called Home—first meet, each is desperately trying to break clean from a trying past. Thomas, the son of an alcoholic single father, is brought up by an illiterate grandmother and through hard work, makes it to medical school. When his grandmother passes away just as Thomas graduates from medical school, he can find nothing to anchor him to home. On the contrary, Thomas wants, both literally and figuratively, to put as much distance between him and the life he has known, as possible.

For her part, Helen finds her life as the youngest daughter of an elite upper crust Connecticut family to be extremely stifling. It doesn’t help that her mother is an exceedingly critical and domineering woman—someone who drives Helen’s father away for extended periods of time.

So when Helen and Thomas decide to marry, Thomas proposes a totally romantic idea. He has been reading up about living off the earth, he says. Wouldn’t true self-reliance be a powerful goodbye to their old way of life? Helen is game. After all, Thomas was the man who had “broken the back of her boredom, thrilled her with his odd intelligence. There had been something feral about him, exotic, as though he had come to her from some faraway country,” Barnes writes of Helen’s attraction to her husband.

The couple is drawn to Idaho “by its promise of cheap land and free-flowing rivers.” It’s all like a romantic treasure hunt and they decide to buy an abandoned farmstead in the town of Fife. Thomas promises his new wife that he will soon set up shop and a thriving practice in town.

Soon though, the harsh realities of “self-reliance” come home to roost. What’s worse, it might be that Thomas was not just running away from his past but also from his own self-doubt that haunts him even in Fife. “This is not who I am,” he says when confronted with even the smallest of medical emergencies. He is not sure the medical practice is cut out for him—besides, the town seems to be doing just fine with advice dispensed by a local pharmacist. So he keeps fishing and doing other inconsequential tasks all in an effort to stall the realities of what might come next.

As Thomas gradually draws inward and stays away from the pregnant Helen for hours at a time, Helen begins to question her impulsive decision. “After weeks of little more than trout or beans, she craved chateaubriand with borderlaise sauce, fresh asparagus with béarnaise, new red potatoes with rosemary,” Barnes writes. Worse, she realizes she doesn’t have much of a choice: “Which was worse, Helen wondered: the sadness of staying in the mess she had made for herself, or the shame of returning home having failed, just as everyone had predicted she would?”

Helen becomes very lonely and tries to reach out for company – in the form of a lively local woman at the town bar or in Manny, an 18-year old farmhand who is of the earth and self-assured in so many ways that Thomas never will be.

The Deracottes’ daughter, Elise, takes up center stage in the second half of the book. Interestingly enough, she too tries to escape the aloof smugness of her father by joining a local fundamental Christian sect. Elise has a condition called “synesthesia” which makes one see colors when listening to music. This condition is diagnosed as the work of the devil and Elise is subsequently subjected to guilt and all kinds of “therapies” by this group of fundamentalists.

All along it is Manny who does the fathering even while trying to figure out just how much space he can call his own in the Deracotte household.

Kim Barnes is at her best when she writes about the settings of her native Idaho. And despite some very despairing dark material, there are some touches of humor in here. When Elise visits the church once, for example, she “eats the cheese and drank grape Kool-Aid.” A careful reader will discover such intelligent doses of humor in the novel.

Overall though, A Country Called Home very often teeters on the verge of melodrama. In the very end Barnes tries to stage a beautiful, redeeming event—one that should provide the reader with the emotional uplift they’re looking for. But by this stage, it all begins to feel a touch overdone and too staged.

Where Barnes shines best is in her description of the slow unraveling of once-idealistic dreams. As the Deracottes find out, Fife, Idaho, may be home but it’s no country for dreamers. After all it is here that they come to realize—there’s a big difference between solitude and loneliness. The one can revitalize you just as surely as the other can do you in.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 9 readers
PUBLISHER:	Anchor (paperback) (October 6, 2009)
REVIEWER:	Poornima Apte
AMAZON PAGE:	A Country Called Home
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Wikipedia page on Kim Barnes
EXTRAS:	Reading Guide and Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	More Idaho: Mineral Spirits by Heather Sharfeddin The Dart League King by Keith Lee Morris

Bibliography:

• Finding Caruso (2003)
• A Country Called Home (September 2008)

Nonfiction:

• In the Wilderness: Coming of Age in Unknown Country (1996)
• Hungry for the World (2000)

As co-editor:

• Circle of Women: an Anthology of Current Western Writers (2001)

As co-editor:

“Agatha’s father disappeared one day back in 1927. His helper, Sean O’Boyle, a boy of about fourteen, disappeared with him. One day they went off to work a small gold mine they had hidden away in the Snowy Mountains and were never seen nor heard from again. Agatha claims her father wasn’t the kind of man to run off like that. All these years, Agatha has wondered what happened to the two of them. She believes they must have been murdered or maybe killed in a mine cave-in. Agatha says you can figure out if they were murdered and, if so, who did it. She thinks you’re a genius.”

Book Review:

Review by Chuck Barksdale (NOV 9, 2009)

Sheriff Bo Tully is back in The Double-Jack Murders, another entertaining, fun and enjoyable quick-read mystery by Patrick McManus in the third book of this promising series. In this adventure, the story takes place mostly in the Deadman Creek area of the Snowy Mountains of Idaho where Bo, Pap (Bo’s father) and Bo’s friend “Indian” Dave Perkins go camping, partly to avoid Lucas Kincaid, an escaped murderer who is after the Sheriff, and partly to look into the 1927 disappearance of the father of local resident Agatha Wrenn.

While Bo is preparing for his thinly veiled re-election campaign “Empty the Freezer Day,” Agatha Wrenn’s young and very attractive niece Bunny Hunter, visits to tell him about her aunt’s desire to have Bo solve the old mystery of Agatha’s father’s disappearance. Later that day, Bo also discusses the escape of prisoner Lucas Kincaid with his sharpshooter deputy Brian Pugh in hopes that Brian can protect Bo and possibly eliminate the threat on the Sheriff’s life by Kincaid. Bo is hoping he can lure Kincaid out in the open while the Sheriff is camping in the area where Agatha’s father went missing.

Bo, Pap and Dave have a few obstacles to get over, but are ultimately successful in finding the somewhat covered up old mine and what looks to be the old dead remains of Agatha’s father and assistant Sean O’Boyle in the Double-Jack mine operation. Bo gets his “CSI unit,” Byron “Lurch” Proctor, to help in identifying the remains. Bo also uses others in his department to help track down the old killers of the Double-Jack mine operators.

McManus does a good job of establishing the two key stories in this book while keeping the story light and funny. “Empty the Freezer Day” is a big party that Bo has on his property that leads everyone to cook and feed all the people of Blight County, Idaho who ultimately will be happy and will re-elect the Sheriff. In addition, Bo (and others) lightly flirt with Bunny and Bo always takes the opportunity to flirt (in a harmless way) with all the women he meets. He also attempts to re-establish the romance with Susan Parker, the local medical examiner.

McManus is not only known for his humorous mystery books, but also his essays and books on the outdoors and he’s able to show his humor and his knowledge of hunting and camping in this book set in his native Idaho. He does not overdo it though as I’m certainly not someone who does much hunting and camping and was not bored by some of the details provided.

This is the second book I have read by Patrick McManus, after Avalanche. I’ve enjoyed both of the books, but I enjoyed The Double-Jack Murders much more than Avalanche. I think the story and characters are a little more believable and the story seemed to flow a little better. The Double-Jack Murders features fewer characters so you get more of Pap and Bo and their interaction with each other and with other characters. Of course, I already knew the characters from the first book and that may have helped and may be the main reason for enjoying the third book more. Nonetheless, you can read and enjoy either book without having read a prior book in the series.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 18 readers
PUBLISHER:	Simon & Schuster (October 6, 2009)
REVIEWER:	Chuck Barksdale
AMAZON PAGE:	The Double-Jack Murders
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Patrick F. McManus
EXTRAS:	Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Read our review of The Blight Way and Avalanche, the first two books in the series.

Bibliography:

Sheriff Bo Tully:

• The Blight Way (February 2006)
• Avalanche (March 2007)
• The Double-Jack Murders (October 2009)
• The Huckleberry Murders (November 2010)

Humorous Books, Essays & Stories:

• A Fine and Pleasant Misery (1978)
• They Shoot Canoes, Don’t They? (1981)
• Never Sniff a Gift Fish (1981)
• The Grasshopper Trap (1985)
• Rubber Legs and White Tail-Hairs (1987)
• The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw (1989)
• Real Ponies Don’t Go Oink! (1991)
• The Good Samaritan Strikes Again (1992)
• How I Got This Way (1994)
• Never Cry “Arp!” (1997)
• Into the Twilight, Endlessing Grousing (1997)
• The Bear in the Attic (June 2002)
• Kerplunk (November 2007)

How To:

• Kid Camping from Aaaaiii! to Zip (1980; 1999)
• The Deer on a Bicycle: Excursions into the Writing of Humor (2000)

“Walt attempted not to show the despair he felt, but this last bit of news had sent a wave of panic and dread through him. The U.S. Airways jet had taken less than two minutes to crash land in the Hudson. He caught himself staring at the phone, expecting it to ring. He’d lost his brother several years earlier. He couldn’t bear to lose his brother’s son.”

Book Review:

Reviewed by Kirstin Merrihew (JUL 04, 2009)

Sheriff Walt Fleming is back. He and his department are tasked with guarding a pair of ballyhooed “John Adams” bottles of wine (reportedly a gift to Adams from fellow revolutionary Thomas Jefferson) until they can be auctioned at the summer Sun Valley fund-raiser. He is also trying to shoehorn in some fishing with his nephew, seventeen-year-old Kevin. But duty interrupts their river time when Walt, ever-vigilant, notices a wrecker towing a Taurus away from town where automotive repair services are located. His intuition tells him something isn’t right, and he, with Kevin tagging along, chases after the tow truck. This presumed traffic stop escalates into something much bigger. Walt, Deputy Brandon, Fiona, Walt’s father, Kevin. and others are propelled into a tense imbroglio featuring a trio of increasingly desperate criminals, a wealthy man’s private jet, that dawn-of-America wine, a frustrated teenage girl with whom Kevin becomes entangled, a leather-tough ranch cowboy, fraud, diversions that endanger lives, and a string of nail-biting struggles in rough country. Walt, who still feels the loss of his brother in his very bones, at first worries that his nephew has committed a crime, but he rapidly realizes Kevin has far worse problems — such as staying alive.

Killer Summer is a more direct thriller than Ridley Pearson’s previous Fleming novel, Killer View. By that I mean it relates its story straightforwardly, always identifying the players, unlike Killer View which deliberately left some characters nameless and mysterious for a good portion of the book. Killer Summer also commences on a lower register of drama and is generally a less dark read. Some may enjoy this change of pace; others may keep expecting more of a revving of the plot engine and be surprised when it seldom reaches full throttle. That isn’t to say Killer Summerlacks summits of adrenaline rush excitement. Arguably, though, Killer Summer is slightly more predictable, and although it does whip out some twists, savvy readers may anticipate them. But it rounds out itself with its own charm, its own special tone, and its unusual cluster of converging situations.

As in the prior novel, Ridley expertly switches scenes and actors as the plot unfolds; sometimes the reader accompanies Walt, sometimes the the men he wants to apprehend, sometimes Kevin, and so on. Where it again differs is that much of the story revolves strongly around the teenagers, Kevin and Summer Sumner (and now you see the double entendre in the novel’s title). Perhaps these two impetuous teens are meant as honey for attracting younger readers, and I, who haven’t been their age in quite some time, have been known to get impatient with such attempts if they seem forced or awkward. Whether Kevin and Summer’s peers will consider them believable is a question worth asking. Although they are by turns, foolish then brave, vulnerable then closed off — similar  to real teens probably — they sometimes border on being closer to stereotyped, “TV” young people than to real kids on the cusp of maturity. And their dialog is, oddly enough, sometimes a little too adolescent and canned. Still, I ended up rooting for them and was glad they were vital to the plot. Faced with unexpected emergencies, they showed mettle and the ability to shed some of their youthful, narcissistic tendencies.

Also, like its predecessor, Killer Summer presents some terrific wilderness suspense as characters battle the elements and each other for simple survival. The confrontations with nature and with the bad guys give this thriller its edge, although wild animals aren’t as threatening and the reader doesn’t crawl as far into the villains’ psyches in this Walt Fleming outing as in the last. The Sun Valley area, vibrantly described by Pearson, is a central “character” in this series, and Killer Summer is no exception. Walt, a master tracker, is at home in the mountain reaches, the difficult passes, the eddying rivers, the tree-lined miles, and the cliff faces. Ridley lovingly passes his own obvious pride and joy in the Idaho Rockies to his fictional hero.

Walt, a reliable, intelligent man, bears realistic insecurities and conflicts in his private life. He feels more in control as sheriff of Blaine County than as son, father, uncle, or lover. He’d rather sheriff from his beloved new, technologically-studded law enforcement Command Center than face domestic problems such as his divorce. His tentative romance with Fiona and his sometimes petty irritations endear him to the reader. At the same time, his professionalism as well as scouting and investigative skills make him an authoritative, capable protagonist. I look forward to his further adventures.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 28 readers
PUBLISHER:	Putnam Adult (June 30, 2009)
REVIEWER:	Kirstin Merrihew
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Ridley Pearson
EXTRAS:	Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Read our review of: Killer View  And these Lou Boldt mysteries: The Body of David Hayes The Art of Deception The Middle of Nowhere And this thriller: Parallell Lies

Bibliography:

Featuring Sheriff Walt Fleming:

• Killer Weekend (2007)
• Killer View (2008)
• Killer Summer (2009)
• In Harm’s Way (2010) *

* Lou Boldt helps out!

Featuring Lou Boldt and Daphne Matthews:

• Undercurrents (1988)
• The Angel Maker (1993)
• No Witnesses (1994)
• Beyond Recognition (1997)
• The Pied Piper (1998)
• The First Victim (1999)
• Middle of Nowhere (2000)
• The Art of Deception (002)
• The Body of David Hayes (2004)

Stand-alone Thrillers:

• Never Look Back (1985)
• Blood of the Albatross (1986)
• The Seizing of Yankee Green Mall (1987) (Re-released as Hidden Charges in 1993)
• Probable Cause (1990)
• Hard Fall (1992)
• Chain of Evidence (1995)
• The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red (2001)
• Parallel Lies (2001)
• Cut and Run (2005)

International Thriller Series:

• The Risk Agent (June 2012)