Let's start with the only fiction I read.
Being a fan of historical fiction, I really enjoyed reading this book. There are two different perspectives, from two different time periods, which seems common in historical fiction, but I didn't feel like it was filler here. For historical fiction, a good chunk of the book revolves around a traveling circus in the 1930s and '40s. To keep the book interesting, there's a family secret that unravels throughout the book. I don't want to give anything away, but I did find the author's intent clever. My only negative comment is that in certain parts of the book, character development felt weak. If you're looking for a new historical fiction book to add to your reading list, I would recommend this one.
---
In October and November, I read two books regarding the late 1980s deaths in New Bedford from a suspected serial killer. I like reading true crime and this particular subject is of interest to me as New Bedford is not too far from where I grew up and where I live today. I remember bits and pieces of this but really, not much. Let's just say that during that time period, if it wasn't about New Kids on the Block, I wasn't listening.
These murders remain unsolved today and are quite perplexing. All of the women were drug addicts and either knew each other or knew someone who knew the other victims. They also all had some sort of connection to a local attorney. One of the theories as to why they were all murdered is terrorizing.
I would recommend Shallow Graves over Killing Season. I felt that Shallow Graves was a more well-rounded book. The author gives background information on the victims and walks the reader through the police investigation.
Killing Season is a political-type book. More was written about DA Ron Pina and his life than about the victims. In some cases, nothing was said at all about the victim except her name and I had trouble keeping track of the victims because of this. If you're interested in Massachusetts politics, especially from the 1980s and '90s, well, this would be a good read. I much preferred Shallow Graves though.
---
And now for a memoir.
You don't need to be a photographer to enjoy this but as a photographer, I found it inspiring. Of the most interest to me were her thoughts surrounding photographing her own children. In the early '90s, she received a bit of criticism regarding her decision to publish nude photos of her children. In her mind, these photos were art and she never considered that anyone would see them as anything but art. Well, we're all a bit wiser now.
---
Last but not least, another book from the true crime genre.
Christa Worthington's death has popped up as a local news item again. I believe it's because the man who was convicted of raping and murdering her is now publicly proclaiming his innocence after all these years. Do I believe he killed her? No. Do I think Tim Arnold or Tony Jackett was the murderer? Nope.
So I started reading this book and after about 20%, I was a bit baffled. I thought this was a book about Christa Worthington but I was reading about the author's life. And there was so much freaking detail. At that point, I checked Amazon and found it had a 2.5 star rating. Here's the thing - the author is very good at tying what appear to be random pieces of information together. I understand what she was doing and it did work.
I don't think this deserves a 2.5 star rating but I don't really know what to rate it. I have serious mixed feelings about this book. I was annoyed with how the author, Flook, openly took jabs at almost everyone and everything. I told Rich that she obviously wasn't trying to make any friends with this book. I found it amusing how she grouped all owners of "summer" homes in the "privileged" category and then stated that we call ourselves "nonresident taxpayers." (Flook had moved to the Outer Cape and lived there when Christa was murdered.) I laughed at all of this because the town has designated us as "nonresident taxpayers." We didn't make that up on our own. Our primary residence is somewhere other than the Cape. I don't have privilege over the author. Oh, and the Chatham Bars Inn is not a dive with cloth napkins. Please, lady!!
I also couldn't help but notice how Flook seems to imply how every male is attracted to her. I did a bit of investigating on the author and now it all makes sense. She has a memoir out and apparently she and her sister ran away from home as teens because of their mother's narcissism. That's all I needed to read.
If you want to learn more about Cape Cod, particularly the Outer Cape, and Christa Worthington, or enjoy crime true stories, this would be the book to read. The author's jabs and other quirks actually add a layer of interest to the book, even though I found it a bit maddening at times. Unfortunately, this was published prior to the arrest and trial of Christopher McCowen. I really wish the author hadn't gone so deep into Christa's life. It felt too intimate, too personal, something we shouldn't be reading.
And speaking of making friends - Tim Arnold sued Flook in 2010 claiming that she implied he killed Christa in her book. She does portray it that way. Just saying . . .
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. TGUH is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program LLC, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
No comments:
Post a Comment