The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway *****

Santiago hasn’t caught anything for 84 days. He is salao, unlucky. His apprentice, the boy Manolin, fishes with a lucky boat. Santiago goes out on day 85, too far. He catches an 18-foot marlin. Sharks consume the fish. Only the skeleton remains.

Manolin is loyal to Santiago, from preparing him for his unfortunate voyage to caring for him when he returns. Santiago never gives up, not when the marlin tows him out to sea, nor when the sharks steal all the meat, along with Santiago’s harpoon and his knife. In the end, the skeleton of the record-breaking fish is taken by the tide. During his ordeal, Santiago sees himself as heroic. "A man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated." In the end, his quest is all for nothing. The book starts and ends in the same place.

Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for Omega Cat Press books and book recommendations. 

Thanksgiving Angels: Historical Cozy Mystery by Alice Duncan *****

 Thanksgiving Angels by AliceDuncan

1920s. Mercy Allcutt moved to Los Angeles to avoid her upper-crust Bostonian parents. Except they bought a home in Pasadena and invited her to Thanksgiving. Worst holiday ever…until Mrs. Winkworth went splat on the parquet floor. Cozy mystery.

Mercedes Louise Allcutt found a job as Ernest Templeton's secretary. Her parents hated this. Her sister, Chloe, is married to Harvey Nash. Monty Mountjoy and Miss Lola de la Monica are stars at Nash Studio. Monty’s mother is Mrs. Pansy Hanratty, and his grandmother is Mrs. Winkworth. Mrs. Winkworth went splat on the parquet floor in Mercy’s parents’ house. The occasion of Mrs. Winkworth’s murder was a séance by Mrs. Desdemona Majesty, who is engaged to the Pasadena Police Detective Sam Rotondo. Is the murder motive about the Nash Studio or the intergenerational conflict?

MATRIARCHS

This book's theme is the relationship between matriarchs and everyone else. No one wants to spend time with Mercy’s mother. Regardless, the murder is at her mother’s house, and most characters end up with a bedroom at the mansion. Mercy’s P.I. boss gets a guest bedroom on the second floor, while the suspects are relegated to spare servants' rooms on the third floor. The murder victim is Monty’s grandmother, and most of the suspects have been abused by her. She likes to dig up dirt on people and use it to torment them. Mercy abandons her mother’s house for Thanksgiving dinner to join Mrs. Majesty’s “happy family,” who play games and sing together.

DOGS

Mercy has a toy poodle named Buttercup. Her friend Daisy’s dog is a dachshund named Spike. “Dachshunds tend to be a little stubborn.” When the author denigrates dachshunds, it is an inside joke because she has dachshunds in real life. Mrs. Hanratty, a dog trainer, recommends English toy spaniels for Chloe, who is pregnant in this book.

SECRETARIES

As Templeton’s secretary, Mercy takes notes of all interviews using Pitman shorthand and transcribes them on a typewriter. Detective Rotondo has a male police assistant to perform the same task. Mrs. Winkworth employs a male secretary, Delbert Mann, to type her correspondence, which she dictates. He passively-aggressively transcribes everything verbatim.

Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for Omega Cat Press books and book recommendations. 

A Christmas Escape by Anne Perry ****

A Christmas Escape by Anne Perry

Charles Latterly spends Christmas on the volcanic island Stromboli with six other tourists. Someone murders Mr. Walker-Bailey. Teen Candace is innocent. The volcano kills her guardian. That leaves three suspects and the question of motive. Novella.

Aside from Charles Latterly, the six other tourists, and their jovial host Stefano, the other character is Stromboli. Stromboli is a small volcanic island that has been erupting continuously for thousands of years. Other volcanoes that exhibit similar behavior are called “Strombolian.” Stefano personifies the volcano. “I think when there is a lull in the volcano’s anger, we should go up and look. If it is safe, we should make our way down to the sea.” Stromboli spits and grumbles all the time.” The murderer attempts to frame the volcano for Mr. Walker-Bailey’s death and, eventually, metes out justice by executing the murderer.

Candace’s beloved Grandmama has recently died, leaving Roger as her last living relative. When the volcano threatens the group, Roger makes Charles promise to assume the guardian role for fourteen-year-old Candace if anything happens to him. Mrs. Isla Bailey is a genial lady married to the domineering and abusive Mr. Walker-Bailey. Walker-Bailey is disagreeable, always arriving late to meals and complaining that they started without him. Colonel Bretherton is a retired military man who is obviously infatuated with Isla. Finally, Mr. Quinn is a best-selling author who everyone thinks was incapable of writing his acclaimed novel.

After Mr. Walker-Bailey is murdered, the volcano eruption worsens, killing their host, Stefano, and Candace’s guardian, Uncle Roger. Now burdened with the responsibility of Candace, Charles encourages everyone to evacuate the mountainside for the safety of the coast. The small group, Charles, Candace, Quinn, Bretherton, and Isla, sets off with the volcano in deadly pursuit.

In the stress of the escape, all is revealed.

Biographical footnote: With her friend, Anne Perry murdered her friend’s mother at age 15 in New Zealand.

Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for Omega Cat Press books and book recommendations.