Book Review: Death of an Expert Witness, by P.D. James

Returning to a P.D. James mystery is always a breath of fresh air. You can almost be guaranteed that no matter which of her mysteries you pick up, it will have a solid, well-crafted story and deliciously unlikable characters. Death of an Expert Witness meets these requirements quite well.

Having said that, I'll also mention that this probably won't be a favorite James mystery for me, but I can appreciate a great book when I read one. My complaints about Death of an Expert Witness have more to do with the overall ambience and setting than anything else. The book is set in the fens -- which is depressing enough -- and it takes place largely in a forensic laboratory. But Bones in the Jeffersonian this is not, and everything feels a little claustrophobic. I was glad when I finished it. But I wouldn't have skipped or skimmed through it for the world.

James opens the story with a death, but it's not the subject of the title. Because the characters work in a forensic laboratory, and thus with the police, they are frequently called on to help with evidence at the scene of a crime. A body is discovered, and the experts arrive. Among these experts is Dr Lorrimer, who becomes the later victim indicated in the title, and he is predictably nasty. An excellent scientist, Dr Lorrimer seems to fall a little short as a human being: he's highly strung, impatient with others, unkind to just about everyone, and not exactly the local favorite. The lab, known as Hoggatt's, has recently undergone a change in management, and it was Dr Lorrimer's personal failings that removed him from the running when the board was looking to hire someone for the primary job. Instead, the reliable Dr Howarth was hired to run the lab. Dr Howarth also brought along his newly widowed sister Domenica, and she and Dr Lorrimer began an affair. The affair ended badly, and Dr Lorrimer has since then become even less pleasant to be around.

It's not that much of a shock when someone finally swings a mallet at his head. But it's up to Inspector Dalgliesh to find out who is responsible. In typical James fashion, the story twists and turns a number of different directions until arriving at a conclusion. Along the way, there are red herrings, as well as the inevitable characters who later admit to lying to the police and keeping information from them. The book is a little on the long side for a mystery -- around 350 pages -- but I never felt like anything was contrived. Instead, there was a natural flow to events, and the "big reveal" occurs at the right moment without making the reader think, "Well, finally, let's just get this over with." The only thing that surprises me is that after 350 pages only a few days had elapsed in the story. It did feel more like weeks should have gone by.

Great read, great James mystery. Again, not my favorite, but certainly one to add to the list if you're a fan of the author.

Year of publication: 1977
Number of pages: 352

Book Review: Framley Parsonage, by Anthony Trollope

I expected to be so-so about this book: the summary I had read didn't make it sound particularly interesting, and frankly it seemed as though the plot was all over the place with characters and events.

Maybe I was just in the mood for this; maybe the timing was right. For whatever reason, though, I really enjoyed Framley Parsonage. I need to point out that, in many ways, there's a lot wrong with this book. There are far too many characters and far too many interweaving story lines. As a result, there's so much going on that the conclusion -- when all these different elements find a resolution -- is a little hard to get excited about. In Doctor Thorne, the story was about one couple in particular, so it was easy to remain interested in what was going to happen. In Framley Parsonage, there are four couples, in addition to numerous peripheral characters who all seem to have a place in the end of the story. It's a bit much.

And yet I really enjoyed it.

Part of my enjoyment, I suspect, is that I loved the character of Lucy Robarts. Lucy has shades of Eleanor Bold about her, so it was nice to see another character like this. I also enjoyed the somewhat stifling Lady Lufton who, for all her faults, proved to be a fascinating, well-meaning person. And, of course, it was nice to run into Mrs Proudie again and to see how Trollope manipulates events to be not in her favor.

As for plot, this one is a little tricky. Trollope notes at the beginning of the story that his hero is going to be Mark Robarts (Lucy's older brother). This is true enough, although I didn't find  him to be a particularly interesting character, and had the story been more about him than it really was I would probably have an entirely different opinion of it. Robarts is a clergyman with a neat little position in Framley Parsonage, on the estate of Lady Lufton. (He went to school with Lady Lufton's son, who bears the unfortunate name of Ludovic Lufton, and Lady Lufton took a special interest in her son's friend.) The young clergyman married and now lives a quiet and pretty comfortable life. When his father dies, his sister Lucy comes to live with him and his wife and two children, and they make up quite a neat little family.

All is going well until Robarts begins mixing in the company of those he probably should stay away from. He sees these new friends as positive for his social standing, but they also prove to be negative for his financial standing. Without entirely realizing what happens, Robarts finds himself financially committed to the notorious Mr Sowerby, a member of Parliament who has a less-than-stellar reputation for playing fast and loose with cash. Robarts certainly doesn't have the money, but Sowerby promises that won't be a problem. And of course it is a problem later on. Much of the story is about the way that Robarts tries to deal with this, justifying it to himself, searching for options, hiding the problem from his wife (who really is a lovely person and who doesn't fault him for making a mistake).

Like I said before, this isn't really all that interesting, so it's the other elements of the story that surround Mark Robarts and his experience that make Framley Parsonage a good read. I mentioned above that I loved the character of Lucy Robarts. In her case, Lucy and Ludovic Lufton fall in love, but his position in society makes the match somewhat undesirable. There's also the story line about Griselda Grantly, Archdeacon Grantly's daughter. Lady Lufton wants her to marry Ludovic, but the young man is disinclined. It turns out that Griselda, for all her physical beauty, has about as much personality as a piece of cardboard. She ends up with another peer who needs a personality-free wife to look good on his arm. (His name, I kid you not, is Lord Dumbello. I love Trollope's habit of naming peripheral figures in the story according to their character.) Mrs Proudie's unattractive daughter Olivia makes a few appearances and ultimately marries -- though nowhere near as well as Griselda (which is a huge disappointment for Mrs Proudie). And Martha Dunbarton, who was introduced in Doctor Thorne, makes another appearance in Framley Parsonage. This time, Miss Dunbarton is set to become a Mrs, and the husband of her choosing might be the most interesting of the story.

It's somewhat difficult to explain what I liked about Framley Parsonage. I can only say that I did like it, and I might have enjoyed it more than Doctor Thorne, which was good but became a little contrived toward the end. This certainly isn't a stand-alone read, but I do recommend it for those working their way through the Barchester novels and interested to see what happens next.

Year of publication: 1861
Number of pages: 360

Perfection

I usually keep personal posts to a minimum -- because, you know, I don't really think anyone's all that interested -- but I can't help this one.

My husband and I spent our tenth wedding anniversary on the North Shore of Kauai. And it was absolutely perfection. There aren't too many moments in my life when I can say that I felt absolute peace, absolute happiness, but this was one of those moments. Then again, it's one of those places. If you've never been to Kauai, book a ticket. It's worth the money. I lived on Oahu for a couple of years and never loved it. Too busy, too many people. Honolulu is fun, but it's ultimately a big city with a lot of traffic. Kauai, however...well, this is truly paradise on earth.

We're not photographers, so I don't know how well this translates. But it's the start of the Na Pali coast. And there's nothing on earth more beautiful. Seriously. I'm not prone to hyperbole, but this really is it in terms of beautiful. God was smiling the day He carved out the Na Pali coast.

We decided to hike part of it. You can go about four miles in along the Kalalau Trail, up to the Hanakapi'ai waterfall, without a permit. (Beyond this, you need a permit, since it's assumed you'll be staying overnight for the full eleven miles of the trail. That's eleven miles, one way.) We went the four miles, and I have to say this isn't an easy, wandering trail. It's rocky; it has serious elevation; and you have to wade through a stream to get to Hanakapi'ai Beach (which is only two miles along the trail). In places, any sign of dirt disappears, and you're just pulling yourself over rocks. On the flipside, Hanakapi'ai Beach is a great place to stop for lunch, and there are plenty of cats (!) to snap up any leftovers. After this, you still have two miles to go to get to the waterfall.

From here, four backtracking miles get you back out, and thus eight miles later you're exhausted. My feet were bleeding, but it was exhilarating. Ke'e Beach sits at the foot of the trail, and we stripped down to swimsuits and waded into the water that had been warmed by the sun all day. Salt may have coursed through my blistered feet, but it was glorious.

Another shot, this one of the distant island of Ni'ihau. (It's privately owned by the Robinson family.)

It wasn't a cheap vacation, but it was filled with moments that were truly priceless. You can't put a price tag on the Na Pali coast.

Book Review: Miss Pym Disposes, by Josephine Tey

I didn't plan to read about Miss Pym, but I saw the book and couldn't resist. This basically concludes the list of Tey novels for me, and while I'm glad to make it all the way through I still can't decide what I thought of this book. It seems to fall under the category of the author having an idea (perhaps based on an experience? hard to know for sure) and then trying to turn that idea into a story. It works, but only just. All in all, it's a bit odd.

Lucy Pym is middle-aged and has spent the better part of her life enjoying the fruits of a small, albeit sufficient, bequest from a relative. At some point, she develops an interest in psychology and begins reading about it. Her reading motivates her to do some writing, and quite unexpectedly she find herself published and then something of a celebrity when her book turns her into something of a celebrity. Lucy will be the first to admit she's no expert in the subject that got her published -- more of a self-educated amateur who managed to generate a lot of interest from readers -- but no one seems to believe her, and she continues to be invited to speaking events, parties, and so forth.

And then an old school chum, who is now the headmistress of a ladies' athletic college (not really sure what this is, but I just went with it in the story), asks her to come and speak to the students. Lucy is inclined to say no but finds herself saying yes. And then she finds herself staying longer than expected. There's something intriguing about the school, and Lucy realizes how much she appreciates the impact that she makes on the students, as well as the impact that they make on her.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that Lucy also discovers a crime -- and no one else knows about it. Her headmistress friend has an open position at a prestigious girls' school for a gym teacher, and she intends to give it to a student that the other instructors (including Lucy) agree is not the best choice. But a terrible accident occurs: the girl who is being given the job has a beam fall on her, and the job passes on to everyone else's first choice. But Lucy realizes that the falling beam wasn't an accident and that someone deliberately arranged the injury to occur.

The title comes from the expression "Man proposes, but God disposes." In this story, it is Miss Pym who must decide what to do with the information that has come to her. Does she turn in the miscreant, who no doubt made a crazy decision about harming someone else? Or does she hold her peace for a time? Miss Pym uses her knowledge of psychology, as well as her moral drive, to make a decision.

And in the end, it turns out that Miss Pym wasn't entirely correct in her assumption. So her decision takes on another dimension.

It's a good read overall, but I wonder if I wasn't entirely in the mood for it. I recommend it, but with some reservations. It's better to be a fan of Tey -- since her particular writing style is pretty strong in here -- as this really isn't the one to start with.

Year of publication: 1948
Number of pages: 235

Book Review: Doctor Thorne, by Anthony Trollope

Still in Barchester -- and enjoying it immensely!

Doctor Thorne is the third of the Barchester novels, and it actually digresses quite a bit from the familiar characters of the first two novels. (Bishop and Mrs Proudie do make an appearance at one point, but apart from Trollope's apparent delight in lampooning Mrs Proudie for one brief moment these two have no real purpose in the story.) But this digression makes the story no less enjoyable, and the characters who are introduced become almost as beloved than the characters in The Warden and Barchester Towers.

Truth be told, Doctor Thorne has a slow start: a snail's pace would be a kind description. And if not for the fact that Trollope recognizes this, and points it out, the beginning pages would be pretty yawn-worthy. But they are important in setting up the larger events of the story, in that they establish the context for what happens. The introductory elements may be said to explain everything that follows -- the reader just has to get through them.

The introductory pages also serve the purpose of introducing most of the primary characters: Doctor Thorne (of course), his niece Mary Thorne (who is also the heroine of the story), Mr Gresham (senior) of Greshamsbury, his wife the Lady Arabella (late a de Courcy and the sister of the Earl de Courcy), their son Frank Gresham (something of the hero of the story), and Sir Roger Scatcherd (a low-born local man who rises through society in both position and wealth by becoming a contractor for the railroad). All of these characters are ultimately, in some way or another, bound together by the end of the story, and I fully appreciate Trollope's reason for setting things up as he did. Once again, the reader needs to plow through and trust that there's gold at the end.

So what's all of this about? In essence, Greshamsbury is an ancient seat of the noble Gresham family. The current squire Mr Gresham married Lady Arabella quite young. They had a number of children (really, far too many to remember), the eldest of which is Frank. Lady Arabella, being well-connected and fully aware of her position in society, is determined that her husband will make something of himself in politics, and she pushes him, again and again, to run for office. She is also determined to keep up appearances, at home in Greshamsbury and among the finer set in London. The result is that Mr Gresham, who started out his adult life with substantial wealth, is now reduced to near-ruin through constant expense. When his son comes of age, Greshamsbury is being picked apart, and there is every chance that Frank will have little to live on upon succeeding his father. So, of course, Frank must "marry money," as he is told again and again.

But Frank is in love with Mary Thorne, and Mary Thorne hasn't a penny to her name. She's the doctor's niece, as mentioned above, and her background is more than a little sketchy. As it turns out, poor Mary is in the unfortunate position of being illegitimate. Doctor Thorne's brother Henry was a bit of a blackguard, and he seduced a village woman who later gave birth to his daughter, Mary. Meanwhile, the village woman's brother, Roger Scatcherd, avenged this wrong by killing Henry Thorne. While he was in prison, his niece was born, but once he was released from prison he was told the child died. Mary's mother ultimately married another local man and moved with him to America. He declined to take her illegitimate child, so Doctor Thorne stepped in to take responsibility for his niece and allow the poor woman to move on. For what it's worth, she strongly opposed the idea at first, but given the expectations in society at that time the decision wasn't the worst one she could make. And frankly, Mary Thorne gets a fairly good life out of this, with an education she might not otherwise have received.

This education included daily interaction with the Gresham family, as Mary (whose background was not made public, since she spent her first few years in the care of kind people in another village and wasn't brought back until tongues no longer remembered what to wag about) was welcomed into the school room and among the Gresham children. They grew up together, and when they were grown there was something other than friendship between Frank and Mary. But it was impossible, you see: Frank had to marry money. The Gresham estate was already mortgaged to Sir Roger Scatcherd (who was, by this time, a baronet), and without money the estate would likely be lost. So Frank's mother and aunt set out to find him an heiress, but with little luck. Frank made it clear that he would marry Miss Thorne or no one.

There's a lot in this story that might lack context for a modern audience. I mean, who really cares about Mary's background. It's the person she became that matters, right? Not in Barchester, it would seem. The thought of Frank marrying a low girl, with questionable origins and no money, was absurd. When the truth of Mary's origins became known, it was even more absurd -- an illegitimate child?! Never. The objection to this grows and grows as the story proceeds, and there is no clear way around it. Until there is, of course.

So what happens? Sir Roger Scatcherd dies and leaves his wealth first to his dipsomaniac son who surprises no one by expiring within a couple of years. Sir Roger was careful with his money and left it in trust until his son's twenty-fifth birthday. Should young Sir Louis Scatcherd die before this important day -- and he does -- the money will revert in full to his sister's eldest child.

And that's Mary Thorne, of course.

This is a rather simple turn of events, but believe me it takes a while to get there. Trollope definitely works every moment out of the story, but to good effect. For one, Doctor Thorne becomes such a fascinating character. He's a truly good man who loves his niece as his own child and wants the best for her. But he's also a very good doctor and an even better friend. Sir Roger Scatcherd makes Doctor Thorne the executor of his will, knowing by this time who Mary Thorne is, but also asks him to promise to take care of his son Louis. So Doctor Thorne is in a truly unenviable position. Ensuring Sir Louis Scatcherd's health and well-being means that Mary may never receive anything. But what else is Doctor Thorne to do? So he puts his finest efforts into caring for Sir Louis, however futile this may prove to be, and he can live with himself when the inevitable end arrives. It certainly isn't easy, so much of the story is about Doctor Thorne's struggles to deal with the information with which he has been entrusted -- never able to tell Mary about any of this, never able to assure the Greshams that Frank will be able to marry money after all, never able to do anything but his very best and wait.

Such a good story. And highly recommended.

Year of publication: 1858
Number of pages: 638 (in print; I actually read the Kindle edition)

Quote of the Day: St Silouan the Athonite

Unbelief proceeds from pride. The proud person believes he will know everything with his mind and from science, but the knowledge of God is impossible for him, because God is known by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. God reveals Himself to humble souls. To these the Lord shows His works, which are unknowable to the mind.

(Found at Mystagogy.)