It'll Rope You In

In the early 1900s in New Jersey, a little girl was found murdered. This is the story of the search for her killer, interwoven with the beginning of the detective era and the birth of the NAACP. The three topics to me didn't sound like this would be a real page-turner, but I was wrong. On the day of her disappearance, there happened to be an itinerant Black man about and he ends up arrested for her murder. Some are happy to say the Black guy did it and wipe their hands of the whole situation, but others are not, and seek justice for everyone. Ray Schindler dazzles with his criminal investigative techniques, and the inch by inch progress toward the sting the police hope to pull off keeps you on the edge of your seat. You'll learn about Ida B. Wells, the bad-assiest of civil rights bad-asses; seriously, there was nothing that woman couldn't do. But at the heart of the story is a little girl who didn't get to have a life, and a grieving family. In his hands, the author deftly keeps you riveted and yet pulls back when there's a potential for a little too much heat. From now on, I'll read Alex Tresniowski's grocery list if I can get my hands on it.

True Crime, Layer by Layer (by Layer, by Layer . . .)

No stranger to troubles herself, Lissa Yellow Bird had served time in prison, wrestled with drug addiction, and spent enforced time away from her children. Yet this woman, back on track and perhaps ages wiser for her experiences, seemed to be the only person concerned about a white young man who disappeared from a reservation oil worksite. Was it apathy on the part of the owners, law enforcement, tribal chairman? Or something more? Lissa dived into the case, revealing shell companies, and corruption at all levels. Creative and smart beyond imagination, she was able (or willing?) to do what the law had not. While the story was interesting, and the research impressive and perhaps necessary, it was a bit plodding at times with all the detail. Kudos to the author and Lissa, but I was a bit mired down more than once. Still, an interesting and impressive tale of redemtion and personal atonement. Plus, mine is an autographed copy, so that's pretty cool.

Family Secrets, Then and Now

At the onset of England's involvement in WWII, an orphan (Virginia) is adopted by a couple searching for happiness. As the story unfolds, we learn more and more about these two, their history, neighbors, and what demons haunt them. Lurking just on the other side of the garden wall is a marsh which Virginia has been warned away from strictly, as supposedly, it'll pull you right on down--the stuff of nightmares for a child. As this orphan tries to secure her place in this less-than-idyllic household, a plane crashes in the marsh. This sets into play a series of events which changes their lives forever. The story caroms from the perspective of an elderly Virginia, plotting her own demise, and her memories of those early days in a lush and tragic time. Moody and atmospheric, with relatable characters, both sympathetic and very much otherwise.