The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson

The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson – 309 p.

The Darkness is first in a new series by Scandinavian noir author Jonasson. Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykjavik police is forced into early retirement. She wheedles a half-hearted verbal agreement from her boss to investigate one last cold case, one that has haunted her for many years, that of a drowned young Russian woman that no one really cared about. I simply could not dredge up a lot of empathy for put-upon Hulda. The author kept explaining what a strong, capable woman she is, but I felt she was just whiny and unsure of her every move. I also did not care for the way this book sets up the series, which I don't intend to read. Too bad.

The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker

The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker-336 pages

Ted Dekker is one of my favorite authors, but this was not one of my favorite books of his. He wrote this novel with his eldest daughter. I liked this novel, but not as well as the many others I have read by Ted Dekker. "The Girl Behind the Red Rope" is about fear and how it can paralyze and blind people to reality. I like and agree with much of the message, but not the whole message. Overall, if one is a Ted Dekker fan, then I would give it a read. If not, I would recommend A.D. 30 or many other of his novels before this one.

When the Library Lights Go Out by Megan McDonald

When the Library Lights Go Out 

by Megan McDonald, 40 pages

The lights are out, the library staff and all the patrons are gone. So the library is empty, right? Not so much! Three story time puppets use the opportunity to some out and play.

A fun read, especially for a child who's parent works at a real library.