Magdalena Muzyka Muzyka itibaren Beiuș 415200, Romanya
The sixteenth Agatha Raisin book see Agatha continuing to run her new detective agency. These fun little novels have changed a little, now that Agatha has her agency, the action centres around that more than in Carsley, and she has several members of staff who help her out. We also have 3 seperate (or are they?) cases which need to be solved. Agatha is her dear old self, as if the marvelous Mrs Bloxby and Roy Silver who along with Sir Charles Fraith pop up along the way. There is also an intriguing surprise at the end which may make you want to reach for the next book atraight away. Good escapist stuff as ever.
My first Franzen and I liked it. It's a story about a dysfunctional (or troubled as the blurb put it) family. Excellently written the book takes you gently through deep character descriptions filled with imaginative scenarios and intertwined subplots helping you get to know each member of the family. Everyones family is dsyfunctional to a point and while the Lambarts are from the mid west and I'm from the UK there is still plenty to empathize with in little bits of each character. Some you'll relate to more than others and a few you might even struggle to get through and secretly can't wait to finish hearing about. For me it was Gary, what materialistic arse! Franzen deals with a whole range of issues and social commentary from our fear of getting old, wanting the best for our kids, sexuality, yearning to be together as a family just like the old days, drugs, sex and guns. Pick this up as a heavy duty holiday read, a bed time story or an essential traveling companion. It's fat, annoying to carry around but you'll be rewarded for your efforts by some truly great writing. Light enough and memorable enough to be put down and picked up again and again. Just read it you won't be disappointed.