Under the Dome

Microcosm. I turned the last page of Stephen King’s Under the Dome with satisfaction and pleasure in completing a huge story very well-told. Few contemporary writers match King’s imagination and ability to construct a situation in which the behavior of individuals and groups reveal character, leaving readers pondering how one might act in similar situations. The town of Chester’s Mill, Maine finds itself isolated after a dome of mysterious origin covers and seals it. King presents readers with a huge cast of characters, from the ordinary men, women, children and dogs of the town, to unlikely heroes and troubled villains. After the dome descends on the town, the best and worst behavior of individuals emerges. Under the Dome is a morality tale for our time, and provides hours of engaging entertainment for readers.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
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Pirate Latitudes

Escape. Thanks to the discovery of a completed manuscript, fans of the late Michael Crichton have another novel of his to read: Pirate Latitudes. Set in the late 17th century, this novel is an action-packed romp around the Caribbean as protagonist Charles Hunter overcomes all odds, escapes peril at every turn, and makes friends as easily as he vanquishes enemies. The action is non-stop, the gore plentiful, and the plot twists frequent enough to keep the pages turning briskly. Any reader looking for entertaining escape fiction will find lots of pleasure in Pirate Latitudes.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In

Stages. I’ve liked the fact-based research approach that Jim Collins takes in writing his business books, specifically Good to Great and Built to Last. His latest book, How the Mighty Fall, examines the research on how companies decline, and what might be done to avert disaster. Collins structures decline into five stages, and provides brief examples of companies in each stage. Steps can be taken through four stages to overcome setbacks. Collins makes the point toward the end of the book, “… success is falling down, and getting up one more time, without end.” Any manager reading How the Mighty Fall will come away from the book with thoughts about how success can be achieved and disaster averted.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis

I skimmed this, and read the captions for many illustrations. The whole book was too textbook-like for my liking, so I decided to take a pass.

Rating: Ennui
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Too Much Happiness

Alive. Alice Munro uses great skill to bring characters to life quickly within the constraints of the short story genre. Her latest collection of ten stories titled, Too Much Happiness, displays that skill. No two stories are quite alike, and yet each one describes relationships and behavior that every reader will recognize as being alive and real. I recommend reading one story at a time and setting the book aside for a while. The title story is quite different from the others, and is taken from a true historical figure.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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Death Message: A Novel of Suspense

Learning. No matter how much he already knows, Detective Inspector Tom Thorne continues to learn, and continues to make mistakes as he learns again. The latest thriller featuring Thorne is titled, Death Message, in which Thorne is receiving photos and messages from a killer. The ensemble cast of characters help and prod Thorne who acts both within and outside the constraints of proper procedure. Death Message is entertaining especially for those readers who like British detective fiction.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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The Monster in the Box

Obsession. Ruth Rendell has said that the 22nd Inspector Wexford novel, The Monster in the Box, will be the last. If that’s so, it’s a worthy finale. Reginald Wexford is one of the most finely developed fictional detectives, who exudes confidence and professionalism, all the while absorbed with coming to terms with the lives of others and why they do what they do. The monster in the title is Eric Targo, whom Wexford encountered early in his police career. Convinced then and now that Targo is a murderer, Wexford narrows his focus to come to terms with Targo. Rendell does a great job in moving the action forward as she also provides a look to the past to understand the context of current activities of both Wexford and Targo. Any mystery fan will love the fine writing in The Monster in the Box.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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