dear mr. hemingway’s 2018 holiday books & pairings
Maine Authors ~ The Way Life Should Be
Stay Hidden by Paul Doiron
Mystery Lovers rejoice. A Mystery in Maine…what is not to love. This book is #9 in Doiron’s Mike Bowditch mystery series.
From the Publisher (MacMillan): “A woman has been shot to death by a deer hunter on an island off the coast of Maine. To newly promoted Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch, the case seems open and shut. But as soon as he arrives on remote Maquoit Island he discovers mysteries piling up one on top of the other.
The hunter now claims he didn’t fire the fatal shot and the evidence proves he’s telling the truth. Bowditch begins to suspect the secretive community might be covering up the identity of whoever killed the woman, known as Ariel Evans. The controversial author was supposedly writing a book about the island’s notorious hermit. So why are there no notes in her rented cottage? The biggest blow comes the next day when the weekly ferry arrives and off steps the dead woman herself. Ariel Evans is alive, well, and determined to solve her own “murder” even if it upsets Mike Bowditch’s investigation and makes them both targets of an elusive killer who will do anything to conceal his crimes.”
P.S. These are perfect to chew on while reading a great mystery.
Pink Chimneys by Ardeana Hamlin
From the Publisher (Islandport Press): Hamlin’s novel tells the stories of three women brought together by the infamous brothel called Pink Chimneys. In order to survive, they must form unlikely alliances and discover the strength to overcome the odds in a culture that tries — and fails — to limit their potential. Originally published in 1987, this is the first Islandport Edition, a special 30th Anniversary edition that includes an author’s note.”
P.S. A Maine themed puzzle is a perfect match with this book.
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Stephen King is THE Maine author. 11/22/63 is one of my favorite books by King.
From the Publisher (Simon & Schuster): “Dallas, 11/22/63: Three shots ring out. President John F. Kennedy is dead. Life can turn on a dime—or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in a Maine town. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away…but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake’s friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner’s storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke… Finding himself in warm hearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. the course of history is about to be rewritten…and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful.”
P.S. Moxie is actually mentioned in the book. It was a BIG thing here in Maine.
The Truth of All Things by Kieran Shields
Get Ready Murder Mystery Fans. Here is one for you.
From the Publisher (Penguin Random House): “When newly appointed Deputy Marshal Archie Lean is called in to investigate a prostitute’s murder in Portland, Maine, he’s surprised to find the body laid out like a pentagram and pinned to the earth with a pitchfork. He’s even more surprised to learn that this death by “sticking” is a traditional method of killing a witch. Baffled by the ritualized murder scene, Lean secretly enlists the help of historian Helen Prescott and brilliant criminalist Perceval Grey. Distrusted by officials because of his mixed Abenaki Indian ancestry, Grey is even more notorious for combining modern investigative techniques with an almost eerie perceptiveness. Although skeptical of each other’s methods, together the detectives pursue the killer’s trail through post mortems and opium dens, into the spiritualist societies and lunatic asylums of gothic New England.Before the killer closes in on his final victim, Lean and Grey must decipher the secret pattern to these murders–a pattern hidden within the dark history of the Salem witch trials.”
P.S. Seize the day and drink wicked good coffee from Maine while reading this book.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
This Maine author not only won a Pulitzer Prize for Olive Kitteridge, but the book was also made into an Emmy Winning HBO miniseries.
From the Publisher (Penguin Random House): “In a voice more powerful and compassionate than ever before, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Strout binds together thirteen rich, luminous narratives into a book with the heft of a novel, through the presence of one larger-than-life, unforgettable character: Olive Kitteridge.At the edge of the continent, Crosby, Maine, may seem like nowhere, but seen through this brilliant writer’s eyes, it’s in essence the whole world, and the lives that are lived there are filled with all of the grand human drama–desire, despair, jealousy, hope, and love. At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance: a former student who has lost the will to live: Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse. As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life–sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition–its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.”
P.S. Beautiful snow covered notecards with the Maine state bird (Chickadee) on them are a sweet addition to this book.
Dear Mr. Hemingway’s 2018 Holiday Books & Pairings
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