Other October reads

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (audio)
Protagonist: Juliet Ashton
Setting: London and Guernsey island
Rating: 4.5
Juliet is a journalist who usually writes light, fluffy stories about the war. After the war, she seeks something of more substance to write about -- and stumbles upon the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, formed when the island was under Nazi occupation. Eventually, Juliet decides she has to leave London and visit the island to write her book. The story is told through letters, telegraphs and journals, and is not so much about books as it is about connections between people.

The Black Path by Asa Larsson
Protagonist: Rebecka Martinsson and Insp. Ana-Maria Mella
Setting: Sweden
Rating: 3.7
A woman is found dead on a frozen lake, and police soon discover she was a key player in a large mining company. That's the crime, but the book also delves into the minds of many of its characters, including Rebecka, who has just returned to work after being the victim of a crime herself (I do feel as if I missed something in not reading the first book in this series). Other people raved about this book. For me, it was a good read, but it is a dark and often uncomfortable book to read.

Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre (audio)
Protagonist: Parlabene
Setting: Edinburgh, Scotland
Rating: 3.2
When his neighbor is found dead, and journalist Parlabene ends up as a suspect for about a day, he decides to investigate. This book has awful amounts of bloodshed, throw-up and fecal matter -- and that's just in the first chapter. If you can handle that, there's also a dark sense of humor and great writing. While I could appreciate the book, not an author I'd probably return to.

Rating system:
5.0: Wow!
4.0: A book I'd recommend
3.0: Mediocre to good
2.0: Pretty Bad