Monette, McCrumb and Goudge

Foggy Mountain Breakdown by Sharon McCrumb is a collection of short stories, and well worth reading. The first story is very striking, and there is a Rattler story for Rattler fans, but no Norah Bonesteel, alas. There are Appalachian stories and straight detective stories, and humorous stories too. A few stories are not that interesting, in the usual way of collections.

Don't read Melusine by Sarah Monette unless you like detailed accounts of pain, anguish, betrayal, and violent sex. And other horrible events and people, though some of them can't help themselves because of their dreadful past, or at least that's the excuse. I only managed a few chapters before giving up, though I did check out the end. I requested this book at the library because I read a favourable review, but was doubtful as soon as I saw it. Pretty boy covers rarely presage books I enjoy.

Immediate Family by Eileen Goudge starts with four friends at a college reunion, aged 36, all with sufficient money and fulfilling enough jobs to give lots of attention to their not very interesting emotional lives. One is married, one is divorced with a child, one has a boyfriend and the single one decides to have a child without a partner. By the end of the book there has been one divorce and one healthy baby, two breakups and two deaths (a parent and a still born child), one father found and three weddings - I probably missed a few other events in this action packed 18 months as I got bored and skipped more than half the book. This book reminded me why I so rarely read straight romances (as in books where the whole focus is on finding a bloke to sweep you off your feet).

Foggy Mountain Breakdown first published 1998, Melusine in 2005, Immediate Family in 2006.