How The Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior

HOW THE PENGUINS SAVED VERONICA – Hazel Prior

This is a lovely story about an 86-year-old curmudgeon who decides to go to a scientific station in Antarctica to see the penguins.  What ensues is gently humorous, scientifically factual, and full of family, love, disappointment, sorrow, overcoming setbacks, relationships, and coming to terms with yourself.  

Prior writes warmly, gracefully, and clearly. Her characters live and grow and endear themselves to the reader. I enjoyed the relationship growth between the characters as they dealt with isolation and extreme cold along with the hardships of living and working in the unforgiving environment of an Antarctic scientific base.

The relationship of Veronica and her grandson develops in a natural way as they alienate each other on first meeting and then write notes and letters to each other as they each attempt to make amends.

A lovely book by a  newish author. This is her second book. Her first, ELLIE AND THE HARPMAKER, is also worth your time.

5 of 5 stars

Camino Winds by John Grisham

CAMINO WINDS  by John Grisham

Wade your way through the first half of the book to get to the exciting second half.  True Grisham but without the lawyers (until the final third).

A book store owner caught in the storm of the century in a small beach front Florida town, has a dinner party just before the storm. The party serves to introduce all the main players, including the soon to be murder victim. The first half of the book lays out the ground work for the shenanigans of Bruce and his crew of would be crime solvers and sets up the intricate details of the much bigger crime than the small time murder of a best-selling author. 

Tautly written, full of surprises and fully fleshed out characters, this is a tale not to be missed.

5 of 5 stars.