I enjoyed the mystery story but also the wonderful assault on the homogenized suburbs.

RELEASE NOTES:

For February MeetUp

Looking forward to discovering another local gumshoe. Picked up at the February meetup of the Boston Bookcrossing group.

Fun mystery to read. Like the Walden setting and Thoreau references.

picked up at the Boston BC May Meetup!

Jane Langton's Homer Kelly is one part absent-minded professor, one part Doctor Who (sans time travel) and one part...well, Homer Kelly. Suffering from JFS (Jessica Fletcher Syndrome), mystery and death seem to "sniff out" Homer, rather than the other way around.

The story is not just merely about scenic suburban life and the petty trifles of its inhabitants. That provides the narrative façade for an astute commentary regarding the politics of development/city planning, environmentalism and the dangers/benefits of nostalgia.

Langton's characters are vividly multi-dimensional, torn in their allegiances by both heart and mind. The author asks the reader not to pass immediate judgment, suggesting that the potential for villainy resides within us as well, under the right set of circumstances.

I think this is one of Langton's better books in the series. Highly recommended for Thoreau buffs and those readers familiar with Boston/Concord, Massachusetts.

RELEASE NOTES:

Probably in the vault or in the back room.