Didn't see that coming...

I read a couple books a week - usually simultaneously. Yeah, now I'm just showing off (other people get stuff done - I read). This week I listened to a Thomas Perry book on CD. I like his Jane Whitefield series, which are about a woman of American Indian descent who helps people disappear. Usually they're running away from abusive marriages or the mob - that type of thing. Jane is an interesting character, very understated and thorough, and I like her Indian background and family lore.

The book I listened to on this week's trip was about different characters, though - "Night Life" starts with a beautiful young woman shooting a guy in the head. Tanya then adopts different names throughout the book, and "is" that person. Catherine - the cop chasing her is the Jane type character. We get background on both characters - I like that. How did they end up the way they are.

One thing I find interesting is that the author, a man, allows men to be portrayed as so shallow. He lets Tanya - the black widow - pick them up right and left. I began to wonder - is it really that easy for beautiful women to attract men? Can a hot chick show up at the bar and take a guy home any night she wants to? Do they buy her diamonds and fall into her web? Don't worry - Tonya got hers in the end.

The second book "Good as Gone" was by an author I'd not heard of before. It was about the kidnapping of a young child - a 5 year-old girl when her parents were visiting Paris. It reminded me of the story of the English family in Portugal or Spain that lost their daughter a few years ago. Usually kidnap stories freak me out. I have to read them quickly. This one was more like a "Taken" movie type scenario. The guy tracking her was like a younger Liam, and he winds up with a cute woman attorney helping him.

I thought I had the plot figured out...I'm pretty good at that. I started thinking the wife of the lost child had an affair and the real baby daddy had snatched the kid. But then there was a plot twist. They end up in Russia where Chernobyl fallout affected the health of everyone. It seems the pediatrician of the little kidnapped girl is there - it's a special clinic he's raised funds for to help the kids of this area. But wait, he's brought his own daughter because she's the same age as the stolen girl and - shock - she has what our son Patrick had hypoplastic left ventricle. She needs a heart transplant. The two girls have rare blood type. She needs to harvest the kidnapped girl's heart to put into his own daughter.

I break into tears! That was not expected. Did not see that coming. Just when you least expect it, your life ends up in an exciting novel.

Patrick

This novel (I know he's not real) doctor is willing to sacrifice the life of a healthy child to save his daughter who has what your baby died from. Our hero saves the day of course. He explains to the doc that it's not fair to cause Lindsay to die for the poor damaged heart girl. The doc dad kills himself. The book lost its intrigue for me. I just wanted to finish it.

With October just around the corner I've been thinking so much of my Brother-In-Law Bolder and my sis Cindo. I'm sure she'll be re-living events from a year ago. Being told Bolder's cancer was back. Learning there was no treatment, that it would be fatal.

Boldie

 

I remember sitting on a bench on Locust street during my lunch break in late October when Cindo texted to say Bolder had 10 days to live. Surreal. We gathered the troops to make the quick trip to Vail. I'm so glad we did! And the days keep passing and the seasons turn. Patrick and Bolder hanging, somehow, somewhere together.