Books in brief
CHILDREN’S
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood: The New Tale of Winnie the Pooh by David Benedictus, decorations by Mark Burgess; Dutton Children’s Book, 201 pages ($19.99)
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This approved sequel to A. A. Milne’s beloved Pooh books starts off with an ill-conceived “exposition” in which Pooh, Piglet, Christopher Robin and Eeyore discuss the passage of 80 years since their last meeting, immediately conjuring up a vision of a wizened Christopher Robin. While the illustrations and storytelling approximate the meandering charm of the original and offer the thrill of meeting beloved characters once more, one has to wonder what the point of it all is. Benedictus, who worked on audiobook Pooh adaptations, offers some nice touches, including a sweet reunion of Christopher Robin with his old friends, a spelling bee and a honey search (the most charming of the 10 stories). On a less successful note, Benedictus creates a new character, an otter named Lottie who emerges from the dried-up river during a drought and immediately annoys with her statement: “In the best houses they serve both [Portuguese sardines in olive oil or tomato sauce] and have pilchards in the servants’ quarters.” A new character was probably necessary to stir things up, but Lottie is not a happy addition to the Pooh canon.
—Jean Westmoore
SUSPENSE
Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly; Little, Brown, 384 pages ($27.99)
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LAPD detective Harry Bosch’s personal and professional lives overlap in the engrossing “Nine Dragons,” the 15th novel—and one of the best—in this series. “Nine Dragons” works as a gripping police procedural, an intense character study and an international thriller. The novel also explores a man learning to become a father, serves as a travel guide to the back streets of Hong Kong police and provides an in-depth look at L. A.’s Asian community.
Harry’s latest case takes him to a tough south L. A. neighborhood where the Chinese owner of Fortune Liquors has been shot during an apparent robbery. The case resonates with Harry because this owner gave the detective a few minutes of rest during the L. A. riots. Bosch finds a likely suspect with ties to a Hong Kong triad. But the case takes a backseat when Harry learns that his 13-year-old daughter has been kidnapped. Connelly is one of the best —if not the best—living crime writers and the consistency of his work continues through “Nine Dragons.”
—McClatchy Newspapers
FICTION
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger; Scribner, 416 pages ($26.99)
If Audrey Niffenegger’s debut novel, “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” was based on love, her follow-up calls on much darker fare: Jealousy, possessiveness, immaturity and dishonesty.
“Her Fearful Symmetry” follows twin sisters in their early 20s as they travel to London to live in an apartment bequeathed them by their late Aunt Elspeth.
The twins soon find out that their aunt is a ghost, and they seek to uncover the mystery surrounding her estrangement from their mother. In the backdrop of this tale is Highgate Cemetery, the resting ground for Karl Marx, George Eliot and Christina Rossetti. Niffenegger is a guide there and sprinkles the book with vivid descriptions and colorful history.
The story drags to the point that midway through the novel, the reader is still unclear where it is headed. The last 100 pages or so are packed with action and long-awaited revelations. Niffenegger’s talent for storytelling shines through in several sections of the book, but sadly, not enough to make up for the slow pace and stunted characters.
—Associated Press
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