I've literally just completed "phase 2" of the large project that has been keeping me busy for the past few months, and I believe that part of my brain may have melted… I'm so exhausted that putting together a coherent post is far beyond me, so I'll simply mention the books I finished this week and my very general impressions.
The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves is the latest novel starring Vera Stanhope. I've really begun to enjoy this series since The Darkest Evening, and especially Vera's character development. The suspenseful dénouement during the moonlit Witch Hunt and the symbolism of the legend surrounding the Three Dark Wives (crones turned to stone by a giant who thought they talked too much) were extremely well done.
Being very much a house mouse myself, I found the idea of Emily Dickinson and the Image of Home by Jean McClure Mudge intriguing. Unfortunately, its dated views on women and home (it was published in 1975), added to its author's insistence on psychoanalysis (Freud, forsooth!) and heavy speculation ("perhaps" and "possibly" frequently recur) have well and truly emilydickinsoned me out…