Book Notices | The Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists by Alexander McCall Smith / Hide Away by Jason Pinter

Alexander McCall Smith, The Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists

Amazon   In this short addition (73 pages) to Alexander McCall Smith's Detective Varg series, Ulf and his colleagues in Sweden's Department of Sensitive Crimes look into a pair of insignificant not-quite-crimes. In one case, the author explores Ulf's strained relationship with his brother, a leader of the right-wing Moderate Extremist party. The other has Ulf dipping into the rarified world of purebred cat breeding. This is another sweet read from McCall Smith that further explores Ulf's world and world view and his seemingly hopeless love for his married coworker Anna.

Jason Pinter, Hide Away

Amazon   Rachel Marin—not her real name—is a mother bent on protecting her children at any cost after the gruesome murder of her husband. But she's also keen on righting wrongs unrelated to her family, and this can land her in trouble. In this first book in what is currently a two-book series, Rachel's vigilantism puts her at odds with the police department in Ashby, Illinois, where the family lives in hiding. I was initially very attracted to Rachel's character. Early on, we see her defeat a would-be rapist, and she comes off as smart and well-trained, a kick-ass supermom. (She even has a secret lair in her basement.) Then her character gets a little muddled. She does stupid things that get her in trouble with the police and put her family at risk—so much for protecting the kids. It almost seemed as if she was a different person from the hero we met in that alley early on. I was still rooting for her, but she became forgettable. I don't think I'd bother reading more in the series.