Author: Carrie Vaughn
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018
Pages: 264
Genre: science fiction, mystery
Obtained: from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Summary: The world has long ago collapsed and people have rebuilt their own separate communities, each group living differently. Coast Road, made up of separate settlements, lives by strictly managing rations and resources. When a house proves they are responsible, productive, and sustainable, they may be given a "banner" and one woman in the house may have her implant removed to have a child.
Enid, part of Coast Road, is an investigator called to mediate a dispute about a building in one of the far off settlements with her new partner, Teeg. While investigating the dispute, a body of one of the "wild folk" women (an outsider) is found. Did one of the Coast Road folks commit murder or was it someone from the outside? Enid is determined to find the truth.
Thoughts: This is the first mystery I have come across where the world has collapsed and the story takes place in a new civilization, so that in itself intrigued me- a who-dun-it with a twist. This was the second book in the series, but the author did a good job showing what the world was like right from the beginning of the book. I do still want to go back and read the first one, but more for that story rather than because I think I missed something. The way the author set up the world with different communities living in different ways, but having some groups united and others "wild" gave the characters and reader much to think about- moral issues, ethics, how to solve problems, how to get along, how to communicate amongst each other, respecting each others way of life, etc. It also gave another level to the mystery itself.
I enjoyed the characters. They were developed and interesting, but I didn't feel like I knew them personally. Enid, the protagonist, definitely grows throughout the novel, but from looking at the reviews of the first book, Bannerless, it looks as if this is where the reader would really get to know Enid and her background.
The mystery was a good one. Although there were not many people with motives, there were many people that could have committed the murder. At the beginning the reader is at a loss to why this woman was murdered, but it is clear toward the end who the murderer is, so the reveal is not a big one. The writing style was a bit odd. Every once in a while there would be a phrase written as a sentence. Sometimes I understood what the author meant by these phrases and sometimes I'd have to read the phrase again. For the most part the author wrote in a clear way. The author was also able to establish atmosphere, so that I felt like I was in this world. This was a quick read for me.
All in all this was a good book and I recommend it to anyone liking mystery and / or dystopian-type novels.
Tea: Spring Tieguanyin
Obtained: purchased
I purchased the 5 teas for $5 which is a fantastic way to not only try out this company, but sample some new teas without having to buy a large amount. The company sends just enough tea for one cup, but the leaves can be steeped many times.
The envelopes holding the tea were excellent quality and definitely protected the tea's freshness. Today I tried Spring Tieguanyin. My sample was from 2017 and the company is now selling the 2018 tea, so it may differ slightly. The leaves had a sweet, earthy scent. They were dark green leaves that looked like they had been squished up and left to dry. I put the 5g sample packet into my tea pot and poured about eight ounces of water that had been boiled over the leaves. I let this steep for just ten seconds. The liquid was a very pale yellow, almost clear. It had a fresh, sweet, floral scent. This was a light, savory tea with a depth of flavors. There was a lot going on- a sweetness, florals, fruity, a bit grassy, and, finally, a slight peppery aftertaste. This was a delicious, anytime tea, that reminded me of spring.
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