Rating:
3 Stars

In a nutshell:
In two separate, unrelated mysteries, the victim isn’t entirely clear.

Best for:
Fans of this genre – Yokomizo is a famous author of Japanese mysteries.

Quote that made me think:
N/A

Why I chose it:
It was a gift from my partner for my birthday.

Review:
Both of these stories focus on the idea that we might not be entirely sure of who the victim is. In the first, a woman’s body is found in the back garden of a cafe, and the owners have sold the cafe and left town. Is the woman in the ground who we all think, or might it be someone else? And either way, who is responsible for her death?

In the second, the death involves someone who is almost a twin – so is the dead person really he said he was before he was killed, or is he the other brother who looks just like him.

Both books have different storytelling modes – the first is a fairly standard narrative, while the second is told solely through letters from a relative of the murdered individual. Both are vivid in their storytelling; I could picture the scenes quite easily.

That said, there was something about the style of the writing that didn’t quite connect for me. Maybe it was the short story nature that didn’t allow enough time to develop the characters. Or perhaps it was that it felt like there was a lot of exposition and not a lot of the story unfolding on its own.

I am happy I read the book, but I probably won’t be seeking out more from this author.

Would I recommend it to its target audience:
I think so, yeah.

Rating:

3.5 Stars

CN: Pet illness and loss.

In a nutshell:
Veterinarian Dr Attas started the first house call vet service in Manhattan and share stories of treating the pets of the ultra rich, the not rich, and the famous.

Best for:
Those who love animals, so long as one can handle some sad stories as well.

Quote that made me think:
N/A

Why I chose it:
In December we had to say goodbye to our cat of 14 years, Tigger. We knew we wanted to say goodbye at home, both to reduce the stress on him and give him a good experience, but also so his brother Jameson could know what had happened. Dr Kim works for a company that specializes in in-home euthanasia and took such amazing care of both Tigger and me and my partner. She was so kind, and so respectful. It made an absolutely horrible day bearable. When I saw a book about in-home vets, I knew I wanted to read it!

Review:
Dr Attas has always known she wanted to be a vet, and was able to make it happen. The book shares some of her early career and how she was able to volunteer with vets to confirm what she wanted to do. She talks about the first pets she adopted, including a blind pug, and she also shares some of her personal life, including how she met her husband. But most of the book is focused on the stories of the pets and the humans she encounters.

She definitely name drops, but it does make sense because these are the people who she interacts with – Joan Rivers helped her with her business when she started (after being fired by a disappointing former boss). Billy Joel, Cher, and even Paul McCartney eventually feature in the book. But the real stars are the precious animals Dr Attis treats. She shares stories of routine appointment, of devastating diagnosis, and everything in between. She talks of doting pet parents and jerks who abandon pets when something new and shiny (a baby, another new pet) comes into the home. She clearly cares about her clients.

The one thing that left me feeling kind of meh about the book and the author is how much she focuses on pure breeds. She definitely does not support puppy mills or anything like that, and she helps with rehoming and adoping pets, but I don’t recall any discussion of mutts in the book. She herself seems to have a preference for pugs, which are bred in such a way that they often have breathing problems. I would have loved to hear more about the harm created for these animals but there wasn’t much about that.

While this book is a fairly new release, most of the stories take place in the 90s, which I wasn’t expecting.

Would I recommend it to its target audience:
I think so, but again, only if one can handle some very sad stories as well.