Kathryn Stockett: The Calamity Club, Penguin, Hardback

Kathryn Stockett of "The Help"  fame has written a new,  very different but equally page-turning bestseller, I can easily see this as a movie. 

The novel is very long, a doorstopper with 653 pages, guaranted escapism, has several strong female characters but at the same time a serious subject at heart: the  social, religious and racial injustice and bigotry of the US South in the 1930is when everyone was hit by the big Depression. I thought it had some length in the middle but probably because I was añnoyed with some characters of an otherwise often very funny novel.  Of the three protagonists, gutsy, warm-hearted Birdie, tough Charlie and spunky Meg, little Meg stole my heart. A great read with historical, atmospheric background, a story of sisterhood, perseverance, hyprocrisy and love. 

 Louise Penny: The Black Wolf, Minotaur Books, paperback 

I am a longstanding fan of Louise Penny's  Three Pines / Inspector Amande Gamache series, the Black Wolf being a continuation of the previous The Grey Wolf which I was not so enthusiastic about. The Black Wolf is  much better with a plausible, realistic topicbat its heart, i,e. what happens if there is a water shortage in  one country when the neighbouring one has plenty and also the invasion of US into Canada. Although the plot of whodunnit confused me at times.

Overall verdict: solid continuation of the series without me being wild about the last two but maybe that happens after so many episode.