POMONA AFTON CAN SO SOLVE A MURDER
Author: Bellamy Rose
Narrator: Jennifer Jill Araya
Call #: CD-FIC ROS
Reviewer: Sonja Downey
Date: June 4, 2026
Pomona Afton loves her Upper East Side hotel heiress life. And what’s not to love, a penthouse, a gala to go to almost every night. Life is good…until Pomona stumbles upon her grandmother dead body. That fact alone would not be so very horrible as she was not the cuddly, kind sort of grandmother. However, the part in her testament that should she not die of a natural death, all her assets would be instantly frozen, proved to be a real tragedy.
Even though Pom tries very hard to make grandma’s death look very natural (but how do you explain away all the blood?) it does not stick with the police. So what is a destitute, down-on-her-luck heiress to do but to roll up her designer sleeves and solve the murder herself – with the little help of a friend, that is, which is Gabe, her former nanny’s son.
This was an entertaining semi-cozy mystery/romance. I enjoyed the story as it worked out very well with Pomona starting out as an entitled heiress but in the course of the book and the investigation turning into a very likable character.
Jennifer Jill Araya’s voice talent is a great fit for this story. She reads Pomona with a naive entitlement which makes the character cute and likable. I enjoyed this murder mystery very much all the way to the astonishing end. I am looking forward to listen to the next installment in this series titled Pomona Afton Can Totally Catch a Killer.
A MARRIAGE AT SEA
A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck
Author: Sophie Elmhirst
Call number: 910.916 ELM
Reviewer: Andy Jackson
Date: May 28, 2026
Since I have never been shipwrecked, I was surprised how relatable this story was for me. But it is less a tale of survival at sea then a description about how couples can support each other in moments of crisis—or just…moments.
This is the true story of an English couple, Maralyn and Maurice, who appear to have a typical 1970’s marriage with at least one caveat: they decided to sell most of their belongings so that they could sail around much of the world. Their ultimate destination was New Zealand.
It is not a spoiler that they never reach New Zealand on that voyage. The loss of their vessel with virtually all of their worldly belongings is chronicled in the first few pages of the book. However, it is how they survive that is the most intriguing. Both Maralyn and Maurice are forced to draw on reserves that they didn’t know that they had in order to even have a chance to survive the calamity of their situation.
But like the play Julius Caesar, there are many more acts to come even after the signature event has concluded. And while nothing ever matches the intensity of their time stranded on the Pacific Ocean, circumstances turn out to be just as harrowing. Elmhirst points out that Maralyn and Maurice did not need each other equally, too. At the end of part four is where she put it best: “Without her, what would become of him?” This question is probably echoed by many couples, but they only can know the answer when it is probably too late to do anything about it.
Sophie Elmhirst conveys this tale with a crisp, but detailed writing style, and she manages to synthesize a large amount of material into a digestible story flush with meaning.
FOREST LEGEND
The Tale of Ol’ Split Toe
Author: Dan Ellens
Call number: Y FIC ELL
Reviewer: Andy Jackson
Date: May 11, 2026
Anyone who has met Dan Ellens has to walk away impressed with his proven ability to connect with both people and nature, and this relationship is what he explores in Forest Legend. This is Mr. Ellens’s first attempt at fiction writing, but he has published four non-fiction works previously. The narrative focuses on an extraordinarily large buck named Ol’ Split Toe, who witnesses significant changes to Michigan’s western lower peninsula over the course of several centuries. Since most male deer in the Midwest live to be less than five years old, Ellens cleverly creates a time travel portal involving various solar eclipses to allow Split Toe to experience and observe various time periods ranging from the Ice Age to the 21 st century.
As a Michigander who is fascinated by deer, this was an entertaining and educational read. Once I got accustomed to Ol’ Split Toe time travelling, I understood that this unorthodox approach to storytelling was a desirable choice. The strengths of this young adult tale were the deer’s relationships with a persistent flea on his body, his early attempts to elude a skilled hunter, and his curiosity about the human beings who began to inhabit his original home area near Lake Michigan. But rather than be dismissive, threatening or condemning of the settlers, loggers, and permanent human residents of the area, he appraises them for what they are individually and collectively. He notes that they are flawed, but in most cases, they just do the best that they can to survive and prosper. Ol’ Split Toe also correctly notes that while humans might win individual battles with the environment, it is Mother Nature who prevails in the end.
I am glad that the Tecumseh District Library hosted Dan Ellens for a book talk this past April, because as I read Forest Legend, I always heard his engaging, entertaining, and authentic voice. He teaches through compelling storytelling, which is probably the best way to make the lessons last the longest.
VENETIAN VESPERS
Author: John Banville
Call #: FIC BAN (currently on the NEW FICTION shelf)
Reviewer: Sonja Downey
Date: May 21, 2026
It is the year 1899 and struggling author Evelyn Dolman is marrying the love of his life, American heiress Laura. The honeymoon destination is Venice, Italy. What is supposed to be the epitomy of romance turns into a nightmare for Evelyn when Laura disappears only hours after their arrival.
As Evelyn is trying to solve the mystery he delves deeper and deeper into the abyss of deception and deceit. With his nerves frayed and on the brink of a breakdown, Evelyn must tread carefully as not to lose sight of what is reality and what is not.
I loved this story. It is written in the style of Wilkie Collins and draws the reader into the sinister plot right from the start. I could not put it down. The author spins a net of suspense so tight that the only release the reader gets is to finish the book as quickly as possible to find out what happened to Laura.
THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES
Author: Suzanne Collins
Call number: Y FIC COL
Reviewer: Andy Jackson
Date: May 1, 2026
In Elizabethan times, William Shakespeare wrote a tragedy called Coriolanus, which portrayed the arrogant, but highly effective military leader who eventually was exiled from the Roman Empire because of a conflict with its leaders. Coriolanus Snow’s perspective of activities involving the 10th Hunger Games is the setting of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which takes place sixty-four years before The Hunger Games. And like his Roman predecessor, this Coriolanus shows potential for great leadership and a desire to make sure that “Snow comes out on top” at all costs.
It has been at least ten years since I finished the original books in The Hunger Games trilogy, so I had to refresh my memory about who Coriolanus Snow was. I vaguely remember how Donald Sutherland portrayed him as a sometimes charming (but always sinister) character in the movie adaptions of the series. By that time, Coriolanus had become “President” Snow, and Ballad may be intended to show how “Coryo” (as his friends call him) became such an evil man. This can be effective for some origin stories (like Annakin Skywalker evolving into Darth Vader from the Star Wars universe), but the task may have been tougher for Suzanne Collins because President Snow is not as ubiquitous and well-developed as other villains.
Nevertheless, after a slow start, the plot of the novel accelerates and eventually surprises at every turn. Coriolanus’s unenviable task is to guide a female tribute named Lucy Gray Baird through the newly revamped Games. He unexpectedly falls for her romantically, although it is unclear whether Lucy does the same with him. Another prominent character is Coriolanus’s acquaintance since childhood, Sejanus Plinth, who is a perfect foil to Snow’s nearly blind faith in what the government is doing to its people.
The inclusion of music, genetically altered birds, and yes, snakes frame the events around the 10th and the future games very well. We learn much information about the Hunger Games’s origins and its eventual development. That aspect alone makes reading this novel worth the time. It is also notable that while she does not match the character of Katniss Everdeen (who could?), Lucy Gray is a formidable adversary. Collins developed this character and Snow’s well enough that their true natures were revealed genuinely in the end. But it still makes it difficult to empathize with the man who ascends the highest levels of power in the future. The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes was the TDL Teen Book Club choice in April 2026.
MORE OR LESS MADDY
Author: Lisa Genova
Call number: FIC GEN
Reviewer: Andy Jackson
Date: April 29, 2026
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 2.8% of U.S. adults had bipolar disorder within the past year, and an estimated 4.4% will experience this mental illness at some point in their lifetime. In More or less Maddy, Lisa Genova (perhaps best known for her novel Still Alice) utilizes her background as a PhD in neuroscience to lend credibility to her narrative of Maddy Banks, a college freshman at NYU who seeks help from a clinic on campus for her crippling depression–only to have the anti-depressant propel her into a manic episode.
For those unfamiliar with bipolar disorder, this book is a revelation. Genova does a remarkable job of realistically cataloging the depths of Maddy’s lows and the highs that inevitably follow until friends, family, law enforcement, and doctors can intervene. And for those who are aware of the symptoms of bipolar, the details of Maddy’s actions and eventual treatment are probably quite familiar—although no two experiences with this tricky to diagnose affliction are exactly alike.
It helps that Maddy is a likeable, though flawed (like the rest of us) character. Genova especially excels at creating an inner dialogue through her that seems plausible for a woman nearing twenty who is trying to navigate relationships with an old boyfriend, high school acquaintances, prospective boyfriends, family members, co-workers, and doctors. But what I especially like and find helpful about this book is that the eventual treatment for Maddy (partly through a prescription for lithium carbonate) requires a great deal of trial and error. There simply are no “quick fixes” for a bipolar diagnosis, and there is no cure for it, either.
Additionally, Maddy’s decision to enter the world of standup comedy brings further drama into her path to recovery. Although a little unrealistic as a career choice for anybody, Maddy’s authentic personality is revealed through it. Ultimately, Maddy is a realistic and admirable role model for anyone who has the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which is sometimes not the case when this topic is portrayed elsewhere.
CURSED DAUGHTERS
Author: Oyinkan Braithwaite
Narrators: Weruche Opia, Nnei Opia Clark, Diana Yekinni
Call#: CD-FIC BRA
Reviewer: Sonja Downey
Date: April 28, 2026
Munife grows up in Lagos, Nigeria, under a terrible family curse: “No man will call your house his home. And if they try, they will not have peace…” When the effect of the curse hits her, she sees no other way but to take her own life. The day she dies, Eniiyi is born looking like the spitting image of Munife.
Growing up under the pressure of being the reincarnation of her troubled aunt is not easy for Eniiyi and when she falls in love with a local boy it looks like the curse will hit again. Or is it Munife reaching out from the afterlife? Eniiyi is determined to fight the curse, her dead aunt, and a lot of family secrets to find liberation from all the strings that hold her back.
This was a breathtaking story. I am not familiar with Nigerian culture. I was particularly fascinated by how superstition and modern life go hand in hand. The audio book is read in the Nigerian English accent and at first it was hard for me to understand until my ear adapted to it. Then, I found, that it gave the story authenticity to hear it read in the local accent. It made the audio book even more adventurous and swept me away.
THE TURTLE, THE MITTEN, AND AN EPIC HISTORY OF MICHIGAN
Author: Aaron Helman
Call #: NEW 977.4 HEL
Reviewer: Sonja Downey
Date: April 26, 2026
As he bikes the circumference of our beautiful state, the author recounts little-known and altogether forgotten historic events. This book is full of fascinating facts.
Starting his bike tour in Detroit, I was instantly grabbed by the author’s writing style and how vividly he describes neighborhoods, land and city scapes.
He recounts the events leading to the War of Toledo and how Toledo was supposed to be a part of of Michigan. He explains the origins of the names of the counties, how some of them were originally named using Native language and then were renamed after lumber barons or local politicians.
With poignancy and occasional humor, Helman brings together the breath-taking beauty of Michigan and its captivating history in this book that should not be missing from the book shelves of any Michigander.
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