Finished Letters to Camondo. The anti-semitism of 19th century France makes the atrocities of Vichy France inevitable. I think the epistolary format of this book left me feeling the absence of Camondo more, but also left the family at a distance. Very different than The Hare with Amber Eyes, but still glad I read it.
Also finished The Appeal by Janice Hallett. Another novel told in...I guess epistolary form? Texts and emails instead of letters, in which we hear from all the suspects in a cancer fundraising scam that results in a murder. I sped through it, and found it engaging, but the ending was pretty obvious about halfway through the book.
Finally, I also finished The Maid by Nita Prose. A hotel housekeeper on the spectrum finds the body of a regular guest, and becomes the prime suspect. A little pat, but it is described as a cozy mystery, so I should have expected the tidy wrap-up. Still, an enjoyable few hours.
Right now I'm reading The Bright Ages. I really wish I had a physical copy of the book. It's a reframing of The Dark Ages, mostly in Europe and the Middle East. Very good, but I find I really need to warm up when reading nonfiction, or I end up skimming pages and retaining nothing.
