From the flyleaf of the book:
Meet Helen Thorpe. She’s smart, preternaturally calm, deeply insightful and a freshly trained butler. On the day she is supposed to start her career as an unusually equanimous domestic professional serving one of the wealthiest families in the world, she is called back to a spiritual retreat where she used to work, the Yatra Institute, on one of British Columbia’s gulf islands. The owner of the lodge, Helen’s former employer Edna, has died while on a three-month silent self-retreat, leaving Helen instructions to settle her affairs.
Three of the cousins that are being evaluated come from a privileged background, and resent being in the situation of being judged. The fourth cousin was discovered at the last minute by the lawyers and is unknown to the rest of the family. She is very unusual, but also likable, and more amenable to being tested. None of the relatives know how they will be judged or what they will get out of the "test" if they succeed.
Meanwhile, the police have determined that Edna committed suicide; Helen is surprised but she knows that this is a possible explanation. Later Helen receives new information, and begins to believe that Edna was murdered. This complicates her main mission, which is to complete the training and choose a person to take over the Institute.
MY THOUGHTS
I like books by Canadian authors, and especially if the setting is in Canada. I discovered this book at Bill Selnes' blog, Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan. The premise of the book appealed to me instantly. In addition to featuring men and women trained to be butlers, it also had a theme of mindfulness and presence in the moment.
This sounds like an unusual mystery and it is. I like mysteries with unique sleuths and a different approach. The Prologue describes Edna's death and the reader knows it is murder. However it takes others, including law enforcement officials, quite a while to figure this out. Helen has no experience at investigating a death, and doesn't really want to, but no one else is willing to do it.
This is a light story, sort of a cozy, with a lovely setting. Some of the characters are charming and likable; others (most of Edna's relatives) are extremely unlikable, demanding and entitled. All of the characters, including the class instructors and others on the island, are interesting, each with their own approach to life. It was a lot of fun to read. The references to Buddhist beliefs and mindfulness in the story were an extra bonus for me.
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Publisher: HarperCollins, 2022.
Length: 448 pages
Format: Trade Paper
Setting: British Columbia, Canada
Genre: Mystery
Source: I purchased my copy.
18 comments:
The differences that arise from a similar but not identical culture are kind of fascinating in themselves, aren't they? Not that we are blandly uniform within our borders, any more than Canadians are, but all nations do tend to have certain Blithe Assumptions and basic tenets that might vary just enough to make the observer from a ways off hum a bit, and consider.
Being in a border state can make that more immediate, as well...though I left Alaska with my family when very young, we would visit my father's family in northern Vermont fairly regularly when we lived in New England.
Todd, I never really have figured out why I like to read about Canada. Mostly I read fiction. I grew up and have always lived in warm areas (Alabama, southern California) and any place in Canada has got to be a lot colder than that, so that is one interesting thing. Although not necessarily in British Columbia? The legal and political system is different.
This sounds really interesting, I'm intrigued by the BC island setting and the whole retreat thing. I like detective stores that are not your run of the mill 'policeman looking for a killer' sort of story. I will look this up.
I like reading about Canada too. It is close by and I go there once every summer to see plays at the Stratford Festival. I usually try to pick up a novel or two at the bookstore there. I especially like Margaret Laurence's novels. But have also read Brian Moore, Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richler, Robertson Davies, Louise Penney and others whose names escape me.
I remember reading about this one at Bill's blog, too, Tracy. I like the setting very much, and the premise sounds appealing. I'm always interested in learning new things, too, and it sounds as though there's some background on Buddhism here. It's good to know someone else I trust liked the book; I may have to look it up.
I think it's fun that the main character is a butler!
Cath, the island setting was appealing. The author lives on Vancouver Island, near to the Gulf Islands. The book takes a while to get to the mystery part but I enjoyed all of the story.
Patti, You are lucky to live so close and be able to visit Canada. I have only read the one book by Margaret Laurence that you recommended to me, and I liked it a lot. I need to read more by her. Also by Brian Moore and Alice Munro. I don't know much about Mordecai Richler's books, I should look for some at the book sale in September.
I've often wondered why it is that books by Canadian authors are harder for me to find in the U.S. than those by British authors. The logistics just don't make that a logical result in my mind. Maybe it's because American readers still find the U.K. more different from the U.S. than Canada will ever be. I do read Canadian authors quite a bit but they just seem harder to find. Or maybe I just answered my own question and it's more that they just blend in with all the American authors so easily that I don't realize how many of them are on the shelves. Guess I'll never know for sure.
Margot, Bill has introduced me to many good authors from Canada, and so have you. Bill also wrote two other posts related to this book, one about butlers in fiction and real life and one about his correspondence with the author. There are two more Helen Thorpe books planned.
https://mysteriesandmore.blogspot.com/2022/10/exchange-with-susan-juby-on-mindful-of.html
Lark, I liked that the main character was a butler. And her two friends, who did most of the butlering in this story, were capable, composed, and calm. Modern day butlers (in this book) seem a bit different than the ones in Golden Age fiction. More equanimous, which is a word I learned from this book. It would be a hard job, but probably not so bad if the person is suited to it.
Sam, that is a good question, and I have noticed that myself. They are either hard to find or very expensive. (Although not so difficult to get as books by some Australian authors.)
Hi Tracy, one of my favorite authors is Louise Penney but I would like to read more Canadian authors and must seek them out. Canada is very beautiful and I have a fascination with cities near the artic and Victoria Island in Canada is one such city. I don't know that I have what it takes to live way up north but I love to read about it.
Kathy, I have a fascination with the Antarctic but haven't read much about the Arctic. I know that I would not enjoy living (or even staying long) in either area, but reading about them is different. I looked up Victoria Island and it sounds very interesting.
I plan to read The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny this month. It is the 11th book in the series.
TracyK: Thanks for the kind mention. I am glad you enjoyed Mindful of Murder. It is a clever thoughtful book. The classes taught at the retreat centre on dance and flower arranging were wonderful on giving insights into life through the process of dancing and arranging. Maybe Juby is on her way to starting a new catch phrase - "The butler solved it".
Bill, I am glad you introduced me to this book and this author. I agree, I never could have imagined how classes in dance and flower arranging would work in that environment. It is wonderful how Juby saw the connection between a butler's job and mindfulness.
This does sound intriguing and different. Like you, I like books with Canadian settings, and I like the books Bill recommends! I should read this one.
I think you would like it, Moira. If I remember correctly there is an emphasis on clothes and on some unusual dressers also. After all, it is an upscale retreat and people who go there would have the money for dressing.
I liked that it was unusual and loved the emphasis on mindfulness, even though I don't have an easy time with being mindful.
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