Carolina Comments: Cocooning in January

WINTER THOUGHTS

Good morning.  Like much of the country, North Carolina is experiencing a winter weather event.  For some, it will be a really massive storm with inches and possibly feet of snow; for others, after a bit of snow, the real concern is freezing rain and ice.  We’ve had just over an inch of snow and are bracing for a wintry mix later today.  If it gets above freezing, we may avoid serious ice and possible power outages.

Meanwhile, we have nowhere to go and will stay inside cozy and warm.  Yesterday, before the storm arrived, we binge watched two episodes of The Pitt.  Last evening, as a palate (read mind) cleanser, we began Season 6 of All Creatures Great & Small.  Episode 1 is sweet and mostly joyful.  The war is ending, and Tristan returns home on leave.  As for Mrs. Hall, will she be persuaded to come back to Darrowby?  Watch to find out. We also recently viewed the intense crime series, His & Hers, on Netflix.

And there are books, two included here, for your consideration.  I have also started The Loneliness of Sonia and Sonny and made it past the first 100 pages.  It’s a tome and I’m enjoying it.  Look for comments in a future blog.

MYSTERY: DUPLICITY & DECEPTION

The Good Liar by Denise Mina

The Good Liar is the first book I’ve read by Scottish crime novelist, Denise Mina. It’s a dense and graphic account of the murder of a prominent couple and the events afterward related to investigating the crime.  Claudia O’Sheil is a professor and a blood spatter expert who works for a forensic science company.  Sir Philip Ardmore is her boss and a supportive mentor.  Recently widowed, Claudia is overwhelmed with grief and struggling to deal with her two teenage boys, one unruly and disruptive.

Philip knew the murdered couple and the son, William, is a prime first suspect.  Who besides him had access to the couple’s apartment?  Claudia’s blood evidence results in William being charged and sentenced to prison.  But what if, William wasn’t the murderer?  And what really was the cause of Claudia’s husband James’ death?  If she was wrong about the blood evidence, what is the truth and to whom does she have an obligation to tell?

The novel moves back and forth in time as Claudia’s dilemma about what to say or not is played out against the backdrop of the murder.  There is Philip’s class and place in the power structure and questions about James and their professional colleagues and friends.  

Once I got fully into the book, I was enmeshed in the complexities of the situation.  The writing is precise and detailed and requires close reading.  Recommended for Mina fans. (~JWFarrington)

CAPTIVATING MEMOIR: FAMILY & MARRIAGE

The Irish Goodbye: Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly (2026)

I reviewed this book for First Impressions pre-publication in BookBrowse and am including my review here.  Publication date is late February 2026.

The Irish Goodbye is a collection of short to extremely brief writings by former poet laureate of Mississippi Beth Ann Fennelly.  It ranges from quick thoughts on married life (a cracked knee when presenting a 25^th anniversary ring to folded oven mitts), to contemplating friendships old and fresh, to mourning the sudden death of a sister, to facing the deaths of other family and friends.  Much space is devoted to Fennelly’s recollections of her sister and the deep hole she has left in Fennelly’s life.  Mixed with the sadness and the wondering, there is also humor and wit. 

I found this book a delight.  As it progresses, Fennelly removes a few more layers and candidly exposes more of herself.  Her prose is succinct and precise and often sparkles. She makes you smile as you admire her adept turn of phrase.  Recommended for book clubs looking for a short powerful punch!  (~JWFarrington)

WATCHING: LIES & MURDERS

His & Hers (Netflix)

His & Hers is a six-part mystery series set in a suburb of Atlanta. Jack Harper is a county detective and his estranged wife Anna is a TV reporter who returns after having been away for a year. The death of her friend Rachel brings her back. She and Jack tangle over how the murder is covered and who is involved. At the heart of the series is set of girls who were high school classmates, some friends, some not.

The series is intense, emotions run high, there is plenty of sex, and lots of F-bombs. We thought about abandoning it after the initial episode, but somehow got sucked in and were caught up short by the ending. Overall, it’s a clever story of lies and facades, and you are kept guessing as to whose truth is the truth.