I always like to read stories that take place in other countries; usually, however, they also take place in another time. What's great about Learning to Lose is that it's a contemporary novel that shows the more we know people in other countries, the more we'll see they're just like us. Dealing with divorce, changing marriage roles or the troubles fame and promises of fortune can toss your way, these characters are very likable in all their faults and failures. The writing is very good with plenty of engaging details and parallels in the story. A good read!

If you want to read a mystery (with plenty of suspense and surprises) that feels like it could happen to you or your neighbors at any given moment, this is the book for you.

Ms. Pickard's writing is rock solid and engaging. She does an excellent job crafting her characters. They feel real. How they murder and react to murder is grounded and well thought out.

What I liked best about this novel is the beautiful panoramic view she paints of this Kansas town and it's surrounding landscape. Breathtaking. Makes me want to go to Kansas on vacation.

If you're not a mystery reader (and I'm not) this book probably won't convince you to start reading them. The plots always seem contrived to me. However, I commend Ms. Pickard for tackling the themes of forgiveness and the human capacity to admit what's right when once we saw it wrong.

I probably wouldn't pick this one up at the bookstore, but it was a worthwhile read.