At first blush Vox is a captivating story about the voice of women in American society. However, it goes far beyond the tale of women limited to 100 words per day: It addresses our current political climate and nearly if not all initiatives taken by a conservative ruling government in such a way that the outcome is nothing short of chilling. I found those references to be humorous and somewhat annoying. The characters were flat, and after page 200 the plot moved too quickly and ended abruptly. That said, it was an entertaining read but I would not urge anyone to purchase the book.

My Last Lament is a tale of one woman's experiences in the post-war Greece. Her life is her last lament, as an archetype of the Greek woman. This novel deeply investigates darkness -- the ravages of war, tragedy, insanity, lost love, abandonment and betrayal. Through it all, I came to love and admire the lamenter, Aliki.

Brown's writing style relies heavily on dialog, and I felt sometimes the detail put the story in slow motion. That said, I would recommend it to book clubs for discussion.

April Smith's novel is more of an ideological treatise than an historical novel. One side is totally self-serving, cruel and harsh, while the other is totally value-centered goodness. The progressive message via flat characters became so pervasive, it disallowed the picture of McCarthyism and the cold war to come alive.

The story itself lacked development and finesse. The second generation murders had a very weak link to the overall plot. The trial lacked intrigue and suspense. The final chapter tied just too neat of a bow for me.
A saving grace is Smith's ability to turn a phrase. Her lyrical descriptions of the land provided a softness to a book devoid of endearing qualities.

Perhaps she should stick to murder mysteries.