The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Classified as a ghost story, it is about a governess and the two children that she is caring for.  The children were left in the care of their Uncle after their parents died and he hired a governess to care for them and basically told her don’t bother him with anything – handle the situation herself.

When the ghosts of the previous governess and caretaker begin to surface, the governess thinks they are coming after the children and she has to protect them.  This story had an ending that I didn’t expect!

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I rented the movie from the library because it was on the shelf and the book was already on my “to read” list so I finally got the ebook and read it as fast as I could before I needed to return the movie. 

Both were good and the story took me for a loop.

Rachel may have a slight drinking problem.  When you hide booze in a “travel water bottle” something is not right.  What we learn about Rachel is that she likes gin, she has problems conceiving a child, her husband divorced her, re-married and moved the new wife into the same exact house that he used to live in with Rachel.  I don’t think I need to say anymore –  read the book, watch the movie! 

Doom Fox by Iceberg Slim

This is the last novel written by Iceberg Slim, nee Robert Beck. 

Joe Allen is a heavyweight boxer who gets conned by beautiful women in more ways than one.  He ends up doing time all because his wife was cheating on him and he let his anger take control.  The other characters in this story have their own burdens to bear as Iceberg Slim writes about the ghetto and prostitution and hard times had by some and good times had by others.

I do wish that Mr. Beck was still alive. I understand from a documentary about his life the he changed his life around.   I would love to see what else he had to say and write about.  His writing is classic and raw and real from what he lived and saw throughout his life.