dreams in brief

I didn't want to really hang onto these dreams so here are short summaries.

Yesterday morning I dreamed that the gym found something out about me and took away my membership. They took my yoga ball too. Boo!

This morning I dreamed that I got into a car with a strange guy who turned out to be a fundamentalist. He was kidnapping me for his cult, and he had the local police and media on his side. I couldn't get away.

Thanks, subconscious.

The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas

I am a big fan of Vargas from her internationally bestselling Commander Adamsberg series (English titles God Have Mercy on Us All, Seeking Whom He May Devour, et cetera). I was intrigued by this mystery which seemed like perhaps it would be a bit lighter than those. I mean, there's a tree as a significant plot device, for heavens sake!

Three historians down on their luck move into a large, delapidated house in a nice neighborhood. They will renovate the house in exchange for a cheap place to live, and perhaps get a chance to turn their luck around. But Sophia Simeondis, the retired opera singer next door, has a problem - a mysterious tree has been planted in her yard. She asks the three historians for their help. When she disappears, they feel compelled to investigate. What secrets are hidden in this quiet French neighborhood?

I liked this book and it was funny in places. However, the three central characters, Marc, Mathieu, and Lucien I found almost impossible to tell apart. I couldn't remember anything important about them - they were too interchangeable. That was a serious flaw in an otherwise good book. Three stars.