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    What Strange Creatures: A Novel
    What Strange Creatures: A Novel
    What Strange Creatures: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    What Strange Creatures: A Novel

    Written by Emily Arsenault

    Narrated by Andi Arndt

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Scandal, love, family, and murder combine in this gripping literary mystery by critically acclaimed author Emily Arsenault, in which a young academic’s life is turned upside down when her brother is arrested for murder and she must prove his innocence.

    The Battle siblings are used to disappointment. Seven years, one marriage and divorce, three cats, and a dog later, Theresa still hasn’t finished her dissertation. Instead of a degree, she’s got a houseful of adoring pets and a dead-end copywriting job for a local candle company.

    Jeff, her so-called genius older brother, doesn’t have it together, either. Creative, and loyal, he’s also aimless in work and love. But his new girlfriend, Kim, a pretty waitress in her twenties, appears smitten.

    When Theresa agrees to dog-sit Kim’s puggle for a weekend, she has no idea that it is the beginning of a terrifying nightmare that will shatter her quiet world. Soon, Kim’s body will be found in the woods, and Jeff will become the prime suspect.

    Though the evidence is overwhelming, Theresa knows that her brother is not a cold-blooded murderer. But to clear him she must find out more about Kim. Investigating the dead woman’s past, Theresa uncovers a treacherous secret involving politics, murder, and scandal—and becomes entangled in a potentially dangerous romance. But the deeper she falls into this troubling case, the more it becomes clear that, in trying to save her brother’s life, she may be sacrificing her own.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJul 22, 2014
    ISBN9780062351784
    Author

    Emily Arsenault

    Emily Arsenault is also the author of The Evening Spider, The Broken Teaglass, In Search of the Rose Notes, Miss Me When I’m Gone, What Strange Creatures, and the young adult novel The Leaf Reader. She lives in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, with her husband and daughter.

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    Reviews for What Strange Creatures

    3.5/5

    46 ratings17 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I am a fan of the quirky novels of Emily Arsenault. Her protagonists tend to be bookish types, either writers or academics or even lexicographers. Her clues turn up in scraps of writing, like menoirs or dictionary citations.What Strange Creatures is actually her most straightforward book to date. Despite some forays into the life of medieval woman Margery Kempe -- the subject of protagonist Theresa's unfinished dissertation -- the real gist here is Theresa Battle's attempts to clear her beloved brother of a murder charge. Theresa is also the funniest of Arsenault's protagonists, showing off a real flair for light comedic writing absent from the earlier books. The working out of the actual mystery is a little pedestrian, as Theresa bumbles her way through a series of interviews, but the real charm here lies in the writing and the endearing cast of characters. I really enjoyed this book!
    • 4/5
      A great mystery read, as well as a brother-sister relationship story. The subject matter was heavy, but there was plenty of humor--and snark--in the dialogue to help keep it from getting TOO heavy. The conversations between the Battle siblings, Theresa and Jeff, were very realistic for two people who don't really know how to talk about their feelings, and therefore cover them up with shallow conversations.The mystery component was a REAL mystery, in that I didn't have it figured out in the first three chapters. The ending was a total surprise that I never saw coming. My only real complaint is that there was a little too much discussion of Theresa's thesis subject..many times it didn't seem to fit in the plot, and honestly it was pretty boring to me.I would definitely recommend this to any lover of mysteries, however, and will be looking at some of the author's earlier work, as well.
    • 4/5
      WHAT STRANGE CREATURES is an entertaining, well-crafted mystery that had me hooked from the beginning. Theresa is a divorced 35-year old who adopts a pet after every failed relationship – she’s up to four now. She works an unfulfilling job writing descriptions of scented candles, and in her spare time she struggles with her never ending dissertation on Margery Kempe, a medieval Christian mystic.Theresa’s ordinary life is shaken up when her brother Jeff is arrested for murdering his girlfriend, a young waitress named Kim. Desperately wanting to believe that Jeff is innocent despite the incriminating evidence against him, Theresa starts investigating Kim’s recent activities and is surprised by what she discovers. Theresa finds herself in a multi-layered mystery involving political scandals and older murder cases dating back to the early 90s. I enjoyed trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together, and there were some nice twists along the way. I did have an inkling about who the culprit was, but what stumped me most was the “why.”This is the first book by Emily Arsenault I’ve read, and I enjoyed her engaging writing-style and quirky, yet realistic, characters. Theresa is witty, snarky, and easily relatable, and many of her observations had me snickering. I especially loved how she threw in anecdotes from Margery Kempe’s eccentric life – both strange and funny. The animals in this book were a hoot too, especially the “puggle” called Wayne.WHAT STRANGE CREATURES was an exciting murder mystery with plenty of humor mixed in.Rating: 4.25 StarsDisclosure: Review copy from Edelweiss
    • 5/5
      What drew me to Emily Arsenault's book was that it revolved around an adult brother-sister relationship. That's not something you see all that frequently; there are many books with sisters' stories- Lisa See's Shanghai Girls, John Searles' Help For The Haunted and Louisa May Alcott's classic Little Women to name a few- but stories featuring brother-sister relationships are not as numerous.Arsenault's book pulled me in from it's opening line: "What are you supposed to do on the second night your brother is in jail on a murder charge?" Like Searles' brilliant novel, What Strange Creatures successfully combines a murder mystery with a family character study that makes your heart ache for the people involved.Theresa Battles is a thirty-something divorced woman who has been working for seven long years on her doctoral thesis about Margery Kempe, who is credited with writing the first autobiography in the English language. Kempe was a religious pilgrim, who had visions and believed that Jesus spoke to her. She was not a popular woman in her community, as her wailing and crying disturbed the neighbors.Theresa's brother Jeff is one year older than her and he's "supposed to be some kind of genius." Theresa believes that "while Jeff has many enviable skills- creativity, origami skill, loyalty, and superfast metabolism", she has never thought him a genius.Jeff drove a school bus for awhile, and then an ice cream truck. Now he was unemployed and spent his days drinking and his nights at Theresa's, hoping she has leftover takeout in her fridge. He finally has a girlfriend, Kim, who leaves home to visit her sister one weekend and never returns.Kim's body is found in a wooded area. A screwdriver with her blood on it is found in Jeff's car trunk and he is arrested for her murder. Theresa doesn't believe her brother is capable of killing Kim, and sets out to find the real murderer.Jeff seems to to think there is nothing he can do to help his situation. He lets things happen to him, instead of making things happen for him. Their last name "Battles" is ironic here; Jeff does nothing to fight for himself. He just wallows in his defeatist attitude about his life.Theresa says of their family dynamic:"Driving home, I considered the concept of enabler. It was something I'd been thinking about a lot lately. I never meant to be one, you see. I've noticed there is little sympathy out there for enablers. Not that there should be a great deal, but this is something I wish people understood: It's a role that sneaks up on you."and"If we were a family that talked directly about feelings or worries or troubling behaviors or anything at all, really, this would perhaps have been when we talked about it. But we don't, so we didn't. That's how it sneaks up on you, see?"When Jeff is arrested, Theresa says "We're used to disappointment." They believe their family motto should be "We're Battles. What chance did we have?" Their propensity to believe that bad things will happen to them is maddening and sad. We never discover where exactly this attitude comes from, and I was pleased not to find some deep, dark secret behind it. They are the way they are, and though their divorced parents can be difficult to deal with, they are no more difficult than anybody else's parents.They mystery of who killed Kim is satisfying and a careful reader may pick up on clues to the conclusion, although there is no shortage of suspects. Theresa gets herself into some tight spots trying to save her brother, and the sense of dread and panic builds as the story goes along. The title What Strange Creatures comes from a Jane Austen quote in Mansfield Park- "What strange creatures brothers are!" This is an astute, sharp psychological mystery that captured me from the opening line and didn't let go until the very end. The brother-sister dynamic is so heartfelt and realistic, I felt like I probably knew Jeff and Theresa Battles somewhere along the way.
    • 4/5
      You wouldn't think a divorced doctoral student, her older unemployed brother, a former juvenile delinquent turned author turned college professor, a former Hare Krishna member cum bartender, and a waitress would have much in common (especially when the waitress winds up dead). Throw into the mix the life lessons learned from a 14th century holy woman (want-to-be saint and author of the first autobiography) and murder and you have the makings for what first sounds like a disaster. Amazingly enough, Ms. Arsenault has the ability to take all of these disparate subjects and people and bring forth a wonderfully engrossing mystery. Theresa Battle is in her mid-thirties, divorced with one dog and three cats. She's been working on her doctoral dissertation for more years that she wants to think about and the subject is Margery Kempe, a 14th century housewife and author of the first autobiography. (Is it really an autobiography if the person is dictating the story and can't read it for authenticity and editorial purposes?) Theresa's older brother, Jeff is unemployed and stands accused of murdering his girlfriend, Kim. In an effort to clear her brother's name, Theresa sets off on quest to find out what Kim was researching. This quest takes quite a few twists and turns along the way and the wisdom of Margery is what keeps Theresa going strong. I found all of the characters in What Strange Creatures to be a little quirky, bordering on eccentric, but it worked. There were a few times when I wasn't quite sure where the action was taking me, but again it worked. If you want to read a mystery that leaves you guessing until the very end, then What Strange Creatures is the book for you.
    • 3/5
      Thank you LibraryThing for the advance reader copy. I enjoyed the book but felt it dragged in parts. I did like the ending. I would read this author again.
    • 4/5
      This book is about the Battle siblings, Theresa and Jeff. Both are intelligent but don't live to their potential. Theresa had been working on her Ph.D for seven years and Jeff is unemployed. Theresa agrees to babysit for Jeff's girlfriend Kim's dog for the week-end. Kim doesn't return for the dog and ends up dead. Jeff is arrested but Theresa doesn't believe her brother is a murderer, so she investigates Kim and the murder. While I liked the investigation, I didn't like the main characters. The ending is a surprise and is wrapped up very neatly.
    • 4/5
      Another great book by Emily Arsenault. Although at its heart it's a procedural mystery, What Strange Creatures is also an examination of relationships. Each character is well drawn with quirky details that make them both realistic and endearing.
    • 3/5
      Theresa and her brother, Jeff, still live in the same town where she grew up, just blocks from each other. Theresa has been working on her PhD for several years with no end in sight. Neither Theresa nor her brother have career plans in place or any particular drive to succeed at anything. Theresa is in a dead end job writing descriptions of frangrance candles for a local company. Jeff shows up one evening and tells Theresa that his girlfriend has disappeared. Within a few days, her body is found and Jeff is charged with the murder. Theresa investigates since the police feel they have solved the case. The book moves along at a slow pace, then a slower pace as Theresa investigates and interviews friends of the victim. Eventhually the murderer is revealed. I found myself irritated with the main character and her sibling. I cannot find fault with the plot which is interesting enough, but the story stalls at times.
    • 3/5
      This book had such promise for me, but did not deliver. The story blurb sounded so good, but I did not like the delivery. The characters sounded so rote, so droll. They never did "flesh out" for me. I could not get with the story. This may appeal to younger readers, but I prefer better writing and better development of character and story. With so many good books on my "to read" list, I will not be looking for others by this author.
    • 4/5
      Theresa Battle is a reluctant academic, stuck in the purgatory that is familiar to anyone with an ABD (all but dissertation). When her brother, Jeff, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Theresa sets out to figure out what really happened. Along the way, Theresa armors herself with the virtues of Marjorie Kemp, the real life religious zealot/saint who is the subject of her research. This is a quirky literary novel with a twist that is not completely predictable. Theresa is a strange but likeable character with enmeshed relationships with her numerous pets and low status job as a writer for a candle company. Although I thought the storyline was weighed down by the continued stories about Marjorie Kemp, overall the novel was enjoyable.
    • 3/5
      I've given this book 3 stars since I believe it would be enjoyable for other readers but it was not suitable to my taste. I really tried to get through it but only managed 153 pages before I closed it and passed it on to a friend. My favorite genre is mystery/thriller and this story seemed to drag and lacked the fast pace I prefer. I could not relate to the main character and found her boring and maybe even a little dim, even though she is a PhD candidate. Really disliked the tangent of the medieval character who is the subject of her dissertation. Probably good for some readers but if you like a fast-paced thriller, I cannot recommend this for you.
    • 3/5
      The Battle siblings have always felt that bad luck is their destiny . Nothing is ever a positive. Their take on life seems to be on target when Jeffery Battle is accused of murdering his girlfriend. Jeff's sister, Theresa, puts her boring job and her dissertation on hold to help her brother out. Theresa's character is well done and keeps the reader engaged. The brother and sister relationship is a thread throughout the book. As an aside, Theresa's dissertation is on a medieval woman, Margery Kemp, who wrote her own autobiography . Margery is not fictional and the author spends a good amount of time introducing her to the reader. The mystery has some twists and turns, is not violent. Generally an enjoyable read.This book was a LibraryThing Early Readers advanced copy.I realized when I finished this book that I had also read this author's first novel, The Broken Teaglass. The book was excellent, especially for book people.
    • 5/5
      If you watch "Dateline" on NBC, you know that when someone if found dead, the love one is the first to be focused on by the police. This gives you a glimpse at what a sister will do for her brother, who is arrest for killing his girlfriend. Keeps you guessing until the end.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed Ms. Arsenault's latest very much (she is a terrific writer!) although I'm still not sure I like the protag, or the relationship she has with her brother, I loved every word of their dialogue. And I loved the storyliine featuring Margery Kempe
    • 4/5
      I knew right away that this wasn’t going to be a regular run of the mill murder mystery. I could tell by the funny flippant way the main character talked about the first day after her brother’s arrest for murder. Theresa, the narrator and Jeff’s sister, has that non-filter dialogue going on in her head that kept me laughing during the most tense and inappropriate times. Bravo for dialogue that comes out of left field. Theresa is a PHD candidate writing her dissertation on a medieval woman saint; and she has a day job writing copy for a candle company. She has a houseful of pets, but isn’t doing well in the human relationship department. Her brother Jeff is supposed to be a genius, but can’t seem to get it together. Then he meets his new girlfriend Kim and things are looking up—until she is found murdered and he is the only suspect. Theresa wants to help her brother but it’s not looking good for him, and the more she looks into Kim’s background the more she puts herself in danger. I have to say that Emily Arsenault is a clever writer and I so enjoyed her characters. I didn’t guess the ending; which is rare for me. Small warning there is some adult situations and language. This gets 4 stars.
    • 3/5
      I was a little disappointed. This read more like a debut novel. Also, it seemed like this reeked of product placement ads. I'm not sure how much I liked the main character, I'm not sure the author did either. The references to Margery Kempe, a medieval mystic/pilgram took up way too much of the book and was boring. The actual mystery was good, however.