Cuckoo for "The Cuckoo's Egg"

The second Tuesday of the month. 75% of the year is bookclub dinner night.  The books really can be all over the map & for April 2010 our book was The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll.  This book was actually one of my offerings way back in the mists of time when our bookclub first started (for the record, it was edged out by Nancy Drew & The Secret of the Old Clock & then by Pink Slip & did not get offered up again until this year).

But we did finally read The Cuckoo's Egg & it was very much enjoyed.  Some enjoyed the way-back machine to a time with computers but before the interwebs, some enjoyed the lost hippie in a world of spooks, some enjoyed the cookie recipe & we all enjoyed the cookies.  We were ready to give this book a thumbs up review & then we happened to notice that the newer edition (some of us were reading older copies) was dedicated to a new WIFE!  Completely unacceptable.  A second bottle of wine was opened & the tide turned.

We worked our way through the default list of questions for non-fiction, but under it all there lurked a feeling that we were just not as happy as we had been before.  Previously we could have forgiven the hair, the casual work ethic (I also know a few physicists who have been known to snooze under the desk)-not that we all agreed on what needed to be forgiven, but we could forgive.  Now, though....

The upshot is we cyberstalked him & called him & asked him a very personal question (what happened to your first wife?).  He was very nice about the whole thing, answered the question, & even gave some updates about other people who appear in the book.  It probably helped that while it was 11-ish here, he was in a time zone that was not quite such an uncivilized hour. 

So, let us recommend this book highly & this author even more highly.  Your local library probably has a copy (or can get one) or it is pretty easy to find other places too (I happen to know there was one on paperbackswap not two weeks ago- no that is not my copy).  For everyone's sake though, do not open that second bottle of wine & do not call the author to find out what happened to Martha.  Just trust in happy  endings all around.  Except for the bad guys, they get what they deserve.