Dear Great Book Guru, With this beautiful weather, I am determined to find a good book and head for one of Sea Cliff’s beautiful parks - maybe Memorial Park.  There is no better reading experience than looking out over the Harbor with a compelling book.  Any suggestions?  Devoted Parkside Reader

Dear Parkside Reader, Remember - Sea Cliff has at least 17 designated parks so plenty of places and plenty of reading pleasure await you!  Let’s start with a literary thriller - a spy novel in the style of Graham Greene or John le Carre:  THE MATCHMAKER by Paul Vidich, set in Berlin 1989 as protests throughout East Germany portend the collapse of the Wall.   Ann Simpson, an American working with a refugee agency, is married to Stefan - a charming, bon vivant piano tuner who travels throughout Europe serving major orchestras. Luxurious hotels and lavish meals fill their days until the morning he does not return.  The life she had lived, the marriage she shared, the man she loved - none was as it seemed.  Instead, she learns he was happily married to another woman, father to a beloved son, and… a master spy.  She had been chosen by the “matchmaker” to be a cover for Stefan’s espionage.  The CIA, the Stasi, and MI6 are all involved in this subterfuge.  The story is fast-moving, but it is the character development, the  history of this strange time, and the moral quandary spying presents that make this a standout novel.  Highly recommended!