Book Chat - CLOSED by original moderator discussion

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A new year, and a new thread to report your reading plans and reviews.

Read any good books lately? We want to know about them.
How about real stinkers? We want to know about those too!

Enter your reading list and/or reviews here. Did you like it? Hate it? Feel lukewarm?

Share your thoughts with us.

Happy reading!


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Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen – 4****
What a delight to listen to this again. Having done so previously, and also having watched the PBS miniseries, I have an even greater appreciation for Austen's send-up of gothic novels. It's just a charming story and so well told! And, of course, we have a romantic HEA ending! What's not to like?
My full review HERE

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Girl, Woman, Other – Bernardine Evaristo – 4****
Evaristo’s collection of short stories earned her the 2019 Booker Prize, the first black woman to be so honored. As the title implies, the stories all focus on women and girls from childhood to old age and are primarily set in current-day Britain. The book features wide variety of unforgettable characters that fairly leap off the page, and the stories are loosely interconnected. I can hardly wait for my F2F book club discussion!
My full review HERE

Jack Maggs – Peter Carey – 3***
I had heard that this was inspired by Dickens’ Great Expectations . I can see similarities, though the focus here is not on Pip but on Magwitch. I did get quite caught up in Jack Maggs’s story and wondered a few times how Carey was going to wrap this up. The plot is definitely convoluted in places, with many twists and turns, and I did not really appreciate the Tobias Oates subplot. Carey’s writing is very atmospheric, and the city of London is explored in some detail, especially the impoverished slums and criminal underbelly.
My full review HERE

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies – Deesha Philyaw – 4****
In this wonderful collection of short stories, Philyaw explores the modern African-American woman and her hopes, dreams, relationships, and actions both in and away from church. The stories feature all ages, from children to great-grandmothers. Philyaw does a marvelous job of bringing these many characters to life. I could see a few of these stories expanded to novel length, but I find them satisfying in and of themselves.
My full review HERE

Resistance Women – Jennifer Chiaverini – 3.5***
This is a work of historical fiction concentrating on the women who worked in Germany as part of the resistance movement to thwart Hitler’s ambitions. I was engaged and interested from beginning to end. The novel spans the time from June 1929 to the year following the end of the war, 1946. I had to wonder at times, whether Chiaverini was lifting certain phrases and descriptions of the political climate that led to the rise of Nazism from current-day news reporting and commentary. It was chillingly familiar.
My full review HERE

Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia – 3***
This is not the kind of book I normally read, but I was fascinated by the story and gripped by the tension. The atmosphere is dark and chilling. It reminded me a bit of The Ruins by Scott Smith, and/or Stephen King’s The Shining . But it entirely Moreno-Garcia’s own story. I did wonder why she incorporated an English family with their English-style mansion; perhaps she felt her readers wouldn’t identify with malevolence in an adobe hacienda.
My full review HERE

The Virgin Suicides – Jeffrey Eugenides – 3.5***
Eugenides’ debut work focuses on one family in a Detroit suburb. The five Lisbon sisters chafe against their mother’s strict rules and attract the attention of the neighborbood boys. Eugenides can write characters that fairly jump off the page, they are so real and so passionate about their feelings. But this book is somewhat different. There is an ethereal quality to this novel. We never really know what happens inside the Lisbon home, we have only the memories of men who, some twenty years later, cannot let go of the events of that year. What they remember most clearly is how they felt – their hopes, dreams, passions, fears. And although they witnessed the girls’ final acts, they are haunted by what they did not – and never will – know.
My full review HERE

The Yellow Wallpaper and Selected Writings – Charlotte Perkins Gilman – 4****
The title short story is Gilman’s classic story of a woman driven mad by her husband’s controlling “remedy” for her post-partum depression. . First published in 1892, Gilman’s story ignited some controversy, and she has been hailed as a feminist. She certainly is that. Frankly, I was not a great fan of this story and dreaded reading the rest of the collection as a result, but I’m glad I persisted. The stories celebrate the advantages of living a full life, identifying one’s strengths and nurturing those talents, and following one’s dreams. While the focus is on women – how they are repressed, how they overcome, how they succeed – more than one man benefits from adapting to a change in traditional roles.
My full review HERE

Longbourn – Jo Baker – 3.5***
I really enjoyed this follow-up version to Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice . Yes, the major events from P&P are all present, but Baker gives us a rich background to the Longbourn and Netherfield servants that are mostly invisible in Austen’s classic. Regency England had many rules and restrictions that governed proper behavior, whether for the ladies and gentlemen of the upper class, or the servants, farmers and tradespeople in the towns. And this adds an additional layer of suspense in the slow-burn romance between Sarah and her paramour.
My full review HERE

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen – 4****
It's no wonder this is a classic. Austen is simply the master of dialogue. The way in which the characters interact brings them to life. From Mrs Bennet’s hysterics, to Lydia’s self-centered teen-aged giddiness, to Mr Collins’ simpering diatribes, to Jane’s cautious and measured observations, to Elizabeth’s outrage and clever responses to Darcy and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the dialogue simply sparkles.
My full review HERE

Leonard and Hungry Paul – Rónán Hession – 4****
Two thirty-something single men are friends. They each live at home, they play board games, take satisfaction in their work, like to read, and are, in general, nice. Can quiet, gentle people change the world? Oh, I loved this book! I liked how Hession showed us these two men slowly and gently, revealing their strengths and flaws, as we got to know them. The ending is perfect. Happy and hopeful but not tied up in a nice, neat bow.
My full review HERE

The Whale Rider – Witi Ihimaera – 5***** and a ❤
What a wonderful story. Magical, mystical, and yet completely relatable. Eight-year-old Kahu wants nothing so much as to please her Grandfather and be loved by him. But he dismisses her as a “useless girl.” Still, her grandmother, father and uncle champion her cause, as she comes of age and proves that she has what it takes to become chief and lead her people.
My full review HERE

West Side Rising – Char Miller & Julian Castro – 4****
Subtitle: How San Antonio's 1921 Flood Devastated a City and Sparked a Latino Environmental Justice Movement. I grew up in San Antonio’s West Side and witnessed many a flood in our neighborhood. This book explores not only the results of the city’s founding in a flood plain, but the political decisions – motivated by class and racial prejudice – that ensured that the areas poorest citizens would continue to suffer for centuries despite contributing tax dollars to help the wealthy stay dry. And how, a group of those West Side residents, fueled by yet another flood, marshalled their collective political power to achieve major changes.
My full review HERE

The Duke and I – Julia Quinn – 3.5***
Book one in the Bridgertons series. This was everything a regency romance should be. There is a young marriageable lady in need of a husband, an aloof, dashingly handsome but rakish duke, and enough sexual tension and plot twists to keep things interesting and the pages turning.
My full review HERE

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets Of the Universe – Benjamin Alire Sáenz – 4****
This is a coming-of-age story featuring two Mexican-American teens trying to figure out their place in the world. I enjoyed this book and felt connected to these boys and their struggles. I’m way past that stage of life, but I remember the pain of not feeling like I fit in, the joy of finally having a good friend, the fumblings and push/pull of early romantic encounters. And I loved Ari and Dante, their reliance on one another and their growing relationship.
My full review HERE

Lady Clementine – Marie Benedict – 3.5***
This work of historical fiction focuses on Lady Clementine Churchill, the woman beside (not behind) the man, Winston Churchill. Lady Clementine emerges from the pages as a strong woman, with the courage of her convictions and easily able to stand up to (and for) the man in her life, helping Winston Churchill achieve the successes for which he is so well known.
My full review HERE

First: Thank-you so very Much BC for keeping this group going.

Not only did I move but I didn't have much access to my favorite Library; the one in La Cañada Flintridge, where I once worked & is now 70+ miles away. I still use that Library, so I'm only there once a month; but I have been reading.

I'll do my best to keep up ;)

Faking It:Jennifer Crusie
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I have just finished rereading this book; I often reread Crusie as I find her hilarious.

The Goodnight family owns a no longer successful art gallery:

Gwennie's husband is long gone (he ran the gallery & forced his family to paint for him), she spends her days working Double-Crostics, and has a penchant for adding little pointed teeth to the animals in her paintings & cross-stitches.

Tilda, Gwennie's daughter, now copies Impressionist Paintings onto wall murals for paying customers in order to keep the family afloat.
Nadine, Tilda's niece, has just sold the remaining Scarlett and of course, because she doesn't know Tilda was Scarlett, Tilda wants her painting back.

Davey, a lovely con-man, is in town wanting his stolen $$$$ back from Clea, who is running a scam of her own and has just purchased the Scarlett; which Davey has agreed to steal & return to Tilda....

Then there is the rest of the screwball family & conmen all out to score off of each other or to get even.

A hilarious Rom-Com that for me, has stood the test of time

Agnes & the Hitman: Jennifer Crusie
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I have just finished rereading this book; I often reread Crusie as I find her hilarious.
Let's see; Agnes has a problem with men who cheat & make her angry... As she is usually in her kitchen when they are stupid enough to confront her (or are ahem on her kitchen table) she usually grabs whatever is at hand to help her vent her anger: her favorite heavy duty frying pan or her meat fork.

Agnes has gone through court appointed therapy & often talks to her therapist (in her head) when she's angry & attempting to control her mouth & actions.
Agnes was left behind by her parents & put into a Boarding School, where she became much feared. There she met LL, Lisa Livia, who became her best friend & took Agnes home with her.

LL's father disappeared 25 years ago, as did a much valuable diamond necklace and 50 million dollars; suspicion is Brenda (his wife) killed him; but the $$$$ & necklace disappeared.
Currently, Agnes, writes newspaper columns & has finished a very popular cookbook, "Cooking With the Mob" using many of Joey's recipes. Someone has written a piece of Agnes in the local paper & posted a photo of of her dog, Rhett, wearing a collar that looks suspiciously like the missing diamond necklace.

When a young swamp dweller brandishing a gun breaks in & tries to steal Rhett, she does what she does best; thwacks him with her frying pan in the head; Swamp-boy, falls against & through the wall and into a basement that has no stairs, breaking his neck & killing him.

Agnes immediately calls Joey, who calls his nephew, Shane (the hitman), to come & take care of Agnes.... And then the fun, danger, & romance begins, untangling a 25-year old mystery of murder & mayhem.

Basket Case: Carl Hiaasen
♥ ♥ 1/2

Unfortunately this was not as funny as I remembered it; and some of the narratives were so very long, tedious, & boring that I skimmed those.

Jack Taggar writes obituaries for the local paper; he was a top reporter, but he had the poor sense to rip the new owners to shred over their destruction of the paper at a board meeting. Since that time his new editor, Emma, has been looking to fire him, but cannot come up with reason to do so.
Jack is obsessed with the death of his missing father and of famous writers, as his 47th birthday nears, Jack compares himself more & more to the likes of those who died before their 47th birthday; Oscar Wild, Albert Camus, H.P. Lovecraft, & George Orwell.

Exit Jimmy Stoma the lead singer & leader of the defunct rock 'n' roll band The Slut Puppies. Jimmy disappeared while scuba diving a WWII plane crash while in the Bahamas and was later found miles away from the dive spot, dead.

Jimmy had been working on some new music, but shared it with no one except one of his 2 bass players. Jimmy's one-hit-wonder wife, Cleo, is anything but the grieving widow and has Jimmy cremated without an autopsy.

Several band members have the misfortune of dying violent deaths after their living spaces are burglarized & trashed, with one surviving to tell the tale to Jack.

Jimmy's sister smells something fishy (pun intended) and asks Jack to help her find out what Jimmy was hiding, why he was murdered, & what Cleo has to do with all of it.

After much arguing, Emma, joins Jack in his quest for the truth and the revitalizing of the newspaper.

Magic Lessons: Alice Hoffman
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2

"Magic Lessons" is the story of the first Owens woman, Maria.

Maria was found as an infant, wrapped in a fine quality wool blanket, stitched in blue, by Hannah Owens. Hannah knew by the crow that had claimed the child, that Maria was one of those special children that would grow to become a woman of service and power.

From early on, Hannah, taught Maria about herbs, elixirs, teas, healing & spells and the creed; "so harm ye none" (although that isn't actually how Hoffman wrote it).

Eventually Hannah's birth mother comes to visit, which sets off a tragic chain of events, forcing Hannah to live with her mother & her mother's lover, a particularly adept thief.
After a time, Hannah's mother, her lover & Hannah must flee from the wrath of Hannah's mother's husband's family; and Hannah finds herself to be an indentured servant on the Caribbean island of Curaçao.

Hannah, falls for a man of two natures; free & loving/staunch & righteous who leaves her pregnant with her daughter Faith... With no place else to go, Hannah boards a ship to the US after promising to heal the ship owner's son of Bone Break Fever.
In the US, Hannah finds the father of her daughter in Salem and involved in the witch trials.....

So very much more to this story

Well written and such a compelling read. Good versus evil, what one will do for love, what one will do for revenge and the price one pays.

God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen: Rhys Bowen
♥ ♥ 1/2

I'm not sure why I keep reading this series, the characters, for the most part, are really awful people.

Georgiana, is the Great-Granddaughter of Queen Victoria, & the Granddaughter of King George & Queen Mary; but up until her marriage to Darcy O'Mara, she was stone broke and living in the London home of her brother Binky & his (jealous/petty) wife Fig.

Now she is living w/ Darcy in the country estate Fairleigh, which will be eventually be passed on to her. As it is Christmas, Georgie & Darcy decide to invite their friends & family to Fairleigh for a holiday house party. Unfortunately most of Georgie's friends decline as they have other commitments.

At the last moment, Darcy's Aunt Ermintrude, invites Georgie, Darcy & their family to Christmas at her grace & favor home, which is a part of Sandringham.

Accidents begin to happen: Price David is shot at; Wallis is knocked unconscious; a young Equerry is killed; an old lecher is killed; and Darcy might be next.

Georgie is requested to look into the accidents by Queen Mary, which she does and discovers that all have a propensity for indiscrete behavior.

A quick & mediocre read, so I skimmed most of it...

What I'd really like to know is why the artist who does the book covers Always make Georgie look like Jerry Mahoney the ventriloquist dummy?

The House in the Cerulean Sea: TJ Klune
♥ ♥ ♥

Linus Baker is a by the book caseworker for Department in Charge of Magical Youth. His reports are unemotional, but honest, always focused on what is best for the children.

He is sent by the Extremely Upper Management to the island where Arthur Parnassus & Zoe (a Sprite) are caretaking 6 very special children: Talia, a bearded gnome; Sal, a shape-shifting Pomeranian; Phee, a wood Sprite; Theodore, a Wyvern; Chauncy, a jellyfish; & Lucy, Lucifer in order to write a report that will decide the fate of the children.

Trouble unfolds when Linus, Arthur, & Zoe take the children into town for a day out & a few of the townspeople react badly towards the children; forcing the Mayor to stand up to the troublemakers.
I liked the story, it was pretty well written & held my interest. My only problem was how the LGBTQ romantic aspects of the story were written in; one was slightly alluded to 3/4 into the book, very near the end and the other was introduced at the end.

If the point of the book was to preach that we are all just people in search/need of love and that there should be no limitations or bias, I have no problem with that. But I honestly felt that the author snuck in the LGBTQ element too late in the book, as if he were afraid that had he focused on the LGBTQ aspect earlier, he'd have a much smaller audience.

Hence, I was put off by the ending and what I perceived as a hidden agenda, so I took off 1 ♥ from my rating and will most likely not read the sequel

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows: Balli Kaur Jaswal
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This book is a mixture of: Mystery, Romance, Family, Ethnic, & Erotica, which I found held my interest. I did ,however, ignore the erotica; not because I didn't want to read it or dislike it; but I did find it detracted from the rest of the story. I will go back a read the erotica at a later time...

Nikki, carries the guilt of the death of her father for her leaving law school without making amends. She lives above the pub she works in & inadvertently stumbles into investigating a murder while attempting to teach reading & writing to a group of Punjabi widows, who are more interested in telling erotic stories to each other.

The stories are transcribed & copied for the group, until one of the group decides to share the stories... and then copies of the stories spread like wildfire through the Punjabi women's community.
Entwined in the class was 1 woman who actually wanted to learn to read & write, and she is the pivotal character, somehow with secret knowledge of the murder of the Women's Center Administrator's daughter.

I liked the story and I read it through in 2 sittings (because sometimes I do sleep & do other things). The intricacies of the Punjabi community were interesting to read about, as were those of the widows.

My suggestion is to read this book & if you do not like erotica, then skip over it, as it is written in italics and easy to spot.

The Girl With All the Gifts: MR Carey
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Fooooooook..... This book was sheer terror, emotion, & redemption; I can't even begin to explain it...

Somewhere, outside of London, is a military base & science lab that houses children. The children are housed in cells, disinfected & fed grubs every Sunday, and with necks, legs, torsos, & arms strapped to wheelchairs then taken to class during the week.

Melanie is one of these children, everyone, except Miss Justineau is afraid of these children; they are "Hungries", zombie-like creatures that feed upon humans; thus infecting the humans with a virus that takes over the brain & turns them into Hungries as well.
Dr Caldwell is the lead researcher & she has a lab inside the military base where she vivisections the children, removing their brains & inspects slices of their brains in an attempt to understand the virus & create a vaccine for it (sound familiar).

Dr Caldwell forces Miss Justineau to choose 1/2 of the children to be her next victims; when Justineau refuses, Caldwell comes after Melanie. Just as Caldwell is about to saw Melanie's cranium open there is an explosion and the base is invaded by the local "junkers" (scavengers/proud boys).

Dr Caldwell, Miss Justineau, Melanie, Sergeant Parks, & Private Gallagher are forced to flee.... But not before Melanie is allowed to feast on two of the junkers that are about to kill them...

The group escapes via a Humvee, that eventually breaks an axle.. and their journey to safety continues; through fighting more hungries & Dr Caldwell, who is hell-bent on continuing her experiments on Melanie.

I'm not going to say any more; however, I will tell you this was a well written & riveting read, which was so fraught with emotion & terror that it took me 4 days to read it.

Skipping Christmas: John Grisham
👎👎👎

This book made me angry: Such a deliberate snarky commentary on people who decide to skip the hype, save money and do something relaxing & out-of-the-box for themselves rather than give in to the demands of society & their neighbors.
I was sorely disappointed: first Grisham named the family "Krank" (why not Scrooge), then he used some racial slurs about the Native people in Peru... What an arse.

After Luther & Nora's daughter decides to go to Peru to help native children become colonized by teaching them to read; Luther goes over the previous year's Holiday expenditures, $6,100 (9% of his annual salary) and decides that he wants to do something different; that something is a 10 day Caribbean cruise, departure date 12/25.

Then arguments with their neighbors begin, Luther & Nora are verbally trashed, insulted, & harassed daily by their wonderful "christian" neighbors....

The day before they are to leave for their cruise, their daughter calls to say she's in Miami w/ her new Peruvian fiancé, that they will be home for christmas & are expecting the works.

Rather than being Honest with their daughter, Luther & Nora give in....

I was disgusted by this book; that the refusal of pandering to the attitudes of their neighbors caused the Kranks to be continually harassed as well as the lack of respect that their neighbors had for them and their decision to "skip christmas".

As far as I'm concerned the only "selfish" people were the Kranks' neighbors

The Personal Librarian: Marie Benedict
♥ ♥

The book is a fictionalized account of the life of Belle Marion da Costa Greene (nee Greener), who was the personal librarian for J.P. Morgan & his collection of manuscripts, paintings & other collections.

Belle's father, Richard Greener, was a famous Civil Rights leader in the early 1900's, but when Belle's mother decided to pass her family (children) off as white in order to give them a better life & increase their career opportunities while living in New York, Richard left them; as doing so was a betrayal of his beliefs & life's work.

Apparently, JP Morgan, never discovered that Belle wasn't "white". How that could have been, I have no idea, as he was a more than astute businessman & had a shrewd ability to assess a person's character.

I found the book to be boring and Belle to be lacking substance.

The Venice Sketchbook: Rhys Paul Bowen
♥ ♥ ♥

This is the story of Juliet's (Aunt Lettie) life & love in Venice during 1939-1941 and that of her niece & heir, Caroline in 2001.

When we meet Caroline, her husband has abandoned her & has brought their son to N.Y. to live w/ his new Pop-Star girlfriend.

Caroline, in turn has gone on a search to find out what her inheritance from her Aunt is & scatter her Aunt's ashes in Venice; where she comes upon her Aunt's secret apartment & life.

The book held my interest, but all of the betrayal from all factions saddened me. The ending of Caroline's story was left up in the air.

Madame Tussaud: Michelle Moran
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Years (and I do mean many, many) ago there was another fictional account titled: "I Madame Tussaud", which I am no longer able to locate. Because I liked the book so much I decided to read this as well.

This book did not disappoint, but I learned more about the French Revolution & the major instigators, who turned out to be a group of murdering thugs and no better than the Royals; who only knew what they were told by their councilors & nobles.

Yes, I believe, the revolution could have been avoided and the loss of lives avoided; but when greed and inhumanity reign (no pun intended) eventually chaos takes its toll.

From Amazon: "Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud (born Anna Maria Grosholtz) has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire
From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires.
After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away
from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.

As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princesse Élisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.

Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . .
Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?

Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom."

I enjoyed the book, I found it well written and engrossing, as well as informative.

The French Paradox: Ellen Crosby
🥱 😾

Apparently Jacqueline Kennedy had an affair w/ the main character's grandfather when Jackie was a young woman studying art in France....

Blah, blah, blah, blah: Name dropping throughout the first several chapters (which I'm sure continued throughout), not only bored me, but turned me off. So much so that I never got to the middle of the book:
Seriously? I Couldn't Care Less about this book or the characters. Just plain annoying

The Molten City: Chris Nickson
👍👍
From Amazon: "Detective Superintendent Tom Harper senses trouble ahead when the prime minister plans a visit. Can he keep law and order on the streets while also uncovering the truth behind a missing child?

Leeds, September 1908. There’s going to be a riot. Detective Superintendent Tom Harper can feel it. Herbert Asquith, the prime minster, is due to speak in the city. The suffragettes and the unemployed men will be out in the streets in protest. It’s Harper’s responsibility to keep order. Can he do it?

Harper has also received an anonymous letter claiming that a young boy called Andrew Sharp was stolen from his family fourteen years before. The file is worryingly thin. It ought to have been bulging. A missing child should have been headline news. Why was Andrew’s disappearance ignored? Determined to uncover the truth about Andrew Sharp and bring the boy some justice, Harper is drawn deep into the dark underworld of child-snatching, corruption and murder as Leeds becomes a molten, rioting city."

This certainly held my interest and not only did I enjoy the story, but most importantly, I liked the characters. I also like the historical aspect of the Women's Rights Movement.

Mr. Campion's War: Mike Ripley
😕

Well, this was certainly boooring! So much so, that I skimmed a good portion. Too often I find Ripley's writing self gratuitous & Campion to be erudite & smug.

Albert Campion is celebrating his 70th birthday w family, friends, & dubious acquaintances. During dinner, Albert relates his wartime exploits in relation to W16. Listening in is his daughter-in-law and a former German Intelligence Officer.... Most everyone present at the dinner party involved in the story.

After dinner the German is found out on the terrace stabbed, thankfully only a flesh wound, but leaving a cryptic clue for campion, who swiftly deduces who-done-it and why.... forcing the truth of a past murder to come to light.

On Copper Street: Chris Nickson
👌

Leeds England: 1895
A thief who specializes in fine silver is found murdered the day after his release from prison.... Subsequently all those involved with him & his crimes are also eventually murdered; even a policeman from the precinct where both the policeman & thief came from...

At the same time acid is thrown on to two young teens in a local bakery; no one had a grudge against the kids, but there was something deeper going on; revenge for past deeds.

For me, the murderer was obvious from the beginning, but not the crime of the acid.

I like the characters: Tom Harper & his wife (a suffragette), the policemen under Tom, and the way in which the story unfolded.

The Tin God: Chris Nickson
👍👍 ★ ★ ★ ★

From Amazon: "When Superintendent Tom Harper’s wife is threatened during an election campaign, the hunt for the attacker turns personal.

Leeds, England. October, 1897. Superintendent Harper is proud of his wife Annabelle. She’s one of seven women selected to stand for election as a Poor Law Guardian. But even as the campaign begins, Annabelle and the other female candidates start to receive anonymous letters from someone who believes a woman’s place lies firmly in the home.

The threats escalate into outright violence when an explosion rips through the church hall where Annabelle is due to hold a meeting – with fatal consequences. The only piece of evidence Harper has is a scrap of paper left at the scene containing a fragment from an old folk song. But what is its significance?

As polling day approaches and the attacks increase in menace and intensity, Harper knows he’s in a race against time to uncover the culprit before more deaths follow. With the lives of his wife and daughter at risk, the political becomes cruelly personal …"

I liked this book, I like the characters, and this series holds my interest: I find most of them to be compelling reads & will usually finish one in a day.

Mr Campion's Seance: Mike Ripley
🤷‍♀️

From Amazon: "The truth is stranger than fiction for Albert Campion in this gripping mystery where murder, detective novels and the supernatural collide.

1946, London. The eagerly anticipated new detective novel from Albert Campion's godsibling, bestselling author Evadne Childe, is proving to be another runaway success.

Unfortunately, it has also caught the attention of Superintendent Stanislaus Oates for reasons that go beyond its superior plotting. The crime at the heart of The Bottle Party Murder bears a number of striking similarities to a very real, recent and unsolved murder at the Grafton Club in Soho. Evadne wrote the book before the murder occurred, yet predicts it remarkably accurately - is it just a weird coincidence, is Evadne getting her information from 'the other side', or is something more sinister afoot?

The repercussions of this extraordinary and complex case will reach out over the next fifteen years, drawing in three of Mr Campion's favourite policemen - Oates, Yeo and Luke - before finally coming to its violent conclusion in 1962."

Although I like the premise of the Campion books, I do not like Ripley's writing. I find the writing boring and self-congratulatory on his part. I also find the minutia of each of Campion's dialogs & recounting of his past adventures/conversations dreadful and so I skip most of it.

A Curious Beginning: Deanna Raybourn
🤷‍♀️

From Amazon: "London, 1887. After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth."

Actually the premise of the story was quite good, as was most of dialogue. What was tedious was all of the chase, run, hide, & get out of harm's way parts, which were most of the book.

Veronica was rather snarky, but I basically liked her, and I certainly liked Stoker.

For some reason this series seems familiar, but I'll try reading a 2nd one & see how much further I'll read after that.

Dangerous to Know: Renee Patrick
🙂

At the behest of Marlene Dietrich, Lillian Frost & Edith Head look into the disappearance of a 2nd-rate musician, who has many secrets and just might be a Nazi spy.

While searching for the musician's teacher (a Jew who has left Germany behind) at his hideaway cabin in Pacific Palisades, Lillian, happens to see the body of the musician at the base of the hills.

The musician is wanted by several people for several reasons, one is blackmail....

Meanwhile, Lillian is being secretly investigated by the FBI for her possible connection to Albert Chaperau, a diplomat, who in real life, was arrested for illegally importing couture clothing & jewelry for rich & famous personages in order to avoid import taxes.

I enjoyed the actual historical aspect of the book. As the book took place in Hollywood, L.A., & the Paramount Studios, I didn't find the use of famous personages annoying as I have in other books where it seemed as the author was name dropping.

I also was able to recollect several of the places/locations as I had once lived in the area.

The Cry of the Hangman:Susanna Caulkins
🙂 ★ ★ ★ ★

From Amazon: "London, 1667. Printer’s apprentice Lucy Campion is unsettled when, on a frozen December morning after church, an elderly woman dressed in mourning clothes whispers an ominous warning in her ear.

Lucy sternly tells herself it’s nonsense, but then her much-loved former master, Magistrate Hargrave, is viciously attacked with a brass hourglass during a break-in. But what exactly was the intruder searching for? And why did they first stop to steal a piece of Cook’s lamb and lentil pie?

The puzzling case is just the start of a series of dark, bizarre crimes. Lucy’s determined to uncover the truth and see that justice is done. But someone is equally determined to stop her – whatever it takes.

This page-turning historical mystery set in Renaissance London is a great choice for readers who like their heroines lively, their mysteries twisty and their historical settings brimming with authenticity."

This book held my interest, I was surprised that a woman (former servant) was so well regarded by the police; but that might be explained in the previous book.

I liked most of the characters, but I found the plot to be rather twisted & in some parts long of narrative.

Be My Ghost: Carol J Perry
🙂

From Amazon: "Maureen's career as a sportswear buyer hits a snag just before Halloween, when the department store declares bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Finn's lost his way as a guide dog after flunking his test for being too friendly and easily distracted. Sadly, only one of them can earn unemployment, so Maureen's facing a winter of discontent in Boston - when she realizes she can't afford her apartment.

Salvation comes when she receives a mysterious inheritance: an inn in Haven, Florida, a quaint, scenic town on the Gulf of Mexico hidden away from the theme parks. Maureen believes it's a good place to make a fresh start with a new business venture. But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a dead body on her property - and meets some of the inn's everlasting tenants in the form of ghosts who offer their otherworldly talents in order to help her solve the mystery...."

A nice story that held my interest. The main character wasn't bad or too shallow. The book held my interest and I'll read another.

Labyrinth Lost:Zoraida Cordova
😃 ★ ★ ★ ★

From Amazon: "The first book in the Latinx-infused Queer fantasy series from highly acclaimed author Zoraida Córdova that follows three sisters―and teen witches―as they develop their powers and battle magic through epic questing in the realms beyond.

Alex is a bruja and the most powerful witch in her family. But she's hated magic ever since it made her father disappear into thin air. So while most girls celebrate their Quinceañera, Alex prepares for her Deathday―the most important day in a bruja's life and her only opportunity to rid herself of magic.

But the curse she performs during the ceremony backfires, and her family vanishes, forcing Alex to absorb all of the magic from her family line. Left alone, Alex seeks help from Nova, a brujo with ambitions of his own.

To get her family back they must travel to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland. And while she's there, what she discovers about herself, her powers, and her family, will change everything..."

Very interesting story that held my interest; the characters were pretty much likeable, although we really don't learn much about Alexandra's sisters until the next books in the series.

The story is fraught with danger & excitement as well as good vs evil and as it is a YA title, it is not overly complicated.

The Address: Fiona Davis
👌 ★ ★ ★ ★

From Amazon: "From the New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue comes the compelling national bestselling novel about the thin lines between love and loss, success and ruin, passion and madness, all hidden behind the walls of The Dakota—New York City’s most famous residence.

When a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibility—no mean feat for a servant in 1884. The opportunity to move to America. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. And the opportunity to see more of Theo, who understands Sara like no one else...and is living in the Dakota with his wife and three young children.

One hundred years later, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities: Fresh out of rehab, the former interior designer is homeless, jobless, and penniless. Bailey's grandfather was the ward of famed architect Theodore Camden, yet Bailey won't see a dime of the Camden family's substantial estate; instead, her “cousin” Melinda—Camden's biological great-granddaughter—will inherit almost everything.

So when Melinda offers to let Bailey oversee the renovation of her lavish Dakota apartment, Bailey jumps at the chance, despite her dislike of Melinda's vision. The renovation will take away all the character of the apartment Theodore Camden himself lived in...and died in, after suffering multiple stab wounds by a former Dakota employee who had previously spent seven months in an insane asylum—a madwoman named Sara Smythe.

A century apart, Sara and Bailey are both tempted by and struggle against the golden excess of their respective ages--for Sara, the opulence of a world ruled by the Astors and Vanderbilts; for Bailey, the nightlife's free-flowing drinks and cocaine—and take refuge in the Upper West Side's gilded fortress. But a building with a history as rich, and often as tragic, as the Dakota's can't hold its secrets forever, and what Bailey discovers inside could turn everything she thought she knew about Theodore Camden—and the woman who killed him—on its head."

This was a very interesting book as well as a murder mystery and it held my interest. I really wasn't thrilled with the 20th Century characters, as I found them shallow, but it was interesting how they tied in with the past.

I liked reading the history & the descriptions of the Dakota & thankfully John Lennon was left mostly out of it. I also liked how Nellie Bly played in and the twist in the story.

[bookcover:Murder Knocks Twice|41150548

Murder Knocks Twice: Susanna Caulkins
😃

From Amazon: The first mystery in Susanna Calkins’ captivating new series takes readers into the dark, dangerous, and glittering underworld of a 1920's Chicago speakeasy.

Gina Ricci takes on a job as a cigarette girl to earn money for her ailing father―and to prove to herself that she can hold her own at Chicago’s most notorious speakeasy, the Third Door. She’s enchanted by the harsh, glamorous world she discovers: the sleek socialites sipping bootlegged cocktails, the rowdy ex-servicemen playing poker in a curtained back room, the flirtatious jazz pianist and the brooding photographer―all overseen by the club’s imposing owner, Signora Castallazzo. But the staff buzzes with whispers about Gina’s predecessor, who died under mysterious circumstances, and the photographer, Marty, warns her to be careful.

When Marty is brutally murdered, with Gina as the only witness, she’s determined to track down his killer. What secrets did Marty capture on his camera―and who would do anything to destroy it? As Gina searches for answers, she’s pulled deeper into the shadowy truths hiding behind the Third Door."
Easy to read, rather entertaining, held my interest, & twist in the plot: I'd like for Gina to be more developed...

The Fate of a Flapper: Susanna Caulkins
😃

From Amazon: "The Fate of a Flapper, the second mystery in this captivating new series, takes readers into the dark, dangerous, and glittering underworld of a 1920's Chicago speakeasy.

A 2019 Agatha Award Nominee for "Best Historical Mystery"!

After nine months as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, one of Chicago’s premier moonshine parlors, Gina Ricci feels like she's finally getting into the swing of things. The year is 1929, the Chicago Cubs are almost in the World Series, neighborhood gangs are all-powerful, and though Prohibition is the law of the land, the Third Door can't serve the cocktails fast enough.

Two women in particular are throwing drinks back with abandon while chatting up a couple of bankers, and Gina can't help but notice the levels of inebriation and the tension at their table. When the group stumbles out in the early morning, she tries to put them out of her head. But once at home that night, Gina's sleep is interrupted when her cousin Nancy, a police officer, calls―she's found a body. Gina hurries over to photograph the crime scene, but stops short when she recognizes the body: it’s one of the women from the night before.

Could the Third Door have served the woman bad liquor? Or, Gina wonders, could this be murder? As the gangs and bombings draw ever closer, all of Chicago starts to feel like a warzone, and Gina is determined to find out if this death was an unlucky accident, or a casualty of combat."

I found the book interesting and easy to read. There was enough tension & goings on that I completely missed "who done it". Just getting to know the characters a bit better, but still not enough.

Design for Dying: Renee Patrick
😃

From Goodreads: "This debut is the first in a series of riveting behind-the-scenes mysteries from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Los Angeles, 1937. Lillian Frost has traded dreams of stardom for security as a department store salesgirl . . . until she discovers she’s a suspect in the murder of her former roommate, Ruby Carroll. Party girl Ruby died wearing a gown she stole from the wardrobe department at Paramount Pictures, domain of Edith Head.

Edith has yet to win the first of her eight Academy Awards; right now she’s barely hanging on to her job, and a scandal is the last thing she needs. To clear Lillian’s name and save Edith’s career, the two women join forces.

Unraveling the mystery pits them against a Hungarian princess on the lam, a hotshot director on the make, and a private investigator who’s not on the level. All they have going for them are dogged determination, assists from the likes of Bob Hope and Barbara Stanwyck, and a killer sense of style. In show business, that just might be enough."

Well, I certainly didn't figure out "who done it" until right near the end, as my guess was not brought in for the gathering of suspects."

The story held my interest and I read it straight through. Although many of the characters were Paramount stars, with the exception of Edith head, they were mostly cameos for the setting of the story and were not used in an annoying manner.

Lillian & Edith work well together and I enjoy their quirky relationship. The madcap chase scenes are fun. I hope there will be more to come in t his series.

Something: Carol J Perry

🙀

A bit more violent than the one before it... The really odd thing is the Detective boyfriend encourages her investigative skills & habits. I'm lukewarm on the characters; don't love them-don't hate them..

From Amazon: "Salem's WICH-TV program director Lee Barrett is about to discover no good deed goes unpunished...

Lee has been promoted from field reporter to program director. Keeping track of all the shows and managing the local TV personalities--including a cowboy, a clown, and a performing dog--has her head spinning. Perhaps that's what makes her take pity on the distraught woman she finds sitting alone on a bench on the Salem common. When she realizes that the poor woman doesn't even know her own name, Lee takes her into the warmth of the home she shares with her Aunt Ibby and their clairvoyant gentleman cat, O'Ryan. Maybe Lee can use her own psychic gifts to divine the woman's identity.

Lee's detective beau Pete Mondello wants to talk to the "Jane Doe," but before he can investigate, he's called to a crime scene. A body has been found washed up in a narrow harbor cove. As harmless as her new houseguest seems, Lee can't help but wonder if she may be harboring a killer...

A Murder at Rosamund's Gate: Susanna Caulkins
👌
From Amazon: "For Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid serving in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and someone close to Lucy falls under suspicion. Lucy can't believe it, but in a time where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, lawyers aren't permitted to defend their clients, and―if the plague doesn't kill the suspect first―public executions draw a large crowd of spectators, Lucy knows she may never find out what really happened. Unless, that is, she can uncover the truth herself.

Determined to do just that, Lucy finds herself venturing out of her expected station and into raucous printers' shops, secretive gypsy camps, the foul streets of London, and even the bowels of Newgate prison on a trail that might lead her straight into the arms of the killer."

I liked this book, even if it was a bit gruesome... I did not figure out who the murderer was, the Red Herring snagged me. The story held my interest and I basically like all of the characters.

From the Charred Remains: Susanna Caulkins
👌 ★ ★ ★

From Amazon: "It's 1666 and the Great Fire has just decimated an already plague-ridden London. Lady's maid Lucy Campion, along with pretty much everyone else left standing, is doing her part to help the city clean up and recover. But their efforts come to a standstill when a couple of local boys stumble across a dead body that should have been burned up in the fire but miraculously remained intact―the body of a man who died not from the plague or the fire, but from the knife plunged into his chest.

Searching for a purpose now that there's no lady in the magistrate's household for her to wait on, Lucy has apprenticed herself to a printmaker. But she can't help but use her free time to help the local constable, and she quickly finds herself embroiled in the murder investigation. It will take all of her wits and charm, not to mention a strong stomach and a will of steel, if Lucy hopes to make it through alive herself.

With From the Charred Remains, Susanna Calkins delivers another atmospheric historical mystery that will enchant readers with its feisty heroine and richly detailed depiction of life in Restoration England."

Oh, this was a good one & twisted... It definitely held my interest; but the attitude of the Constable Duncan in regards to Lucy's intelligence & crime solving abilities doesn't ring true.

A Cup of Light – Nicole Mones – 2.5**
Lia Frank is an appraiser / art historian, specializing in fine Chinese porcelain who goes to Beijing to authenticate a collection of rare pieces and finds herself in the midst of a multi-national effort to remove priceless artifacts from China. I think Mones was trying to do too much in one book. The art intrigue is story enough, but then she added a romance. Also, I’m not sure why she chose to make Lia deaf, though I though that she wrote poetically about the “silence” Lia retreats to when she removes her hearing aids to explore her memory. I certainly liked learning more about Chinese porcelains.
My full review HERE

Say Nothing – Patrick Radden Keefe – 4****
I confess that while I had heard of “The Troubles” I had never really studied the causes of the conflict in Northern Ireland, nor did I closely follow the politics at play. I’m so glad that my F2F book club chose this book, because I learned about not only the conflict portrayed, but perhaps a little about how a young person becomes radicalized and how festering dissatisfaction can turn from angry rhetoric to acts of terrorism. Keefe is an accomplished investigative journalist, and he certainly did his homework here.
My full review HERE

This I Know – Eldonna Edwards – 3***
I picked this up while trolling my public library’s shelves. I was a bit skeptical, but saw an author blurb from Lesley Kagen, so thought I give this a go. I was quickly immersed in the story and eager to see how things would work out for the eleven-year-old heroine. The setting is a small town in Michigan in the late 1960s. Grace is a typical pre-teen in many respects, but she has a special gift she calls “the Knowing” of which her preacher father does not approve. There is a mystery involving a child predator, which subplot comes and goes, and was really unnecessary IMHO. Still, a satisfying, enjoyable read.
My full review HERE

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A Madness of Sunshine – Nalini Singh – 3***
Nalini Singh is known for her romantic fantasy books, but this is her debut adult detective mystery. The setting is a remote town on the West Coast of New Zealand, populated primarily by indigenous Maori. I really liked this mystery thriller, with several layers of intrigue. Detective Will Gallagher is a great character, with flaws and some darkness in his past … he is, after all, a big-city Detective now assigned to a small town in the middle of nowhere. The twists and turns kept me guessing, and I didn’t see the ending coming. I hope Singh will write another mystery featuring Will.
My full review HERE