The Stills

A Novel

by Jess Montgomery

The Stills is Jess Montgomery’s third novel, following on the earlier titles, The Widows and The Hollows. I read and loved those two earlier books. The Stills continues the story of many of the characters. The books are probably best read in order as the backstory from the earlier novels is relevant. If read as a first experience with Ms. Montgomery, readers may well want to then go back to the earlier titles.

The author has so many strengths. One is her ability to carve out a time and place. Another is her careful building of the relationships between characters. The story’s setting is 1920s Bronwyn County, Ohio during the Prohibition years. This small community where Lily lives is so well portrayed. There are small farms, mines, charismatic churches, stills and speakeasys.

Lily became the Sheriff following on the events of the first novel. She is a widow who is devoted to her children, her mother and her half-sibling. The book opens with all of them, along with some additional guests, enjoying Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, the calm does not last.

One guest at dinner is Benjamin. Lily inches toward becoming closer to him over the course of the story. Another is Lily’s best friend Marvena. She puts Lily in what could be a compromising position in this title.

Other characters include a number of villains. Foremost among these are George Vogel and his henchmen. George is an unfeeling, hard man who has benefited from illegal acts. Will this be the book in which he finally gets stopped? George’s wife Fiona is a master manipulator who has a complex relationship with George. What will happen to her? To their relationship? Is Fiona as clever as she thinks she is?

And, of course, there are the stills, those sites for making moonshine. What events happen there? How will they radiate out to impact the community?

I was very delighted to receive an ARC of this title. I look forward (already) to finding out what comes next for the folks of Kinship.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

A Novel

by Jennifer Saint

Pub date: May 4, 2021

I often wish that I remembered the Greek myths in more detail. I have spent time with Edith Hamilton and Stephen Fry but need to go back. So, I was not fully aware of who Ariadne was before I began this novel. At the start, I will say that I have seen some mixed reviews but I found this book to be interesting and engaging. Its’ main subject is the story of the titular character whose relative was the MInotaur.

Ariadne is a retelling of a well-known Greek story but from the woman’s point of view. It will be enjoyed by readers of other books including Circe.

Early in the novel, readers learn about Ariadne’s parents. They are Minos and Pasiphae. He was the ruler of Crete. She was the daughter of the sun god and is beautifully described in the beginning of the novel. What Minos did, how that affected Pasiphae and the circumstances of the Minotaur’s birth are told.

A number of stories of the Greek gods are dramatized. As readers may know, the gods are often like larger than life humans, full of passion, temper and more. They form the background of Ariadne’s world.

Others whom readers get to know include Theseus becomes involved with Ariadne. There are also Daedalus, Icarus and Phaedra. All of their stories led to an immersive read for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

The Rose Code

A Novel

by Kate Quinn

#TheRoseCode #NetGalley

Pub date: March 9, 2021

To say the most important thing first…I LOVED this book and highly recommend it. Yes, there are many, many novels currently being published that are set in WWII. I have read and enjoyed many of them. Still, even if you feel WWII fiction fatigue, give this one a chance.

The Rose Code’s main setting is Bletchley Park. As most know, this was an important location for those who broke codes and helped to win the war. Into this setting come three women:

Osla: She was a debutante before the war took her to BP but she has always wanted to do more and to be seen as more than this. Osla had a haphazard upbringing by a neglected mother but she moves in society’s highest circles; her godfather is Mountbatten and she knows a certain Phillip very well.

Mabel, renamed (by herself) as Mab: She grew up in Shoreditch where expectations for her were low. Coming to BP allows her to do and become more.

Bethan/Beth: She has lived in the shadow of a domineering mother but BP allows her particular genius and talents to flourish. She has a laser like focus and a great talent for the work she does.

What happens to these three and the events and people around them form the core of this immersive read. There are romance, joy, friendship, traitors, hardship, mystery and more contained in the pages of the story. It will engage readers who will wish that the book were even longer than its hefty length.

I listened to the audio of this title. The narrator was fantastic. She created each of the characters with their own voice.

Whether you like to read or listen, put this one on your TBR list.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

sleuthofbakerstreet.ca/i/1584200/March_2021_e_MOM_Print.pdf

A Novel

by Jill Shalvis

Jill Shalvis has written many women’s fiction titles; however, this is the first of her novels that I have read. It is listed as the fifth in a series but I had absolutely no difficulty reading it as a standalone. I found it to be a good read.

The novel tells the story of several characters, among them are Brynn and Kinsey. At best, the two were “frenemies” after having attended the same summer camp for years. Each chapter starts with a letter that relates to this time. Readers will learn that Brynn and Kinsey share another connection. What will that mean to them?

Brynn has two moms who love her very much. This is, of course, good but has not meant that Brynn’s life has been carefree. She has floundered on her way to adulthood. After her latest disappointments and difficulties, she has returned to her childhood home and has become a substitute kindergarten teacher.

Brynn runs into Eli, an important friend from earlier in her life. He invites her to become the fourth roommate in his house. She agrees, only to find that Kinsey lives there too. They are still like “chalk and cheese” and find it difficult to get along.

Kinsey has her own issues. She has kidney failure and a transplant rejection. Will she find a suitable donor? Will she live?

Will the characters work out their relationships? Will there be a happy ending? Readers will turn the pages at they wait to find out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

The RHS Book of Flower Poetry and Prose

by Charles Elliott

This is a lovely book to give to one’s self or as a gift to a garden lover. Collected in here are poems or prose about more than fifty flowers, everything from the humble daisy to the violet to the marigold, the harebell poppy and many more. The illustrations are superb-colorful, detailed and engaging. The verse and prose is from everyone from William Carlos Williams to Wordsworth to Longfellow and many writers both very well known and new to me.

I highly recommend this one. Read it to enjoy some nature while you are spending more time at home.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World

A Novel

by Laura Imai Messina

Favorite books of mine include The Book of Dreams and The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, Becoming Mrs Lewis by Patti Callahan, and Everything Love Is by Claire King. One quality that these novels have in common is a deeper emotional resonance than is found in much fiction. To this list of my own treasured favorites, I am adding The Phone Booth at the End of the World. It is a unique and uniquely moving read.

The tsunami that swept Japan over a decade ago left much destruction in its wake. There was loss of property, community and the lives of those that many loved. Yui, the protagonist of this novel, lost her mother and daughter. She continues her work at a radio station but is broken inside.

Yui hears of a phone booth at a remote location in Japan. It is not connected but has become a kind of shrine. People go there to speak into the phone with the loved ones that they have lost. On her first trip to this pilgrimage site, Yui meets Takeshi. His wife died in the tsunami, leaving him with a beloved daughter who has been mute ever since. Yui and Takeshi become companions who visit the phone booth each month. They come to know each other well and to share in life, loss and healing. There are other characters who also have faced this incomprehensible loss, as for example, a high school student. They also take their places in the book.

This novel has a gorgeous design. Each chapter has a line drawing at its start. The reader might see birds in flight, an old fashioned telephone or a book for example. Short chapters alternate with even shorter chapters. The very short chapters are lists. A reader might learn what Yui’s favorite Bossa Nova music is or what her daughter was wearing on the day of the storm or what gifts Yui had bought for her but had not, as yet, given to her. These chapters add to the poignancy of the story.

I highly recommend this novel. It will engage you, make you think and, perhaps, inspire you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Transient Desires

A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery

by Donna Leon

Transient Desires is Donna Leon’s thirtieth (!) book about Guido Brunetti. What an accomplishment to have kept a series fresh over so many novels..

In thinking about this title, I concluded that it is a story of place and character, as compared to a classic mystery. There are people good and bad, those with and without morals, those who get caught up in situations with difficult consequences, vicims, various types of love and more. Venice is also critical part of this story. Areas of the city that were new to me were in this book as were the canals, cafes and tourist sites along, of course, with Brunetti’s home.

My favorite of all of the people in this novel is Brunetti. His desire to do right, his willingness to apologize when wrong, his trying to help others and his love of lunch and Paola (his wife) all play their part.

The plot is not dense. Two young girls are injured and left at a hospital. The story goes from there as it impacts a number of others.

If you are going to be a new reader of Brunetti, start at the beginning with Death at La Fenice. All other Leon fans welcome our Commissario back! Now I just have to wait for #31.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.