Sweet Cherry has published a number of illustrated classics that are adapted for the younger reader. The latest of these titles is The Hounds of the Baskervilles. As is true of the other books that I have read in the series, this one captures the essence and feel of the longer work. It also includes information on words, for example, hansom cab, that may be unfamiliar to today’s readers. Hopefully, this version of the story will inspire children to read the original when they are ready.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This sampler includes five long excerpts from upcoming mystery/thriller titles. It will undoubtedly lead readers to add some new titles to their TBR lists. Some books feature familiar characters (Enola Holmes), while others are author’s first books. All look intriguing.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
The children for whom this title is intended, have grown up in a world in which airplanes are common place and flights to the moon occur. Help them to travel back to when flight was new and women were not in the spotlight. Within that context, the story of Amelia Earhart and her achievements is such an exciting one. This book tells her story matter of factly but well. The illustrations are cartoon like and add to the narrative. This title also includes some additional information and photos at the end. It is a good title for a school or home library.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Where I live, the weather is currently cold and the days are short. When Trace Elements takes place during a summer in Venice, it is as hot as hot can be. Clothes are sticking, meals need to be light and our detective, Guido Brunetti is mystified by the tourists who want to be in Venice at this miserable time. I could feel the heat and the need to drink mineral water. All of this is to say that Ms. Leon is a master at creating her scenes and characters. When Brunetti was eating his cheese and salad, I salivated. When I followed this essentially good man throughout the story, I wanted to know him and his colleagues as real people. When Brunetti was with his wife, Paola, I wanted a marriage like theirs. All of this adds verisimilitude to a novel that, in parts, is deeply tragic.
Tue story begins when Brunetti and a female colleague go to visit Benedetta, a women in hospice care, who is dying a miserable death from cancer. Readers will feel great sympathy for this character’s suffering. Before she dies, Benedetta presents Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni with something to investigate. They learn that Benedetta’s daughters are about to become orphans as Benedetta’s husband recently died in a crash. Was his death an accident? If it was murder how, if at all, does it relate to his job?
In Trace Elements (an apt title), the crime as it relates to Venice feels all too plausible. Ms. Leon has done her research and written a believable and sad tale of human corruption and its consequences. Wrong actions happen but the reasons for them differ.
This title is the latest entry in Donna Leon’s long running series about Guido Brunetti. It is a most excellent novel and I recommend it highly.
Murder in Old Bombay won the Minotaur book award for a first mystery recently. The winners’ books are always worth taking a look at in my opinion.
This story is a leisurely one (though that does not mean that there is a lack of action), coming in at close to 400 pages. It is an historical mystery set in the late 19th century when India was ruled by the British. The protagonist, Jim Agnihotri, is of mixed Indian and British parentage which makes him a bit of an outsider in both worlds and cultures. He was wounded and is out of the Army when he becomes known to the Framji family.
Two young women in that family fell to their deaths from a university tower. It appears to be murder and Jim becomes the Holmes aficionado who wants to solve the case using his idol’s methods. During the course of the story, Jim and readers get to know the Framjis very well. Jim is especially close to the beautiful Diana and to Adi who is the young widower of one of the victims.
As Jim works on the case he has a series of adventures, many disguises and clues to work through. He also takes on an unofficial parenting role to a number of children who are victims. He is a protagonist who tries to do what is right and is not afraid to fight for it.
Readers learn about Jim’s growing up, his military years and the church figure to whom he felt close. Readers are also immersed in some of the history and culture of the period. A most helpful glossary is even included.
This is a novel that those who enjoy the recent India based mysteries of Sujata Massey are sure to want to read. I recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
The Paris Library is a novel that I highly recommend even with the abundance of choice in WWII historical fiction. The importance of the American Library and the commitment of those who worked there is a reminder of how important books are, perhaps even more so, when the world is in chaos. Readers will enjoy the many books that are named over the course of the novel. They would make for a good TBR list.
All good novels tell stories about characters. This one is peopled with those that readers will get to know with all of their strengths and flaws. Some are good, some not so good and some a mix of the two. All are brought to life.
Odile is a young woman when the story opens. She lives with her father, who is in the police, her brother, an idealist, and her mother who eventually learns that her husband is involved in an affair. Odile has always loved books and lands her dream job at the American Library. There she meets a wide ranging group of patrons and staff. Her brother’s fiance, Bitsy, also works at the library. Odile gets to know Margaret as well; she is a British ex pat and another key protagonist.
Each of these characters faces the war, issues of loyalty and friendship and disillusion. Their intertwining stories are well depicted as are the many settings in the novel.
Odile’s romantic interest for much of the book is Paul. He, too, is a policeman. Readers will follow as some of his decisions make Odile even more aware of the cruelty of war.
As is true of many novels written today, there is a dual story line. This takes place in Froid, Montana where Odile came to live. There a young girl befriends Odile and tries to figure out her own life in the aftermath of her mother’s death. There is much that Odile has to teach her young friend.
I both listened to and read this story. The narration was flawless with individuals coming to life with different voices and accents. It was a wonderful listen.
I highly recommend this book. I hope that readers will enjoy it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 