A Novel

by Robert Thorogood

An e book bargain

Soon to be on tv

Readers who devoured Richard Osman’s two mysteries are pretty sure to enjoy The Marlow Murder Club. It has many similar good eccentricities while telling its own story.

As in Osman’s novels, our woman on the scene is a pensioner. Eccentric Judith Potts is in her seventies. She may be a little too fond of whisky. She sets crossword puzzles to earn money, lives in an inherited property and observes everything around her. She is also intrepid.

One night Judith hears a shot. Her neighbor Stefan is dead. It is quickly established that Stefan was murdered. His character is less clear; there are those who saw him as a good and kind man and others who did not. What was the nature of his association/relationship with an antiques business and Elliott, its proprietor? How, if at all, is Stefan’s death connected to another victim, a well-liked taxi driver named Iqbal? And, what about the people Judith gets to know along the way? There are a mysterious redhead, a dog walker and a vicar’s wife among others. It all crescendos in a satisfying story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 03 May 2022

This book has received lots of publicity and some excellent reviews.  I would give it three stars.  The story is clever and I especially loved how the novel within the novel was so authentic, with advanced praise and comments about being made into a television series.  I did not find the story as engaging as I had hoped that I would, nor did I find the characters to be especially likeable.  Give this a try though because I think I am in the minority in not rating MPM more highly.

A Novel of World War II

by Madeline Martin

An e book bargain

Pub Date 06 Apr 2021

As soon as I saw the title of this book, I wanted to read it. The magic word, of course, was bookshop. I also found the cover to be very appealing. So, I initially judged this one by its cover. That said, I wasn’t’ disappointed.

This novel’s protagonist, Grace, is a young woman who recently lost her mother. Along with her best friend, Viv, she moves to London to stay with a family friend. The two arrive only to have war declared not long after. Viv enters one of the women’s units while Grace remains with her mother’s friend. She takes a position in a bookshop and the shop is also a character in the book.

This story points out the importance of literature. In a lovely scene, Grace goes underground during a bombing raid where she begins reading Middlemarch to those who are stuck in the shelter over night. Those stuck there look forward to additional chapters when the next call to go underground comes.

Grace organized the bookshop and develops a relationship with its curmudgeonly owner. She studies way to make the shop successful and, for example, advertises buying books to read while unable to sleep in one’s beds due to the bombings.

The author does a good job of portraying wartime Britain. There are losses of people, property, usual foods, a way of life. There are also the joys of friendship, love, books and connection.

There are so many WWII set novels being written now. My theory is that, awful as the war was, it is more reassuring to look back at that time than our current one. For all of the suffering, the reader knows that eventually Britain will declare victory.

I think that this title is worth reading. Let me know what you think!

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

Booker prize shortlist 2024: the critic’s verdict — the strongest in years

https://www.thetimes.com/article/5c5c90bc-d42e-4fc9-b509-f1290ef8b65a?shareToken=3206b15305a8a39961ee640bff107bd9

An e book bargain

This book is related to the author’s earlier novel, The Bookshop on the Corner.  Some characters from that book are present as is the book van book shop, which I love.

While I enjoyed The Bookshop on the Corner, I did not find this novel to be nearly as good.  The premise is there; young mom with a mute child wants to find a new life.  So, Zoe moves to Scotland to work with Nina, the protagonist of the earlier title.  Zoe’s trials caring for three children plus her own and her experiences on the book van are central to the plot.  Of course, there is also a romance. In addition, readers who enjoyed Nina from the last book, will get to see how her pregnancy goes.  There just might be a surprise!

This book may be best for true lovers of this author.  I found it to be a bit slow and surprisingly, for the first time, I did not find myself fully enjoying a book by this author.

I will still read Jenny Colgan’s novels in the future.  I hope that the next one will be as good as I know that she can be.  Let me know what you think if you read this one.  I am interested to know.

Let’s Get Festive!

Celebrations Around the World

by Joanna Konczak

The cover of this book invites the reader in. Here, kids can learn how others around the world enjoy special days. They can also read about their own family’s celebrations.

This title organizes holidays by type. There are entries for the New Year, Nature, Religious Holidays, Carnivals, days Noting the Dead, and others that mark the Memory of People and Important Events. There are also entries on Special Occasions.

Just some of the holidays covered include Rosh Hashanah, the New Yam Festival, Saint Jordan’s Day, Busojaras, Halloween, Saint Lucy’s Day and the Dragon Boat Festival. For each selection, there are colorful illustrations and information on the holiday.

The author notes that holidays bring people and communities together. This spirit comes through in this book.

This title belongs in home and school libraries. I recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Four stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Confessions from Twenty Poets

by Irene Latham and Charles Waters

#TheMistakesThatMadeUs #NetGalley

It is so important for kids to know that it is okay to be less than perfect. Some of them are under so much pressure and need the reminder that everyone makes mistakes and can survive them.

This book is witty, colorful, has heart, and addresses an important topic. Following the introduction, the poems are divided into categories that include Oopsie-Daisy, Stuff Happens, Blessings in Disguise, and What Have I Done. The book ends with info on each of the poets.

One feature of this book that makes it special is that each poet shares “what happened next” after having had something happen. Perhaps this title will help kids to feel less afraid of talking about the very real things that happen to them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 01 October 2024

Helen Macdonald is the author of H is for Hawk. I loved that title about which I said at the time:
I read this book a year or so ago but have been thinking about it again for two reasons; first, in England, they are making a television series with the author as she trains her second hawk and the other reason is that I have been thinking about how we mourn and acknowledge deaths of those we love. This book has so much in it; there is biography, the training of the hawk and a great deal about T H White who had a very difficult time with his own hawk. T H White wrote one of my all time favorite books, The Once and Future King, so I was fascinated to learn more about him. Sadly, he had a rather tragic life. This book is highly recommended for nature lovers, lovers of T H White and those looking for a meaningful memoir.

So, I was extremely excited to learn that a new book by this author was being published. Ms. Maconald’s new title is a collection of essays. Each entry is short and the book can be read in any order that a reader would like.

Helen Macdonald is an exquisite observer of the natural world who describes her subject as love for the wonders of the non-humans around us. This book of essays is definitely one that I will dip into many times. I recommend that you do the same.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

An e book bargain

#TheBusyBody #NetGalley

The unnamed protagonist/narrator of this book is a ghostwriter. (It was when sitting down to write this that I realized she was never named. Kind of clever since a ghostwriter is a person who is meant to be anonymous when her work is published.) The job requires an ability to seamlessly fit into the subject’s life in an unobtrusive way. This time, the ghost has been asked to write the biography of Dorothy Gibson. Dorothy recently lost a presidential election. A bit like Hillary Clinton, it was felt that she had a low likeability rating. The biography is meant to give a new look at who she is.

The narrator quickly heads up to Maine where Dorothy lives in a gorgeous, somewhat isolated home. There she settles in and meets the staff including Dorothy’s personal assistant and various security personnel, at least one of whom is quite good looking.

Early in the book, Dorothy and our narrator go out to buy some wine. While at the store, they are accosted by a woman with a somewhat unique way of earning money. When she asks Dorothy for a selfie, Dorothy agrees. Most unfortunately soon after, Vivian dies. It emerges that her death was not suicide but…murder! (of course)

Dorothy and the narrator will be on the case. There will be a few twists before all becomes known.

The narrator of this book has her own unique, sometimes snarky spin on the world. She is most likely neurodiverse. She can be funny and seems to know a lot, perhaps from spending time learning so much about her subjects when ghostwriting. Readers will hope that she is a good detective too.

This book will be enjoyed by its readers. They will likely hope for a second book by the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 23 January 2024

Praise for The Busy Body:
A Publishers Marketplace Buzz Books Selection
A January 2024 Library Reads Pick
A February 2024 IndieNext Pick

“Given Kemper’s knowledge and admiration of Agatha Christie—he cohosts the podcast All About Agatha—it isn’t surprising that he displays a similar flair for clever cluing and crafty characterization, not to mention the ability to throw in a killer plot twist at the end that would make Dame Agatha proud. Fans of David Handler’s equally entertaining Stewart Hoag series or those in search of a modern take on classic crime fiction will snap up this stellar mystery debut, which delivers an addictive mix of Dorothy Parker’s waspish wit and Agatha Christie’s deft hand at ingenious plotting.” —Library Journal STARRED REVIEW

Broken Ground by Val McDermid

#BrokenGround #NetGalley

Val McDermid writes a number of series; of them all, the Karen Pirie novels are my favorites. Broken Ground is the newest of these.
I enjoy Karen. She is a quirky woman who has faced a significant loss and is still recovering. In this novel, she gingerly considers a new relationship. She is an old fashioned copper who cares about justice and what is right. She is loyal to those on her team who are still learners.
Karen is the head of the Historical Cases Unit in Scotland. Spending time with her, the members of her team (including her adversaries) and her cases is always time well-spent. In this novel, there are several stories; one relates to events of WWII, another to a serial rapist, and there is also a present day murder. Each of these plots is explored satisfactorily.
I finished this book today and am already looking forward to what happens next in the series. I highly recommend both this book and the series.

Many (!) thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this satisfying read.