Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

I love to read, recommend books and open the world of reading to others. I tutor to ensure that the next generation of readers will know the joys of a good book because their reading skills have improved. I am an avid reader, especially of mysteries and fiction. I believe that two of the world's greatest inventions were the public library and eyeglasses!

Spotlight on: Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra-an e book bargain

There are so many readers who will see the Anne with an E on this book’s cover and be pretty certain as to who is being referenced. For those in the know, the red hair of the young woman is another clue. Yes, this is a novel that takes Anne of Green Gables as its inspiration.

Kantra has written several books inspired by classics. There are two about Little Women and another about Dorothy Gale (from the Wizard of Oz). Here she turns to a new take on Anne’s story.

In Kantra’s telling, the story is set on lovely Mackinac Island. What will Anne find here? Readers will hope that she will find all that she is looking for.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the invitation to this blog tour.

The book is published on 20 January 2026.

About ANNE OF A DIFFERENT ISLAND:

from the publisher

A woman learns to be the heroine of her own life in this heartfelt novel inspired by Anne of Green Gables by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

She believed life could follow a plotline—until the story she was living unraveled.

Anne Gallagher has always lived by the book. Anne of Green Gables, that is. Growing up on Mackinac Island, she saw herself as her namesake: the same impulsive charm, the same wild imagination, even the same red hair (dyed, but still). She followed in Anne Shirley’s fictional footsteps, chasing dreams of teaching and writing, and falling for her very own storybook hero.

But when a string of real-life plot twists—a failing romance, a fight with the administration, and the sudden death of her beloved father—pulls her back to the island she once couldn’t wait to leave, Anne is forced to face a truth no story ever prepared her for. Sometimes, life doesn’t follow a script.

Back in the house she grew up in, Anne must confront her past and the people she left behind, including Joe Miller, the boy who once called her “The Pest.” It’s time to figure out what she wants and rewrite her story to create her own happy ending. Not the book version. The real one.

From the Publisher:

ANNE OF A DIFFERENT ISLAND Banner - Berkley

I enjoyed spending time with: The Shell House Detectives (Emylia Hall)-an e book bargain

#TheShellHouseDetectives #NetGalley

This is the first book in a Cornwall set mystery series featuring two characters with complex pasts. They are Ally and Jayden. Ally was widowed and misses her police officer husband deeply. Her daughter would like Ally to leave Cornwall to be with her in Australia; Ally is very ambivalent. Ally is an artist who creates works from the detritus that she finds on the beach. (She makes a relevant find there).

Jayden worked as a police officer who left the force after a tragedy. He is biracial and not sure if he fits into his wife’s community. Both of these characters are trying to keep their lives moving forward. Will solving a case help them to achieve their goals?

Ally’s husband Bill was haunted by one person’s death. When he arrested this man’s son, Bill offered to help him in the future. When this young man comes knocking on Ally’s door, she (regretfully) turns him away.

Events move forward and this young man is now in the hospital, gravely wounded. His grandmother and only support was not there for him when he got out of prison. Lewis Pascoe has an interaction with the couple that built a new home where his grandmother had been. These events set the scene for the novel.

I enjoyed the main characters in this book and was also interested to meet the people around them. There are many community members in the story so there is no lack of suspects. For example, there is the coffee shop worker and a recently divorced man who is trying to write a novel.

In addition to the mystery and the characters, Cornwall is also a strong presence in the book. Readers will be able to smell the sea, see the cliffs and walk along the shore.

All in all, this was a most enjoyable read. I recommend it to anyone who likes cozy mysteries.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 01 July 2023

The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin-an e book bargain

#TheWindsorAffair #NetGalley

Historical Fiction

370 pages

Pub date: 02 June 2026

Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description:

from the publisher

A scandalous affair. A power struggle for the throne. A sensational rivalry between an English queen and an American social climber. In this electrifying novel, the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue tells the story of the Abdication of Edward VIII—and the two women at the center of it all.

“As deliciously dishy as an English cream tea and the royal gossip whispered over it!”—Kate Quinn, author of The Astral Library

Feuding Windsor brothers and their wives—some things, it seems, never change. The Windsor Affair recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Wallis Simpson. Told from the perspective of both women, the novel propels readers into the fabulous world of the debonair Prince of Wales, café society of the 1930s, and the glittering private lives of the Windsors. The first novel to be dedicated to this infamous rivalry, The Windsor Affair brings us all the gossip and intrigue between the two very different—yet perhaps more similar than they would admit—wives of royals.

As Queen, Elizabeth would become the symbol of British pluck and courage during World War II and remain a British institution the rest of her long life. Wallis would be forever forced to enact the World’s Greatest Love Story even after it sours, as she goes from being admired to vilified and, ultimately, pitied. Against the backdrop of the Abdication Crisis, World War II, coronations, funerals, births, and deaths, these two women maintain a biting, sharp-tongued feud—until age and the long arm of history bring about a kind of understanding. For the last communication between these bitter rivals was a simple, surprising message: “In friendship, Elizabeth.”

My thoughts:

Many are aware of the conflict between Princes Harry and William, and their wives. Of course, history often repeats itself and that is the case in some ways today. Because, of course, before Harry and William, there were David and Bertie, two brothers with wives who also did not like each other. In each of these eras, important decisions were made that affected the monarchy and the personal lives of family members.

In this book, Benjamin very enjoyably tells the stories of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Wallis Warfield Simpson and those around them. Their experiences growing up were so different as were their fates. Wallis grew up poor and wanted security. Elizabeth grew up secure and was not seeking to become Queen. Yet as each married a Windsor brother their lives were set on a course. There were trying times ahead for both.

Even those who think that they know a lot about these historical personages will find much to like in these pages. They will leave the book understanding more about the women’s relationships, responsibilities and decisions.

It is easy to recommend this title to those who enjoy historical fiction and/or those who enjoy stories about British royalty.

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

From the Publisher:

Two Women. One Throne. The scandal that nearly toppled the crown.
“Benjamin’s finest book to date,” says Renee Rosen
“Historical fiction has never so much fun,” says Abbott Kahler
“Juicy, scandalous,” says Kim Michele Richardson

From Library Journal:

VERDICT Both a sweeping account of nearly a century of royal history and an intimate look into the characters of the two women at the center of it all, this will please readers who enjoyed Benjamin’s previous novels or those who can’t get enough of the drama of the House of Windsor.

Now out-The Masala Chai Mystery Club by MJ Soni

#TheMasalaChaiMysteryClub #NetGalley

The cover of this traditional mystery appealed to me and made me want to find out what happened in the story within its pages. It offered an enjoyable read highlighted by lots of delicious sounding Masala Chai and yummy snacks, along with some Shakespearean quotes and other book references.

Soni’s book may be compared to something like The Thursday Murder Club because it features a group of sleuths within a closed community. They are amateurs who readers know will find out what is going on. They have the help of one police officer much as The Thursday Murder Club had Donna on their side.

A man, Rohit, has been killed. He was disliked by many but, of course, this does not make his death okay. Neeti has known Rohit for many years and owes him for something big that he did for her in the past. Neeti wants to investigate as she does not believe that his death was natural. Having just read Dumb Witness, she also wonders if Rohit’s dog will help to solve the case. So, she forms the Masala Chai Murder Club.

Helping Neeti are her best friend Peggy, Peggy’s husband, and her niece Myra. (Myra also has a precocious young son but he is a bit young to be a detective.) The group follows where the clues lead which is largely to members of the community’s HOA.

This book is worth a look for those who enjoy traditional mysteries that do not feature overt gore. It is refreshing to have a protagonist from India as the main character and readers meet others of color in this story. I think that Neeti will be back for another case in the future.

One niggle: The Agatha Christie book is referred to as The Dumb Witness. I believe it is titled just Dumb Witness.

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

Pub date: 21 July 2026

Post first published on 28 March 2026

Description:

from the publisher

Suspects abound when a much-despised neighbor is killed, perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.

Retired librarian Neeti Shah was hoping for a restful life with her chai-loving friends, but when the body of a neighbor, a childhood friend of Neeti’s, turns up dead and the killer’s MO is similar to that of Neeti’s most recent book club read, things start to get out of control.  

When Neeti hears a commotion at a neighbor’s house, she finds Rohit’s body sprawled across the bottom of the staircase with Agatha Christie’s The Dumb Witness nearby. Blackmailing his neighbors, threatening them with lawsuits, and calling them by nasty nicknames were only some of the hateful things that made him so disliked. But were they angry enough to kill?

Neeti is indebted to her old friend, and she’s determined to find his killer. But she can’t do it alone, so she enlists her mystery-loving friends, the Masala Chai Mystery Club, to get to the bottom of the murder. 

But Neeti and her club members need to be careful. As more bodies turn up and more suspects start to appear, they’ll need to find the killer before they end up in hot water!

Now out-Death at King’s Cross by Rosanne Limoncelli

#DeathatKingsCross #NetGalley

Mystery & Thrillers-Historical Fiction

326 pages

Pub date: 21 July 2026

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My thoughts:

The Four Queens of Crime were among the very best of the best writers of detective fiction’s Golden Age. They were Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh. Anyone who loves classic crime stories knows their names and all serious mystery readers have a treat in store for them if, somehow, these authors passed them by.

Limoncelli has included these four as key characters in two books, of which this is the second. She also includes an historical personage in Lilian Wyles, a police inspector. I thought the first book was very good and found this second title to be even better.

In this story set during WWII much happens. There is murder, at least one missing person, stolen pharmaceuticals, spies and many suspicious activities. There are also friendships and other relationships.Everything comes together in a crackerjack plot.

I highly recommend this title to those who enjoy historical mysteries.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Description:

from the publisher

DCI Lilian Wyles is confronted by a troubling case, one that only the four queens of crime can help solve—even amidst the ongoing war efforts.

Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh are back in the follow-up novel to The Four Queens of Crime.

1941, London. When DCI Lilian Wyles finds a young woman murdered at King’s Cross Station, she needs the help of someone she can trust, but Richard Davidson, her former Scotland Yard partner, has joined MI5 and is busy tracking black market routes outside of London, so for now, she is on her own. 

After having met the four queens of crime during a murder investigation two years earlier, DCI Wyles has kept in touch. But Agatha, Dorothy, Margery, and Ngaio are all involved in the war effort and have problems of their own.

Agatha is volunteering at the University Hospital Pharmacy, where a dangerous anesthetic has been stolen. Dorothy has heard unsettling information from her connections at the BBC regarding members of the Royal Navy. Margery, who has been in the countryside helping families escape the city from the bombing, is worried about one of her charges whose older sister has gone missing. And Ngaio, who has relocated to New Zealand and is volunteering as an ambulance driver, has begun gathering secret intelligence from wounded soldiers and sailors that may put her in danger. 

When the four queens contact DCI Wyles for help, the information they share makes the final pieces of the puzzle fall into place. DCI Wyles once again finds herself collaborating with her old partners in crime to solve the mystery and close the case in this thrilling sequel, perfect for fans of Nicola Upson and Anna Lee Huber.

Editorial Reviews:


“An intricate and tense whodunit . . . Fans of British historicals will appreciate the challenge.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Limoncelli skillfully handles bringing four iconic mystery writers to life, as well as highlighting women pioneers in law enforcement . . . This twisty mystery delivers.”
—Library Journal

“London and the English countryside in 1941 are vividly brought to life . . . Limoncelli skillfully weaves facts and fiction to create an exceptional, page-turning historical mystery.”
—Booklist