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!

An e book bargain: Death in a Lonely Place

by Stig Abell

This is Stig Abell’s second title; it follows on Death Under a Little Sky. While it is not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this one, anyone who likes Death in a Lonely Place will want to read the origin story.

Here are many of the characters from the first book starting with Jake. He is a former detective who has chosen to live largely off the grid in a remote home that he was left by a relative (although he has many go arounds). Readers should take a look at the map of the estate that is in the front of the book. Jake has charmingly named the various spots for well-known detective fiction people and characters. There are other mysteries and authors mentioned in the text as well.

Jake is in a relationship with a local vet, Livia, who has a young daughter named Diana. He wants this relationship to succeed. He and Livia are in different spots as an old case surfaces and Jake becomes involved while Livia’s main wish is to keep Diana safe.

No Taboo-it is a dark organization that offers people the unthinkable. In investigating it Jake has to think about a very dark place. Readers will wonder how the events unfold. Will Diana’s newest and very wealthy client put her and/or Diana in danger?

This book offers an interesting mix between Jake’s rather cozy domestic life and some very nasty business. Abell manages both of these story aspects well.

I recommend this title to those who enjoy crime stories. I look forward to whatever Abell writes next.

Many thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 11 April 2024

Praise for Death in a Lonely Place

‘Loved this. Multiple layers of delight for crime fiction fans’ Lee Child, creator of Jack Reacher

‘Abell is a skilled storyteller and it’s easy to fall into the pages of Death in a Lonely Place. Highly recommend’ Karin Slaughter, creator of Will Trent

‘An immersive, intelligent delight with huge atmosphere and heart. My favourite new crime series’ Lucy Foley, author of The Paris Apartment

‘Utterly beautiful descriptive prose that brings Jake Jackson’s world to life’ Jane Casey, author of the Maeve Kerrigan series

‘A darkly elegant, thrilling, escapist slice of countryside crime’ Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End

There is so much to learn: Encyclopedia of Birds

by Jules Howard

#EncyclopediaofBirds #NetGalley

This book offers a wonderful treat for budding ornithologists. It is beautifully illustrated throughout and packed with information. There is even a handy guide entitled How to Use This Book.

Following the introduction, there is a section on What is a Bird?, followed by A Guide to Bird Families. After this, there are sections on many kind of birds. To name just a few there are Birds of Prey, Owl, Tunnel-Nesters and Forgotten Birds.

I would have loved a book like this when I was a kid. I find it helpful as an adult as well. It is just filled with interesting facts.

Recommended to nature lovers of many ages!

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

Pub date: 11 March 2025

An e book bargain-When were: The Days I Loved You Most

A Novel

by Amy Neff

#TheDaysILovedYouMost #NetGalley

Take a deep breath as you begin this title. The story opens with a husband and wife telling their adult children that they plan to end their lives in exactly one year. They have their reasons although Jane, Violet and Thomas are in no way accepting when they hear this. The novel takes off from there.

In these pages readers get to know Joseph and Evelyn over the course of their lives, beginning when they were kids. They move together through the significant events in their lives, their children’s lives and those around them.

The story is told by different characters and in different time lines. This allows readers to experience past events as they were happening.

Will Evelyn and Joseph move ahead with their plans? Read this emotional title, get to know the characters, see what they decide and see what you think.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 30 July 2024

From the Publisher

What if you could choose how your own story ends?
"Deeply moving, complex novel." - Jodi Picoult
"Fans of The Notebook will devour this unforgettable story." - Pam Jenoff

Lots can happen in a small place: The Murders in Great Diddling

A Novel and audio book-e book bargain

by Katarina Bivald

When I have the opportunity to both read and listen to a book I am happy. I can read when I am sitting and can listen when I am out and about. This synchronicity worked perfectly while I enjoyed The Murders in Great Diddling.

The cover and title give some sense of this as a British mystery and indeed it is. Great Diddling is in Cornwall. It is a community where the people who live there know one another.

The story begins when there is an outdoor tea party. Owner of a grand (if rundown) estate has invited the villagers to a tea party. This device leads to a rapid introduction to many characters for the reader.

There are the manor owner, Daphne and her assistant Margaret. There is Daphne’s difficult and disliked nephew. There are author Berit and Sally, daughter of her agent, and hopeful employee of Berit. There is a couple; James has a stake in a hotel and Penny has a stake in defending her husband. There are owners of village businesses whose doors are to be closed and others as well.

There is an explosion and in its aftermath a body is found. I will leave it to the reader to find out who the victim is. Suffice it to say, there are many with motives.

This is the lead in to a long, fun and involving story. Take the time to enjoy it. I did. Note how much there is about books, lots of books in this one as you read or listen.

I found the narration to be spot on. The reader was British and helped to create the atmosphere of the story in a delightful way.

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

Pub date: 13 August 2024

For audio book:  #TheMurdersinGreatDiddling #NetGalley

All the Water in the World

A Novel

by Eiren Caffall

Knowing the setting of this novel from being there and having been in New York during Super Storm Sandy, I felt both intrigued and like I wanted to cover my eyes when I picked this title up. After all, it describes terrifying events, including floods, in a city that I love.

This is a story with characters for whom readers will care. They are an intrepid group including Nonie and her family.

In this novel, the characters are invested in their world and want to save all that they can. Readers will just desperately hope that they are successful.

Recommended to those who enjoy literary fiction with some sci-fi elements and those who are concerned about climate change. It is an original story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 07 January 2025

From the Publisher

All the Water in the World Eiren Caffall
All the Water in the World Eiren Caffall Caroline Leavitt quote
All the Water in the World Eiren Caffall Megan Stielstra quote
All the Water in the World Eiren Caffall Rene Denfeld quote
All the Water in the World Eiren Caffall Josephine Ferorelli quote

An e book bargain: The Seaside Library

Before Covid I had never read a book by Ms. Novak. I started with One Perfect Summer and just kept going, also reading Summer on the Island, The Bookstore on the Beach, and When I Found You. All of these were enjoyable women’s fiction titles; each had a good setting storyline and characters. So, of course, I was eager to read this new book by the author.

The story takes place in a seaside community. Three friends grew up there. Ivy stayed and runs the library. Cam stayed; he became a talented architect. Ariana worked in New York in the publishing industry; she comes back to spend time with her grandmother.

The three all know of a tragic event that occurred when they were in high school. A girl went missing. What will be stirred up as events from the past spill into the present?

This book is a bit more of a mystery but retains many elements of the author’s talent for writing women’s fiction. I enjoyed this novel but did think that it had a bit of a slow start.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

From the Publisher

There are secrets that bring friends together, and others that drive them apart...
" an enticing plot including themes of love, redemption, and friendship." —Booklist
Summer-beach reads for New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak

An e book bargain-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

#AntoinedeSaintExupéry #NetGalley

Adults who love The Little Prince and kids who may just be learning about de Saint Exbury will both enjoy this entry in the good series. Watch young Antoine grow up and find his way to becoming a pilot (he faces a few challenges). Read about all that he accomplished before his life ended to soon.

My favorite part of the story is when the author says that, when flying a mail plane, Antoine circled the airport for an hour so that he could finish his book. What a book lover!

After sharing this book with a child, buy a copy of Le Petit Prince for them. They may treasure it for many years.

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

Pub date: 05 November 2024

Now out:

The Stolen Queen

A Novel

by Fiona Davis

Mark you calendar for the pub date for Fiona Davis’s forthcoming new novel. I think that this may just be her best book yet. I thoroughly enjoyed The Stolen Queen.

As is often the case, the story is told in two time lines and in two countries. Interestingly, both time lines have characters in common.

Readers first meet Charlotte Cross when she is a young girl embarking on an adventure of a lifetime. She has left her society family behind to be part of a 1930s dig in Egypt. So much happens to Charlotte there in terms of both her professional and personal life, but readers need to find out all of this for themselves.

The second timeline takes place partly in NYC right around the time of the famous King Tut exhibition. Now Charlotte is working in the Egyptian section of the museum when a necklace becomes part of an exhibit and leads to many events.

In this second time line, readers also meet Annie. She has been an enabler to her mother. Unexpectedly Annie secures a position working for the very well known Diana Vreeland just in time for a major fashion event. As was true for Charlotte, things don’t go according to plan.

It is not long before Charlotte and Annie travel to Egypt together. There is, again, much that happens while they are there.

Davis handles all of the plot elements flawlessly. It is also clear that she did her homework in order to give this book a real sense of its historical authenticity.

Anyone who has enjoyed a novel by this author will want to read this title. My guess is that this one will also bring her many new fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group-Dutton for this title. All opinions are my own.

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What could be better than: A Recipe for Christmas

by Jo Thomas

#ARecipeforChristmas #NetGalley

I found myself constantly reading “just one more” chapter every time I picked up this book. It is light (yet with some depth) and a very enjoyable novel. That said, it does require some suspension of disbelief, I think.

Have you ever felt that you were in a rut? Doing a job that you know well but which feels unsatisfying? Have you ever hoped for the rush of a new romance and the chance to make a spontaneous life change? These are aspects of Clare’s life so when the opportunity to live in Switzerland with her new romance is a possibility, she does the unexpected and goes.

Clare wants to take a course while there and chooses chocolate making. Through a bit of an error, Clare has enrolled herself in a class with those who have much more experience than she. Not everyone is nice to this beginner. Despite doubts, Clare stays.

Readers get to know a lot about the making of chocolate. I enjoyed this aspect of the book. They also get to know the other students in Clare’s class and those who work at the school.

The boyfriend turns out to be a maybe. Read the book to see if Clare is with him at the end or with a well-known chocolatier whom readers learn is facing his own challenge.

Recommended to those who like fiction, women’s fiction, romance, stories of growth, Switzerland and chocolate. That certainly means many readers who will enjoy this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK-Transworld for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 10 October 2024