Ann Cleeves, for those who don’t know, has written two mystery series; both have been made into British TV shows and are available for streaming. One series features Vera Stanhope and is set in England; the other features Jimmy Perez and takes place in Shetland. I am very sad to say that Wild Fire brings the Shetland series of eight novels to a close. I will miss each and every regular in the books. The novels do not need to be read in order but I would recommend that you do so for maximum enjoyment.

In this last case, Jimmy, Willow and Sandy try to solve two murders; one, a nanny/mother’s helper and the other a “busybody” of the town. The reader gets to know two families well; each has children and has, consciously or not, made decisions around their parenting. These choices very much influence the course of events. Of course, Jimmy is a father too as is Duncan, another recurring character. How do they make their decisions about their caring for Cassie? Magnie, too, has a mother who was a particular kind of parent. Reading this novel, one realizes that there is subtext on the importance of “good enough” parenting and what can happen when children do not get what they need.

As always, the author writes with a keen sense of place. The reader can feel the flames of the fire, the fog, the sea and the town.

Some loose ends are tied up in this last book. While I wish these fictional friends well, I hope that perhaps Ann Cleeves will change her mind and keep writing about them. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur and to Ann Cleeves.

No Strangers Here

A Riveting Dark Irish Mystery

by Carlene O’Connor

An e book bargain for 15 May 2024

#NoStrangersHere #NetGalley

No Strangers Here is the first entry in a new series by Carlene O’Connor. It is the start of some titles by this author that move away from the cozy genre.

Dimpna is a vet who left Dingle (where she grew up) a number of years ago. During the time she was away, Dimpna raised a son from whom she has kept a very big secret, married but found that scandal surrounded her husband, and was left struggling. She decided to return to Dingle, where a man had been murdered, her parents were suspects, it wasn’t clear if an old friend could be trusted, and more.

The body is found with a message. Does it mean what Dimpna thinks it might? How deeply will she be drawn into events and what will it be like to see an old friend with police connections as well as interact with the detective on the case? As can be guessed by this description a lot goes on in these pages.

I enjoyed this book. I will look forward to the next in the series.

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

Pub date: 25 October 2022

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for No Strangers Here

“This solid series launch from O’Connor takes a more somber approach to crime solving than her Irish Village mysteries…O’Connor adds plot twists that many won’t anticipate. Judicious use of Irishisms (“I swear to ye”) adds color. Readers will eagerly await what happens next in County Kerry.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
“Exciting, convoluted, and rich with compelling characters, this is the best of O’Connor’s Irish mysteries to date.” —Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW
 
“Known for her cozies, O’Connor moves into darker territory here. For fans of Louise Penny.”
—Library Journal

NOTE: A free sneak peek is available on Amazon.

I truly enjoyed this author’s novel, How to Walk Away, so immediately requested this e galley when I saw it on NetGalley. I had a bit of a wait before I was approved but luckily I was!

This book is about Cassie, a seemingly tough, no nonsense, keep all emotion at bay firefighter. Cassie has been hurt and traumatized in the past. Her mother left the family on Cassie’s 16th birthday, a high school boy violated her; she does not believe that she wants more than work and routine.

The plot takes Cassie from Texas to Rockport, MA where she agrees to help her ill mother, but only for a year. Cassie vows not to get close. She gets a job in a new firehouse. The antics within in terms of initiations are vividly described. The author credits her husband, a volunteer firefighter for their authenticity.

Cassie joins the fire station on the same day as “the rookie.” Their relationship forms the core of the novel, along with Cassie’s evolving relationship with her mother.

The book is a good, quick read. There is some philosophizing by Cassie’s mother that adds dimension to the novel. If you are a reader of this author’s novels or enjoy women’s fiction, give this one a try. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the book in exchange for my honest review.

This entry in the author’s long standing Gamache mystery series is truly outstanding.  It is one of the very, very best mysteries that I have read this year.

The plot involves the death of a woman who had been abused by her husband.  Does that mean that he was the murderer?  If yes, how to convict and, if not, who was it and why are central to the plot.

But…it is the way that Penny writes that makes this book so truly excellent.  She is philosophical and thoughtful, all the while enhancing, not taking away from the plot based action.  The book is full of references to Moby Dick whose relevance becomes apparent.  Many of the characters are chasing their own versions of that great whale and, as in the novel, they are distressed.

Penny has a true talent for making  her characters com to life.  This is true for the series regulars as well as those who fully inhabit this novel. The people are complex and within contain both much goodness and potential for wrongdoing, even if sometimes for what they feel are the right reasons.  In addition, the early chapters of the book about potential flooding made me feel the cold, the rain, the fear and the worry.

Penny herself states:

“These books are about community.  About love and belonging.  About the great gift of friendship.

How lucky I am to live in Three Pines.”

You, too, will be most lucky to visit Three Pines.  I give this one 6 stars out of five.  Really.

New crime fiction for May — murder in a Calais migrant camp

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/74435389-38ed-4a77-b827-ad8d57645049?shareToken=6294067fd90f34a360d0ae7a9fa5c6a4

This book will be enjoyed by people who followed Walters’s career over the years as well as journalism/media students who want to understand what it was like to be a woman in the news business during her lifetime. Page has conducted many interviews, researched extensively and relied upon Walters’s own book, Audition.

Readers learn about Walters’s public life and work in great detail. They will also find out about her early life, the adoption of her daughter and all that motivated her.

Those who enjoy reading biographies and/or are interested in women in the media will want to take a look at this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 23 April 2024

Readers, download this title as soon as you have seen this post. Buzz Books is a fantastic resource for discovering next reads. There are numerous generous excerpts as well as lists of books in a variety of fiction and non-fiction categories. For example, see what new memoirs and biographies are forthcoming. Find out about everything from debut fiction to literary fiction to commercial fiction. Plus, there is so much more.

This publication is always one of my favorites.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publishers Lunch Buzz Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 14 May 2024

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

by Sulari Gentill is an e book bargain for 14 May 2024

Here is the very first title in the wonderful Rowley Sinclair mystery series. It is sure to be enjoyed by historical mystery fans who will want to go on to read all of the others. Luckily, there will be at least nine more for readers to devour.

Rowly doesn’t quite fit in with the expectations of his aristocratic family in 1930s Australia. His mother confuses him with a son who died. He has friends who are communists, poets and artists, clearly not like his brother Wilf’s friends.

When Rowly’s uncle, also named Rowly, is killed it is up to our Rowly to figure out what happened and why. Readers will enjoy following the clues with him.

If readers don’t already know this series, they are lucky as they have some good stories ahead.

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

Pub date: 01 September 2017

Note: In the U.S. this series is published by Poison Pen Press.

Natalie Jenner has written two previous works of historical fiction, The Jane Austen Society, and Bloomsbury Girls. I enjoyed both of these very much. Her new novel, Every Time We Say Goodbye, is also worth the reader’s time.

I have read many works of WWII fiction that were set in Britain, France or Germany. I was less familiar with the impact of the war in Italy. Ms. Jenner brings the repercussions of the war and the internal conflicts in Italy to life in these pages. There were the Axis powers, but also Mussolini and the partisan resistance making for a complex existence for the Italians.

One part of the novel tells the story of a woman assassin and her fate. This brings the war and the risks of resistance to life. Other parts of the novel take place post war in the 1950s.

In the 50s, readers experience the world of the movies in post WWII Italy, specifically at the Cinecitta Studios. There are the many movie stars, the directors, and more but also the strong presence of the Catholic church. The characters in this time period include Vivien (a character from Bloomsbury Girls), who is a writer working on scripts. Readers learn much of her backstory, the absence of her fiance David, her attraction to John Lassiter, her connection to the adopted Margarita and many more. Her friends include DuMaurier and Peggy Guggenheim. They also follow Levi who is Jewish; what did the war cost him?

Jenner creates a broad canvas of intertwined lives. Readers will care about the people in this story and will be turning the pages to find out how they fare. Here is very good historical fiction. I recommend this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own. Thanks too to Macmillan Audio for the expertly crafted listen. I alternated between the two forms.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You won’t regret spending time with the: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

I’d like to belong: The Jane Austen Society A Novel by Natalie Jenner. This title is now out in paperback.

I am so delighted to see that this collection of Franklin stories will be coming out in the spring. I have fond memories of reading Franklin stories to my children.

Franklin in the Dark, the first story, was always a favorite in our house. Here, there is that story plus others about every day life. Franklin goes to school, he makes friends, rides a bike, goes to the hospital and say I Love You in these pages.

The stories themselves are engaging and address the kinds of fears that kids may have. The illustrations add to the pleasure for the child who is hearing the stories.

Highly recommended!

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐