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!

It’s always important to have an: Exit Strategy by Jen J Danna

#ExitStrategy #NetGalley

Those who enjoy reading New York City based police dramas are certain to enjoy this title as are those who watch TV series like Blue Bloods or East New York. The protagonist of this novel, Gemma, is a detective and hostage negotiator. She ends up with a high stakes situation when hostages are taken at City Hall. Readers will hope for her successful resolution of a fraught situation.

This book offers the reader a tight plot and also an entry into Gemma’s world. As in Blue Bloods, many of her relatives are also police officers. I enjoyed meeting them and look forward to spending time with them in other books.

Those who like a story with action and good characters will want to give this title a look.

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

This title was published in 2020

Here is the second in the series:

Start writing: Mom Share Your Life Story Book

by Sally Romano

#MomShareYourLifeStoryBook #NetGalley

Do you ever wish that you knew more about your mom? Wish that there was an easy way to preserve some of her stories? If so, this book is a perfect way to achieve your goal.

This book consists of a series of prompts. There are twelve chapters and topics. Just a few of these include Your Family Tree, Falling in Love and, Facing Adversity. What follows in each is a series of short answer questions. For example, “Did you visit your grandparents as a child, and what things would you do while there?” Another, “What were your family’s favorite festive and/or religious celebrations?” And one more, “What is your life motto?” Of course, there are many additional topics in the book.

This journal would make a lovely family keepsake. I think that parents will want to answer the questions as they will enjoy knowing that their child(ren) are interested in who they are.

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

Pub date: 12 April 2023

Would someone harm: A Stolen Child by Sarah Stewart Taylor

I love this new series by Sarah Taylor Stewart that features Maggie D’Arcy and those around her. In this book, Maggie is now living in Dublin with her boyfriend, his son and her daughter. She is currently a Garda, not a detective, as she had to begin again in the Irish system. For those who don’t know, Maggie previously lived in New York.

Maggie and her work partner Jason like one another and do a good job on their beat. In the novel, some of those that they have met will figure in a murder case. Happily for Maggie she is seconded and gets to be a detective again, at least some of the time looking into the complex situation.

Who murdered beautiful Jade? And what happened to her daughter, the stolen child of the title? Ms. Taylor makes a suspenseful story with a fully created world to answer those questions.

In addition to the relationship with Jason, of course, there is Maggie’s relationship with boyfriend, Conor. They are having a few growing pains. Will their relationship be strong enough to hold? That is another question to be answered.

Publishers Weekly stars this one. I could not agree more. Highly recommended for those who enjoy mysteries, police procedurals, novels set in Ireland and just good stories. I am already eager for the next title in this series.

This novel can be read as a standalone but why would one? Each of the previous three stories were excellent and provided hours of reading pleasure. So, readers who start with this may then want to look for the earlier books.

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

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World is an ebook bargain today!

Favorite books of mine include The Book of Dreams and The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, Becoming Mrs Lewis by Patti Callahan, and Everything Love Is by Claire King. One quality that these novels have in common is a deeper emotional resonance than is found in much fiction. To this list of my own treasured favorites, I am adding The Phone Booth at the End of the World. It is a unique and uniquely moving read.

The tsunami that swept Japan over a decade ago left much destruction in its wake. There was loss of property, community and the lives of those that many loved. Yui, the protagonist of this novel, lost her mother and daughter. She continues her work at a radio station but is broken inside.

Yui hears of a phone booth at a remote location in Japan. It is not connected but has become a kind of shrine. People go there to speak into the phone with the loved ones that they have lost. On her first trip to this pilgrimage site, Yui meets Takeshi. His wife died in the tsunami, leaving him with a beloved daughter who has been mute ever since. Yui and Takeshi become companions who visit the phone booth each month. They come to know each other well and to share in life, loss and healing. There are other characters who also have faced this incomprehensible loss, as for example, a high school student. They also take their places in the book.

This novel has a gorgeous design. Each chapter has a line drawing at its start. The reader might see birds in flight, an old fashioned telephone or a book for example. Short chapters alternate with even shorter chapters. The very short chapters are lists. A reader might learn what Yui’s favorite Bossa Nova music is or what her daughter was wearing on the day of the storm or what gifts Yui had bought for her but had not, as yet, given to her. These chapters add to the poignancy of the story.

I highly recommend this novel. It will engage you, make you think and, perhaps, inspire you.

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