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!
Gill Paul is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. Somehow this one passed me by for a while, though I am now happy to have read it.
Meet Canadian Arden and Polish Rubinstein in alternating chapters, starting in 1915. These two became fierce rivals who were not above committing any number of dirty tricks to achieve success.
I had earlier read a novel about Estee Lauder. Here readers spend time with the other two towering female cosmetics giants. Readers get to know them in alternating chapters, starting in 1915.
What is remarkable about all of these women is that they were quite successful in a time when most women were not founding and managing companies. They all were cutthroat competitors who fought for all that they achieved. They do not always come across as likeable but their legacies were lasting.
Those who are interested in the beauty industry and/or those who enjoy historical fiction featuring strong women may well want to give this title a look.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for this title. All thoughts are my own.
So many Christmas romance titles are published each year that it is hard to know which ones to read. That said, those who enjoy these holiday stories cannot go wrong if they pick up this latest title by Susan Wiggs.
As can be seen from the cover, there are twelve adorable dogs. Eleven of these are from a charity and are being driven to their new homes in time for the holiday. The twelfth dog belongs to Brenda and he is a real charmer.
As the story opens, Brenda has a horrible Christmas. She learns something that makes her world implode. A year later it is again the festive season (even though she does not feel that spirit), when Brenda is begged by the dog charity’s benefactor to ride with her to drop off the pets and socialize them with their new families. Somewhat against her better judgment, Brenda agrees to go.
Readers of Wiggs’s Lakeshore Chronicles may well be besides themselves with joy when they learn that the van is bound for Avalon. Those who don’t know this wonderful place and the stories of its characters can still easily read and enjoy this book. That said, anyone who wants an absorbing women’s fiction read, should definitely grab hold of those books. The interlinked stories are lots of fun.
What will happen to Brenda in Avalon? Will its magic embrace her? Things start out a bit shaky but what then? Will there be a happy ever after? Readers will certainly hope so.
I very much enjoyed this story. It makes me hope that Wiggs will return to Avalon again in the future. In the meanwhile, this book is truly a gift to the author’s many fans.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed every paragraph of Keyes most recent book Again, Rachel. Therefore, I was thrilled to be given early access to this title by the publisher.
This is a story about Anna who is one of Rachel’s sisters. (The clan appears in a number of titles including an earlier book featuring Anna.) As the story opens, Anna has been a high achiever with her New York job and income. However with Covid, the end of a relationship and more, it has all become way too much for her. So she heads back to Ireland.
Not sure what she will do there, Anna is contacted on behalf of a friend who needs her help with a big real estate project. Anna hopes that her prior work experiences will be transferable. Will they? One complication is that an old love of Anna’s is also working on this development. Will sparks fly? Watch what happens in this long but enjoyable story that also touches on some issues including menopause.
What I liked about this book:
The characters, the setting, the ability to sink right in, the humor, the warmth-so much to recommend in these pages.
Fans of Keyes and those who like women’s fiction, give this one a look. Perfect for a summer day read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada-Doubleday Canada for this title. All opinions are my own.
The cover of this title shows Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas. In the novel, they are surrounded by those in their lives including Onassis, JFK, RFK, Jackie’s sister Lee and many others. All are brought to life in this excellent historical fiction. Jackie and Maria had more in common than Aristotle Onassis. According to the book, both had mothers they could not please and both faced terrible losses around pregnancies. In addition, each was involved with a charismatic man who did not believe in fidelity and who did believe in power. The settings of the novel bring the story to life. Readers will be in many locations including DC, Paris, Greece, the Cape, Aristotle’s yacht and more. The story unfolds in these places in a dual narrative that features the world from both Maria and Jackie’s perspectives. As in the best historical novels, the world of the characters is portrayed in such a way that I very much wanted the history that I already knew, to somehow magically be transformed for the sake of the people on whom the characters are based. Of course, it could not be. I enjoyed this title and recommend it highly for those who enjoy historical fiction. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Let me just say at the outset that I adore this book. If you are a Jane Austen fan, definitely take a look at this title.
The other Bennet Sister is Mary. If you have read P and P, you know how she is portrayed there. In this title, readers will get to know Mary so much better. I felt for her immediately as some of the first things to come up in the novel had to do with being a middle sister, bookish, needing glasses, not feeling pretty (enough) and not necessarily wanting to go to parties. I could identify with these! I also relate to Mary’s efforts at self improvement as she approaches the piano and her father’s library. Watching Mary figure out her life while spending time with other members of the Bennet household made this a wonderful read for me.
I think that Ms. Hadlow has captured the tone of Jane Austen. Mr. B is still sardonic, Mrs. B is a bit empty headed and the sisters are very much themselves.
Another plus of this title for me is its length. At 480 pages it is a novel to sink into.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this most enjoyable title. All opinions are my own.
At first, I had avoided reading this book because of a huge spoiler that deterred me. I am so glad that I eventually decided to change my mind. The Frank is Frank Lloyd Wright, the renowned architect. Think Falling Water among other places.
This historical novel takes place when FLW was a young man. It tells the story of his first and second marriages in an involving and engaging way. You might not always like Frank Lloyd Wright when you read this novel but I think that you will find him to be intriguing. I very much enjoyed getting to know Mamah Borthwick Chaney, a Chicago society matron. I will let you learn who she was for yourself. Spoiler alert…The story has some very real tragedy but is well worth the read.
Highly recommended. 5 ***** out of 5.
A Blurb:
“It takes great courage to write a novel about historical people, and in particular to give voice to someone as mythic as Frank Lloyd Wright. This beautifully written novel about Mamah Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright’s love affair is vivid and intelligent, unsentimental and compassionate.”
——Jane Hamilton
Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott (Bronson and Louisa May)…Margaret Fuller? Most readers of American fiction and essays know the first few names on this list. They may be less familiar with Margaret Fuller. However, by the time that readers close this book, they will fully appreciate her life with its successes, challenges and tragedy.
Young Margaret was a highly intelligent child, whose father took her education most seriously. When he died, Margaret was left feeling that she needed to support her family. She did that while also being part of the transcendentalist movement and more.
One aspect of the book that I really liked was the way in which icons became human. For example, early in the novel, Margaret visits Emerson and his second wife. Waldo, as Margaret is invited to call him, engages in a flirtation with Margaret. It is in moments like this, that readers get to look at great American figures in a new and less iconic way. Similarly, as the story opens, Thoreau is a young man working for the Emersons, and just beginning his writing career. Bronson Alcott is running a school, while Louisa May is still a child.
Pataki has written a number of works of historical fiction. She has another success on her hands here.
Many thanks toNetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Jenny Colgan is a mistress of her craft. She writes the kinds of books that readers hope for, especially when they are feeling stressed. This new book offers so much to enjoy. There is a wonderful Scottish setting, good characters and a bookshop! Of course, there is also romance and the holiday season. What more could possibly be needed?
Make this book a gift to yourself as the nights get longer. It will offer you the perfect escape.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon-Harper Voyager for this title. All opinions are my own.
Note-Today, November 9th, the ebook is just $3.74 on Amazon
#MissWinterintheLibrarywithaKnife #NetGalley
My thoughts:
Miss Winters in the Library with a Knife’s author, Martin Edwards, is quite talented. He has written standalone and series mysteries, has published books on the genre, and has done introductions to many classic crime stories. Here he has written a fun mystery that is set around the holidays in cold and isolated Midwinter.
Six people are invited to come to this unique place where six employees also work. They are going to play some kind of game that offers a reward at the end. Readers, of course, may have the sense that they want to warn the players off, although, of course, they cannot.
Each of the main characters has something to do with crime fiction. For example, there is author Harry. He has named all of his many novels with riffs on titles by well-known authors. Each of these titles is listed for the reader who will enjoy conjuring up the names of the originals. Watch from the very beginning as he tries to get information from many, including a certain driver. There are five others with whom he will interact.
As readers of the genre know, put a group of characters in a cold, isolated location and the chances are that they will be unable to leave. What will happen in this game? Will there be a real, as opposed to fictional murder? Readers can make a guess. The title of this book is, of course, reminiscent of the board game, Clue. Interesting.
Follow the clues, see if you can solve any of the puzzles, and enjoy the “clue finder” at the end of the book. Find out how good a detective you might be.
This is a clever, fun take on a classic mystery. It seems just the thing for a cold night with a cup of tea and a willingness to engage with the text.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 07 October 2025
Book summary and additional information:
From the publisher:
Six contestants. One chance at a new life. Who wouldn’t be tempted to cheat?
Award winning, renowned master of mysteries and editor of the British Library of Crime Classics, Martin Edwards turns up the heat for the most seasoned fair play mystery connoisseurs and puzzle afficionados just in time for a gleefully wicked holiday read.
Six down-on-their-luck people with links to the world of crime writing have been invited to play a game this Christmas by the mysterious Midwinter Trust. The challenge seems simple but exciting: Solve the murder of a fictional crime writer in a remote but wonderfully atmospheric village in north Yorkshire to win a prize that will change your fortunes for good.
Six members of staff from the shadowy Trust are there to make sure everyone plays fair. The contestants have been meticulously vetted but you can never be too careful. And with the village about to be cut off by a snow storm, everyone needs to be extra vigilant. Midwinter can play tricks on people’s minds.
The game is set – but playing fair isn’t on everyone’s Christmas list.
Advance Praise
“The perfect way to unwind during the holidays. What a treat.” — SJ Bennett
“Martin Edwards is a magician who conjures up a captivating crime story before your eyes.” — Janice Hallett
“The king of the puzzle mystery novel.” — Alex Pavesi
“You can put down the Radio Times and highlighter pen, this book is all the entertainment you’ll need this Christmas. Wonderful stuff.” — Ian Moore
From the Publisher:
Editorial Reviews
Review
“In a clever standalone homage to Agatha Christie, Edwards invites ‘external observers’ (i.e., readers) and ‘analysts’ (reviewers) to participate in an interactive puzzle mystery-within-a-mystery…readers can apply their own detective skills in deciphering the clues the author sprinkles throughout the podcast excerpts, text messages, journal entries, webpage excerpts, and third-person narrative. If you love to play Clue and are a fan of atmospheric cozies, this is a fun, diverting read.” ― First Clue–This text refers to the paperback edition.
About the Author
From Amazon
Martin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ His novels include the eight Lake District Mysteries and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers, including the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America. He has received four lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.
Let me just say at the outset that I adore this book. If you are a Jane Austen fan, definitely take a look at this title.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 