Murder in a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall

by joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviewsMay 1, 2020

This is the first entry in what, I think, will be a series.  The things that I loved most in this cozy mystery were the setting, the characters and the knitting.  The story takes place in a small Scottish town that, aside from murder, sounds like an idyllic place to live.  The protagonist, Paislee, is surrounded by family and friends.  She runs Cashmere Crush, a friendly shop, for wool and knitting.

As often happens in mysteries, there are two murders.  As an amateur, Paislee annoys the detective but…of course, finds the killer.  I was pretty sure that I knew who this was and I was right.  There is a clue that really points to the perpetrator.

This is a good book if you just want something easy and distracting.  There is Scottish dialect which tries to add authenticity but can also be distracting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl’s Guide to Building a Fort

Outdoor + Indoor Adventures for Hands-On Girls

by Jenny Fieri

This is a book that will encourage young girls to think, explore, have friendships and be independent. What more can we hope for as a gift to the girls that we know? This title is broken down into a number of Let’s Be sections including scientists, trailblazers, athletes, artists, builders and chefs. It seems like a collection of all the best sorts of girl scout badge activities with each section including a wide variety of ideas. I so wish that someone had given me this title when I was young! But wait…I can still try some of these things out and you can too.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this nicely illustrated book. All opinions are my own.

From the publisher:

Good Company is an absorbing novel that follows four intertwined lives and the lives of those around them. The title refers to an acting company in which some of the protagonists are involved and, of course, also could refer to who enjoys spending time with whom.

Flora and Margot met when they were both starting their careers. They know a good deal about one another but there is also at least one big secret waiting to be revealed. Margot, for much of the novel, is a doctor on a long running tv series, while Flora has opted to spend more of her time doing voice overs so that she can spend more time with her precious daughter Ruby.

Flora is married to Julian an actor and one of the company managers. Margot is married to David. His medical career was upended and reinvented.

The novel covers a number of years and moves back and forth seamlessly. The story unfolds on both coasts and also in Europe for a bit.

As the blurbs for this book note, Julian’s wedding ring takes on a great deal of importance in the novel. Its history and whereabouts becomes a theme that involves the primary characters.

This novel offers a well told story and nuanced characters. The lives of the actors, their choices and stresses, feel authentic. I definitely recommend this title.

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

The Chickentown Mystery

by Albert Arrayás

If one judges a book by its cover, it seems pretty clear that this title should be fun. Just look at the characters; their names are sure to make adults smile.

I loved the imagination of this author. Just think, every chicken tucked in its own bed and even some with bathrobes! The plot has to do with a competition, the most important event of the year. But, horrors (!), who is hen-napping the contestants and why? Luckily, witch, Miss Henrietta is on the case.

The illustrations are whimsical and fun. My only quibble is that children may find the final twist a little confusing.

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

Pub Date 10 Jun 2021  

Sweet Cherry has published a number of illustrated classics that are adapted for the younger reader. The latest of these titles is The Hounds of the Baskervilles. As is true of the other books that I have read in the series, this one captures the essence and feel of the longer work. It also includes information on words, for example, hansom cab, that may be unfamiliar to today’s readers. Hopefully, this version of the story will inspire children to read the original when they are ready.

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

Pub Date 25 May 2021

This sampler includes five long excerpts from upcoming mystery/thriller titles. It will undoubtedly lead readers to add some new titles to their TBR lists. Some books feature familiar characters (Enola Holmes), while others are author’s first books. All look intriguing.

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

by Inspired Inner Genius

The children for whom this title is intended, have grown up in a world in which airplanes are common place and flights to the moon occur. Help them to travel back to when flight was new and women were not in the spotlight. Within that context, the story of Amelia Earhart and her achievements is such an exciting one. This book tells her story matter of factly but well. The illustrations are cartoon like and add to the narrative. This title also includes some additional information and photos at the end. It is a good title for a school or home library.

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

Where I live, the weather is currently cold and the days are short.  When Trace Elements takes place during  a summer in Venice, it is as hot as hot can be.  Clothes are sticking, meals need to be light and our detective, Guido Brunetti is mystified by the tourists who want to be in Venice at this miserable time.  I could feel the heat and the need to drink mineral water.  All of this is to say that Ms. Leon is a master at creating her scenes and characters.  When Brunetti was eating his cheese and salad,   I salivated.  When I followed this essentially good man throughout the story, I wanted to know him and his colleagues as real people.  When Brunetti was with his wife, Paola, I wanted a marriage like theirs.  All of this adds verisimilitude to a novel that, in parts, is deeply tragic.

Tue story begins when Brunetti and a female colleague go to visit Benedetta, a women in hospice care, who is dying a miserable death from cancer.  Readers will feel great sympathy for this character’s suffering.  Before she dies, Benedetta presents Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni with something to investigate.  They learn that Benedetta’s daughters are about to become orphans as Benedetta’s husband recently died in a crash.  Was his death an accident? If it was murder how, if at all, does it relate to his job?

In Trace Elements (an apt title), the crime as it relates to Venice feels all too plausible.  Ms. Leon has done her research and written a believable and sad tale of human corruption and its consequences.  Wrong actions happen but the reasons for them differ.

This title is the latest entry in Donna Leon’s long running series about Guido Brunetti.  It is a most excellent novel and I recommend it highly.

#TraceElements #NetGalley