Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

Note that there are additional Narnia titles on special sale today.

An e book bargain for 4.23.24

A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery

by Donna Leon

Pub date: March 9, 2021

Transient Desires is Donna Leon’s thirtieth (!) book about Guido Brunetti. What an accomplishment to have kept a series fresh over so many novels..

In thinking about this title, I concluded that it is a story of place and character, as compared to a classic mystery. There are people good and bad, those with and without morals, those who get caught up in situations with difficult consequences, vicims, various types of love and more. Venice is also critical part of this story. Areas of the city that were new to me were in this book as were the canals, cafes and tourist sites along, of course, with Brunetti’s home.

My favorite of all of the people in this novel is Brunetti. His desire to do right, his willingness to apologize when wrong, his trying to help others and his love of lunch and Paola (his wife) all play their part.

The plot is not dense. Two young girls are injured and left at a hospital. The story goes from there as it impacts a number of others.

If you are going to be a new reader of Brunetti, start at the beginning with Death at La Fenice. All other Leon fans welcome our Commissario back! Now I just have to wait for #31.

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

A Novel

by Finola Austin

Undoubtedly when readers see the name Bronte, they think about Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. But, Charlotte and Emily were only two of the Bronte siblings. Among them and others, they had one brother Branwell; he is the focus of this story based on some historical facts.

Sister, Anne, had a job as a governess. Branwell became a tutor to a child in that same family. As a result, he met Lydia Robinson who was over ten years his senior. She was a woman reeling from loss, a difficult marriage and a controlling mother in law. As the title of this novel tells readers, she became Bronte’s mistress. What happened to them and this relationship will surely interest readers of historical fiction.

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

Some other opinions:

“[A] meticulously researched debut novel . . .  In a word? Juicy.” —OPRAH MAGAZINE

“A convincingly multifaceted picture of Lydia, a smart, passionate woman who is caught between her own thwarted desires and the gears of society’s conventions. Austin grounds her book in research, but it’s the entirely fictional letters she intersperses throughout the book that truly bring Lydia and many of her other characters to life. Austin has written a stirring defense of the maligned Mrs. Robinson, and who can say if it isn’t also the truth?” —THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

by Janie Bynum

Baby Chick has so very much to say. Her peeps cover pages of this storybook. But…everyone is too busy to listen. So, Baby Chick goes off on her own. Eventually she finds an egg. What’s inside? Baby Chick will soon find out and what she finds will delight her.

This is a simple story for the youngest children. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

A Bedtime Lullaby for You

by Sandra Magsamen

This is a gentle, sweet bedtime story for the littlest listeners. The illustrations have an engaging appeal that adds to the book. The book’s pace encourages a child to relax, go to sleep and have good dreams about all that they can do. This is a title that adults may want to add to their collection of children’s bedtime stories.

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

by Mark K. Shriver

Pub Date 02 Mar 2021

The illustrations in this book are colorful, vivid and engaging. The text invites children to find people in its pages. There is a guide at the end of the book that lets children know what they are looking for.

If you know a child who enjoys search and find books, they may well enjoy this sweet book with a gentle social message. Take a look.

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