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!
Wow, they have now gotten to the 25th volume of this sampler. It includes lots of information on upcoming traditional mysteries. Each edition includes book covers, info on what a book is about, an excerpt, and a chance to learn something about the author. As an extra bonus, this is a free resource.
This time the included authors are Ellie Alexander, Cate Conte, Mindy Quigley, Elizabeth Penny, Donna Andrews and, M.C. Beaton (with R.W. Green). I will have some new books for my wish list including a new Agatha Raisin title. Find your own favorites here.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.
Libby Page’s novel, Mornings with Rosemary, also published as The Lido, was a favorite of mine. It told a touching story.
Now, readers get to find out what happened to Kate after that book ended. Here she is, living in the country with her husband Jay, as she becomes a new mother.
Readers also meet community mental health nurse Phoebe. Their stories intertwine in a novel that both tells a story and wants to leave readers with some messages.
One significant theme, I think mirrors the author’s own experience in becoming a new parent. This has to do with what it is like to transition to motherhood and how, despite what is often presented as a rosy experience, it can feel isolating, and bonding is sometimes a process. Any new mother who has felt overwhelmed may identify with Kate. Readers watch as Kate, Jay and Rosie become a family. Note that Rosie is named for Rosemary of the first book.
Phoebe takes her job very much to heart. One reason for this is her own family history. Readers meet many of those with whom Phoebe works and view their struggles and growth.
One thing that brings these characters together is their love of wild swimming. Will all go smoothly? I loved the scenes on the river.
The Lifeline is about many lifelines. Readers can think about and count them up. They are also encouraged to not be afraid to talk about what is difficult and to get help.
As soon as I saw the title of this book, I wanted to read it. The magic word, of course, was bookshop. I also found the cover to be very appealing. So, I initially judged this one by its cover. That said, I wasn’t disappointed.
This novel’s protagonist, Grace, is a young woman who recently lost her mother. Along with her best friend, Viv, she moves to London to stay with a family friend. The two arrive only to have war declared not long after. Viv enters one of the women’s units while Grace remains with her mother’s friend. She takes a position in a bookshop and the shop is also a character in the book.
This story points out the importance of literature. In a lovely scene, Grace goes underground during a bombing raid where she begins reading Middlemarch to those who are stuck in the shelter over night. Those stuck there look forward to additional chapters when the next call to go underground comes.
Grace organized the bookshop and develops a relationship with its curmudgeonly owner. She studies way to make the shop successful and, for example, advertises buying books to read while unable to sleep in one’s beds due to the bombings.
The author does a good job of portraying wartime Britain. There are losses of people, property, usual foods, a way of life. There are also the joys of friendship, love, books and connection.
There are so many WWII set novels being written now. My theory is that, awful as the war was, it is more reassuring to look back at that time than our current one. For all of the suffering, the reader knows that eventually Britain will declare victory.
I think that this title is worth reading. Let me know what you think!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
I read and enjoyed this author’s first, The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, so was intrigued by this second novel set in the world of books.
Here is a locked room mystery that fans of that genre will enjoy. However, they may feel differently in going into libraries for a while.
A group of friends hopes that a night in the library will be transformative and it is…just not in the way that they hoped.
This is a suspenseful read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Meg Shaffer’s previous novel, The Wishing Game, was one of my favorite books last year. So, I was incredibly excited to receive an e galley of The Lost Story.
In this title, the author develops an imaginative story that pays homage to CS Lewis. Just as Lewis did, Shaffer creates an alternate and magical world populated by unique characters and situations. As in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, characters lives will be transformed.
Two boys, Rafe and Jeremy, disappeared only to miraculously return six months later. How did their relationship and lives fare after this? What happens to them and a young woman named Emily fifteen years later? No more plot reveals as readers will want to have their own experience while reading this.
Good and evil, many kinds of love, and adventure await in this highly recommended title. BookPage has given it a well deserved star review.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Louise has finally gathered the courage to take the police civil service exam, but when she returns to her secretary job at the midtown publishing house of Van Hooten and McChesney, she’s shocked to find the offices smoldering from a deadly, early morning fire. Huddled on the sidewalk, her coworkers inform her that Guy Van Hooten’s body has been found in the charred ruins. Rumors of foul play are already circulating, and the firm’s surviving partner asks Louise to investigate the matter.
Despite a number of possible suspects, the last person Louise expects to be arrested is Ogden McChesney, an old friend and mentor to her aunt Irene. Louise will have to search high and low, from the tenements in the Lower East Side to the very clouds above the tallest skyscrapers, to get to the bottom of an increasingly complex case . . .
How it starts:
From the publisher:
How would you aid a police officer in making the arrest of one or more violent criminals?
My forehead broke out in a dewy film of panic. Ever since this past summer when I’d found myself in the middle of a murder investigation, I’d envisioned myself as a policewoman in the New York Police Department. In my dreams, I would rise quickly through the ranks by dint of hard work, bravery, and cleverness to become a detective. I set my mind on taking the police civil service exam and studied every night after my workday as secretary at the publisher Van Hooten and McChesney. I also set aside Sunday afternoons, as well as any other moment I could sneak a few glances at my well-thumbed pamphlet of New York City’s municipal ordinances. I was nothing if not determined.
Yet here I was, taking the long-awaited test, and my cleverness had deserted me at Question 2.
About the author:
Liz Freeland lives with her husband in Montreal, where she writes and astounds the locals with her makeshift French. An elderly cat or dog (or two . . . or four) can typically be found in her apartment, and during the busiest day, Liz usually finds time to sneak in an old movie.
Other titles in this series:
Book One
Book Three
My thoughts:
Those who enjoy historical mysteries that feature strong women protagonists will want to give this title a look. They will then meet Louise who wants to be in the police but works in publishing as the story opens. When a murder occurs, Louise knows the victim and at least one suspect. She gets involved.
Follow Louise as she traverses Manhattan trying to figure everything out. Readers will hope that she solves the case and gets her position with the police.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All thoughts are my own.
NOTE THAT ON 15 AUGUST, THIS TITLE IN E BOOK FORMAT IS UNDER THREE DOLLARS
Expect the unexpected in this fun debut to, what I hope, is a new series by Tamara Berry. It offers some eccentricity, a good story line and some unexpected events, all within the traditional(ish) mystery genre.
Amber must be feeling pretty desperate. She leaves home in the middle of the night and, although well below age, escapes to a community for older adults. Probably desperate to go here and to meet up with a relative she doesn’t even know. And, what about that tortoise? Add murder to the mix and the story is on its way. Lucky Amber has had some PI training.
This title is definitely worth a look and seems perfect for these lazy summer days.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Kirkus Reviews says: A knockout series debut from a veteran author with street cred in both mystery and romance…Despite Berry’s breezy tone and drop-dead-funny japes at Seven Ponds and its eccentric residents and staff, she tells a heartrending tale of how complicated families can be.” ― Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 