Transient Desires

A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery

by Donna Leon

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.

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

Did you know that the Germans occupied the British island of Guernsey for five years during WW II?  In this epistolary novel, through the eyes of Juliet, the authors tell the stories of islanders of all ages and backgrounds.  The characters are portrayed with a deft touch as their foibles and humanity are explored.  There is even some romance.  It is trite to say but the characters felt like friends with whom I wanted to spend lots of time.  Highly recommended!  Enjoy finding out what the pie is and why it was created.

The book is worth reading and I eagerly anticipated the movie which stars Lily James from Downton Abbey.

A Novel

by Robert Thorogood

An e book bargain

Soon to be on tv

Readers who devoured Richard Osman’s mysteries are pretty sure to enjoy The Marlow Murder Club. It has many similar good eccentricities while telling its own story.

As in Osman’s novels, our woman on the scene is a pensioner. Eccentric Judith Potts is in her seventies. She may be a little too fond of whisky. She sets crossword puzzles to earn money, lives in an inherited property and observes everything around her. She is also intrepid.

One night Judith hears a shot. Her neighbor Stefan is dead. It is quickly established that Stefan was murdered. His character is less clear; there are those who saw him as a good and kind man and others who did not. What was the nature of his association/relationship with an antiques business and Elliott, its proprietor? How, if at all, is Stefan’s death connected to another victim, a well-liked taxi driver named Iqbal? And, what about the people Judith gets to know along the way? There are a mysterious redhead, a dog walker and a vicar’s wife among others. It all crescendos in a satisfying story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 03 May 2022

A Novel

by Allison Pataki

An e book bargain

Allison Pataki tells the story of Marjorie Merriweather Post from her childhood right on through her “many lives.” She was a daughter, wife (multiple times), mother, key part of Post (later known as General) Foods, society woman, charitable worker and donor, ambassador’s wife, builder of multiple estates and more. The pages just flew as I followed Marjorie through her life.

Readers will travel with Marjorie to many locations. Among these are Battle Creek, Washington DC, Manhattan, the Adirondacks, Palm Beach (Mar-a-Lago) and Moscow. Readers see Marjorie’s own experiences in each of these places.

Relationships were a big part of Marjorie’s life. No spoiler so I won’t write about how many times she married or who her husbands or children were.

I so highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction. It is one of the best that I have read in this genre.

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

Regular readers of Jodi Picoult’s novels know what to expect…the unexpected, plot twists, a social issue and lots of information on an interesting topic, in this case bees.

Here is a story in which Ms. Picoult partnered with Ms. Boylan, a fortuitous and successful pairing for this novel’s topic and one about which readers will learn a great deal. As I mentioned in a review of a spark of light, I think that a service is done for readers who are hungry for information and may not have easy access to it; in this instance, the subject is being trans.

Well, yes, as noted above, there is always a bit of a didactic turn in this writer’s works but there is also always a terrific story. Here readers get to know Asher and his bee keeping mom, and Lily, a person of great importance to Ash. Around them flow many other characters.

When something really bad happens, Asher is in trouble. Did he do what he was accused of? How will events play out? What will the impact be on the small New Hampshire town where the novel is set?

Around the central plot, are backstories for many characters. There is a good deal about families and parents who are absent, along with the impact of that on children. Is it ever better not to be with a parent is one of many questions.

As this book opens readers meet two moms who are single parents for complex reasons. What happens when this new(ish) ecosystem is messed with? Will it be like it is for the bees when they face disruption?

I, for one, really wanted to know what would happen in this story, not only to Asher, but to many of the people around him. I think readers will feel that way too.

Congrats to the authors. They have written one heck of a book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

by Emily March

#TheGetaway #NetGalley

The cover of this novel drew me right in. As I write this, I am about to face a heatwave so this image of two women, their drinks and a lake made me envious. Well, I thought…at least I can visit virtually. So, I did and enjoyed my visit.

Set in a gorgeous location, this is a story of new beginnings, family, renovations (of a lake front property and perhaps of people as well). It offers wonderful escape in a story with good characters, a terrific settings, and an interesting story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book was published in 2022.

384 pages

Romance

Note: For those who enjoy this book, it is the first of a series.

Editorial Reviews

I have read two other books by this author and love her imagination and ability to tell a story. Seeing Jurczyk’s name on this title and the beautiful cover drew me right in.

Take a train ticket, hop on, think that things will happen one way only to find how wrong an assumption that is when the train breaks down and there is a murder in this closed environment. Will Agatha, whose husband had purchased a ticket for her for this Canadian rail journey, emerge unscathed? Why was there a murder? What are Agatha’s connections to those on the train? How will the story unfold? Pick this one up to find out. You will be glad that you did.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 23 September 2025

Mystery & Thriller

352 pages

Also by this author:

Note that I have reposted here and do not know if either of these titles is currently an e book bargain

What could go wrong in: The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections

What happened on: That Night in the Library (Eva Jurczyk)

A Novel

by Ruth Hogan

#TheMoontheStarsandMadameBurova #NetGalley

Pub Date 21 Sep 2021  

I absolutely adored Ruth Hogan’s novel, The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, so I was quite eager to read The Moon, The Stars and Madame Burova.

Around the plot, Ms. Hogan looks at some emotionally resonant issues. These include identity, race, the nature of love, how to treat others and also how to treat one’s self. All is skillfully done and is not too heavy handed.

Madame Burova’s mother, Shunty Mae, was a reader of tarot cards, palms and crystal balls. Her daughter, Imelda (aka Madam B) has taken on her mother’s vardo and profession. She is very good at it and her booth becomes a confessional for many. In the present, Imelda Burova is considering retirement; in the past she led an active life.

Imelda spent time at Larkin’s, a family holiday camp, when she was a young woman. There were many people and acts there. Imelda was close to Jeannie, a talented young singer and to Cillian Burke, a man who was of great importance to her. Readers will find out how Cillian influenced the title of the novel. Also at the camp is Vivienne; she wants Cillian and is used to taking whatever she feels that she needs.

In the present, Billie’s parents have recently died. She finds something out in a note that her father left her. This leads her to connect with Imelda and connect they do! In the present, Imelda offers Billie some answers and all the wonderful aspects of the kind of person she is. Readers will root for both of them.

This book is not a cliffhanger. It is a slow-ish read that I enjoyed and recommend. Not quite as good as Sally but very good nonetheless.

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

The author’s new book is coming soon!

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/16/books/review/adventure-movie-novels.html

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/books/fake-dating-romance-books.html