Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

The Old Success follows last year’s The Knowledge, a book that I really enjoyed. The Old Success is not quite as good but will still be welcomed by fans of Richard Jury and his eccentric circle of friends. Old readers, for example, will probably love Melrose’s latest attempt to get at his aunt. You do not have to have read all the books in the series to pick this up but it may help to know a bit about the cast.

In this novel, there are three murders. One takes place in the Scilly Islands, one in Exeter Cathedral and one on a family estate. Are they linked, and if they are, what is the connection?

As usual, there are characters who are children and essential to the story. In this case, the reader meets Zillah and Zoe. What did they witness? What is their connection to the bigger mystery surrounding the deaths?

The title of the book comes from the name of a pub, as is usual for Martha Grimes. Those in the pubs are witnesses and friends, including a retired police officer who solved all his cases. There is also his granddaughter who is talented at working with horses. Quite a mix.

Of course, all is solved. I read this book quickly. I rate it at 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance read in exchange for an honest review. The book publishes in November.

Welcome back Richard Jury and Co!
After reading The Man with a Load of Mischief, I always looked for books in this series. Then, I moved away from them…not sure why, the books or me. But, I will tell you that I very much enjoyed The Knowledge. All of the trademarks are here; characters including Wiggins, Melrose Plant, Diane, etc. and of course the preternaturally smart, cunning and ingenious child(ren). On top of this there is Africa, Art, Astrophysics, the Stars and murder, all of which line up as perfectly as an eclipse. If you enjoy traditional British style (author is American) mysteries with a twist, read this novel!

Pachinko. Korean historical fiction.

Becoming MrsLewis. About CS Lewis and his wife Joy n

The Poisonwood Bible. Barbara Kingsolver

American Duchess About Consuelo Vanderbilt

The Bookshop of Yesterdays About books

The Hamilton Affair. About Alexander H

The Red Coat. Boston based historical fiction

Give Me Your Hand Megan Abbott

Tangerine. Noir

The Secret to Hummingbird Cake. Southern fiction

A Caribbean Mystery. Agatha Christie

Grant. Ron Chernow’s monumental bio

The Sound of Broken Glass kincaid and Jones mystery

The Husband’s Secret. Liane Moriarty of Big, Little Lies

The secret Wife. Historical novel by Gill Paul

America Was Hard to Find. Newish with very good teviews

Read, read, read!! Enjoy.

https://nyti.ms/2JMCALB

My favorite part of this book was definitely the illustrations. They are so vibrant and appealing and they complement the text well.

This is a book in the American Psychological Association series. Each title is designed to help young children to learn about and cope with issues that face them as they grow up. In this one, the story is about a young witch who keeps tattling on her peers. This causes the other children to dislike her. They cast a spell on Wanda to teach her a lesson. All ends well as Wanda learns the difference between telling due to danger to another and catching all childish misbehavior. At the end of the book there is a very helpful section for adults on how to help children to know when it is important to tell a grownup something and how to help children in coping. Reasons that a child might be the one who always tells are also explored.

The section for adults is well done. My quibble with this book was that the solution was for a group of children to “gang up” on another child. This may be true to what can happen but I felt that it gave a somewhat wrong message with how to cope with another child’s behavior, even if that behavior was troublesome.

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

I remember watching Gilmore Girls with my daughters. Every week we looked forward to seeing what was happening in Starrs Hollow. The cast of characters, the wit, the charm, the patter, the place; the show was just perfectly pitched. There was Emily, aloof but somehow vulnerable; Loreli, fast talking and rebellious and Rory, the funny teen who was intense and driven to succeed. Around them were so many others from Luke to Richard to Max and to Rory’s loves, Dean, Jess and Logan. Then there were all the friends and frenemies from Lane to Paris, Sookie to Michel and more. There was angst, college and love of child, friend, family, place. All these came together in a perfect mix. (For those of you who missed the Gilmore Girls phenomenon, the shows are available on Netflix).

So, as you can imagine, I was very excited about this book. It did not disappoint. Following an excellent introduction there are chapters that focus on relationships including mothers and daughters, fathers, romances and friendships. Throughout the reader learns about or is reminded of the depth of the characters. The second half of the book is about the role of the show in popular culture. There are sections on feminism, popular culture, class and small town life.

If you enjoyed Gilmore Girls, give this book a look..  It will let you relive many good times in Starrs Hollow with so many friends.  If you missed the series, here is your chance to enjoy it and learn more.

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

and all the way to the last season:

If you need something to read, today is your day.  Here are mystery, fiction, historical fiction and nonfiction.  Enjoy.

This is the second, My First Fact File entry that I have read.  I am certain that it will not be my last.  I look forward to reading every title in this engaging, well illustrated and informative series.

This entry is about the Vikings.  Imagine that you lived somewhere that was on the path of the Vikings explorations and conquests.  It is easy to understand how these sailing explorers and conquerors would have caused much fear.

Young readers will learn about all aspects of the Vikings lives from their long ships, to their communities, gods, celebrations, children’s lives and more. There are activities to further enhance the reader’s experience, as for example, to make a Viking coin or snack.

This is a book that makes non-fiction fun.  I wish that the series had been around when I was young.  It can really open children’s eyes to all of the amazing things that there are to learn.

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

This is a fantastic collection of stories, some of which will be known to readers and listeners while others may not. There is, for example, the story of Hansel and Gretel which, or course, I know. That is immediately followed by Grandfather’s Eyes, a tale from Czechoslovakia that was new to me.

The stories are organized into sections. A few examples include Into the Woods, Down by the Water, Enchanted Places, Strangers at the Door and many more. Each story is identified by region of the world and country. No story is very long so these tales make for perfect (slightly) scary bedtime or anytime reads. The illustrations reflect the tone of the book and are quite striking.

This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for these spooky reads.

This is a wonderful historical novel based upon the Book Women who delivered library materials to those in the out of the way sections of Kentucky.  The book women were part of a program started by President Roosevelt under the WPA.

There are many book women in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky but the protagonist of the novel is the unforgettable Cussy.  Cussy speaks in dialect which helps the reader to fully enter into her world.  Cussy faces special challenges because she is the last of the ‘blues.’  There really were blue-skinned people in America as a supplement at the back of the novel attests.  They were objects of curiosity and also of prejudice, just as was the case for the African American population.

Cussy wants to be independent both before and after her disastrous short term marriage.  And yet, what will happen with patron Jackson who is one of the few to call Cussy by name, rather than the derogatory Bluet?

Cussy’s love of books flows through the novel.  There are references to books that were popular at the time, including those by Steinbeck and Rex Stout.  Cussy’s inventiveness in making books and delivering what her patrons need is impressive.

The landscape of rural Kentucky, the small towns, the mines, the mountains are all well described.  Each patron that Cussy visits has a back story and readers will even come to learn more about the mule who transports her.

If you are a reader who enjoys historical fiction set in the U.S., consider this one.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks, for this book in exchange for an honest review.