I first saw this book when I was browsing in a British bookstore on line and knew that I wanted to read it. It was great to find that it was also being published in the U.S. and it felt like a real treat to receive this one from NetGalley.
Anyone who is (or has been pregnant) or knows someone who has, and those who enjoy somewhat frothy mysteries laced with humor should take a look at this one.
Imagine a baby being delivered right in the middle of a prenatal class. If that weren’t enough, imagine that a murder follows not long after.
A group of women from the prenatal class are on the case. Will they solve it? Readers can guess the answer to that. The fun is in watching events unfold.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Fans of Under Lock and Skeleton Key, rejoice. Here is the author’s new book featuring that special staircase company and a terrific protagonist. It is easy to recommend this title to those who will enjoy its whimsy.
Why (and how) did Corbin literally crash a seance party? Will Gigi and her grandfather be able to figure out what transpired? What will happen in this locked room style mystery? There are many suspects, twists and a few hidden places.
This is a most enjoyable novel. It received a well deserved starred review from Publishers Weekly. It is such a fun read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Are you now, or were you ever, a mother with young children? If yes, did you feel that you received the support that you needed from your partner? Did you want not just help but proactive assistance? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you may well identify with Nora Spangler.
Nora has a four-year-old, is pregnant and it is her year to become (or not) partner in her law firm. She is trying her best but is overwhelmed. Nora loves her husband (she says) but some days is incredibly irritated by him.
So…Nora and Hayden look at a house that is for sale in an upscale community. Interestingly, the husbands there are way more helpful than usual. The women all have these incredibly high powered jobs. What is going on here? Do Nora and Hayden want to live here? Will they?
Also, what about that arson that killed Penny’s husband. Nora is investigating it thinking about a wrongful death suit. Is it that or is it murder?
There are many threads running through this novel. I have seen mixed reviews but I found it to be a book that I enjoyed. Make up your own mind. Give this one a look.
I very much enjoyed listening to this book. It kept me company on many walks. The story was quite involving and it was enjoyable to hear how events played out
Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.
This series launch by Vanessa Lillie does not feel like the work of a beginner. It is beautifully plotted, has a wide variety of three dimensional characters, and brings its people and settings fully to life. Along with all of this, readers will deepen their understanding of the issues that faced the Cherokee people both historically and to this day.
Syd is a Cherokee woman who works for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She has left the community where she grew up after a horrific home invasion and the death of her close friend. This character, Luna, is very much a presence in the book as Syd repeatedly hears her voice. In her current life, Syd is committed to her work and is in a relationship. Her wife very much wants to be a mother. Syd is not sure if she is up for this.
As this complex story opens, Syd has found a body in Rhode Island, most likely of a Narragansett woman. She is called back to her home community in mid stream when a case needs to be solved there. At the same time, Syd’s sister is missing. Her history includes addiction but would she have willingly abandoned her daughter?
Readers will turn the pages as they try to figure out what has happened to the people of this mystery and get to know Syd, her family and the others around her.. I recommend it very highly. It is atmospheric, suspenseful and (I would say) educational (as regards the treatment of the Cherokee and others.)
Fans of books as diverse as those by Carolyn Haines and Suzanne Chazin will, I think, enjoy this book very much. The writer is like Haines in that she has a ghost speaking to a character. Chazin is recalled because both she and Lillie have a deep understanding of communities and people of color who have not been treated fairly.
I will be most eager to read all of the books in this series as they are released. I hope that there will be many.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
With Agony Hill, Ms. Taylor begins a new and compelling series. It follows on her recent four books that took place in both the States and Ireland. I had hoped that there would be a fifth title in the series that began with The Mountains Wild but sadly that is not to be (at least for now? I can hope).
That said, Agony Hill is a terrific series launch. I have so much admiration for how the author has created an entirely new world and set of characters in this story that takes place in Vermont in the 1960s.
Franklin Warren has relocated to rural Vermont where he will be a detective. It is clear from early on that he has a backstory and a life that has included some complications. Warren is glad to be in a new community. However, challenges come to him even on his very first day.
A “back to the land,” eccentric and difficult farmer by the name of Weber has died in a fire on his land. It appears that it may have been suicide as the door is locked from the inside of the building. (Of course, veteran mystery readers will know to not trust this). Hugh has left behind a young widow, four sons and a baby on the way. How will they manage? Has Hugh provided for them at all? Hugh’s brother certainly hopes not.
This becomes a case for Warren to investigate. There is also a second fire death early in the book. (no more spoilers here). It will be complex and interesting as events unfold.
While there are many characters in this story, another one to notice is Alice. She too has a history. Her life has not been limited to her beautiful gardens.
All in all, this was an absorbing story. I spent much time reading it instead of doing other things that may have needed doing.
Fans of this author and those new to her will both enjoy this one. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 06 August 2024
From Kirkus Reviews:
VERDICT The author of the Maggie D’arcy mysteries (A Stolen Child) launches a historical mystery series with a compassionate, vulnerable detective and a setting so vividly described it could be a character. Julia Spencer-Fleming fans will want to try this one.
This book has generated a fair amount of buzz. It won a first mystery contest sponsored by the publisher along with the Mystery Writers of America. It is also an Amazon Editor’s Pick and a title that I have seen on some best books of the year lists. Kirkus Reviews states that this book is “An intriguing and altogether enchanting mystery.”
So…is it for you? It will be if you like gothic novels and old, rundown family homes/fortresses. You will like this one if you like a Cornwall setting and the 1920s time period. This book will intrigue thosewho want to spend time with an unconventional heroine who was a rebel and inherited a fortune upon the death of her parents. If you like a troubled marriage and mysterious (possibly even supernatural) deaths, turn the pages. And there is more.
The Curse of Penryth Hall is a fun and intriguing read. I enjoyed the getting to know Ruby and those around her. A lot goes on. Not all may be fully tied up but this is still a pretty good first novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.
Are you a person who finds getting on an airplane to be an adventure or are you a nervous flyer? Either personality type may well be riveted by this thriller in which much of the action centers on a long haul flight from London to Sydney (20 hours in the air!). In some ways, the story is a take on a locked room mystery in that much of the action is confined to the plane and the stories of its passengers and crew. However, there is also backstory so some time is spent on the ground and with other characters.
The book’s protagonist, Mina, is on the flight when…a note is given to her. What does it say? How will it influence what she does? In order for there not to be spoilers, it is not possible to say more except that this is a story that may well put readers on the edges of their seats.
My only quibble with this story is that I did not absolutely love some of the characters and I don’t just mean the “bad” ones.. I do, though, admire Ms. Mackinstosh’s imagination and storytelling ability. Readers, remember that this is fiction!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Murder in Old Bombay won the Minotaur book award for a first mystery. The winners’ books are always worth taking a look at in my opinion.
This story is a leisurely one (though that does not mean that there is a lack of action), coming in at close to 400 pages. It is an historical mystery set in the late 19th century when India was ruled by the British. The protagonist, Jim Agnihotri, is of mixed Indian and British parentage which makes him a bit of an outsider in both worlds and cultures. He was wounded and is out of the Army when he becomes known to the Framji family.
Two young women in that family fell to their deaths from a university tower. It appears to be murder and Jim becomes the Holmes aficionado who wants to solve the case using his idol’s methods. During the course of the story, Jim and readers get to know the Framjis very well. Jim is especially close to the beautiful Diana and to Adi who is the young widower of one of the victims.
As Jim works on the case he has a series of adventures, many disguises and clues to work through. He also takes on an unofficial parenting role to a number of children who are victims. He is a protagonist who tries to do what is right and is not afraid to fight for it.
Readers learn about Jim’s growing up, his military years and the church figure to whom he felt close. Readers are also immersed in some of the history and culture of the period. A most helpful glossary is even included.
This is a novel that those who enjoy the recent India based mysteries of Sujata Massey are sure to want to read. I recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
My first Peter Robinson book was his first, Gallows View. From this beginning, through a total of twenty-eight titles, I have happily followed Inspector Banks wherever he had led me. The cases have always been intriguing and I loved getting to know Banks, his (ex) wife, parents, brother, children, colleagues and friends. Readers can also learn a lot about music in the series. Those who haven’t read any of the novels have a real treat in store.
Most sadly, Standing in the Shadows, is Robinson’s final book as he died earlier this year. His last book is one to be proud of; it earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly and a high recommendation from me.
The novel unspools in a dual time line. In the earlier period, a young woman has been murdered. Was she killed by the notorious Yorkshire Ripper or was something else in play? How will her ex cope when he has struggled with the end of the relationship?
In the present, Banks has a corpse to deal with. It was discovered on the site of an historical dig but the bones are not ancient Roman ones.
Watching a master like Robinson pull the story together is a real treat. I was so sorry when I turned the last page. I think that I will need to go back to the beginning and reread the series as I am not ready to bid Banks farewell.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
Last year I read and reviewed The Hollywood Spy, one of the Maggie Hope stories by this author. It set the stage for this new novel as it opened my eyes to what was happening among the pro German U.S. groups in the lead up to WWII. What I learned was appalling.
In many ways, Mother, Daughter, Traitor, Spy picks up where The Hollywood Spy left me. The difference is that this title is based on the lives of a real mother and daughter. Many other characters are also based upon real people. Here is a story about good and evil.
Readers get to know Vi and her daughter, Veronica. Veronica was set to have a very bright future as a journalist after she graduated from Hunter College. One mistake derailed her. Vi and Veronica subsequently leave New York and move to California at a relative’s urging. This puts the reader right back into a story about anti-Semitism, pro German sentiment and the world of spies. There are many shocking events over the course of the novel.
I highly recommend this title. I even think that it would be a wonderful one for high school students who are studying American history to read. It is, after all, important to know what happened right here in the U.S. In addition, some of the parallels to today’s political landscape are also here-just think about that.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 20 September 2022
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“A suspenseful page-turner, vivid historical account, and inspiring story of female empowerment all in one . . . Riveting!”—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star
“A timely, fascinating story about a little-known chapter in American history, one that resonates especially strongly today.”—Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times bestselling author of Resistance Women
“A fascinating, thought-provoking thrill ride through the fascist underbelly of 1940s Los Angeles, Mother Daughter Traitor Spy will have you glancing over your shoulder and wondering just what you’d dare—and whether you’d make it out alive.”—Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Daughter
“Gut-wrenching . . . This is historical fiction at its best.”—Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of And After the Fire
“Susan Elia MacNeal is at the height of her powers in this riveting suspense novel.”—Sujata Massey, Agatha Award–winning author of The Widows of Malabar Hill
“Susan Elia MacNeal is outstanding! Her ability to convey a spellbinding story that is realistically rooted in this time period puts her among the best!”—Charles Todd, New York Times bestselling author of the Ian Rutledge series and the Bess Crawford series
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 