#ACaseofMiceandMurder #NetGalley

This historical mystery takes place within London’s legal world. It is very much a story in which the clues have been fairly planted. However, not all readers will remember them.

There are two things going on within the novel. One plot has to do with the death by murder of a chief justice. The other intriguing question has to do with the authorship of a book featuring a very famous mouse.

Will the two storylines intersect? How will this murder case with many aspects and suspects be solved? How important will Millie the mouse be?

I thoroughly enjoyed this very traditional mystery and look forward to the authors next book which comes out in 2025.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for this title. All opinions are my own

Pub date: 17 June 2025

#StillLife #NetGalley

Still Life was published in early November but I was not ready to review this title until now. That is because I chose to read the novel very slowly as, for me, it was one to savor. This novelist has a unique voice and that comes across loud and clear in this beautiful work.

The title had multiple meanings for me. As there is much about art in the book, it can refer to a classic form of painting, the still life. However, to me, it refers to still, as in on-going, life or still, as in quiet and unmoving. In part, I mean, how people go on when they have faced all that life has to bring to a person, everything from war, to love, to loss, to aging, to relationships to art, to travel, to home and more.

Ms. Winman has her very own authorial voice and this led me to need a bit of time to fully enter the world of the novel. At first, I was distracted by the absence of quotation marks for example. The story also goes through time and a number of locations.

The characters are quirky and unique. I enjoyed getting to know everyone and their connections to one another. Just a few of these folks include:

Ulysses: He survived WWII. What leads him back to Italy?

Evelyn: A gay woman who also survives the war. She is a professor who first met Ulysses on a significant night.

Peg: She was the woman for Ulysses except….

Alys or kid: She is Peg’s child but Ulysses is the one who parents her.

Spend time in this novel. Read it slowly but with enthusiasm. It is special.

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

Anointed “the queen of British telly” overseas, the actress leads a series about Austen’s prim older sister, who torched most of the writer’s letters.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2025/05/02/arts/television/keeley-hawes-miss-austen.html

Feeling Good About Who You Are

by Tanya Masterman and Yenn Purkis

#TheAwesomeAutisticGuidetoBeingProud #NetGalley

This book offers a place for kids/teens to read and think about what it means to be autistic. Just some of the chapter headings are So I am Autistic-What does that actually mean?; Some good things about being autistic; What is the Autistic Community; and How to be proud of who I am. From this listing, it is pretty clear that this book offers information and normalization, both of which are helpful.

One guide for readers is Min, a meerkat. Find Min throughout these pages as daily situations arise. Also, the reader can answer some of the questions that are posed for thought.

The authors of this title are both autistic. This adds a sense of confidence in what they write. Both acknowledge that their goal is to help their readers to feel good about being autistic. For themselves, they note that they would change things in the world but not who they are.

This book looks like a useful guide to me. It deserves a place in home and school libraries.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: February 2024

Self-help

96 pages

by Paula Sutton

#ThePottingShedMurder #NetGalley

I recognized the name of this author from a profile that I had read about her in a magazine. I loved Sutton’s sense of personal style (vintage) and was eager to see what kind of writer she was. Here, she has penned a mystery that readers will enjoy.

Spring time seems like the perfect moment to focus on a title with gardening…and murder. This is what readers find when a school headmaster is found dead on his allotment.

Newcomer to the community (after choosing to leave London), are Daphne and James. They are an interracial couple with three children who at first wonder how they will fit in in a less urban setting. Daphne seems to be accepted and liked for her sense of style. But, what will happen when Daphne gets herself involved in the investigation? What will happen when her friend is accused of the crime? How will sleuthing impact Daphne’s standing in her village? Read this one to find out.

Some reviewers have noted that this title is written a bit muddily. Still, it is worth a look in my opinion. I enjoyed both the characters and the setting. I hope that the author will have a second traditional mystery for us.

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

This title was published in the UK in April 2025 and will be out in the U.S. in May 2025.

This book has already been greeted enthusiastically by many. Among these readers is Oprah Winfrey who has made it her book club pick. It has been reviewed widely and anyone who read (or saw the movie) Brooklyn will want to spend time with this novel.

This is a story of Eilis twenty or so years after the events in Brooklyn. She has found herself a housewife (with occasional work), mother of two and is still married to Tony; his boisterous clan makes their presence in her life rather prominent.

The catalyst for what happens is that Tony has impregnated another woman. Needless to say Eilis is not pleased. One way that she copes is by going back to Ireland. Yes, she does again meet up with Jim while there.

What will happen to this family as they face a crisis? Eilis once left but returned to Tony. What will she do this time?

I found the writing in this book to be deceptively simple. There is much behind what each character says and does. It is a paean to well written prose.

Even if a reader has not yet enjoyed Brooklyn, they can still read this one. I recommend it.

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

Pub date: 07 May 2024

The Queen

Her Life

by Andrew Morton

Royal followers know Andrew Morton. He wrote a book on Princess Diana that rocked the monarchy. He has also written books on Elizabeth and Margaret, as well as one on Wallis Simpson. In addition to writing popular biographies, Morton is an academic historian.

The timing of this book will surely lend it attention as it comes out not long after Elizabeth’s death. It is what I would call a popular biography. It is easy to read and engagingly written. A full biography of the queen is here, from her earliest days on.

It was poignant to read about some well-known aspects of the monarch’s life including her romance with Philip and her happy days as a young bride in Malta with their funerals still in mind. The abdication and her father’s death are also more sad in light of another heir taking to the throne now.

This book covers many years and episodes in Elizabeth’s life and the lives of those around her. While I don’t think that this book breaks new ground, it is a very good biography and one that I think readers will enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing. All opinions are my own.

From the Publisher

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/04/28/books/book-titles-cities.html

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/books/new-books-may.html

Everything You Need to Know about Health, Property, Investment, Leisure, Work, Pensions and Tax

by Jonquil Lowe

#TheGoodRetirementGuide2025 #NetGalley

This guide has been published yearly for quite a while now. It remains a good and comprehensive resource.

I do want to note about this title is that it is geared toward British readers. For that reason, some of the specifics may not be as useful for those from other countries. However, that said, there are many good things to think about here and with a bit of research, readers can most likely find similar resources in their own countries.

There are a number of chapters that have to do with finances, including budgeting, pensions, tax and more. I like that there other sections that look at options for life as a retiree; for example, there are sections on leisure activities including adult education, the arts, dance, museums and more. There are also chapters on starting a business and even one on looking for paid work or living abroad. In addition, there is a detailed section on health.

This is a book that includes a lot. Readers can tackle it by going straight through or by focusing on areas of interest.

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

Pub date: 03 January 2025

Reference

320 pages