Was it deserved? The Murder of Mr. Wickham-an e book bargain

by Claudia Gray

#TheMurderofMrWickham #NetGalley

In recent English classes I have reread Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion and, most recently, Sense and Sensibility so I was seriously excited about this book. Fans of Jane Austen and cozy mysteries will NOT want to miss this one. It is a lot of fun as, in it, Wickham (that rogue), gets his comeuppance.

The conceit of the novel is most clever. It is to bring together many beloved Austen characters in one place, a house party, and watch as they interact. Readers will learn how these men and women are interconnected and will enjoy the glimpses of what happened to each after their time in their original novel ended. I very much enjoyed the young detectives, children of some of the well-known parents. I so hope that this will be the start of a series.

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

Pub date: 03 May 2022

An e book bargain-Would you join: The Marlow Murder Club

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

An e book bargain: Death Comes to Marlow

Death Comes to Marlow is the next in a series, following on The Marlow Murder Club. I enjoyed this title even more than that first book. The author knows how to tell a story; he is also known for TV’s Death in Paradise.

Anyone who enjoys Richard Osman’s series is sure to enjoy spending time with Judith, Becks and Susie. They help the police and specifically Tanika to solve another case in these pages.

Judith is in her 70s and deliberately eccentric. Susie finds it hard not to blurt and has a dog walking business, while Becks is married to the local vicar but…who is she seeing now?

One day, a man named Sir Peter invites Judith to his posh engagement party. He has had an intimation that he will be murdered and indeed he is. There are many suspects in the pages that follow, including his son and daughter, and his new fiancee, or is it someone else?

The plot just rattles along and I liked spending time with Judith and Co. I highly recommend this title to those who enjoy cozy mysteries and women of a certain age. I am eager for the next book by this author.

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

Five Stars

And, this just in from PBS

New Series: The Marlow Murder Club
A four-part adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club is coming to MASTERPIECE! Find out all about the new mystery starring Downton Abbey and Home Fires favorite Samantha Bond as  retired archaeologist Judith Potts, Jo Martin (Doctor Who) as local dog-walker and empty-nester Suzie, and Cara Horgan (The Sandman, Traitors) as unfulfilled vicar’s wife Becks. 
FIND OUT

Learn: How to Know a Person (David Brooks)-an e book bargain

#HowtoKnowaPerson #NetGalley

We currently live in a rather fractured and partisan world in which, it seems to me, we often lose the ability to disagree without being disagreeable, to attempt to understand another’s perspective and to venture out of communicating only with those with whom we already know that we will agree. How did we get to this point? Is it where we want to be? If, those reading this post recognize that there is work to be done but need help getting there, please pick up this book.

David Brooks has written a work that cries to be read by just about everyone, including the mental health community, politicians, the person who is a friend, a parent, a partner, and so on. He has synthesized a great deal of research on how to relate to others while also sharing some of his personal experiences with the reader.

Brooks observes that, despite being a reporter, he did not always communicate well outside of his professional role. In some ways, he wrote this title for himself as well as the reader.

Some of the topics artfully explored include how to really see another person and to listen to them, what gets in the way of that, whether a person wants to be an “illuminator” or not, defense mechanisms, talking about the hard things, understanding what empathy really is and much more.

The number of highlights that I have added to my copy of this book reminds me of how much I was left to ponder. Book clubs, teachers, social workers and others, read this book and then talk tabout it. It will be worthwhile.

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

Pub date: 24 October 2023

A Beautiful Rival

by Gill Paul

Gill Paul is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. Somehow this one passed me by for a while, though I am now happy to have read it.

Meet Canadian Arden and Polish Rubinstein in alternating chapters, starting in 1915. These two became fierce rivals who were not above committing any number of dirty tricks to achieve success.

I had earlier read a novel about Estee Lauder. Here readers spend time with the other two towering female cosmetics giants. Readers get to know them in alternating chapters, starting in 1915.

What is remarkable about all of these women is that they were quite successful in a time when most women were not founding and managing companies. They all were cutthroat competitors who fought for all that they achieved. They do not always come across as likeable but their legacies were lasting.

Those who are interested in the beauty industry and/or those who enjoy historical fiction featuring strong women may well want to give this title a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 31 August 2023

Historical Fiction

400 pages

Other titles by Gill Paul:

Pub Day Post: Another Woman’s Husband
Get to know them: Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul
On The Collector’s Daughter by Gill Paul
What is life like for: The Manhattan Girls (by Gill Paul

Jumbo Bible Word Search by David and Julie Lavender

#JumboBibleWordSearch #NetGalley

This book offers large print word search puzzles that all share biblical themes. It could be enjoyed by those who are interested in thinking about the passages and those who simply enjoy word search puzzles.

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

Pub date: 19 August 2025