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

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

by Beth O’Leary

#SweptAway #NetGalley

Romance-Women’s Fiction 384 pages

Beth O’Leary definitely has her fans. Her earlier books include The Wake Up Call, The Road Trip, and The No Show. Here she again offers a novel that her fans may want to read. At close to 400 pages it will offer escape for a bit.

Take two people who meet and don’t really expect to spend a lot of time together. They have their differences, starting with their ages as Zeke is almost ten years younger than Lexi. However, what is likely to have been one night together transforms when the houseboat they are on (readers will find out why) goes out to sea. Uh-oh. What will happen as they wait/hope for rescue? That’s the premise here.

Follow Zeke and Lexi over the next twelve days. Imagine what it would be like to spend that amount of time in a confined space with a person that you don’t really know. Will they be swept away both on the boat and by falling in love?

Readers will hope that everything works out for these two. Read the book to find out what happens.

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

Pub date: 01 April 2025

From the Publisher

The Searcher is a standalone novel by Tana French who has also written the marvelous Dublin murder series. Start at the beginning with In the Woods and come up for air when you get to the end.

The Searcher is a brooding novel with a strong sense of place and character. French, herself, has described it as being a Western, but one set in Ireland. I think that this is because of the concept of the stranger coming to town.

Cal is that stranger. He is a divorced policeman from Chicago who thinks that he will find a simpler and more satisfying life in the small Irish town where he fixes up his house and gets to know the locals. His existence is upended by Trey, a thirteen year old who wants to know what happened to brother, Brendan. Cal gets involved in what is a sad and somewhat dark story.

Many of the characters in this novel are well portrayed, from Cal’s neighbor Mart to the busybody who runs the local store to Lena (and her dogs) and, most especially Trey, a fully realized, scrappy, vulnerable teen. Other town people blended together a bit for me.

Will Trey find out what Trey wants/needs to know? What will it mean if/when Trey does? These are some of the questions of the novel.

At times, I could imagine this novel as a tv show because the places were so well described. At other times, the sense of menace could very much be felt. The relationship between Trey and Cal was nuanced and is a critical part of the story.

I still prefer the Dublin murder series but truly admire what French has accomplished in this book. Give it a try!

The Madam Secretary of the title refers to Frances Perkins. She was the first female cabinet member, and Secretary of Labor during FDR’s tenure in the White House. (Anyone who collects Social Security is in her debt.) While clearly this was the pinnacle of Frances’s career, she did much before attaining this post and she also witnessed much history.

Frances saw what happened at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company and was deeply impacted. She worked for Al Smith, a veteran New York politician. She was involved in many progressive issues after receiving her education at Mt. Holyoke College and Penn.

Frances interacted with many well know figures of the day, one of whom was Sinclair Lewis. Readers spend time with FDR and Eleanor as well as France’s close friend, nee Mary Harriman. The era in which she lives feels very real.

In addition to her professional life, Frances had a complicated personal life. No spoilers so learn about her husband when reading.

This is historical fiction at its best. I highly recommend this immersive read.

#MotherDaughterMurderNight #NetGalley

This book has gotten a lot of hype, including being picked for Reese’s book club and receiving a starred review from Library Journal. Based on that, readers may expect a lot from this first novel. In my opinion, it delivers. It is the kind of read where I kept saying that I would return to other things that I had to do when I finished the chapter that I was reading…but then, I just kept on going. All in all, I really enjoyed this one. There are humor, family relationships, a murder…and all of this is well executed in these pages.

Readers meet the three women of the family. Lana has been a real go-getter. A cancer diagnosis has led her to needing some assistance not an easy thing for her. Lana asks her daughter for help and Beth brings her from LA to a quieter community by the water with a slough.

Beth was a teen mother. She is a nurse who lives on the grid but with a homespun lifestyle. She and Lana have a history of not seeing eye to eye. Beth is mom to Jack (Jacqueline), who, when the story opens has been a pretty independent and competent teen. She has led many expeditions on the waters near her house.

What will happen when a body is found? Which of these women will be under suspicion? (Readers find this answer early on.) Who will get involved in finding the truth? Will they succeed? Read this one to find out. Readers will be glad that they did!

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my now.

Pub date: 05 September 2023

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Simon’s dazzling debut delivers everything a mystery fan could crave, including a realistically nuanced cast of characters, a vividly evoked coastal California setting, writing imbued with a deliciously desiccated sense of wit, and a perfectly plotted murder with enough red herrings deftly dropped in to confound the most experienced mystery reader. Insightful and frequently funny analysis of family dynamics wrapped up in a cleverly crafted cozy crime novel.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Three women bond while investigating a homicide in Simon’s spirited debut…. Simon stocks her layered plot with plausibly motivated suspects and convincing red herrings, but it’s her indomitable female characters and their nuanced relationships that give this mystery its spark. Readers will be delighted.” — Publishers Weekly

by Amelia Ireland

#TheSevenOClockClub #NetGalley

I was intrigued by this book as soon as I saw it. The circle of chairs on the cover gave a hint that it would be about a group as did the title. As someone with a social work background and as a facilitator of support groups, I was curious to see who the group was for, what the sessions would be like, and how Ireland’s story would unfold. I was not disappointed.

The novel opens with a witness transcript. This adds an element of immediate suspense. Why was it necessary to testify?

The story then moves to the four characters who are attending a unique bereavement group run by a therapist named Genevieve. She has the right credentials for the job. The members of this circle have varying degrees of motivation and their own unique stories.

Readers get to know Mischa, Freya, Callum and Victoria in book sections that are titled with stages of grief as, for example, denial. The grief of the four unfolds over the course of the book as do their relationships and interactions with each other.

The story had a feel of authenticity in that first session. Each member was asked, not to talk about their loss, but rather about a happy memory. This is the beginning of getting to know these characters and readers will indeed get to know them well.

Having been specially selected to be in this particular group, will the four get the help that they need or will other forces come into play? Have the four been selected for individual reasons or does something bind them together? Readers will have to pick this one up to find out.

I thought that this book was well written and intriguing. It would make a good book club pick.

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

Pub date: 15 April 2025

by Shannon Martin

#GoodMorningFarmAnimalFriends #NetGalley

Unfortunately, the e galley of this book did not include the illustrations. However, the cover gives a pretty clear idea of what they would look like.

This is a nice book for toddlers. It has rhyming text and lots of repetition. In my experience, the youngest children enjoy this.

An adult can help little ones to identify the animals on this virtual farm visit. Both should enjoy this.

All in all, a cute book.

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

Pub date: 13 December 2024

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/31/books/review/jazz-age-novels.html

#TheRoyalPalaces #NetGalley

Now out

Those who are Anglophiles, those who enjoy history and those who think it is fascinating to know more about palaces will all enjoy this title. Included are 30 British locations including Buckingham Palace, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Sandringham House, the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle, Kew Palace, Lochleven Castle and many others.

I loved the illustrations that are throughout this book. They were very inviting. The text that accompanied these offered much of interest. The facts are numerous and in addition there are many wonderful stories about each locale. For example, the first entry of Buckingham Palace opens with the king’s abdication while the one on Holyrood House opens with a story about Mary, queen of Scots. As for facts, who knew that BP has 775 rooms and 78 bathrooms along with a post office, cashpoint and much else? I did not. There are many other facts scattered throughout these pages.

This book would make an excellent gift for a fan of Great Britain’s great palaces. It is a real treat.

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

Pub date: 20 August 2024

#TheArtsTrailKiller #NetGalley

I think that Emylia Hall’s excellent series does not garner the attention that it deserves. I have found every title in the Shell House Detective books to be enjoyable.

The stories are set in Cornwall with the area brought to live in a way that lets me recall past time there and leaves me wishing that I could go back.

The Shell House Detectives are Ally and Jayden. Ally’s husband Bill was a local police officer who has died by the time that the series begins. She becomes close to a divorced writer, Guy, in the earlier books. Jayden stands out in the community where most people are white. He is married and at the time that this story begins, his second child has just been born. As a side note, credit to the author for acknowledging how difficult the days of parenting a newborn can be. Ally and Jayden began solving cases (of course) in the first of the series.

As this story begins, an arts festival is about to start. A famous artist has returned to be the guest of honor. Interestingly, he does not seem to bring his best work. He does bring an art dealer, semi significant other who (no spoiler because it happens early in the novel), is murdered. Was she the intended victim? Will there be other deaths? Is the graffiti that is popping up related to the murder? These are just some of the questions requiring answers in the story.

There are many characters to follow. The story line is involving.

Of interest to those who have followed Ally and Gus, a man from Ally’s past has arrived for the festival. Will he and Ally rekindle their relationship? What has brought him back?

This book is about 400 pages long which I loved as I was happy to remain in the company of these characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this book. All opinions are my onw.

Note: The e book costs under $5.00 which amazes me

Pub date: 08 April 2025

The audio book:

I toggled between reading and listening as I often do. Listening while I exercise makes the time so much more enjoyable.

The narrator here is spot on…easy to understand, able to speak in the voices of the different characters and able to bring the story to life.

Really well done!

Thanks to NetGalley and the audio publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

From the publisher:

Some of the earlier books in the series:

The suspects abound: The Rockpool Murder

The Harbour Lights Mystery (Emylia Hall)

I enjoyed spending time with: The Shell House Detectives (Emylia Hall)