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

Meg Shaffer’s previous novel, The Wishing Game, was one of my favorite books last year. So, I was incredibly excited to receive an e galley of The Lost Story.

In this title, the author develops an imaginative story that pays homage to CS Lewis. Just as Lewis did, Shaffer creates an alternate and magical world populated by unique characters and situations. As in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, characters lives will be transformed.

Two boys, Rafe and Jeremy, disappeared only to miraculously return six months later. How did their relationship and lives fare after this? What happens to them and a young woman named Emily fifteen years later? No more plot reveals as readers will want to have their own experience while reading this.

Good and evil, many kinds of love, and adventure await in this highly recommended title. BookPage has given it a well deserved star review.

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

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the Publisher

#SwimmingforBeginners #NetGalley

Loretta lives a carefully controlled and planned life. She has a fiance with whom she shares a measured relationship. Surprises are not her thing. Loretta works hard, wants a promotion and is trying her best to fit in at work, even if this has her doing things that she does not enjoy. Loretta is traveling abroad to meet with a client when…she meets Phoebe at the airport and her life changes.

Readers get to know Loretta and Phoebe well. Their relationship will change both of them in ways that they were not expecting or prepared for.

Those who enjoy warmhearted stories with quirky protagonists, this novel is for you. The last heroine I enjoyed who reminded me of Loretta was in Lessons in Chemistry. Both of these women have their unique style and ways of living their lives.

I very much enjoyed this book and am delighted to recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 14 September 2023

Stone Cold Heart is the second of this author’s three novels, sandwiched between Sweet Little Lies and Shed No Tears. I will definitely go back to read the first book and do think that the events of that novel are critical in defining protagonist, Cat. That said readers receive enough backstory to be able to read the titles out of order.

One thing that I very much enjoyed in this book was Kat’s voice as she tells the story. There are also all of the elements that make police procedurals good reading including the cast of characters in the police station.

The story’s victim is a young Australian girl who came to London to escape a suffocating relationship. Who killed her? Was it someone in the company where she was a temp? Her male roommate? Was it the man who owns a very upscale coffee place? How do the characters stories intersect? Read this well paced book to find out.

This title will be enjoyed by readers who like stories by Tana French, Susie Steiner and Dervla McTiernan. I recommend it!

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

An e book bargain

I am always delighted to settle in for another visit with Rowly, Edna, Clyde and Milton. Each of these characters is eccentric and interesting. We have an aristocrat, an artist, a poet and an artisan. Together they form a formidable quartet.

The Rowland Sinclair mysteries take place in the run up to WWII and in a world that feels rather ominous. Ms. Gentill always does her research and brings authenticity to both the setting and the background history of her stories. This time, I learned about Chiang Kai Shek, those who were pro or anti-Communist and the troubled relations between Japan and China. This history adds verisimilitude to the story.

The story begins as Rowly’s brother ( a more conventional sort) wants to send him and his friends to Shanghai to meet with those who may want to purchase Sinclair wool. Rowly is firmly instructed to equivocate in all of his business dealings. Can he?

The Shanghai that the protagonists visit is depicted as a city of immigrants and locals with many classes and nationalities in its society. For example, Rowly has a Chinese butler and an Indian driver.

As readers of the series know, where Rowly goes, trouble follows. In this novel, he meets a “taxi girl” named Sasha. She is reputedly from the Russian aristocracy. Alexandra now sells dances with her to those at the Cathay Hotel. This is quite a step down from her former life in her own country. Rowly dances with her…when the worst happens to Sasha and she is found dead in Rowly’s hotel room, there is a case to be solved.

This is an intricate and involving story. It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I do think, though, that many readers will want to explore all of the titles after they finish this book.

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

A Murder Unmentioned is the newest novel in the Rowland Sinclair series that is published by the Poisoned Pen Press, a great source for mystery novels.

The cover reflects the period of the novel. It shows some characters in the book including Rowly’s dog, Lenin and his aircraft Rule Britannia. Rowly and one of his friends are inside. As you read the book, this beautiful illustration, is worth going back to for references from the story.

For those who don’t know, this series takes place prior to WWII when Hitler is in the ascendant and Rowly would like to do all he can to show the world the disaster that is coming. This is always a part of the novels. As has been true in other books in the series, some real life characters make an appearance; in this one thet include politician Bob Menzies and garden designer Edna Walling.

The delight of these novels lies in spending time with Rowly and his friends. There is the unconventional artist Edna, the poet Milton and another artist friend. They have communist leanings and are definitely anti-Fascist.

Other prominent characters are Rowly’s conservative brother, Wil, his wife Kate and their two young sons. Master Ernest is featured in this one as a pivotal character. At only age six, he seems destined to follow in his uncle’s footsteps.

In this novel, the reader learns a lot about Rowly’s early life and his relationship with his sadistic father. You will feel for the young Rowly. This part of the book was not easy reading.

When the novel opens, Rowly’s father has been dead for thirteen years. The murderer was not found and the central mystery of this one is finding who killed him.

This is a good entry in a good series. Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this chance to read the e-galley. The opinions are my own.

This is the first, but will not be the last, book that I read by this author. Her novels are now being published by the wonderful Poisoned Pen Press, a great place to find new authors and series.

#AmurderUnmentioned #NetGalley

My review of an earlier entry in the series:

The Rowland Sinclair mysteries take place in the 30s and Rowly reminds me of that great thirties sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey. He is an artist who is surrounded by his communist leading friends including the lovely Edna, a sculptress. This novel picks up where the prior one ended with the group escaping from Germany at a time when the Nazis were rising and brutal. They come to England where they try to alert the government to upcoming perils and to solve the mystery of an upper class man who is found dead. Subsidiary figures abound including H.G. Wells and Evelyn Waugh.
I truly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to fans of historical mysteries. I look forward to reading more. Thanks for this one, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley.

This is the first, but will not be the last, book that I read by this author. Her novels are now being published by the wonderful Poisoned Pen Press, a great place to find new authors and series.
The Rowland Sinclair mysteries take place in the 30s and Rowly reminds me of that great thirties sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey. He is an artist who is surrounded by his communist leading friends including the lovely Edna, a sculptress. This novel picks up where the prior one ended with the group escaping from Germany at a time when the Nazis were rising and brutal. They come to England where they try to alert the government to upcoming perils and to solve the mystery of an upper class man who is found dead. Subsidiary figures abound including H.G. Wells and Evelyn Waugh.
I truly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to fans of historical mysteries. I look forward to reading more. Thanks for this one, Poisoned Press and NetGalley.

Note:  I will now try to add author’s names to the titles of the posts in order to make the site easier to search.

by Sulari Gentill is an e book bargain

Here is the very first title in the wonderful Rowley Sinclair mystery series. It is sure to be enjoyed by historical mystery fans who will want to go on to read all of the others. Luckily, there will be at least nine more for readers to devour.

Rowly doesn’t quite fit in with the expectations of his aristocratic family in 1930s Australia. His mother confuses him with a son who died. He has friends who are communists, poets and artists, clearly not like his brother Wilf’s friends.

When Rowly’s uncle, also named Rowly, is killed it is up to our Rowly to figure out what happened and why. Readers will enjoy following the clues with him.

If readers don’t already know this series, they are lucky as they have some good stories ahead.

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

Pub date: 01 September 2017

Note: In the U.S. this series is published by Poison Pen Press.

by David P. Wagner

I previously read and enjoyed To Die in Tuscany which is a later entry in the series that features Rick Montoya. In Cold Tuscan Stone, readers meet Rick for the first time. He is from New Mexico, has an Italian mother and has moved to Italy where he works as a translator.

In this novel, an old friend of Rick’s, affectionately nicknamed Beppo, asks for Rick’s help in investigating what seem to be nefarious doings in the sale of Etruscan artifacts. Rick is asked to pose as a buyer and to infiltrate several sources of antiques to help with the case.

What I learned from the prior novel is that where Rick goes, murder follows, along with good food that is lovingly described, wine, and attractive women. What more could a reader want?

As noted above, this book offers an interesting plot, a wonderful setting and a likeable protagonist. Readers who enjoy the Brunetti and/or Montelbano series will likely enjoy the Montoya books as well. There are seven of these in all.

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

Pub Date 26 Jan 2021

Molten Mud Murder is published by the excellent Poisoned Pen Press, a small press that is dedicated to mystery fiction. This is author Johnson’s first novel and the first in a projected series.

American protagonist, Alexa, is a forensics examiner whose specialty is teeth. She has come to New Zealand on a fellowship, falls in love with the country and wants to stay longer. She manages to insert herself into the murder case involving a city counselor.

What I struggled with a little: Alexa took many risks that felt plot driven. Some mysteries, such as what happened to her friend, Mary, were not fully solved. Perhaps that is for another book.

What I liked: The setting on the North Island of New Zealand and the ways in which the landscape is brought vividly to life. The information about tribal Maori customs and rituals. That there was a back story for Alexa. The hint of romance between her and Bruce, the Senior, a term for the chief detective. The details on forensic examination.

This mystery should appeal to armchair travelers, lovers of New Zealand and those who enjoy action packed mysteries. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this proof in return for an honest review. I look forward to the author’s next book.

An e book bargain

#TheWhiteLady #NetGalley

I am a huge fan of this author and have read every title in her Maisie Dobbs series. Here she has written a standalone about Elinor White, a character who has had a life of loss, service, action and contemplation.

Winspear’s authorial voice comes through and felt very familiar to me from having read her other works. That said, it took a little while for me to become fully immersed in this title. Once that happened, however, I loved the book and rate it most highly (as does Publishers Weekly which gave this one a starred review.)

The novel covers a wide time period; it starts before WWI and extends to the post WWII period. As the book opens, young Linni lives with her parents and sister in Belgium. The war brings enormous changes to the family. Linni and her sister become saboteurs and they and their mother must subsequently leave the country quickly.

The book then moves to England and follows Linni’s life there. She has many experiences before being recruited to the SOE in WWII. In the post war period, for complex reasons, our protagonist becomes involved in trying to extricate a couple and their daughter from the clutch of their criminal family. Throughout the book, the time moves back and forth as readers experience Linni’s actions and feelings about the things that she has done.

Readers will be interested to see how Linni fares in each of her tasks and time frames. They will also enjoy getting to know the many characters in this story, some of whom, they really should keep an eye on.

All in all, I highly recommend this novel. Bravo Ms. Winspear.

Many thanks to Allison & Busby for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 21 March 2023