Catherine Mack has written a fun and sassy mystery with unique features, perhaps especially her entertaining footnotes; they are embedded in the text.
Ms. Mack’s protagonist, Eleanor Dash, is the author of a mystery series. For reasons that readers will soon discover the handsome and dashing Connor Smith features in all of them. What are Eleanor’s feelings about him? Will she get her wish regarding Connor? Find out in this fun read with its insider’s view of publishing.
I received an e galley of this book. I love that the inside covers of the hard copy absolutely meet the feel and rhythm of the story. They are worth a look.
Readers who like mysteries with humor, pick up this debut. Many will hope that this writer will keep on writing.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s-Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.
Nita Prose’s first novel, The Maid, introduced the interesting hotel maid Molly. She will make readers appreciate the folks who do this work for their comfort. Molly was around murder in that book and history repeats itself here.
The murder takes place in the hotel’s newly refurbished and elegant tea room. The victim is a wildly popular mystery writer with a fan club. He was at the hotel to share an important announcement. Of course, he died before the speech and all of his cue cards are missing.
It turns out that Molly had a connection to this victim. She brings her unique intelligence and set of skills to figuring out what happened. Along the way, readers are treated to many of her aphorisms and get to enjoy her relationship with her grandmother among others.
I was lucky enough to hear the author speak at a mystery conference last year. She acknowledged the difficulties of writing a second book when the first was well received. In my opinion, Ms. Prose did a find job here.
Those who like a traditional mystery with an untraditional protagonist will enjoy The Mystery Guest. This book can be read on its own but readers who like Molly will probably want to read that first book as well.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book was published in November 2023
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Heartwarming . . . Like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, who’s rendered invisible because she’s an old woman, Molly and her grandmother are not seen because of the kind of work they do. In this affecting and socially-pointed mystery series, however, invisibility becomes the superpower of the pink-collar proletariat.”—NPR
“[Molly] returns in The Mystery Guest, which builds upon The Maid’s many charms. Prose peppers the mystery with sly jokes about the vagaries of crime writing, but Molly’s voice remains central and moving.”—The New York Times
“Molly is a singular character—she’s intelligent, unfailingly honest and the epitome of a professional maid—and readers will enjoy checking into the Regency Grand to follow her and her exploits.”—BookPage
In my opinion, Anna Quindlen is one of the premiere practitioners of the art of deeply felt domestic fiction. In After Annie, she once again goes deep into the heart and soul of a family, one that is facing loss and all that entails.
Annie was a mother to four children, all of whom counted on her, taking her for granted in the ways that children do. Her sudden, seemingly unpreventable death from an aneurysm at a young age, is the catalyst that deeply affects these children, her husband and her best friend.
Readers find out more about Annie as they spend time with those around her. Her daughter, Ali, is forced to grow up, her husband falters, and her best friend faces a renaissance of old issues. Will these folks who were left behind be able to move forward? Will they be okay? How will Annie continue to be a presence in their lives? Find out in this work of literary fiction that is as good as anything the author has written (and that is high praise).
Note: Anyone who has experienced a recent loss may find this book both difficult and worth reading
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
I had seen this book on a British bookstore’s website and was quite intrigued. I was delighted when it became available in the U.S. and thrilled to get an early review copy of this series starter.
Jo Callaghan has already received awards and praise for her debut. She is the Winner of the Crime Writers’ Association’s John Creasy New Blood Dagger Award and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. These are huge accomplishments and, in my opinion, well deserved.
Readers will not forget Kat and Aide. Kat is a detective who has been paired with an artificial intelligence device. It is an experiment to see if and how AI might be useful in investigations. Aide can assume bodily form as a hologram, at times causing much consternation. He also can be rather outspoken. There is much interplay between Kat’s intelligence and emotions as compared with Aide’s brilliance and lack of tact.
Kat, Aide, her team and the creator of Aide Lock are tasked with the investigation of two (cold) missing persons cases, both young men. One is a Black student missing from Uni. The other is a white theater graduate who is from a well to do family. Are these situations independent or linked?
In this novel, there is an excellent mystery plot and added to this are the AI elements of the story. Both kept me turning the pages and sad to reach the end of the story. Luckily the sequel, which is out in the UK, will be coming to the U.S. before too long.
The other aspect of the story that I enjoyed was the characters. Each had enough back story to keep them interesting. In the case of Kat, she is widowed and has a teenage son. One of her investigators has a sister who had a bad experience at university while another, Debbie, seemingly lacks confidence. The relatives of the missing young men and others also very much come to life.
This book is easily one of my favorites of the year. I hope Callaghan writes many more titles.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this one. All opinions are my own.
Those interested in ancient civilizations and that of Rome, especially, will want to take a look at this interesting take on exploring a (long) historical period.
Harney teaches readers just how significant each of these coins was/is. He knew this from childhood when his father placed a two thousand year old coin with Trajan’s likeness in his hand. He notes that coins transmit more than monetary value as they reflect the ethos of their culture.
Harney offers the reader a well-researched and entertaining take on history. Definitely one for anybody interested in ancient cultures.
Note that I enjoyed the map and illustrations that were included. They bring the text to life.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 14 January 2025
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Excellent…enjoyable…1,000 years of Rome told in an engaging new way.”—The Times (London)
“Fantastic…a brilliant combination of history and expert storytelling – if anyone reads the first five pages, they’ll be up all night with it.” —Conn Iggulden, bestselling author of the Emperor series
“A novel and highly readable approach to Roman history. The author’s enthusiasm shines through on every page.” —Philip Matyszak, author of A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives
“Extremely enjoyable. A brilliant combination of entertaining and educational Roman history that makes numismatics vivid and exciting.” —Emma Southon, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women
#TheMagnificentLivesofMarjoriePost #NetGalley Pub Date 15 Feb 2022 |
Readers of historical fiction, mark your calendars for this books release da te. It is fabulous.
Allison Pataki tells the story of Marjorie Merriweather Post from her childhood right on through her “many lives.” She was a daughter, wife (multiple times), mother, key part of Post (later known as General) Foods, society woman, charitable worker and donor, ambassador’s wife, builder of multiple estates and more. The pages just flew as I followed Marjorie through her life.
Readers will travel with Marjorie to many locations. Among these are Battle Creek, Washington DC, Manhattan, the Adirondacks, Palm Beach (Mar-a-Lago) and Moscow. Readers experience Marjorie’s own experiences in each of these places.
Relationships were a big part of Marjorie’s life. No spoiler so I won’t write about how many times she married or who her husbands or children were.
I so highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction. It is one of the best that I have read in this genre.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Anyone who has read one book by Elizabeth Strout will surely read all of her others. I found this one to be a special treat because it brings together characters from earlier titles including (my favorite) Bob Burgess, Olive Kitteridge, Lucy Barton and others.
The prose is beautiful, the story is engaging and the visit to Crosby, Maine is most welcome. I was delighted to follow the challenges and relationships in this small community.
I find Strout to be such a wise author. This is definitely a book to add to a fiction lover’s TBR list.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Mental health clinicians will, I think, welcome this excellent reference. It is comprehensive and detailed.
The text is broken into four major sections with additional information at the end of the book. These sections are Understanding Pyschopharmacology: The Basics; Clinical Syndromes: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Implications; Medications; and Special Considerations.
It is easy to search for needed information in the book. There is much more than an explication of medications. There are also descriptions of psychological/psychiatric disorders, for example.
Highly recommended for its intended audience.
Many thanks to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications for this title. All opinions are my own.
The publisher of this book, Pen & Sword, previously issued a book called How to Survive in Ancient Egypt. I enjoyed that book so was delighted to have the opportunity to read the ARC of a book on surviving in Ancient Greece. (See archive for a review of the Egypt title). If you are interested in the subject, this book is a treasure trove. Read about Athenian history and learn how the city was run. Learn more about the religion, the family the system of slavery and more. Find out how women were viewed by men, how children were treated and educated, where to shop, what a house looked like, jobs and more. This book includes so many interesting sections. If you are a person who enjoys imagining life in other eras, give this book a try. I think that you will be fascinated. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 