New thrillers for November — David Baldacci, Japanese assassins and more

https://www.thetimes.com/article/81754699-c616-416c-b90d-e837895358e9?shareToken=413c6bd3765e033415d173378fd897df

Flamingo Estate: The Guide to Becoming Alive

Luxurious Rituals to Ignite Your Senses and Rejuvenate Your Soul

by Richard Christiansen

Before picking up this title, I had never heard of Flamingo Estate. Now I wish that I could visit in person as well as through the pages of this book.

There is an ethos to this estate that has offered wisdom to the many who have spent time there. Just a few of the conversations that are included here are with Alice Waters, Martha Stewart, Jane Fonda, and Chrissy Teigen & John Legend.

Flamingo Estate is a generous read at over 500 pages. Dip in and out and enjoy. Given our world, this book’s belief in pleasure, the earth, observation and caring for ourselves resonates.

Just a few things that are offered her include learning to grow a tomato, how to quite your job, how to benefit from Mother Nature. Spend time in these pages, both reading and looking at the gorgeous photos. Feel better!

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

Four stars ****

From the Publisher

This is the Flamingo Estate Guide to Becoming Alive

It’s Pleasure-Seeking 101. In these pages you’ll learn how to grow a Tomato. How to quit your job. How to get your hands dirty. But mostly, you’ll learn that Mother Nature can be your doctor, your therapist, your friend, your savior.	There is a joy in living, and that means opening up your senses and prioritizing their arousal. Smelling the flowers, listening to great music, eating a pint of ice cream, and maybe doing it all in a hot bath.	Don’t wait to be ready. Experience sensory pleasure, while you still can.And reader, please note: None of your senses are common.

A Novel

by Anna Johnston

#TheBorrowedLifeofFrederickFife #NetGalley

If, for any reason, a reader did not see this book when it first came out, take a look now. I imagine that there are people on holiday gift lists for whom this would make a perfect read.

Life has not been going so well for this novel’s older protagonist. Frederick is lonely and alone. When a chance event, allows him to take on the identity of Bernard, he is grateful. This takes Frederick to a care home where he is delighted to, in fact, be cared for. He also uses his lovely personality to offer some joy to others.

One employee at the home, has many reasons to be unhappy and mistrustful. Will Frederick successfully cast his magic over her? What will happen to these two and others in the home? Will Frederick’s deception be discovered? Find out in this book. It does take on some difficult issues but also offers an emotional and uplifting read.

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

Pub date: 10 September 2024

From the publisher:

From the Publisher

Jenny Colgan has found fertile ground for her novels in Scotland where she has set a number of  women’s fiction/romance titles.  500 Miles From You is the latest of these.  I found it to be a relaxing read and recommend it for some pleasant distraction.  If that sounds like faint praise, it isn’t.  I find that as this unusual life we have continues, being transported to a fictional world can be most welcome.

In this story, Lissa is a community nurse in London, while Cormac holds down a similar job in a small Scottish village.  The two swap places for a number of months.  Traumatized Lissa falls in love with her new life which is idyllically presented.  Cormac is initially overwhelmed in London but slowly feels a bit better there.

Cormac and Lissa have one very important case that they share, that of a young girl who has received a heart transplant.  The donor ties the two story lines together.

Lissa and Cormac get to know one another through texting.  Readers know that they will eventually meet but this takes awhile and some plotting on the author’s part.  By the time the meeting takes place, many readers will be rooting for this couple.

There are many secondary characters in the novel.  Some of them are new, while others have made appearances in other novels by Ms. Colgan.  However, readers do not have to have read any of the prior books in order to enjoy this one.

If I had one small quibble with this novel, it would be that it tilted so favorably toward Scotland, somewhat slighting the glories of London.  That aside, I recommend this one for a fun read.

Have you read books by Jenny Colgan?  Did you enjoy them?  Let me know, please.

Miss Honeysett is a prim woman who is 85 years old. She believes that the time has come to take control of the end of her life. This leads her to contact a Dignitas like clinic and submit an application. Will her request be granted? Will Eudora want it to be?

Readers learn that Eudora faced a number of tragedies and disappointments over the course of her her life. Most chapters in the novel include a flashback to a key moment for Eudora. No spoilers so I do not want to write more.

So many of the reviews that I saw for this novel were quite praiseworthy so I looked to it with very high hopes and expectations. It did not disappoint. This is a novel that engages the reader through its characters and its story lines. I think that readers who enjoyed novels like The Little Paris Bookshop or The Lido will want to read this one…as will many others.

In the present, Eudora meets the irrepressible Rose. The two have a relationship that evolves over the course of the book as Rose awaits becoming a big sister.

Another important character is Stanley. His friendship with Eudora and Rose is impacted by some memory issues. What will happen to each of them?

At times acerbic, at times touching this is a novel that I most definitely recommend. The audio version is also well done and the narrator reads with a clear, easy to follow style.

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

Before and Again…how does what happens, mistakes that we have made, impact our view of the past, our present and our belief in the future? These big issues are fictionally brought to life in Barbara Delinsky’s newest novel.
Early on in the book, the reader learns that a moment of inattention led to the death of the protagonist’s daughter, Lily. Any parent can, but does not want to, imagine what this could mean. The reader watches as Maggie tries to move on and start fresh but…can/should the past be denied? A concurrent theme involves Grace who has secrets and stories of her own. In addition, Grace’s son is accused of computer hacking and the consequences of his act may impact his future, just as Maggie and Grace are impacted by their pasts.
I found the characters to be sympathetically drawn and would recommend this book to readers of women’s fiction.

We Three Queens is the latest in Bowen’s delightful Royal Spyness series. There is no need to read the books in order but anyone who enjoys one of these will no doubt want to suss out the others.

Lady Georgiana (better known as Georgie) was born to a member of the royal family. As this story begins, she is being asked to open her home to cousin David’s true love, Wallis. A new mom, Georgie is not eager to host a difficult houseguest but acknowledges that she has no choice. Indeed, Wallis is not happy with the accommodations or company.

Wallis’s present is meant to be a secret while David tries to secure their future as royals. However, Wallis may be compromised since Georgie’s godfather has invited a movie crew to the estate. Bit by bit, they encroach on life inside the house, not just the grounds.

There will be much chaos in this traditional mystery story. No spoiler so will be a bit vague. Readers will find some people missing and even a murder. Georgie will have her work cut out for her. Readers will be glad that she does and will enjoy following her investigations.

Here is another solid entry in a good series. I can’t wait to see what Georgie will be up to next.

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

Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Here is the third Christmas themed story by Ms. Benedict. The last book that I read by her, Murder on the Christmas Express, was complex and twisty. Ms. Benedict is at it again here.

This time, readers spend time with Edie. She likes puzzles and often writes her own. However, the latest puzzle to arrive (anonymously) on her doorstep is a bit different. It is a jigsaw and it depicts a crime. Edie is taunted to solve the case in order to prevent additional deaths. It is a fiendish task and one for which the capable Edie will enlist the help of her nephew, Sean, a DI.

What will happen as they try to solve this case? How many will die? Readers will surely want to know. Along the way, readers will enjoy spending time with 80 year old Edie (fun to see an older protagonist) and her cat. They will also find that their puzzle solving skills are tested.

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

Pub date: 08 October 2024

Others by the author:

Think before you climb on board: Murder On The Christmas Express

Would you dare to play: The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

This is an e book bargain

Natasha Lester writes historical fiction that I very much enjoy. In each of her novels, this author successfully develops characters about whom readers will care. She also has interesting plots that offer perspective on WWII and its aftermath. What makes her special for me is the way that she also incorporates fashion seamlessly (pun was not intended) in her stories.

Alix St. Clair has had a challenging life. She was orphaned young, taken in by a close friend’s family, educated in Switzerland and expected to marry well (to Bobby). Life surely did not go to plan however as readers will quickly discover.

This is a story that takes place in more than one time period. In the most recent, postwar era, Alix is working for Christian Dior just as his fashion house is coming into being. The scenes in this atelier are wonderful to read; I was inspired to look up many of the dresses described in these pages.

Other sections of the book are about Alix’s work and life during WWII. She experienced the most awful of betrayals and wants to avenge some deaths. In doing so, she becomes involved with an American journalist. They have common experiences and a common foe…and maybe an attraction to each other. There are many other characters woven into the narrative; these include people both bad and good.

This long (432) and immersive read is highly recommended to historical and women’s fiction lovers who enjoy stories about the war. I give it four plus stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 10 January 2023

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre braids espionage, fashion, and a broken-but-unbowed heroine together into one fascinating tale. Natasha Lester weaves a triple-stranded delight!”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

“Natasha Lester has done it again with this sumptuously written page-turner! Alix St. Pierre is everything that makes an admirable heroine – independent, plucky, and clever as the story spans from the fashionable world of Dior in Paris to the fascinating intrigue of international espionage in neutral Switzerland. The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is a captivating novel that readers will absolutely adore.”—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London”Natasha Lester has expertly woven a brilliant heroine who is as brave in the fashion world as she is spying on the enemy. From page one, I was completely captivated by her daring and enamored with the glamour of Paris fashion. Unputdownable!”—Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop

Meditations on Nature & Freedom

by Claire Thompson

#MindfulnessinBirdWatching #NetGalley

This title is part of a series on mindfulness in a number of activities as, for example, knitting and baking. Each of these titles is worth a look.

In this one, bird watching is the entry point. It seems like a wonderful way to spend time in mindfulness.

Whenever I go to my local botanical garden, I enjoy seeing the birds, both on the ground and as they fly (sometimes truly soar) across the sky. When I cannot see them, I love hearing their calls, even though I can only identify a few of these. One thing that is certain is that birds make me consider the majesty and wonder of the world. Adding additional meditation to these moments just makes so much sense.

Author Claire Thompson is a wonderful guide. Try some of what she suggests. Life will be enhanced.

Highly recommended.

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

Pub date: 05 November 2024