A look at this book’s cover tells readers exactly what they will find inside. Anyone who enjoys puzzle solving will, I think, enjoy this title. It offers a chance to leave the day behind and concentrate on completing some fun tasks.
Some pluses for solvers include that this book is over 150 pages long and that the puzzles are grouped by category. For example, there are sections entitled Get Historical, Arts & Literature, Whodunnit and more. In addition, there are clear directions at the front of the book for each puzzle type.
I think that I will buy the hard copy of this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Zeitgeist for this title. All opinions are my own.
There are, I am quite certain, many adoptees who have changed the world. Of course, in a very short book, just a few can be featured. That is the case in this board book which briefly profiles nine adoptees. As can be seen from the cover, three of them are Steve Jobs, Simone Biles and Jamie Foxx. The others are George Washington Carver, Crazy Horse, Nelson Mandela, Kristin Chenowith, and Faith Hill. Each person has two pages with some biographical material and illustrations. Note that the illustrations are quite appealing.
I am not sure of the audience for this book. I don’t think that the text would appeal to the youngest children. I do think that this title could be used as a conversation starter.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Familius Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Often children follow the path of their parents but, here, Sally Page wrote her novel after her daughter, Libby Page, has published several. I think that Sally writes stories that are every bit as involving and heart warming as Libby’s (not that there is a competition. I loved Libby’s first novel The Lido).
As this story opens, Janice is working as a house cleaner. (See Phaedra Patrick for another good story about a cleaner). This job may not be high prestige but Janice brings a lot to it, including her curiosity about people.
In a way that reminded me of Maeve Binchy, in parts of this book, Ms. Page ably sketches the life stories of her characters. One, for example, has created a doll house but…it has an undertaker’s on the first floor. Readers will find out why.
Janice is an appealing and curious woman who enjoys reading and learning about people. What will happen as she learns more about herself? What will Mrs. B’s role be in this process? Read this enjoyable novel to find out.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this title. I look forward to her next book. All opinions are my own.
This title was published in January 2023.
Advance Praise
“I absolutely loved it! So different, clever, funny, and charming.”
-Katie Fforde, Sunday Times (London) bestselling author
“Funny, wise, moving, and full of lovely moments…The characters are endearing and unforgettable.”
-Hazel Prior, author of the Richard & Judy Book Club Pick Away with the Penguins
“Absolutely spellbinding…Warm-hearted, thoughtful, funny, and yet deeply poignant.”
-Celia Anderson, author of 59 Memory Lane
“A treasure of a book. Beautiful, emotional, and heartfelt with a cornucopia of characters you’ll love spending time with.”
-Phaedra Patrick, author of The Library of Lost and Found
Talking to Strangers is an absorbing addition to Barton’s earlier books. Once again readers get to spend time with Elise King. She has been through a lot (no spoilers) but is back on the job. She and her partner are on the complex case of Karen Simmons. Was her murder related to her desire to find “the one?” Who murdered her? She had been so full of life and part of a group of singles. Does this connect to her murder?
Kiki (so named by an editor) is a reporter who is following the case. She has been preparing to write articles about on-line dating. Not the easiest way to meet someone as Kiki discovers when she is on a date after a swipe early in the book. She and Elise have a history.
Readers also meet Annie. How, if at all, is a tragedy in her past related to the current case? Readers will definitely want to know.
Readers of thrillers will, I think enjoy this book. I recommend it for the way the story comes to life and for the time I got to spend with the characters. I also liked that the chapters were from the points of view of several of these people. Many chapters are short so it is very easy to keep turning the pages. Remember to pay attention to characters who may not feel like the most significant ones.
Here is what Kirkus says: A compelling demonstration of the sad truth that there’s no neutral way to conduct a murder investigation. Everybody pays.
I say, Watch out!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 27 August 2024
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Tense and topical” — People
“Barton effortlessly toggles between each woman’s viewpoint, maintaining suspense as she builds to the plot’s devastating resolution.” — Publishers Weekly
Like many readers, I first met Maisie Dobbs twenty years ago. That, in itself, seems remarkable to me. Winspear has kept the series fresh over many books. Readers have watched Maisie develop and grow into herself. Watching Maisie evolve has always been one of the best parts of the books. The mysteries and depictions of war’s impact on people have also been well done.
I will miss Maisie, her husband, her daughter, Billy, Lady Compton and so many others. I hate to see the series end. However, all credit to Winspear for ending in such a satisfying way.
I am not giving much detail on the book. I want to leave that for the reader as they savor their final visit with Maisie. It has been quite a run!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for this title. All opinions are my own.
Is everything false? Is nothing true? Is the title of the book just a trick? Readers will eagerly, maybe compulsively, turn the pages of this title to find out. If they know Lisa Jewell at all, they will expect a gripping story that takes them for quite a ride. If readers are new to the author, they will finish this and look to her backlist.
Two women. Two lives. Two stories. Intersections. Podcasts. True crime shows. Is that enough? I assure you that it will be.
Josie and Alix are both celebrating a forty-fifth birthday. Their lives look very different when each goes to dinner that night at the same place. Josie is there with her husband and it is a big splurge while Alex is there with a large group of friends and seems more financially comfortable.
Josie starts something when she points out to Alix that they are “birthday twins.” Uh-oh, a lot happens from this point on as readers get t know these women, their families, the way their minds operate and more. When Alix and Josie start work on a project together a complex set of circumstances results.
Those who like domestic thrillers and.or domestic thrillers will turn the pages at lightning speed in an effort to figure all of this out. Ms. Jewell has done it again; she has written exactly the kind of novel at which she excels.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
A Novel of Nancy Mitford and the Pursuit of Happiness
by Eliza Knight
#TheMayfairBookshop #NetGalley
The Mitford family seem to be enjoying a renaissance on TV and in books. There was a recent miniseries with Lily James and, not long ago, I read both The Bookseller’s Secret and the latest entry in Jessica Fellows’ historical mystery series that features Nancy and her siblings.
For anyone who may not know, the Mitford daughters were fascinating and so different from each other. Diana left her husband, a Guinness heir, to be with the Fascist, Oswald Moseley. Unity was enamored of Hitler. Nancy was an author and there were also, Jessica and Deborah.
Happily I did not suffer from Mitford fatigue and I thoroughly enjoyed Eliza Knight’s novel. As is popular now, there are two timelines. In the present, Lucy is a book curator from Washington DC who is spending time in England. She is fascinated with the Heywood Hill bookshop where Nancy Mitford once worked. Lucy also has a connection to someone Nancy almost married.
Lucy is a huge Mitford fan. She possesses some Mitford letters and her mother, who is no longer alive, had a valuable edition of one of Nancy’s novels.
While in England, Lucy visits the Mitford home. This is beautifully described and made me long to see the real location. Lucy’s quest is to discern who the Iris in a dedication in one of Nancy’s novels is.
In the historical timeline, Hitler is on the horizon. As noted above, some of the sisters are not pro democracy. Nancy does attend a rally at Diana’s urging although she is clearly not a “Black Shirt.”
Readers get to know Nancy well. They vicariously see her pre-marriage lifestyle in the smart set. Readers watch Nancy in love with the ensuing disappointment, marriage and compromise. They also witness Nancy writing her novels, working at the bookstore and trying to support herself (husband Peter does not do well in the work world).
I very much enjoyed my time at The Mayfair Bookshop. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy historical novels and/or women’s fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for this title. All opinions are my own.
Years ago, I got to know Debbie Macomber’s fiction when I read her series that began with 16 Lighthouse Road. I enjoyed spending time with those who lived in Cedar Cove and, from that point on, kept a look out for this author’s novels. She writes easy to read books with characters who are nice.
This title is not part of that series. It is about Shy who has been released from prison after doing something that she felt that she had to do. Now she is starting again and has met a young pastor. The two seem to be hitting it off, even though Drew’s congregation has doubts. Will love triumph? (Hint: it usually does in Macomber’s books.)
In addition to getting to know Shay and Drew, other characters and a community come to life. Spend time here if you are looking for a not too stressful and enjoyable read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 