In my opinion, Val McDermid is one of the very best authors of mystery/police procedurals/suspense who is writing today. Her stand alone novel, A Place of Execution is extraordinary. She has another great one in The Vanishing Point. Then, of course, there are Ms. McDermid’s many series. The oldest are the Lindsay Gordon and Kate Brannigans and then there are the Tony Hill and Carol Jordans. However, my favorite series is the one featuring Karen Pirie.

Karen Pirie is a DCI who is in charge of historical cases that generally have a connection in the present. She is based in Scotland although in this book she travels afield, including a trip to Paris. Each novel in the series has several story lines that come together. There is a lot going on in this one.

The books are perhaps read in order although that is not strictly necessary. That said, long term readers will feel for Karen as the killer of her significant other Phil is released from prison. How will this change both her life and that of the killer? Followers of the series will also enjoy being updated on Karen’s relationship with Hamish and the work of her sidekick Jason.

There are several plots. There is the presumed murder of a Scottish political figure in the past and the fate of his brother in the present. There is a body found in a camper vab that may belong to the artist girlfriend of a road accident victim. There are clues like OUDS, 12N, art works, the fate of a conceptual artist and more.

In less talented hands, plates could get dropped but Ms. McDermid is in fine command of her craft. My only criticism is that now I will have to wait at least a year to spend time with Karen again.

I highly recommend this one!

#AShadowinMoscow #NetGalley

Katherine Reay is a versatile writer. Some of the first books that I read by her were homages to literature. Just a few of the titles that I enjoyed were Dear Mr. Knightley (a take on Daddy Longlegs), The Austen (yes, Jane) Escape, The Printed Letter Bookshop and, Of Literature and Latte. She then expanded into historical fiction with The London House.

In this novel, a dual time line historical one, Reay takes readers to WWII Vienna in telling one story, while in the other a Russian young woman is an exchange student in DC in the 80s.

Ingrid, of the earlier time period , has lost many in the war. Her parents were helping the Allies when fate caught them. Ingrid has decisions to make about where she will live her life. What does she decide? Who is her husband? What will she do as she learns more about him?

Anya, in the later time period, comes to love America more than she thought she would. Will she go back to Russia? If yes, what will she do there? And, importantly, how will the story lines converge?

Those who love history, spy stories, love stories, family stories and all around good reads, pick this one up. I really enjoyed it.

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

Pub date: 13 June 2023

From the Publisher

Watch for Reay’s next novel:

I have so enjoyed George’s Thomas Lynley series but had not read the teen/young adult stories set on Whidbey Island. I found this first of, I think, five books quite absorbing.

Becca King has had a lot go wrong. Her innate ability to hear others’ thoughts inadvertently left her and her mother in danger and needing to flee. Becca is left on her own on this island where she is meant to be anonymous.

Becca interacts with many characters. There are children, high school peers, and a number of adults. Among my favorites were Seth, Derric, Debbie, Ralph and Diana, all of whom have backstories.

Readers will remember the folks of Whidbey. They will root for Becca. Like me, they will want to move on to book two.

Note: The series is reissued so some may already have read them under the original titles.

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

Pub date: 10 September 2024

This is the penultimate entry in the Maisie Dobbs series. How I will miss her when she is gone! A Sunlit Weapon is an excellent addition to the Dobbs stories.

What I liked most in this book was the way in which Winspear created a world and opened that to readers. There is a fair amount about Maisie’s home life here including her marriage to American, Mark. Readers also see Maisie as a parent to Anna. She is willing to fight for her child and any parent who reads this one will perhaps relate to how painful it is when a child is unhappy. With Maisie on her side though, readers can certainly hope that Anna will soon feel better. Readers will also be glad to again meet up with Priscilla, Billy, Brenda, Maisie’s dad and so many others.

The mystery itself is complex and involving. Who is shooting down planes including some that are being ferried to bases by women? Why were two Americans involved in some dark plans? Will they suvive?

Also in the story is Eleanor Roosevelt. Feelings about her propel some of the plot forward.

There is social history in this book that readers will find of interest. The story of women pilots and the segregation in the U.S. military have places in the novel.

Winspear reminds me of the importance of the people for whom we care. She also continues to show Maisie’s growth. With Maisie on the case, readers can hope that some sort of order will be restored…even during war time.

I highly recommend this title and all of the books in the Maisie Dobbs series.

Some other books about Maisie

The Comfort of Ghosts (Jacqueline Winspear)

It can be so hard: The Consequences of Fear

A good entry in a winning series: The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear

A WWII mystery (and a good one): To Die But Once

A Maisie Dobbs bargain: In This Grave Hour

An ABC of Equality

by Chana Ginelle Ewing

#AnABCofEquality #NetGalley There was no book like this when I was growing up. This is a modern, social justice based ABC. While its board book format makes this a book for toddlers to look at, the concepts are more sophisticated and for (slightly) older children…or the book can grow with your child. A few examples: D is for Difference, G is for Gender, P is for Privilege, etc. Each concept is explained in a positive way. The illustrations are bright, appealing and inclusive. This book is a good resource for opening discussion about how people treat one another. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Come to Mure; It is worth the trip: Jenny Colgan

The Endless Beach is one of three novels set on Mure, a fictional town in northern Scotland.  The first in the series was The Cafe by the Sea and the newest entry is Christmas on the Island.

Here are my earlier thoughts on The Cafe by the Sea:

Jenny Colgan is a talented writer of light, humorous women’s fiction. I find that her novels are good reads for when I want to escape. In this book, The Cafe by the Sea, the escape is to the fictional island of Mure in very northern Scotland. The scenery is beautiful, the family life complicated and the romance eventually works out as it tends to in this kind of fiction. Recommended for a relaxing, stressfree read.

My thoughts on The Endless Beach:

This novel picks up where the earlier one left off.  It can be read as a standalone or as part of the series.

In The Endless Beach, old characters are back and the town is as idyllic as ever, although the characters’ lives are not.  Story lines felt deeper and more complex than in some of the other books that I have read by this author.  The story of Saif was especially moving.  A refugee and physician, Saif’s wife and sons were left behind in Syria when he was given asylum in Scotland.  In this novel, his sons are located and the trauma that they experience is explored.  The reader watches as Saif tries to help the boys to adjust.  For a writer of light fiction, this is a story of some depth.

Then there are Fintan and Colton, two gay characters whose relationship forms a key part of the novel.  The author presents their deep love for one another while also making the reader well aware of a major obstacle that they face.  No spoiler so I will not say more.

Flora and Joel are also working on their relationship.  For reasons that the reader comes to understand more fully, commitment is frightening to Joel.  What will happen to them?  Will there be a good next step for them?

I found this to be the best book that i have read by this author.  I was sorry to leave Mure but glad to know that I still have one more book in the series to read. If you have read/plan to read these novels, let me know your thoughts.  Thanks.

#TheKillingsatKingfisherHill #NetGalley

by Sophie Hannah is an e book bargain

#TheKillingsatKingfisherHill #NetGalley The Killings at Kinfisher Hill is the fourth mystery that Sophie Hannah has written with the permission of the Agatha Christie estate. The books feature Hercule Poirot. They are stand alones so can be read in any order. This book, along with the others in the series, have an old fashioned feel. They have some Christie trademarks with traditional settings, intricate plots and some interesting characters. Readers know that with the help of his “little grey cells,” Poirot will solve the case. There are a number of threads to the story. In one, a young woman refuses to initially board a coach because she has been told that she will be murdered if she sits in seat seven. What will happen to her whether she sits there or not? Poirot has a conversation with a mysterious woman on this same coach. She tells him that she has murdered someone and regales him with the tale while remaining anonymous. Who is she? Did she do what she said? How will Poirot find out? Then there is Helen. She has confessed to a murder but it is not clear that she actually killed the victim. Did she? Why if she did, and why confess if she did not? And…who is the second murder victim? Why were they murdered? HOw does this connect with the first murder in the story? Thank goodness that Poirot is around to bring order to the case and the reader’s world. Fans of traditional mysteries and/or Agatha Christie will enjoy this case. Can your “little grey cells” figure it out? Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this enjoyable read. All opinions are my own.

#AMurderMostFrench #NetGalley

Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This series began with last year’s Mastering the Art of French Murder. This second title is every bit as delightful.

Here is an historical mystery set in post WWII Paris. It features a fictional protagonist, Tabitha, and a friend of hers. That friend is the larger than life Julia Child. Together the two become involved in murderous situations.

This time, chefs should beware what they drink. Not too far into the novel, two have died after imbibing what should have been very special vintages. Tabitha and Julia are on the case even if the police inspector (and possible romantic interest for Tabitha) does not want their help.

What I like best in this book (and in the first one) is the evocation of Paris. When Tabitha and Julia visit a market it is easy to visualize the food and want to start cooking. And speaking of which, every time Julia is around food, and that is often, the book is so much fun.

Highly recommended to those who are foodies, those who love Paris and those who like historical mysteries. I hope there will be a third book soon

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

Pub date: 23 April 2024

Sloane faced an unthinkable loss when her sister died (not a spoiler as readers learn this early in the story). She is engaged to a somewhat pompous fiance who has an over involved family and often make Sloane feel inferior. On top of all this, Sloane’s parents are not the easiest people.

Sloane escapes into her work as a librarian although that also has it challenges. One of these is an older gentleman who enjoys mentally fencing with Sloane. Will these two change each other? Will others also be drawn in? Readers may know the answer but will still, I think, enjoy this book. It gives voice to some of what is important in life.

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

This book was published in March 2023

From the Publisher

by joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviewsJuly 22, 2019

This is a wonderful historical novel based upon the Book Women who delivered library materials to those in the out of the way sections of Kentucky.  The book women were part of a program started by President Roosevelt under the WPA.

There are many book women in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky but the protagonist of the novel is the unforgettable Cussy.  Cussy speaks in dialect which helps the reader to fully enter into her world.  Cussy faces special challenges because she is the last of the ‘blues.’  There really were blue-skinned people in America as a supplement at the back of the novel attests.  They were objects of curiosity and also of prejudice, just as was the case for the African American population.

Cussy wants to be independent both before and after her disastrous short term marriage.  And yet, what will happen with patron Jackson who is one of the few to call Cussy by name, rather than the derogatory Bluet?

Cussy’s love of books flows through the novel.  There are references to books that were popular at the time, including those by Steinbeck and Rex Stout.  Cussy’s inventiveness in making books and delivering what her patrons need is impressive.

The landscape of rural Kentucky, the small towns, the mines, the mountains are all well described.  Each patron that Cussy visits has a back story and readers will even come to learn more about the mule who transports her.

If you are a reader who enjoys historical fiction set in the U.S., consider this one.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks, for this book in exchange for an honest review.