What Taylor Swift has achieved in her career is pretty amazing. She has to be one of the most popular singers ever. This entry in the good series tells her story.
Readers learn that Taylor grew up in a family that loved music Once she discovered country music, Taylor knew what she wanted to do even if she felt isolated from her peers at times. She has gone on to sing in many genres for her fans. Her hard work and persistence make her a role model for those with dreams.
This book is delightfully illustrated. There is additional information at the back.
Many thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
Charlotte Philby draws the reader right into her newest novel. The prologue sets the stage for a twisty tale. Who is Judy? What has she done that has led her to her actions? How will her choices reverberate for her daughter? What does it mean to have a past invade the present? Find out in this novel. It would make for a good summer read.
Many thanks to Harper Collins UK for this title. All opinions are my own.
Trace Elements A Comissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon is an e book bargain for 29 April 2024
Where I live, the weather is currently cold and the days are short. When Trace Elements takes place during a summer in Venice, it is as hot as hot can be. Clothes are sticking, meals need to be light and our detective, Guido Brunetti is mystified by the tourists who want to be in Venice at this miserable time. I could feel the heat and the need to drink mineral water. All of this is to say that Ms. Leon is a master at creating her scenes and characters. When Brunetti was eating his cheese and salad, I salivated. When I followed this essentially good man throughout the story, I wanted to know him and his colleagues as real people. When Brunetti was with his wife, Paola, I wanted a marriage like theirs. All of this adds verisimilitude to a novel that, in parts, is deeply tragic.
Tue story begins when Brunetti and a female colleague go to visit Benedetta, a women in hospice care, who is dying a miserable death from cancer. Readers will feel great sympathy for this character’s suffering. Before she dies, Benedetta presents Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni with something to investigate. They learn that Benedetta’s daughters are about to become orphans as Benedetta’s husband recently died in a crash. Was his death an accident? If it was murder how, if at all, does it relate to his job?
In Trace Elements (an apt title), the crime as it relates to Venice feels all too plausible. Ms. Leon has done her research and written a believable and sad tale of human corruption and its consequences. Wrong actions happen but the reasons for them differ.
This title is the latest entry in Donna Leon’s long running series about Guido Brunetti. It is a most excellent novel and I recommend it highly.
Jenny Colgan’s many fans will be delighted by her newest, standalone book. They will literally be in the skies as they spend time with pilot Morag. The descriptions of flights and landscape are a lovely part of the novel.
When the book opens, Morag has had a crisis. There was a most unfortunate incident while she was flying. Although Morag puts up a brave front, she is reeling and a bit frightened of returning to her job. One upside though was the potential for romance with Hayden, a man from HR whom she met in her follow up to the incident noted above. Is he the one or will someone else be?
As Morag is struggling so is her grandfather. He is one of a line of pilots in Morag’s family and he needs Morag’s help. As a result, Morag returns to northern Scotland where he has offered a wonderful flying service to the folks of the islands. The story picks up from there with a big event being an unexpected landing and time spent with a scientist on a very small island. Here is the potential someone else as noted above.
Ms. Colgan offers her readers a lovely story as is her habit. Recommended for summer reading lists and those who enjoy romance/women’s fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for this title. All opinions are my own.
The Three Dahlias is a traditional mystery that is reminiscent of titles published during mystery’s “Golden Age.” It will be enjoyed by those who like to sink into a long (373 page) crime novel that is not overly violent.
The Dahlias of the title are actresses who starred in, or about to star in, TV or movies that feature Dahlia Lively, a sleuth. Each starred at a certain point in time; Rosalind was first, followed by Caro and, now, Posy who is the latest Dahlia. Each of these actresses has a backstory that impacts the plot. They are a bit competitive with one another but join forces to solve the case that is at the center of the novel.
The Dahlias are attending a super fan convention as the story opens. There are many people on the grounds of the famous author’s home, so loads of suspects. These include family members, those involved with the new film, and the super fans.
No spoiler to say that there is a murder. With their three brains and styles coming to the fore, the Dahlias are on the case. Relax and follow along as they solve it.
I enjoyed this title’s setting and characters. It was a bit slow moving at times though. Still, that was kind of soothing, just following along at a leisurely pace.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 21 July 2022
Praise for The Three Dahlias
‘An absolute treat of a read with all the ingredients of a vintage murder mystery: a country house, mysterious dead bodies and three actresses all keen to catch the killer. Perfect weekend reading!’ Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal
‘A wonderful celebration of Golden Age crime. . . a read you can sink into, just like the perfect country house weekend. You will definitely love Dahlia in all her guises by the end’ S.J. Bennett, author of The Windsor Knot
‘I loved it – witty, engaging and hugely enjoyable. A must for fans of classic mysteries’ Frances Brody
‘An affectionate homage to the Golden Age of Detective Fiction and a wry nod to our continuing fascination with it. Great fun. Warm, ingenious and. . . lively!’ L C Tyler
‘A sprightly offering. . . a pleasant summer read’ The Critic
NOTE: The current price for the digital book is just $7.99 for those who may want to pre-order.
Early Morning Riser is a novel of place and character. The setting is small town Michigan which is brought to life with its homes, school, stores and more. The main people that readers follow are Jane and Duncan. Jane is a second grade teacher. She meets Duncan when she gets locked out of her house. They very quickly become involved only for Jane to learn that Duncan has many exes. Their evolving relationship and those around them form the basis for the novel.
This book got excellent reviews. There is much humor here and also some heart. I definitely liked this one but I hoped for a little more. It may just be that some of the humor fell a bit flat for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Have you watched the Grantchester mysteries on PBS? I have and I have very much enjoyed them. Would you like to go back to the origin of the stories? I decided that I wanted to. I had read this book, Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death a number of years ago. I was curious to reread it now that I have watched the TV show.
First off, the books and the TV show differ at times. I have found this to be true of other TV adaptations as well. One that comes to mind is the series of novels by Peter Robinson about Detective Banks. Knowing this means that the read is different but not one bit worse for that.
For those who don’t know Sidney is a Canon who is assigned to the village of Grantchester. He runs a parish church and also teaches classes at nearby Cambridge University. Oh, and he begins to solve mysteries.
This book contains six stories. All are set in the 1950s. In the first story, Sidney investigates the death of a lawyer. In the next, he tries to find out how and why an engagement ring was stolen. And so it goes through a series of long, short stories. (I know that is a funny juxtaposition of words).
Every story shows Sidney to be a good man. He is able to question, is not in any way stuffy, and is someone with whom readers will enjoy spending time.
For those who watched the shows, in this book be introduced to series favorites like Sidney’s housekeeper and Amanda. I was especially delighted to meet Leonard for the first time here.
I highly recommend all of the books in the series. There are six. They take place across decades in Sidney’s life.
Below find my review of The Road to Granchester. This was published AFTER the six other books but it tells Sidney’s origin story.
As soon as I saw this title on NetGalley, I desperately wanted to read it. Many thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for granting my request. The opinions below are my own.
I read the first Sidney Chambers novel, Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death, when it was first published. I was captivated by the character of Sidney and wanted to know more about him. I have continued to read the stories and have adored the Grantchester series on TV. For me, James Norton has personified Sidney in a most satisfactory way.
The Road to Grantchester tells the story of Sidney before he was the TV character or the man in SC and the Shadow of Death. I was so pleased at the prospect of learning how he became himself.
The beginning of the book was not easy. After a brief prelude, Sidney is immersed in the horrors (and I mean horrors) of WWII in Italy where he serves with Robert Kendall. Robert is the brother of Amanda, a key character in the series.
What Sidney and his fellow soldiers witness and participate in is truly unspeakable. James Runcie has written about war in a way that will make the reader long for peace. Survival in his circumstances is kind of a miracle for Sidney. However, not everyone important to him makes it home safely.
As a reader, because of how awful it was, I was relieved to move to the part of the novel that was post war. Sidney comes home to a world that has changed and yet he has changed even more. He tries to understand what he is meant to do with the gift of his life. After much reflection, he decides to join the church. The reader follows Sidney on his on-going faith journey.
This book is about those important to Sidney. There is Robert his best friend and war compatriot…no spoilers here so I will not say more. As in the TV series, there is prickly Amanda whose relationship with Chambers (as she calls him) is complex but important.
I left this book wanting to reread all of James Runcie’s books. This is an excellent read if you are a fan of Sidney, want to remember why war is a mess or if you want to understand a protagonist’s wish to live a meaningful life.
This novel may not be for everyone but for me it was a five star read.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 