Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

#WorryLines #NetGalley

For anyone who has had a bad day or struggles or just is trying to live life…this is for you! The cartoon illustrations convey many emotions and situations to which so many will relate.

This is definitely a book that I will want to share with others in my life. It adds a bit of humor and poignancy to our human condition.

Many thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 07 May 2024

Books by Jenny Erpenbeck and Hwang Sok-yong are among six nominees for the prestigious award for translated fiction.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/arts/international-booker-prize-nominees.html

An e book bargain for 10 April 2024

#TheWhiteLady #NetGalley

I am a huge fan of this author and have read every title in her Maisie Dobbs series. Here she has written a standalone about Elinor White, a character who has had a life of loss, service, action and contemplation.

Winspear’s authorial voice comes through and felt very familiar to me from having read her other works. That said, it took a little while for me to become fully immersed in this title. Once that happened, however, I loved the book and rate it most highly (as does Publishers Weekly which gave this one a starred review.)

The novel covers a wide time period; it starts before WWI and extends to the post WWII period. As the book opens, young Linni lives with her parents and sister in Belgium. The war brings enormous changes to the family. Linni and her sister become saboteurs and they and their mother must subsequently leave the country quickly.

The book then moves to England and follows Linni’s life there. She has many experiences before being recruited to the SOE in WWII. In the post war period, for complex reasons, our protagonist becomes involved in trying to extricate a couple and their daughter from the clutch of their criminal family. Throughout the book, the time moves back and forth as readers experience Linni’s actions and feelings about the things that she has done.

Readers will be interested to see how Linni fares in each of her tasks and time frames. They will also enjoy getting to know the many characters in this story, some of whom, they really should keep an eye on.

All in all, I highly recommend this novel. Bravo Ms. Winspear.

Many thanks to Allison & Busby for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 21 March 2023

#ThisistheWayinDogtown #NetGalley

The illustrations in this picture book are absolutely adorable. They are detailed, engagingand gently colorful. They will be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

For dog, toddler could be substituted. There is a simple story with rhyming words that goes through some of what might happen over the course of a little one’s day.

This title offers an enjoyable quick read for the youngest children and their adults. It is a book that may well be looked at more than a few times.

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

Pub date: 04 June 2024

Many would acknowledge that we are currently living in a time of deep unease, uncertainty and strife. It can feel quite discouraging as people clash with one another, there are wars, elections, court cases, environmental issues and more to unsettle us. Some may call the overall resultant feeling doom.

The author of this entry in the Essentials series defines doom as the “un-peaceful, uneasy, unwanted feeling” that “we humans have made a mess of our civilization and our planet, and not enough of us seem to care enough to change deeply enough or quickly enough to save ourselves.” In this book, the author looks at this complex topic from a vareiety of perspectives. He offers a guide and reflection in these pages to what he calls “wisdom and courage for a world falling apart.”

Chapter title include Letting Go, Letting Be, Letting Come and Setting Free. There is much to think about and readers may see the world and their actions in it differently upon finishing. Look at the questions that the author provides for the reader to think about in each section.

This book does not offer an easy read. It does, however, provide an important one.

Note that the author is a pastor so writes from this perspective.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 14 May 2024

An e book bargain for 10 April 2924

This book has generated a fair amount of buzz. It won a first mystery contest sponsored by the publisher along with the Mystery Writers of America. It is also an Amazon Editor’s Pick and a title that I have seen on some best books of the year lists. Kirkus Reviews states that this book is “An intriguing and altogether enchanting mystery.”

So…is it for you? It will be if you like gothic novels and old, rundown family homes/fortresses. You will like this one if you like a Cornwall setting and the 1920s time period. This book will intrigu thosewho want to spend time with an unconventional heroine who was a rebel and inherited a fortune upon the death of her parents. If you like a troubled marriage and mysterious (possibly even supernatural) deaths, turn the pages. And there is more.

The Curse of Penryth Hall is a fun and intriguing read. I enjoyed the getting to know Ruby and those around her. A lot goes on. Not all may be fully tied up but this is still a pretty good first novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 05 December 2023

This lovely activity book was written by a former kindergarten teacher. In a series of activities, she takes children through a day at school. It incorporates teaching/reviewing things that kids will want to know. For example, on the first page, titled Good Morning, children are asked to circle everything that is blue. Another page called Let’s Go to School asks kids to circle the transportation that can get them there. For example, they may take the bus but they probably won’t swim. There are matching games, dot to dots, find what’s different, sequencing, patterns, shapes, letters and much more. All in all, a nice resource for a child and an adult to do together. I definitely know a child who would like this and you may too.

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

Pub date: 21 May 2024

 #TheMissingMaid #NetGalley

Four stars ****

Readers who enjoy traditional/cozy British mysteries, tales set in the past, and/or those who love a story with a Sherlock Holmes reference point are sure to enjoy The Case of the Missing Maid. What happened to her? Harry (for Harriet) becomes intrigued and wants to find out more…but, how did Harry learn about the missing maid?

Well, she was demoted from her job in a building with that famous street in it and assigned to respond to letters sent to (the fictional) Sherlock Holmes. It can be tedious but then one letter caught Harry’s eye. Read the story to find out where she is led and what happens.

This is a very enjoyable book and, as is true for Boldwood Books in general, it is very attractively priced.

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

Paige Shelton has been writing the Scottish Bookshop Mysteries for a while now. This new book is the ninth in the series and a delightful entry.

This time the events take place not long after Queen Elizabeth’s death. Delaney is asked to take a look at an artifact. It is possible that this has a deep historical significance. However, a lot is going on when Delaney arrives, including an intruder.

The story goes deeper. Is Jolie, the person Delaney was meeting, an heir to the throne? Readers can imagine how this will unfold but the fun is in the story.

This is a good traditional mystery. I liked the location, characters and story line. Recommended to fans of cozies.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 09 April 2024