For some reason, during the corona virus pandemic, I have been spending a lot of time in virtual Italy reading mysteries that are set there. My guides, until I read this novel, were Donna Leon and her Inspector Brunetti, and Andrea Camilleri and his Detective, Montalbano. Their novels feature an engaging protagonist, beautiful locations and, VERY IMPORTANT, delicious food.
So, I was curious about this book set in Tuscany and happy to receive an ARC. I was not disappointed. This novel, the start of a new series, and its detective, fit right into the sub genre of Italian police stories.
The protagonist of Murder in Chianti is widower and former New York City police detective, Nico. He has moved to Chianti following the death of his wife, Rita. Rita has a cousin in Chianti who owns a restaurant, one source of the delicious sounding food in the novel. Food wise, I would give a lot to get breakfast where Nico does each day. I also would like to sample some of the alcohol mentioned in the book, especially the red wines.
Around Nico are the police officers who want his help in solving a case, Perillo and Daniele. The murder of the story has ties with the past. The victim left Italy a number of years ago and became a successful vintner in California. Why did he return to Italy? How does this visit lead to his death? Who will be hurt as the case is solved?
This was a very readable book and one that I enjoyed. I recommend adding it to your TBR list.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an hoenst review. I look forward to the next novel in this seris.
Daphne Overture is a professor at a fictional, very selective institution of higher learning where she studies and teaches French Colonial history. Daphne has been highly successful but keeps her head down at her college; she is just one of a handful of Black professors and is even sometimes called by the first name of one of the other ones!
Luckily for both Daphne and the reader, she has strong (if sometimes annoying to her) family connections and good friends. Readers will enjoy getting to know all of them.
Daphne had a paperback book, Papillon. Readers learn early on that it was taken from her, most likely by a professor named Sam who has been murdered. How? Why? What is the connection between this book and a murder? Is the book related to Sam’s work on prison conditions?
Along with getting involved herself, Daphne gets to know a former police officer who is now a bookstore owner. Readers will hope that they find romance, I think.
Along with the characters and the plot, I loved the academic setting. The ins and outs, the competitiveness, the appearance of the physical college , the threats by some in the hierarchy against others, plagiarism, students taken advantage of by professors and more all make for compelling reading.
This book also highlights the experiences Daphne has regarding race on her campus. It offers a reminder of a need to do better.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press-Soho Crime for this title. All opinions are my own. I truly hope that this title is the first in a series.
Pub date: 01 July 2025D
From the publisher:
A college history professor must solve her superstar colleague’s murder before she becomes the next target in this funny, romantic debut mystery, perfect for readers of Janet Evanovich, Kellye Garrett, and Ali Hazelwood.
As a newly minted junior professor, Daphne Ouverture spends her days giving lectures on French colonialism, working on her next academic book, and going on atrocious dates. Her small world suits her just fine. Until Sam Taylor dies.
The rising star of Harrison University’s anthropology department was never one of Daphne’s favorites, despite his popularity. But that doesn’t prevent Sam’s killer from believing Daphne has something that belonged to Sam—something the killer will stop at nothing to get.
Between grading papers and navigating her disastrous love life, Daphne embarks on her own investigation to find out what connects her to Sam’s murder. With the help of an alluring former-detective-turned-bookseller, she unravels a deadly cover-up on campus.
This well-crafted, voice-driven mystery introduces an unforgettable crime fiction heroine.
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for History Lessons
A New York Times Editors’ Choice A Library Journal Mystery Debut of the Month
“History professor Daphne Ouverture might be your next favorite unsuspecting sleuth.” —USA Today
“History Lessons brilliantly mixes pointed satire, fabulous characters (especially Daphne’s two besties) and a thoughtful meditation on whose fortunes get to rise, and whose are ground down on the altar of power.” —Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review
“Wallbrook has crafted a campus mystery that’s both propulsive and cerebral. The book blends classic whodunit pleasures with a reflective exploration of race, power and who gets believed. Also: ‘Drag Race’ jokes, squirrel riots and a simmering romance with a bookish ex-cop. Top marks.” —The Seattle Times
“Clever, quirky, and full of heart, History Lessons is a cozy mystery for the academics and romantics among us.” —Shondaland
In my opinion, Marie Benedict is among the best of the current writers of historical fiction. Here, once again, the author has succeeded in writing an absorbing story that is based upon historical fact. Unlike in her earlier novels, this time she tells the story of six important characters (rather than one) who were sisters. They were so different from each other that it is hard to believe that they had the same parents.
The family included one son, Tom and many daughters. There was Nancy, the novelist. Diana was beautiful, married to one of (those) Guinnesses but she left
Bryan to be with the Fascist Oswald Mosley. Unity was somewhat of a fanatic who was deeply enamored of Hitler while Jessica was a Communist. There were also younger sisters Debo and Pamela.
Benedict tells her chapters from different characters points of view. She often has characters detailing their experiences in the same time frame.
There is a very rich history in this family. Readers will enjoy learning more about the Mitfords in this well written story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title. All opinions are my own.
Death Comes to Marlow is the next in a series, following on The Marlow Murder Club. I enjoyed this title even more than that first book. The author knows how to tell a story; he is also known for TV’s Death in Paradise.
Anyone who enjoys Richard Osman’s series is sure to enjoy spending time with Judith, Becks and Susie. They help the police and specifically Tanika to solve another case in these pages.
Judith is in her 70s and deliberately eccentric. Susie finds it hard not to blurt and has a dog walking business, while Becks is married to the local vicar but…who is she seeing now?
One day, a man named Sir Peter invites Judith to his posh engagement party. He has had an intimation that he will be murdered and indeed he is. There are many suspects in the pages that follow, including his son and daughter, and his new fiancee, or is it someone else?
The plot just rattles along and I liked spending time with Judith and Co. I highly recommend this title to those who enjoy cozy mysteries and women of a certain age. I am eager for the next book by this author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Five Stars
And, this just in from PBS
New Series: The Marlow Murder Club
A four-part adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club is coming to MASTERPIECE! Find out all about the new mystery starring Downton Abbey and Home Fires favorite Samantha Bond as retired archaeologist Judith Potts, Jo Martin (Doctor Who) as local dog-walker and empty-nester Suzie, and Cara Horgan (The Sandman, Traitors) as unfulfilled vicar’s wife Becks.
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.
Miss Winters in the Library with a Knife’s author, Martin Edwards, is quite talented. He has written standalone and series mysteries, has published books on the genre, and has done introductions to many classic crime stories. Here he has written a fun mystery that is set around the holidays in cold and isolated Midwinter.
Six people are invited to come to this unique place where six employees also work. They are going to play some kind of game that offers a reward at the end. Readers, of course, may have the sense that they want to warn the players off, although, of course, they cannot.
Each of the main characters has something to do with crime fiction. For example, there is author Harry. He has named all of his many novels with riffs on titles by well-known authors. Each of these titles is listed for the reader who will enjoy conjuring up the names of the originals. Watch from the very beginning as he tries to get information from many, including a certain driver. There are five others with whom he will interact.
As readers of the genre know, put a group of characters in a cold, isolated location and the chances are that they will be unable to leave. What will happen in this game? Will there be a real, as opposed to fictional murder? Readers can make a guess. The title of this book is, of course, reminiscent of the board game, Clue. Interesting.
Follow the clues, see if you can solve any of the puzzles, and enjoy the “clue finder” at the end of the book. Find out how good a detective you might be.
This is a clever, fun take on a classic mystery. It seems just the thing for a cold night with a cup of tea and a willingness to engage with the text.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 07 October 2025
Book summary and additional information:
From the publisher:
Six contestants. One chance at a new life. Who wouldn’t be tempted to cheat?
Award winning, renowned master of mysteries and editor of the British Library of Crime Classics, Martin Edwards turns up the heat for the most seasoned fair play mystery connoisseurs and puzzle afficionados just in time for a gleefully wicked holiday read.
Six down-on-their-luck people with links to the world of crime writing have been invited to play a game this Christmas by the mysterious Midwinter Trust. The challenge seems simple but exciting: Solve the murder of a fictional crime writer in a remote but wonderfully atmospheric village in north Yorkshire to win a prize that will change your fortunes for good.
Six members of staff from the shadowy Trust are there to make sure everyone plays fair. The contestants have been meticulously vetted but you can never be too careful. And with the village about to be cut off by a snow storm, everyone needs to be extra vigilant. Midwinter can play tricks on people’s minds.
The game is set – but playing fair isn’t on everyone’s Christmas list.
Advance Praise
“The perfect way to unwind during the holidays. What a treat.” — SJ Bennett
“Martin Edwards is a magician who conjures up a captivating crime story before your eyes.” — Janice Hallett
“The king of the puzzle mystery novel.” — Alex Pavesi
“You can put down the Radio Times and highlighter pen, this book is all the entertainment you’ll need this Christmas. Wonderful stuff.” — Ian Moore
From the Publisher:
Editorial Reviews
Review
“In a clever standalone homage to Agatha Christie, Edwards invites ‘external observers’ (i.e., readers) and ‘analysts’ (reviewers) to participate in an interactive puzzle mystery-within-a-mystery…readers can apply their own detective skills in deciphering the clues the author sprinkles throughout the podcast excerpts, text messages, journal entries, webpage excerpts, and third-person narrative. If you love to play Clue and are a fan of atmospheric cozies, this is a fun, diverting read.” ― First Clue–This text refers to the paperback edition.
About the Author
From Amazon
Martin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ His novels include the eight Lake District Mysteries and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers, including the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America. He has received four lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.
I first read about this book when it was published in England and knew that I would want to read it. My favorite genre-mystery- plus an Oxford setting and a lot about words. (I loved The Bookbinder which was historical fiction set in Oxford with much about words). So, getting this book from NetGalley was a real treat. It did not disappoint.
Readers meet Martha who works for the Clarendon English Dictionary which feels like a fictional stand in for the OED. She and her colleagues including Simon, Alex and Safi get to deal with words as their profession. They are just four of the many characters in this story.
As the book opens, there is a staff meeting and all seems pretty much as usual until an odd letter arrives. It takes a bit but Martha comes to realize that this letter may be referencing the disappearance of her talented, bright and beautiful sister thirteen years ago. No one knows what became of Charlie? Who is “chorus,” the anonymous letter writer? What other messages will be received? What did happen to Charlie?
From this point in, I was so drawn in and spent as much time as I could reading the story. There were also some fun treats along the way with various vocabulary words. For example, I loved conjobble which was defined as eat, drink and talk!
Still, while the English vocabulary references were great fun, it was the story that kept me intrigued. Publishers Weekly described this book as a “treat.” I definitely agree.
I am delighted to know that this is the first in a series. I can’t wait for more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 30 September 2025
384 pages
Mystery & Suspense
Editorial Reviews
Review
“There are pleasures here for anyone who revels in the joy of text.” ― Kirkus Reviews
“Etymologist Dent makes an impressive fiction debut with a clever whodunit that pivots on her linguistic expertise…a tantalizing puzzle for Anglophiles and Golden Age mystery lovers alike.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Linguist Dent proves she is a talented wordsmith in her own right, diverting readers with historical and lexicological tidbits throughout the story…Martha and her team are whip-smart and fun, providing a light juxtaposition to the suspense elements, while the lush and vibrant descriptions of Oxford create a lovely sense of place; readers will be both informed and entertained.” ― Library Journal
“If you’re like me and love both language and crime, then Guilty by Definition has it all. Susie Dent’s impressive debut novel is virtuosic. So meticulously and fascinatingly steeped in the archaic glory of words, it will surely be the ultimate treat for every logophile out there. But this is so much more than a celebration of the dictionary – it’s a tantalizing mystery of a missing sister, a cold case that will not lie down, and a family frozen in their unresolved grief… all while their circle of friends and colleagues nurse secrets and lies beyond explication. Guilty by Definition is positively aglitter with etymological and detecting treasures for word-sleuths and crime-fans alike.” ― Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal
Next in the series:
Publisher’s Synopsis-From the British publisher
A brand-new linguistic mystery from Countdown‘s resident lexicographer, Susie Dent, set in the city of Oxford
**AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW**
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy writer whose papers she once worked on. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer.
Martha is not the only one to have doubts when the suspicious death is ruled by police as suicide. Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, Martha and her colleagues begin to unearth a tragedy that extends beyond the ancient walls of the university. As new messages portend more death, it’s clear that a spirit of vengeance is stalking the city’s streets, and may be reaching out towards them too.
Once again, HTP is spotlighting a number of excellent titles in their Fall 2025 Blog Tours. Many thanks to all at HTP for this opportunity.
The Book:
The Library of Fates
By Margot Harrison
On Sale: December 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781525804311
Graydon House Hardcover
Price: $30.00
About the book:
When its librarian keeper mysteriously dies, two former classmates must race to locate a rare book from their college years that can foretell your future if you confess a secret from your past—but someone is intent on protecting what’s hidden inside.
It can write the story of your future… and hide the secrets of your past
The Library of Fates was designed to show you who you are—and who you could become. Its rarest book, The Book of Dark Nights, holds a secret: when you write an intimate confession on its pages, you’ll receive a prediction for your future, penned in your own handwriting.
For Eleanor, whose childhood was defined by a senseless tragedy, the library offers a world where everything makes sense. She’s spent most of her life there as an apprentice to the brilliant librarian, showing other people how to find the meaning of their lives in stories.
But when her mentor dies in a freak accident and The Book of Dark Nights goes missing—along with the secrets written inside—Eleanor is pulled out of the library and into a quest to locate it with the last person she expects: the librarian’s estranged son, Daniel, who Eleanor once loved.
Together, as they hunt down clues from Harvard to Paris, Eleanor and Daniel grow closer again, regaining each other’s trust. But little do they know that they’re entangled in a much larger web. Someone else wants the book, and they’ll go to dark lengths to get it…
Start reading:
Now
September 26, 2019, 1:15 p.m.
The Library of Fates lived tucked under the mansarded roof of a tall, charcoal- gray building in Harvard Yard. To a casual visitor, it was like any other library, lined with shelves for hours of pleasantly aimless browsing. But every student knew that if you came to the Library of Fates and asked for a book to guide you safely through turbulent times, the librarian would go straight to the shelf and put a book in your hands. And that book would change your life.
Eleanor Dennet was that librarian now, but the knowledge felt hollow. Her predecessor, Odile Vernet— her mentor, her guiding star, her best friend— had died suddenly three days ago, and she could barely process it.
Her throat still raw from crying, her brain still woozy from too much vodka, she stepped over the threshold of the library that had been her refuge for most of the past twenty-four years. On the surface, everything seemed the same: the dark oak paneling and moss- green area rugs and accents; the pearly glow that came through the recessed skylight; the sweet, faintly musty smell. The custodian had opened the curtains and blinds of the nine bay windows on each long side of the room. Sunlight bathed the books in a greenish haze and washed over the varnished seminar table and armchairs. The mural on the ceiling evoked the magic of stories.
But something felt different here. Something was wrong.
Then Eleanor saw him.
From his seat in a green brocade armchair angled toward the window, he didn’t seem to have noticed her entrance. Barely daring to breathe, she took in black hair sprinkled with gray on the headrest and long lashes outlined on his cheek as he gazed down at a sheaf of papers in his hand.
Daniel Vernet, Odile’s son.
The last time they’d seen each other, in 1995, they’d been standing here in the library. Eleanor’s view of Daniel had been clouded by tears, but she would never forget his dark eyes gazing back as if she were a stranger. The bland way he’d smiled, as if she meant nothing to him after everything they’d been through.
And here were more damned tears, rising and choking her. She would have to face Daniel eventually, to give condolences and make arrangements for his mother’s memorial. But not yet. She wasn’t ready for that. She darted to the window bay farthest from his chair, silent on the thick carpet, and slipped behind the floor-length curtain.
Daniel sighed heavily. The papers crackled. Frozen in place, Eleanor watched through a gap as he stood up. He didn’t look his age, the lines of his chin and cheekbones still firm.
A sharp click- clack of heels sounded on the stairs behind them. “Ready, Daniel?” asked a slightly accented voice that Eleanor recognized as Liliana, Odile’s housekeeper and close friend.
Daniel nodded, but his gaze was still on the papers. “What the hell is this?” he asked. “What the hell?”
As the older woman put a soothing hand on Daniel’s shoulder, Eleanor saw his body heave. Was he grieving his mother, then? Their relationship had never been smooth. Though Odile visited her son in Europe on occasion, it had taken her death to bring him back to the States for the first time in decades.
Liliana gave Daniel a hug and led him toward the door. “Everything will work out. You’ll see. We don’t want to be late for our appointment.”
“I’m just so confused!” Eleanor heard him still exclaiming as their feet thudded down the stairs.
She emerged from behind the curtain and stood very still, waiting for the tension to dissipate and the atmosphere to settle. Listening for a faint but steady thrum on the edge of her awareness, a rumble that was neither pipes nor heating. Like Odile, Eleanor was attuned to the library’s vibrations, inaudible to most people.
But now, standing dead center in the library, straining her senses in the stillness, she detected no reassuring thrum. Nothing. As if the library were an immense machine that had stopped running.
Panic gripped her. It can’t be.
She hurried to the oak door at the far end of the room and unlocked it with trembling fingers. Here in the librarian’s small office, The Book of Dark Nights was kept, secure in a safe, its pages alive with the power of the secrets trapped inside, for the library drew its power from the Book. As long as the Book remained there, the library would function.
On top of the safe, she found a sticky note in Odile’s strong cursive:
A place of pages,
A subterranean secret,
Where love is shared.
One book brought you together.
Start from there.
Eleanor stared at it for a dazed second. Odile often left literary quotes on sticky notes, but this didn’t seem like the style of poetry she would read— or write, if Odile had been a poet.
Then she knelt beside the safe to type in the code. Fumbling in her urgency, she had to enter it twice before the light turned green and she could swing the door open. Eleanor closed her eyes and said a silent prayer: Please let it be here.
The Book had been stolen only once, and the results had been disastrous. Eleanor tried not to think about them as she reached into the safe for the cracked calfskin of the Book’s binding, bracing herself to feel the usual tingle as her fingers made contact. Needing to experience that uncanny suggestion that the Book was alive. To know that it was only Daniel’s presence that had made the library feel wrong.
But there was nothing.
She knew people saw her as Odile’s mousy, adoring acolyte, hidden away in the library like a relic herself. A perennial student who had never even finished her PhD. A wan spinster, a living history display. Here in the library was the one place Eleanor mattered. In these books is your future, Odile had told her long ago. In these books are all the tools you need to live your life to the fullest. But all that depended on the magic.
And as she ran shaky fingers from corner to corner of the steel compartment, she found only shadows and a fine, powdery dust that came off on her fingertips.
MARGOT HARRISON is the author of The Midnight Club and The Library of Fates. She is also the author of four young adult novels, including an Indies Introduce Pick, Junior Library Guild Selections, and Vermont Book Award Finalists. She grew up in New York and now lives in Vermont.
This book’s premise is so intriguing. I always love books that are about books and the book in this title sounds quite unique.
I also enjoy stories with intriguing characters and this novel satisfies on that level as well. In addition, this is a suspenseful read. All in all, a perfect book to curl up with this fall.
Many thanks to HTP and NetGalley for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Well, there are certainly many well-known authors with ties to Edinburgh. To name just a few, there are Robbie Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Diana Gabaldon and J.K. Rowling, as the author notes in her introduction. Learn more about them and their connections to the city in these pages.
This informative text is enhanced by the photographs that are found throughout. I especially enjoyed the walking tour sections-they offer a great way to organize getting to know the city and its writers.
I also enjoyed the section on literary events and places. For one, there is mention of the Literary Museum-I imagine that would offer a good experience to a bibliophile. There is mention of festivals for those who would be interested (I would!). I also loved that there was a list of bookshops.
Any reader who is planning a trip to Edinburgh would do well to have this book in hand. It will enhance the visit. This title is well researched and filled with information.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword-White Owl for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 30 January 2026
Description:
from the publisher
Whether you’re a lifelong book lover or a curious traveller, this guide is the perfect companion to discovering Edinburgh’s extraordinary literary heritage. Explore the places and authors that have shaped the city’s cultural and physical landscape, from sites of literary history and interest to buildings and vistas that inspired famous poems and novels. Including many iconic Edinburgh sights, this guide also draws on local knowledge to highlight some lesser-known gems hidden away in the Old Town or located further afield in the city.
After a brief history of Edinburgh, the guide offers five detailed walking trails. These allow readers to follow in the footsteps of some of the best-known writers associated with Edinburgh from Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson to J.K. Rowling and Diana Gabaldon. The second section delves into Edinburgh’s wider literary associations. Organised by geographical area, it spans a diverse range of authors, poets and playwrights across many centuries, uncovering unexpected connections, fascinating pieces of history and even a widely-disseminated literary hoax. The third and final section explores the city’s vibrant literary scene today, detailing museums, bookshops, and festivals, such as the world-renowned Edinburgh International Book Festival and Festival Fringe.
About the Author:
from Amazon
Dr Kate Stephenson is a freelance historian and tour guide based in Edinburgh. Specialising in social history, particularly clothing and sex-related topics, she regularly does events, as well as appearing on podcasts and television, talking about the latter. She also works with museums and heritage sites creating interpretative and educational resources. In her spare time, she is an avid reader.
Today, I went to my local botanical garden. I sat by a pond, read, stared into space, saw ducks, and heard and saw birds-not that I could identify them but I thoroughly enjoyed leaving city life behind and experiencing nature. I left feeling so much better than when I arrived.
Lili Taylor, a successful actor, has also come to enjoy spending time with and noticing birds. Here in beautiful essays, Taylor shares her observations with readers. They will be better for it. Hopefully, they will begin to pay attention too. They may even become acquainted with their “spark bird.”
Recommended to current and perspective nature lovers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 29 April 2025
208 pages
Nature/Memoir
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“By turns introspective, inquisitive, and funny, the book is a love letter to nature and the solace it can provide.”—The New Yorker
“Lili Taylor has always been such a wonderful actor to watch—perhaps partly because of the watchful quality she so often brings to her characters. . . . In Turning to Birds, Taylor brings that sharp eye to her own backyard, chronicling her own pleasure at observing the birds at play there. Her enchantment by the various feathered beings whose lives she witnesses may be catching.”—The Boston Globe
“A profoundly relatable story about falling in love with the avian world.”—Audubon Magazine
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 