The setting for this novel is Atlantic City in the 1930s. The story is one about the wish to protect those we love and the ways that we may go about doing it. The novel will definitely reach your emotions.
There are two sisters at the heart of the story, one with a tragedy and one very unsettled. Their mother makes a decision with potentially vast repercussions. In addition, there is a thread about an emigree who has escaped from Germany.
This novel is based on a true story, one that impacted the author’s family. It is definitely worth your attention.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved the illustrations in this book. They are colorful, warm and appealing, with a touch of humor.
The text is intended to teach children that the holidays are about giving as well as getting. It is simple and references children who don’t have much.
Here is a subject that could open up some useful discussion if families at a frenzied time of year. This book could make a nice addition to a holiday bookshelf.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Franklin Publishers for this title. All opinions are my own.
Val McDermid is one of my very favorite authors. She is so versatile, writing the Tony Hill-Carol Jordan series, the novels that feature Karen Pirie, the historical series beginning with 1979, and her earlier Kate Brannigan and Lindsay Gordon stories. In addition, she has had several free standing novels like The Vanishing Point and A Place of Execution, to name just two.
So…is there still room for her to do something new? Indeed there is. Here, McDermid takes a new look at one of the best known characters in Shakespeare. It is a story of Lady Macbeth that is not the tale as he wrote in that drama. It is an excellent read.
Here, for example, the three witches are redefined as is the marriage to Macbeth and the nature of the conflicts. Readers become immersed in medieval Scotland.
Fans of historical fiction and McDermid will want to take a look at this short (122 page) title.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Fans of Robyn Carr’s will be delighted to find that she has a new (non-series) novel out just in time for spring and Mother’s Day. This book is about second chances, making the kind of life that you want to have happen and of not holding back out of fear.
The story focuses on Lauren who seems to have it all…except that, of course, she doesn’t. She is married to Brad, a successful surgeon, and has two daughters.
Beau is married with two stepsons. He is a landscape architect whose marriage has been unhappy for years.
Tim is a priest and friend of Beau’s. He also becomes a friend of Lauren’s.
What happens to each of these characters, those around them and their relationships forms the basis of the novel. The pages turn easily and readers will be interested in how the characters fare. A good women’s fiction book all in all.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Amy Bloom is not writing about fictional characters in this heartbreaking, moving and extremely well written work. Instead the novelist tells a story that is as impactful as any of those that came from her imagination. In some ways, she asks her readers to think about the unthinable.
This book relates what happened when the author’s husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Brian knew that he wanted to end his life. As this is not currently possible in most of the U.S., he wanted to go to Dignitas in Switzerland where assisted suicide is a choice. Bloom recounts her and Brian’s experiences, the emotional impact of the decision, the story of their relationship and the poignancy of their last days. Readers will also spend time with the author as she begins to experience her life without Brian.
Many will be touched by this book. I think that it will resonate and also open some hearts and minds.
This is an unforgettable book. Publishers Weekly states: “The result is a stunning portrayal of how love can reveal itself in life’s most difficult moments.” I definitely agree.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book was published in 2022.
ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Publishers Weekly ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Today, Real Simple, Prospect (UK), She Reads, Kirkus Reviews
Patti Callahan Henry’s novel, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, is one of my favorite books of all time. I similarly loved Once Upon a Wardrobe. Now I want to read every title of hers. So, I was very happy to spend time with this novel.
The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a book that I enjoyed very much. I found that I wanted to read it slowly so as to savor the story and the time that I got to spend with the characters. I also delighted in the many literary references that were scattered through these pages. (Mecklenburgh Square, a pen of Virginia Woolf’s and many more)
Henry creates a fully realized world in this novel, both in her characters’ pasts and presents, but also in Whisperwood, the special place that two sisters shared in their imaginations.
This is a story with a timeline during WWII and another that begins in 1960. In the 30s, Flora and her older sister, Hazel, are sent to the countryside to keep them safe from London’s bombs… but something happens to Flora. This leaves Hazel alone and bereft. How and why did Flora disappear…and what is the meaning of a book that Hazel “borrows” from her employer? Readers, start here and then you will want to keep going.
This is the sort of novel that will resonate with its readers. I think that they will both like and admire Hazel as she goes on a quest. I highly recommend this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Lisa See has written many works of historical fiction yet this is the first book of hers that I have read. It won’t be the last.
Ms. See tells an absorbing story and one that is filled with historical detail and, numerous characters and aspects of Chinese culture. Her settings come to life so gorgeously. Early in the book, the protagonist is traveling to Shanghai. I could feel her seasickness and claustrophobia. I think I was as eager as she was to get outside for some air. The author’s words made this voyage so vivid.
Characters are a strength of this writer. They are complex, multidimensional, interesting and relatable, despite the fact that they lived long before us. For example, the protagonist’s mother dies very early in the story. I had been admired her and was upset when she collapsed. The why of this was historically accurate and tragic to those of our present day. I could feel the daughter’s grief. Another example… a concubine was living in the home. She, too, was not a cardboard figure but rather a woman with feelings, education and a wish to help this grieving girl.
These are examples from early in the book but so much more follows. This is a long and involving novel. Along the way, readers will learn much about the China in the 1400s.
Readers are introduced to Yunxian and her friend/colleague Meiling . Yunxian has a life in which she tries to balance her love of medicine with the traditional women’s roles of the time. Readers will hope that she can achieve all that she wants.
Highly recommended to fans of historical fiction. I know that I will now read more titles by this author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this title. All opinions are my own.
I have been reading books by Elizabeth George ever since her very first which was titled A Great Deliverance. I found many of the books to be quite excellent and hard to put down. Others have been “misses” for me. This title is somewhere in the middle.
What I liked:
I enjoyed spending time with the many characters whom I had gotten to know in the earlier books. These include Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers who have investigated numerous crimes together (although I think that the class differences may be overplayed. Also, is Britain so formal that after all this time, Barbara never calls Lynley by first name, even when away from work and a guest in his house?) There are also members of Tommy’s family in these pages and it was nice to see them.
Other characters that I was glad to see included Daidre (a one time love interest of Tommy. She has a significant back story) and Bea (another detective who has a lot going on in her personal life).
I liked the setting in Cornwall. Here readers get to spend time at Lynley’s ancestral home. It is in need of a serious cash infusion.
What I liked less:
The book is very long at 640 pages and, I think, could have used some editing.
Not spoilers because readers learn this early on (but skip if concerned).
Three male characters are involved with women who are significantly younger than they are. Yes, comparisons can be made but it seems unnecessary to me to have this plot repeat.
I did not find many of the characters likeable.
I wish that I had cared more for the victim.
Final comments:
I spent a lot of time reading this book. I wish that I had liked it more. I hope that George’s next book will be better as I will almost definitely pick it up.
If any blog readers, read this one, I would love to know your thoughts
From the publisher:
Description:
from the publisher
A new and highly anticipated Inspector Lynley TV series releasing this fall from BritBox
Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are back in the next Lynley novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George.
Michael Lobb has just been found dead on the floor of his family’s tin & pewter workshop. It’s suspicious enough that his body was found by a representative of Cornwall EcoMining, a company keen on acquiring his family’s land, and it’s made even worse when he’s revealed to have been the majority owner of the business and the sole obstacle preventing a deal from being made. But it doesn’t take long for Inspector Beatrice Hannaford to unearth the layers of estrangement that surrounded Michael in his final days, pointing suspicions elsewhere. In comes Kayla, a young woman half Michael’s age, who has just been made his widow.
Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers are brought in to help solve the crime and search for justice in a community where lust, greed, and family traditions collide with devastating consequences.
Editorial reviews:
Praise for A Slowly Dying Cause and Elizabeth George
“George again delivers a winner…this is George at her best; she delivers a stunning must-read for Lynley fans new and old.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Plenty of intriguing twists and turns that will leave the reader guessing. Trademark George, with a satisfying resolution that’s a long time coming.” —Kirkus Review
“[George] is an essential writer of popular fiction today.” —The Washington Post
“[George is] one of the reigning queens of the genre.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Elizabeth George is a superstar of the crime-fiction world.” —The Seattle Times
“It’s tough to resist the pull of [George’s] storytelling once hooked.” —USA Today
“George can do it all, with style to spare.” —The Wall Street Journal
“[Lynley is] one of the greatest character portraits in contemporary crime fiction.” —The Boston Globe
The book is, also as ever, too long by a quarter, but it’s got plenty of intriguing twists and turns that will leave the reader guessing. Trademark George, with a satisfying resolution that’s a long time coming. Kirkus Reviews
The author:
from Amazon
Elizabeth George is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one psychological suspense novels, five young adult novels, two books of nonfiction, and two short-story collections. Her work has been honored with the Anthony and Agatha awards, two Edgar nominations, and both France’s and Germany’s first prize for crime fiction. She lives in Washington State.
This book is just the thing for a quick smile. The poems are all very short and organized by subject. Some of these are politics, money, marriage, sport, family, food & drink and many more.
The poems are witty with a dash of sarcasm and puns. I have enjoyed paging through. This is poetry of the every day, very easy to understand.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 24 October 2025
From the publisher:
The title says it all: humorous verse cover a variety of topics from Family to religion to money and diet. The verses are short, punching, and PUNishing. You’ll enjoy them all.
About the author:
from Amazon
Charles Ghigna – Father Goose® lives in a tree house in the middle of Alabama.
He is a poet, children’s author, nationally syndicated feature writer, and the author
of more than 5000 poems and 250 books and anthologies for children and adults from
the 1990 Pulitzer Prize nominee Returning to Earth to the popular children’s books
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR’S FIRST POEMS illustrated by Eric Carle
and THE FATHER GOOSE TREASURY OF POETRY: 101 Poems for Children.
His books are published by Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster and others.
His poems for adults have been published in numerous journals and magazines including
Harper’s, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, The Saturday Evening Post and The Wall Street Journal.
His poems for children appear in Highlights for Children, Cricket, Ranger Rick, Humpty Dumpty,
Jack and Jill, Spider, Ladybug, Babybug, Caterpillar, Children’s Digest and The School Magazine.
Ghigna served as poet-in-residence at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, instructor of creative writing
at Samford University, and has received fellowship grants and various awards and recognitions
from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Mary Roberts Rinehart Foundation,
the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Library of Congress.
A popular speaker at schools, conferences, libraries, he has spoken at the American Library in Paris,
and at schools and conferences in South America, Alaska, and throughout the U.S. and overseas.
The Christmas Murder Game gives readers the chance to enjoy a variant on a locked room mystery with the added bonus of both the Christmas season and some side puzzles for solving. These extra puzzles are things like anagrams.
Lily is in her thirties and is a designer of corsets, many of which she reproduces from historical sources. She spent a great deal of time at Endgame House when she was young but has not wanted to return there since her mother’s death…was that a murder?
When Lily’s aunt dies, she wants Lily and her cousins to come to the manor over the festive season. While there, they are set a series of tasks which will require their solving skills with a lot at stake; the winner will become the new owner of the house. Oh, by the say, there will be a number of deaths over the twelve days of Christmas.
Whodunnit? Why? This was a fun read as I waited for answers. I also enjoyed Ms. Benedict’s images. For example, Lily talks about wanting to make a briefcase shaped corset for lawyer, Isabelle. She describes a housekeeper as something like a candy cane without the sweetness.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it to those who would simply like to be entertained.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 