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

I enjoyed this one that features Julia Child.

A good title by this author

Anyone who read and enjoyed Last Call at the Nightingale will be delighted to get their hands on this next in the series. It is set within the speakeasy culture of Jazz Age/Prohibition New York, a time and place that are vividly brought to life in these pages.

Vivian, who is of working class background, thinks that she has finally found a way to improve both her own life and that of her sister. However, when a friend’s relative, a club bouncer, dies, Viv will risk so much to try to get to the bottom of things…and readers can feel pretty certain that she will. Still, on the way,Vivian will have to understand what happened to some missing money and will be forced to contend with mob bosses and more.

This is a novel that does a terrific job with its characters and setting. The people and times come to life. The plot is also involving. Recommended for those who enjoy historical mysteries and strong female protagonists.

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

Pub date: 06 June 2023

As many may remember, Radcliffe was once the women’s college affiliated with Harvard University. As such, it was one of the prestigious seven sisters schools.

As this novel, set in the 1950s, opens four young women are enrolled as Radcliffe freshman. They each arrive at school with their own family history. Tess hopes to be a writer and is happy to leave an unhappy home life behind in order to be a scholarship student at the school. Tess’s roommate, Caroline, is a wealthy young woman with a voluminous wardrobe. She seems less interested in academics than in dating and having fun. There are then Merritt and Evie rounding out the group.

A new bookstore has opened in Cambridge. The slightly mysterious owner, Alice, is planning to have a monthly book group with the first selection being Jane Eyre. Our four protagonists join.

I enjoyed this book’s setting and the way that the gracious life of a 1950s women’s school was brought to life. I could completely visualize the common room’s sofas and the dorm dining room where waitressed meals were served. These details accurately reflect the novel’s time period. I also enjoyed and eagerly waited to see which book would be discussed each month.

Many things happen to and around these four young women. They go through some difficult times on their way to adulthood. No spoilers so those who are interested, put this one on your calendar.

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

Four stars

S.A. Cosby on Inspiration, Serial Killers, and How He Writes

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.

FIND OUT

FREE

#TheMinotaurSamplerVolume9 #NetGalley

I am a great fan of samplers; there is no better way to add to one’s reading list. In this title, there are excerpts from a number of upcoming mysteries that will intrigue readers. I look forward to reading just about every one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, I have already begun reading A Traitor in Whitehall. It offers an involving read. Try out this title and the others that are included here, including one by Amy Chua (of Tiger Mother fame). Each sample is long enough to give a reader a good sense of the title. For each, there is a cover photo, description and a few chapters, while the end of the title includes the authors’ biographies.

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

Pub date: 27 June 2023

#TheBoysfromBiloxi #NetGalley

In The Boys from Biloxi, Grisham tells a story that will keep readers turning the pages. Two childhood friends, families with different values and backgrounds, a courtroom trial and its aftermath that will grip readers are all in this title, as is Biloxi, itself, a place that is vividly described. A desire to know how things will turn out keeps readers intrigued. Sound appealing? If yes, this is vintage Grisham and definitely a novel that his fans will enjoy.

The book does drag just slightly at times but otherwise this is an engaging tile by a master of his genre. Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

This title was published in October 2022

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for John Grisham:
 
“A legal literary legend.” —USA Today
 
“John Grisham is about as good a storyteller as we’ve got in the United States these days.” —The New York Times Book Review
 
“Grisham’s work — always superior entertainment — is evolving into something more serious, more powerful, more worthy of his exceptional talent.” —Th

One of the best things about being a parent (or spending time with a child you know) is taking a moment to read a story together. This time is wonderful for closeness and sharing.

Here is a terrific collection of stories to read with a child who is around five years old. Enjoy the words and also the illustrations. With forty stories here, there are sure to be many that will be enjoyed, read and reread.

A few suggestions include Please Do Not Eat the Books, Rap-unzel, Pam and the Peas, Get Up, Little Bear, The Impatient Cookie and so many more. Each entry is short and many rhyme, making them perfect for reading aloud.

I definitely recommend this one. Adults and kids will enjoy it.

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

Five stars