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

Elly Griffiths is currently writing three different mystery series. There are the stories (historical) set around Brighton and the Harbinder novels in addition to those about Ruth, Nelson, Michelle and those around them. While I would happily read anything that Ms. Griffiths writes, I admit to a special soft spot for the stories about Ruth. Last year’s book featuring her as been nominated for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. I hope she wins.

A lot going on in this title. There is a mysterious and scary dog who apparently lives in a pretty horrible house in the middle of nowhere. Unlike with Holmes, this dog does bark but it is unclear why he is frequently sighted and to whom he belongs. He does terrify people though.

The farm where this beast has been seen is the site of two deaths. Was there a murder/suicide or was this a crime committed by an outsider? The murdered doctor is a singularly unlikable character. He has intimidated his wife and children and has been doing some mysterious research with fatal results. Which unsavory aspect of his life led to his demise?

The Night Hawks of the title are a group of men who go hunting for metal objects. Their finds include bodies, both historical. Some of these men have connections with the doctor and his family. Does that make them suspects?

Ruth also has a new colleague with whom to contend. What is in his past? Will Ruth rue having hired him? Where will he fit in the events of the story?

Around all of this, are Ruth, Nelson Kate, Michelle and their relationships. Where will they be by the end of the book?

Readers who are fans should absolutely rush out to get this 13th title in the series. I recommend it highly for its local geography, the people and the story itself.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/books/review/new-crime-fiction.html

www.nytimes.com/2022/05/21/books/summer-books-writers.html

www.nytimes.com/2022/05/21/books/vacation-reading-summer.html

www.nytimes.com/2022/05/21/books/summer-reading-suggestions.html

by Claudia Gray

In recent English classes I have reread Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion and, most recently, Sense and Sensibility so I was seriously excited about this book. Fans of Jane Austen and cozy mysteries will NOT want to miss this one. It is a lot of fun as, in it, Wickham (that rogue), gets his comeuppance.

The conceit of the novel is most clever. It is to bring together many beloved Austen characters in one place, a house party, and watch as they interact. Readers will learn how these men and women are interconnected and will enjoy the glimpses of what happened to each after their time in their original novel ended. I very much enjoyed the young detectives, children of some of the well-known parents. I so hope that this will be the start of a series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 03 May 2022

Record your story through creative art projects, prompts, and activities

by Nicole Sipe

This title could be a fun summer project for a child you know. Kids should love the many extra like stickers, coloring pages and more. They can include info on favorite foods, hobbies, family lore and more. I especially liked that there was a section entitled “Future Me.” Kids are even instructed on how to make a time capsule of this title, so that, many years from now, they can look at what they created and remember their younger self.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto-Walter Foster Jr. Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date 03 May 2022

The Banker’s Wife is a great summer read, especially for those who enjoy novels like The Expats by Chris Pavone. The set up…Annabel is married to Matthew. Matthew is a banker at a Swiss bank that keeps secrets for its depositors. Marina is a journalist who is engaged to a prospective presidential candidate’s son. She works with Duncan. They are trying to locate a notorious Ponzi schemer. The story, of course, is even bigger than this.

Matthew is reported killed in a plane crash along with a cousin of Syria’s dictator. Annabel is left bereaved and unsafe. Marina is unsafe as well. While the two do not meet, they are both impacted by the business practices of Swiss United Bank.

Both Annabel and Marina are connected to a myriad of other characters. There are questions about whom to trust and how to unravel the bank’s schemes and hold those who are guilty accountable. The reader experiences doubts too regarding what has happened and who all of the ‘bad guys’ are.

Christina Alger has written a book that is suspenseful and engaging. The plot is complex but not too hard to follow. The reader will understand more about financial shenanigans and the private banking worlds that are fascinating and not part of many readers’ daily lives.

I truly enjoyed the settings, characters and the plot of the novel. I highly recommend it!

by M. C. Beaton

I know that lots of M.C. Beaton’s fans enjoy the Agatha Raisin mysteries but I have to confess to a soft spot for Hamish Macbeth. He is featured in this new title in the long running series.

Those who have read the Hamish books or have seen the TV series know that Hamish can be unlucky in love. Is that about to change? How will a murder impact Hamish’s plans? Read this fun title to find out.

Hard to believe that this is the 34th book in the series. Sadly, Beaton died in 2019 but a successor is carrying her legacy forward. He is doing a nice job of it and a note from him can be found at the beginning of the book.

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

Pub Date 15 Feb 2022

I absolutely adored Dear Mrs. Bird which was published in 2018. That book felt entire to itself so I had no idea that there would be a new novel featuring Emmy. This sequel was every bit as charming, engaging and emotional as the first. Add to all of those qualities humor and sadness and AJ Pearce has done it again!

Cheerfully Yours can be read as a standalone but I recommend both titles, in any order, simply for the joy of the reading experience. Unless you are a true cynic, these books will be enjoyed.

In Cheerfully Yours, WWII is still raging. Emmy continues to work for the woman’s magazine where she became Mrs. Bird’s assistant in the first novel. Here the magazine is under an editor who believes in his staff and their abilities. He invites Emmy, despite some checkered work history, to come with him to an important meeting at the Ministry of Information. The minsters want to encourage women to work in war industries and hopes that magazines like Emmy’s will be a way to reach them. Emmy is very excited to become a reporter.

Through a chance meeting, Emmy comes to know Anne. Anne has two children, has been widowed and is working in a factory. Emmy wants to tell Anne’s story. Through this and other story elements readers learn about the obstacles that women faced within the work force. Through her fictional characters, Ms. Pearce engagingly immerses readers in the subject.

Readers also will meet or become reacquainted with Emmy’s closest friend, Bunty. They will also watch as Emmy and Charles spend time together.

One authorial decision that I really enjoyed was her choice of capitalizing certain letters in phrases. These add an emphasis, often comic, to the text.

This is a novel with hope and heart. It is about many kinds of love (for family, friends, romantic attachments). Readers will feel better for spending time with the irrepressible Emmy and those around her. I recommend this one most highly.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.