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

Anna Lee Huber began a new series last year when This Side of Murder was published. In Treacherous is the Night, the second novel featuring Verity Kent, the author hits her stride.

The reader learns early on that Verity was an agent in La Dame Blanche, a resistance and intelligence group, during WWI. This story has to do with events that had their origin in that time.

At the beginning of the novel, Verity, although not a believer, attends a seance with a friend who hopes to contact her brother. For those who don’t know, attending seances was common after the war. The medium appears to channel an agent with whom Verity worked during the war. From this point on, the novel is a hunt for clues to find Emilie and to prevent a tragedy. While the reader assumes that, since this is a series, Verity will survive, the author should be credited for creating suspense in her narrative.

There is a reason to read the books in order. SPOILER: This has to do with what happened to Verity’s husband, something the reader learns in the first novel. However, if the reader is willing to move forward, there is no reason that this novel cannot be read first.

I gave This Side of Murder three *** and am happy to give the new novel four. I enjoyed spending time with the main characters in this book and look forward to meeting up with Verity, Sidney and the rest of the crew in the future.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher.

by Frieda Parks

Often stories that are about a difficult childhood experience feature animals. This distance can make the story easier for a young child to hear. That is the approach taken in this book about a bunny whose parents are divorced. The bunny often finds it hard to make transitions. This is acknowledged along with the author offering reassurance to the young rabbit. Young bunnies are assured that they are loved and that all families are different.

This book is very British in terms of some of the words as, for example, “jelly tots.” Still, the book will not only appeal to them.

A shout out to the illustrations in this title. They are gorgeous and delightful.

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

by Jamise Harper and Jane Mount is now out

One year I purchased the Bibliophile desk calendar and absolutely adored it. I also own Bibliophile. Both are truly designed for people who love books. This title is too. The illustrations are so engaging and the book titles just call out to readers to investigate. As the title suggests, this time Jane Mount hopes to encourage readers to broaden their literary experiences.

There is so much within these pages. There are sections on classics and several on legends including, for example, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Isabel Allende and others. There are also sections one everything from contemporary fiction to family sagas to speculative fiction to mysteries and horror. There are also mentions of influential book people, little free diverse libraries, writing rooms and more. In addition, there are titles for children and middle grade readers and just way too much else to list here.

A note about the illustrations. I love the piles of books whose spines I can easily read in the pictures. They are just full of titles to add to TBR lists.

I love this book. I hope that you will too.

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

Five stars

From the Publisher

Diversify your reading list

Jamise Harper (founder of the Diverse Spines book community) and Jane Mount (author of Bibliophile) have come together to create Bibliophile: Diverse Spines, a richly illustrated and vastly inclusive collection that uplift and celebrate the works of underrepresented authors.

Jamise Harper

Jamise Harper is the creator of the #diversespines hashtag and the Diverse Spines book community on social media, which highlights literature by Black women and women of color, as well as Spines & Vines, a blog dedicated to book and wine pairings. She lives in the Washington, DC, metro area.

Jane Mount

Jane Mount is an illustrator, designer, and writer. In 2008, she founded Ideal Bookshelf, a company that makes things for bibliophiles. She currently lives in a log cabin in Hawai’i with her husband, weird cats, and a freckled puppy.

Discover endless reading inspiration while decolonizing your bookshelf

Enjoy themed illustrated book stacks across all genres from authors of color.	Travel to beloved bookstores owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.	Curate your to-read list with book recommendations from BIPOC literary influencers.

The Thomas Hardy is free.

Not sure if something in this is a “spoiler” or a known part of his next book.

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by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

This is an excellent addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series. The story of Einstein is told with a sense of humanity and with admiration for this renowned scientist and man.

Readers learn that young Einstein took time to develop; he did not speak until well past the expected time. His mind worked in its own way but led him to revolutionary scientific discoveries.

This book also highlights Einstein’s humanitarian efforts. He was able to emigrate from Germany when the Nazis came to power but did not stop there. He encouraged American universities to hire other Jewish scientists so that they would not die. Einstein also cared about other forms of discrimination in his new country.

The illustrations in this title perfectly accent the story. There are also additional resources at the end of the book.

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

Death at Greenway is a traditional, historical mystery set during WWII. It takes place at a home of Agatha Christie’s, although the renowned author is only briefly seen in these pages. Nonetheless, her home has been opened to children who have left London (without their families) in order to be kept safe during the conflict.

Protagonist Bridget was working as a trainee nurse, a position that she loved, until something went disastrously wrong. Now, early in the novel, she is making believe that she is a fully trained nurse and is in charge of ten evacuees. Along with her, other adults included the not so hard working Gigi, and Mrs. Arbuthnot, a do-gooder, who directs others, including Bridget.

As everyone settles in, of course, a murder takes place. From this point on there is a case to be solved. Bridget is part of the investigation. What is in her past? In Gigi’s? How will the victim’s killer be brought to justice.?

I initially found this book to be a bit slow moving. I think, though, that it will be enjoyed by those who love traditional mysteries. It has received such good reviews overall.

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

From the Publisher

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