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

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I am intrigued by the Julia Baird book.

I reviewed Anxious People.

Happy reading.

A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel

by Martin Walker

#TheShootingatChateauRock #NetGalley

Martin Walker’s books about Bruno are quite popular. This is the fifteenth title in the long running series. This time the murder is of a farmer who is about to disappoint his potential heirs. Readers can safely guess what happens to him. But, can they guess who did it and why? What is the role of insurance, Russian oligarchs and a rock star? Bruno investigates.

As is true in some of my favorite Italian mystery series (Brunetti and Montalbano) the sense of place is well evoked in the Bruno stories. Food is also an important part of the action, just as in the series noted above.

So, readers enjoy some mystery along with a virtual trip to France and some good eating in your imagination.

I enjoyed Walker’s writing and look forward to reading other titles in the series. Some reviews have felt that this title is formulaic. I found it to be a fine, if slightly slow, read.

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

by Liesbet Slegers

#ClavisPublishing #NetGalley

Pub Date 17 Aug 2021   | 

This book has bright, engaging and friendly illustrations. It also includes a good amount of information on park rangers and the work that they do. The dress and equipment of the rangers are described as are some of the many jobs that they do. For example, park rangers check on the forest after a storm. They may take people on nature walks. They also may have to decide if there are tress that need to be cut down.

Children may well be intrigued by the many facets of the ranger’s job. At the end of the book there is a quiz in which readers decide in what season a job may be completed.

Young future rangers, enjoy this look at your career.

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

A Novel of Nancy Mitford and WWII

by Michelle Gable

#TheBooksellersSecret #NetGalley

Right off the top, there were several reasons why I wanted to read this novel. (Thank you NetGalley and the publisher!) I was familiar with the author, am interested in the Mitford family, love stories set in bookstores, and enjoy dual time line novels. In this case, parts of the story are set in the present. while others take place during WWII. Both stories are well told and readers are aware that they will intersect.

The protagonist in the present is Kate. She has written several novels and is experiencing writer’s block. She does not want to take the easy route of writing a sequel to her most popular title. Her difficulty in putting a story to paper is convincingly portrayed. I could not help but wonder if Ms. Gable had first hand experience with this issue.

Kate travels to London to spend time with her close friend JoJo. This leads to her working at the shop where Mitford was employed years earlier. By the way, Kate did thesis work on Mitford and is interested in her.

The WWII part of the story takes place partly at the Heywood Hill book shop. This is a real store and I enjoyed visiting there virtually. It appears charming and very individualized for its customers as I found when I looked online.

In need of funds, Nancy begins to work at HH. Has she left something behind there?

In the present day, Kate meets a man who would like to find a missing manuscript. Readers learn why. He and Kate become involved in this project while Kate is working at Heywood Hill.

Readers become aware that Nancy and Kate share some things in common. Will they each be able to write again? How does working at the bookshop impact each of them?

I found this novel a bit slow to capture me but once it did I enjoyed it very much. Historical fiction lovers may well want to take a peek at this one!

by Guido Van Genechten

#ClavisPublishing #NetGalley

pub date: August 3, 2021

Gilbert the Ghost is not like the other ghosts at his school. While Gilbert enjoyed many of his classes, he seemingly did not want to scare people; he was unable to let out a sufficiently frightening boo. As a result Gilbert was banished. Young children see that this was not a bad thing however as Gilbert makes a friend in Meow. He also often welcomed his old school friends.

This is a simple story with dark toned but friendly illustrations. Children who are learning about ghosts may well enjoy this title.

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

100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook

by Kelsey Barnard Clark

This beautifully illustrated cookbook may well leave readers feeling hungry. It is divided into sections including Happy Hour Bites & Sips; Greens; Potatoes, Grains & Pasta; Seafood; Eggs & Poultry; Pork & Beef; and Breads & Pastries, so…pretty much everything. There are 100 recipes in all. Just a few of these are Alabama Salad with Cucumber Skin Green Goddess Dressing; Smoke Gouda Grits with Redeye Gravy; Girl Boss Steak with Confit Onions and Mushrooms; and Beeb’s Blackberry Cobbler. Sound good? Give this one a look and get cooking.
Note that this book includes sections on everything from stocking the pantry to knife skills in addition to the recipes.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

by Lindsay Leslie

#SoYouWantToBuildaLibrary #NetGalley

Pub Date 01 Aug 2021

This picture book for young listeners follows a child who builds and stocks the library of their imagination. It is definitely not like the usual neighborhood facility but rather one created out of whimsy and wishes. It is pretty inviting. The accompanying illustrations are lively and this library looks like a fun one.

My quibble is that the real library may not seem as magical as this one so this book is not really one to show children what a trip to the library is like. They may be disappointed in the real thing which would be a pity!

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

Small Great Gestures

by Francisco Llorca

#Smallgreatgestures #NetGalley

Pub date: August 19, 2021

This book introduces children to a number of artists and their accomplishments. A few of the sections in this title are Paint a Self-Portrait, Frida Kahlo; Observe Nature, Giotto, and Protest, Guerilla Girls. The illustrations that accompany the text show the artist and the kind of work that they did. The entries are short and factual. Hopefully, young readers will read this title and then go on to learn more about their favorite artists.

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