#MrsChristieattheMysteryGuildLibrary #NetGalley

Those who enjoy cozy mysteries, are fans of Agatha Christie, are willing to suspend disbelief, enjoy lots of book references, enjoy accurate NYC locations, a murder and a good, fun plot will rush to buy Chapman’s novel. I very much enjoyed it.

I loved the setting. Chapman has created a special library that features a replica of Christie’s own library at Greenway. I wanted to go to this (imaginary) library set on Washington Square and spend the day. Glad I could do so virtually.

Protagonist, Tory has inherited the running of the library from her grandmother. She also is a book restorer. Tory has eccentric relatives, including her cousin Nic. Nic leads to Tory right into suspicious events and murder(s).

Speaking of eccentricity, how is it that Mrs. Mallowan (you should know who she is) is found sitting in the library? She very much wants to be involved in the events of this story.

Some suspension of disbelief is required but do this and there is much to enjoy here. I look forward to what comes next for this author.

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

Pub date: 26 August 2025

320 pages

Mystery

A Novel

by Nina de Gramont

Avid readers of Agatha Christie’s novels may well know that the famous author herself was the star/subject of one of her greatest mysteries. Why did Mrs. Christie disappear for all those days? It is not really a spoiler to say that she learned that Archie was having an affair. Still, where did she go? What made Archie seem so appealing to two very different women?

In addition to that mystery, who was the other woman? What was her story? Can readers empathize with her?

Learn more about both women in this historical fiction title. Nina de Gramont tells her story well. She makes Nan’s story believable and this is more her story than Agatha’s.

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

Pub Date 01 Feb 2022

From the Publisher

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This is a repost

#TheBookClubHotel #NetGalley

This is the perfect book to sit down with on a fall night. It is nicely written and plotted; the characters are people with whom readers will wish to know. (Too bad, they can’t come for a real visit).

The Maple Sugar Inn just seems like the perfect place to go to relax. The setting is gorgeous, the rooms are beautiful and the inn keeper cares about her guests…even as she has her own struggles.

Inn owner, Hattie is carrying on the dream of her husband which was to run this inn. Readers learn early in the book that he died in a freak accident, leaving Hattie a widow and a very young one at that. Will she want to keep the inn going?

Three friends are going to visit. Their lives are quite different from one another’s but the relationships go back years and are deep. One is a single, su

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Also:

If interested, I did a blog tour for this one. It is on my site.

From the Publisher

A Novel

by Fiona Davis

This is a repost from when the book was first reviewed

#TheStolenQueen #NetGalley

Mark you calendar for the pub date for Fiona Davis’s forthcoming new novel. I think that this may just be her best book yet. I thoroughly enjoyed The Stolen Queen.

As is often the case, the story is told in two time lines and in two countries. Interestingly, both time lines have characters in common.

Readers first meet Charlotte Cross when she is a young girl embarking on an adventure of a lifetime. She has left her society family behind to be part of a 1930s dig in Egypt. So much happens to Charlotte there in terms of both her professional and personal life, but readers need to find out all of this for themselves.

The second timeline takes place partly in NYC right around the time of the famous King Tut exhibition. Now Charlotte is working in the Egyptian section of the museum when a necklace becomes part of an exhibit and leads to many events.

In this second time line, readers also meet Annie. She has been an enabler to her mother. Unexpectedly Annie secures a position working for the very well known Diana Vreeland just in time for a major fashion event. As was true for Charlotte, things don’t go according to plan.

It is not long before Charlotte and Annie travel to Egypt together. There is, again, much that happens while they are there.

Davis handles all of the plot elements flawlessly. It is also clear that she did her homework in order to give this book a real sense of its historical authenticity.

Anyone who has enjoyed a novel by this author will want to read this title. My guess is that this one will also bring her many new fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group-Dutton for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 07 January 2025

Other books by Fiona Davis

A Masterpiece of historical fiction (Davis)

What happens to “The Chelsea Girls”? (Davis)

Bibliophiles rejoice: The Lions of Fifth Avenue A Novel by Fiona Davis

Do you know the story of “The Magnolia Palace”?

Just published: The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

A Novel

by Satoshi Yagisawa

 #MoreDaysattheMorisakiBookshop #NetGalley

Anyone who read Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will, I am sure, be delighted to spend “More Days” there. Here is everything that made the first novel charming-the narrator and her family, a number of quirky characters, the neighborhood filled with bookshops, and, of course the books.

Those who have not read the first book will be easily brought up to date though they may well want to seek out the earlier title. Both books are short and quick reads even as readers may wish they were longer.

This is a book for bibliophiles, lovers of Japan and those who like unique and quirky stories.

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

Pub date: 02 July 2024

From the Publisher

The first book:

I would like to spend some: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (by Satsoshi Yagisawa)

#DeathUnderaLittleSky #NetGalley

‘I LOVED this. I found it totally immersive, and couldn’t wait to squeeze some time from my day to return to it. The writing is very classy and the conclusion came as a surprise, which is always a treat’ Ann Cleeves

My thoughts:

Death Under a Little Sky is the first story that Abell wrote featuring Jake, Livia, Diana and the many others who live in a small, rather isolated community. The people and the place are both lovingly described in much detail with the resultant creation of a world.

How did Jake come to be here? He was a police officer who went through some hard times both professionally and in his marriage. An uncle left him this place that is indeed “Under a Little Sky.” Existence is literally out of this world; Jake has no modern conveniences or cell phone service. He does have an amazing library and excellent music though. How Jake adapts and creates a meaningful life is one theme of the book.

Even away from much of the world, bad things can happen. When old bones are unearthed they point to a murder. Jake cannot stop himself from investigating despite the fact that many wish he would do no such thing. There are threats yet Jake persists even when a second person is murdered.

Readers will be interested in the outcome of the case but much of what makes this novel intriguing is getting to know Jake and the many other characters. I read the second in the series before this (not a problem) so enjoyed each person’s first entry into the story in these pages.

Recommended to those who want a good story that proceeds at a bit of a leisurely pace with much excellent description.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 29 February 2024

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From the Publisher

	Death Under a Little Sky: The new debut rural crime detective thriller you wo…	Death in a Lonely Place: An atmospheric, escapist new crime detective thrille…	The Burial Place: A beautifully written, escapist new crime mystery detective…

by Roz Noonan

 #PuzzleMeaMurder #NetGalley

Those who enjoy reading traditional mysteries will, I think, enjoy this first title in what I hope will be a series. It has a good setting, good characters, an interesting mystery and jigsaw puzzles.

When the husband of Alice’s best friend Ruby is murdered, the stage is set. George was cheating on Ruby but would this be enough for her to murder him? Who was the mysterious wigged woman with George right before he died? Still, all of the motives may not be personal; is it possible that his role in the government with budget power led someone to go too far? Could there be other reasons based on George’s behavior? Find out and enjoy spending time with Alice, her granddaughters and the many others in these pages.

Puzzle Me a Murder offers a good puzzle and a fun read. Recommended for its audience.

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

Pub date: 23 July 2024

They say that you can’t judge a book by its cover but I have to say that, as soon as I saw this one, the visual appeal made me want to read Murder at the Mena House.  This is an historical mystery set in Egypt in 1926.  The author does a wonderful job with the setting, both in terms of the indolent, luxury hotel and the sites, including the pyramids, museums, camel races and more.  There are a variety of colorful characters and some interesting backstory for the majority of them.

I think that this is the author’s first published book.  I enjoyed this read although the mystery itself was the least engaging part for me.  I will read further adventures of Jane as they are published.  She was a good guide to Egypt and those around her.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

In the Blink of an Eye

A Novel

by Jo Callaghan

#IntheBlinkofanEye #NetGalley

I had seen this book on a British bookstore’s website and was quite intrigued. I was delighted when it became available in the U.S. and thrilled to get an early review copy of this series starter.

Jo Callaghan has already received awards and praise for her debut. She is the Winner of the Crime Writers’ Association’s John Creasy New Blood Dagger Award and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. These are huge accomplishments and, in my opinion, well deserved.

Readers will not forget Kat and Aide. Kat is a detective who has been paired with an artificial intelligence device. It is an experiment to see if and how AI might be useful in investigations. Aide can assume bodily form as a hologram, at times causing much consternation. He also can be rather outspoken. There is much interplay between Kat’s intelligence and emotions as compared with Aide’s brilliance and lack of tact.

Kat, Aide, her team and the creator of Aide Lock are tasked with the investigation of two (cold) missing persons cases, both young men. One is a Black student missing from Uni. The other is a white theater graduate who is from a well to do family. Are these situations independent or linked?

In this novel, there is an excellent mystery plot and added to this are the AI elements of the story. Both kept me turning the pages and sad to reach the end of the story. Luckily the sequel, which is out in the UK, will be coming to the U.S. before too long.

The other aspect of the story that I enjoyed was the characters. Each had enough back story to keep them interesting. In the case of Kat, she is widowed and has a teenage son. One of her investigators has a sister who had a bad experience at university while another, Debbie, seemingly lacks confidence. The relatives of the missing young men and others also very much come to life.

This book is easily one of my favorites of the year. I hope Callaghan writes many more titles.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this one. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 06 August 2024

From the Publisher