First of all, if a book title has the word bookshop in it, I am in! And, this time, I am so glad that I was. This is a lovely book that has been translated from the Korean. It is thoughtful and delightful.
Many know what it is like to think that they were on a path that turned out to not be the right/best one for them. This is what happened to the book’s protagonist who now runs a bookshop. The shop, the protagonist, the characters all are fully realized in this book about connections and life choices.
Anyone who enjoyed books like Until the Coffee Gets Cold or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, here is your next read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 20 February 2024
Editorial Reviews:
“Already a bestseller in Korea, this quiet debut novel poses big questions about what it means to be successful and lead a fulfilling life. A worthy entry into the ever-growing constellation of fiction about the power of books, reading, and community.” ―Booklist
“The prolonged philosophical considerations of reading, community, happiness, and the meaning of work offer moments of reflection and observation. Bo-Reum pleasantly evokes the feeling of spending an afternoon in a favorite bookstore.” ―Publishers Weekly
“A snapshot of life in a quiet corner of Seoul examines how reading can help give voice to emotions, worries, and dreams.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“A story that embraces its sentimentality.” ―The Observer
A Novel of Nancy Mitford and the Pursuit of Happiness
by Eliza Knight
#TheMayfairBookshop #NetGalley
The Mitford family seem to be enjoying a renaissance on TV and in books. There was a recent miniseries with Lily James and, not long ago, I read both The Bookseller’s Secret and the latest entry in Jessica Fellows’ historical mystery series that features Nancy and her siblings.
For anyone who may not know, the Mitford daughters were fascinating and so different from each other. Diana left her husband, a Guinness heir, to be with the Fascist, Oswald Moseley. Unity was enamored of Hitler. Nancy was an author and there were also, Jessica and Deborah.
Happily I did not suffer from Mitford fatigue and I thoroughly enjoyed Eliza Knight’s novel. As is popular now, there are two timelines. In the present, Lucy is a book curator from Washington DC who is spending time in England. She is fascinated with the Heywood Hill bookshop where Nancy Mitford once worked. Lucy also has a connection to someone Nancy almost married.
Lucy is a huge Mitford fan. She possesses some Mitford letters and her mother, who is no longer alive, had a valuable edition of one of Nancy’s novels.
While in England, Lucy visits the Mitford home. This is beautifully described and made me long to see the real location. Lucy’s quest is to discern who the Iris in a dedication in one of Nancy’s novels is.
In the historical timeline, Hitler is on the horizon. As noted above, some of the sisters are not pro democracy. Nancy does attend a rally at Diana’s urging although she is clearly not a “Black Shirt.”
Readers get to know Nancy well. They vicariously see her pre-marriage lifestyle in the smart set. Readers watch Nancy in love with the ensuing disappointment, marriage and compromise. They also witness Nancy writing her novels, working at the bookstore and trying to support herself (husband Peter does not do well in the work world).
I very much enjoyed my time at The Mayfair Bookshop. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy historical novels and/or women’s fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for this title. All opinions are my own.
I first read about this book when it was published in England and knew that I would want to read it. My favorite genre-mystery- plus an Oxford setting and a lot about words. (I loved The Bookbinder which was historical fiction set in Oxford with much about words). So, getting this book from NetGalley was a real treat. It did not disappoint.
Readers meet Martha who works for the Clarendon English Dictionary which feels like a fictional stand in for the OED. She and her colleagues including Simon, Alex and Safi get to deal with words as their profession. They are just four of the many characters in this story.
As the book opens, there is a staff meeting and all seems pretty much as usual until an odd letter arrives. It takes a bit but Martha comes to realize that this letter may be referencing the disappearance of her talented, bright and beautiful sister thirteen years ago. No one knows what became of Charlie? Who is “chorus,” the anonymous letter writer? What other messages will be received? What did happen to Charlie?
From this point in, I was so drawn in and spent as much time as I could reading the story. There were also some fun treats along the way with various vocabulary words. For example, I loved conjobble which was defined as eat, drink and talk!
Still, while the English vocabulary references were great fun, it was the story that kept me intrigued. Publishers Weekly described this book as a “treat.” I definitely agree.
I am delighted to know that this is the first in a series. I can’t wait for more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 30 September 2025
384 pages
Mystery & Suspense
Editorial Reviews
Review
“There are pleasures here for anyone who revels in the joy of text.” ― Kirkus Reviews
“Etymologist Dent makes an impressive fiction debut with a clever whodunit that pivots on her linguistic expertise…a tantalizing puzzle for Anglophiles and Golden Age mystery lovers alike.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Linguist Dent proves she is a talented wordsmith in her own right, diverting readers with historical and lexicological tidbits throughout the story…Martha and her team are whip-smart and fun, providing a light juxtaposition to the suspense elements, while the lush and vibrant descriptions of Oxford create a lovely sense of place; readers will be both informed and entertained.” ― Library Journal
“If you’re like me and love both language and crime, then Guilty by Definition has it all. Susie Dent’s impressive debut novel is virtuosic. So meticulously and fascinatingly steeped in the archaic glory of words, it will surely be the ultimate treat for every logophile out there. But this is so much more than a celebration of the dictionary – it’s a tantalizing mystery of a missing sister, a cold case that will not lie down, and a family frozen in their unresolved grief… all while their circle of friends and colleagues nurse secrets and lies beyond explication. Guilty by Definition is positively aglitter with etymological and detecting treasures for word-sleuths and crime-fans alike.” ― Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal
Next in the series:
Publisher’s Synopsis-From the British publisher
A brand-new linguistic mystery from Countdown‘s resident lexicographer, Susie Dent, set in the city of Oxford
**AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW**
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy writer whose papers she once worked on. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer.
Martha is not the only one to have doubts when the suspicious death is ruled by police as suicide. Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, Martha and her colleagues begin to unearth a tragedy that extends beyond the ancient walls of the university. As new messages portend more death, it’s clear that a spirit of vengeance is stalking the city’s streets, and may be reaching out towards them too.
Here is a fun and entertaining mystery that is just perfect for a winter night’s read. The ghostwriter narrator of the first book in the series is back. This time she is going on a cruise (despite not really liking the sea) for a group of would be writers. This is a clue to the double entendre of the Get Lit moniker that is the name of the event.
The cruise is organized by a writer, phenomenon and self-promoter known to our ghostwriter from their MFA days. On this mostly all women cruise, Payton has brought along her wife but also her ex husband and her male assistant. The staffers on the cruise, the guests and the writers are all brought to fun (and somewhat snarky) life.
Not so many of the attendees have signed up for our ghostwriter’s mystery writing class. But no matter, there will be plenty of real life mystery and murder on board.
Come along for a fun trip and feel like an insider in this quite entertaining read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 21 January 2025
From the Publisher
Knives Out meets high seas intrigue on a literary cruise to nowhere in this intelligent, wildly funny locked room mystery for fans of Richard Osman, Anthony Horowitz, Nita Prose, and Agatha Christie!
The USA Today bestselling host of the “All About Agatha” podcast injects the spark and fizz of a Golden Age murder mystery into the present-day, as the ghostwriter’s skills are put to the test aboard a bestselling author’s decidedly insalubrious cruise.
I am a bit late to reading this novel which was published in time for Valentine’s Day. Still, there is always a good time for a good story and, after all, this is a story about time having passed.
Have you been in a relationship that ended when you were young? Have you ever wondered what could have been? Would you have wanted to see if it was possible to find new love with a former love? If yes, this beautifully written novel, is for you.
Spend time in Wisconsin with Chris and Vivian. Watch as they meet up again. Find out how their lives went? What will happen to them?
This is a gorgeous story of love after time has passed. It was such a delight to read this story with its mature characters.
Note that there are extras in the book including a reading group guide and a conversation with the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 04 February 2025
From Library Journal:
The novel is beautiful and full of complex characters. It is a love story, not only between Charlie and Vivian but also between the novel and the Midwest, as the characters journey between Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, and Spooner, WI, along with Minneapolis and Chicago. Fans of Butler and of romance will be delighted with this novel.
I have read and reread Jane Austen’s novels with great enjoyment. I have never gone on to read Regency romances, however, until now. I knew that Georgette Heyer was the doyenne of the genre so I wanted to give one of her books a try. I was not disappointed.
Simply put, this is a fun, relaxing, enjoyable, escapist read. Sophy is funny, exuberant, daring and a bit unconventional. She is a delightful heroine. One thing that is clear is that she touches and changes the lives of many with whom she comes in contact.
The story begins with Sophie’s father wanting to put his daughter in the care of his sister. This sister has a wayward husband, perhaps too many children and an eldest son who has become the head of the family. He is somewhat humorless and engaged to a very conventional young woman as the novel opens. Cecilia is another of the children. She is set to marry a rather unappealing gentleman who has come down ill. Will this give her the chance to marry the poet with whom she has fallen in love? These are only two of the plot strands in this fairly long book.
When Sophie arrives, along with a horse, a monkey and more, the household is put in in a bit of an uproar. From this beginning, readers spend time with Sophy and those around her. They will smile at Sophy’s way of doing things, her adventures and her time on the marriage market. They will also watch how life works out for those whose lives she touches.
This book is highly recommended for when an escape is needed. I see why the author is so popular. One caution though-the author’s views in some instances are, of course, not modern given when the book was written. If it were written today, it might well be different.
Also note that if this book is one that you want to read, others by the author are also being reissued.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title All opinions are my own.
Jo Callaghan’s first novel was easily one of my favorite crime stories of 2024. All of the elements that made me love that book are back in Leave No Trace, the second in this series. These include characters with depth (and backstory), a plot that keeps the pages turning, and the use of a unique sidekick to detective Kat Frank.
AIDE is an AI created detective. Through a hologram, he looks very real. His thoughts, although at times concrete because of a lack of understanding of nuance, are often key to the case. It has been enjoyable to watch the “relationship” between Kat and AIDE evolve. That is just one of the joys of the series.
This time, Kat has asked for a “live” as compared to historical case. The one that she is given is rather grim. A man has been found at the top of a local landmark and he has been gruesomely murdered. The case will lead to fear and warnings to young men.
Readers know that the case will be solved. The enjoyment is in watching how the team accomplishes this.
Kudos to the author. I am already eager for book three.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book has been in my TBR pile for a little while. When I recently began reading Little Women to the woman with whom I volunteer (due to her sight issues), I started thinking more about the March sisters. So, I knew that it was time to pick this one up.
Everyone seems to have their favorite among the Little Women-who do you think that the OTHER March sisters are? If you guessed, Meg, Beth and Amy, you would be right. Jo seems to have been both Alcott’s and many readers favorite.
Here three authors work together to more deeply imagine the stories of those other young sisters. I was most drawn to the sections of Meg as I remembered thinking about her quite a bit as she married and struggled with her role as a wife (remember when she cooks a disastrous dinner in the original?) when I reread the novel.
Note that there are some elements of LGBQT in the story as the authors imagine their characters.
Could this book replace Little Women? Certainly not. It was not written as well in my opinion. I think that it might appeal more to the “new adult” readers.
Still, anyone who wants to think more about the March sisters and their worlds, may want to give this one a look.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Julia Spencer-Fleming pens one of the best mystery series around. I recommend her books most highly and I have read them all, starting with In the Bleak Midwinter. The setting is upstate New York and the region is brought to life in a way that makes a reader feel that they are there. The protagonists, Clare and Russell are adults with histories; both were in the military. Clare is now an Episcopal priest while Russ is the head of the Millers Kill Police Department. Over the course of the series, readers get to know these real, flawed and genuine adults well.
It is best to read this series in order. Long term readers will be ecstatic to spend time with Russ, Clare and those in their world after a long hiatus between the last book and this one. In this entry the main story is complex as it involves three murders; one took place in the 50s, one in the 70s. No spoilers so I can’t say more.
If you know Clare and Russ, I hope that you will be as delighted as I was by their return. If you are new to the series, you are lucky as you have nine books to look forward to. Mystery readers, please check this series out. Ms. Spencer-Fleming, you have not lost your touch!
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this read in exchange for an honest review.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 