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

Historical fiction at its best allows readers to immerse themselves in another place and time. When it is done very well, I often find myself wishing for a different ending…even as I know what happened historically. That was exactly my reaction to this novel; I kept wanting to guide the characters when the events are, in reality, long past.
The woman who was the woman before Wallis Simpson is Thelma. For anyone who may not know, Wallis married David, the heir to the British throne who abdicated, paving the way for Elizabeth to be the current monarch. Thelma, nee Morgan, was a twin and her twin was Gloria Vanderbilt. Again, for any who may not follow such things, Gloria was involved in a dispute over the custody of “little Gloria,” her daughter, with Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. (Little Gloria grew up to be the mother of Anderson Cooper). Thelma, herself, had an early divorce and then married Duke Furness. He introduced her to the future king with whom she had a long term affair.
The author lays out all of these events in glorious detail with characters who come to life and settings that I would love to visit. There are country estates, chapters set in Paris, London, the English country side and New York. Readers visit David’s bolt hole, Belvedere Castle, and watch it come to life.
Each of these personages tried to live their life while others tried to heavily influence their actions. This creates the conflict of the novel and real life.
I wanted each of these historical personages to find happiness and that was the gift of the author, as I knew how each of the plot lines ended. If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend adding this to your TBR list.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
#TheWomanBeforeWallis #NetGalley

#TheWomanBeforeWallis #NetGalley

This alphabet book for young children is designed with the planet in mind.  It includes many suggestions for ways to take care of our earth.  For example the letter C is for compost, F is for fix it (instead of throwing things out), and R is for recycle.  The illustrations are cute and cheerful.  Hopefully this title will inspire our next generations of eco activists.

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

#ABCforMeABCEarthFriendlyMe #NetGalley

Beth O’Leary’s first novel, The Flatshare, got wonderful reviews. The Switch, her sophomore effort, will be sure to please those who enjoy women’s fiction.
This book tells the story of Eileen, a grandmother who lives in a small village, and her granddaughter Leena, an urban dweller, who has recently faced some work difficulties and major anxiety issues. Both also have been deeply affected by the death of their sister/granddaughter. In addition, Eileen’s husband has left her.
This novel comes so vividly to life in the audiobook version that I listened to. The settings are so different between city and country and the flavor of life in each is well portrayed. With a different narrator voicing each of the two main characters, they have distinct voices and their personalities really come through. In this instance, I think that the audio really enhanced all of the good qualities of the story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this enjoyable listen in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date:  August 18, 2020

I enjoyed The Light Between Oceans when I read it.  The Anne Perry and Dorothy Sayers are also favorites of mine.  I just bought the Camilleri.  Fans of his should know that there are two series on MHZ that are about Montalbano.  The Geraldine Brooks looks interesting and she is a good writer.  Enjoy.

Fans of Agatha Christie will surely enjoy this novel. There are two reasons for this; first, it is a book written very much in the style of that beloved author; and, two. Agatha Christie is a character in the novel.
This is part of a series by Andrew Wilson. The books can be read in any order. In this title, Agatha is in Scotland where a murder occurs amidst a full party of hotel guests. Who murdered the host? The suspects are many: among them, a botanist, a nephew, an actress, two sisters, the servants and more.
In addition to telling the mystery story, the author includes some information about Agatha Christie who is planning her marriage to her second husband. There is also information about her days as a VAD and her work in an apothecary.
This book will provide an enjoyable respite from reality, It is a new mystery written in a classic style.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review. By the way, I love the cover. It made me want to pick up this title.

This is Dervla McTiernan’s third novel, following The Ruin and The Scholar, both of which I highly recommend.  While the author lives in Australia, these three novels are set in Ireland.  The books are sure to be enjoyed by those who read everything that Tana French writes.  That having been said, McTiernan stands well on her own with no comparisons to other authors writing crime stories set in Ireland.

This book brings readers back into the lives of characters that they have met in earlier books.  While it could be read as a stand alone, there is every reason for readers to enjoy all three stories.

The plotting in this book is well done and the story comes together with a last thirty pages that had me stop doing anything else to read.  This is a story about corruption, drugs, murders in a small Irish town, parent-child relationships, abduction, decisions made in a second, loyalty and more.

Spend time with Cormac and Peter, two Garda officers and all of those around them.  Watch what is going on in a small Irish village as well as in Dublin.  Put the pieces together along with the detectives and…most of all, escape into the world of this book.

I wanted to read this book so much that I had to track it down from Australia.  It was worth it.  Highly recommended!

 

Mostly literary fiction today with one light read.  Enjoy.

Lineage Most Lethal is the second entry in this author’s mystery series.  In an interesting twist,  our protagonist is a genealogist.  This adds a bit of history to the mystery.

The story begins at a hotel in Austin.  Lucy has been researching heiress, Pippa’s, family tree and is ready to report her findings when she encounters a death.  Who was the victim? Why did he hand Lucy an Montblanc pen before he died?  What does Lucy’s grandfather know?

Readers know that all will be resolved and that they can relax and enjoy the story along the way.  The author excels in both her characters and plot.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.  I also recommend the author’s prior book, Murder Once Removed.

#LineageMostLethal #NetGalley

This book encourages families to unplug and try other kinds of activities, everything from playing board games to nature walks to crafts to cooking and more. The case is very well made. Early in the book, it is suggested that kids and their families try to unplug from devices for even as little as 30 minutes. They know that this can be a challenge.
The book is divided into sections based on the seasons. For instance in spring, there is a suggested scavenger hunt. Summer suggestions include a bark and leaf boat regatta, while for fall, you could make bonfire bread or baked apples. One of the winter suggestions is building a snow fort.
This book has many photos throughout. They add to the text and are quite appealing. In all, this is a good book to get folks away from devices and into the real world.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

#TheUnpluggedFamilyActivityBook #NetGalley

How often have you questioned the amount of time that you spend glued to your phone?  Is it something that you would like to alter?  If you are even thinking about the role of your phone in your life, this title is well worth a look.

Beautifully illustrated and readable, this book offers alternative ways to use one’s time.  The author knows whereof he speaks as he ruefully contemplates the time that he spent on his phone, rather than with his son, with both having entered the world around the same time.  In order to slow down his son’s acquisition of a phone,the author takes himself away from all of the “smart” aspects of the phone and returns to flip style where all you can do is talk.  What did he learn?  What did he do instead? What could you do? Read this book to find out.  It may intrigue you.

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

Pub date:  November 10, 2020