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

Some literary fiction and mysteries by two authors I recommend (Hill and Sten).  Note that those who like Sten may enjoy the MhZ network’s adaptation of the books.  It is called Sanham and is beautifully filmed.

The first thing that you (or a child) will notice is that this book contains not a single word of text. The pictures tell the story and convey both what is happening and the emotions of the characters.
This is a tale about becoming a family and how a family may not always look as we expect. The crane is caring for an egg; the bird is upset when the egg falls out of the nest…a spoiler (the egg survives). Enjoy the surprise of seeing who hatches and the relationship that ensues.
I like that this book has no text. Because of this a child and adult can tell the story and talk about it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

#TheEgg #NetGalley

Small Parts looks at the world and every day life through the prism of Legos. It is a wry take on common situations. Those who put this book together really know how to use their Legos to good advantage. A personal favorite of mine was the scene in which one Lego said to another, I feel like I am talking to a brick wall. If this humor appeals to you, you will enjoy this title.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

#LEGOSmallParts #NetGalley

Fans of historical fiction may want to read this newest title by Elise Hooper. Ms. Hooper also authored The Other Alcott and Learning to See (about Dorothea Lange). Both are in my TBR pile.
Ms. Hooper’s newest novel tells the stories of the first women to compete. in what is now called track and field, in the Olympics. Three main characters are featured along with many others. The three are Betty, Louise and Helen. They are not like one another in personality, where they live, in their challenges or in their families but they are all talented athletes. Ms. Hooper brings them and the time period to life in this novel.
The beauty of historical fiction is how it brings the past to life in a way that involves the reader. This book does that well and I recommend it. This title may be a good one for high school aged girls as well. As they more freely compete in athletics, they may be interested to know what it was like for girls like them in the past.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

#FastGirls #NetGalley

“Hooper celebrates three unheralded female athletes in a tale spanning three Olympiads…For fans of historical fiction about real people, and stories about little-known female heroes breaking through barriers.” (Booklist (starred review))

Some good choices here.  I have read and can recommend the series of books by Barry Maitland, one is featured here.  I also enjoyed all of the books in Reginald Hill’s Dalziel and Pascoe series; one is here.  I want to read Sweet Little Lies and the second in the series.  A third is coming soon. I enjoyed and reviewed The Banker’s Wife; if you liked books like Pavone’s The ExPats, you should like this one.  And there is also a Donna Leon.  Enjoy.

See archive for my review.

Garden lovers will rejoice in this title about a very well known and gorgeous English garden.  After an informative forward and introduction, the book is organized according to the varied sections of the extensive plantings.  The text is interesting and the photos invite readers right in.  I very much enjoyed my armchair time in the peaceful nature of this beautiful place.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this beautiful book in exchange for an honest review.  I plan to purchase the book when it comes out so that I can enjoy it in its physical form.

#SissinghurstTheDreamGarden #NetGalley

Hannah Dennison has written several mystery series; this title is the first in a new one about the “Island Sisters.” The islands of the title are the Scilly Isles. They make a great setting for a novel that bears some resemblance to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None as the characters are together on an island and can only go back to the mainland when/if the tides allow.

The Island Sisters are Evie and Margot. Evie, who married the much older Robert, has recently been widowed. Margot flies in from LA to support her but…does she have her own issues? (No spoiler, as I am sure that you know the answer.) The two go to Tregarrick Rock where possibly Evie has a claim to the local hotel, a place where all the suites are named for mystery writers, but is her claim valid? What about those on the island from the unhappily married couple, to the hotel employee with a prison record, the artist and the double named Lily who collects gossip, delivered island babies and seems to know everything?

There are several murders, a small police force, lots of walks in the mizzle (a cross between mist and drizzle) and more before all is revealed, as they say in mysteries. Along the way, the pages easily turn.

This is a story that requires a good deal of suspension of disbelief. There are many coincidences, interconnections and unlikely events. That said, it was a quick, fun read. I look forward to spending more time with Evie and Margot in the future.

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

#DeathatHighTide #NetGalley

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I truly enjoyed this book. which I found to be quite entertaining. It lets readers delight in how much they know about some of their favorite fictional characters. The book is organized as a series of letters to an agony aunt, here known as Aunt Antigone. The letter writers range from Jane Austen’s Emma to Bronte’s Catherine Earnshaw to Harper Lee’s Boo Radley to Anne of Green Gables and many many more in chapters on topics like Navigating Friendships, Receiving an Education, The Way We Work and a number of others.

This is an amusing title that can be read in any order. It feels like a literary parlor trick to me but I mean that in a good way.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

pub date:  November 17, 2020

Mystery, historical fiction and a memoir of doing something new in one’s sixties.  Enjoy.