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

I have read and enjoyed other books by this author so was very excited to receive this e galley.  The book fully lived up to my expectations.

As seems popular in historical novels, there is a dual timeline.  In the present day, one of the relatives of a character from the past travels to England to learn more about her grandmother.  Samantha’s grandmother was Marie who along with Hazel and Nora are the protagonists of this novel.

Each of these three women is well portrayed and given a clear story line, social class and backstory.  Marie, who was born in Germany, has lived in England for many years. Her life changes immeasurably when Britain goes to war.  Hazel, who is in an unhappy marriage, works for a marriage bureau while Nora works for the government.  Each has connections to what is happening as Britain goes to war.

Marie is fearful of internment.  (I found this fascinating as, though I have read many novels set in WWII, this topic had never arisen).  She worked for a German professor who is deemed suspect.  No spoilers but readers will enjoy learning what Hazel has been doing at the marriage bureau while Nora is aware of much war work.

What will happen to these friends?  Will their close friendship survive the vagaries and tragedies of war?  Read the book to find out.

I highly recommend this novel.  I found that I kept wanting to have the time to go back and read more and what better recommendation is there than that?

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

See my blog for a review of The Light Over London by this author.

 

 

I really like this series of chapter book biographies for young readers.  They all follow a similar format with special sections that extend the reading experience for children; these include a timeline, questions to think about and even a quiz to test retention.  In addition there are a glossary and a section on how the world has changed because of Ms. Goodall.

Jane Goodall’s story is an inspiring one.  It is well told in this book.  The illustrations are lovely, add interest and will keep readers turning the pages.

Readers will be drawn into Jane’s story right away when they learn that, at age one and a half, young Jane took earthworms to bed with her.  From this early love of living creatures, she went on in later years to champion the chimps.  Her love for them began with her stuffed animal, Jubilee, that she has to this day. However, it was Dr. Leakey who assigned Jane to studying them.

I highly recommend this title.

Many thanks to the publisher, Callisto, for this title in exchange for an honest review.  I give this title five *****.

From the publisher:

Mostly mystery and thriller with a Williams title.  The fairy story collection is free.

Remain Silent is the third book in Susie Steiner’s Manon Bradshaw mystery series.  I very much enjoyed this author’s first two novles in the series and was eager to read this one as well.

Remain Silent is, in some ways, a very tough read.  It is the second book that I have finished recently that has a theme centering on the plight of illegal immigrants.  Ms. Steiner portrays what happens to these characters including Matis, Lukas and  others, with such brutal reality that it was painful to read.  The message is an important one however and something that needs to be considered.

Manon herself can be acerbic, funny and a woman who makes many pithy parenthetical statements.  In this book, Manon is overwhelmed with challenges.  She has a young son, a teenaged son and a partner, Mark, who is in the hospital.   Manon’s lament on how she wishes that she had been treating Mark better will strike a chord with anyone who has faced challenges in a relationship.

Around all of this, of course, there is a mystery.  The murder is that of one of the immigrants and Manon is tasked with solving the case.  Readers who have read the series will welcome back characters on her team including Davy.

SPOILER:

The afterword by the author reveals some of what she, herself, has been experiencing and this, too, has been quite sad and difficult.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in an excellent series in exchange for an honest review.  I hope that Ms. Steiner will continue writing.  She is a talented and clear eyed author.

Pub Date 02 Jun 2020

I have been busy traveling the world via cookbooks.  It has been a great adventure as, in reality, I am stuck at home. 

This title includes more than 80 recipes that are of Lebanese origin.  The book includes recipes for breakfast, mezzes, salads, fish and shellfish dishes, meat and poultry recipes, side and vegetable dishes and breads and desserts.  There is also an instructional chapter called basics and sections including a glossary, resources and menus for entertaining.  Just a few of the recipes that I would like to try include fatet hummus/savory chickpea bread pudding, fried kibbe stuffed with spiced beef and pine nuts, yogurt cucumber salad, fish with spicy tahini, baked kafta casserole, and zucchini and chickpea stew.  After all that I would like to have Lebanese bread pudding or a spiced rice pudding.  Yum.

In my opinion these recipes are not for absolute beginners but they are intriguing and worth the effort I expect.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

#MyLebaneseCookbook #NetGalley

From the  publisher:

The Secrets of Love Story Bridge is a warm-hearted tale of flawed yet hopeful individuals who find one another and move forward in their lives. The main character is Mitchell; he is a man with many regrets for how he lived his life with his partner Anita. Now he is finding it difficult to move ahead without her. A workaholic, Mitchell was often missing out on day to day life with Anita and their daughter, Poppy.

As the novel opens, Mitchell and nine-year-old Poppy form a tight (but somewhat rigid) twosome as Mitchell tries to control for all eventualities. Mitchell tries to maintain his connection to Anita by writing letters that she will never read. He cannot get himself to read the last letter that Anita wrote to him. Full of guilt, will Mitchell ever forgive himself?

Mitchell lives in Upchester, a town of many bridges. One day he sees someone leave a love locket on the bridge and then go overboard. He rescues this unknown young woman and this starts a period of change in his life. Who went over? What happened to her? How will the private Mitchell cope with the ensuing publicity?

Mitchell was late to pick up Poppy on the bridge day so she was with a teacher, Liza. The story of Liza and Mitchell will be the romance that you root for. Readers will also learn about the connections between the woman on the bridge and the other characters in the novel.

This is a story of quirky characters who want what most of us want-a sense of connection and hope for the future. In that sense, bridges that connect two places, form the perfect analogy for the novel. During our current difficult times, this is a sweet book and may help readers to take a break from their worries.

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

#TheSecretsofLoveStoryBridge #NetGalley

#TheSecretsofLoveStoryBridge #NetGalley

I read, enjoyed and reviewed Dear Mrs. Bird and Unto Us a Son is Born.  You can find the reviews in my archive.  The Women in Black is in my TBR pile.  J.A. Jance has written many mysteries featuring J.P. Beaumont; this is the first.  Plus, I’ve included a few other titles that caught my eye.  Enjoy.

Publisher Sweet Cherry issues titles that are retellings, of well-known stories for elementary school aged readers. This entry introduces the tale of Merlin and is the first in what appears to be a series. I found this book to be engaging with a level of suspense that is geared toward its young audience.The book contains short illustrated chapters.

Readers will learn about Merlin’s parentage and why the King summons him. By the end of this story readers know that Merlin and Arthur’s lives will be intertwined. I look forward to the next entry in this series.

As an adult, this book inspires me to go back to one of my favoritefavorites, The Once and Future King and to a second wonderful series about Merlin by Mary Stewart. Hopefully some young readers will be equally inspired.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date 01 Oct 2020  

#kidsArthur #NetGalley

I am currently deeply immersed in a Jane Austen phase.  I recently reviewed reread Emma, finished The Other Bennet Sister and am currently deeply immersed in The Jane Austen Society (a new novel) which I will review soon.  It comes out later this month.  So, I was delighted to be approved by NetGalley and the publisher for this title which was full of information on Regency era women and their craft.

While I don’t anticipate doing my own embroidery, I was impressed by the scope and detail of what was covered in this nicely illustrated book.  I recommend it to those of you who would like to start a project (there are fifteen here) or just learn more.

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

I am always excited when a new edition of Buzz Books is released.  I love seeing what books I will have to look forward to over the coming months.  This edition provides a look at many of the titles that will be released this fall including those by Ken Follet, Marilynne Robinson, Phile Klay, Fredrick Backman,  Elena Ferrante, Nick Hornby and Sue Miller among others.  In addition to listings of titles by well known authors, there is a section on debut authors. Further, there are books that I will love reading for fun listed including new titles by Caz Frear, Robert Galbraith, Anthony Horowitz, Jodi Picoult, Alexander McCall Smith and more. There are also excerpts from some forthcoming titles.

While I read more fiction than non, this Buzz Books also lists many non-fiction titles.  They feature everyone from Michael J. Fox to Elijah Cummins to Megan Rapinoe and more. The non-fiction listings are organized by topic as for example politics, Social Issues, Science and Technology, Biography and more.

Take a look at this title and start to dream about your next reads.

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