And then Covid-19 Comes at You.

 THE LOCKED ROOM

 Ruth Galloway #14

 Elly Griffiths

 Mariner Books, Audible

 June 28, 2022

The Dr. Ruth Galloway series has become one of my favorites since I discovered them several years ago. Dr. Ruth Galloway is an archaeologist specializing in bones, a college professor, and a single mother of an 11-year-old daughter, Kate. She lives in a cottage on the wind-swept marshes of Norfolk. Ruth's mother, Jean, died five years ago, and she is going through her belongings at her father's request. She finds an old photograph of her cottage, a place that Jean hated and refused to stay in overnight. On the back is a notation, "Dawn, 1963." Ruth is determined to find out the meaning of the photograph. Upon arriving home, she finds that she has a new neighbor with whom she feels an immediate connection. The woman is a nurse, a bit older than Ruth, named Zoe.

Ruth's plans go out of her head when Covid-19 goes from a rumor to a full-fledged crisis. Everything gets locked down, and the country is brought to a standstill. DCI Harry Nelson, the father of Ruth's child, Kate, finds himself working with a skeleton crew. His right hand, Judy, has to quarantine when her husband, Cathbad, is one of the earliest victims and goes almost immediately into intensive care. Nelson has a series of deaths of middle-aged women. They are all labeled as suicides, but Nelson is sure they are murders. He doesn't have the manpower to investigate as he might but enlists Ruth to nose around. Besides, his wife, Michelle, is stranded in Blackpool with her mother. Nelson ends up on Ruth's doorstep. Again. Another thread of mystery is the story is a woman locked in an underground room, starving and being encouraged to use a handful of pills to end her ordeal.

Reading The Locked Room brought back all the uncertainty and anxiety of the early days of Covid-19. I was fearful for Cathbad, one of my favorite characters. So many died in the earliest days when even medical science was at a loss. When the murderer of the women was exposed, I was also reminded of the evil men can do without even trying very hard. We are left with a bit of a cliffhanger as far as the relationship between Nelson and Ruth goes. Nelson seems to be growing (somewhat) as a human being, but.....

I highly recommend The Ruth Galloway Series for lovers of intricate, atmospheric mysteries, peopled by distinctive characters.

RATING- 5 Stars

The Course of True Love....

A VICARAGE WEDDING
The Holley Sisters of Thornthwaite # 3
Kate Hewitt
Tule Publishing
July 16, 2018


Rachel Holley, one of four vicar's daughters in the village of Thornthwaite has always dreamed of the perfect wedding followed by the perfect life with lots of kids, a big home, and a dog. All that seems to be coming true until the night before the wedding, when her fiance, Dan, calls it off. Dan doesn't think that she really loves him. Rachel finds herself almost penniless after the wedding expenses, heartbroken, and soon to be homeless because her parents are moving to China to do mission work. Rachel is blindsided by it all, but somehow, her sisters and parents are not all that surprised. Rachel and her youngest sister, the footloose Miriam need to find a flat right away. Rachel finds one above the village's "rougher" pub, The Bell. The landlord, Sam West, is undeniably attractive, but more than a little taciturn and forbidding. As Rachel gets to know him better and sees him working hard at the pub and trying to raise his challenging nephew, Nathan, she sees him in a very different light. Rachel is Nathan's primary school teacher and becomes involved in his home care. Nathan has problems that need to be addressed clinically, but Sam is resistant for some reason.

I was not aware that A Vicarage Wedding is third in a projected four-book series but Kate Hewitt manages to paint a picture of the whole Holley family in a few words. I got to know them all without having to read the previous two books. I will be reading them, however, very soon. Rachel's journey to a better understanding of herself and what true love looks and feels like made for a most enjoyable afternoon and evening's read. Thanks to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 4 Stars

Persuasion in Academia

BY THE BOOK
Julia Sonneborn
Gallery Books
February 6, 2018


Anne Corey is a 30ish professor at a small liberal arts college in California. She has little to no time for a personal life, teaching a full schedule and trying to get tenure with the publication of an academic work on 19th-century women writers. Without a book contract, Anne is out of a job. If not for her friend, Larry, a colleague and best friend, she would have no life at all. It's the beginning of the year when she discovers that the new president of the college is Adam Martinez, a former classmate at Princeton and ex-fiance. The two dated throughout their university years and only broke up the day before graduation. Anne was feeling pressure from her judgemental father who wants her to be a lawyer, harpy of a sister, and college mentor to skip marriage in favor of a career. The argument was a silly one, but Anne used it to break up with Adam, and he, out of pride, let her do so. She is conflicted, having never really gotten over Adam. Adam is cooly friendly, but the two have little to say to each other. The writer-in-residence at the college for the year is a multi-award winning journalist and novelist who shows an interest in Anne. The two plunge into an affair quickly, but thoughts of Adam are never far from the surface.

By the Book is a thoroughly enjoyable read that gave me lots of laughs and even a few tears. The process of being published is represented by a series of rejection letters that range from hilarious to brutal. My favorite was one stating that her manuscript about 19th-century women writers would be significantly improved by the inclusion of....you guessed it...men. Based on Jane Austen's Persuasion, By the Book is a delightful updating of that classic. Anne's sister, Lauren, turns out to be not such a harpy, as the two sisters bond in shared grief. Larry, Anne's gay colleague, and friend is exceptionally supportive and often hilarious. Anne discovers that "all that glitters is not gold" but will she and Adam have their "happy ever after.?" 

Thanks to Gallery and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 4 Stars

GLASS HOUSES
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache # 13
Louise Penny
St. Martin's Minotaur
August 29, 2017


Glass Houses begins with Armand Gamache on the witness stand. No doubt he has been there many times, but never have we seen him give testimony. It quickly becomes apparent that this is no ordinary trial but one that Gamache takes personally. Additionally, the Crown Prosecutor is taking a very adversarial tone with Gamache, oddly because they are supposed to be on the same side. The murder in question is personal for Gamache since it took place in Three Pines. It all began on the day after Halloween of the previous year when the adults of Three Pines have their Halloween party; the night before being reserved for the children. An apparition clad in a robe, black gloves, a hood, and mask appears at the gathering, unmoving and silent. The party breaks up, and the figure takes his place on the green, where he remains for more than two days and nights. No one sees him move and the village is thoroughly unnerved. Why is he there, and more importantly, for whom? When he is finally absent one morning all of Three Pines is relieved, but perhaps one or more inhabitants are especially relieved.

There is always more than one story being told in Louise Penny's long running series, and Glass Houses is no exception.Gamache is a year into his new position as Chief Superintendent of the Quebec Sureté and fighting a losing battle with the opioid epidemic. Drugs are coming into Canada in vast quantities as well as being smuggled across the border into the US. He has had little success and not only the Sureté but the general public is taking notice. Gamache, however, has a plan, one that is shocking in its audacity, setting up a moral dilemma for Gamache and his subordinates. They are gambling literally everything on the plan's success. Louise Penny does a masterful job of tying together the two disparate stories. She uses misdirection but all the pieces are there. When it becomes clear how the events come together and who the responsible party is, I was surprised that I didn't see it sooner. Then I realized that I just didn't want to see it.

Our familiar friends in Three Pines are somewhat peripheral to the investigation in Glass Houses, at least until the explosive end. They are not the focus of the story but as always provide much of the heart. Gamache's colleagues in the Sureté play a much larger part especially Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste. Both have risen to higher levels of responsibility and are, on the whole, loyal to Gamache and the plan. A new Gamache novel is always a red-letter event and Glass Houses is one of her best.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Minotaur for an advance digital copy. The opinions above are my own.

RATING- 5 Stars

THE SINNER (Graveyard Queen # 5)
Amanda Stevens
MIRA
September 27, 2016


It has been a year since the events of The Visitor, when cemetery restorer Amelia Grey's lover, John Devlin, told her he was taking a leave from his police job and moving out. Amelia is still nursing her hurt but takes on the job of restoring Seven Gates Cemetery. In the course of the restoration, she is drawn by what seems to be chanting voices to a circle of twelve graves in a secluded clearing, all guarded by mortsafes. Mortsafes are graves covered by a framework of iron and seldom seen out of early 19th century Scotland. They were used to defend against grave robbing to unearth corpses for dissection in the medical schools of the day. There is a pair of hands extending from one of the graves, centered in the circle; fresh hands.

The arrival of the police brings a new and enigmatic character in the Graveyard Queen's life.
The detective in charge of the investigation is Lucius Kendrick, handsome, charismatic, and apparently able to see ghosts, just as Amelia does. But is he trustworthy? The investigation takes them into a shadowy world of a cult of immortality questers, led by an apparently immortal figure, and a group of local citizens determined to stamp out anyone with paranormal abilities. To all appearances, John Devlin is now a member of the latter group. 

I am not a devotee of the horror genre, neither movies or books. I was hooked by the first three books in the Graveyard Queen series because of the original premise and the mystery of Amelia herself. My problem with both The Visitor and The Sinner is that there is frustratingly little overall story progression in either. I hope that the upcoming and final book in the series, The Awakening, will pull together all the disparate elements and provide closure. I got a little annoyed by the continuing angst in Amelia's relationship with Devlin. As far as I am concerned, John Devlin has a whole lot of explaining to do. I agonized somewhat over the rating for this book and finally settled on 3 stars. It was more than just "ok" and there were elements that I liked well enough to up the rating. Amanda Stevens has a masterly touch with suspense and an original take on some familiar genre conventions. I wish I was able to give The Sinner a higher rating.

Thanks to Mira and NetGalley for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 3 Stars

Sisterhood Forged by Shared Secrets

THE WOMAN ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Lindsay Jayne Ashford
Lake Union Publishing
September 20, 2016


Three women come into close association onboard The Orient Express bound for Baghdad in 1928. One woman is the legendary writer of crime fiction, Agatha Christie. Still reeling from her husband's infidelity and their subsequent divorce, as well as her much heralded 10-day disappearance, Agatha doesn't feel she can be in England when her ex-husband marries his mistress. The divorce process in England was torturous at the time and Agatha is exhausted. The press has not been kind to her and she is travelling under her maiden name, Miller. Her cabin mate is Katherine Keeley, travelling to Baghdad to marry Leonard Wooley, the renowned archaeologist. Her secret concerns the tragic death by suicide of her first husband just six months into their marriage. The third woman is Nancy Nelson, on the run from her abusive, titled husband. Nancy is carrying another man's child and is terrified. In the course of the journey the women grow close, but it is in Bagdad that all secrets are revealed. The descriptions of the journey and Middle Eastern locales are breathtaking. One can almost smell the air and hear the sounds of Istanbul, Damascus and Baghdad in the late 1920's.

The three women band together to protect each other, especially the vulnerable Nancy. In the beginning, Katherine appears to be an unsympathetic character, both controlling and manipulative of everyone around, especially the men. Those men include Agatha's future husband, Max Mallowan. Much has been written about Agatha Christie and her disappearance. There is nothing new here on the disappearance but as Christie never addressed it in later life, not even in her autobiography, I don't think we will ever know the why or how. Katherine Keeley Woolley, who became an experienced excavator in her own right, has been overshadowed by her famous husband and persistent rumours about her sexuality. Those rumours and the possible truth behind them are very sensitively handled in The Woman on the Orient Express. 

It seems to me that the historical fiction can be measured by the interest it sparks in real historical events and people. I have read everything I can find on Katharine Keeley Woolley (admittedly not much) and am fascinated by her. She deserves a book all her own. Of course, Agatha Christie's books are a large part of my life-long love of reading. I thoroughly enjoyed The Woman on the Orient Express. Thanks to Lake Union and NetGalley.com for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.


RATING-4 Stars

Illuminating Tale of the Electrification of America

THE LAST DAYS OF NIGHT
Graham Moore
Random House
August 16, 2016


The Last Days of Night opens with a harrowing scene. Paul Cravath, a young lawyer freshly out of Columbia, witnesses a man being burned alive in the wires above busy Broadway. The man is a Western Union lineman who dies horribly trying to repair an electrical problem that he obviously has no training for. Paul, through a series of coincidences he really can't explain, has but one client, George Westinghouse. George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison, "the Wizard of Menlo Park", are locked in an epic battle over which of their companies will gain control of the electrification industry. The contention is over the power itself and the patent on the incandescent light bulb; Westinghouse is a proponent of Alternating Current (AC) and Edison has sunk everything into Direct Current (DC). Thomas Edison has used every trick in the book to discredit AC as dangerous in the eyes of the public, going so far as filing no less than 312 lawsuits against Westinghouse for patent infringement. Not to mention the infamous electrocution of Topsy the elephant and a horribly botched legal execution. Whichever man wins this legal battle will gain wealth and acclaim beyond imagining.

The story introduces us to many famous people with a stake in the outcome, Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, Nikola Tesla, Alexander Graham Bell and JP Morgan. This is definitely not the benevolent grandfatherly Edison I learned about in grade school. This Thomas Edison is obsessed by winning at all costs and addicted to fame. It almost seems that he would like to be credited not only for inventing the incandescent light bulb, but also for just about everything invented in the US, past, present and future. Westinghouse seems to not be interested in fame but has an uncommon drive to make the best products. Both men think that Nikola Tesla's eccentric genius can help them iron out the problems inherent in both currents. The problem is that Tesla is completely uninterested in marketing anything. Alexander Graham Bell is the only man to ever beat Edison in court and JP Morgan is as alway interested in profit above all.

The Last Days of Night is a legal thriller as well as a meticulously researched historical novel about a largely forgotten episode in American history. Graham Moore has pulled together the known facts about the famous men and managed to paint them as real human beings. I am the first to admit my ignorance of electrical engineering but I was somewhat more enlightened without being overwhelmed. The Last Days of Night succeeds most as a study of ambition; what are we willing to do to realize our dreams? The young lawyer Paul Cravath finds that it is possible to lose the battle and win the war, at least in this particular litigation.

I highly recommend The Last Days of Night. Thanks to NetGalley. com and Random House for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review,

RATING-4.5 Stars

Heartwarmingly Delicious Debut

THE CITY BAKER'S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING
Louise Miller
Penguin Random House
August 9, 2016


Pastry Chef Olivia Rawlings not only sets her career ablaze but the room itself when she drops a tray of Baked Alaska at the posh dinner club in Boston where she works. Olivia thinks that not even her relationship with one of the most prominent members will save her so she does what she has always done; she packs up her dog and runs. Alone in the world since her father's death when she was sixteen, Olivia heads for the small town of Guthrie VT and her best friend Hannah. 

The local Inn is looking for a baker and Olivia is hired by Margaret Hurley, the elegant and formidable owner. Lodging is provided with the position and Olivia moves into the sugarhouse on the property. Olivia has always been a city girl, clad in black, with her hair color changing according to her mood. But she quickly finds herself putting down tentative roots for the first time in her life; even when she runs afoul of the small town's propensity to gossip about newcomers. The City Baker's Guide to Country Living is a delightful read with quirky characters, lots of humor and a slow-burning romance that meets some unexpected bumps along the way. Heartwarming and chock full of mouthwatering food references, I highly recommend Louise Miller's debut novel.

Thanks to the First to Read program for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 4 Stars

Troubling and Topical

ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN
Wendy Walker
St. Martin's Press
July 12, 2016

The first chapter of All is Not Forgotten is a graphic description of the rape of teenage Jenny Kramer in the woods behind a house in upscale Fairview, CT. The rape itself is horrible but what follows is in some ways even more so. At the hospital, Jenny's parents, Tom and Charlotte, are offered "the treatment", a combination of drugs which will erase Jenny's memories. Tom and Charlotte jump at the chance with varying motivations; Charlotte to just "get past" it and Tom because he is rather passive. Several months later Jenny attempts suicide and it is clear that "the treatment" is not all it is cracked up to be.

All is Not Forgotten is narrated by the psychiatrist who is treating the Kramer family, a family whose marital fissures are exposed in the course of the novel. The doctor is also treating Sean Logan, a soldier who was also given "the treatment" after an incident in Iraq. For his own reasons, the doctor inserts himself into both the lives of the Kramers and the police investigation. The investigation itself is severely hampered by Jenny's lack of memory and the typical small town tendency to want to look outside the community. The collision of all the secrets and hidden motivations in the small, affluent town make for a number of twists leading to an explosive conclusion.

There are the inevitable comparisons to Gone Girl in all the descriptions of All is Not Forgotten. It seems that every psychological thriller these days is compared to it; not having read it, I can't address that. I was totally engrossed in the first third of All is Not Forgotten, but then I began to be bogged down in the neuroscience, the troubles in the Kramer family and above all, the very creepy narration of the doctor. I found his manipulations and motives deeply troubling, as well as the moral and ethical issues it raised. There are plenty of issues to be discussed, making All is Not Forgotten ideal book club fare. I won't go so far as to say that I enjoyed the book, but I found it exceptionally well-written and suspenseful throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 3 Stars

Things Done and Not Done, Known and Unknown

THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER
Phaedra Patrick
MIRA Books
May 3, 2016

Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper rises at the same time every morning in his home situated outside the city walls of York. He gets dressed, has a bit of breakfast and often putters around in his garden. Always a bit of a "stick in the mud", Arthur has almost become a recluse in the year since the death of his beloved wife, Miriam. Its seems that Miriam was the glue that held his small family together. His son, Dan, has moved to Australia, and Arthur seldom sees his daughter, Lucy, even though she lives nearby. The family is not exactly estranged, just distant. If it were not for the ladies of the neighborhood, the "Bereavement Biddies", who have stepped up and provided food, Arthur might have just faded away. Chief among the "Biddies" are his neighbor, Bernadette, and her unprepossessing teenage son, Nathan.

Shortly before the first-year anniversary of Miriam's death, Arthur decides that the time has come to clear out Miriam's possessions. There are no great surprises until he reaches into the toe of one of Miriam's winter boots and finds a charm bracelet that he has no memory of. The charm bracelet is gold, obviously expensive, and nothing that he would ever expect his wife to possess. One charm, in particular, catches his eye; an elephant set with a small emerald. On closer inspection, the word "Ayah" and a phone number with country code are engraved on the elephant. The results of the phone call to that number send Arthur on a journey both geographical and into his memories of and beliefs about Miriam. There was much more to Miriam than Arthur ever knew or even thought to question.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a wonderful debut novel from an author to watch. I have always thought that age is no barrier to growth and change, as long as the willingness is there. Arthur Pepper proves that theory, in a very heartfelt and human way. Thanks to Netgalley and MIRA for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 4 Stars

Riveting Dual Timeline Story with a Touch of the Paranormal

IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT WE SEE
Sarah Painter
Lake Union Publishing
April 1, 2016


It is 1938 in Brighton and Grace Kemp is entering nurse's training at the Royal Sussex Hospital. It's clear that nursing is not her choice, but that of her family. Grace has been exiled by her family in disgrace. Eighty years later, Mina Morgan is recovering from a catastrophic automobile accident; one that left her in a coma for several days. Mina is on staff at the Royal Sussex and has been having an affair with her boss, Mark. She has few friends and is estranged from her family but at least Mark is supportive, or is he? Mina is suffering from a head injury that has left her with memory loss and she does not understand why she can't reach her twin brother, Geraint, the only member of her family she wants to speak to. Poor Grace Kemp doesn't even have a minimal support system except the one she builds for herself. Mina has seen portents in the form of "ghost birds", signaling bad things to come all her life. She has never seen the ghost of a young nurse in antiquated uniform before the accident, though. As the two stories told In the Light of What We See unfold and Mina's memories come back slowly, we can see the parallels between the two women's lives. Both Grace and Mina are under threat from those who should have their best interests at heart.

I applaud Sarah Painter's ability to portray a character as essentially unlikeable as Mina and make her sympathetic. Mina is closed up to emotion and doesn't seem to need human connections. Grace, on the other hand, is a character one cares about from the beginning. The various strands of the dual timeline are woven seamlessly into a riveting narrative of love, loss, and redemption for both women. I highly recommend In the Light of What We See, as well as Painter's earlier novels, The Secrets of Ghosts and The Language of Spells.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union for a digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 4 Stars

Never Bargain with a Fae

FIRE TOUCHED (Mercy Thompson # 9)
Patricia Briggs
Ace Books
March 8, 2016

I used to read quite a lot of urban fantasy but these days generally confine myself to several favorites. Among them are Jane Yellowrock by Faith Hunter, the Magic series by Ilona Andrews, anything by the immensely talented Jim Butcher, Anne Bishop's Others and the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. All the series mentioned have a common factor I think; believable and relatable characters and situations, despite the inherent nature of books about supernatural characters.

Mercy Thompson is a "walker", a Native American shape changer who takes the form of a coyote. She is also the mate to Adam Hauptman,  the alpha of a werewolf pack in Washington state and a Volkswagon mechanic with a propensity to attract trouble of all kinds. It has been quite a journey for Mercy, brought up in a werewolf pack in Montana. Always an outsider in the pack, she has learned to be fiercely independent but has friends who are vampires and fae, as well as human. The trouble in Fire Touched starts with a troll on a bridge, not one of your internet trolls but a huge, destructive, human-eating troll. The werewolves are "out" to the public, as are the fae, and the police call for assistance. Both werewolves and police are losing the battle until Zee and Tad, two close fae friends arrive with a boy who appears to be about 10 years-old. The boy, Aidan, is actually hundreds of years old. He was lost in faerie "underhill" and emerged with the ability to command fire. His abilities help destroy the troll. The "Gray Lords" want him back, but Adam and Mercy promise him sanctuary. Keeping him safe will be a tall order.

Mercy continues to evolve, growing and changing, but keeping her core of loyalty and commitment to doing what is right for all concerned. She is clearly stepping into the role of second in command in the pack. There are plenty of the usual supernatural politics and action in Fire Touched  but this book is a little more focused on relationships than some of its' predecessors. I highly recommend the Mercy Thompson series but starting at the beginning is imperative with the first novel, Moon Called. I also recommend the audio versions narrated by Lorelei King who has become Mercy's voice for me. I do have to make a comment on the covers of both audio and print versions, though; Mercy has only one small tattoo of a wolf's paw and would never wear a skimpy top to a fight or anywhere else. She is a jeans and t-shirt girl. I know the covers need to stand out but a little more truth in advertising would be welcome.

RATING- 4 Stars

The Visitor, Number 4 in The Graveyard Queen

THE VISITOR ( Graveyard Queen, # 4)
Amanda Stevens
Harlequin MIRA
March 29, 2016


Amelia Gray is a cemetery restorer living in Charleston, SC and restores old graveyards all over the South. Amelia essentially grew up in a graveyard, since her father was a custodian for a large one. Father and daughter have a very strong bond because both can see ghosts. From an early age, her father gave her four rules to avoid being taken over by parasitic ghosts: never acknowledge the dead, never stray far from hallowed ground, never associate with those who are haunted, and never, ever tempt fate. Her meeting police detective John Devlin, however, causes her to break all the rules. Devlin is being haunted by the ghosts of his dead wife and small daughter. Amelia and Devlin have an immediate bond and Amelia must try to free him from his ghosts. He is unaware of them but Amelia knows that they will eventually kill him by siphoning off his life force. All ghosts want is to be alive again. The arc of first three books, The Restorer, The Prophet and The Kingdom  tell the story of her effort to free him and her own very disturbing family background. She is successful but the door to more supernatural beings is thrown wide open.

Amanda Stevens has a real gift for escalating "creep factor". The atmosphere of The Visitor becomes more heavy and cloying as the novel progresses. There are some very frightening beings haunting the graveyard Amelia is asked to renovate. All the members of a cult were either murdered or suicides and were buried together. It becomes plain that someone, maybe human, maybe not, does not want its' secrets uncovered. Devlin, too, has become secretive and distant with Amelia. Evidently he, as well, has some family secrets to hide. 

I am afraid that the long gap in publication between The Kingdom and The Visitor was detrimental to the series. Even though she does a good job mentioning prior events without any information dumps, I have completely forgotten many of them and how they tie in. I also found Amelia lacking in caution and walking into situations that she very well knows she should avoid. The Visitor doesn't even begin to resolve the relationship problems with Devlin and leaves us with a huge cliffhanger. The next book, The Sinner, comes along in September so there will not be such a long wait. I will be reading the next book but I do have reservations about The Visitor.  It is well written, but ultimately unsatisfying.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 3 Stars

Reader, I Murdered Him......

JANE STEELE
Lyndsay Faye
March 22, 2016
G. P. Putnam's Sons

I fell in love with Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre when I first read it at about the age of twelve. I loved the language, the masterful portrayal of Jane's inner self and the admittedly not very politically correct romance with Mr. Rochester. Yes, Mr. Rochester was a manipulative so and so, firmly rooted in 19th-century masculinity, but Jane refused to violate her own principles under the influence of his wiles. I confess to many re-readings of the novel over the years along with multiple screen adaptations. I am somewhat allergic to "re-imaginings" of classic novels. Had this been, say, Jane Eyre with Zombies rather than Jane Eyre, serial murderer, I would have run far and fast. I am also a great admirer of Lyndsay Faye's work, from her Sherlockian novel, Dust and Shadows, through her recent historical Timothy Wilde Trilogy, set in Civil War-era New York. If anyone could pull this off, Lyndsay Faye could, and I was not disappointed.

Jane Steele lives in the countryside at Highgate Hall with her French mother, both grudgingly sheltered by her Aunt, Patience Barbary. Jane's favorite novel is Jane Eyre, and her life has some obvious parallels. When Jane's mother dies and Jane commits her first murder, she asks to be sent off to school, unlike the Jane of the novel. Lowan Bridge School equals, perhaps surpasses the brutality of Lowood School, but Jane makes a good friend in a younger girl, Clarke, and gets a good education at least. The situation calls for more murder to save Clark's life, and the two girls run off to London. London is as filthy and magnificent as Dickens ever described. Jane supports herself and Clarke by writing gallows ballads and last confessions of condemned prisoners for scandal papers hawked in the streets. Along the way, she and Clarke part company, and Jane is called to her "accidental avenger" role several times. Jane was always told by her mother that she was the rightful heir to Highgate, so when she sees an advertisement for a governess by the new owner, Charles Thornfield, she must apply for the position. Highgate Hall is much changed. Charles Thornfield is a veteran of the East Indian Company's wars with the Sikh Empire and all the servants are Sikhs. Her pupil is a half-caste girl with a horse obsession, Sahjara. Jane feels an immediate attraction to Charles Thornfield, but there are mysteries at Highgate Hall- why is no one allowed in the cellar for instance? And how can Jane ever let Thornfield know about her past?

Jane Steele is billed as a "satirical romance" and it is all of that. It is very funny, especially the gallows ballads, and the wonderful Dickensian names: Vesalius Munt, Sam Quillfeather, and Mr. Grizzlehurst being just some examples. It is also a window into the Sikh way of life and the disastrous history of East Indian Company machinations. I loved Jane Steele from beginning to end and was quite as well satisfied with the ending as with the original.

Thanks to the Penguin First to Read program for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

5 STARS

UNREASONABLE DOUBT (Constable Molly Smith # 8)
Vicki Delany
Poisoned Pen Press
February 2, 2016


Walt Desmond has served 25 years in prison for the brutal killing of a young woman in Trafalgar, BC. All along he protested that he was innocent, refusing to confess even though that might have lessened his sentence somewhat. His wife died while he was in prison and he has lost everything. However, new evidence has turned up indicating either the Trafalgar PD framed him or the investigation was completely incompetent. After he is exonerated, Walt's attorney advises him to stay away from Trafalgar but Walt returns anyway. He has a pretty good idea who might have framed him but needs to know why in order to get on with his life, despite a large cash settlement coming his way.

Molly Smith was no more than an infant when the original case occurred, but if Walt Desmond didn't kill the girl, then who did? She and Sargeant John Winters are assigned to reopen the case. Feelings are running high in Trafalgar between those who remember the case and think Walt was guilty, despite his exoneration, and those who think the police were responsible. Among those most upset are the family of the dead girl, who are adamant that he was guilty. Molly and Winters must walk a tightrope between the factions, some within the police department itself. When two women are attacked in Trafalgar; one of whom is Eliza, Winters' wife, feelings begin to boil over.

Unreasonable Doubt is a nice mix of police procedural and the personal lives of Molly and her family and that of John Winters. I have really grown to like the characters over the course of the series, especially Lucky, Molly's mom. Lucky came to Canada with Molly's father during the Vietnam War and never went back. They built a successful life in Canada and Lucky's politics never changed. She is involved in every protest, knows everyone in town, and is a shrewd judge of character. I think Delany did a particularly good job in showing just what it is like to lose 25 years of your life for a crime you did not commit. Sadly, Canada does not seem to do much better than the US in these cases, of which there are too many. A nice cash payout is good, but hardly compensation for a ruined life.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley.com for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 4 Stars

Welcome Back, Auntie Mame!

AUNTIE MAME (An Irreverent Escapade)
Patrick Dennis, Narrated by Christopher Lane
Brilliance Audio
January 19, 2016

I don't know what prompted Brilliance Audio to bring back one of my favorite books ever in a sparkling new audio edition, but all I can do is say...Thank You! Anyone who has seen the stellar Rosalind Russell movie or the smash hit Broadway show knows the story well; the orphaned 10-year-old Patrick Dennis goes to live with his madcap New York socialite Auntie Mame and begins an upbringing unlike any other.

Mame is one of the iconic figures of American literature and the novel was one of the best-selling books of the twentieth century. Auntie Mame is a witty, hilarious and charming skewering of all that was conventional and pretentious in American life from the 1920's until the 1950's. I probably read the book when I was about 15 and loved it. I can only say that with a few(!) decades of life experience it is even better. There are episodes that were not in the various movies and shows that I have seen since I first read it. In some ways, it was almost new for me. Christopher Lane provides a pitch-perfect reading of the novel and I highly recommend this new audio version.

RATING- 5 Stars

NAMED OF THE DRAGON
Susanna Kearsley
Sourcebooks
October 6, 2014


Susanna Kearsley has been one of my favorite authors since The Winter Sea. I had long wanted to read Named of the Dragon but was unable to get my hands on a copy. It has been out of print for quite awhile. So when Sourcebooks offered me the opportunity to read and review a digital copy I was delighted.

London-based literary agent Lyn Ravenshaw allows herself to be persuaded to spend Christmas in Wales with her flighty and flamboyant client, Bridget Cooper. Little did she know that she would be stepping into a world in which Arthurian legend is still very much alive. Lyn is a young widow who has suffered another devastating loss; a still-born child. Her grief is always with her along with dreams of her child. In Wales, the dreams increase in intensity; meeting another young widow whose child seems to be in some sort of jeopardy does not help. Lyn's conflicted feelings for an irascible playwright who lives near the farm she is visiting add to her turmoil.

The excellent world-building and lyrical descriptive language I have come to expect from Susanna Kearsley is very much present in Named of the Dragon. I have never visited Wales, but I have some clear pictures in my head now. I enjoyed the book but thought the characterization was a little weak and the ending rushed. Perhaps if I had a better understanding of Arthurian legend I might have enjoyed it more.The romance element didn't work nearly as well as in her later work. Susanna Kearsley has grown tremendously as a writer over the years. Overall, Named of the Dragon is a good read, but not a great one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a digital copy of Named of the Dragon in return for an honest review.


RATING- 3 Stars

Genre-Bending Debut Novel Set in the Deep South

THE GATES OF EVANGELINE
Hester Young
G. P. Putnam Sons
September 1, 2015

I had picked up an advance reader's copy of The Gates of Evangeline at Book Expo this year but somehow had never gotten around to reading it. That in itself was surprising as the jacket copy indicated that it just might be up my alley; a Southern Gothic with a mystery and mystical overtones. Last weekend our local paper ran an in-depth story on Hester Young and I found that she is a resident of my own Central New Jersey town. So, in keeping with the "spooky season"  I dove in and never put it down until I finished.

Charlotte "Charlie" Cates is a thirty-something journalist and a quintessential New Yorker. She has worked for a fashion and lifestyle magazine for the previous dozen years and has risen to chief editor. However, life has gone very wrong for Charlie in the previous two years; first divorce, followed by the death of her 4-year-old son, Keegan. Charlie is overwhelmed by sorrow and in danger of losing her job; a job that she admittedly has very little interest in anymore. When she is coming out of the worst of her grief she begins to have dreams and visions about children in danger. These children are asking for her help, but she has no way of figuring out who or where they are. One of the children is a small dark-haired boy in a boat. An old friend offers her a deal for a true-crime book about the disappearance of Gabriel Deveau thirty years before. Gabriel was the son of a prominent and wealthy Louisiana family who will allow her access to the family records. Could the boy of her dream be Gabriel? Charlie goes to Louisiana and moves into the family plantation mansion, Evangeline. The Deveau family and the house harbor more secrets and danger than she could have ever imagined.

The Gates of Evangeline kept me entertained and guessing from beginning to end. The characters are extraordinarily well drawn, even the more secondary ones. Charlie is a mix of toughness and vulnerability that I found appealing. I have never suffered the sort of losses that she has, but I can empathize with her and her reactions. I have seen some negative feedback for Young's portrayal of Southern manners and mores; as a transplanted Southerner I found them more realistic than not. There is a saying that "the past is never really past" and that is very true in the South. People everywhere will kill to keep their secrets.

I am looking forward to the next book in the trilogy and the surprises waiting there. Highly recommended!

RATING- 4.5 Stars

Great Summer Read- with Dog

LAWYER FOR THE DOG
Lee Robinson
Thomas Dunne Books
July 7, 2015


Life is complicated for Charleston, SC lawyer Sally Bright Baynard. Since her divorce from Family Court Judge Joe Baynard 18 years earlier she has maintained a busy practice as a public defender and family practice lawyer. She has a good reputation and more than keeps her head above water. But when she takes over the care of her mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease things get very complicated indeed. Being appointed "lawyer for the dog"  by her ex-husband in a messy and contentious divorce just adds to the stress. The last thing she needs is the guardianship of a dog, even one as charming as Sherman. Even worse are the rumors that the Judge appointed her because he wants to reconcile after all these years. Sally was not your typical southern belle and never could fit into the Judge's wealthy and connected family. But can she fit with Sherman's interesting veterinarian?

I enjoyed Lawyer for the Dog tremendously. Sally has wit and style- and a very big heart. All the characters were instantly recognizable to me since I was born and grew up in the South though I have not lived there for many years. I recommend Lawyer for the Dog for just about anyone looking for a lighthearted summer read, animal lover or not. Sally's adventures with Sherman are very funny, but there are serious issues as well. Sally's relationship with her mother and the challenges of dealing with Alzheimers are dealt with in a compassionate manner. Thanks to Thomas Dunne Books and netgalley.com for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 4 Stars

Carnivals, Mermaids, Tarot Cards and Horseshoe Crabs. Oh My.....

THE BOOK OF SPECULATION
Erika Swyler
St. Martins Press
June 23, 2015

The Book of Speculation is a remarkably ambitious and polished debut; part family saga, part supernatural tale and wholly fascinating. Simon Watson is a thirty-ish librarian living on Long Island who receives an ancient handwritten book from an antiquarian book dealer whom he does not know. The dealer says he sent the book because Simon's grandmother's  name appears in it. The book seems to be a sort of account book for a traveling carnival in 1740's America.

Simon's parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in Long Island Sound when he was a small child, and his father a few years later of pining away for his lost wife. Simon's job is precarious, his house is falling around his ears and he is estranged from his sister, Enola. Nothing has ever seized his imagination as much as this book, especially after he learns his grandmother drowned as well. In fact, many of his female forbears were carnival mermaids who could hold their breath for freakishly long times. All of them drowned on the same date in July. None should have. Simon and Enola's mother taught them the secret of holding their breath as well. Can Simon break the curse when Enola comes home unexpectedly in mid-July?

The Book of Speculation switches back and forth between the 1740's carnival and the present day. Sometimes that method of telling a tale can be risky but Swyler manages it with considerable aplomb. I was beguiled by the characters throughout, in fact, the word beguiling sums up the book very well for me. It is one of the rare books that will stick with me, even though there is no final solution of the question of a curse. And I can't even begin to explain the horseshoe crabs! It is just another thing about The Book of Speculation that lingers in my head.

Thanks to St. Martin's and netgalley for an advance digital copy.

RATING- 4 Stars