The Murder of Mr. Wickham - Claudia Gray

 The Murder of Mr. Wickham - Claudia Gray

She read

Publication Date: May 3, 2022

Written in the style of Jane Austen and borrowing her characters, this is a story of a house party at the stately home of the Knightleys.  While enjoying their first evening meal, the party is crashed by George Wickham, who for many reasons, is despised by most of the guests.  Due to bad weather, the Knightleys are forced to invite him to stay.  This house party, which was to last a month, is interrupted when Wickham’s dead body is found.  Who murdered him?  So many had motive!  

The youngest invitees, Juliet Tilney, daughter of the residents of Northanger Abbey, and Jonathan Darcy, yes, of those Darcys, challenge the mores of the time by launching an investigation together, parallel to and more successful than the official inquiry.  

Despite the murder, this is a delightful story!  Although its been a while since I have read Austen’s works about these characters (some who have aged here), the author does a nice job of filling in their backgrounds so I never felt lost. Gray remained true to the Austen writing style, even employing a good sense of humor.  As a bit of a SPOILER, I thought the ending was quite satisfying.

I don’t think you have to be overly familiar with Austen’s writings to enjoy this book for its plot and reflection of the society at that time.

As an aside, am I the only one who thought Jonathan Darcy had a “touch” of what is now known as Aspberger Syndrome?  

Thanks to #netgalley and #knopfdoubleday for the DRC. 

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*****

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride - Lorenzo Carcaterra

 Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride - Lorenzo Carcaterra

She read

Publication Date: May 3, 2022

Nonna Maria has lived her entire life on the island of Ischia.  She is familiar to all for her kindness, generosity, local knowledge, and ability to solve problems, particularly if they involve crimes. She is better at solving them than the carabinieri.  To her, though, it is not solving crimes, it is helping friends.   

There are two cases in which she is involved; the overboard drowning of a local tour guide and a recently engaged young woman who doesn’t know how she ended up betrothed.

A beguiling older woman who is known not only for her wiles in figuring out problems, but also for serving wine, her special coffee, and delicious homemade food, many of the ingredients coming from her garden.

Read this book not so much for the mysteries, which are interesting, but to savor island life and appreciate the special charm of Nonna Maria’s character. 

As an aside, while I was reading this, I thought how Nonna Maria reminded me of an Italian Precious Ramotswe, of Alexander McCall’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, with her wisdom, knowledge of all the local goings on, and ability to solve a mystery.    I would love her secret for her unparalleled coffee, of which there is much mention in the book.

As a cozy mystery, I give this five stars. I hope there will be more books featuring Nonna Maria.  

Thanks to #Netgalley and #randomhouse for the DRC

*****

Watch Out for Her - Samantha M. Bailey

 Watch Out for Her - Samantha M. Bailey

she read

Publication Date:  April 26, 2022

Holly is hired as a babysitter for six year old Jacob Goldman.  Having disappointed her narcissistic father and step mother in so many ways, she is kicked out of her house and tries to become a part of the Goldman family.  But, all is not as it seems with each and every one in this book.

Written in two different timelines from two different POVs, I did not like any of these characters and aspects of the plot strained credulity.  Yet, I stuck with the book in my quest to find out just what the heck was going on! Everyone was just a bit too pathological for me, but I did find the story somewhat compelling.

Thanks to #netgalley and #Simon&Schuster for the DRC

***½

The Good Left Undone - Adriana Trigiani

 The Good Left Undone - Adriana Trigiani 

she read; he is reading

Publication Date:  april 26, 2022

This is a multigenerational family saga that is told with warmth, humor, and poignancy.  Moving back and forth in time, it tells the story of four generations of women as they live life and experience history.  Taking place primarily in Italy, there are portions of the tale set in France and Scotland as well. 

Some of the narrative takes place during World War II where the reader is introduced to the inhumane treatment of the Italians who had emigrated to Scotland, even though they were contributors to the Scottish society, some even having fought for the UK in World War I.  I was struck again, as I often am reading books that take place in this time period, how we don’t learn from history and continue to inflict injustices on our fellow man. 

Trigiani’s  vivid descriptions transport the reader to the actual locations where one can experience the tastes, the smells, the climate, the beauty. I particularly enjoyed her observations of the aging process….they were painfully omniscient while also amusing.  This was a wonderful story……..

Thanks to #Netgalley and #Penguin for the DRC

*****

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Pay Dirt Road - Samantha Jayne Allen

 Pay Dirt Road - Samantha Jayne Allen

Faced with no job prospects and no money for grad school, Annie returns to her hometown in hardscrabble Texas where she waits tables at the town diner.  When a fellow waitress goes missing and is found dead, Annie gets caught up in an investigation.  

It took a while to get into the pursuit of the mystery, but the beginning  (and throughout)  was a good character study of small town Texas.  Extremely atmospheric, I could see the spray painted stop signs, the trash in the alleys, the weeds growing up through the concrete.

The entire book is very descriptive…the sights, the smells….while the case is slow to unfold.  If you want to savor these, it is not a fast read.  There really are two stories here.  The primary seems to be more Annie’s family and her background history in her small town, with the murder almost secondary.  

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the DRC 

***1/2

True Biz - Sara Nović

 True Biz - Sara Nović

What an excellent, worthwhile book.

The book opens with three high school students who attend a school for the deaf who are missing.  It then goes back a few months as we learn about them, their hearing and non hearing families, and staff at the school.  

The story is riveting, heartbreaking, tender; the characters well developed and compelling.

Beyond the narrative, though, this book is so much more.   For those who have never worked in the field or known a deaf person, it is good introduction into the reality of the hearing world’s reaction to and treatment (and often, sadly, mistreatment) of the deaf.  It is also instructive in the history of deaf education and the use of ASL, as well as the racism that has permeated the world of the deaf.  

There have always been a lot of controversies involved in the education  and treatemtn of the deaf and Novic introduces the reader to the complexities of some of them with sensitivity and knowledge. 

The ending was a bit abrupt and left me wanting to read more about these characters and their lives. 

I highly recommend True Biz…read the book and find out what that term means!

*****

Shadows of Berlin - David R. Gillham

 Shadows of Berlin - David R. Gillham

She read

Shadows of Berlin is an apt title for this book as the shadows of the atrocities and betrayals visited upon the Jews in Germany (and elsewhere) follow Rachel to America and affect all the days of her life. She marries, but her survivor guilt and what is now called post traumatic stress infiltrate this relationship.

It took me a while to get into and appreciate this book.  It is at its best with its detailed descriptions of New York in the 1950s and when Rachel’s reflects back to the unimaginable horrors of Berlin under the Nazis.  Characterization was well developed, although I felt the husband was quite unlikable, presented almost as  a caricature.  

This is a well written, worthwhile book.  If you have initial difficulty reading it, I encourage you to stick with it.  

The past few years, I’ve read quite a bit of historical fiction about the World War II era and its after effects.  At first, I saw them as lessons for our times, but now, with what is going on in the world, I keep asking: How can this be happening again?

Thanks to #netgalley and #sourcebookslandmark  for the DRC. 

****

Girl on the Run - Carolyn Arnold

 Girl on the Run - Carolyn Arnold

She read

Publication Date: April 6, 2022

Three women are shot in a coffee shop in a train station.  While investigating, Detective Madison Knight becomes convinced that one of the victims is a friend of hers from college who disappeared fifteen years ago.  There are a number of suspects as the complex mystery is  unraveled. What happened to the enigmatic girl with the orange backpack who may have triggered the incident and what does it all have to do with Madison’s history with the Russian mob? 

This is the eleventh in the Detective Madison Knight series. Although I have read other works by Carolyn Arnold, this is my first in this series and it worked well as a stand alone.  

Madison isn’t the most likable character, but she is good at her job. She is tenacious, a bit impulsive, and has a strong sense of justice and loyalty.  

This was a fast, engrossing read, sure to please fans of police procedurals and mysteries.  

Thanks to #netgalley and @HibbertStiles for the DRC

****