The Villa - Rachel Hawkins

 The Villa - Rachel Hawkins

She read

The Villa - Rachel Hawkins

Release Date: Jan. 3, 2023

Chess and Emily have been friends since childhood. Chess is a richly successful writer of self help books.  Emily is the moderately successful author of cosy mysteries, but her life is a bit upside down as she is getting divorced from a vengeful husband and has suffered from a mysterious illness.  When Chess invites her to spend the summer in a villa in Orvieto, Italy, she accepts despite some tension in their friendship.  Emily discovers that in the 1970s, the villa was the scene of a gruesome murder involving drugs, sex, rock and roll and a writer.  A parallel storyline tells of that fatal summer.

As noted, there are two time/storylines here plus a book within a book and snippets from other fictional nonfiction books, a podcast, and a blog.  All of that could be confusing, but they are clearly demarcated. There is an acknowledgment by the publisher that  the setting/theme pays tribute to the events surrounding Mary Shelley’s penning of  Frankenstein.  

Much of the story, except for one big twist, was very predictable and I enjoyed the contemporary story more than the past one. Yet, I thought it a creative, engrossing read. I would characterize this story more as women’s fiction than a mystery or thriller.  I’m sure it will be another best seller.

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC

Queens of the Age of Chivalry - Allison Weir

 Queens of the Age of Chivalry -  Allison Weir

She read

Release Date: Dec. 6, 2022

The final book in a trilogy,  it is the only one that I have read. The author was recommended to me by a fellow Bookstagrammer.  

This book recounts the stories of  five queen consorts of Plantagenet period, during the age of chivalry in the fourteenth century . They are Marguerite of France, wife of Edward I, Isabella of France (Edward II), Philippa of Hainault (Edward III), Anne of Bohemia, first wife of Richard II,  and his second wife, Isabella of Valois

In this meticulously researched tome we learn not only of these five women, but also quite a bit about their royal spouses. and the importance of these unions.   

Although there is a lot of information, no stuffy nonfiction chronicle is this.  Rather it reads more like  a novel. I really liked that when Weir cited money, she gave the equivalent in today’s  price; this provided a meaningful perspective on the costs. 

If you are interested in English royal history, particularly medieval, this will be a very satisfying read.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse #Ballantine books for the ARC

*****

In the Shadow of a Queen - Heather B. Moore

 In The Shadow of a Queen - Heather B. Moore

She read

In this book, the reader is introduced to the life of Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, during her teens and early twenties. The early death of her father, the beloved Prince Albert, and the perpetual mourning of her mother had a lasting influence on her upbringing.  As she grows into womanhood and marries, this look at her life explores the mores of the time, the machinations involved in selecting a suitable match for a royal princess, and the stalwartness yet repressed mindset of the queen. Louise had a mind of her own pursuing sculpting and embracing women’s rights and charitable causes, yet her early life was tightly controlled by her mother.  

This is an engrossing, pleasant read. I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction based a a real person’s life, as I am always skeptical as to how much is fact and how much is fiction.  However, this work is well researched and documented.  While certainly the dialog is imagined, it embellishes authenticated events and observations.  

I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m glad I took the time to read it.

Thanks to #netgalley and @shadowmountainpub for the ARC

****

In the Time of Our History - Susanne Pari

 In the Time of Our History - Susanne Pari

Release Date: Jan. 3, 2023

He and she read

Influenced by the author’s family’s experiences following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, this story takes place among a community of Iranian immigrants in 1990s New Jersey.  In a culture and generation where traditional gender roles are set in stone and women are subjugated to men, Mitra, because of a  decision she made, is cut off by her father and living in California.  When she returns for the one year anniversary of the tragic death of her sister, niece, and nephew, secrets are revealed and life altering events are set in place.

The author has a beautiful way with words as she weaves this tale of the immigrant experience.  There is joy, sadness, tension, anger, growth, and evolution.  A touching, poignant read specific to an Iranian American family; I think most of us can find something with which to relate in this realistic portrait of a family grappling with cultural and generational differences.   And don’t be surprised if you have a hankering for an expertly brewed cup of tea while reading.

A five star read that I think would be a good addition to any book club’s reading list.

Thanks to #netgalley and #kensingtonbooks for the ARC

*****

The Widowmaker - Hannah Morrissey

 The Widowmaker - Hannah Morrissey

She read

Release Date: Dec. 6, 2022

A damaged young woman is hired by a wealthy family to photograph their Christmas celebration and they seem to take an inordinate interest in her. A somewhat unorthodox policeman is handed a cold case involving this family when all he wants to do is solve the murder of his former partner. All of them are harboring secrets.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book.  It was an engrossing, fast paced read. Told from two POVs with a bit of a complex plot, many elements were a little too unbelievable for me.  This is the second book I have read in the last month involving very wealthy families behaving badly; I thought both were a bit over the top.  

If you enjoy a dark mystery/thriller and are willing to put aside disbelief, this may be a good choice.  

Trigger warning: childhood sexual abuse. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress #minotaurbooks for the ARC.

***

Foster - Claire Keegan

 Foster - Claire Keegan

She read

I read Keegan’s novella Small Things Like These and thought it a very worthwhile read so I was very happy to see this offering on NetGalley.  It was the winner of the Davy Byrnes Memorial Prize.

This very short novella finds a young girl sent to live with a relative in rural Ireland while her mother gives birth to yet another child.  Her family is poor and she has not received a lot of care or attention.Nervous about this new living situation and not knowing what to expect or when she can return home, she finds nurturing, caring adults taking care of her.  She learns a secret about this couple that explains some things.  When she has to return to her family, 

This is a sweet, yet heartbreaking story.  Beautifully written, you will find yourself warming to this waif of a child and the couple who foster her. Keegan paints a vivid picture of rural farming as well as the nearby coast.  The affecting, bittersweet ending will stay with you for a while.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #groveatlantic for the ARC.

*****

The Light Pirate - Lily Brooks-Dalton

 The Light Pirate - Lily Brooks-Dalton

Release date: Dec. 6, 2022

She read

Born during a hurricane that took her mother and step brother and named for it, Wanda, over her lifetime, is witness to the climatic obliteration of the state of Florida, while step brother Lucas sees the destruction on the west and east coast of the United States. Told in four parts, harnessing the elements of power, water, light, and time, the loss of the world as we know it is chronicled in Wanda’s story. 

I typically do not choose futuristic dystopian novels. This one, however,  intrigued me.  I live on an island in south Florida.  I have seen what was once a popular beach filled with lounge chairs and cabanas become a sodden mud hole, flooded during high tides. And, we are still reeling down here from the massive destruction of hurricane Ian.

Beautifully written and exquisitely detailed, Brooks-Dalton presents a futuristic horror that is all too real.  The beauty and the violence that is both Florida and nature is a repeated theme. Feel the intolerable heat; experience the ever present and rising water. As the novel focused on the survival of those few who chose to stay, it slowed a bit, but was still a fascinating read.  This is a book that will stay with you for a long time. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #grandcentralpublishing for the ARC.

*****

Two additional comments: 1. This is a futuristic horror that is all too real but what can we expect when we have had a governor who forbade his staff from using the words “climate change” and Floridians rewarded him by sending him onto the Senate? You reap what you sow . 2. Wanda seems to have a magical power involving light. I’m not a fan of magical powers in a novel, but  pay attention to Phyllis’ explanation of this as it relates to bacteria in the water….an all too real effect of the storms down here.  

The Forever Witness - Edward Humes

The Forever Witness - Edward Humes

She read

Publication Date: November 29, 2022

 This is a true account of how a 1987 cold case involving the murder of two young Canadians on a road trip in the state of Washington was solved thirty years later by a dogged detective with the assistance of DNA and genetic genealogy.

Humes details the trip the two victims made, the search for them, and the years long investigation.  He reports on the limited capabilities of forensics in the 1980s and 90s, along with the progression of advances in the analysis of DNA.  Insight is given into how a cold case detective works in identifying suspects.  While focusing primarily on this case, there is exploration into additional cases using forensic genealogy. 

A well written, engrossing, fast read,  Humes writes with humanity in talking about the young couple and their families. Some might find the book over detailed when describing the victims, the trial, the forensic science; I did not. He explains the science and controversy behind DNA matching in criminal investigations in an easily understandable manner.  

I enjoyed Humes mention of the queen of true crime novels, Ann Rule.  I have always enjoyed her books and found this one to be similar. Fans of true crime podcasts and shows such as Dateline will particularly enjoy this book.

*****

Thanks to #netgalley and #Dutton for the ARC

Murder at Black Oaks - Phillip Margolin

 Murder at Black Oaks - Phillip Margolin

She read

Release Date: Nov. 8, 2022

This is the sixth in the attorney Robin Lockwood series.  It is the third I have read. It would work well as a standalone. 

In 1990, district attorney Francis Melville successfully prosecutes Jose Alvarez for a murder and Alvarez is sentenced to death. A few years later, as the result of a privileged attorney-client communique, Melville learns who the real  killer is.  After the death of the guilty party, Melville asks Portland Oregon’s Robin Lockwood to help exonerate Alvarez.  All meetings with Melville take place at his desolate home, Black Oaks.  A replica of a 17th century English estate, it comes with a long sordid history and a curse. 

I have always liked Margolin’s books, and this one is no exception although it is somewhat different in that it includes a bit of spookiness and monsters.  As I read it, I  was reminded of  Agatha Christie’s stories.  Margolin acknowledged that attribution when a character said that they felt they were in an Agatha Christie novel. There were also mentions of werewolves and a hint of Frankenstein!  What fun!  

This was a quick, enjoyable read.  There are parallel stories to the main plot, something that seems to be a feature of the Lockwood series.  The one point that bothered me, though, was that I thought there was a flawed premise behind the unveiling of the motive of a killer in one of the side stories.  I don’t want to say any more about that lest I reveal a spoiler. 

Note:This was an ARC.  In some descriptions of the book, Melville has a different name (Hardy).

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress #minotaurbooks  for the ARC



****