The Last Letter From London - Pam Lecky

 The Last Letter Form London - Pam Lecky

Publication Date:  August 17, 2023

She read

Sarah Gillespie, an Irish woman working as an MI5 agent in London during World War II, is tasked with being the handler for a volunteer double agent, Adeline, who is from Paris.  Adeline is impulsive, stubborn, and unpredictable. Sarah is never really sure if she can be trusted….either with the espionage task or with Sarah’s boyfriend, Tony.  Adeline’s only demand is that MI5 rescue her Russian boyfriend who is hiding in Paris. If they do not do that, she threatens to betray them to the Nazis. 

I started this book not realizing it was the third in a series.  That was a real disadvantage as there were references to people and past experiences that lacked background details. It worked OK as a standalone, but I really missed knowing more about Sarah and her friends’  histories.    

This was very different form most of the historical fiction I usually read as there was more emphasis on Sarah’s romance than on the espionage. I found her continual ruminations about Tony and their relationship a bit tedious.  In the chapters that focused on  the spy story, my interest picked up.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #avonbooks for the ARC.

***

The English Experience - Julie Schumacher

 The English Experience - Julie Schumacher

Publication Date:  Aug. 15, 2023

She read

Jason Fitger, a longtime uninspiring English professor and now head of the department at Payne College, was the last choice to lead a group of students for a study abroad course in London.  But, it was last minute and there really was no one else.  The class is a conglomeration of students, including someone who has never been away from her cat, a student who thought he was signing up for a trip to the Caribbean, and another one who is claustrophobic and has a dubious history. What could go wrong?  

Fitger was the main character in Schumacher’s prior two novels, including Dear Committee Members which won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. 

This was an entertaining, humorous, surprisingly poignant satire.   Not only are readers privy to many of the misadventures on the trip, but, as an added bonus, there are a sprinkling of the non sequitur, scarily a grammatical /poorly spelled essays written by the students.  I loved some of Schumacher’s observations of the European experience.  One of my favorites was the comment about a guide they encountered who spoke six languages.  In the US, anyone with that expertise would be “considered a diplomat or a genius.” In London, that accomplishment only resulted in a part-time guide job.  

This was a fun break from some of the heavier novels I have read recently.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #doubledaybooks for the ARC

****

Birder, She Wrote - Donna Andrews

 Birder, She Write - Donna Andrews

Publication Date: Aug. 1, 2023

She read

Meg and Cordelia, her grandmother,  join others in a search for a lost African American cemetery.  They do find it, but also find the recently murdered body of one of the town’s most disliked characters.  There is a lot going on in this cozy mystery - a murder, a missing neighbor,  drugs, moonshine, an annoying magazine writer interviewing Cordelia, bee hive treachery, blackmail, the NIMBYs who move to a rural area and then hate that there are animals and farms.

This is the thirty third in the Meg Langslow mystery series; it is the first I have read.  It was OK as a standalone, but there are many characters and as I imagine most of them have been introduced in earlier books, it was a little difficult at first to keep them and their relationships straight. The story takes place in Virginia. Meg is not a detective, but rather a decorative blacksmith who sometimes helps out the local mayor as well as enjoying becoming embroiled in local mysteries.  

There is light humor throughout the book and I enjoyed the character of Meg.  There was also a lot of information about raising bees as well as other flora and fauna found in rural living.  

Fans of this series will welcome this addition to it.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress @minotaur_books for the ARC.

****

None of This is True - Lisa Jewell

 None of This is True - Lisa Jewell

Publication Date:  Aug. 8, 2023

She read

A bit out of her element at a local restaurant with her husband for her birthday, Josie is fascinated by another woman, Alix, there also celebrating her birthday with husband and friends.   Josie wrangles a quick meet up in the ladies room, where she discovers they are the same age and were born in the same hospital.  After discovering Alix is a well known podcaster, Josie pursues her, suggesting she is about to make some changes in her life and her metamorphosis might make for a good podcast, since, after all, they are “birthday twins.” Alix buys into it, and starts recording their interviews.  As Josie reveals more and more of herself, her life seems a bit concerning. Soon she is stalking Alix, eventually moving in with her to escape an abusive home situation and putting Alix’s domestic safety in jeopardy.

The story moves back and forth between the actual action and the script of the future true crime Netflix show that will be made about Josie, a technique that slowly reveals oddities of her life.  Written in four parts, this is a dark thriller featuring a demented character.  More than that, it raises the question about how much one might compromise and stray from one’s own good sense in order to build a successful podcast or popular social media. It also leaves the reader with questions:  What is truth?  Is it in the eyes of the beholder?

Thanks to #netgalley and #Atriabooks for the ARC

****

The Paris Assignment - Rhys Bowen

 The Paris Assignment - Rhys Bowen

Publication Date: Aug. 8, 2023

While spending a semester at the Sorbonne, British citizen Madeleine Grant falls in love with Giles Martin. Madeleine defies her mother and stepmother to return to Paris and Giles, whose wealthy mother also disapproves of the match.  Despite that, they live a happy life with their son, Olivier,  until war breaks out and the Nazis occupy France. Mother and child flee to London, while Giles remains in his homeland to join the Resistance.  When the bombings start in London, it isn’t safe there either.  Madeleine sends Olivier to the country only to be informed that he has been killed when his train is bombed.  Despondent over her loss and wanting to do something for the war effort, she joins an elite group of French speaking women who are trained as spies and sent to France.

From Britain to France to Australia, this sweeping novel follows the Martin family through World War II and into the initial post war years. It is an enthralling tale of love, sacrifice, the horrors of war, and the hope that can spring from its end.  Yes, there are quite a few convenient coincidences that are probably unrealistic, but they did make for a good story and I couldn’t put this book down, reading it late into the night.

Every time I read a historical fiction novel set in WWII, I think the same thing….how have we not learned from the mistakes of history?.  People still gravitate toward narcissistic authoritarians and elevate them to positions of power.  When will we ever learn? 

This is only the second book I have read by prolific writer Rhys Bowen; I have enjoyed  both of them.

For sensitive readers, there are some tough subjects here…sexual abuse, child abuse, and the atrocities of war.

Thanks to #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for the ARC.

*****

Dark Corners - Megan Goldin

 Dark Corners - Megan Goldin

Publication Date: Aug. 8, 2023

She read

This is the second in the true crime podcaster Rachel Krall series.  Although I read the first one, this would work as a standalone. 

When Rachel receives an intriguing call from the FBI, she drops everything to fly to Florida.  There, she finds that the feds are trying to use her to get information from soon to be released prisoner Terence Bailey regarding the disappearance of a popular influencer, Maddison Logan, who met with him before she went missing.  The authorities believe that Bailey is responsible for the murders of some women prior to be incarcerated, but when another body shows up before he is freed, they wonder about an accomplice….and just what does that creepy insignia of a snake eating its own tail which keeps popping up have to do with the case?  

 Rachel gets caught up in the investigation. Along the way, the reader is introduced to and learns about the shallow world of influencers and soon Rachel is in danger. 

 This was a fast, engrossing read.  There seem to be a lot of storylines going on, but they all come together and are resolved by the last chapter.   As with the first in the series, The Night Swim, there is empathy expressed toward victims and their families. 

True crime podcasts have become a popular device in fictional mysteries/thrillers and I like that approach, somewhat different from standard police procedurals.  Although a bit obstinate, Rachel is a strong, savvy character  and I look forward to the next in the series. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC.

****

Death in Print - G.H. Malliet

Death in Print - G.H. Malliet

Publication Date:  Aug. 1, 2023

She read

G.M. Malliet writes three different mystery series.   This is the fifth in the St. Just series; it is the first I have read and it worked well as a standalone.  DCI St. Just of Cambridge is visiting Oxford with his fiancee, Portia, a crime fiction writer,  to celebrate the success of author Jason Verdoot.  The evening is spoiled when Verdoot is murdered.  St. Just offers his  assistance to Thames Valley police to investigate the many suspects. 

This was a solid somewhat cozy mystery/police procedural with an interesting cast of characters.  The author listed those characters with short descriptors at the beginning of the book which was much appreciated.  There was some dry British humor interspersed throughout the book, as well as insight into the world of publishing.  I enjoyed the references to the fictional Inspector Morse and the real actors who played in the two series about him; they are so much a part of Oxford popular culture.   

Thanks to #netgalley and #severn for the ARC.

****

 

Gone Tonight - Sarah Pekkanen

 Gone Tonight - Sarah Pekkanen

Publication Date: Aug. 1, 2023

She read

It has always been just the two of them, mother Ruth and daughter Catherine,  frequently moving purportedly due to financial concerns.  Ruth is a waitress; Catherine has just graduated as a nurse.  Catherine has invariable believed her mother’s story about being estranged from her very religious family because they kicked her out when she became pregnant.  As Ruth seems to be developing Alzheimer’s, Catherine begins questioning her familial history; things just don’t seem to add up and her investigation into it may put both of them in danger.

Told in alternating mother daughter POVs, the book is divided into three acts, an interesting technique. The story is nicely plotted.  There are twists, turns, deceptions.  Some may find the daily minutiae in the first act as the action builds a bit of a slow burn; I did not.  I was totally engrossed. I don’t want to spoil anything, but be sure you hang in there until the reveal at the end!

This is the fourth book I have read written or co written by Pekkanen and I have like all of them. She has become a “must read” writer for me. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #Stmartinspress for the ARC. 

****

The Bone Hacker - Kathy Reichs

 The Bone Hacker - Kathy Reichs

Publication Date: Aug. 1, 2023

She read

For this, the twenty second in the Temperance Brennan series, Reichs changes location for most of the book.  Tempe is a forensic pathologist who works both in Quebec and North Carolina.  When a citizen of the Turks and Caicos is shot in Quebec, a detective from that country enlists Tempe’s help in solving a case in that tropical land.  Tempe is on her own, as boyfriend Ryan is involved in his own case in Canada.    

The island mystery involves the disappearance of some young male tourists over the years; the bodies of two of them have recently been discovered.  When Tempe arrives in Provo T&C, she is immediately caught up in yet another case.  A boat is found with 5 dead people aboard, far off course and out of gas.  Could they possible be related?  Tne investigation puts both Tempe and island detectives in danger.   

Although this would work as a standalone, I have read all of the books in this series. I enjoy Reichs’ writing. She has a clever way with words and a good sense of humor comes through in Tempe’s biting wit.  While the narrative does get a bit technical at times, I always learn something new from Tempe’s cases.   Reichs is a master at building up suspense at the end of each chapter with a tease that makes the reader want jump into the next one.  

This is a nice addition to the series and I liked the change of venue.

Thanks to #netgalley and #scribner for the ARC

****

Onlookers - Ann Beattie

 Onlookers - Ann Beattie

Publication Date:  July 18, 2023

She read

I am not a big fan of short stories, but when I saw this collection by Ann Beattie, I couldn’t pass it up. Onlookers is a compilation  of linked stories that take place in Charlottesville, Virginia during the time of Covid and political distress when “any intelligent person has been driven half mad.” Readers may remember the white nationalist demonstration turned violent that occurred there in 2017. References to Charlottesville’s controversial statues and residents’ views permeate (but do not dominate) the stories.  Rather, these are tales of a time, a place, a community, and some of the characters who inhabit it. 

I loved Beattie’s  wickedly clever and astute observations of life. There were many gems, but one of my favorite was that misinformation on social media has become the modern Paul Revere.  It was a pleasure to read such literate pieces. 

As you read the stories, try to remember the characters from each story, as relationships to them may appear in later tales. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #scribner for the ARC.

****

The Bitter Past - Bruce Borgos

 The Bitter Past - Bruce Borgos

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

She read

This is the first in what is to be a series featuring Lincoln County, Nevada Sheriff Porter Beck.  After serving in Army intelligence, Beck returns to his hometown in the high desert as sheriff, a position once held by his elderly father who is in beginning stages of dementia.  The usually quiet police department is rocked when a retired FBI agent is found tortured and murdered. When Sana Locke,  a current FBI agent, shows up to investigate, the story is off on a thrilling ride involving nuclear testing in the 1950s and Russian spies.  The relationship of occurrences in the 50s to the present day story is told in alternating chapters entitled “the past.” 

I really liked the plot and found the story an engrossing, fast paced, action packed thriller.  I wasn’t as enamored of the characters, especially Porter Beck.  I was really put off by his constant sexualization of Sana.  He kept turning her into a sex object rather than a fellow professional.  I also was very uncomfortable with the character of Sana, for reasons I won’t go into because of spoilers.  There are a few story threads here, Borgos weaves them together nicely. 

There are a lot of good mystery series out there. I think this one has a lot of potential; I just hope that Porter grows up a bit and starts treating women with more respect. 

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

****

The Block Party - Jamie Day

 The Block Party - Jamie Day

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

She read

As the residents of tony Alton Rd. hold their annual Memorial Day block party, sirens are heard racing to the area and the town’s Facebook chat hints that there has been a murder.  The novel then goes back a year in time, introducing the neighbors and their personal, marital, and other difficulties.  It seems just about any domestic problem you can think of probably lives on Alton Rd.

The novel starts out with a breezy style of writing, stereotypical of Desperate Housewives or other evening soaps.  The plot thickens as the neighborhood goings on are told and secrets revealed from two POVs, mother Alex and daughter Lettie.  Alex’s POV is in third person; Lettie’s in first.

Although it was fast reading, this novel by a debut author is a bit long.  I couldn’t put it down, though, as it was fun imagining the reasons for every one of the characters to have been the victim or the killer!  I particularly enjoyed the online Meadowbrook Community Page posts, with all the snarky and sometimes inane entries.  We have something similar in my town and it really reminded of some of the exchanges I see there.  

For those who need trigger warnings, there are many of them here; if you are overly sensitive or not a fan of Big Little Lies genre, this book may not be for you.  But, if you enjoy a sordid confection for your summer read, check this one out.    

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC

****

Hope - Andrew Ridker

 Hope - Andrew Ridker

Publication Date:  July 11, 2023

She read

It is 2013 and the Greenspans live comfortably in Brookline Massachusetts.  Scott is a physician, Deb, a former dancer, is now active in her synagogue resettling refugees, son Gideon is on the path to medical school, and daughter Maya works for a publishing company.  But then Scott, needing extra money, is found to have falsified blood samples in a research study.  Deb leaves him for her female lover, Gideon drops out of school and ends up in the Middle East, and Maya gets involved with a former teacher with whom she had a crush and loses her job. 

This is well written, told from various POVs.  There is humor and the author does capture the times and the lifestyles of people of a certain socioeconomic strata.  While the book held my attention, I just didn’t engage with any of the characters.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #penguingroup #viking for the ARC.

****

The Woods are Waiting - Katherine Greene

 The Woods are Waiting - Katherine Greene

She read

Publication Date:  July 11, 2023

Blue Cliff is a small Appalachian town known as the town that “gobbles up” children because of the number of them who have gone missing in the woods and been found dead over the years.  When she graduated high school, Cheyanne couldn’t wait to leave the town and her eccentric mother who believed in the legend of the Hickory Man who stalked the woods and perpetuated a number of superstitions to keep him away.  Natalie had been Chey’s best friend and Jack her boyfriend.  When she left Blue Cliff, she also abandoned them.   Now, five years later when yet another child has gone missing after the assumed killer had been set free because found evidence exonerated him, Chey is called home by the police chief, a family friend, to tend to her mother who is getting more and more bizarre.  The town is boiling over in anger at the release of the presumed killer, yet Chey and her two friends believe him to be innocent.  Will they put their own lives in danger trying to seek the truth?

This is a great thriller debut by author Katherine Greene. The story is told from two POVs and takes place mostly in the present, although there is some going back in time as characters reflect on their earlier history.  It is a slow burn that is atmospheric and spooky. The rituals that some of residents of the small town follow to keep their children safe from the Hickory Man are no different from superstitious practices that many people preserve. Chey’s mother’s belief in herbs, poppets, and other practices have foundations in so many cultures.  Some may think they know the truth early in the read, but that doesn’t take away from an engrossing read and it may not be the entire story!    

Thanks to #netgalley and #crookedlanebooks for the ARC.

****

Taken Girls - Carolyn Arnold

 Taken Girls - Carolyn Arnold

Publication Date:  June 20, 2023

This is the eighth in the Detective Amanda Steele series, one of my favorites.  Although I have read quite a few of them, this would work as a standalone.  

When her best friend’s older sister, Reese, goes missing,  Ava contacts her aunt, Prince William County (Virginia) Detective Amanda Steele. Amanda drops everything to investigate and interrupts her partner, Trent’s, weekend for his assistance.  It is the night of Reese’s prom and she was supposed to reign over it as Prom Queen.  When her murdered body is discovered at the country club prom venue, the race is on to find the killer.  Ava, who just can’t resist doing some of her own sleuthing, soon becomes a target for the killer. There are quite a few potential suspects, from the person Reese beat out for prom queen, to a questionable substitute teacher, to the staff at the country club….or could it be an unknown, someone Amanda and Trent haven’t yet considered?

Yet another of Arnold’s fast paced, engrossing police procedurals, I read it in one day, long into the night, because I could not put it down.  Arnold knows how to capture and maintain her readers’ interest. I love the repeating characters, especially Amanda who, despite an earlier tragedy in her life, is a strong, capable, independent female and I enjoy the camaraderie between her and Trent. 

Without going into the reason, because it would reveal a spoiler,  the victimology and characters in this story gave me a lot to think about; it is still in my head.  We have just too many mean girls, boys, and adults in this world.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #bookouture for the ARC.

*****