The perfect gothic fantasy that young adults and adults alike will fall into with abandon. Olivia Pryor has grown up in a girl's school without family. She does not speak even when summoned by letter to come home to the estate Gallant where her mother lived. Olivia arrives at the estate only to find surprise at her summons and outright hatred from her cousin. She sees ghouls (ghosts) in the shadows and she quietly tries to solve the mystery of Gallant and her parents through her mother's journal. Shadows that whisper and a mirror estate on the other side of the wall lead Olivia on despite the warnings she has received. For fans of V.E. Schwabs other marvelous books as well as those by Neil Gaiman with a bit of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE thrown in for good measure. Billed as young adult but this will satisfy gothic lovers of all ages.
4 stars
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It is the end of the war when young teenager Maddie is dumped at her aunt's doorstep in Bright Leaf North Carolina by her mother who has gone husband shopping. Maddie has dreams of becoming a dress designer but gets thrown into the deep end of the pool when she must take over her sick Aunt's seamstress duties. The tobacco wives need their gowns finished for the big gala and Maddie is the only one who can take over. A kind tobacco wife takes Maddie into her home and supplies her with invitations to mingle with society as well as a sewing studio set up in the house. Maddie loves the beautiful life that Bright Leaf Tobacco offers the town but when she is privy to secret information her loyalty will be put to the test. An impressive debut that sets the stage well for the importance of tobacco in North Carolina as well as the hidden dangers that it represented to the workers and smokers at large. A coming of age story that is brought to life with the inclusion of advertising for the cigarette aimed at women and the colorful background that presents North Carolina in vivid Tarheel blue. You can almost smell the skunky tobacco fields , feel the thick humidity on the back of your neck and the gentle swish of the pine trees. I also listened to the audiobook and the narrator gave a spot on rendition. This will resonate with readers of historical fiction as well as those searching for strong female characters whose voices beg to be heard. 4 1/2 stars
Two killing sprees spaced fifteen years apart with one scary similarity - there was one teen left alive and the killer left them with the same parting words. Now investigating the second set of murders is an FBI agent determined to solve both, the first murder suspects brother trying to clear his family name and the survivors of both murders.
It is a very violent and twisted story full of misdirection, surprises and a crazy ending you won't see coming - everything you could want in a thriller. Don't work the night shift is the moral of the story. 4 stars A young reporter takes on more than she bargained for when she agrees to go undercover to find a priceless painting stolen by the Nazis. Woman on Fire means everything to the wealthy shoe designer who as a boy watched as his mother, the subject of the painting, was killed in front of him and the painting stolen. Now that he is dying he asks for help from his journalist friend and his grandson to find the painting no matter the cost. He is not the only one looking for it and this is a dangerous game. The underground art world, shadowy art acquisitions, art detectives and the chance for redemption all take top billing. A historical mystery that reads like true crime with a hint of romance, this is perfect for fans of art heists, MONUMENTS MEN, THE POSTMISTRESS OF PARIS, THE WOMAN IN GOLD and art lovers everywhere. 4 stars
A book about books and the imagination to create stories. While it is clear this author has a clear understanding of how reading has influenced her and her ability to tell stories ,this book reads like a travel log of journeys through reading and interesting destinations. From her school days where she begins to write and leave stories for a beloved teacher we get the message that everything you see, hear and experience is fodder for stories. Those readers who are looking for books and authors to add to their own personal reading lists will appreciate the mecca of books that are mentioned. 3 stars
The seven Shaw siblings have all grown up with a strong Midwestern farmer's work ethic. You work hard, don't ask anyone for a handout, don't show emotions and don't expect life to be easy. Written in alternating timelines and narrators from their youth in the late 1920's to adulthood in the 1950's this is a microscopic look at a proud family that never really recovered from their mother's depression and suicide at a young age. While only a couple of the kids stay or come back to the farm for good, they seem to always feel the pull back home in times of stress. All of the siblings are broken and scarred but are fiercely loyal to each other. A very quiet yet powerful novel of family and home reminiscent of books by Elizabeth Strout and Anne Tyler. 4 1/2 stars
Katy is grieving the recent loss of her mother and is at a loss over the state of her marriage as well as the lost path of her life plan. She decides to take the dream trip she and her mom were planning to take to Positano to feel closer to her mom and re-evaluate. Once there the sea, the incredible food and wine and the easy going people start to work their magic. Because Positano is a magical place, she spies and befriends a younger version of her mom. While it is fantastic to have the time with her at the age when she first fell in love with Positano, there are more questions than answers. Katy's attraction to a handsome American businessman isn't helping her miss home either. A clever storyline that includes a little romance, deep family relationships, and time travel lite. This is a must for daughters whose moms are their best friend as well as those of us who feel Positano is heaven on earth. Pour yourself a generous glass of Italian wine, find a sunny spot and escape to the Italian coast. 4 sunny stars
A young girl is found encased in a solid wall of ice in remote Greenland. She is brought back to life incredibly and starts babbling in a language no one understands. This is the perfect opportunity for Val who is a linguist specializing in dead Nordic languages and gives her a chance to see the research location where her twin brother recently took his own life. As appealing as this opportunity is there is a downside - Val's crippling anxiety. It is a small research team that she is working with in Greenland and they have a very short window to complete their research and solve the mystery of the girl before months of winter set in. The girl's Frankenstein rebirth is fascinating but Val begins to suspect the group leader of something more sinister. While Val falls for frustrated and sad Sigrid and begins to find a way of communicating she also wants to figure out if her brother's suicide wasn't something else. The perfect taunt read for a cold winter's night and one that hits all the right thriller notes - a remote site, a strange mystery with a hint of ancient magic, a fragile yet super tough female protagonist fighting for her sanity and a mesmerizing alien landscape. Anyone who is curious of just what it takes to be an Arctic explorer/scientist or love the mysteries of doomed expeditions such as the Endurance will find much to love here. A big bonus are the vocabulary words found in other tribal languages that the author shares. 4 stars
All hail the Queen! This is the second book in a cozy mystery set in Queen Elizabeth II's immediate kingdom and by that I mean the royal residence of Buckingham Palace. When one of the staff is found dead by a suspicious ankle cut, one of the Queen's favorite paintings has gone missing and turns up in an unlikely place and there is a rash of poison pen letters involving her staff - her Royal Majesty quietly begins to investigate on her own. Roxie is back at her majesty's side looking into the matter and it is all the Queen can do not to jump channels and go charging in with her beloved corgi's taking matters into her own hands. The wit is wonderful, the dialogue and voice is authentic and this has to be the perfect read while waiting for the next season of "The Crown". It is obvious that the author knows the royal family very well and is quick to point out Her Royal Majesty's considerable armchair detective skills plus you learn a fair amount of the history of Buckingham Palace. This would be so much fun in an audiobook and safe for a family vacation. 4 stars
A young doctor gets more than he bargained for when he takes over a small mountain practice in North Carolina. Once there he finds that he is taking over a practice of the previous doctor one who was beloved and trusted but is now in prison for murdering his father and they happen to share the same moniker - Dr. Gilmer. Eventually after the shock wears off Benjamin Gilmer meets Vince Gilmer in prison and comes away with an unsettling conclusion that Vince Gilmer may have had a medical reason for acting like a madman and committing murder. What Benjamin Gilmer and a legal/medical team find is that there is a deplorable lack of mental health care in the prison system and Vince Gilmer most likely has Huntington's disease which can cause strange violent behavior. An interesting look at both a country doc memoir and the strange rabbit hole that Dr. Benjamin Gilmer fell into when he took over Dr. Vince Gilmer's practice and the legal hoops he had to go through to see justice done. True crime, prison reform and unusual memoir themes are all at play here. 4 stars
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