​Historical fiction written in a memoir style as Violeta recounts her 100 year old life from the Spanish Flu epidemic through the COVID pandemic.  It is an adventurous, lush life of privilege , disease, hard work, social unrest, politics and crime from South America to North America.  Isabel Allende's female characters are always a force of nature and Violeta is no exception as she learns to follow her heart instead of what her family and society expect of her.  We see how disease, poverty and politics shape and destroy a country through the rich characters.  Some of it feels very autobiographical and all of it heartfelt.  This will be a sure bet for readers of Lisa See or Amy Tan and the many fans of Isabel Allende.  4 stars

​Twin timelines center around the mansion home and art library of the the Frick family.  By 1920's standards Helen Frick is an outcast who is hindered by her obsession with winning praise from her overbearing father and wanting to do something more important than marrying and producing heirs. When Lillian Carter shows up (on the lam) and becomes Helen's personal secretary the two couldn't have been more different.  Time brings them closer together until a failed arranged romance, hastened death and theft disrupt all their lives.  Jump to the 1970's when a storm brings together a young model and an intern at the Frick Library who to pass the time begin unlocking the secrets that the building has kept hidden all those years.  Always a delight to see some of New York's secret treasures brought to life with real and imagined stories.  Fiona Davis is a master at dropping the reader into an exciting time period and wrapping them up in a mystery with characters we can connect with.  The author has included notes and books to further your knowledge of the Frick Library. Readers of historical fiction and a love of New York City will snap this one up.  4 stars

​Historical fiction highlighting another woman whose insight and contributions were undermined by the men around her.  Rosalind Franklin was devoted first to science and then to her family.  Her Jewish family after the war felt it was their duty to give back to the Jewish people and their London community and didn't understand why Rosalind did not make this her first priority as well.  Rosalind felt that her work unlocking  secrets of chemistry and the structure of DNA would be her way of giving back to the world.  She worked tirelessly, authored some brilliant papers and was well respected yet did not get nearly any of the credit that other more established male scientists did for her work in discovering the structure of DNA.  She opened up Pandora's Box of biological secrets yet kept her own life boxed up tight.  A brilliant account of a strong minded woman who challenged society's restrictions by one of the most acclaimed historical fiction authors.
Her many fans will enjoy this as will those readers who are searching for contributions made by behind the scenes women in the sciences.  4 stars

​4 1/2 stars
A sweeping historical novel that takes the reader to a Korea under Japanese occupation that includes  courtesans, revolutionaries, and poverty stricken cities.  Covering a broad section of time (1917-1965) and characters, we follow three young girls who are sold into the life of courtesans, orphan kids barely living on the streets who later will become revolutionaries fighting for independence and those in power in the Japanese military who exert full control and violence upon the innocent.  War, famine, death and destruction is juxtaposed with beauty, the arts and love in many forms.  Whether you root for the tiger or for the struggling nation yearning for independence, this is a Korean version of DOCTOR ZHIVAGO or GONE WITH THE WIND.  Readers who read historical fiction based in other lands and fans of Lisa See will delve into this book and not look up til dark.  4 1/2 stars

The second book of this series is just as good as the first.  The dynamic duo of Lillian Pentecost and Willodean (Will) Parker are back on the hunt for a killer and this one is personal because it involves Will's old circus family.  Not only was the victim a friend but the main (and only) suspect is another circus performer and friend.  Small town secrets lead Parker and Pentecost headfirst into danger in the main ring.  This smartly written crime noir is full of snarky wit and perfect for fans of mysteries best portrayed by Bogey and Bacall.  It is a Mickey Spillane style whodunnit  with smart female detectives who never play the femme fatale.  4 1/2 stars

​A tale of twin sisters born into a showbiz family who, as kids, endured one punishing vaudeville act after another. The rebel, Josie runs to Hollywood to become a star leaving Harriet behind to keep her fragmented family together, to be the "good girl" so her uncle will support them and play a role in a life she doesn't want.  A coming of age debut that includes family secrets, the underside of show business and the morale superiority of those in control.  This will resonate with fans of CITY OF GIRLS, GREAT CIRCLE and THE DOLLHOUSE.   4 stars