Maude's sister ran off posing as the ship's boy and joined a search party to hunt for the missing Franklin expedition in the Arctic. Just as Constance is not all she seems so are some of the crew members on board and soon she finds herself in danger and when the ship returns to England Maude is told that her sister has died. She wants answers but gets the runaround with the exception of a kind soul who gives Maude her sister's journal. From the journal she finds herself hunting a man who organizes macabre train excursions to witness prison hangings and other gruesome places like Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors. This historical mystery blends the best of seagoing explorations and misadventure with the Victorian society's fascination with death and the sensational then bundles it nicely with an eerie mystery and a wicked little twist at the end. Perfect for readers of Greer Macallister's ARCTIC FURY and Stuart Turton. 4 stars
0 Comments
On the coast of South Africa there is a house, once grand and now crumbling, home to a diverse group of haunted people and a djinn. The Doctor leases out rooms to Sana and her dad. As the only young person in the house Sana keeps to herself but soon begins to explore and when she finds a diary of a past inhabitant she finds herself drawn into secrets the house has tried to hide for decades. Driven by her own ghosts Sana becomes obsessed with the mystery of the journal's owner and her life at the house stirring up emotions long buried and mournful ghosts unseen. A tale full dichotomies- of loss and great love, of tragedy and joy and of guilt and forgiveness. Beautifully crafted, the melodic writing pulls you under the spell of the lost souls of the house. Fans of gothic haunted houses filled with tortured souls that always seem to be by the sea will enjoy this. 4 1/2 stars Marley is a loner until she is pulled into the embrace of the Josephs. They are a family made up of hard headed men and while they may be great at fixing roofs they all need help fixing their relationships with others and between themselves. Marley comes into the family with one brother but then falls in love and marries the middle brother and becomes a surrogate mom to the youngest. She quickly becomes frustrated with the way they handle the business, each other and her mother in laws indifference. At some point this all changes and she will become the sun they revolve around even the tyrannical head of the house. Every family has their secrets and every small town either works to unearth them or hides them right along with you. A quiet but piercing look at family and all those hard things that break you up while the people who are your glue keep you together. It may be 1990 in rural Pennsylvania but the emotional impact, deep characters and love rings true anywhere and anytime. Best read with a tissue box handy. Fans of Ann Patchett, J. Ryan Stradal and WE ARE THE BRENNANS will hold this close to their heart. 4 1/2 stars
A gorgeous multigenerational family saga beginning in Nantucket and characters from MOBY DICK mainly a chowder maven innkeeper and a sailor named Ishmael. Evangeline has been blessed or cursed with the ability to plant suggestions in people's heads letting her influence the thoughts of those around her. While she hungers for Ishmael who has signed onto a whaler which causes her to leave home later with her infant daughter. This search will continue as do the gifts handed down to the women of the family. Her daughter will grow up unmoored and her journey as well as her granddaughter's journey will eventually lead them full circle back to Nantucket. A beautifully written story of little white lies, the magic power of suggestion and family tension between stubborn women with an independent nature and a hunger for answers. While this story does pay homage to MOBY DICK, it highlights the women behind the whalers and even a whale to dive deeply into the struggles these women faced in the search for the truth of their history. Fans of THE PROSPECTORS by Ariel Djanikian and GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead will enjoy this and you may also want to reread MOBY DICK. 4 stars
Life was hard for settlers in Maine in 1789 and women knew this all too well. Disease, crop failure, childbirth or the whims of men plagued women young and old. Martha Ballard is a respected midwife who up until now has been the medical authority for the village. She is there for births, sickness, death and accidents all of which she diligently records in her journal. When she is summoned to help with a boat accident and to record a death of a man found trapped under the ice she fears that her findings will put her family at risk. Not everyone is eager to hear the truth especially the legal authority in town and the men who may be responsible for the death and a rape coverup. It takes great strength to stand by her convictions and that is what she does even if her family will be harmed. Gentle storytelling blended artfully with the violence of the harsh New England landscape and vicious treatment of women at the hands of powerful men. Historical fiction that will appeal to readers of Greer Macallister and Alice Hoffman.
4 1/2 stars Ruby Vaughn is asked to deliver a set of books to a Pellar (folk healer) who happens to live where her ex lover and former best friend Tamsyn resides with her family. The trip starts to go badly when she is invited to dine at her friend's manor home and her husband the Lord ends up dead. The village happens to be very superstitious and dead certain in the belief that Ruby is a witch and has reawakened the curse. Thankfully Ruan the Pellar intercedes and together they try to find the real killer . All the classic gothic elements are here - small rural village with a crumbling manor house whose Lord has fathered half the village, a rampant curse and post war trauma and lots of people with a score to settle. Readers of Agatha Christie , Sophie Hannah and classic whodunnits will adore Ruby and this debut. 4 stars Willow Jean Parker (Will) and her boss, private eye maven Ms. Pentecost are at it again. They are hired to find a missing elderly lady who is a class A hoarder and they can't figure out where she went or why someone is looking for her so hard. Could she just have incredible deductive powers, a fantastic memory and figure out something that someone else didn't want found. Of course there are other problems going on like Will getting mugged with the Packard and her pride being taken for a ride. This is another fabulous addition to a series that features tough women in charge of their own life despite the men around them that want to take that power away. Great characters and gritty crime noir of yesterday is an irresistible combination. 4 stars to the series Set sail on a true adventure and the unusual life of a young woman who escapes the drudgery of service and some cutthroats by masquerading as a cabin boy on a pirate ship. Hannah will need to keep her wits about her just to keep her head above the deep blue sea now that she is part of the crew to the infamous pirate Ned Low. Her adventures lead her from sea battle to storm to treasure hunt which are all immortalized in a journal. The second part of the story takes place in 1930 with the discovery of the journal and proposed hunt for the missing treasure by an enterprising undergrad to her college professor whose father is a famous adventurer. We follow these women all trying to think outside the box and wanting to follow a path that is different from what society thinks they should follow. The absolute best part is that much of this story is based in the life of the author's third great aunt giving it authenticity seasoned with the colorful writing style of the author. Set sail for the perfect blend of riveting sea adventure mixed with the story of three very different women who aren't afraid to forge new paths. Fans of THE ADVENTURES OF AMINA AL-SIRAFI will love this. 4 1/2 stars
Lady Petra is a young widow who is financially independent and has decided not to remarry - aghast!
This being Regency England, the lords, with the exception of her father, are beside themselves. Imagine a mere woman handling an estate herself and making decisions other than menu planning and ball gowns! When several wives begin to have strange episodes of hysteria or go missing Petra starts asking questions which lead her to a dangerous path - one where she may disappear as well. The cheeky wit of BRIDGERTON mixed with the all too frightening and real demise of independent thinking women at the hands of self important men many of whom were locked up and stripped of their inheritance and power. I listened to the audiobook of this and it was delightful and eye opening. 4 stars In a small Texas town a man who tries to stay away from danger and drama gets pulled into a family feud. He undertakes a journey to help a pregnant woman and her son flee an abusive husband and family. In doing so he himself finds purpose, friendship, love and family. This is the morality of Don Quixote meets great characters of NEWS OF THE WORLD. Written in authentic language with a clear balance of chivalry and violence of post Civil War Texas this makes Elizabeth Crook one of the Western.greats. 4 stars |
I love to read good books and share the new books that are available and those that are coming soon
Adult Genres
General Fiction Historical Fiction Thriller / Mystery Fantasy / Sci-Fi Non-Fiction All Adult Genres Other Genres Young Adult Genre Kids Books Genre Follow Kim
Review Archives
May 2024
|