Murder at a Planet-Saving Conference

Shannon Hammer, a contractor who specializes in restoring old houses, is particularly pleased to get a commission to restore the old farmhouse that will be the home of her friend, Marigold, and her fiance, Raphael Nash, a retired tech billionaire. In addition to the farmhouse project, Rafe wants Shannon’s team to construct a conference center. It’s supposed to have environmentally friendly buildings and be the site of a planet-saving conference.

The project has a short timeline because Rafe wants to showcase his green building technology. The site is ready on time and the conference goes on as scheduled. Shannon finds the participants an interesting mix of odd-balls and serious technologists. All is going well. The five-hundred people in attendance seem to be enjoying the site and the presentations until Rafe’s ex-partner is found dead. Now Rafe is the primary suspect and Shannon and her partner, Mac, need to help the police figure out what happened.

This is a fun read. Shannon and Mac engage in amusing banter. I found Rafe an attractive character. The descriptions of his conference center are well conceived. If you enjoy renovation and construction, the process of building the center is well described.

The background in eco-friendly technology is interesting, but sometimes veers into parody. Still, it’s fun to meet the strange characters responsible of the ideas. Altogether, this is a fun book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

The Threat to Religious Freedom in America

One of our most important freedoms as Americans is religious freedom. Our country was founded by groups fleeing their homelands because of religious persecution. They wanted America to be a place where they could practice their religion without fear.

Today many Christians believe their religious freedom is under attack from abortion rights to gay rights to the Muslem religion. The discussion of these problems in the government and news media sometimes leave Christians feeling that it’s a hopeless case to continue to keep the country moral. Although sometimes the prospect is discouraging, the author presents a number of ways Christians can be proactive in dealing with the secular community and telling others why religious freedom is important.

This is a book that all Christians should read. One point that struck me forcefully is that the government, and particularly the courts must balance a number of freedoms in making decisions. We cannot have things all our way. A second point I felt was very important and one that it’s hard to keep in mind when we live in an affluent society where so many of our needs and wants are met is that Jesus told Christians to be like him. This did not mean that they would not be persecuted or that they would not suffer. Part of being a Christian is keeping your faith through the difficult times and trying to see another’s point of view.

I highly recommend this book. It is an encouraging look at how to hold to your religious beliefs through this period of cultural change.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review.

Seaside Murder Complete with Spies

Lady Hardcastle has finally, much to Flo’s delight, decided to take a holiday by the sea. Flo is looking forward to strolls on the boardwalk, ice cream, Punch and Judy shows, and donkey rides on the beach. However, when they check into the hotel recommended by their neighbor, they are struck by the strange behavior of the other guests. Each guest is seated at a separate table, and they’re all foreigners.

There is one Englishman who the ladies get to know. Doctor Percival Goddard, a rumpled, absent-minded scientist is looking for a seat at dinner. All the tables are taken, but Lady Hardcastle invites him to join them. They enjoy each other’s company and continue on to drinks after dinner. Goddard is on his way to a conference and has scientific information with him in a trunk.

The next morning the ladies are shocked when Goddard doesn’t appear. This is only the first of several unfortunate occurrences, including murder. It gets Lady Hardcastle and Flo back into the game in spite of Lady Hardcastle’s brother warning her off.

I enjoy this series primarily because of the clever repartee between Lady Hardcastle and Flo. They are characters you can’t help liking, and they attract other interesting characters in their exploits. The scenes from Edwardian England are well done and give the novels a realistic background.

This was not my favorite of the series. I felt the bumbling chasing of spies was a little too campy. The plot is not that hard to figure out, although there is an interesting twist at the end. If you enjoy a romp through the British seaside in 1910, this is a fun read.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Principles for Achieving Your Goals

Whether becoming rich or achieving some other goal is what you desire, this is a useful book. Written in 1937 the book is still applicable today. The premise of the book is that you can use your mind and emotions to become rich. The author suggests that this is a secret and gives a number of biographical sketches to prove his point.

The book tells of a number of great men: Dale Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and others who used the principles to become fabulously wealthy. Interestingly many of the people in the book did not achieve ultimate success until after they were forty. This may have to do with finally acquiring the discipline to bring your energy to bear on your goal.

Although this book was written many years ago, the advice is applicable today. Having a goal and the persistence to work for it, are time tested ways to achieve success whether it’s riches or some other equally desirable outcome.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who wants to achieve a worthwhile objective and is willing to work for it.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

A Re-imagined Sherlock Holmes as a Lady Detective

Charlotte Holmes as Lady Sherlock solves crimes with the aid of her friend Mrs. Watson. She has invented Sherlock the detective as her ailing brother, but she and Mrs. Watson are the brains behind the detective work. In this case, a woman comes for a consultation. She listens to Charlotte’s explanation that her brother is listening in the next room, but leaves without engaging her services.

It transpires that the client, the Maharani of Ajmer, is an old friend of Mrs. Watson. She’s in need of help to retrieve letters that could cause much embarrassment which are hidden behind a Van Dyck painting in Vaudrieu, a French chateau. Stealing paintings is not really Charlotte’s line, but she with her friends Lord Ingram, Livia, her sister, and Mr. Marbleton, Livia’s beau, agrees to help and plans to infiltrate the house during a ball, presenting challenge and danger to the friends.

This series is a clever take-off on the original Sherlock Holmes stories. Although I found it amusing, it was hard to get into at first. This in not the first book in the series, so if you’re reading the series for the first time, it takes some thought to untangle the characters and background. Charlotte is an interesting character. She reflects on her life and friends and how she got to this place. I was hoping to see more of a romance with Lord Ingram, but they have both pulled back and seem to be evaluating where they want to go with their relationship.

The Victorian background is well done. It highlights the restrictions placed on women trying to pursue a career. If you enjoy historical mysteries with a strong female protagonist, this is a good book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Falling in Love in Ireland

Kate Moreton has always been in love with Ireland from the stories told by her father. Now she has a research fellowship in Limerick to finish her dissertation about the Blasket Islands. She plans to work and immerse herself in the land, but almost immediately she meets Ozzie Ferriter, a man whose family has a long history in the islands.

Kate has no plans to fall in love, but Ozzie is an insistent suitor. Finally, on a whim she marries him thinking it will all turn out perfectly. Ozzie, however, is a man whose demons have followed him from the war in Afganistan. Finally, Kate retreats to the safety of her academic life in the US, but the story is far from over.

The best part of this book, for me, is the description of Ireland and the Blasket Islands. You can smell the peat fires, see the sea views, and the green hills. It made me want to go and see it for myself. The love story is also captivating.

Kate is a conflicted character. She starts the novel not wanting an attachment. She’s in Ireland to work, but Ozzie is insistent, and she falls prey to the magic of the area. Ozzie is an interesting character. He has his demons, but he’s basically a good person. I felt even with the difficulties that he loved Kate.

This is a wonderful romance. The writing is poetic and, if you enjoy a character driven novel, this is a good one.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

An Edwardian Christmas Celebrated with Murder

The Pennyfoot Hotel is again open for business and beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. Cecily Baxter hopes it will be a Christmas to remember and even more hopes the curse is off the hotel. Unfortunately, the last hope is dashed when one of the maids finds the body of a man in the laundry room with a woman’s scarf wrapped around his neck.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, a note in his pocket suggests that he was meeting with one of the maids, a very young girl that Cecily had high hopes for. Now she has a double reason to solve the mystery: protect the girl and clear the name of the hotel.

If you enjoy Edwardian mysteries this is delightful. I loved the detailed description of the decorations and of the hotel itself. There are a plethora of suspects and Cecily does a masterful job of pulling apart their alibis. She makes a great sleuth, very tenacious and smart.

Although this is the fourth book in the series, I found it easy to get to know the characters and follow the mystery. I thought the author did a good job of filling in background without pulling away from the story for long descriptions of the characters role in the Pennyfoot saga.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Survival Under the Harshest Conditions

Only sixteen, Cilka was sent to Auschwitz with her family. Because of her beauty, she was separated from the other prisoners and used for sexual purposes by the commandant. When the camp is liberated, Cilka believes she will be free to go home, but the Russians charge her with collaboration for sleeping with the enemy and send her to the Gulag.

Thrust from one horrible situation to another, Cilka calls on her inner resources to survive. She finds a cause in taking care of other prisoners who are ill. She learns that friendship and even love are still possible.

This is an extremely moving book. Cilka is a very brave character. Caught in two horrific situations at a young age, she manages to survive and even thrive. I thought the author did an excellent job portraying her character and the challenges she faced.

This is not an easy book to read. The scenes in the concentration camp and the Gulag are heart rending. Still, it’s worth persevering because the dreadful backdrop allows Cilka’s character to shine. The book is fiction, but based on a true story. Whether you enjoy WWII books or not, I recommend this novel for the marvelous character development, realistic emotions, and the resilience of people caught in a horror few of us can imagine.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.