The Horror of Being Committed to a Mad House in 1887

Edyth Foster was a lively young woman who preferred fencing and riding her velocipede to more feminine pursuits. She felt she was protected and able to indulge her choices because at twenty-five she was to inherit the large fortune bequeathed to her by her deceased parents. Unfortunately for Edyth, her uncle, who until her twenty-fifth birthday controlled her fortune, recently married. His new wife, loathe to give up the life afforded by Edyth’s money, finds a loophole in the will that allows the uncle to retain the fortune if Edyth is found insane and committed.

In 1887, some doctors were willing to certify a patient insane for money. This allowed husbands and other relatives to rid themselves of inconvenient female relatives. Edyth is committed to Blackwell Island an asylum on the East River between Manhattan and Queens. There Edyth meets Nellie Blye who is undercover doing a story for Pulitzer.

The description of conditions in the asylum is chilling. It’s even more so when you realize that women were actually subjected to these conditions. I thought the author did an excellent job showing the horrors of Blackwell Island. The scenes are based on the book written by Nellie Blye, Ten Days in a Mad-House.

The story is historically accurate, thrilling, and there’s even a delightful romance. If you enjoy historical mysteries, this is a good one.

I received this book from Barbour Books for this review.

Truth, Lies, and Murder at and Elite Girls' School

The Goode School is for those privileged young ladies born to wealth and position to train for leadership positions in the world. That is what parents and even the dean of the school would like to believe, but there is a darker side of troubled teenagers, secret societies, and an honor code that doesn’t stop the girls from committing dangerous acts and lying about them.

The opening scene is chilling. In the early morning of a Virginia day, the students wake to find a classmate hanging from the arch of the entrance gate. Her face is so mutilated that it takes time to identify her. Who would do such a thing and more important, why?

This is a suitably chilling psychological thriller. As we’re introduced to the girls, we realize that all is not as it seems. Ash, a new student from England, is talented and beautiful. Her parents are dead and she’s there on a scholarship sponsored by the dean. It all sounds very normal, but immediately she tells us how much she likes to lie. It’s the first hint of the serious troubles infecting the school.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers with lots of twists, this is a good one. The lives of the students, parents, and teachers are intertwined in sinister ways it’s hard to guess. The setting is realistic, not surprising because it’s based on the author’s years at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia. Because of the author’s familiarity with the setting the hidden tunnels and haunted arboretum are quite realistic.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Justice for Ordinary People

The setting is the other face of Los Angeles where homelessness is common, many children experience foster care, and abuse and crime abound but often there’s no justice for ordinary people.

Jazz and Joaquin, her brother, are products of the foster care system. Jazz, much older, was able to escape their abusive foster mother, Carol, but Joaquin is still trapped. Although not living in the same house, Jazz keeps track of her brother. This is important because he’s diabetic and needs insulin regularly. Carol’s latest fad is believing that God will heal him, so she tries to keep Jazz from bringing him the needed medicine.

Jazz feels enough rage to kill. Then she receives a blocked phone call offering to help her get justice by killing Carol, but there’s a catch. She must kill a stranger to help someone else.

As Jazz struggles with what to do, we meet others whose justice is meted out by strangers. The plot makes for a pulse pounding thriller as anonymous murders terrorize LA, and the police can’t figure out what’s happening.

In addition to being an exciting thriller, the character are great. You can’t help but love Joaquin and Jazz. She’s a tough, but loving character. You want them to get away from Carol’s influence, but at what price for Jazz?

If

you like thriller’s that have a message and great characters, you like this book.

A Family Miracle at Christmas

Seven years ago Elizabeth, Luke’s wife, disappeared. Some townspeople whispered about foul play. Now an ambitious district attorney is planning to file charges against Luke for her disappearance and apparent murder. Luckily, an FBI agent and friend of Luke found Elizabeth. Now all Luke has to do is bring her back to town to prove his innocence. He’s been a single father for seven years and can continue, but seeing Elizabeth stirs old emotions.

Elizabeth is conflicted. She was severely depressed when she ran away thinking she couldn’t cope with her family and wasn’t good enough for them. Then a serious car accident wiped her memory and left her with lasting physical problems. She now remembers her family, but how can she go back?

This story focuses on severe depression and how it can affect a person’s perception of themselves and others. One criticism I had of the book was that the author waited so long into the story before explaining why Elizabeth ran away and how traumatic it was for her. I suspect it was done to build suspense, but I think the story would have been stronger if the truth had been revealed earlier.

Luke is a very strong character. He’s put up with so much, but he still loves his wife and family and wants to bring them back together. The children were a welcome addition to the story. However, I thought Cassie was bratty and rude to her mother for too long. Still, it’s typical of young girls to be resentful when absent mothers return to the family.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Family Crises Surround a Christmas Wedding

Maggie is looking forward to having her family back together for Christmas at Honeysuckle Cottage near Oxford when her impulsive daughter, Rosie calls and upends the family’s plans. She’s getting married at Christmas in Aspen, Colorado in the US. Of course, Rosie wants her parents there. The problem is that Maggie and Nick are waiting for their divorce to be final. Maggie can’t bear to tell the family at the wedding, so she asks Nick to pretend they’re still together.

Katie, Maggie’s older daughter, is a busy ER doctor in Oxford. She’s working too many hours and struggling with an incident that happened at work. She immediately thinks Rosie is making a mistake and is determined to stop the wedding. Rosie, herself, is nervous. She made an impulsive decision to marry Dan. She does love him, but what if it was too quick. She knows she’s impulsive and sometimes it doesn’t work out well.

This is a lovely, heartwarming story of a family overcoming their problems and coming back together at Christmas. The setting at a gorgeous lodge in Aspen is perfect. It’s a wonderful spot for a wedding and healing hearts.

Maggie is a strong character. She wants to hold the family together, but is she making the right decision to divorce Nick? I didn’t care for Katie. I thought she was too sanctimonious and take charge. Luckily, she grew over the course of the story.

This is a great romance in the spirit of Christmas.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Finding What You Truly Desire at Christmas

Dr. Erika Sheraton, a driven, general surgeon, has nothing in her life but her surgery practice and research. She has few social skills and drives people away with her brusque manner. When the hospital board mandates a two week vacation for her, she literally doesn’t know where to go. Finally, she decides to visit Cassie, her best friend from her childhood. Cassie lives in Wild River where Erika grew up. It’s been a long time, she hopes Cassie will take her in, but what will the reunion be like?

Reed Reynolds, Cassie’s brother, is a search and rescue team leader. He remembers Erika from one night when they were lost in the mountains, and he held her because she was afraid of the dark. Now that she’s back he sees the same stuck-up brat he remembers, but there was that one night when she seemed human.

The romance between Erika and Reed starts from the moment they set eyes on each other, fueled by a few cranberry-vodka cocktails. It gets pretty steamy at some points, but when Erika returns to Anchorage, Reed wonders if they can hold a long distance relationship together.

For me, the best part of the book was the exciting description of search and rescue in the mountains. This is the first book in the Wild River Series, and I hope the focus continues to be on search and rescue work. Erika was a good character, but Reed stole my heart. he was so brave and he cared so much about Erika. If you like steamy romance with a great setting, this is a good one.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Christmas Means Giving

Olivia Berg has dedicated her life to the charity founded by her grandmother. The charity has been helping Pine River families in need for generations at Christmas, but now there’s a shortage of funds. It’s worse because Hightower Enterprizes, usually a major donor, is cutting back this year. Guy Hightower thinks this is an appropriate move. Hightower is having financial problems. He doesn’t see why Olivia can’t understand this.

Olivia can’t understand because to her giving is the most important part of Christmas. Then fate throws them together. Guy's car breaks down near Pine River, he’s delighted to be rescued by a pretty young woman until he finds out it’s Olivia. He can’t let her find out who he is.

When Guy can’t get a room at the inn, Olivia offers him a place to stay. Getting to know Olivia and her father, Guy finds he quite likes her, but he’s keeping a secret of who he is.

This book has a good story line, but I found the characters lacking. Olivia is overbearing and curt. Guy seems to find her attractive, but the relationship didn’t ring true to me. Plus he keeps letting the secret of his identity go on for what seems too long.

I did like the focus on the importance of giving, but I thought Olivia’s character could have done a better job of making the point if she had been less abrasive.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Finding Your Heart at Christmas

Ellie Bell has been a widow for several years. It’s been difficult raising her daughter, Amelia, alone, but this year the mist of grief is lifting. She wants to make a real Christmas for her daughter. She also wants to move on. She wants to kiss a man under the mistletoe, dance, and have fun.

Caleb Dalton has been Ellie’s salvation. He was Clint, her husband’s best friend, and although Ellie doesn’t know it, he’s always loved her. As Christmas approaches, Caleb is also thinking of moving on. He’s bought a ranch of his own. If he moves there he won’t be as close and suddenly Ellie realizes how much she depends on him and will miss him. The scene is set for Christmas magic and acknowledging love.

This book is part of a series about the Daltons. The characters have a long history with each other which forms part of the background in the early chapters. It’s not difficult to catch up, but it takes a bit to keep the backstory straight.

Ellie and Caleb are struggling with acknowledging how they feel for each other and that they’ve felt this way for a long time. I was glad to see them finally getting together. However, one of my favorite characters is Amelia. She’s such a happy little girl. You want to have Caleb and Ellie get together so she can have her perfect family.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Forgiveness and Starting Over at Christmas

Tobias Richardson is trying to get his life in order. He spent thirteen years in prison for shooting a boy when he was a teenager. Now he’s back in Silver Springs. He has a job and his brother’s family is supportive. Still, it’s hard because some in the town are not ready to welcome him back.

Having a meal in the local diner he sees a woman with sad eyes. Harper Devlin is spending Christmas with her sister. She’s trying to move on from the marriage she thought would be forever. She supported her rock star husband when he was struggling to get noticed. Now he’s famous and wants to walk away from Harper and their two children.

Tobias and Harper become friends and could be more, but each is struggling with a problem. Tobias is afraid he’ll lose her if he tells her about his background. She’s torn because while the divorce is almost final, her husband is now talking reconciliation.

This is a heart warming story and the Christmas season is a perfect backdrop for two people who are trying to start over. Harper is understandably torn between her husband and the relationship she’s developing with Tobias. I thought her struggle was very realistic.

I could understand Tobias not wanting to broach his past when he’s unsure of where he stands with Harper, but it felt like it went on too long. Both are excellent characters. You can’t help but wish them well. I loved the ending. It pulled the story together perfectly.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

A Love Story Infused with Sadness

It’s 1936, nine-year-old Alice has been sent to Blackwood, her grandparents estate, while her mother, Selina and her husband, Robert, are on a trip to Burma to see Rupert’s mines. Blackwood is a cold, deteriorating place. Alice is lonely. She misses her mother dreadfully. Then a wonderful thing happens. Polly, the maid who cares for her, gives her a letter from her mother that sets her on a treasure hunt to find out who she is.

In 1925, WWI was over and Selina was one of the bright young things. After the war, they couldn’t get enough of parties, booze, and silly treasure hunts through London. Selina’s mother wants her to marry and marry well. The Lennox family is struggling after the war, but Selina isn’t interested in pleasing her mother and marrying Robert Carew, the man her family has chosen for her.

On one of the treasure hunts, Selina meets Lawrence Weston. He wants to be a photographer, but to earn money he paints pictures of the war dead, sons, husbands, and fathers, to give the family a keepsake. Without meaning to, Selina and Lawrence fall madly in love. She thinks maybe she can make this work, but tragedy strikes and she settles for the safe option, marring Robert.

This is a story that will make you laugh and cry. The settings both London and Blackwood are well done and historically accurate. They make the time periods come alive. Selina’s story is tragic. She was almost able to achieve her heart’s desire, but lacked courage. I loved Alice. She is a sturdy little girl trying to cope with an atmosphere she doesn’t understand. Polly was a perfect companion for her. She cared for the child, but didn’t try to take the place of her mother.

This isn’t either a romance or an historical novel. It’s an emotional story of people faced with love and tragedy growing and changing. I highly recommend it.

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.

A Beautifully Illustrated, Scholarly Look at the Middle Ages

Illustrated books and illuminated manuscripts are used to show how people in the Middle Ages looked at the world. The most interesting aspect of this work is the global character. Many studies of illuminated manuscripts and other illustrated books focus on Europe. This study looks at South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The book covers map making as well as all types of books from scrolls to folded books. It does an excellent job of discussing a variety of cultures and how people viewed themselves.

The book is a series of essays by a variety of experts. Being a scholarly book, the essays are often dense with words not commonly used in everyday discourse. However, I didn’t find the book hard to read, and the ideas made it worth the effort.

The illustrations are probably the best part of the book. They are not all full page illustrations because many focus on a small part of the original picture, often in the margins of the books. While not precisely a coffee table book, it is one that you can enjoy just looking at the illustrations and reading selections from the essays.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Murder at the 1939 World’s Fair

Elizabeth “Biz” Adams, a photographer, and her colleague, Ralph Kaminsky, a reporter, are at the l939 World’s Fair in New York City reporting on a robbery. Instead they encounter a murdered young woman found in the Aqucade’s pool with a nylon stocking around her neck. Elizabeth snaps a photo as the police arrest Joey Dorman, a young hot dog vender. He’s terrified and says he’s innocent.

Elizabeth’s photo makes the front page, but she can’t forget the frightened look on Joey’s face. She’s convinced he’s innocent, and she and Kaminsky set out investigate. When Kaminsky is injured, Elizabeth decides to continue alone.

The World’s Fair is a perfect setting for this cozy mystery. The author does a good job of describing the marvels on display as well as bringing in the tense atmosphere as the world careens toward war. Elizabeth is a perfect heroine for this era. She comes from a wealthy family. Her mother wants nothing more than to see her married, but Elizabeth wants to make her own way.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a good series. The books have serious mysteries to solve, but keep any illicit sexual encounters out of the story line.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Master Thief and His Greatest Crime

An enormous statue by a famous modern artist is stolen from Nesselrode Plaza at it’s dedication ceremony. It couldn’t be done, but Riley Wolfe did it. It was a great accomplishment, but now he’s bored. He wants to do something to top his achievement, but it has to be grand, something to enlarge his already prodigious reputation.

Riley settles on stealing one of the Crown Jewels from the Persian Empire. It would be a lunatic idea to steal it in Iran, but they’re coming to New York City where they will be displayed in a private museum protected by the latest electronic devices, the Black Team, and heavily armed Iranian guards. It’s impossible, but that’s what attracts Riley.

The story follows Riley’s careful planning and the execution of his scheme. I enjoyed the irreverent way Riley talks about his mark. However, it does leave you with a myriad questions about his moral development. He loves stealing from the fabulously wealthy, but just because people are in the .1 percent doesn’t make them less human beings.

The book is a great thriller, fast paced and cleverly written. The story is told from several points of view, although Riley’s predominates. His sections are in first person, the others in third person. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. This is apparently the start of a new series. I’m looking forward to future books.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

A Love Affair Leads to Murder

Nora Holliday, a food blogger, is at a convention. Josh Landon, an orthodontist, is at a different convention at the same hotel. He’s taken care of Nora’s children so it seems harmless to have a drink together. However, the drink and conversation last much too long and then, even though they’re not that kind of people, they’re having an affair.

Josh’s wife Gwen, seems like a lovely person on the outside. She and Josh appear to be the perfect couple, but then she’s found in the Landon’s yard with her head bashed in. This puts a great deal of strain on the family, but also on the Nora and Josh relationship.

I liked Nora and Josh. Affairs are wrong, but I couldn’t help wanting them to be together because their partners were so bad for them. Gwen was a self-centered bitch. She certainly made the perfect victim. Abby, Gwen and Josh’s daughter, was a hard character to figure out. She was home from college having suffered a romantic disappointment. However, her response to the trauma seemed out of proportion to the injury.

The setting was well done. Lovely suburban communities like Shoreham while serene on the surface often are a seething mass of discontent and anger.

I thought the book was well done. The identity of the killer is hard to figure out. I felt it was almost an anticlimax after so much emotion surrounded the affair between Nora and Josh.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

An Email Hack Leads to Embarrassing Revelations and Murder

The entire faculty and student body of Aldrich University, an almost Ivy League School, is thrown into a panic when the school’s email system is hacked and the data exposed on a searchable database. Some people worry their secrets will be revealed, others search the database avidly hoping to discover dirt on their friends and associates.

Kit Manning, daughter of the president of the University and a university fund raiser, is married to handsome Dr. Greg Strasser. Her emails aren’t a problem, but it becomes apparent that Greg has been involved with numerous women, one underage, The hack takes a serious turn when Greg is murdered in his home during the major fundraising event of the year.

The story is told from multiple points of view by people who were damaged by the revelations, had something to hide, or wanted to use the information to undermine others. Lynn, a member of the fundraising team, hates the fact that Kit is the favored one in the department. She’s very catty and will do anything to get her own way. She’s an amusing character because she’s so unashamedly self-centered.

The story is full of twists, just when you think you’ve figured out the murderer, a new fact crops up. The only problem is that it puts the reveal very close to the end making the end of the book feel rushed. However, it was a good mystery with well drawn characters and an interesting setting.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

A Modern Retelling of Little Women

Retelling cherished stories in a modern setting often doesn’t work. This is the case with Meg and Jo. The author tries to be true to the character of the original March sisters, but that’s hard to do in a modern setting. For me it didn’t work well.

Meg is a stay-at-home-Mom. She has two adorable twins and a handsome husband who does his best for the family. Because John, her husband, works so hard, Meg feels that she must do everything at home. This leads to secret resentment and an attitude that makes her resist well meaning offers of help. I though her character was far removed from the original Meg.

Jo still wants to be a writer, but the economy isn’t good. She loses her full-time writing job in New York and is barely staying afloat working as a food blogger and prep cook. She desperately wants to maintain her independence and doesn’t want her family to know how much she’s struggling.

When the girls’ mother becomes seriously ill they have to find a way to keep up the farm work as well as their families and careers. For Jo, this means coming back to Bunyan, North Carolina. The girls’ father is no help. He is portrayed as totally wrapped up in counseling veterans and generally unavailable to the family. I felt the inclusion of his character detracted from the story more than added to it since he was so peripheral and yet still there.

I think the author tried to do justice to the original story. However, as I said in the opening, it’s very difficult to transpose characters between time periods and keep the feel of the original story. It was an interesting try, but for me, it wasn’t successful.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A North/South Civil War Romance

After the Battle of Chickamauga, wounded Yankee soldiers are brought to the home of Pearl MacFarlane and her father. The MacFarlane’s have very little, and they’re mourning the deaths of three of Pearl’s brothers in battle. For these reasons, Pearl does not want Yankees in her home. However, she has no choice.

Relying on her faith in God, Pearl accepts the challenge of caring for the men and finds that although Yankees, they are regular people. Josh Bledsoe, a soldier from Ohio, draws her in spite of her aversion. He has lost a hand and is struggling with his antipathy toward the South in much the same way, Pearl is to

the North. Still, the pair are drawn together.

In this story, there are no plantations and dashing cavaliers. The MacFarlands are farmers. They don’t own slaves and don’t believe in it, but they do believe in the rights of their state, Tennessee, and that’s what they fight for. I though the author did an excellent job of bringing these people to life. It highlights the fact that not all southerners were fighting to preserve slavery. For many, it was loyalty to their homes and their state.

Pearl and Josh are characters you can understand. Each has their own loyalties when they meet, but as they get to know each other, they begin to understand the other’s point of view and to respect it.

This is one of my favorites from the Daughters of the Mayflower series. I highly recommend it.

I received this book from Barbour Books for this review.