A Twisty Gothic Tale Set in Norway

 Lexi has reached bottom. After a suicide attempt and stay in the hospital, her boyfriend of eight years tosses her out with no money and no where to stay. Lexi uses his train pass to have somewhere to go and fate intervenes. She overhears two women talking about a job opportunity in Norway taking care of two children. The woman with the job application isn’t sure she wants to go, but Lexi is. She copies the job application and submits it right there on the train.

She gets the job and in some respects it’s wonderful. She falls in love with the two little girls, Gaia and Coco, but something seems off about the house. Tom, the father and a well known architect, is building his version of an ecologically friendly house to honor his dead wife, Aurelia. However, Lexi begins to wonder whether Aurelia committed suicide, or whether she was murdered.

Although the story starts with too much coincidence for my taste, it improves when Lexi gets to Norway. The characters in the house are suitably odd from Maren, the housekeeper devoted to Aurelia, to Clive, Tom’s business partner, and his strange spiritual wife, Derry. The children are wonderful. Their interactions with Lexi are a welcome contrast to the apparently supernatural happenings.

The atmosphere of the book is suitably dark with fairy tales, Nordic legends, and the diary of the dead woman. The story is told from multiple viewpoints and time periods, but it’s easy to follow and the various perspectives add depth to the story. If you enjoy spooky thrillers, this is a good one.

I received this book from Net Gallery for this review.

Sisters Solve a Mysterious Disappearance

 

When their famous actress mother disappeared, their pharmaceutical tycoon father sent the sisters away from the beautiful Mediterranean island they loved. Now ten years later Manon and Thaïs return to the island for a ten year retrospective on their mother’s life. They have never really believed she died and now the hope to find clues to her disappearance.

When she disappeared, their mother was working on a script, The White Fox. They hope the script may offer clues to what happened. The sisters are very different. Manon is anxious because she believes she is not really like her mother. Thaïs, a social media celebrity, is more outgoing, but inside she hides her grief and fear.

The book is filled with the mystery of the island, its' people, and the girl’s family secrets. It’s a strange place filled with dark mystery, toxic family secrets, and a long past glamour. The book was well written, almost lyrical. The island scenes were beautifully drawn if sometime verging on horror.

The sisters’ characters were well delineated. The book moves from one sister to the other so we’re able to get the perspectives of both. My only problem with the book was that it was rather slow starting. It finally picked up after the middle. I thought the inclusion of sections from the lost play was interesting and added a lot to the story.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Murder of a Homeless Woman

 

Trisha Miles has returned from a vacation in Ireland with Marshal Cambridge wondering what to do about a relationship she isn’t sure she wants to pursue. She’s tired from the trip and wants to rest but she has to look in at the bookstore. Her Assistant Manager Pixie Poe is eager to fill her in on what’s happening as Trisha tries to escape for a rest. When Pixie goes outside to the dumpster, she finds a body.

The victim is Susan, a homeless woman who has been living in her car. Pixie knows her and has given her help. This makes Pixie a prominent suspect. Trisha now has to work to solve the crime to remove suspicion from Pixie. Trisha is helped by her sister, Angelica, who has had an operation on her foot and is requiring more time from Trisha.

This mystery is in my view overshadowed by Trisha’s love life. She and Angelica take center stage in the book. I have to admit I didn’t particularly like Trisha, she’s a busybody. This trait is important in a sleuth, but Trisha is not particularly clever about it.

The plot is somewhat unique with the death of a homeless woman in the small town, but it wasn’t difficult to guess who the murderer was. This is the fourteenth book in the series. The main characters are growing and changing, but they still are not people I’d want to know.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Brutal Murder in 1910 Singapore

 

Harriet Gordon and her brother, the Reverend Julian, are urgently summoned to the battalion commander’s house by his sister, Priscilla. They arrive to discover the unthinkable. The much younger wife of the commander has been brutally murdered.

Inspector Robert Curran of the Straits Settlements Police Force is called to investigate. He is also Harriet’s boss since she is a typist for the force. From the beginning it’s clear that the military want to close ranks and keep a civilian from investigating the murder. However, since his wife was a civilian, the commander has to allow Curran to continue the investigation.

The investigation brings up troubling incidents from the past for both Harriet and Curran. She is forced to face her unpleasant experiences as a suffragette in London. Curran, because of his conflict with one of the officers, finds his father’s past coming to haunt him.

This is a delightful historical mystery. Harriet is a strong woman. She doesn’t thrust herself into the case, but her quiet determination helps to bring on the resolution. Curran is equally determined. He doesn’t want to let the military close ranks fearing that the crime will not be vigorously pursued.

The setting is what drew me to this novel. Singapore is exotic and beautifully described from the heat to the colonial lifestyle. This is the second book in the series. It was easy to read as a standalone, but if you want more about the character’s backgrounds, I recommend reading the first book.

I received this book from Berkley Publishing Group for this review.

Did She Walk Away?

 

Five years ago Molly Clarke’s car struck and killed her five-year-old daughter. It was a tragic accident that affected the whole family. Molly triesto connect with her teenage son Ethan by going to his football games, but he makes it plain he doesn’t want her there. Her husband, John, is distant, and her daughter Nicole is out of control feeling guilty for her part in the accident.

On the way home from one of Ethan’s games, feeling rejected and lonely, she runs out of gas in a storm. Leaving her car near the gas station she starts to walk to the nearest town. A man in a pickup stops and offers her a ride. She accepts, but when the doors lock she make have made a terrible mistake.

The family looks for her, but when a note is found asking them not to try to find her the police and her family begin to think she walked away to start a new life. Then a woman comes forward with new information and Nicole goes back to the scene to investigate.

The premise of this story is interesting and the plot suspenseful. The problem is that it moves rather slowly. The story is narrated in alternate sections by Molly and Nicole. In Molly’s we learn what she’s experiencing. In Nicole’s sections the story focuses on her interactions with the townspeople primarily the sheriff, deputy sheriff, bartender and the hotel manager.

I enjoyed the book, but it does move slowly with a lot of emphasis on what the characters are thinking.

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

A Rogue Tries Save His Soul from Damnation

 

In 1844 Ireland, Liam was a thief. He did it to save his family from starvation, but he was still a thief. Then he met Cora, daughter of the squire. They became friends and fell in love, but that wasn’t the plan the angels had in mind. Cora was supposed to marry Finn.

Now it’s the present day and the angels are giving Liam a second chance. Cora is a police officer. Liam becomes her partner and the angels tell him that he must convince her to marry the man she was destined for in the 1800s. This isn’t easy. Liam wants her for himself, but on the other hand does he want to spend an eternity in hell?

This book is told in two time periods. As usual, I found one to be more interesting than the other. The historical romance is very well done. I’m not so sure about the modern counterpart. Cora is much different. She’s now a determined police officer who doesn’t want anyone to influence her decisions and that includes Liam.

The angels are a constant presence monitoring Liam’s behavior and trying to keep him on track to accomplish his goal of getting Cora married to the right man. They are amusing. I enjoyed the comic aura they gave to the story.

This is the first book in the Providence Falls series and sets up the action for a follow-on

.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

For Lovers of Italian Food

 

Joey Campanaro, owner of Little Owl Restaurant in New York City has produced a cookbook that feels like a family get together. The recipes are mouth-watering, but I loved the stories and pictures that went with them. It felt like being gathered around an Italian family table.

For me, the recipes are a little too complicated for everyday, but would be wonderful for company or a special occasion. I particularly liked the Italian Wedding Soup recipe. It has always been one of my favorites and his suggestions like baking the meatballs before adding them seemed like a great idea.

The pictures are wonderful. Even if you don’t attempt to cook the food yourself, the book is definitely worth reading.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

MI6 Fights Treachery at Home and Abroad Before WWII

 

The Standish family has been involved in British intelligence for many years from Lucas Standish who headed MI6 during WWI to Lucas’ granddaughter, Elena, a newly minted agent. MI6 is worried about a plot by a secret group to take over Austria for Germany. They have lost contact with their agent in Trieste and fear for his safety. They badly need his information so Peter Howard, Elena’s boss, decides to send her to get him out.

Elena is chosen for the mission because the agent is the ex-lover who betrayed her and ended her career as a foreign service officer. Meanwhile, Elena’s sister, Margot, is attending a wedding in Germany where she witnesses the upper levels of Nazi society first hand. Closer to home, a friend and colleague of Lucas’ worries that an enemy sympathizer has infiltrated MI6.

This is the second book in Anne Perry’s new series with events leading up to WWII. Although it’s the second book, I found it very easy to read as a standalone, although you may want to go back and read the first book to get a more in-depth view of the characters.

Elena has had her confidence badly damaged by her lover’s betrayal. In this book, she starts very unsure of ability, but grows into a confident agent. I loved the other plot lines in the story. Lucas and Peter Howard were two of my favorite characters. Margot also played her part well.

The book starts rather slowly, but the action increases quickly with several dangerous moments which include personal standoffs on policy as well as more overtly dangerous encounters.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical mysteries.

I received this book from Random House for this review.

Murder in an English Village

 

It’s grouse hunting season and retired judge Sandy Fraser is running large, boisterous hunts on his grouse moor. Fraser is not well liked in the village of Nidderdale, but since he provides jobs and uses the local inn to cater the lunches and dinners during the hunt, the people put up with him. Then after one hunt, leaving the dinner at the Dog and Gun, the local inn, he’s shot in the parking lot.

One of the inn employees peering out the window sees the shooting. The gunman looks directly at her and she recognizes the local handyman, Alan Green. It seems like an open and shut case, but the locals call in DCI Oldroyd. Since Fraser was a retired judge, they want the best man on the case. The case becomes problematic when Green can’t be found. Then another murder of a local shop owner happens with the same elements including the disappearance of the gunman. Now it’s become a case worthy of Oldroyd’s talents.

I enjoyed this police procedural. Oldroyd is a likable character with all his quirks. His subordinates like him too which makes for happy reading. The setting is beautifully described. The author takes pains to bring you into the town and the surrounding area. It made me want to visit.

The mystery is full of twists. It seems simple, but there are a myriad of suspects and minor characters. It makes it challenging to figure out the plot. If you enjoy English mysteries, this is a good one.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Travel Writer Looks at the Deep South

 

Natchez is a microcosm of the old and new South. It’s a city peopled by eccentric millionaires, wealthy grande dames, and strong traditions, but with a history of slavery, and the KKK. However, today blacks are finding a bigger place in society. The present mayor is a gay black man.

I found the book fascinating from the description of the lavish social events often fund raisers that showcase the traditions of the wealthy. I was also interested in the history of the KKK and the story of a madam who was an FBI informant. I liked the story of the black Muslim prince who was captured in a raid and sold into slavery. He was finally freed after 40 years.

Growing up in the North I knew very little about the culture of this part of the South. It is both exotic and yet strangely familiar. There are exclusive enclaves with strict codes and eccentric residents in the North, also. I enjoyed the descriptions of Natchez, particularly the antebellum homes. The stories of the residents past and present were well written making me feel that I knew people in the city.

If you enjoy history and travel, this is a good book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Was Jack the Ripper in Austin Texas?

 

Anne von Wettin, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, wanted independence. She fled to American and became a Pinkerton Detective until her father, feeling her life unsuitable, insisted that she go home. Now, however, the Queen has taken an interest in her granddaughter’s profession. Murders have been committed in Austin, Texas that resemble the Ripper’s. There is also concern that a member of the royal family might be responsible.

In December 1885, Annie finds herself back in Austin working on the case of the Midnight Assassin. She is partnering again with Isiah Joplin, the man who romantic attentions were one of the reasons her father whisked her back to England.

When the murderer strikes again on Christmas Eve, the victim is someone known to Anne and Isiah. This murder offers fresh evidence to the investigators, but can they find the killer and solve the case?

This is a well researched historical romance and mystery. The author does a good job of feeding information about the Ripper murders into the case of the Midnight Assassin. The background of the 1800s is well done and makes you feel part of the era. I highly recommend the author’s notes at the end about the actual murders.

Anne and Isiah are perfect as partners and the aura of romance is pervasive, but not over done. I like both characters and felt the romance added to the suspense rather than detracting from it. I also enjoyed the scenes in Britain with Queen Victoria.

If you enjoy historical fiction and unsolved mysteries, this is a book you’ll like.

I received this book from Barbour Publishing for this review.

A Psychological Thriller with Plenty of Red Herrings

 

Charlotte’s life has turned in a negative direction. Through the death of a patient she has changed her career from a neurosurgery resident to an acupuncturist and that isn’t doing very well. She shares office space with her friend Rachael, but Rachael seems distant and distracted. She has problems of her own.

Charlotte has a boyfriend, Peter, but she hasn’t seen him in three weeks. She’s worried, but hopeful he’ll return. Then she gets a call from the police to identify a body. She’s afraid it’s Peter, but when she arrives, the body is that of a woman she doesn’t know. The police have zeroed in on her because the woman had her information of a card to contact in case of emergency.

With no other suspects, the police zero in on Charlotte. She protests her innocence, but the identity of the woman makes them more sure that it’s Charlotte.

This is a rather complicated story told from several points of view: Charlotte, Rachael, and the police investigators. I found it interesting to look at the case from the various points of view. It added to the tension.

Charlotte has so many hangups it was hard to like her, but she was perfect for the suspect in the case. Rachael was easier to like, but the fact that she had her own secrets made her a difficult friend.The investigative team was tenacious in their pursuit of the solution. I enjoyed their interaction.

This is an action packed thriller that will keep you guessing.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.