Charles Lennox Investigates a Death in Newport

 

Charles has been heavily involved in investigating corruption in Scotland Yard for the past several years. Now the trial is approaching and the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, wants him to write his testimony, and then leave the country during the trial. He proposes that Charles visit police departments in America to learn their methods.

With a new baby girl, Charles is reluctant to go, but he has wanted to travel, so he’s finally persuaded. Being a representative of the queen he is treated royally in New York’s Gilded Age. On his way to Boston, he receives a telegram asking him to come to Newport, Rhode Island. A beautiful young woman has been killed by a fall from a cliff. Was it an accident, or murder?

A wealthy young man, Teddy Blaine, has attached himself to Charles telling him that he wants to learn to be a detective. Charles agrees and they arrive in Newport together to investigate.

This is a page-turner with a delightful setting. I love the Gilded Age in Newport. Charles is a wonderful character. He has grown throughout the series and now at fifty is at the height of his powers. Although we see little of Lady Jane, she is also a marvelous character. I hope to see more of her in future books. The plot is intricate and will keep you guessing until the very end.

I highly recommend this new adventure of Charles Lennox.

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

Allegations of Rape at an Elite Girls School

 

Lauren Triplett and her family are on their way to Atwater School, an elite girls school, where Lauren will be a student. As they approach the school there are small signs along the road saying “A Rapist Works Here.” Lauren applied because her friend Grace was going there and the brochures from the school were so inviting. Now she has to deal with the reality.

The rape happened years ago. A former student finally came forward with the story. Now the school is desperately trying to deal with the aftermath. Although the allegations are not new, the fallout is affecting all the girls presently at the school.

The story is not a mystery, but rather a character study of girls growing up, dealing with their own sexuality, and the problems of friendship in an all female environment. This book is almost a series of short stories since each chapter is devoted to one of nine girls. Although it was interesting to get so many perspectives, I felt the story lacked cohesion.

The setting was well done. Descriptions of the buildings and grounds were inviting. The timeline stayed close to the typical events of a school year. Although the writing was good, I found it hard to get immersed in the book because of the shifting points of view. Because of the subject matter and age of the subjects, teenage girls may find it more interesting.

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

A Modern Sense and Sensibility

 

When things go wrong, they go wrong on all fronts. Daisy, her sister Wallis, and her mother, Cricket, are reeling from the death of Senator Richardson, their father and husband. As if death wasn’t bad enough, the Senator was having an affair, misusing public money, and they’re broke. Selling the house is a jolt, but the worst part is the adverse publicity that follows the family and makes their lives miserable.

The perfect setting for this story is Washington, DC where scandal is a way of life and political shaming takes a toll of many careers. Like the Dashwood sisters in Sense and Sensibility the Richardson women find their lives being shaped by their men. Also, like the Dashwood sisters, they find that they can take charge of their futures and win.

I thought the story was well done. The characters are complex and well drawn. Daisy is talented and strong basically holding the family together in a crisis, although she too suffers. The setting was well done and a perfect background for the family’s struggles.

I’m not sure I enjoy the retelling of famous stories. So much of the charm of Jane Austen’s works are the melding of her characters with the social moires of the time. The author tries to achieve this in the present book, but for me it didn’t work that well. I think I could have enjoyed the story more without the undertone of Austen’s much better work.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

 

We think of Washington as a severe figure with white hair at the height of his powers, but he didn’t start that way. He was an often rash young man with a fiery temper. These traits almost brought his military career to an end before it began. Indeed, the book opens with an ill and dispirited Washington leaving his forces during the Indian fighting on Virginia’s Western frontier without the permission of his commander.

From this low point Washington rose through positions in the Virginia House of Burgesses, and as a justice of the Fairfax County Court. Here he learned to control his temper, act as a calming influence, build bridges, and become a significant leader. The remainder of the book details Washington’s rise to become the most beloved leader in colonial America.

If you enjoy history, particularly American history, this is a wonderful book. I have read a number of excellent biographies of Washington, but this one adds an additional dimension with it’s focus on Washington becoming both a great military as well as an outstanding political leader.

The book is easy to read, almost like a novel, but filled with facts and acute observations about Washington and his time. I particularly enjoyed the way the author made colonial America come to life.

I highly recommend this book. In this troubling time, it’s one of the best choices this year.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Integrative Medicine for Your Pet

 

People with pets want the best for them, but sometimes it seems like you spend quantities of money and don’t improve your pet’s health. This book gives some reasons why.

Food is a main reason pets don’t thrive. I have read other books about the lack of quality in pet food. Dr. Marty’s solution is more raw food for your pet. I have a friend who worried that her pets might not thrive because she was cooking food for them rather than giving expensive dog and cat food. The opposite is true. Her pets have shiny coats, resist disease and even in old age are playful.

Another problem of modern medicine is vaccines. Dr. Marty points out that vaccines should not be one size fits all. The weight of the animal should indicate how much is required. Another caution is that vaccines may be given too often. Immune systems need a chance to develop protection on their own.

I highly recommend this book if you love your pet. Whether you’re already a fan of holistic medicine of not, this book will make you think. My only reservation about the presentation is that is sometimes becomes repetitive. However, since Dr. Marty has good things to say, they probably bear repetition.

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

A Family Saga in a Changing America

 

The Warners, a central Texas family, lived through a changing America from the 1960s to the 2000s. This saga follows the problems of the family trying to adapt. The main character is Justin. He discovered early that he was gay. His mother Lacy helped him adapt, and Julian went on the Harvard and to a relationship with Phillip.

Julian’s parents lived through the Vietnam War. They wrote to each other during the conflict and when his father arrived home, they married. The marriage wasn’t smooth. His father solved his emotional problems with a series of affairs while his mother directed her dreams of higher education into dealing with her son.

In addition to the struggles during the Vietnam War, there are the problems of Mexican immigrants, the changing political culture, and the rise of minorities. The Warners are typical Texans, but their views of the changes and their struggles reflect the lives of many Americans.

If you lived through this period, it brings back memories. If you’re interested in how your parents of grandparents lived, this is an interesting look back. This characters in the novel were well rounded and believable. The author had a good understanding of the period and managed bring a complex time to life.

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

A Single Mother Gets Involved with Contract Killing

 

Finaly Donovan, a divorced mother of two and a struggling novelist, is stressed-out. Her novel is due to her agent, but it isn’t finished. Her divorced husband is getting engaged to the Realtor he was cheating with, and he’s trying to take the kids. He also fired the nanny. She has to get the kids to school, but first she has to deal with her daughter’s self-inflicted hair cut.

When Finlay meets with her agent, she’s overheard discussing the plot of her mystery novel. The eavesdropper thinks Finlay is a contract killer and slips her a note. When Finlay follows up it turns out she wants to get rid of her husband. The money is tempting and before she realizes it Finlay is involved in a real murder investigation.

This is an amusing novel with laugh-out-loud humor interspersed with some darker moments. Finlay is a character any mom can associate with whether single or not. There are just some days when you have kids. Vero, her babysitter, is an excellent counterpoint. You can’t help liking them both.

I recommend the book if you just want to relax, laugh a little, and enjoy a likable character’s troubles for awhile.

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

The Past and Present Connected by a Tiara

 

Before the Russian revolution, Sophia lived in St. Petersburg and was close friends with the Tsarinas, Olga and Tatiana. During the height of the conflict, the three girls volunteered in the hospital set up in the Winter Palace. Sophia couldn’t stand the operating theater. Instead she worked in the wards where she met a young office who had lost his memory. She called him Carpathian and fell in love with him. A pregnancy ensued and her parents got her to America before the calamity of the end of the revolution.

Isabelle is Sophia’s daughter. It is now 1948. Sophia has been killed after being struck by a car on a wintry night in New York City. Isabelle inherits the apartment she shared with her mother. Being an architect, she’s eager to renovate the apartment to suit her taste. In the process she discovers a niche in the wall containing a silver tiara from which the jewels have been removed. This leads her on a path of discovery to learn her mother’s secrets.

As usual with M.J. Rose’s books, this is beautifully written with detailed description and accurate historical background. The story is told from two points of view, the mother before the Russian revolution and Isabelle after WWII. As the story unfolds we get to know both women, follow the mystery, and understand why Sophia was so chary about sharing her secrets with Isabelle.

I highly recommend this book. It draws you in. The characters are people you would like to know and the historical detail is fascinating.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.