A Plot to Murder the Tsarevitch in Victorian London

 

The royal wedding of Victoria’s son George to Mary of Teck has the city in turmoil. Some are fascinated by the spectacle of a royal wedding, others think the money would be better spent feeding the poor. It’s a time when Europe was ripe for revolution. Wedding guests include the Tsarevitch along with his mistress as well other Russians.

The city abounds with plots either to attack the Russian heir, or perhaps George is the target. The country’s security forces are on the job, but Jim Hercules doesn’t think they’re sufficient. He’s a friend the Tsarevitch, and is employed by the Russian royal family, but has no official role in protecting the Tsarevitch.

Jim is American, an ex-boxer and a black man. He takes it on himself to visit Barker and Llewelyn to enlist their help. Interested by the unusual situation, Barker and Llewelyn take the case and find that it’s more dangerous than it appeared on the surface with numerous would be assassins loose in the city.

This is an excellent addition to the Barker and Llewelyn Victorian mystery series. As usual the pace is fast, and the characters interesting, including the several historical personages who make and appearance. The Afterward contains additional history on the real characters. I recommend reading it.

Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. If you enjoy historical mystery fiction with realistic background, this is a great book.

I received this book from NetGalley for this review.

A Strong Woman in a Dynastic Chess Game

 

In the years around 960 the Piast House ruled Poland. The Duke Mieszko was ambitious to increase his power and rule the entire area. One of his plans for this included his children, his son and three daughters. He planned to use marriage to his daughters to cement alliances and increase his scope.

His youngest daughter, Swietoslawa or the bold one, understood her father’s plans, but she had plans of her own. She didn’t want to be a pawn in a man’s world. She wanted to rule in her own right and was willing to do whatever it took to reach that position. This book is primarily her story, but it also involves the other family members and the areas they rule.

The story is complex and requires you to keep the genealogy straight. This can be challenging at the beginning of the novel. Another interesting aspect of the story is the relationship between Christianity and the pagan religion. In order to gain more power, the Duke allied himself with the Holy Roman Empire and forcibly converted his country to Christianity. I found this one of the most interest parts of the book.

This book is the first in a series that will trace the Plast House through the era. If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a good book in an interesting era. The next book will be available in 2022.

I received this book from NetGalley for this review.

Emotional Support for Rejection

 

Rejection happens to everyone. It can be very painful when you lose the job you thought was made for you, or the promotion goes to someone else, or the article you worked on for weeks is rejected. These are painful experiences that can make you question your abilities. Your self-esteem may take a serious hit, but it’s not the end of the world. It helps to have someone to share your pain with and to learn about how they recovered from a setback.

This book is perfect for those times when you need to know that other women have gone through a rejection and come out of it stronger and more resilient than before. It also helps to know that sometimes a better opportunity is right around the corner.

The author does an excellent job interviewing women from a variety of professions and backgrounds. Each of them has a story to tell and at least some of them will be right on point to help you see the way ahead. I highly recommend this book to read now and have on your shelf for support when your turn for rejection comes.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

Tragedy and Romance in a Historic Boston Hotel

 

The Seafarer Hotel is a Boston Landmark. Now it’s being refurbished and guests are eager to experience the lovely setting. Weddings can be especially lovely at the hotel. Riley and Tom aren’t sure, but his mother wants their wedding to take place at the hotel The three are meeting with the wedding consultant when a crash is heard outside and the body of a woman hurtles to the terrace quickly disrupting the meeting and creating chaos.

The death presents problems for the new manager, Jean-Paul. He and his wife have recently moved from Paris so he could take the job, but it’s turned out to be more challenging than he thought. His wife has recently given birth to a girl and is finding motherhood hard to adjust to. Lack of sleep is making Jean-Paul’s life particularly difficult.

Gwen and Jason are at the hotel to celebrate his birthday. However, Jason’s personal problems and explosive temper are causing great difficulty in the relationship.

Claire, sixty-one and recently widowed, has come to the Seafarer to recreate a lost love. She’s journalist on leave from her job because of an article she wrote. It seems to her a perfect opportunity to contact her former lover.

Although multiple stories can be difficult to handle, the author does a good job keeping you interested in what is happening to each one. The deft use of romance and mystery keeps you wanting to know how each story will end.

The story moves quickly and makes this a good choice for a summer read at the beach.

I received this book from Harper Collins for this review.

Dorothea Lange’s Early Bohemian Life in San Francisco

 

Growing up in Hoboken, New Jersey, Dorothea Lange wanted to see more of the world. Paris was too expensive, so with her meager savings and her precious camera, she traveled to San Francisco. Her first encounter in the beautiful city was not happy. She was robbed of her small savings. Having no where to go and no money, she meets Caroline Lee, a Chinese American girl who befriends her.

Caroline introduces Dorothea to the Monkey Block, the heart of San Francisco’s bohemian art colony. The girls’ friendship blossoms and their portrait studio becomes famous. Then a disaster strikes and Caroline disappears leaving Dorothea bereft.

The heart of the story is the friendship between Dorothea and Caroline. With Caroline’s Chinese ancestry, the girls are caught up in not only the art scene, but also the politics and corruption in San Francisco in addition to the plight of the Chinese immigrants.

This story is beautifully told. The author has a knack for bringing the bohemian era at the end of WWI to life. Dorothea witnesses the problems of immigration and the shortage of jobs for the returning soldiers. She realizes that her photos can make a significant contribution making people see the problems of the poor. Her photographs are still recognized as important today.

I highly recommend this if you enjoy historical fiction.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

Managing Anxiety for High Functioning People

 

A person driven to succeed, tries to do everything right, wants to be in charge and has lots of nervous energy. This is the person Dr. Chloe Carmichael’s book is intended for. However, even if you don’t qualify as a super Type A personality some of Dr. Carmichael’s treatment suggestions can be valuable.

Although high energy people who are very successful can appear to have it all under control, they can also suffer from sever anxiety. I thought the author did a good job of illustrating this type of person in the examples she chose. Whether you find yourself in those people, it will give a better understanding of this personality type.

I thought the best part of the book was the treatments described by Dr. Carmichael. She doesn’t focus on just one approach but goes into several treatments. One chapter is devoted to a laundry list of approaches for dealing with OCD type problems. With so many tools, not all will be appropriate for each situation. The author encourages you to look at the spectrum and decide what might work for you.

This is a helpful book for anyone suffering from nervous energy that threatens to control their life leading to OCD like behaviors. The book is very readable and the client descriptions are well done.

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

A Helpful, Readable Book on Memory

 

As we get older one of the scary things is losing our memory. Is it normal aging or the dread onset of Alzheimer's? Lisa Genova, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist, gives a very readable account of memory, how memories are stored, how we forget, and the problems of diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Some of the interesting things I learned about memory is that memories are not as reliable as we might think and they diminish over time. The fact that we can’t member something from the past is not unusual under these circumstances. Lisa also suggests how to help retain your memory as you age. Diet is important. “What’s good for your heart is good for your brain.” Also doing stimulating work or having hobbies keeps your brain active.

I particularly enjoyed the section on Alzheimer’s. It is a frightening disease, particularly for someone who has it, but it’s not the end of life. She discusses how people are able to live with the disease and keep the core of who they are intact.

I highly recommend this book if you’re getting older, or if you’re interested in how we make and retain memories.

I received this book from NetGalley for this review.