The history of stolen Chinese artifacts intertwines with the very-English legend of the Green Maiden as American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton returnsThe history of stolen Chinese artifacts intertwines with the very-English legend of the Green Maiden as American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton returns for her third adventure in the UK, in Connie Berry’s The Art of Betrayal (Crooked Lane Books, 2021). Rich and atmospheric, well-paced, and spiced with just the right amount of personal drama and romance, this one will keep you turning the pages long after lights out. ...more
Second in a new series focusing on a newly-created FBI mobile response team headed by Special Agent Matt Costa and featuring a handful of agents, inclSecond in a new series focusing on a newly-created FBI mobile response team headed by Special Agent Matt Costa and featuring a handful of agents, including LA police detective Kara Quinn -- hence the "Quinn and Costa series." I don't typically read much crime fiction focused on the FBI or other law enforcement; the stories they tell tend to be less interesting to me than suspense and traditional mysteries. But this one was gripping. The murder of a young student activist while investigating a possible water contamination killing wildlife in southern Arizona leads to the probe of a copper mining firm, but quickly becomes entangled with an illegal cross-border crime ring (avoiding spoilers). Brennan humanizes the victims beautifully, making us care about what could otherwise seem a string of faceless crimes; she puts names, faces, stories, and emotions to crimes that often dominate the news. Costa is smart, capable, and a good leader while Quinn is gutsy and passionate, and I like the rest of the team just as much. A twisty plot that hung together well, good pace, strong writing. Big cast deftly handled; I had a little trouble keeping some of the mining company employees separate, but that's a minor quibble. An all-around good read. ...more
A highly accomplished debut -- published in 2014, but I'm just discovering the author. As the story opens, Lucy is a 17 year old high school student iA highly accomplished debut -- published in 2014, but I'm just discovering the author. As the story opens, Lucy is a 17 year old high school student in a small town in the Missouri Ozarks, determined to find out what happened to her friend Cheri, who disappeared a year ago and has just been found, dead. It's the kind of community where some people are considered throw-aways, worth less than others, and Cheri is one -- so people tell Lucy to leave it be. But she won't, of course, even when the mystery looks like it might touch her uncle and her widowed father. Especially when she begins to suspect that following the clues might also help her find out what happened to her mother, Lila, who left when Lucy was a baby.
McHugh deftly handles the POV and time shifts first between Lucy, Lila, and other characters, several of whom appear in both the contemporary storyline and the historical storyline, set 18 years earlier when Lila came to town. I particularly liked Lucy, her friend Daniel, and the elderly neighbor, Birdie, who cared for Lila like a daughter and Lucy like a granddaughter. The story does involve human trafficking, which may be tough for some readers, but it's handled well, with the victims nicely humanized. Lovely evocations of the power of home, and "the hills that call you back." ...more
Such a good read! I love books with dual timelines--this featuring Odile, a young librarian in Paris during WWII, and Lily, a young teenager in a smalSuch a good read! I love books with dual timelines--this featuring Odile, a young librarian in Paris during WWII, and Lily, a young teenager in a small town in Montana in the 1980s. When Lily's mother dies, she becomes close to her reclusive neighbor, the widowed war bride, Odile, and breaks through some of her defenses to learn the secrets we see played out in Odile's story. Dual timelines are tricky -- the characters need distinct voices, the settings can be different or the same -- and Charles pulls this one off beautifully. Some of Odile's story, we learn in the historical note, is based on fact -- Charles worked at the American Library in Paris where she heard many fascinating stories, and eventually delved into the shocking/not shocking phenomenon of denunciation letters, which play an important role in the novel. I've read quite a few books set in Paris during the War, and Charles gives us an intimate portrayal of the experiences of Odile and her family, as well as of the community that formed at the library itself. A lovely, deeply touching book. ...more
Fresh from rehab, Althea Bell finds herself cast out by her once-powerful father and her ambitious brother, labeled crazy, forced to be hospitalized bFresh from rehab, Althea Bell finds herself cast out by her once-powerful father and her ambitious brother, labeled crazy, forced to be hospitalized before she turns 30 in just two weeks if she wants any part of her family’s money. Aware that her own mother died mysteriously at 30, she pushes back, and uncovers a family secret that runs through four generations and that ultimately reveals her own internal strength. Burying the Honeysuckle Girls is an exploration of women's lives and secrets, of women help other women despite their own struggles, protecting them from the abuses of men who feel threatened by women with a deep intuition and a strong connection to the earth.
A page-turning trip to the deep South, with all the lushness of land and language, and none of the heat, humidity, or bugs. ...more
A wonderfully twisty exploration of memory and its fragility, and of obsession and its tentacles. Kyra is a marine biologist who loses her memory of rA wonderfully twisty exploration of memory and its fragility, and of obsession and its tentacles. Kyra is a marine biologist who loses her memory of recent events in a diving accident at the appropriately-named Deception Pass (a real place) in Puget Sound. Her very attentive husband has the means and motivation to take care of her. But as her memory starts to return, Kyra begins asking questions that could put her in even deeper danger, in deeper waters. Good pacing and use of an intriguing setting that suits the story neatly. ...more
A terrific debut, blending the contemporary story of Caroline, whose discovery of her husband's infidelity drives her to take their planned 10th annivA terrific debut, blending the contemporary story of Caroline, whose discovery of her husband's infidelity drives her to take their planned 10th anniversary trip to London, where she once studied, solo and the historic tales of Nella, an herbalist, aka an apothecary, and young Eliza, in 1791 London. Caroline's discovery of an antique bottle leads her deep into historical archives and into a hidden part of the city. In the process, she develops the courage she needs to pursue the dreams she abandoned. Nella is torn, even tortured, by decisions her own betrayal led her to, using her skills to help wronged women. Only her encounter with Eliza, a bright light determined to learn herbal skills, saves Nella from despair. Good pacing, strong characterization, and an excellent use of setting and historical detail. A magical story of women helping women, across the centuries. ...more
What a delightful series, back after a few years between the 5th and 6th books. Penelope McClure returns to her hometown with her young son after her What a delightful series, back after a few years between the 5th and 6th books. Penelope McClure returns to her hometown with her young son after her husband's death, joining an aunt running a bookstore and living upstairs. What she didn't expect was that the ghost of a PI named Jack Shepard, murdered in what is now the shop's event space in 1947, would be living there, too, and that the two of them would form a most unusual relationship. The plots are quirky and fun, as befitting a ghost and Mrs. McClure, and typically revolve around the shop and books, and the stories include tidbits about bookselling and the publishing business....more
One of the best novels I've read in years. With Ordinary Grace and now This Tender Land, Krueger captures beautifully the voice of the young boy, despOne of the best novels I've read in years. With Ordinary Grace and now This Tender Land, Krueger captures beautifully the voice of the young boy, desperate to understand the complicated world around him, where adults say one thing and do another, where people who claim to care about children harm them and those considered the least of society prove themselves the most generous. I'm a big fan of two other modern American authors who also capture that voice and spirit in historical fiction, Jamie Ford and the late Ivan Doig, and Krueger is just as wise and observant, just as strong a storyteller.
Hints of Huck Finn taking to the river, then lighting out for the territories, meeting adventures along the way, are apparent, but not overdone. Along the way, Krueger shows us the hardships of life in the Midwest during the Depression, but also some of the joys and surprises. From the first page to the last, Krueger's Odie O'Banion is a delightful companion on a terrific journey. ...more
The Widows by Jess Montgomery, set in the mining country SE Ohio in 1925, is rich and evocative, with a strong sense of history, but it's the characteThe Widows by Jess Montgomery, set in the mining country SE Ohio in 1925, is rich and evocative, with a strong sense of history, but it's the characters and storytelling that stick with me. At 26, Lily Ross becomes the first female sheriff in Ohio after the death of her husband, Daniel -- a historical fact that sparked the author's imagination. She immediately recognizes that the story she's been told about his death doesn't add up, and though she's a town girl, she knows the countryside well enough to identify critical clues in the landscape. At the same time, widowed organizer Marvena Whitcomb has her own connection to Daniel and her own grief. The two women, the story's narrators, come from worlds apart, but work together to identify Daniel's killer, weave justice out of a tangled web of lies and abuse of power, and create the opportunity for a better life for the miners and their families. I felt their emotion; I went through it with them. One of the best books I've read in ages. ...more
After a bit of a reading slump, I picked up the latest in Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series, knowing I'd be served a top-notch rAfter a bit of a reading slump, I picked up the latest in Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series, knowing I'd be served a top-notch read. And boy, was it. I love food fiction paired with a good mystery -- that's what I write, after all -- and this one is worth a Michelin star! (That's a plot point -- see what I did?) Duncan and Gemma and the kids are spending the weekend, with Melody and Doug, at Melody's parents' country place just outside a village with a pub serving unexpectedly good food. A tragedy occurs on the way with implications for everyone gathered for the weekend as well as the pub's owners and staff. Well-paced and compelling, with great characters and enough charm to entice me to take a trip to the Cotswolds -- and yet, there are dangers behind those lovely golden stone garden walls. I'm a sucker for novels that give me emotional experiences and while I don't want to give anything away, this book gave me a doozy. ...more
Another solid entry in one of my favorite series. Only one problem: Now I'm craving lobster mashed potatoes. Another solid entry in one of my favorite series. Only one problem: Now I'm craving lobster mashed potatoes. ...more
Another terrific entry in one of my favorite series. I'm particularly impressed with the way author Barbara Ross ties together the three plot lines --Another terrific entry in one of my favorite series. I'm particularly impressed with the way author Barbara Ross ties together the three plot lines -- a murder on Morrow Island, where the Snowden family runs their clam bakes, the secrets of a closed-off room discovered in the historic mansion on the island, and the unanswered questions surrounding Chris's brother. Julia is once again strong and capable, loyal and determined, but Ross isn't afraid to show Julia's vulnerabilities as well. I've written about the tensions inherent in running a family business myself, and Ross plays them out nicely. One of my favorite reads of 2020. ...more
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