The Unquiet Dead - Asuma Zehanat Khan

Title: The Unquiet Dead (Rachel Getty & Esa Khattak #1)
Author: Asuma Zehanat Khan
Published: 2015
Pages: 368
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Edition: Paperback
Source: Surrey Public Libraries

Description: Despite their many differences, Detective Rachel Getty trusts her boss, Esa Khattak, implicitly. But she's still uneasy at Khattak's tight-lipped secrecy when he asks her to look into Christopher Drayton's death. Drayton's apparently accidental fall from a cliff doesn't seem to warrant a police investigation, particularly not from Rachel and Khattak's team, which handles minority-sensitive cases. But when she learns that Drayton may have been living under an assumed name, Rachel begins to understand why Khattak is tip-toeing around this case. It soon comes to light that Drayton may have been a war criminal with ties to the Srebrenica massacre of 1995.

If that's true, any number of people might have had reason to help Drayton to his death, and a murder investigation could have far-reaching ripples throughout the community. But as Rachel and Khattak dig deeper into the life and death of Christopher Drayton, every question seems to lead only to more questions, with no easy answers. Had the specters of Srebrenica returned to haunt Drayton at the end, or had he been keeping secrets of an entirely different nature? Or, after all, did a man just fall to his death from the Bluffs? (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I read this for my May library book club and I quite enjoyed it.  It was weird reading a book that took place during an event that I very much remember seeing on the news in the mid-1990s.  There is also a callback to Eichmann and how he tried to hide in Argentina after WWII.  Despite the book being choppy in places (this is the author's first novel), I really liked it.  I liked how Rachel Getty was drawn and how she basically put down when she has a gut feeling about something related to the case and her old male partner tries to quiet her down or dismiss her ideas in regards to the case.

Bottom line:  While it isn't a strong first novel, I have heard that the second book in the series is a lot better.  And with that in mind, I think she did an excellent job and acquitted herself quite well in writing a novel based on an event that happened less than 30 years ago.  Recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Providence - Caroline Kepnes

Title: Providence
Author: Caroline Kepnes
Pages: 384
Published: 2018
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description:
Growing up as best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe are the only ones who truly understand each other, though they can never find the words to tell one another the depth of their feelings. When Jon is finally ready to confess his feelings, he's suddenly kidnapped by his substitute teacher who is obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft and has a plot to save humanity.

Mourning the disappearance of Jon and facing the reality he may never return, Chloe tries to navigate the rites of entering young adulthood and "fit in" with the popular crowd, but thoughts of Jon are never far away.

When Jon finally escapes, he discovers he now has an uncontrollable power that endangers anyone he has intense feelings for. He runs away to protect Chloe and find the answers to his new identity--but he's soon being tracked by a detective who is fascinated by a series of vigilante killings that appear connected.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I had high hopes for this book.  Had heard from a podcast that this was one to read this summer and I honestly I wasn't really impressed.  Honestly I felt very confused with the plot of the book and even by the end of the book, I couldn't really figure out what the big mystery was or even what the book was about.  It could have been that I left the book for a couple of weeks before I finished it, but still I could never seem to figure it out what Jon's power was.

Bottom Line: Didn't really understand the plot of the book.  Maybe it was that the main characters were at least 15 years younger than me or maybe it was the genre.  I really don't know.  If you like urban fantasy/thrillers, you might enjoy it.

Rating: 2.75/5

The Company Files: 1. The Good Man - Gabriel Valjan

Book Title: The Company Files: 1. The Good Man by Gabriel Valjan

Category: Adult Fiction, 251 pages

Genre: Thriller, Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction, Espionage

Publisher: Winter Goose Publishing

Release date: December 2017

Tour dates: Feb 12 to March 2, 2018

Content Rating: PG + M (No bad language but there is an attempted rape scene, and some violence.)

Description: In 1948, Vienna was divided among four powers: France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Jack Marshall had served with Walker during the war, and now, working together for The Company, they are tasked to do the inconceivable. Could former Nazis really be recruited to assist the U.S. in the atomic race? As their team moves forward, they quickly discover they are not the only ones looking for these men. And the others in the search may just have the objective of murder.

In this tale of historical noir, of corruption and deceit, no one is who they say they are. Who is The Good Man in a world where an enemy may be a friend, an ally may be the enemy, and governments deny everything?  

Thoughts:

To simply put it, I found this book to be a bit of a slog.  It had nothing at all to do with the writing by the author, but mainly had to do with the content of the book.  While I do enjoy a thriller or mystery from time to time, I found it difficult to get any sort of rhythm with the book.  And while it was an intriguing book and the end of the book was easier to get through, as there was more action going on in the book, I found that I was slogging through the book and not really enjoying the book.  I felt that the author spent a little too much time in the quiet moments and that there wasn’t enough action.  Maybe because I am used to similar movies to be a little more action oriented and that maybe was why I didn’t really connect with the book.

On the plus side, it is clear that the author has worked on this book, as I didn’t find any really major errors in terms of grammar or keeping the story line going or creating well-crafted characters.  It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Bottom line: I found it to be a well-done book, but it just wasn't to my own personal liking.

Rating:  3/5 

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

 

Venetian Blood - Christine Evelyn Volker

Title: Venetian Blood: Murder in a Sensuous City
Author: Christine Evelyn Volker
Pages: 329
Published: 2017
Genre: Mystery
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal library

Description: To escape a failing marriage, Anna Lucia Lottol goes to Venice to visit an old friend-and becomes a suspect in a brutal murder echoing a gruesome homicide that happened decades ago. Fearful of foreign justice and hoping to prove her innocence, she gathers clues before the real murderer comes for her. At the climax of her journey, she discovers a secret that will change her life. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I really enjoyed the engrossing nature of the book, but for whatever reason I just was unable to connect with the book in a way that I really wanted to.  Partly I think it was that I felt that the beginning of the book happened a little too quick for my liking and I didn't like that there wasn't a set up for the murder.  As a result, I felt lost from the get go, even though by the end of the book I was able to connect better with the story.

As I read the book, I really struggled to understand what was going on and therefore I struggled at time to get through it.
Part of the reason that I disappointed with the book and had frustrations with reading it was that I had different expectations of the story that were clearly not there. 

But I did enjoy the description of Venice itself and felt as though I was there in the city myself, even though I have never been to Venice myself.  I also liked that it wasn't just your standard mystery; there was emotional depth to the book and created empathy for Anna and how she wanted to move on with her life and have the ghosts of her past disappear.

Bottom line: It was an okay read, as there were time that the book dragged itself along, but there were also times that the book was engaging.  I felt that the ending could have been a few pages shorter.  But overall it was a decent read and something that may need a re-read in the future.  Recommended.

Rating:  3/5

The Woman in Cabin 10 - Ruth Ware

Title: The Woman in Cabin 10
Author: Ruth Ware
Pages: 352
Published: 2017
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: In this tightly wound story, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong… (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I thought it was a good read.  It wasn't Girl on the Train or Gone Girl by any means, but it was still tense enough to keep me reading at a fairly fast pace.  There wasn't exactly anything literary about the book, but it had a good pace to the book and things seemed to move nicely along.

Bottom line: A decent book and something that could be read quickly for most readers.  Recommended.

Rating: 3/5

The Dead in their Vaulted Arches - Alan Bradley

Title: The Dead in their Vaulted Arches (Flavia DeLuce #6)
Author: Alan Bradley
Pages: 336
Published: 2014
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: Bishop's Lacey is never short of two things: Mysteries to solve and pre-adolescent detectives to solve them. In this New York Times bestselling series of cozy mysteries, young chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce once again brings her knowledge of poisons and her indefatigable spirit to solve the most dastardly crimes the English countryside has to offer and, in the process, comes closer than ever to solving her life's greatest mystery--her mother's disappearance... (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Much like the other books in this series, I enjoyed the read.  More than any of the previous books, this one was able to get emotion out of Flavia's father and that he is human after all.

What I enjoyed most about the book, and probably is the case with the other Flavia books that I have read, is that it was just fun and enjoyable to read and also because I liked Flavia's spunky character, despite the grim circumstances that surround the book.

Bottom Line: I would probably recommend the book to those that have read the previous five books in the series, as there is background in those books that help to give the book context and understanding to the rest of the book.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.75/5

A Pattern of Lies - Charles Todd #tlcbooktours #APatternOfLies

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (April 12, 2016)

A horrific explosion at a gunpowder mill sends Bess Crawford to war-torn France to keep a deadly pattern of lies from leading to more deaths, in this compelling and atmospheric mystery from the New York Timesbestselling author of A Question of Honor and An Unwilling Accomplice.

An explosion and fire at the Ashton Gunpowder Mill in Kent has killed over a hundred men. It’s called an appalling tragedy—until suspicion and rumor raise the specter of murder. While visiting the Ashton family, Bess Crawford finds herself caught up in a venomous show of hostility that doesn’t stop with Philip Ashton’s arrest. Indeed, someone is out for blood, and the household is all but under siege.

The only known witness to the tragedy is now at the Front in France. Bess is asked to find him. When she does, he refuses to tell her anything that will help the Ashtons. Realizing that he believes the tissue of lies that has nearly destroyed a family, Bess must convince him to tell her what really happened that terrible Sunday morning. But now someone else is also searching for this man.

To end the vicious persecution of the Ashtons, Bess must risk her own life to protect her reluctant witness from a clever killer intent on preventing either of them from ever reaching England.

My thoughts: I had mixed feelings as to what to expect from the book, as I had never read a Bess Crawford book.   And in the end, I thought it was an okay book.  I felt that the middle of the book seemed to drag a little bit too much, but the beginning and the end were strong.   I quite liked Bess and thought she was a fairly spunky character, albeit confined within the constraints of working within the military.

Bottom line: If you have read the previous books in the series, you will enjoy this book, but if you haven't read any of the other books, I would suggest going back and reading the previous 6 books in the series.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5

I received this book in exchange for unbiased review of the book.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Charles Todd

Charles Todd is the author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother and son writing team, they live in Delaware and North Carolina.

Visit their website at Charlestodd.com and like CharlesToddNovels on Facebook.

The Prime Minister's Secret Agent - Susan Elia MacNeal

Title: The Prime Minister's Secret Agent (Maggie Hope #4)
Author: Susan Elia MacNeal
Pages: 306
Published: 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: World War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland. Home from an undercover mission in Berlin, she settles down to teach at her old spy training camp, and to heal from scars on both her body and heart. Yet instead of enjoying the quieter pace of life, Maggie is quickly drawn into another web of danger and intrigue. When three ballerinas fall strangely ill in Glasgow—including one of Maggie’s dearest friends—Maggie partners with MI-5 to uncover the truth behind their unusual symptoms. What she finds points to a series of poisonings that may expose shocking government secrets and put countless British lives at stake. But it’s the fight brewing in the Pacific that will forever change the course of the war—and indelibly shape Maggie’s fate.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Much like the previous three books, this was a nice easy read.  While the book followed a formula, it still was a fascinating read nonetheless.  It was nice to read something that was familiar and was a bit of a break from reading material that was emotionally draining for me or I was unable to make sense of.

Bottom line: This was an enjoyable read for me and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.  If you have enjoyed the previous books in the series, you will likely enjoy this one as well.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.25/5

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

Title: The Girl on the Train
Author: Paula Hawkins
Pages: 316
Published: 2015
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description:   Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and evening, rattling over the same junctions, flashing past the same townhouses.The train stops at the same signal every day, and she sees the same couple, breakfasting on their roof terrace. Jason and Jess, as she calls them, seem so happy. Then one day Rachel sees someone new in their garden. Soon after, Rachel sees the woman she calls Jess on the news. Jess has disappeared. 

Through the ensuing police investigation, Rachel is drawn deeper into the lives of the couple she learns are really Megan and Scott Hipwell. As she befriends Scott, Rachel pieces together what really happened the day Megan disappeared. But when Megan's body is found, Rachel finds herself the chief suspect in the case. Plunged into a world of betrayals, secrets and deceptions, Rachel must confront the facts about her own past and her own failed marriage.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Like the previous book, I read this book due to the hype.  And for the most part I enjoyed the book.  While there were things that I liked about this book, like the twists and turns that the book to its final conclusion, there were things that were disturbing.  The main one being the behaviour of Rachel.  Thinking back on it, her behaviour was too creepy and don't know if I would want a person like that lurking around my neighbourhood.  I also felt that her overall behaviour was woe-is-me and she didn't really do anything to change that sort of behaviour over the course of the book, even though that maybe she did slightly change towards the end of the book.

Bottom line: The book was kinda meh.  While I don't know what I would have done differently about how the book ended, I felt that the ending was sort of anti-climax, even though the bulk of the book really kept me on the edge of the seat.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas; Jennifer Graham

Title: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars #1)
Author: Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Pages: 336
Published: 2014
Genre: Mystery
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She's traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it's spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is not a simple missing person's case. The house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica's past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I will come out and say that I am a Marshmellow (for those that don't know that means that I am a fan of Veronica Mars), so this review may be a little one-sided, but I guess if I didn't read the book, I probably wasn't a fan.

Anyways, this was a nice break from the more denser books that I had been reading at the time, especially Wolf Hall.  Unlike most books that I have completed, I was able to read the book over the course of an afternoon.  It kept the tone very similar to that of the TV series and the movie and it really felt like being apart of the Veronica Mar universe.

While it wasn't a great read, it also wasn't bad either; it sort of felt like going to a funny movie, when you aren't feeling well at the start but are enjoying the ride by the end of the movie.

Bottom line: If you are a fan of the TV series and the movie, you probably will enjoy this read and probably already have read it by now.  Recommended, but highly recommended for Veronica Mars fans.

Rating: 3.75/5

A Sudden Light - Garth Stein

Title: A Sudden Light
Author: Garth Stein
Pages: 416
Published: 2014
Challenges: I Love Libraries
Genre: Paranormal
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: In the summer of 1990, fourteen-year-old Trevor Riddell gets his first glimpse of Riddell House. Built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is constructed of giant, whole trees, and is set on a huge estate overlooking Puget Sound. Trevor’s bankrupt parents have begun a trial separation, and his father, Jones Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with his sister, Serena, dispatch Grandpa Samuel—who is flickering in and out of dementia—to a graduated living facility, sell off the house and property for development into “tract housing for millionaires,” divide up the profits, and live happily ever after.

But Trevor soon discovers there’s someone else living in Riddell House: a ghost with an agenda of his own. For while the land holds tremendous value, it is also burdened by the final wishes of the family patriarch, Elijah, who mandated it be allowed to return to untamed forestland as a penance for the millions of trees harvested over the decades by the Riddell Timber company. The ghost will not rest until Elijah’s wish is fulfilled, and Trevor’s willingness to face the past holds the key to his family’s future. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: When I started the book during this past fall's 24-hour Dewey's Readathon, I was hopeful that I would be able to get through the book in fairly short order.  But through a number of circumstances, it took me a bit longer than anticipated.  There were times that the book outright creeped me out, but there were also times in which I felt that book got a little too longwinded and dragged as a result.  It also felt that in some places that the book went off in tangents that didn't seem to make sense to me.  And as a result, I never got a sense of what the book was about.

Bottom line: While I had hoped to like the this book, it fell a little short for me.  Now if you are a fan of paranormal fiction with a little bit of a mystery thrown in, you probably would enjoy this book.  Recommended.

Rating: 2.75/5

Pages for 2014: 27,615

The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith

Title: The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike #1)
Author: Robert Galbraith
Pages (File Size): 465 (784 KB)
Published: 2013
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, Chunkster, E-Book, I Love Libraries
Genre: Mystery, Crime
Edition: E-book
Source: Library

Description: A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide. After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  Heard about this book about 18 months ago and it did not disappoint.  The characters were really well developed and kept me engaged with the story from the start, even if there were times I felt it lagged at time, make me wonder what really did happen and who really did do it.  If there was anything that was a bit of a disappointment with the book, it was that I wished Robin was around more during the course of the book.

Bottom line: Really enjoyed the book and has the potential to be quite a good series and should be of interest to those that enjoy well-written crime fiction.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.8/5

Pages for 2014: 18,629

If you have read this book, what did you think of it?

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Pages (File Size): 228 (2.2 MB)
Published: 2014
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, E-Book, I Love Libraries
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, E-Book
Edition: E-Book
Source: Library

Description: Spending the summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenaged Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer. (from Fraser Valley Regional Library)

Thoughts: I downloaded this book through one of the e-book services that my library offers for its customers as the result of many reviews that I saw online that piqued my interest that were fairly positive.  If I had read the book straight through and dropped my other books, I may have enjoyed the book a little more than I did and probably wouldn't have been confused for a good portion of the book, at least until I was able to figure out what the story was about.

I did feel that the book was well-written as it didn't draw out the story too long and it really allowed the reader to quickly get into the story.

Bottom line: If you need to read something quickly or are in a place for a bit of time, this could really help pass time quickly.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.25/5

Pages for 2014: 17,029

If you have read this book, what did you think of it?

Speaking from Among the Bones - Alan Bradley

Title: Speaking from Among the Bones (Flavia de Luce #5)
Author: Alan Bradley
Pages: 400
Published: 2013 (first published 2012)
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, Historical Fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: When the tomb of St. Tancred is opened at a village church in Bishop's Lacey, its shocking contents lead to another case for Flavia de Luce. Greed, pride, and murder result in old secrets coming to light--along with a forgotten flower that hasn't been seen for half a thousand years. (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: For the first time, I struggled to get into a book this series; it was likely due to some stress that I was going through at the time, but once I was able to, I found the story to be quite enjoyable and found myself looking forward to the next book in the series, which comes out in trade paperback in late 2014 or early 2015.

What I like about the book is that while Flavia is starting to mature, she still also still has that childish nature about her that makes her who she is and takes the risks that she takes.  Flavia also seems to be a little more calculating and little less impulsive than she was in the first four novels in the series, even though there are still instances in which this happens.

Bottom line: Enjoyed reading the book and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.  I liked how the book built upon the previous book (I Am Half-Sick of Shadows), but also feel like it was an individual book as well.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pages for 2014: 15,038

If you have read this book, what did you think of it?

Summer House with Swimming Pool - Herman Koch

Title: Summer House with Swimming Pool
Author: Herman Koch
Pages: 387
Published: 2014 (first published 2011)
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, I Love Libraries
Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: When a medical mistake goes horribly wrong and Ralph Meier, a famous actor, winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser is forced to conceal the error from his patients and family. After all, reputation is everything in this business. But the weight of carrying such a secret lies heavily on his mind, and he can't keep hiding from the truth…or the Board of Medical Examiners.

The problem is that the real truth is a bit worse than a simple slipup. Marc played a role in Ralph's death, and he's not exactly upset that the man is gone. Still haunted by his eldest daughter's rape during their stay at Ralph's extravagant Mediterranean summerhouse-one they shared with Ralph and his enticing wife, Judith, film director Stanley Forbes and his far younger girlfriend, Emmanuelle, and Judith's mother-Marc has had it on his mind that the perpetrator of the rape could be either Ralph or Stanley. Stanley's guilt seems obvious, bearing in mind his uncomfortable fixation on the prospect of Marc's daughter's fashion career, but Marc's reasons for wanting Ralph dead become increasingly compelling as events unravel. There is damning evidence against Marc, but he isn't alone in his loathing of the star-studded director. (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: After reading The Dinner last summer, I was hesitant to read this book, but strangely enough, I was able to enjoy this book for the most part.  I liked how the author built up to the main event of the book and how the characters were well fleshed out, even though Marc seemed to be a little too narcissistic at times for my liking.

I think what I liked is that the book seemed to be a little more linear than The Dinner and the author wrote in a way that one could easily get into the story without much effort.

Bottom line: If you enjoyed The Dinner, you will probably enjoy this one.  Also if you are a fan of other suspense/thriller novels, you may also enjoy this one as well.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pages for 2014: 14, 077 

His Majesty's Hope - Susan Elia MacNeal

Title: His Majesty's Hope (Maggie Hope Mystery #3)
Author: Susan Elia MacNeal
Pages: 334
Published: 2013
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, Historical Fiction, I Love Libraries, War Through the Generations
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: World War II has finally come home to Britain, but it takes more than nightly air raids to rattle intrepid spy and expert code breaker Maggie Hope. After serving as a secret agent to protect Princess Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, Maggie is now an elite member of the Special Operations Executive—a black ops organization designed to aid the British effort abroad—and her first assignment sends her straight into Nazi-controlled Berlin, the very heart of the German war machine. Relying on her quick wit and keen instincts, Maggie infiltrates the highest level of Berlin society, gathering information to pass on to London headquarters. But the secrets she unveils will expose a darker, more dangerous side of the war—and of her own past. (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this read, as it was a nice break from the heavier-themed fiction that I had previously completed.  While I had previously enjoyed the first two books in the series, this book was much more enjoyable to read.  Maybe it was that the primary story took place in a different location than war-time London or maybe it was that I had recently finished the second book in the series, I think it was because the themes dealt in the book went below the surface and dealt with more personal issues with Maggie and also was more darker and sinister than what was dealt with in the first two books in the series.

I also liked how the plot moved smoothly between London and Berlin and the other minor characters in the series, particularly David's story.   I also liked that while the main story of the book was basically resolved, with the minor storylines in the book were left unfinished just enough to keep a fan of the series coming back and wanting more.

Bottom line: If you have read the first two books in the series, you will enjoy this one as well.   If you are new to the series, I would recommend reading the first two books, as they provide the back story to this book.  Highly recommended to fans of the series.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pages for 2014: 13,395

If you have read the book, what did you think of it?

Frog Music - Emma Donoghue

Title: Frog Music
Author: Emma Donoghue
Pages: 352
Published: 2014
Challenges: I Love Libraries, Historical Fiction, Blogger Summer Reading
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Canadian literature
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Summer of 1876: San Francisco is in the fierce grip of a record-breaking heat wave and a smallpox epidemic. Through the window of a railroad saloon, a young woman named Jenny Bonnet is shot dead. 

The survivor, her friend Blanche Beunon, is a French burlesque dancer. Over the next three days, she will risk everything to bring Jenny's murderer to justice--if he doesn't track her down first. The story Blanche struggles to piece together is one of free-love bohemians, desperate paupers, and arrogant millionaires; of jealous men, icy women, and damaged children. It's the secret life of Jenny herself, a notorious character who breaks the law every morning by getting dressed: a charmer as slippery as the frogs she hunts. (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: When I heard that Emma Donoghue had written a new book, I really wanted to get my hands on a copy, especially since I had really enjoyed Room a number of years ago.  

The thing with the book was that I had a bit of difficulty figuring out where the book was during the time span of the book, as it seemed to jump around quite a bit and left me a bit confused as to where we were in terms of the story, which apparently is about a month.  I would have really like it if author's that are doing time shifting of any sort to let reader's know where we are. I had no problem in loving Donoghue's writing, I just had an issue with the time shifting.

Bottom line:  If you enjoy books that use time shifting as a plot device, you will probably enjoy this book.  If you have read it and did like the book, you may enjoy books such as All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and The Painter by Peter Heller (Goodreads came up with the recommendations, not me).

Rating:  3.5/5

Pages for 2014: 9440

Princess Elizabeth's Spy - Susan Elia MacNeal

Title: Princess Elizabeth's Spy
Author: Susan Elia MacNeal
Pages: 352
Published: 2012
Challenges: I Love Libraries, Eclectic, Historical Fiction
Genre: Mystery fiction, Historical fiction
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: As World War II sweeps the continent and England steels itself against German attack, Maggie Hope, former secretary to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, completes her training to become a spy for MI-5. Spirited, strong-willed, and possessing one of the sharpest minds in government for mathematics and code-breaking, she fully expects to be sent abroad to gather intelligence for the British front. Instead, to her great disappointment, she is dispatched to go undercover at Windsor Castle, where she will tutor the young Princess Elizabeth in math. Yet castle life quickly proves more dangerous—and deadly—than Maggie ever expected. The upstairs-downstairs world at Windsor is thrown into disarray by a shocking murder, which draws Maggie into a vast conspiracy that places the entire royal family in peril. And as she races to save England from a most disturbing fate, Maggie realizes that a quick wit is her best defense, and that the smallest clues can unravel the biggest secrets, even within her own family. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I quite enjoyed this read, even though it took me a little longer to read this book than I would have liked (I had other books to complete at the time. which meant that I had to set aside this book).  While it wasn't a book that won't exactly blow one's mind, it definitely did its job and is a example of what I would expect from what is coined as a cozy mystery.  In otherwords, it does its job and doesn't try to be something that its not.  And its the sort of book that one could easily read in a few days and even if you had to put it down for a bit, it wouldn't be hard to pick up the book where you left off.

Bottom line: If you are a fan of cozy mysteries and have read the first book in the series, I would recommend this book.  And even if you haven't read the first book in the series (it wouldn't hurt), the story is separate enough for one to pick up the book and enjoy it and you probably wouldn't lose much, even though there are some things that are related in the book to the first one in the series.  Recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2014: 6743

The Luminaries - Eleanor Catton

Title: The Luminaries
Author: Eleanor Catton
Pages: 834
Published: 2013
Challenges: Chunkster, Historical Fiction
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Personal

Description: It is 1866, and young Walter Moody has come to make his fortune upon the New Zealand goldfields. On the stormy night of his arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of twelve local men who have met in secret to discuss a series of unexplained events: A wealthy man has vanished, a prostitute has tried to end her life, and an enormous fortune has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into the mystery: a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and exquisitely ornate as the night sky. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I had a bit of difficulty getting into this book, but I ended up actually enjoying the book.  I think if there had been a little bit more editing to the book (the first section should have been cut maybe by about 100 pages), I think that I may have enjoyed the book a little bit more than I did.  Overall, it is a pretty good read and once I was able to get more into the book, I was able to enjoy a little more than I had.  It is one of those books that the payoff comes later on in the book, as you are given so much information in the first section that I felt that there was too much to digest.

Bottom line: Overall, the book is pretty good and definitely does deserve its nominations, but having not read the other nominations for the Booker Prize, I can't say if it deserved to win the prize, nor can I say if it deserve to win the Governor General's award for literary award for Fiction (she holds a Canadian passport and therefore is eligible for Canadian literary prizes, even though she hasn't lived in Canada for over 20 years; personally it should be awarded to those only that make their primary residence in Canada, but I digress), as I haven't read those books either.   To put it concisely, I didn't exactly love it, but I didn't exactly dislike it either.  I haven't read other Booker winners, but I am hoping that Wolf Hall is a bit better.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pages for 2014: 3200

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows - Alan Bradley

Title: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4)
Author: Alan Bradley
Pages: 288
Published: 2012 (originally published 2011)
Challenges: Christmas Spirit
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal library

Description: Colonel de Luce, in desperate need of funds, rents his beloved estate of Buckshaw to a film company. They will be shooting a movie over the Christmas holidays, filming scenes in the decaying manse with a reclusive star. She is widely despised, so it is to no one's surprise when she turns up murdered, strangled by a length of film from her own movies! With a blizzard raging outside and Buckshaw locked in, the house is full of suspects. But Flavia de Luce is more than ready to put aside her investigations into the true identity of Father Christmas to solve this yuletide country-house murder. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Really liked it, as usual.  I am a big fan of this series and so glad I have made the effort to catch up with the series.  I like how the author has used characters from the previous book in this one and how he incorporated each of a portion of the characters from the previous 3 books, but there is enough that one doesn't really have to read the other books, but it is strongly suggested that one does read the other 3 previous books to understand the characters a little better than if one jumps in right away.

Once I got into the book, which was pretty quick, I found it fairly easy to get into the book and finish it quickly (I got sick towards the end of the book and had to put it aside for a bit as I for some reason am unable to read lots while I am not feeling well; I had a cold, if you are wondering).  And also loved the fact that it took place around Christmas Day.

Bottom line: While the story is a stand-alone, there are elements of the previous three books, that while not exactly crucial to the book, are somewhat important to have a background of (I had forgot some of them).  I would recommend the book to those individuals that like cozy mystery series books and like something light and fairly easy to read at times and also to those that have read the previous Flavia books.  Recommended.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pages for 2013: 17,953