Tag: 1920s Historical Fiction

Book Tour and Spotlight: Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread

BonnieReadsAndWrites6 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynn Knight was born in Derbyshire and lives in London. The women of her family passed on many stories along with beaded bags and buttoned gauntlets, and fostered her interest in the texture and narratives of women’s lives. She is the author of The Biography of Clarice Cliff (2005), a memoir, Lemon Sherbet and Dolly Blue: The Story of an Accidental Family (2011), and The Button Box: The Story of Women in the 20th Century, Told Through the Clothes They Wore (2016).

Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread is her first novel.

BOOK REVIEW

In 1925 London, Rose Burnham is trying to make a success of her new business, a dressmaking shop, and has been encouraged by the many orders from Miss Holmes, who wants to impress a new suitor. The most recent dress is gorgeous and expensive to make, so Rose is quite concerned when Miss Holmes cannot pay for it. In tears, she explains that her suitor, Reginald, was a fraud. He talked her into advancing him 800 pounds for a business, and now he has disappeared, money and all. She explains she met him through a matrimonial agency. Outraged, Rose decides to pretend to be a client of the matrimonial agency, Cupid’s Arrow, and bring this “suitor” to justice.

I really enjoyed and connected with the characters in this book, especially Rose and her sisters. Rose has had the opportunity to leave employment with a department store and start her own business, and this book highlights the difficulties of and discrimination against women in business at that time. Rose’s determination to get justice for women being swindled is encouraging and heartwarming. The mystery surrounding the suitor, Reginald, is intriguing, and I could feel Rose’s outrage as she tries to track him down. There is a secondary mystery involving anonymous poisoned pen letters that are being left for Rose’s friend. This novel has a modern connection–everything that plays out in both of these mysteries in 1925 London is still going on today, but on social media. Recommended to all Mystery fans and fans of Women’s Fiction.

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a free copy of this novel. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

BOOK LINKS

GOODREADS | PURCHASE LINK

Release Day! The Diamonds #Review #Q&A #GailMeath

BonnieReadsAndWrites10 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

FROM THE AUTHOR: The most talked-about wedding is quickly approaching, and PI Jax Diamond is on top of the world. The tuxedos are freshly pressed and hanging in their closets. His good friend is busy decorating the nightclub for a glorious reception, and the newspaper reporters are anxiously waiting to print the front-page headlines. Even Ace, his courageous canine partner and best man, is prancing around, anxious for the event to begin.

The only thing missing is the bride.

Three days before the wedding, a group of mastermind criminals pull off the biggest diamond heist the city has ever seen, but that’s not the only gem they steal. And boy, do they have their hands full.

Every police officer from Albany to Washington is summoned to work around the clock, hunting down the culprits. Will they find Laura in time to save her life, so she can take her vows

BOOK REVIEW

It’s Book 7 of the Jax Diamond Mysteries, wedding bells are ringing, and Laura and Carla have disappeared! It’s obvious that foul play is afoot. Jax and Tim are hot on the trail, but Laura knows some tricks of her own.

It’s the seventh book of this beloved series, and Jax and Laura are finally making it official…if they can get to the altar. The beginning of this book absolutely blew me away. So unexpected. And the ending is touching and joyful. Laura’s extensive mechanical knowledge would not have been considered “feminine” at that time, and I love that about her. Her ingenuity often saves the day. She is beautiful and can sing, but she has a lot of other tricks up her sleeve. Her desperate, under-pressure tactic involving a telephone was unique and inspiring. I love the main cast and their close relationship. And of course, Ace is a scene-stealer. This is a great end to the Jax Diamond Mysteries series. Or is it?

The Diamonds is released today! Be sure and pick up your copy here. See purchase links for the whole series below.

Q&A WITH GAIL MEATH

A quick Q&A with Author Gail Meath

Thank you to my good friend Gail Meath!

Bonnie: Is this the last book in the Jax Diamond series?

Gail: I honestly haven’t decided yet.  I have an idea for book #8, and the series has gone so well, but sometimes it’s best to leave on a high note.  I thought I’d leave it up to the readers, and already I have votes for at least one more book.  I’ll probably write it…already, I miss the characters.  

Bonnie: How do you feel Jax has changed since Book 1?

Gail: In the beginning, Jax was a loner except for his good friendship with Tim, a police officer, and his very special bond with Ace.  He didn’t have a past.  He never looked to the future.  He held a few grudges and didn’t trust anyone else.  Laura, his Broadway star sweetheart, was hugely influential in bringing him out of his shell and learning to trust again.  So, too, was his renewed friendship with Orin Marino and reuniting with his parents.

Bonnie: Can you pick some of your favorite moments throughout the series?

Gail: That’s a tough question, but I think the absolute most fun I had was writing about Laura and Ace going undercover behind Jax’s back in Framed, Book 2.  That’s when we discover Orin isn’t who we thought.  Another favorite is Two of a Kind, The Beginning novella where Jax and Ace meet when Ace is just a puppy.

Bonnie: Besides Ace, Jax, and Laura, my favorite character is Orin Marino.  Which character is your favorite outside of the big three?

Gail: It’s funny.  I never intended for Orin to become a loveable ‘gangster’.  It just happened, and I’ve got to agree with you.  If I do write another book, I want him to have a happy ending!

Bonnie: I know you have a new series coming out soon. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Gail: I’m currently writing the first book in a new series that takes place during the 1930s glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood.  It stars Vivian Steele, a widowed fashion designer, and Preston Stone, Hollywood’s most beloved playboy, who reluctantly team up to solve some very high-profile mysteries.  It’ll have a great cast of characters ranging from the rich and famous to Bella, the Boston Terrier, and a few other endearing folks.

Thanks Gail for answering my questions, as always!

A surprise question for Gail: Any chance of an Orin Marino spinoff series?

PURCHASE LINKS

Link to buy the whole JAX DIAMOND MYSTERIES series

Link to buy THE DIAMONDS, just released today!