Tag: Historical Mysteries

Indie Spotlight: Review of The Washashore by Marshall Highet and Bird Jones

BonnieReadsAndWrites13 Comments

Indie spotlight is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide. Below is a review I did for The Historical Novel Society, The Washashore by Marshall Highet and Bird Jones.

BOOK REVIEW

1929. Emily Cartwright has just lost her mother, and her Aunt Isabel, who was estranged from her mother, has been named as her guardian. She travels from Nebraska to Martha’s Vineyard to live in Aunt Isabel’s grand home. She is immediately made to give up her first name and go by her middle name, because Emily was the name of Aunt Isabel’s daughter who had vanished years before. Emily makes a friend, Fiona, daughter of the housekeeper, and is just finding her way around when Aunt Isabel’s friend, Ann, is found dead. Isabel suspects murder and enlists Emily to be her eyes and ears around the house and town. As Emily starts to investigate, will she find the killer, and are she and Isabel in danger?

This is an enjoyable story with likeable characters and an intriguing mystery. Emily is both an orphan and a “fish out of water,” moving from a country life in Nebraska to her wealthy aunt’s luxurious home. The fact that the skills she learned in Nebraska are great assets is made plain this story, as she is stronger for it, both physically and mentally. Aunt Isabel is the very definition of a “grand lady,” but she also possesses a keen mind and an iron will. There is a theme of grief and moving forward, as Emily is grieving for her mother, and Isabel is grieving for her lost daughter. The Prohibition Era, including the way the rumrunners used the island, is well portrayed. The mystery is intriguing and there are some successful red herrings. There is also an action-packed ending to this story that shouldn’t be missed. Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this one. Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

PURCHASE LINK

*Click on the cover below to buy this book on Amazon.

BEFORE YOU GO

If you read this book, be sure to leave a review on Amazon. It is very important for Indie authors because the more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it. It does not have to be a masterpiece. Just a couple of quick lines will make the author’s day. Please also remember to share this post with all of your social media followers.

Sunday Post: Traveling in Time With Historical Fiction #Sunday Salon

BonnieReadsAndWrites27 Comments

This was a pretty normal week, except for a painful visit to the dentist, which resulted in an almost root canal, which is not a term you hear often, but it appears I may not need to have one, and the pain is slowly going away with medication.

I’ve been reading a lot of books for The Historical Novel Society. Historical fiction is usually my go-to, and I am getting the opportunity to drop into fictional worlds set during so many time periods and events-the French Resistance, the Trojan War, 17th Century England, post WWII San Francisco, and more. It’s been a pleasure, and I always learn something new, which is what I love about historical fiction.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG

Last Week I reviewed A Lethal Engagement and participated in Top Ten Tuesday.

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG

I’m set to post historical fiction reviews and Indie book reviews and promos. I will participate in Top Ten Tuesday if time permits.

BOOK HAUL

An illustrated picture of a young Queen Elizabeth II, with two of her corgis, arranged around the book title, THE QUEEN WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. she is wearing a blue dress and tiara, holding a camera and her signature handbag, and peeking out under stylish dark sunglasses.

Amateur sleuth Queen Elizabeth II is back on the case in 1960s England in the fifth installment of this historical mystery series the New York Times Book Review calls “sheer entertainment,” perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Richard Osman.

1961, England.
The Queen is spending a night on board the royal train with her entourage and her sister, Princess Margaret. But before they reach their destination, an unreliable witness claims to have seen a brutal murder from one of the carriages.

The Queen and her assistant private secretary, Joan McGraw, get to work on their second joint investigation. No one else saw the crime. If there is a victim, could he be the missing photographer friend of Margaret’s new husband, Tony Armstrong Jones?

This time, the Cold War threatens to undermine the Queen’s upcoming visit to Italy. She and Joan must tackle dark forces that follow them all the way, in a tale of spies, lies, and treachery.

This historical mystery series starring a young Queen Elizabeth II looks like a lot of fun!

I hope you have a great week!

Thank you to The Caffeinated Book Reviewer for hosting Sunday Post. Thank you to Readerbuzz for hosting Sunday Salon

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

Sunday Post: Snowed In

BonnieReadsAndWrites17 Comments

Thank you to The Caffeinated Book Reviewer for hosting Sunday Post.

We got between 3 and 4 inches of snow this weekend. Since we live on a gravel road, we’re basically snowed in, but Doug’s out there snow blowing because we are headed to Johnson City tomorrow to close on our house there! I’ll be so glad when that is finished.

Last week I reviewed Miranda Fights by Gail Ward Olmsted and participated in WWW Wednesdays.

Next week I will review Find Me in the Stars by Jules Larimore, Saving Madonna by Kate Bristow, and possibly other books.

BOOK HAUL

I have really stopped requesting so many books on Netgalley. A lot of books come to me via The Historical Novel Society, such as the three below: The Four Queens of Crime, The Socialite’s Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets, and A Lady Would Know Better. These are unedited pictures of the books next to me on my desk. I changed lamps recently, so the green lamp is the most recent.

I also got a wish granted on Netgalley, which is rare, so I’ll be reading The Crime Brulee Bake Off by Rebecca Connolly.

My Netgalley shelf is down to 16, which is low for me, and some of them aren’t due until May and June. I plan to keep the shelf to less than 10 going forward.

How was your week?

WWW Wednesdays: What Are You Reading?

BonnieReadsAndWrites20 Comments

WWW Wednesdays asks three questions: What Are you Currently Reading?, What Did You Just Finish Reading?, and What Will You Read Next?. Thanks to Taking On A World of Words for hosting WWW Wednesday.

MY CURRENT READ

This one should be ready for Indie Weekend. Book Description: Miranda Quinn is back in the courtroom working as a legal aid attorney when she’s asked to represent Lennon, the daughter of a high school friend currently serving time in prison. Still struggling with guilt from the role she played in her friend’s downfall, Miranda agrees to help.

The former assistant DA has given up a lucrative career as a legal talk radio host to better serve her community. In her spare time, she volunteers as a counselor for at-risk teens. It’s challenging but rewarding, at least until the young women begin to mysteriously disappear. As Miranda struggles to find out who is responsible, it becomes clear that Lennon is in danger as well.

WHAT I JUST FINISHED

LIGHTS, CAMERA, MAYHEM by Jodi Taylor: This is Jodi Taylor’s Christmas novella this year. Not really a Christmas story, but released on Christmas morning, this one was so much fun. St. Mary’s is hosting the filming of a movie! Chaos begins from there as somehow our disaster magnets end up in Troy–with the leading lady. I read it on Christmas morning and then just listened to it again recently on Audible.

WHAT I’M READING NEXT

Here is the book sitting on my desk as I type this:

1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Voluntary Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event, and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning, Sir Henry is found dead in the library. 

Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancée, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary. 

LIFE UPDATE

The view this morning is almost heavenly. I stood outside long enough to snap a picture. It’s 23 degrees. We had just a little bit of snow Monday, and the mountains are tipped with a beautiful frost.

I am slowly (very slowly) transitioning away from my couch potato phase of retirement. I have Netflix and Chilled to my heart’s content. We watched all of the TV series Bones, and are just finishing up Star Trek Voyager. Next we will watch Doc Martin. I have also been reading/editing/reviewing for the Historical Novel Society quite a bit.

I am venturing out on the icy roads today to run errands. Wish me luck!