It’s Thursday! I’m still visiting my Mom, although I have been reading for Library Journal‘s Saturday deadline for this month. Today, Mom, my sister, Christie, and I are heading to Marion, Ohio where we have tickets to go through President Harding’s home and Presidential library. So, I won’t be around mid-day. I’ll catch up in the evening. By next Thursday, I’ll be back at my place, and I’ll have the whole day to spend here.
I’m currently reading a November release, Elizabth Hobbs’ Misery Hates Company for Library Journal. Here’s the book blurb.
A young woman is invited to a mysterious relative’s estate and winds up entangled in a murder investigation in this witty historical mystery that pits the gothic eeriness of Crimson Peak against the comic absurdities of Knives Out.
Miss Marigold Manners may be steeped in the etiquette of her old-money, Boston family, but she is also an accomplished, modern woman and an avid student of archaeology who can handle any situation with poise. When the death of her parents leaves her too destitute to pursue her academic career and she receives a letter from a distant relative on Great Misery Island, Marigold decides she must do what any person of superior sense and greater-than-average curiosity would: she mounts her trusty bicycle and heads up the craggy, fog-shrouded coast of New England for a date with fate.
Marigold arrives at Hatchet Farm, a moldering, gothic pile of a house inhabited by relatives so mired in the sins of the past, they have no future. She sets out to modernize the recluses with a brisk, ruthless efficiency, but her well-intentioned plans to manage their lives leads to malice—and murder. Marigold spies a body floating in the stormy waters surrounding the island and her suspicions immediately turn to her hostile, weapon-wielding relatives when one of the local girls turns up missing. And she might not be the only one.
When another dead body is found in the garden of the estate, Marigold finds herself accused. She must enlist the help of an eccentric, colorful cast of friends and found family to save herself—and everything she holds dear. As secrets are uncovered and lies exposed, the question of “who done it” turns into “who didn’t do it?”, and Marigold must face a truth that shatters her steely poise and shakes her very sense of self.
What about you? Are you surviving the heat this week? What are you reading?
I’m delighted to say the weather has improved so that I have been back to walking about a mile in my neighborhood in early morning. This morning it was 61 degrees at 8:15 or so, perfect for walking. Tomorrow we’re back in the 100s, but in the LOW 100s (splitting hairs, I know). It’s supposed to be 70 at 8:00 a.m., a little warmer than I would like for walking, but I’ll brave it and join the Walkie Talkies for the 2-mile walk. I may have to change my clothes afterward, though. Here’s what I’ve been reading for the past week.
THE KAMOGAWA FOOD DETECTIVES by Hisashi Kashiwal, a popular book in Japan that was recently translated into English, is a charming, slender (200 pages) novel that defies categorizing. In Kyoto, a restaurant that is hard to find, doesn’t look like much from the outside, and doesn’t even have a sign is able to attract customers with its captivating one-line advertisement in a gourmet magazine. Those who have never before visited are amazed to find that they are served the most spectacular food. But what they really come for is the detective agency housed in the restaurant. They desperately want to find–either for themselves or for loved ones– a dish they remember from the past, one that brings back memories and has never been duplicated in their lives. The chef’s daughter questions clients to glean what information they have about the dish, then turns the request over to her father, who never fails to satisfy the customer with his research–often including traveling, interviewing, and delving into the past. And it normally takes him only two weeks to serve up exactly what was requested! Each chapter of the book describes one long-lost dish, from regional Japanese delicacies to spaghetti and beef stew. It is fascinating to hear from the chef about what makes each a special dish–from where the ingredients are sourced to the personalities of those involved. And it is enjoyable to discover each of the clients and learn a bit about their lives and what brought them to the restaurant. This is intended as the first in what promises to be a whimsical magical, heart-warming series.
It’s always time for rejoicing when Terry Shames writes a new book in the Samuel Craddock series–in this case, book #11, THE TROUBLING DEATH OF MADDY BENSON. What makes this series unique and exciting for me is the fact that it is narrated in the first person, present tense by Samuel Craddock himself, the seasoned Chief of Police of Jarrett Creek, Texas, a fictional small town based on the author’s grandparents’ hometown. That means we see everything through Samuel’s lens(es), including: his impressive step-by-step process to investigate and solve a mysterious death; his personal feelings and concerns about the case and about the state of the world in general; and his perspectives on the important people in his life–loved ones, friends, and coworkers. His point of view lends authenticity and depth to the story, and he becomes, over the life of the series, someone the reader trusts and enjoys, although the book can certainly be read by someone with no previous experience with the series. In this book, a woman who feels strongly about women’s reproductive rights and tries to assist those who are denied those rights, is found dead by gunshot outdoors in a remote area. She had recently moved to Jarrett Creek with her son and daughter-in-law, both writers, hoping that the change of venue would improve the couple’s problematic relationship, but no one had expected that tragedy would ensue. Samuel has to navigate through a miasma of persons of interest, suspects, politics, danger, and emotion to get to the truth. We read a bit about his relationship with his girlfriend, Wendy, but she is not a major character in this story. I particularly enjoyed reading about two of Samuel’s deputies–one a woman who exceeds all expectations and the other a man who is starting to question whether he really wants to be a police officer. Highly recommended for those who are looking for an intelligent, masterfully written police procedural without graphic violence. (October)
A DEATH IN DIAMONDS is SJ Bennett’s fourth book in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates mystery series, but with a new twist. The first three featured Queen Elizabeth II in 2016,when she was ninety, while this is the first of a new trilogy set in post-war 1957, when the Queen was 30 years old with two young children at home. As in the earlier books, she takes it upon herself to work quietly behind the scenes to solve murders that affect her or her family. She must be circumspect because of her unique position and royal duties, so in each timeline she presses her Assistant Private Secretary into service in her investigations. Fortunately, she is as ably assisted in 1957 by Joan McGraw as she was by Rozie Oshodi in the books set in 2016. Two brutal murders take place in Chelsea at a men’s club that Prince Phililp has been known to frequent. At the same time, the Queen is worried that one or more of her closest functionaries may be trying to sabotage her travels to other countries to spread the goodwill and support of the United Kingdom As with the early timeland, the author has researched the major world events of the day and incporated them into the plot.. A few surprising real-life figures appear briefly in this book, including an iconic author and a popular band leader who add to the charm of the book. I must admit that I initially struggled to keep up with the details of the story, as they and the characters are plentiful. Fortunately, the author sums up the action every so often, which helped me stay the course. The characters of the Queen and Joan McGraw are beautifully portrayed and engaging, and many of the supporting characters stand out in either positive or negative ways . . . or both! As in the previous books, the author’s writing style shines, making each character memorable and weaving a story that is exciting, entertaining, and engrossing, and leaving the reader craving for more. (December)
Margie, I’m so glad you could finally get out and walk again. I know you were missing it. Low 100s. Okay…
I’m looking forward to Shames’ new book. And, I have the Bennett, but just haven’t had a chance to get into it. The Japanese one sounds delightful!
I also got the new Terry Shames book from Netgalley this week, but will save it for later.
I am so far behind reviewing early ARCs due to losing June/early July to blurry vision.
Grace, are you able to read again? How are your allergies?
I too have read the newest Samuel Craddock mystery and agree with your review 100%. This is such a well written series. I have fellow Thursdays at Lesa’s readers to thank for making me aware of this series.
They remind me somewhat of the Walt Longmire books. Men with a few years under their belts who want to do the right thing.
Don’t you like that kind of character, Susan? A few years, and they want to do the right thing.
Still way too hot for me so if I’m to get a walk in, I have to leave my house absolutely no later than 6:00 a.m. to beat the heat. The goal is to be back home by 7:00. That was accomplished this morning, and when I got back I made potato salad and cut up a watermelon, which meant there was no need to cook dinner in a hot kitchen this evening. Yay!
Two books again this week:
LOCKED IN PURSUIT by Ashley Weaver. This is the 4th book in the Electra McDonnell series (the 1st is called A Peculiar Combination). This historical fiction/mystery series is set in England during WW 11, and follows Ellie (whose Uncle Mick has a locksmithing business although it often isn’t enough to pay the bills so he and Ellie do some illegal breaking into of safes to supplement their income) and Major Ramsey (a government official working tirelessly to keep Britain safe).
Unlikely as it seems, the Major (ever so reluctantly) has cause to require Ellie’s help in one case after another, and he becomes more of a handler to her as she moves away from her criminal past to help Ramsey with honest and vital work for the country. In this latest outing there is a suspicious robbery which hides a deeper agenda, there are spies in Lisbon, there is a missing object that must be found before the Germans can get their hands on it, Ellie and Ramsey’s relationship still teases at becoming something more, and as alway there are many problems and situations to deal with.
Sharon read this book last week and I do agree that there is a bit too much repetition about Ellie and Ramsey’s kiss from the previous book, and that a couple of Ellie’s decisions this time are questionable. But this is still such an enjoyable series – on the lighter side, possessed of a feisty heroine and a brooding male lead, excellent secondary characters, humour, good storylines and engaging writing that from the first page makes me sigh with happiness because I know I’m in for a reliably good time with all these characters I’ve come to know.
THE BRIAR CLUB by Kate Quinn. This is the first book by this author that I’ve read. If the others are all as good as this one then I’ve certainly been missing out.
Set in America in the early 1950s, it tells the story of several women living in a boarding house in the time of McCarthy and the Communist scare, when even the slightest hint of Red loyalties could land you in serious trouble and/or jail. This little synopsis does nothing to tell you what a wonderfully enthralling novel this is.
Each chapter (they’re long but they never feel even close to being long enough) is devoted to the story of one of the residents of the boarding house. I don’t normally like this way of telling a story because you’ve just gotten into someone’s story and then you’re wrenched away and have to ‘start all over’ with a new character. But in this case I loved how the novel was written – you need to understand the residents and why they are the way they are; you need to develop that understanding and empathy. Even the house itself is a character with hopes of its own. And little bit by tantalizing little bit the story unfolds and the reader is desperately racing through to the end hoping that these women and the other characters will be alright. Please just let them be alright.
I was a limp rag by the end. That’s all I can say.
Lindy, You defined The Briar Club beautifully, long chapters, but never long enough. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s definitely going to be on my list of Favorite Books of 2024. It certainly keeps you turning pages, doesn’t it?
Love your final comment!
We’ve been eating a lot of watermelon, cherries and grapes this week with the heat.
The heat finally broke on Sunday. It’s been okay the last few days, but we’re going to triple digits again, but not over 110.
I think we all dodged a bullet Saturday. The books are already being written.
This week I read:
The Vengeance of Hera by John Gregory Betancourt; Hercules is travelling with the Argonauts, when they are blown ashore an island with a giant cyclops that demands human sacrifice. Herc puts a stop to that, but soon finds out the cyclops prevented giant Pterosaurs from raiding the island. Oops! This isn’t Kevin Sorbo’s Hercules, but is still somewhat whitewashed from the original.
Our Violent Ends by Choe Gong; More melodrama in Shanghai, as we’re in scene three of the Romeo and Juliet homage, as Mercutio’s dead.
The Rapids by Carla Neggers; The Deep State is like a small town, as there’s skulduggery in Belgium, and all the US Agents not only know each other, but all went to school together, and know each other’s families. Is Washington DC really that much like Lovecraft’s Innsmouth?
I think you’re right about the events of Saturday, Glen.
I love the variety of your book selections – Hercules, Romeo and Juliet, and spies. You don’t get stuck in a rut!
Glen, my wife is a big fan of Carla Neggers but she hadn’t read that series, so she says thanks for reminding her and she had me download book one for her. (THE RAPIDS is book three of six.)
She’s very welcome!
I’m in that between books place again.
A few hours ago, I finished The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning by P.J. Fitzsimmons. This is the second in a series set in England in the 1920’s. It’s fully of dry British wit. I didn’t think the mystery was as strong as in the first book, but I still enjoyed the story overall, mostly thanks to the humor. And maybe my expectations for this were too high since the first is on my short list for favorites of the year.
That means I will be diving into Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley. This is the third in her Deep Dish Mysteries. I enjoyed the first but didn’t think the second was as good. It will be interesting to see what I think of this one.
I’m reading the next one in one of your favorite series, Mark – Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before Christmas. Santa is missing after his Christmas flight, and strangers have shown up in Santaland. Fun, as always.
I’m curious as to how the Quigley one is, too.
I’ve got the ARC for that one. I’ll probably be mentioning it in a couple of months since I read closer to review date than you do. Glad to know it’s good. Looking forward to it.
Our town had an outdoor concert scheduled for last night but they moved it into the community center because of the heat. It’s a good thing they did because it poured halfway through. Tonight it’s supposed to be nice and there’s another concert about ten minutes from us.
This week I read DOG DAY AFTERNOON by David Rosenfelt, his latest Andy Carpenter book. Normally Andy only takes clients that he believes are innocent but this time he takes a client who he thinks is guilty as a favor for his investigator Marcus.
Sandy, I’m glad some towns are finding a way to continue their concerts despite the heat and rain.
That is a switch for Andy in Rosenfelt’s books!
I am currently reading READ IT AND WEEP by Jenn McKinlay. It’s part of a mystery series.
On my blog: http://jacquelineseewald.blogspot.com readers are sharing their summer reading
suggestions. If interested, drop by there as well.
Oh, one of Jenn’s Library Lover’s Mysteries! I like that series.
Thanks for the link to your site, Jacqueline. Summer reading is always interesting!
Ah, a week of normal summer hot weather, glad for a respite from the extreme variety. Also a few thunderstorms, but fortunately weren’t close by.
I really enjoyed James Comey’s second novel WESTPORT. He continued the characters from the previous book, Central Park West, but in different setting. Nora Carelton left the US Attorney’s office to become lead counsel for a very successful hedge fund. Murder follows and she’s setup to take the fall. Gripping!
I’m not familiar with the expression “Billy No Mates”, a colloquial British term used to describe someone who is perceived as having no friends. Oddly enough the phrase popped up in a few reads recently. Briefly in the excellent 6th book in the DI Adam Fawley series, HOPE TO DIE. A very well written series which received high praise here last month.
And something a bit unusual, THREE FIRES by Scottish author Denise Mina. This brings a modern reimagining to the Bonfire of the Vanities, drawing parallels from the occurrence in 1497 to the present day culture wars.
I’m not familiar with that phrase, either, MM. And, I skipped that book in the series, although I love it.
I think we’ve all been happy for a weather respite.
We were away in Connecticut with my cousins last week – much cooler on the coast of eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island, by the way – and got home on Saturday, so it cut into my reading, though I did read short stories every day, of course. And this Sunday we’ll be away again, but just overnight. Summers are getting tougher, but it’s good to be retired and not have to go out when you don’t want to. My sister in Scottsdale says Arizona has been unbearable, so she is taking her husband and son away for a few days to Flagstaff, where the elevation makes it cooler.
But I digress. Jackie did finish her Lora Leigh book and is now reading the latest Black Dagger Brotherhood book by J. R. Ward (another of her favorite writers), THE BELOVED.
I only finished one book this week (another today), Steve Cavanagh’s Kill For Me, Kill For You. It is a clever, tricky modern takeoff on Patricia Highsmith’s STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, where two men trade murders – killing each other’s person so each will have an alibi when the person they want dead is killed. Here it is two women. Amanda’s husband turns away for just a minute, and their 6 year old daughter is abducted in Central Park, and later found murdered. The husband blames himself and commits suicide. The cop in charge identifies the probable killer, but there is no usable proof, and he is protected by his rich family and powerful lawyers, to the extent where he sues Amanda for harassment. Meanwhile, at a support group, she meets, Wendy, a woman with a similar story, who proposes the Highsmith “switched killings” plan. Meanwhile, chapters from Amanda’s point of view alternate with those of Ruth, a woman brutally attacked in her Manhattan brownstone by a blue-eyed stranger who the cops believe is a serial killer, who only leaves her alive because he is scared off by an ambulance. What does Ruth have to do with the rest of the story? More than halfway through, the author pulls off a neat surprise you probably won’t see coming, that turns everything on its head, and there is another – possibly too over the top? – surprise left for the end. If you like thrillers, you want to read this one.
As usual I have three collections of short stories going at once. So far this year, I’ve read over 400 stories and 25 collections.
Philip K. Dick, Paycheck and Other Classic Stories. This is the third large collection of Dick’s early stories I’ve read, and I have a fourth in transit to the library. He wrote pretty dark science fiction for the most part. A bunch oi his stories have been turned into movies, like TOTAL RECALL and BLADE RUNNER.
Gerald Kersh, Neither Man Nor Dog. A friend recommended this 1846 collection of mostly very short stories. A quick read.
Douglas G. Greene & Robert C.S. Adey, eds., Death Locked In: An Anthology of Locked Room Stories. I never knew about this 1987 collection, despite knowing both of the gentlemen who put it together. Indeed, my late friend Bob Adey was probably the greatest expert on locked room mysteries, and he wrote more than one book on the subject, as well as having an enormous collection of them. This is a very good collection, with stories you just don’t see elsewhere, like Lillian de la Torre’s “The First Locked Room,” set in 1733 London, and Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1838 “Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess,” a sort of precursor to his 1864 novel UNCLE SILAS, plus L. Frank Baum’s pre-OZ story, “The Suicide of Kiaros” (1896). Ngaio Marsh is famous for her theatrical settings in many of her Roderick Alleyn mysteries, and there is a rare short story set backstage at a London theater in “I Can Find My Way Out” (1946).
Current reading is our own Kim Hays’s second Bern-set mystery, Sons and Brothers. Instead of the farm background of the first book in the series, this one involves the murder of prominent 72 year old heart surgeon Johann Karl Gurtner, hit and dumped into the Aare River in November. Most of the book centers around the victim, from one of the more prominent local families, and which of his family or co-workers might have wanted him dead. He was a brilliant surgeon, yes, but as a father he left a lot to be desired, as he was cold and often worse. As Giuliana Linder and Renzo Donatelli try and sort out the relationships and motives while searching for his missing watch, the book just races along. I hope to finish it today and see who killed the unsympathetic victim. I like Kim’s writing very much and will undoubtedly be reading book three soon.’
Up next? I have the first Cara Hunter book waiting to be picked up at the library, so will try that one.
Jeff, Retirement is all it’s cracked up to be. I’m enjoying it, too.
I’m happy you’re enjoying Kim’s books. I hope you enjoy the first of Cara Hunter’s!
Before I mention anything I’m reading, I have to thank Jeff for his description of my SONS AND BROTHERS and his kind words of praise! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the book, Jeff!
As for me, yesterday I finished HARBOUR STREET, another good Vera Stanhope mystery by Ann Cleeves. I found that this one dragged a bit–the first time that’s happened–but (as happens with most series), I’m attached to the characters and the setting and will certainly read the rest of the Vera books, although perhaps with longer breaks between them. I’m now working on Donna Leon’s newest Guido Brunetti book, A REFINER’S FIRE. I have never missed a single one of her now 33 books, which I read not for their excitement but for their portrait of Venice, the moral dilemmas their detectives face, and the delight of spending time with Brunetti and his family.
Oh yes, my favorite science fiction/fantasy writer, Lois McMaster Bujold, who produced the fabulous SHARDS OF HONOR and many more books about the Vorkosigan family, wrote another in her PENRIC series of novellas about a man possessed by an (amusing) demon who helps him solve problems. They are light fare, but I always enjoy them. And her Vorkosigan books are terrific.
Kim, it makes me sorry we never got to Bern in our visits to Switzerland. Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich, Basel, Lausanne, but not Bern.
Kim, That Vorkosigan series is one I’ve always meant to read, but I have so many books on my “mean to read” pile. Totally different from my TBR pile. I hope to get to them someday.
I’d also like to read Donna Leon. I’ve listened to her several times on Poisoned Pen’s YouTube channel. And, that series sounds good.
I just started an ARC of The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre. Described as A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, I’ve got a feeling I’m either going to love it or hate it.
I’ll be interested to see your reaction, Marleen. It often is hate it or love it with anything compared to Agatha Christie, isn’t it?
That’s so true. Christie set the bar rather high. So far (15% in) it’s a bit like reading two books at the same time and it’s hard to see what the two story-lines might have in common. I remain curious and fascinated.
I have been swimming in too many raspberries from my raspberry patch this week. I foresee more jam making in my future!
This week I finished “Viviana Valentine Goes Up River (Girl Friday #2)” by Emily J. Edwards. Set in 1950’s New York, Viviana and Tommy Fortuna, the dynamic duo PI team, accept a job to discover what is making spooky noises in Buster Beacon’s massive mansion. Viv and Tommy pretend to be a couple and join Buster’s hoity-toity house guests for a party weekend. Soon a fellow house guest is murdered and everyone is a suspect. While chasing down clues, their sleuthing uncovers a secret laboratory whose contents are on the leading edge of the discovery of radar and microwaves. Viviana shines as the wise cracking, take no guff from anyone, “modern” gal who leaves no stone unturned to solve a mystery.
MM, I like Viviana as a character, but I think I’ve given up on that series. That book just didn’t seem to work for me.
I finally had a better reading/listening week, finishing 3 audiobooks, and starting 3 other books.
ALL THE SINNERS BLEED by S.A. Cosby (audiobook). I see why this book has been nominated for a slew of awards this year.
EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT by Benjamin Stevenson (audiobook). An Australian version of Murder on the Orient Express on the luxury Ghan train. Narrator Ernest Cunningham is back. I liked the first book better, but this was still a fun read.
MAD LOVE by Wendy Walker (audiobook). This was an ok read, 3.5 stars.
ONLY ONE SURVIVES by Hannah Mary McKinnon. A suspense novel told in two timelines. New all-female rock band The Bittersweet is getting noticed but a tragic car accident in a snowstorm leads to the death of several members & the survivors seeking shelter in an abandoned cabin.
VILLAGE IN THE DARK by Iris Yamashita. Her first book, CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, was one of my top reads of 2023. Anchorage Detective Cara gets disturbing news which leads her to exhume the bodies of her deceased husband & young son to learn how they really died.
THE BRIAR CLUB by Kate Quinn (audiobook). Based on recommendations from Lesa and Kaye Barley, I started listening to this historical 1950s novel today. I am enjoying it so far.
Grace, I just think All the Sinners Bleed deserved to win more awards than it has.
I’m sure you know Benjamin Stevenson has a new book due out at the end of October – Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret.
I hope you enjoy The Briar Club as much as we did, Grace.
Happy to hear you’re reading and listening again.
Three books I am telling everyone about written by three of my faorite Historical Fiction authors. All excellent.
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
The New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The Rose Code returns with a haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, DC, boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.
Washington, DC, 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss, whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; policeman’s daughter Nora, who finds herself entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Beatrice, whose career has come to an end along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.
Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: who is the true enemy in their midst?
Capturing the paranoia of the McCarthy era and evoking the changing roles for women in postwar America, The Briar Club is an intimate and thrilling novel of secrets and loyalty put to the test.
The Colony Club by Shelley Noble
From New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble comes a thrilling historical novel about the inception of the Colony Club, the first women’s club of its kind, set against the dazzling backdrop of Gilded Age New York.
When young Gilded Age society matron Daisy Harriman is refused a room at the Waldorf because they don’t cater to unaccompanied females, she takes matters into her own hands. She establishes the Colony Club, the first women’s club in Manhattan, where visiting women can stay overnight and dine with their friends; where they can discuss new ideas, take on social issues, and make their voices heard. She hires the most sought-after architect in New York, Stanford White, to design the clubhouse.
As “the best dressed actress on the Rialto” Elsie de Wolfe has an eye for décor, but her career is stagnating. So when White asks her to design the clubhouse interiors, she jumps at the chance and the opportunity to add a woman’s touch. He promises to send her an assistant, a young woman he’s hired as a draftsman.
Raised in the Lower East Side tenements, Nora Bromely is determined to become an architect in spite of hostility and sabotage from her male colleagues. She is disappointed and angry when White “foists” her off on this new women’s club project.
But when White is murdered and the ensuing Trial of the Century discloses the architect’s scandalous personal life, fearful backers begin to withdraw their support. It’s questionable whether the club will survive long enough to open.
Daisy, Elsie, and Nora have nothing in common but their determination to carry on. But to do so, they must overcome not only society’s mores but their own prejudices about women, wealth, and each other. Together they strive to transform Daisy’s dream of the Colony Club into a reality, a place that will nurture social justice and ensure the work of the women who earned the nickname “Mink Brigade” far into the future.
The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis
From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.
Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.
New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.
That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.
As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.
A great reading week, Kaye! I’m so glad some of your favorite authors had books you enjoyed. I loved The Briar Club!
Not a lot going on here; the Lake Fire seems to be under control at 63% contained. It is getting warmer in Santa Barbara / Goleta but the temperature hasn’t gotten higher than 75.
Yesterday, we watched the adaptation of A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY starring Joan Hickson. I had read it recently. I thought they made some significant changes in the story and the characters, but it was still entertaining. Donald Pleasance was in it, and he was very good. I wonder if any other of the adaptations were better?
I have been reading more slowly lately but that is OK. With the cataract surgeries I am behind on reviews of books on my blog anyway. This week I read THE DEAD FATHERS CLUB by Matt Haig. This is a modern retelling of Hamlet. The main character is 11 years old and he narrates the story. I am not sure if it was aimed at adults or young adults, and I am not sure what I think of it. I liked it, mostly. I definitely wasn’t bored.
I am now reading LOST LANDS FORGOTTEN STORIES: A WOMAN’S JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF LABRADOR by Alexandra Pratt, published in 2002. Pratt makes the same trip that was earlier made by Mina Hubbard in 1905, a 600 mile river journey in a canoe. There is much commentary on the plight of Labrador’s Innu People, which is very interesting.
Glen is continuing to read REINVENTING HOLLYWOOD: HOW 1940S FILMMAKERS CHANGED MOVIE STORYTELLING by David Bordwell. From what he has told me about it, it contains much interesting information and I hope to read it someday, although it about 580 pages long.
Tracy, Sounds as if you might have some of the best weather here. Enjoy it!
I love to hear what you and Glen read. It’s so eclectic!
I have just started Blind to Midnight: A Nick Ryan Novel by Reed Farrel Coleman via a NetGalley ARC.
I read two books this week. LULA DEAN’S LITTLE LIBRARY OF BANNED BOOKS by Kirsten Miller. This was listed as a social commentary of our times and it was very good. Lula Dean decides her small town of Georgia is sending out the wrong message to the youth of her town. She swoops into the library and removes all the questionable books. She then gets the idea to erect a little free library in her front yard that she fills with books from Goodwill that she deems appropriate like A Southern Girl’s Guide to Social Etiquette. Unbeknownst to her, one of the residents removes those books from the free library and replaces them with the banned books but uses the dust covers from Lila’s books. As residents take the books from the library they are enlighten about topics such a Neonazism, LGBTQ+ issues, slavery and Confederate statues, etc. Lots of good stuff about the times we live in but it rather fell off the rails at the end. I enjoyed it.
My second book was the book of the week here at Lesa’s. I loved The Briar Club so much that when I turned to the last page and went down the rabbit hole of the things mentioned in the historical notes, I immediately wanted to start it all over again. It was just that good. Kate Quinn can do no wrong but I found this one outstanding.
Happy Reading!
Well, darn, Sharon. I’m sorry Lula Dean’s book went off the rails.
But, I’m so glad you loved The Briar Club! It’s going to be on my Favorites list this year.
I hope you enjoy Reed Farrel Coleman’s latest, Kevin!
Chiming in here very late, I am afraid. Life is coming together in my new house but it takes time. I read Christianna Brand’s first mystery called Death in High Heels. She was an assistant in dress shop when she wrote this and disliked most of her colleagues, taking revenge on them by killing them off. Her depiction of the gossipy, backbiting snark in an office setting is completely accurate. Then there was an offbeat novel by David Putnam who has written about 15 thrillers with law enforcement as the protagonists. This one is called The Blind Devotion of Imogene, Imogene is a 73-year-old paroled felon convicted of murder. She is trying to scrape her life together again when she discovers a body in her neighbor’s garage. People rate it highly on Amazon but I had a hard time with it.
Steve Cavanagh’s newest comes out in August in the UK. We have to wait until March here in the US so I just ordered a copy from Waterstone’s.
David Putnam is an acquired taste. I won a number of books in a goodreads drawing, and it took about 3 before I started like it.
I am glad to hear it. People raved about it and I just couldn’t see it.
Aubrey, I’m really happy to know life is coming together there! And, I already know you enjoyed the Christianna Brand. That’s fun.
I have not read this new series from David Putnam. I also won 3 books from his Bruno Johnson series. I like reading police procedurals & Bruno is an ex-cop. Most books focus on his current situation but I actually liked the prequel books better when he was working on the police force.