Covenant of the Dead by Glenn Cooper

 

It must be my convent education but I am a sucker for anything to do with that kind of background, and you certainly got this in spades with this book.

We have a Secretary of State in the Vatican and it’s a nun! I knew this was going to be different, controversial and exciting. It was all three. Transferring to Harvard as. professor was going to be a change of pace but it was something Elisabetta Celestino was looking forward to. Cal Donovan, long time admirer and in love with said nun, was hoping Harvard would work in his favor, away from the ecclesiastical weight of the Vatican.

Murder and its investigation was not on anyone’s minds till three nuns were murdered in their sleep. No clues, no traces of why and how until a local priest is haplessly taken in for questioning. Both Elisabetta and Cal are doubtful of the priests being the murderer, but the powers that be want to set the story to rest. Another set of murders of nuns means the story does not get put to rest and investigations show several such incidents going back many years. No one has tried to find a link connecting the murders.

Along with the murders, is a story of seances and chief of them, a woman who has quietly conducted them in Boston for decades. An unassuming woman she has not been in the forefront of spiritualism and both Elizabetta and Cal are skeptical when they attend. However when something about her dead brother was said, which was private and unknown to all, Elisabetta has to rethink her beliefs.

The settings of the Vatican and Harvard were exciting and the contrasts were many. The characters were varied. The storyline was one which will make you rethink many things. A very good read.

Thank you to Book Whisperer for sending me this book for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

In keeping with the theme Santa Monica, Old Goa. Beautiful though not very well maintained.

The Determined by Rachel Rueckert

 

Very unusual for any era. History in quite descriptive detail. Not for the faint hearted.

Two female pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny, both their lives determined by circumstances way beyond their control. How they lived (very precarious), always in danger of being discovered, their dangerous liaisons which endangered their lives personally and how it all ended.

Starting and going back to their incarceration, the cleverness of Annie who was determined to stay the execution, her escape though Mary died in prison, all this highlights a story of two determined women, who survived against tremendous odds in the 1720s.

I had to pace myself in reading this story because of the going back and forth, and the many people involved. Overall a very interesting read.

Sent by Kensington Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Basilica at Goa, India.

A Death at Raven’s Roost by Emily Organ

 

This is only my second read of the two intrepid female detectives Penny and Emma. Set in 1899, the job itself undertaken by them is both bold and dangerous. Women are not found in the profession and they have to face derision, incredulity and mockery apart from downright obstacles deliberately done to get the job done. But they do it, where their male counterparts fail.

The murder of a young labourer whose death does not create any waves for the police is brought for investigation to the two ladies. A seemingly quiet man, digging for background and clues unveils a plot of thuggery, corruption at the highest levels and a series of cover ups starting from the Police itself, going up to the aristocracy where the real power in Britain lies. The section of society that believes they are invincible and have no hesitation in showing it.

Detection is slow but steady and both women are courageous in the face of many obstacles. Justice is found for Archie at the end.

The story apart from its detective genre, brings to light the plight of women in this era highlighting the misuse of power by the privileged class, and the manner in which the poor and simple are kept downtrodden.  The position of women was not much better either and there was a long way to go.

Excellent reading by an author I’d love to get more of! 

Thanks to Storm Publishing for sending me this book, for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Bangkok, Thailand. My amazement at the intricate carvings knows no bounds.

Murder at 30000 Feet by Susan Walter

 

Being packed onto an airplane with 170 odd people is hard enough for six hours. Having a murder take place within the tin can with nowhere to go is also bad. The murderer could be anyone on board. The turbulence was horrible, there were several changes made to where to land because of the weather and a forced landing on an isolated island due to there being no fuel. 

 

Bringing the plane down in shallow water, getting everyone on rafts and onto the island was skilful. 

Dealing with the very mixed bunch of passengers was the problem. Many of them had a history with each other - mostly antagonistic and in some cases a deep need for revenge. Enquiries between the Marshall and the officers monitoring the situation, throw up so many puzzles, that the murder is just one item on the list. The Marshall himself is in deep trouble though that revelation comes at the tail end of the story.

There was a lot going on during the entire story, and though complicated as they all involved different characters it did not detract from the initial delayed take off till the final passenger was rescued. Interesting view on how emergencies are handled on board.

Sent by Blackstone Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The intricate carving found on this cremation site in India was riveting.

The Most Mysterious Bookshop in Paris by Mark Pryor

 

Hugo a former FBI profiler is now looking forward to his latest venture, opening a bookstore in Paris which for him is a dream come true. He gets sidelined by his friend the US Ambassador in Paris to have a quick look, at a ransom note found at an exclusive chocolate factory. It is the history of its location that intrigues from the beginning. A former convent whose superior Sister Evangeline was famous. The chateau dates back to the 1700s and the present COO has no idea how to decipher the ransom note. A second ransom note follows, cancelling the demands. 

When a body of an employee is found in the adjoining graveyard, also ancient and not used for centuries, the detection part gets heated and everyone becomes suspect. With a very small group of employees to work on, Hugo finds varied stories coming through and he and the local Detective Lerens who is Hugo’s friend have their work cut out for them. Their enquiries take them to not so salubrious areas of Paris,  dealing with people who wish to divulge as little information as possible to the authorities. A second murder and disturbed graves, the discovery of a bag of partially charred bones, a secret tunnel and a secret chamber with the mummified remains of the famous Sister Evangeline unfolds a heart breaking story of centuries past. Frailties of human nature, the need to cover up scandals to save a reputation, bullying in the workplace, the difficulty of working being black and trans amongst closed minded colleagues, are all brought together in this story. The very modern chocolate production in a chateau from the 1700s alongside the ancient, forgotten graveside was interesting and descriptive. The setting in Paris is always a good one and this enhanced the whole story as well.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for sending me this book courtesy of Netgalley.

Zoom in and see the details of this caricature. From Bangkok. Loved the expression.

The Carnival Murders by Irina Shapiro

 

There are murder stories that are factual and then there are murder stories with atmospheric backgrounds, complicated characters from varying backgrounds which add so much depth to the story. Ms. Shapiro’s stories are like that. From the first to the last you are swept into Gemma’s and Sebastian’s lives.

Gemma and Detective Sebastian hope to get married as soon as possible. Colin not able to release Gemma from her nursing duties has been a frustrating obstacle to them but now with a date set both of them feel they are moving forward to a joyful period from the very hard and harsh realities they’ve lived through.

With the discovery of a young woman’s body found autopsied and followed by others they know they are looking out for a cold blooded surgeon killer. The killer seems to be fixated on human beings with disabilities and once the investigation starts several hitherto unknown cases keep getting mentioned. The fact that they were poor, disabled and had no family looking out for them, may be one of the reasons the killer did not get any attention. The first body discovered by Gemma and Sebastian was the anomaly. A normal young woman pregnant with her first child.

Apart from the detective work pursuing the killer and knowing that he would have the patronage of a higher class in society made their job harder. What added to the interest was how the background of the victims was woven into the story, sad though those backgrounds were. The inhumane treatment of anyone who was physically different during Victorian times was horrible. And there was no recourse for the victims. There was no social justice at all. The power of birth and money was paramount.

Connecting the victims from the conjoined twins to the dwarf murdered to Tamzin was hard but they got to the villain in the end

Not an easy read but it was a compulsive one.

Sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Two Deaths of Lillian Carmichael by Paulette Kennedy

 

Lillian is falsely accused of her sisters murder and is due to be hanged. This is done but she is not dead, and in a horrific state crawls out of her tomb. She knows who is responsible for her sisters death but due to family loyalty keeps quiet. Fast forward to several murders of young women in the town, and the discovery that Lillian is alive, puts the entire focus on her as the murderer.

Lillian has found a life with Kate, an actress who dons several personalities as the demand for her capabilities as an actress grows. Kate and Lillian form a very deep attachment but as the number of victims increase, the need for the town to find Lillian reaches fever pitch. 

This was a story with several narratives. One was the misguided family loyalty of Lillian who protected her mother’s name to the end. Her mother threw her to the wolves at the first hurdle. Kate who first appeared in Lillian’s life as a male who nurtured and looked after her, nursing her back to health, before her real identity as Kate was revealed. The abolitionist movement of whom Lillian’s father was a supporter was an important part of the story. It caused the family to be social outcasts, but it also provided the focus for Lillian’s work at a later stage of her life to join the underground free slavery movement.

The story gothic in parts with the vampire theme of death amongst the women heightened both the atmosphere and tension in the story. The combo was irresistible.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for sending this to me for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.