The Hierophant Card by Bevan Atkinson

 

The second in the Tarot Card mysteries .

Thalia is the prime suspect in the death of her husband. Alternately denying that she had anything to do with it and then wishing him dead is not the ideal way to deal with suspicion. Bryce a nurse walks around with a fatal dose of drugs in a syringe, waiting to hasten the death of those whom he thinks should die asap. We have a girl friend of Thalias husband vociferous and demanding on the scenes and we have our tarot card reader who is expected to soothe calm and redirect Thalia to a state of reasonable thinking.

The complicated killings and the tarot card reader bringing a sense of order to the mess are quick and easy to read. The secondary characters here are bigger than life and also quietly absent from the main action in the story, at the same time. If that was possible. Very interesting reading.

This review does not go on Amazon, though I’d like to post there,  because they don’t permit me to post as I have not purchased stuff on Amazon. 

A Study in Stone by Michael Campling

 

Dan is a corporate burnt out wanna be. Alan is a laid back writer and a third grade former teacher. Bumping into each other in rural Devon was good for both of them. Dan was a little less obnoxious, condescending and a prat in Alan’s company.

Their accidental enquiry into a so called Roman antiquity set them on a path totally unrelated, upsetting the local powers that be and setting a major wrong, right.

The mystery was not complicated, one led to another in a nice sequence which are two detectives followed, ruffling the local gentry but solving a mystery. It was the two characters who gave the most interest to the story.

This was a free download from Amazon but the irony is that I am unable to post my review on that site!

The Forgotton Italian Restaurant by Barbara Josselsohn

 

The series is about three sisters and I came in only for the last one dealing with Emilia, the youngest of the three. It does very well as a stand-alone.

Told in two separate time lines we are dealing with Italy under Nazi occupation,the mass persecution of Jews and life under very trying times. We move onto present day America, and Callie finding a box of unknown trivia - all talking about a restaurant in Cacciupulia, and people unknown to her. Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery she flies to Italy to unravel a mysterious and unbelievable story.

Full of historical detail, apart from the family saga which in itself was complicated and heartfelt, one is drawn into the maelstrom of what Italian society became once it was occupied. Daily life, suspicion of neighbours, the betrayal by who you thought were friends, and the hardships of the ordinary man are highlighted here. How they circumvent the rules laid down by the Germans was a highlight too.

A very good read sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Emperor Card by Bevan Atkinson

 

My apologies to Netgalley and Electra Enterprises of San Francisco for my tardiness in reading this book and reviewing it.

Xana returns one evening to find a murdered man in her backyard. The police find out that he is actually Xanax fatter and find it hard to believe that she did not recognise her own father whom she and her family believed died years ago. Fast forward to the investigation that she does privately, very thoroughly and precisely, uncovering a trail that the police are far behind, discovering a mining operation which is duping investors and finding her fathers murderer in the process. The Tarot cards were a way for Xana to interpret her feelings for what was happening around her.

Xanas siblings all pulled together, trusted her with the enquiry, despite her mother who was superficial and only wanted to be socially acceptable.

I enjoyed Xanas character and how she very quietly went about what had to be done to find justice for her father.

Sent by Electra Enterprises for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

A Proper Facade by Esther Hatch

Mercy is in her Third Season and this slightly tricky. Her parents have never pushed her into an alliance but they seem on edge and though nothing brutal is said, they seem to be tired of her indecision and there is tension in the household.

Mercy has seen marriages working out on deep love like her parents and also her sister and she wants the same for herself. When the Duke of Harrington shows interest, she is disappointed at his clinical approach to marriage. He wants someone who will fit an image of a Duchess, he wants to get rid of his mother to a dowager house but he realises rather late he wants the passion of a strong relationship, but he either doesn’t know how or is curtailed by standards of the time to show his true feelings to Mercy.

The story goes on with a bit of blackmail from his former lover, the Lady Plympton who is determined to get him back,  a sister who elopes with an unknown composer, the fall from grace for Mercy’s family but the story ends neatly - love conquering all.

The characters were strongly portrayed, not at all insipid or missish and that was refreshing.

Sent by Covenant Communications for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

How To Solve Murders Like A Lady by Hannah Dolby

 

It was tiresome for Violet to be a Lady Detective in 1897 England. Thwarted, deliberately ignored as being not having intelligence to understand criminal matters was bad enough, but she also had to accept that if she wanted to succeed, there were many situations where a man by her side was necessary. Her fiancée fitted the bill perfectly. Understanding Violet, not pushing her to set a date they seemed to be the perfect combo, working harmoniously, though this too did not sit well in their community.

The murder of an outspoken lady draws the couples attention but is ignored by the authorities and they have to work surreptitiously to see that justice was done.

Descriptive especially of the social norms of the time, this added interest to an otherwise average cozy.

Sent by Aria & Aries for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder in Portafino by T A Willia

 

This story set in stunning surroundings so beautifully descriptive that one gets a bit side tracked from the detective murder mystery that the genre actually is.

Armstrong with his girl friend is on a long planned weekend in the seaside town of Rappallo along with the faithful Oscar, when first one case and then the second fall into his lap literally. One a missing girl, quickly found fortunately and the second the dead body the couple find, and arguments overheard which may be linked to the case, followed  by  another murder which upsets who the murder suspect may be .

Set amongst celebrities on a luxury yacht, with tensions in the group simmering just beneath the facade, the story brings into play another Detective from the Portafino police who I hope will reappear in another story.

Very good, light reading and very entertaining.

Sent by Boldwood Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

It Was An Ugly Couch Anyway by Elizabeth Passarella

 

The stories deals with what life throws at you and in this case a nine foot monstrosity of a couch which Elizabeth hadn’t the heart to throw away. She kept the fabric. She threw out the couch.

Not a very easy read, the stories highlight the choices one has to make throughout your life. There is a slight religious overtone which did not offend me, but it may others. The importance of letting go highlighted here, the very insidious attachment that one develops to inanimate objects too. There was manipulation too in trying to get the coveted larger apartment in NYC which was not very nice reading too!

Sent by Nelson Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Courting the Virgin Queen by Carol Ann Lloyd

A controversial figure who never expected to rule the country Elizabeth I ran a ring around her court, her courtiers and many of the rulers of Europe. She was the focus of many countries who knew that access to the Queen would mean many advantages for their own countries. The religious differences. Between the Protestants and the Catholics was another reason that countries did not want to see the ascendancy of England.

Elizabeth walked a tightrope to the end balancing the need for what was good for her country, putting aside personal gratification (in public). In private the rumours were varied and colourful.

A good story for those who like Tudor England and its history.

Sent by Pen &Sword for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder at Cleve College by Merryn Allingham

 

Flora and Jack have just got married and a dead body is found in the village and Flora, wedding or not can’t let it go.

The dead man has not much history to go on, but closer investigation unravels a past going back several decades, and another death which was passed as nothing unusual and a number of innocuous characters and events, nothing unusual but all linked. 

Jack has just started working at Cleve College and nothing prepares him for the animosity and hatred of its caretaker Miller and the repeated attempts to hurt and eventually kill Jack.

To link the murdered men with Miller who also gets murdered and finding a suspect is a complicated one, but it does get sorted out.

Very Agatha Christie in style and especially the 1958 setting, makes for a nostalgic read.

Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Bookseller of Paris by Suzanne Kelman

 

No book set in a WWI or WWII setting is not intriguing. Each story with the background of the Resistance in whatever setting it is, has its human story of courage, endurance and loyalty to the country of their birth. This was no different.

Set in 1940 Madeline runs a bookshop in Paris but she can see the troubling signs ahead. She has lost her husband Alex and is struggling to live without him. A letter arrives from Germany indicating that Alex has a son Kurt, and this is heartbreaking news for Madeline who only then realises her husband has had secrets kept well hidden. Determined to do right for the boy, she embarks on a scheme of using her books as a cover to get into Germany and rescue Kurt.

Fast forward and Olivia discovers a cache of letters and photographs of her great grandmother Ada with a high ranking Nazi officer and her estranged grandfather Kurt also in the pictures. Trying to put the pieces of the jigsaw together and acknowledge that she may herself have Nazi ancestry is a hard pill to swallow.

Like Madeline, Olivia sets out on a journey of discovery to put the record straight and reconcile with a grandfather who up to now has not wanted any contact with the family.

A very emotional, heart breaking story of a family.

Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Trial of Mrs Rhinelander by Denny S. Bryce

 

In 1924 Alice born to immigrant parents always considered herself white, despite the fact that her father was of Jamaican origin. This whiteness was always emphasized by her mother. Meeting Kip Rhinelander, and marrying him was bold by society’s standards especially since Kips family never ever would accept the marriage and were determined that the couple should divorce.

The marriage, the scandal and the tumultuous divorce that followed is a true story. It showed the sheer determination of the Rhinelander family to disassociate themselves from Alice Jones, and no amount of lawyers or court rulings were going to sway them. It did not help that Kip himself was weak, did not know how to live as a working man, nor could he stand up to his family.  The Rhinelanders were overwhelming.

The conflict went on even after Kips death because his wife was determined to fight tooth and nail against any settlement, however meager to his ex wife.

The story outlined how weighted the system was against anyone not white, and the damage and emotional stress that the entire Jones family underwent during Alice’s ordeal. The story is told in two timelines when Alice’s niece takes up the narrative in 1941.

Recurring themes prevalent in society today of racism and bigotry amply spoken of in this story.

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

The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen

 

Liz Houghton wants to do investigative journalism. For no fault of her own, she has been relegated to obituaries. She is not giving up the fight though. When a little girl goes missing, and there is a sighting of her, Liz joins her police friend Marisa and the wary DI to unofficially go behind the scenes to find the girl.

When the conversation turns to three little girls who went missing during the war, Liz’s interest is piqued, whether there are any links. Liz also wonders why the village of Tydeham and especially the abandoned area (requisitioned by the military) brings back a flashback memory of her as a two year old. Equally perplexing is that her flashback leads to the discovery of a body and the strange news that her father insists that she had never visited this part of England as a child.

The story has several strands woven together with Liz as its focus. The present day disappearance of Lucy and the hidden story of Lucy’s mother. The disappearance of three little girls and the fact that it is a cold case now after decades of investigation, the romance that arises between James and Liz and the fact that Liz’s childhood was built on a facade of lies, leading to the murder of a young woman and later Liz’s own mother,  that Liz’s father feels that it is all perfectly justified because he just wanted to protect his wife (and their reputation). It is a lot to put together in one story but it is a cohesive whole. 

The settings were very descriptive and characterization was spot on.

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

The House on Graveyard Lane by Martin Edwards

The author has a series of historical crime which involve Rachel Savernake, a quiet retiring woman whose very clever skills of deduction, along with the enthusiastic support of Jacob, a young journalist seem to find answers for the mysterious and complicated situations they encounter.

1930s England is our setting and Rachel is invited for an exhibition of wax sculptures from the Master of Surrealism Damaris Gethim. Her need from Rachel is strange and straightforward. She is assured that she is going to be murdered very soon, and she wants Rachel to find out who murders her and bring them to justice.

The story is intriguing. The murder takes place that very evening where Damaris is guillotined in front of a big group of invitees. Rachel starts her investigation and she has to go back in Damaris’s life decades and meticulously uncover who Damaris’s long buried enemies were and why they acted as they did.

The story was intense, detailed and the characters of Rachel and Jacob who complemented each other and had ample support from the secondary characters in the story.

Sent by Poisoned Pen Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley 

Blogger again did not allow the cover photo to appear on this post!

 

Murder In Punch Lane by Jane Sullivan

 

The setting of Melbourne 1863 alone was rare. The setting of theatre and the life that went on in theatres at the time was similar to theatres elsewhere. Actresses were popular, sought after but not quite polite society which was a sad reflection for the time.

Marie St Denis dies of a supposedly laudunam overdose. Her best friend Lola who was present is the only one who believes it was a murder and not an accidental death. Finding someone who’d believe her, and more importantly help her to track the murderer is impossible, despite the clues she has that everything is not quite what it seems.

It was an interesting mystery and the background setting made it even more so. The characters themselves seemed a bit too simple but it was probably the way people acted at the time.

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

Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James

 

The early twentieth century NewYork is the setting for this dramatic story. Young Millie of new money, is married to the charismatic, rich and handsome Charlie. Very early on in the story we see Millie subject to what was euphemistically called fits of hysteria, to cover all forms of mental aberration and at this point Millie is definitely bound for an institution, courtesy of her husband.

The story reveals itself at that point. Charles infidelities, his murder of his mistress as she was pregnant and wanted marriage, the scandals that ensued with Millie’s so called mental illness, the cover ups mainly in the society they lived in, the hypocrisy of friends and sadly the hypocrisy of Millie’s own family who not just turned their back on her but also cut financial support. 

For a young woman, delicately brought up to face society without family or financial resources was an improbable task. That she did was admirable. With the help of a man whom she knew, and subsequently became her lover she tried to get a divorce and though the jury ruled in her favour the judge who was so adamant in his anti divorce sentiments ruled otherwise. Millie then took matters into her own hands because there was no other way out.

The story of an unfaithful husband was not an uncommon one. Women were expected to turn a blind eye, provided they did not neglect their families. Women were not expected to handle finances and were thus seen, especially wealthy women as pawns in their husbands hands. They not just took over their wives monies but squandered it too. Divorce was a very rare possibility so that you were stuck in a marriage for life, however hard it could be. Very few women found a way out.

Apart from the story of young Millie, the story highlighted the social norms of the day making for very good reading.

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

The Unraveling by Vi Keeland

 

One of those reads that you’ve got to finish in one go. Like the story, you get obsessed - you do want to know where it’s going, how it will end.

Meredith a psychiatrist, is trying to recover from a terrible trauma in her life. She knows she is drifting and that her life is a camouflage for what her actual feelings are. Coming into contact with the husband of the victim of the car crash which also killed her own husband, gives Meredith the focus that was lacking for so long. The story starts from there, with many, many layers added on as the story progresses.

In a twisted case of being the stalker and then being stalked, the story unravels slowly in alternate angles 

In a scenario where you the reader thinks you’ve got the story figured out Keeland throws another story into the mix and momentarily you feel that you are on the correct track to sort this story. You are wrong right to the end.

Complicated, twisted and very good reading, one needs a break from psychological thrillers after this one (for a bit anyway).

Sent by Atria Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder at an English Pub by Alice Castle

 

The title alone sets the scene. English country village, the usual inhabitants mixed with a bunch of amateur sleuths.

Sarah hopes for a peaceful retirement in the pretty village, close to her flamboyant friend. They did not account for finding a body in a suitcase. The victim was unpopular so the suspects were wide ranging and our two sleuths felt that they could solve the case, much faster than the rather slow local constables. A second victim means that the murderer is getting panicky with ongoing investigations both official and unofficial and the story comes to a happy close with the most unlikely of suspects caught and neatly handed over.

Very light read, more of a holiday read this was not complicated.

Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.