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Thursday, January 30, 2025

The Baguette Murders by Anne Penketh

 


Set in a charming French small town, we have a mix of English imports living alongside their French neighbours. There is as expected a certain animosity towards the outsiders who have walked into French territory and with no small effort and hard work set up businesses of their own. 

Pippin is one of them with a successful bakery but who has to face Tristan aka Bucky who is antagonistic as he considers her a rival who is doing very well. The murders that follow point the finger at a baker as the weapon is hidden in a baguette but the sheer interest for me was the daily interactions and how life played out in a small town. There were extra marital affairs galore, vendettas lasting generations, everyone was related or connected and there was no way to keep secrets. These added so much variety to an otherwise normal cozy.

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



Sunday, January 26, 2025

An Insidious Inheritance by Amelie West





Clara has been estranged from her father for decades. Her relationship with her mother was also strained. Clara has learnt the hard way to be self reliant and she is distrustful of anyone who lends a helping hand or offers anything because of past lessons. When she inherits a house from her father in a desolate area, her one idea is to sell it and use the proceeds to become financially independent.

The property has a strange ambiance and history attached to it. Although touted as an inn, it shows neglect, disarray and Clara realises that in 1933 with the economic slump, getting rid of the property is no easy task. 

The story has gothic overtones and there are several people who will do their best that Clara does no digging into the past or even actual digging in the property, which will uncover unsavory history. You always feel throughout the story that you have to watch your back as if someone, not quite human, is watching you and prompting you to act.

Sent by Victory Editing Coop Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.


Thursday, January 23, 2025

The Alchemist of Alleppo by Marie K. Savage

 



Michael Samaan and Kat Musgrave met coincidentally (it seems) at the VA Museum. One with an interest in artifacts and the other for an inexplicable pull towards the display of a particular goblet.

The story starts from there and it is fascinating, unexpectedly full of questions and certainly events, people and feelings which cannot be logically explained. Going back hundreds of years to turbulent times, previous births and a reincarnation in a present time to set finally and bring to an end a very troubled past.

The story was magical, a love story repeated and a book I couldn’t put down. I would urge those who enjoy stories of history as well as those things which are magical, fantasy with a whiff of probability to get this book.

Sent by Blank Slate Communication/Independent Book Publishers Association, courtesy of Netgalley for an unbiased review.

Sunday, January 19, 2025

The Forger’s Requiem by Bradford Morrow

Henry Slader is a literary forger par excellence. A long time feud with Will who attempts to kill him and presumed he was dead, finds Henry disoriented, concussed and suffocating in a grave. Using his wits and bits of memory coming back to him, he decides on a spot of blackmail, also changing his identity in the process to carve out a new life for himself.

Involving literal forgeries on the scale of Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley needs skills and Henry uses Nicole, Wills daughter to execute forgeries which are flawless. They also start the downward tread to Henry’s doom eventually.

There were abrupt changes in location and timelines where one had to take a moment as to what was happening but the story gives one a glimpse into the world of literary pieces and the demand to own an original letter or poetry penned by a famous person.


The book was sent by Grove Atlantic for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Friday, January 17, 2025

When She’s Gone by Rea Frey

 


Cora was a victim of a kidnapping and the perpetrators were never caught. She was an Olympic gymnast hopeful and the kidnapping just before the final trials put several competitors in the spotlight. Nothing happened but Cora has lived with the trauma since that Halloween.

Fast forward and with a four year old daughter of her own Cora faces the same horrific crime. Lulu is kidnapped and ransom notes that follow outline a horrific plan. Injure a child gymnast in such a way that they get knocked out of the competition. The same theme with the demands going higher and higher.

The story is detailed and depraved. How ambitious parents will stoop to anything to get what they want. How love can be so possessive and subverted that it can force a normal person to be temporarily insane.

Riveting story.

Sent by Thomas and Mercer for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.


Monday, January 13, 2025

The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds’s by Jennifer Moorman

 



The story is a mix of fantasy and what could be unaccounted probability. Not disclaiming anything here but it does make one think that there is a lot we really do not know. Here is a story of a young woman, suddenly widowed, bereft of mental support and just trying to get through one day at a time. Whilst wondering how she going to just survive, her sister with the best of intentions sends her a listing of a house which was owned by their ancestors, and on a sudden whim Josephine buys the place.

It is from this point that the overlap between the present times and the 1920s take place. Her great grandmother Alma was a fun lady who in these days of prohibition ran a speakeasy. Glamorous and patronized by all the top people in town, they did not fear a raid, but going by records Josephine knew this was not accurate. Newspaper records show Alma being shot during a raid, but the fact this that Josephine is living proof that Alma did not die in the raid. So Josephine comes up with a plan to try to circumvent the raid and get Alma to safety. 

The time travel back and forth adds more and more depth to the story because Josephine gets drawn into a relationship and is undecided whether to stay in the 1920s or move back to present times. The entire history of that man would change if that happened.

Altogether a very intriguing read which led to lots of questioning of what ifs and hows. 

Sent by Harper Collin’s Focus, courtesy of Netgalley.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


Thursday, January 9, 2025

The Drowning Game by Barbara Nickless

 


Set in Seattle and Singapore and a rich concern of building yachts for the rich and famous, Ocean House has commenced their biggest endeavor ever, building a super yacht for the rich and famous George Meng.

The story is a superb one set against a history of espionage, murder, a fight for freedom from a man who has everything but seeks freedom for his family and how he unwittingly and then willingly draws two sisters into his plan and bid for freedom. There is also a family history uncovered, unsavory and hidden for decades now open for the world to see.

The story was a page turner, descriptive and emotional, displaying the strong ties that bind family over everything else. Characters were so varied that they added layers of interest to the story. I read it one go myself.


Sent by Thomas and Mercer for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Monday, January 6, 2025

Big Ben Strikes Eleven by David Magarshack

 



Sir Robert Boniface’s body was discovered in his limousine and it was a toss up between murder or suicide. A leading industrialist he was a well known figure, but one who had plenty of enemies. He knew how to cut people down with biting talk, using his power to coerce those working for him or with him.

The story starts with a legion of suspects and then gets whittled down.  Three main suspects and each gets handled differently by the two Detectives heading the case. The attention to detail as each piece of evidence is unearthed is rather tedious and you wish it could just be hurried along. The story set in the 1930s is classic vintage mystery and it evolves like that.

Characters are varied which add depth and interest to the story. 


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

Saturday, January 4, 2025

Crimson Leaves death of an Earl Part I by Jana L. Perkins

 



Two young men one an Earl and one brought up as his brother, swap identities for a very short period, when they discover that their father was murdered.  Their idea is to enter the London season, mix with society and try to get clues as to who murdered their father. The one rule for both of them was to avoid entanglements with the ladies.

Both men failed in following the rules from the beginning. Trying to solve a murder, under false identities and having fallen deeply in love was a dilemma.

The murder mystery being solved went hand in hand with the romances of the two men. Light hearted and a fun read set in the 1800s.

Sent by Victory Editing Netgalley Coop for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Chaatterbox by Pia Mahajan

 


Seems like a light hearted read about a young couples discovery of themselves after an arranged marriage and moving from Varanasi to Silicon Valley. Add to that Isha’s love for food, her extreme talent in the culinary field, her chance encounter with the owner of a food truck and mouthwatering descriptions of food. That is the background.

To that mix add the cut throat business dealings in the Valley, the dog eats dog as competition mounts, love and loyalty, friendships and ethics and the story moves into deeper nuances.

This was an ideal read for me on the last day of the year, with the good over evil victory, the steadfastedness of love, friendships superseding it all. 

I am surprised though that I could not track this book on Barnes & Noble or Goodreads to post a review.

Sent by Chai Lit Club for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.