Only Murders in the Abbey by Beth Cowan -Erskine

 

1930s Scotland. The snobbery amongst the aristocracy even if they hadn’t a penny to their name hasn’t died down as yet and the Inverkillen clan is not exempt from this trait. Original owners of the Loch Down Abbey now run as a hotel, some of them uninvited guests seem to think they are above all the rest.

Despite the story being one of mystery and murder, foreign spies, theft on an enormous scale and espionage, I found the antics, attitude and behavior of the family to hold my interest more. The utter callousness of Bella, the selfishness of Alastair, the arrogance of the Dowager and the rational brother Ferguson trying to hold a business together and not allow the hard work he and his team have done, go into ruin in a week due to the stupidity, selfishness and avarice of his family. 

The story resulting in murders was good but the family intricacies were better.

Sent by Hodder and Stoughton for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The House of Light and Shadows by Lauren Westwood

 

A family story in the past and present, an old house with a hidden mystery, unsettled spirits and romance.

Kate is pulled out of a business environment, to look after her sisters children after her sisters attempted suicide. She is estranged from her sister and has never looked after children, let alone antagonistic ones. Arriving nevertheless to her sisters home, she finds a derelict house with strange vibes and a mysterious presence. Kate slowly unravels the mystery in the house and the fact that someone wants something completed. Kate has to walk blind into the situation trying to bring some order to the events which happened decades before.

The subject of photography was detailed, especially from the time photography began and the fact that at that time it was an art form and one available only to the rich. The different aspects including weird photography hardly known to the general public was a major part of the story as the earlier inhabitants of the old house were well known in this field. It is the two ladies of the house who continued this profession which was unusual for the times,  which formed the backdrop to the story.

Continuing in the present times Kate has to contend with an greedy property developer who has managed to persuade her sister to demolish the old house and two children with agendas of their own.

Add to the mix a budding romance for Kate.

Quite a lot to deal with the story was a good one. The story of family loyalty both present and past are a theme in this story.

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

The Case of the Christie Conspiracy by Kelly Oliver

 

Agatha Christie was a very popular author in 1926 but the tables have been turned. She is now the first suspect in the death of Nicholas Lively. Her strange behavior at the meeting where Nicholas was killed, and her consequent disappearance for days does not help her case.

Nicholas Lively’s death had many points of interest. It took place at a meeting of notable detective genre novel authors, the best in the business at the time. One of the items on the agenda was the dismissal of Miss Christie from the group. There was dissension on this vote which added to the suspicions against Miss Christie. Apart from the Police investigation, we have Eliza and Theodore, both with issues of their own, join forces to try the solve the murder and in the process track down Miss Christie. They are successful in both, and the ending was surprising. 

The book is a quick read, the romance is a bit too light with no depth but the story was a good one. 

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

On another note just returned after a holiday in Rajasthan. It was an exciting and a very colorful visit.

End of August by Paige Dinneny

 

Aurora has returned to Monroe with her nomadic Mum Laine after a long absence. She is settling in to what feels like home - a loving grandmother, neighbours, school and for once a friend and her first crush Harry who is turning out to be very nice.

She knows however that the situation can turn a trice and looks like it is heading that way. Laine has fallen in love with the mailman and when he leaves his wife and two children, this small town buzzing with rumors becomes a maelstrom for Aurora and her family because the ostracism starts immediately. The inevitable happens. Tim leaves and Laine knows she has to leave too. She did not think Aurora will want to stay.

A coming of age story where a youngster stoically and bravely puts up a loyal front, supporting her mother till she couldn’t do it anymore.

Very well told, sensitively handled.

Sent by Alcove Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Radio Hour by Victoria Purman

 

1956 Sydney could easily be mistaken for Victorian times - arcane rules for women, women who did so much taken for granted, ignored and treated with scant respect in the workforce.

Martha is an exemplary secretary and has been overlooked and her true potential never understood. Her work for a very young man with no skills at all who got the job through knowing someone spelt doom and pressure for Martha. True to her name she was not confrontational and just wanted to keep her job. However she turned the tables and created a record in the most unusual way in the office and this became the surprising and courageous part of the story, totally different to the meek and subservient manner she had been before.

The story dealt with radio in Australia and the huge effect it had on the general populace. The influence of simple radio shows was phenomenal and if it was used cleverly, could actually shape people’s attitudes and practices. It also marked the onset of television in Australia, and the trepidation that the radio world felt when it was started.

This was a brilliant topic handled very well in a very relatable story.

Sent by Harper Collins Focus for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

New Arrivals on West India Dock Road by Renita D’Silva

 

The story covers genres from history to a family saga told from one individuals perspective. Divya orphaned suddenly at seventeen, finds herself an outcast in her own village. Through very troubling circumstances she finds herself as a nanny to two young charges on a ship to England. Cheated of her fare home to India, she fortunately finds herself with nuns who send her to a home run by a compassionate girl who helps Divya to stand on her own feet.

More than Divya carving a niche for herself is the story of grit and determination not to give up against all odds of racism, language, lack of skills and a myriad disadvantages. Divya manages to establish herself as a cafe owner dishing out her own specialities. She builds up a loyal clientele including two men who fall in love with her.

The story was descriptive of life in the docks and of the people who inhabit it. Tough breed of people from every walk of life and every country who grew to call England home and who have made it the melting pot it is today.  Set in the early 20th century and at the beginning of the WWII this story detailed how ordinary Britons faced hardship and loss.

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

No Comfort For The Dead by R P O’Donnell

 

1988 Cork Ireland seemed in a time warp. Attitudes towards women seem feudal but the women in this story know how to get around the old rules. Family feuds carry on for generations and are hidden but not forgotten.

Emma has returned home after her dream of joining the police was thwarted. She now runs the local library and is content at her job. When a local man is murdered, and a man missing for thirty years if at the scene the small town does not seem so charming.

The characters in this story are all special. Hidden attributes and strengths and weaknesses not very apparent but all become relevant when the story progresses. The depiction of small town Ireland is quaint and descriptive.

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

Rajasthan Trip

 

Short trip to Rajasthan.

Camels are a common feature on the outskirts of the city this was in Jaipur.

The next is from Bikaner Junagarh Fort. Started  in 1589 and lived in till 1902 the Fort is an impressive accolade to the many Maharajas who added to the original establishment.

Day two of our trip. The distances between the cities takes up a great deal of time though what we see is beautiful.

The Writer in Tuscany by Richard P. Wenzel

 

Erik has come to Tuscany for peace and quiet and to write a book. Meeting Iliana, a cellist also at the same inn was good for Eric. The other people holidaying there got on well together. What Eric wanted to do was write a good mystery story and he was playing with ideas and the people he met. He didn’t think he would actually face crime, and deaths but he found it in spades.

When the deaths started to show links to each other and when they were not discounted as accidents or ill health, the scenario could not be ignored by the local police who had not faced organized crime syndicates before. The Mafia was known and understood, but this was a different game, underlying and eroding Tuscan economy, culture and lifestyle.

Lots of twists and turns posing threats to not only hapless widows who owned vineyards but also to those who owned olive groves. The violence was organized and brutal and Eric as an outsider faced more risks than the others. The story was also descriptive of the Tuscan vineyards, people and lifestyle and this added greatly to the story.

Sent by Atmosphere Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Ivory Bones - The Lewis Chessman Murders by Sara Winokur

 Blogger did not cooperate with me on this cover which was so intriguing and interesting and gave you an idea of where the story will go.

Set in Iceland was totally different in this mystery murder story. The environment and the location added a depth to the story which was a good one. How location and descriptiveness could set a story apart was amply seen in this story.

A forensic geneticist has a dark history amongst her own family and when the famous Chessmen disappear she is drawn into the case. A woman’s diary written in 1627 outlining the tragic story of abduction by Corsair warriors and the woman’s tale of her sad life gives the clues as to where the rest of the chessmen could be. It also brings Brynja into the focus of a deadly assassin. 

The story of murder, survival and betrayal hits hard because the leak is close to home and the dangers are very close to Brynja. Depicting a very dark period of Icelandic history, with details of the slave trade was harrowing reading but must not be forgotten either. The workings of a police force and a forensic unit in Iceland was very modern, and polished. 

Enjoyable and informative read.

Sent by Briarstone Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick

 

Two powerful women Dorothy Forster and Hannah Armstrong. Two women different centuries each trying to protect family in the best way possible. Dorothy, the odds against her due to the customs and expectations of the age. Controlled by an uncle who has the power and the money, a brother who is greedy for power and completely indifferent to the needs of the family, a younger brother swayed by the romance of intrigue and war, an ailing father wrapped in the past.  Hannah protective of a beloved stepmother and wary of an avaricious brother trying to unravel the secrets of a talisman and a history which connects Dorothy to her.

Grace Darling the heroine of countless stories also features as this was the beginning of the story and the reason for Hannah to delve into the past. Her brief was to write a book following her best seller, but the story, the tomb and the picture of Dorothy draws Hannah into another dimension.

I loved the historical details and background to the story. The failed Jacobite uprising, the bloodshed, the political maneuvering that follows in power struggles all form part of the story. The romances are an intrinsic part too as they are the impetus and reasons why people act the way they do, when they want to protect those they love. Family feuds, sadly do persist past and present and greed and avarice are always around. 

The story held my interest throughout. I’ll be looking out for this author.

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

Bye Bye Blackbird by Elizabeth Crowens

 

Summer of 1941 and the calling card for actors beginning with Humphrey Bogart is a black mummified falcon, followed by black dead crows. It seems ominous and the duo of Babs and Guy, private detectives are set with the task of why and by whom.

Involving a host of Hollywood stars and dead bodies our private eye ends up interviewing and trying to track a killer (albeit humorously) with a lot of activity and coming up with dead ends. The murders keep piling up and the detectives are behind in catching the murderers before another victim surfaces.

Detailed in its descriptiveness of Hollywood stars, which was a major part of the story, detectives trailed far behind. Amusing.

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