A Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Catching A Killer by F H Petford

 

My second read of the series and it did not disappoint. Does well as a stand alone too.

Alma has inherited a hotel in Falmouth during WWII. She is well settled, has a fiancée, her interests in being a clairvoyant is gaining attention and life is going on smoothly. Until the sudden murder of a young woman who had come to the hotel seeking Alma’s assistance. The young lady did not have any connections to any of the hotel guests or staff and Alma and the seriously depleted Detectives in Falmouth are at a loss how to proceed.

Apart from the murder the sub plot involving Joy and Nell the former a trainee nurse and tge latter an experienced one and how Joy manages her life, moving from a very comfortable life to the rough and tumble of nursing the wounded is an interesting read in itself. The snobbery and expectations of tge upper class in Britain at the time, the attitude towards the Irish and the still very distinctions of class add historical interest against the daily threat of war during this time.

The detection goes on, sometimes in the wrong direction but it does work itself out in the end.

I am looking forward to the next in the series.

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

The Irish Inheritance by Daisy O’Shea

 

Tara and her mother are on a fact finding spree. A surprise inheritance but one with a very black history behind it for her mother. Her grandmother had been a hateful woman who later became a nun, ending up as Mother Superior, cruel to her children and her charges. Her father was a bystander, till he took to drink and tortured one of his daughters. Everyone was aware and no one said anything. There was no one to protect the children.

The story apart from being a personal life story of Tara and her mother unraveling a gruesome and vicious past is more about the Church and the abuse physical and sexual heaped on orphans, destitute children and women and heaven help “fallen” women who ended up in these homes. A lucrative business of forced adoption, no wishes of the mothers taken into account at all. The harsh reality of living in a world where the authority of the Church was final and unforgiving. It was very difficult reading considered that I was convent educated throughout  and have such good memories of nuns and how they treated children and teenagers. This was a harsh read but factually correct and Ireland was very rigid during that particular era.

Though not an easy read, one must not forget that atrocities like this happened and is a stark reminder that it happens with variations even today. One must not conveniently think that it is in the past and ignore what happens today.

The story here had a happy ending and that was pleasant.

Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley 

The Bookseller by Tim Sullivan

 

Another exciting read about Detective Sergeant Cross, and unusually Ottey (upto now his subordinate)going to be his boss. There is Alice and Swift the  forensic genius and Carson the big boss who always enjoys the media hype and who is ever ready to shift the blame if the shit hits the fan.

Into this myriad complex assortment of characters we have a murder of a seemingly innocuous book seller. One who deals in rare books and one whose career was established by a straight forward and genuine book seller father. On close examination, the victims life is anything but straightforward and in turn we deal with forgeries, under hand dealing with Russian oligarchs, gangsters, adultery and sexual abuse. Detection leads to several suspects, all have to be discarded and the trail almost goes cold.

With the finesse of a brain surgeon, the case is taken apart one thread at a time and the results are unexpected and explosive.

Excellent reading.

Sent by Grove Atlantic for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder at the Highland Games by Dee Macdonald

 

Its the Locharran Highland Games and the whole village is abuzz. The competitive spirit is very high with known defenders for each sport. But this time, there are “foreigners”. A trio of Scottish origin Canadians in fine fettle, one of them a reigning champion in Canada. Does not augur well for a spirit of brotherhood! 

When the Canadian winner is found with his head bashed in, the local Detectives have to appeal to Ally, particularly since the whole lot are putting up at her guesthouse. Archie did create a lot of antagonism with his win, but was it enough to kill him for it. When his brother in law, the quieter man is also found murdered, the investigation has to pick up before another death takes place.

The setting for the story is idyllic, the characters larger than life and details of the various games still popular today intriguing. 

Another very interesting cozy from this author.

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

An antique shop in Jewtown, Cochin, India.

Cassandra A Scandal in Pemberley by Linda O’Byrne

 

After a series of murder mysteries this was a somewhat lighter read. I like variations on Pride & Prejudice and subsequent narrations of how the Bennett sisters lives have progressed. We now seem to be going into the next generation and this story is tge turmoil that Cassandra is forced to face, with flighty, irresponsible Lydia as her mother, Wickham supposedly dead in India and an unappealing step father.

Running away from home after over hearing a conversation about an exchange of money between her stepfather and an older man, Cassandra comes to Pemberley not knowing that her Aunt and Uncle are not in residence and ending up with a local doctor and his sister. The doctor is someone whom she met in London and whom she liked but circumstances changed so much that despite an engagement, she ran away again! 

It all ended well and it was a happily ever after ending eventually.

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

Tge Blackthorn Women by Jess Lourey

 

Four generations of women living in a small town. They have a reputation for magic and spells and this holds them apart from other townsfolk.  The family has a curse on them, known only to one of the women who will do everything she possibly can to protect all of them. Add to this the event called snakening where every few years tge town is over run by snakes which is a precursor of hard and difficult situations.

Altogether a peculiar setting for small town modern America but the story was compelling. The mix of four modern women living in close proximity to each other, trying not to interfere even if it is for good is hard. Protective instincts are there but then one realises that everything one thinks of cannot be implemented and sometimes mistakes have to be made. Relationships are fragile, easily broken and hard to mend. Add to the family dynamics, the spirit of magic and the going is tough.

Despite magical realism being not a genre I would pick, I enjoyed the read.

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

The Family Secret by Patricia Gibney

 

Freya’s twelfth birthday was just like any other. A balloon arch, a bouncy castle which she thought ridiculous and her friends. Tension arose with her outfit, and that she’d cut her hair but that was forgotten. A day later three bodies discovered two strangled, one with stab injuries. Initially ruled as suicide and murder, it took another route when Sadie the dead mother’s best friend and her daughter went missing.

Too many coincidences, too many past history relationships in a small town can be ignored and tge number of suspects keep widening. No one can be ruled out, because the past has had plenty of demons. A cliffhanger because one keeps dithering over the plot, the connections and the suspects.

An excellent read.

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

Kathakali dancers both male, in all their colourful glory.

Fables & Lies by Elisabeth Storrs

 

The story set during WWII and the ascendancy of Hitler, is slightly different. It 

looks at the declaration of war and the period of Poland’s annexation and the destruction of Europe from the perception of German people. The people who believed wholeheartedly in the policies of the Fuehrer, the unprincipled and unshakeable attitudes towards Jews, Slavs, Roma, in fact anyone not a pure German Aryan ancestry.

The story dealing with the pillaged antiques, paintings of not just German homes, but the riches from other lands all stored in repositories and under the able guidance of educated and knowledgeable art historians, who carried out inventory and safe storage despite knowing their provenance. The individuals of the story are caught in a maelstrom - of what to believe, the facts that have been driven into them from birth. From the orphanages, to the forced adoptions, to the achievements of multiple births, to the second class of women, now voiceless which Germany had accepted as almost written as rules by God. But the cracks started appearing amongst some sections in society and uncertainty and questioning of what was never questioned began.

All the characters in the story are strong driven individuals. Their stories were very intense and highly emotional and traumatic even to the reader. But it is a factual account and history must not be forgotten. Not an easy read but in the present context, very necessary. That human beings are at times cruel, bestial almost, seeking power and supremacy over all. Sadly nothing much has changed since then.

Sent by The Book Guild for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Teacher by Tim Sullivan

 

Tim Sullivan is an author I look forward to reading. Whenever I get the opportunity I grab his books. They keep me guessing and following Detective Sergeant Cross is a task I am not going to get bored with.

An 80 year old man is found murdered. Seemingly living a very quiet life, with a routine that has not changed. He is taciturn but has had severe problems with his neighbours the  Cotterells with whom he has had running battles. The local pub has said his behaviour was different over the last two weeks but no one can pinpoint a reason. Cross’s boss brings in a Detective Inspector Warner to work with Cross on the investigation. The two are poles apart in attitudes and work ethics. Warner is brash and seeking accolades- especially since the dead man’s son is a controversial MP. Cross works quietly under the radar seeking no limelight. Warner makes an arrest of Mr Cotterell which Cross disputes, but works behind the scenes to make sure the actual perpetrator of the crime gets caught.

The conflict between the two detectives, the manner in which they approach the same subject is one point of interest. Cross is on the spectrum and works in his own way, understood by his closest colleagues and even by his Superintendent who knows Cross gets results.

This story handled several painful subjects bullying and physical punishment in schools, sexual violence in the workplace, different kinds of autism and the general intolerance to it. All hard subjects.

The story is a winner. 

Sent by Grove Atlantic for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

I have been a bit late in reviewing books as I was on a short break in Kochi, India.

Impressive church of St George Malabar and Syrian faith. Very ornate and very well maintained.

Murder at Ravens Gate by Louise Marley

 

Very character driven, one had to have a clear head to sort them out but the setting, eccentric but glorious as only an English village can, with quite a few gothic touches to add to the drama.

Two old ladies living in a decrepit Blackheath Hall, keeping out everyone, ghostly figures hell bent on murder and the local constabulary gets involved when a young man is discovered with a pike in his back. There are ghost tours conducted around Ravens Head and especially around the Gateway to the Dead where a battle took place, and many died though no bodies are there anymore.

The mystery builds up with a fair amount of twists and though this is one in a series I found it very interesting as a stand alone. I like stories about vintage old ladies too (I am getting there slowly but surely) and find these ladies maybe old and somewhat physically feeble but wily to be able to get what they want.

Altogether interesting reading.

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

The Cove by L J Ross

 

Gabrielle a young woman who on the surface has it all. Until a random person decides to turn her into a mental mess by pushing her off a platform into the path of an oncoming train. Her physical trauma is nothing to the mental that she subsequently undergoes, leading her to withdraw from her busy life to rural Cornwall to a job which is calm with no stress.

Cornwall was delightful and idyllic and the tiny cove cut off during high tides makes it the ideal hideaway until Gabrielle unexpectedly sees a murder being committed. Despite some scepticism from the local police who are aware of her syndromes, Gabrielle decides to pursue the few clues available about the missing girl, putting herself once more in the path of a ruthless murderer. When the man who was the platform killer is not convicted of Gabrielle’s near fatal accident, it adds another layer of mystery and subterfuge to find out who actually pushed Gabrielle.

The two attempted murders are the main story set amongst beautiful scenery which is descriptively detailed and could be used by their tourism ministry!

Sent by Sourcebooks for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley 

Death on the Norfolk Express by Ross Greenwood

 

Terry is ninety and frail. He loves the railways, the old fashioned steam locomotives, the camaraderie amongst the volunteers and he feels this is a fitting way to end his life. He didn’t expect to be smothered and left to die however.

Detective Ashley is trying very hard to survive a day at a time after hearing about her boy friends sudden death. Working on a case may be the way to go, especially when they are dealing with someone who is targeting the train network and people connected to the history of these tiny villages on the network. Old history does not fade with time and revenge killings even decades later seem to be the norm for this bloodthirsty gang of old men who do not want to let go past enmities.

The murders were real, and the actual workings of this railway line are very descriptive and interesting reading, even for a novice like me with no clue how it works. That enthusiasm and interest still is very much alive for these old workhorses is strange but good for business as well.

Thank you Boldwood Books for sending me a copy courtesy of Netgalley.

The Irish Daughter of Bew York by Kate Hewitt

 

1891 New York City, Maggie and her younger brother were two of the thousands of Irish immigrants, dreaming of a bright future in America. They were to meet up with their father, but their hopes were dashed when he never turned up and finding his tenement was hard enough but to find he’d absconded without a care for them was heart breaking.

Finding employment was difficult for someone new to New York but Maggie had big dreams and she was determined to get her step on the ladder. She did not think that her fourteen year old brother would get involved in a notorious gang that would eventually put an end to her life that was beginning to turn around, and force her to flee when she became a wanted woman.

The story was descriptive of a change in lifestyles of not just poor but the rich as well. Nouveau rich families like the Steins were beginning to be part of the rich and famous, and for them too social acceptance was a slog. Class divides were very much in existence and both sides did not like someone who did not keep to the rules of “knowing one’s place”. It was good reading of a bit of history of life in New York at tge end of the 19th century. 

I am looking forward to the sequel of Maggie’s life once she left New York.

Thanks to Bookouture for sending me the book for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Fourth Queen by Nicola Cornick

 

The Tudors never cease to outrage and frighten at the same time. Henry VIII thought he was invincible and carried out anything he wanted to do, twisting and interpreting the law and religion the way he wanted. In this story Anna of Cleves, bested him, did something that could have changed the course of history with immense sacrifice to herself.

We also have the parallel story of Marris prioress of an abbey, losing it all in the Kings destruction of monasteries and abbeys. Overnight homeless, responsible for two younger sisters Will Sharington was an answer to a prayer when he took her under his wing. Marris became one of the ladies in waiting to Anne of Cleves whilst her husband Will was a lord with the King. When Anne was banished because Henry did not find her pleasing and he was enamoured with the sprightly Catherine Howard, Marris became a confidante of the ex Queen and held her most dangerous secret. Anne was pregnant and was terrified of the news getting out. The secret was kept forever and the baby boy was fostered with a trustworthy family.

The third part of the story is set in present times with three sisters being the reincarnation of Marris and her sisters and with the current excavation of the old priory and hall, the secrets of a five hundred years ago may be unearthed. To complicate matters two of the sisters believe they have found their former partners and navigating between the past and present is more tricky than the sisters realised because their younger sister who betrayed them then, will have no hesitation to do so again five hundred years later.

The story is exciting based on the true story of Anne of Cleves, the time slip adds another dimension to an already complicated story. Excellent reading.

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

Murder In Rome by T A Williams

 

Tamsin Goodfaith is a celebrity and she has approached Dan a former Detective from Scotland Yard, now running a private Detective agency and living in Italy with his very new wife,  because she is suspicious about the circumstances surrounding her uncle’s death. Uncle was a billionaire, there are three sõns and one daughter, but there are hidden tensions within the family.

Dan and his faithful hound Oscar are invited to the castle where the family is staying as a friend of Tamsins. When a second murder occurs, along with an attempted murder of another son and Dan as well, the local detectives have their hands full before the murderer eliminates the entire family. Suspects vary as the days go by but pinning the murder on someone with proof is not as easy as one would think.

The setting of the impressive castle was impressive, with a good dose of history, the excursions to Rome added further topics of interest and the food of Italy is tempting to say the least. 

A well balanced cozy with a very much closed doors mystery murder feel.

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

Junagarh Fort one of the few places with descriptive boards giving the history of these beautiful buildings.

In Bikaner, India.

A Murder in Marylebone by Emily Sullivan

 

The second book in the series involving Minerva Harper, recently come to England after her husband passed away in Corfu. Also in London is Mr Stephen Dorian who collaborated with Minerva and very successfully solved a murder mystery in Corfu. There is also unfinished business between Minerva and Stephen on a personal level.

Minerva has come to make peace with her parents and to settle her daughter in a prestigious girls school. Her intention is to return to Corfu, but life gets in the way. A couple of days in, she finds her younger sister Delia in the midst of a controversy, and the chief suspect in the murder of her lover. Minerva has to protect Delia, who confesses she is pregnant, and protect the reputation of the family. It doesn’t help that the murder victim Charles, was involved in nefarious smuggling and sale of antiquities, blackmail and to top it all was already married.

Stephen Dorian is very much part of the investigation, along with Minerva. He wants to protect Minerva who he feels does not know how dangerous it is to investigate this murder, which involves the aristocracy who will not hesitate to do anything in their power to protect their name and fortune. Stephen Dorian’s brother another Dorian is the detectives in charge of the case and the brother’s relationship is not a cordial one, adding to an already tense situation.

The story was a really good one and characters ( especially the two children with distinct personalities and interests of their own) were all interesting. I also liked the description of the way of life of upper middle class families at the turn of the 20th century and how the aristocracy still controlled society.

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

The Opposite of Murder by Sophie Hannah

 

I am trying to read books that I have requested from Netgalley and have slipped through the cracks and I have got embarrassingly late to read and review. This is one of them and I apologise to the author and the publisher for the inordinate delay.

The story is confusion from the word go. Jemma confesses to her wanting to murder someone at the local police station, at the exact moment that the woman was murdered. It takes off from there. The Detectives do not know whether they are dealing with an eccentric woman or a cold blooded killer who thinks she has now developed a cast iron alibi.

A puzzle from the inception, we try to fit the crime to suspects, but that does not quite make it. There are many under currents of emotional, relationships which are skewed, no logic to arguments and the possible becomes unbelievable and one begins to think the implausible and ridiculous to be quite plausible. To the end, one questions each character so that the story remains tightly closed till the end.

This is a story one has to read slowly.

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

Hiding in Plain Sight by Marion Kummerow

 

A Roma girl, escaped the horrors of a Nazi camp, almost her entire family murdered, is now married to a Jew living in post Nazi Germany. Their living is precarious, the old antagonisms still exist but David and Roxi are happy. They all live with the scars of Nazi influence, and they do realise that Nazis live amongst them well disguised. 

Goslar was the commander of the camp Roxi was, and he was particularly cruel and erratic and would order the murder of anyone on the most flimsiest of excuses. A chance encounter, over hearing a voice startles Roxi into the pursuit of a man she believes to be Goslar, now even more dangerous than before, as he has somehow inveigled himself under the protection of the presently ruling British. He has just got a job in the civil government department of repatriation , where he is determined to do whatever he can to prevent the just return of confiscated property. Highlighting corruption in the occupation, antagonism and racism very much evident, poverty and the struggle to get by and one woman’s determination to get justice for her family is the basis of the story.

Like all stories set during the era, there is raw emotion and strong feelings that arise when one reads such books, but that cannot be helped. Very intense read.

Sent by Book Whisperer for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

A bay in Thailand. 2025 visit.

Who Knew The Ridpath Girl by Stacy Jones

 

Meander is a small town which saw the death of eleven year old Douggy under very strange circumstances. Confirmed as a suicide her brothers have thought that it was an excuse for a murder that was conveniently forgotten. The remaining children were again conveniently packed away to a grandmother who was very abusive (known by their mother Sheila) who has now made a brand new comfortable life for herself with a new husband and two children.

Gracen is an influencer, a you tuber who does podcasts and who has spoken of his sisters death in detail, with anonymous references to people surrounding the case. No effort needed to find out who handled and buried the details. It has now brought people out from hiding and worried that they will be found out. We have Katie,  Douggy’s closest buddy , now Quinn who is looking for Sheila to get a letter of support for the brother Kade, now in prison for the long term. Its complicated web of half truths, hidden secrets, abuse and a small town mentality. 

I had trouble at times following the various paths Quinn and Gracen took but the story itself is good reading.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sending me this story, for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Reminiscent of Roman columns somehow, the Venugopalaswany temple in Mysore, India.

Holy Island by L J Ross

 

Detective Chief Inspector Ryan retreats to Holy Island for some peace and quiet. This gets disrupted very fast when the body of a young woman is discovered in the ruins of a Priory. 

When a consultant Dr Anna Taylor, a former local is sent to consult with him, Ryan is irritated at first with what he sees as interference from the higher powers that be. Anna becoming a target herself is not something they accounted for and subsequent murders show the suspects as a local, with a very specific agenda.

It is an atmospheric setting as it is a small island, with very few permanent inhabitants. The main characters are distinct and have strong personalities of their own. Supporting characters in the story are varied and add layers of interest. I did not see the end coming, the way I envisaged which was good too.

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

A colourful and unusual horse carriage outside the vibrant Mysore Palace also beautifully illuminated.

Margery and Me by Maryka Biaggio

 

The story deals with Margery a spirit medium and Walter her brother (the Me in the story). Me was spirited, interested in pulling someone’s leg, especially the skeptic and very protective of his sister. Walter always had his sisters back, and hated it when Earl her first husband turned abusive, and when Roy Margery’s second husband tried to take advantage of her talents. From the spirit world there were limitations to what Walter could do, but he certainly tried.

Margery was famous in the 1900s and had the active support of many scientists who formed part of the American Psychics Association. She submitted to many, many tests put forward by them during seances

and passed them all.  But she had a skeptic in Houdini, who denounced her openly, without any proof.

The book was informative and not a subject I am familiar with. In Sri Lanka we are exposed to spirit mediums and plenty of astrology everyday, even an official government channel, but I have very little personal knowledge to pass an opinion.  This story was educative.

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

A Very Irish Mystery by Verity Bright

 

Lady Eleanor and husband Hugh are on a trip to Ireland. Clifford and Gladstone are also part of the entourage. Enjoying the delights of gastronomic Ireland is one of their favourite activities and doing a tour of Finnegans, the most famous brewery was also on the agenda. Also meeting Samuel with an idea of finding out about Lady Eleanor’s parents was an important part of the trip. Finding the owner of Finnegans, murdered and dumped in one of his own barrels was definitely not on the agenda.

Taking the story forward from that, the detection proceeds dramatically. With turbulent Irish history in the making, the antagonism and dislike that the Irish seemed to have towards the English, the story gave one a very good insight into the relationship between the two countries, whilst finding out why a man was murdered and finding  a very divided family only keen to get their hands on the money. Getting justice for the dead was not going to be easy with this backdrop. Set in the 1900s this was atmospheric as well. Lady Eleanor and Hugh and Clifford had their hands much fuller than expected.

The book had a lot of twists and turns delving into the family shenanigans of the Finnegan clan but it was the turbulent history of the time that caught my interest.

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

A street side view of the gorgeous Mysore Palace. My last visit.

 

Five Silver Spoons by Sam Steele

 

This was a page turner from the word Go. 

Five Cambridge educated people. Different professions, vastly different personalities and backgrounds. Some of them are downright nasty and there a couple who went with the flow, as one does to keep up with the popular ones. One has to go back twenty years - a horrific accident, and sheer indifference and calculations on how to get rid of a body which was for them, an inconvenience. How it led to blackmail, revenge, tortuous, painful death for some, a planned suicide for another who couldn’t take the guilt anymore and the corrupted politician who was manipulative, harsh with killer instincts to look out for only herself.

The story was brilliant. Very plausible. Kept me engaged throughout.

Sent by Allison & Busby for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

I was on a small break and found this wayside shop on the way to Coorg. Loved the variety of chillies found there.

Lafitte Lives by Christi Keating Sumich

 

From the initial setting you knew the story is going to have some mystery.  It is 1831 New Orleans, and Tobias Whitney who is the sexton in charge of St Louis Cemetery has discovered a journal in the crypt of a famous war hero and former pirate and also the brother of the famous pirate Jean Lafitte.  Tobias himself is an honest, hard working man who takes his duties seriously and taking this journalist troubles him. His wife begins the translation as it is in French, and it uncovers a story of the lives of tge two brothers in great detail.

The story combines Tobias’s life as it is, his sorrows at the loss of his children and how he is trying to cope with his employment, and the story and great historical detail which is the background of Jean Lafitte’s life. Told in detail, a lot of it is harsh, but that period was always harsh towards anyone who was different. Combining many elements love and revenge, superstitions and voodoo practises this was an enthralling read, bringing history alive.

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

Sunset in Coorg South India. I am here right now on a short break.

The Monk by Tim Sullivan

 

Just love the books by this author. Coupled with excellent detection, you add an ecclesiastical background and I am overwhelmed.

The body of a monk is found savagely beaten. Inspector George Cross is at a crossroads in his own life. His mother who he believed abandoned him is now back in his life and he doesn’t know exactly how to deal with this. The monk belongs to a small monastery and has been liked by all his brother monks. His past is a mystery and it is from this past that clues emerge.

Apart from the murder story which is enough for anyone, George Cross is himself a character who gets more interesting with every story I read. Awkward, unreal and tolerated because of his uncanny abilities, he is a story in himself.

I loved this character driven novel very much and can recommend it to all.

Sent by Grove Atlantic for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Lost Woman by Karen Mulvahill

 

Set in the era of WWII in Paris, the Nazi occupation was brutal. For Jews the gradual erosion of liberties meant that many did not escape in time. Nicole Cassin, a teenager at the time escaped but her parents did not. Owning a small but exclusive gallery, brought the attention of the Nazis, when they started plundering art across Jewish households and the gallery was not exempt. Getting a job there was clever, because Nicole kept meticulous accounts of who took paintings and where.

Fast forward to New York and decades later Nicole enlists Robert an art historian to search for some of the paintings with a few clues she had. Robert unearths not just paintings but a story of subterfuge regarding Nicole’s husband who they believed was dead.

There is a lot of harsh realities to be faced in this book and I took it slow, as it was not easy to read. However much we face or try to face the inhumaneness of man, it is not an easy subject to face.

Sent by Book Whisperer for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley 

The beauty of Fatima Portugal.

Dark in Death by J D Robb

 

A normal girls outing to a theatre turns into a nightmare. A friend slips out during intermission to get something and returns to find her friend Chanel murdered with a small tool to the back of her neck, done quietly, surreptitiously and professionally the murderer slipped out of the theatre. People in the vicinity were not aware of the murder.

Detectives trying to find clues are now faced with what they think is a random killer until an author turns up at the station pointing out that the murder follows one of her mystery murder books. What is frightening is the author has written several books and now everyone is alert to what will follow.

The characterization is amazing and the detectives even more so. My first read in the series of a very prolific author (this one is I think 46th in the series). I do hope I can get to others.

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

One of the loveliest parts of Sri Lanka. What we call the up country Hatton region. Tea country.

Backstage (Stories of a Writing Life) by Donna Leon

 

I’ve been reading about the enigmatic, clever Guido Brunetti for years and picked out any story he was featured in. So it was good to read this collection of essays by the author who created this Detective. 

The collection deals with how she came about an initial idea for a story and then how the story grew. It deals with how a book or rather a story is created right to its end. It gives very little insight into the author though. 

A pleasant read for fans.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic for sending me a copy, courtesy of Netgalley. My apologies for the delay.

Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer

Your honeymoon is not a time you want to be concerned about murders and conspiracies but Jane and Redvers are unwittingly drawn into one after attending a dinner where they were unwillingly taken to by their overbearing Aunt. The hostess Clara was a strange bird to say the least and the evening ended with her ex husband (also a guest) found poisoned. 

The investigations are convoluted to say the least. Every character present at the dinner had a complicated history - there were relationships on top of more complicated ones, blackmail, secrets galore, envy and greed and money being one of the main reasons for the envy and animosity. Sifting through it all with the scenic city of Venice as a background was no hardship for this reader.

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

I thought I’d give you another famous waterway the Ganges. This photograph taken in Varanasi.

 

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.