The Housekeeper by Rose Tremain

 

Set on the coast of Cornwall, reimagined story of Daphne du Maurer and her illicit relationship with Mrs Danowski aka Danni, tge capable housekeeper of Lord Grenville Withers is full of strong emotions, tense relationships and unrequited and unbalanced love.

Both women knew there was no future for their love story and Danni particularly had to deal with the aftermath which was hard and which changed her life. Daphne used this as the basis of her novel Rebecca, but painting the housekeeper in the story as malevolent, so different from Danni. It was a sad end for both women but the era was so very different that one knew the outcome would be hard.

Apart from the two women’s lives, it is full of life in the 1930s, the class differences and how everything and everyone was given a specific role and place in society. Very few could break the mould. This added a great deal of detail and nuance to the story.

Sent by Random House UK Vintage for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Marine Drive in Bombay covered in a haze. Back in Colombo now.

Investigating a death at a remote Scottish castle with a storm setting in and the owner aggressive, rude and overbearing was not how DI Anna envisaged Christmas to be. With a pre meditated, brutal murder at Dumfala Castle, resources limited due to the holidays and many secrets hidden, this is not an easy task.

Robert Fairlie is obsessed with restoring the castle and wants to keep the murder under wraps so that the deal he is negotiating with a TV company is not jeopardised. He is a very harsh man and the list of suspects multiplies by the day. Facing severe blizzards two detectives have to deal with a killer on the loose.

Beautifully descriptive of life in a remote island, this story showcases the best of a British cozy.

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

Writer in Residence by Rhonda McKnight

 

It was the setting of Low Country Carolina, the culture of the Gullah that made this book different. Alexandra is having severe writers block and a forced retreat seems to be an option to get her in a writing spirit. Meeting up with Gabe and the rest of the Gullah community helped her to settle down and be a part of a community, long denied her.

Discovering her roots certainly helped and she had to understand why her mother hid so much information from her. It was not easy to forgive or forget, but Alexandra wanted to move on. Forgiving the omissions of the past helped her to forgive and start writing again.

An almost coming of age story, simply narrated.

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

Kailasa Temple, fabulous carvings, a three kilometre walk. Here for a couple of days.

The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller

 

1880s Ohio and the harsh but realistic story of Mary, Ida and Anna at Oberlin, indicates how fortunate I am to be born in present times. Three women of colour, the only obvious thing they had in common. Their backgrounds were very different both socially and financially. What they shared was a yearning for education which was just the privilege of a few coloured folk, and the desire to be a catalyst for change.

Following their careers at Oberlin - the blatant discrimination they faced, the racial taunts at every turn, the bias of the faculty who turned a blind eye to what was going on under their noses was a travesty for equality and justice. For those like Anna who had come out of enslavement recently, the changes were hard to follow through after decades of oppression and fear. For Mary, with powerful backing and supportive parents the transition to face danger head on was something Mary enjoyed as a challenge.

I read the book in one sitting, and the Authors Notes were very good reading and explanations of a history that may be forgotten or ignored as part of Black History. The marginalisation of communities in this case by colour was horrific, debased and humiliating. It continues in various degrees all over tge world to this date.

Excellent reading.

Sent by Thomas Nelson Fiction for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley. Thank you to all.

In the Midnight Hour by Darcy Burke

 

Lady Cartwright loves books and has found a personal she considered a kindred spirit in her own neighbourhood. Finding him murdered didn’t do her any favours as she was the last to see him alive, and even more so when his last will left his fortune to her. Lord Northwood, another neighbour is attracted to the Lady but first he wants to help her clear her name. She is the sole suspect so far.

Detection in Victorian England worked on a different method. There were lots of subjects too delicate for the females, despite said females having to face male oppression, improper behaviour and the like.  Uncovering what goes on in the murdered baronets house made one realise that more than one young maid servant would be happy that the man is now dead.

Working with the coroner and Bow street runners, the duo somehow become privy to more information than what is officially known and solve the crime. There is an unusual twist in the tail at the end.

Very well told, and descriptive of Victorian lives.

Thanks to Oliver Heber Books for sending this book to me for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Millionaire Waltz by Anthony Quinn

 

Edie is attracted to the “different”.  She does not fall into the role of debutante, dutiful daughter though tge facade of dutiful fiancée is maintained for some time. Her heart is not in her engagement and her fast approaching marriage, to the confusion of her fiancée, her mother and her annoyed mother in law.

Edie gets involved platonically with several men, who are closet homosexuals ( for the time it had to be) but her sympathies are very much for them. Edie wanted a working life and she found that in the theatre. In small parts but she was happy that she got what she worked hard for. It was not a job that people of the upper classes did, and the story highlights this lifestyle as against the more mundane working middle class. Edie was light hearted and did not come across as condescending but she did not treat people as well as she ought to have.

Embodying 1920s society whirl it was in stark contrast to the aftermath of WWI and the struggle and heartache people were trying to get accustomed to.

Sent by Little, Brown Book Co. UK for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The River Runs Black by Tessa Wegert

 

Alexandria Bay is a small town near the Canadian border. The death of a sixteen year old sent shock waves through this town as this was something not commonplace here. When a massive stocks of drugs was discovered coming over from Canada, it sent the police force into a sense of euphoria, that at last that they were helping to make a dent in the horrific trade. However, when investigations proved that the drugs that killed Drew Fielding were different from the massive haul, Detectives now faced a very difficult fact. That two sets of operatives were working in this town and the fact that they got away with it for so long, rankled with the detectives.

What followed was a painstaking detection programme, uncovering blackmail, trafficking, abduction, murder and cracks within the police force itself. It was no longer a small town affair, the effects were rippling in bigger and bigger circles.

Dark and very tight paced it was a very good read.

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

The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau

 

Catherine Tilley is very settled in her life in rural Gloucestershire. Happily married with two young daughters, she wants a similar happy life for her girls. Decades ago her life was disrupted by the Thorpe brother and sister who destroyed her mind but fortunately she found peace with Henry Tilney. Catherine is now horrified when Isabella Thorpe appears in Bath, and her daughter befriends Catherine’s daughter Phoebe. The duo become inseparable much to Catherine’s dismay, but it is only she who suspects Isabella’s motives in befriending her daughter.

When a letter inviting Phoebe to remote Dartmoor is extended, Catherine flatly declines to send Phoebe but eventually gives in accompanying her on this long and arduous journey. Throughout and during the stay, Catherine feels that a plot is in the air, and definitely not for Phoebe or Catherine’s good. When her fears are realised, Catherine must use her limited resources to get them out of danger. 

The story deals with young women at the mercy of greedy men, only intent on the dowry that they bring.  In this story an illicit relationship which already existed between Isabella and Lord Pomeroy, where Phoebe was to be the bait as well as the cover for their relationship to continue. Both parties had no scruples in involving others, and in Isabella’s case even coercing her children in pursuit of her wishes.

The dangers that young women with good fortune faced was very real and that may be the reason for such strict protocols in place. Amply emphasised in the story. A very intriguing story.

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

Weligama Bay, Southern Coast of Sri Lanka.

The Shadow Friends by Tess Gerritsen

 

Ingrid and her former co workers now live a quiet retired life in a small town in Maine. The death of a former defector cum world famous authority on infectious diseases from Ebola, is not of concern especially as he has just returned from Africa. Investigations show he was murdered and when a waitress nearby is found murdered in a particularly brutal manner the former band of spies are alerted that maybe a Russian killer is amongst them and targeting Ingrid in particular.

The story goes back to Amsterdam so that is where Ingrid and a former colleagues (former lover) goes. Tracing a minute clue with no apparent links but in the absence of any other clues, they start the pursuit of whoever is behind the killings. 

The pursuit is relentless on both sides and the entire group joins in pursuit of Ingrid, to help out and safeguard the entire club. Their retirement is put on hold and they are all back in the
game.

Very good look at how espionage works today. Another good read from this author.

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

The Case of Bingley’s Missing Aphrodite by Emma Aubrey

 

I like almost all variations of the Pride & Prejudice theme. This was different and it was such a lovely read.

Mr and Mrs Bennett are deceased, the property has been entailed and three of the Bennett girls are living with a distant cousin in London, in respectable but impoverished conditions. Elizabeth is up north, working as a governess. Bingley has lost a very valuable statue and through a series of coincidences, reaches out to Mr Bennett to help him find the statue. The change in scenario, came when Darcy joins Bennett in the Sherlock Holmes style of detection, with many twists and a murder thrown in for good measure.

A further twist and a very pleasant one also happens and readers will be surprised how the tale turns.

A must for Pride & Prejudice fans.

Sent by Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Rayburn Affair by Laurie Petrou

 

Ruth Morgan is desperate to obtain tenure. Struggling mentally and overburdened with questions regarding her future, she fears the worst. Until she teams with the golden couple Oscar a star in his own right and the glittering comet by his side, the darling of the writing world his wife Shelby. Immediately things begin to move for Ruth. The aura enveloping the couple covers her too. Ruth feels confident, feels that she can take on the University and also write again.

Shelby offers a path that Ruth has not even thought about before with her writing dreams. One that she has to keep secret till the big reveal. The story delves into AI with its very wide ramifications. What is real. What is manufactured by a bot. Where does human effort figure in writing? The human element is it getting phased out? Is the human even necessary?

All this and more takes you down a rabbit hole. On the periphery is human envy and jealousies, female friendships when they get too intense and relationships in general.

A read that gets you thinking.

Sent by Verve Books for an unbiased read courtesy of Netgalley.

The Country House Murders by Friday Turner

 

Wartime Britain was a dangerous place to be. Incessant and unexpected bombing raids by the German 

 Fleet made Polly’s life as an air raid warden a trial. Constantly seeing sudden death, destruction of property and the sense of hopelessness and futility would drag anyone down. Polly was stoic and got on with it until she met the charming Freddie, drunk and doddering on his way to a nightclub, when the sirens went off and she dragged him protesting to a half bombed house for safety. The nightclub was bombed, everyone died and Freddie realised that Polly had saved his life.

Offering her a job, they then embark on an adventure to mark out properties suitable for use as field hospitals or convalescent homes. Arriving in a fairly huge state house, where the occupants are known to Freddie was easy. The sudden death of the head of the house was unexpected, particularly because only Polly felt it was suspicious. The local Bobby brushed it off as accidental after too much booze, the widow was nonchalant about the affair and his son after a stint overseas and on Home Leave couldn’t care less. When the second death occurs of a person, closely connected to the first victim, the idea of accident is against mooted.

The detection by Polly and a reluctant Freddie continues, uncovering a black market operation cheating the government on a massive scale involving a very senior government official. The officials have now got to sit-up and take notice of facts.

The story apart from the mystery and murder was so descriptive of wartime Britain. The endless rationing, the distinct demarcation between the classes which the upper class were hanging onto for dear life and the emergence of women going out to work in factories for the first time.  Very good reading.

I hope a sequel would clear the mystery of Polly’s mother.

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

The Bravest Hiur by Anna Lee Huber

 

Verity Kent, is an extraordinary agent working for British intelligence. Escaping the trial in Belgium and Germany, underrated by many of the men working with her, as well as her bosses, her real talents are highlighted in this story.

November 1920 Dublin not the best place to be. She and husband Sidney are amongst enemies, personal ones and Lord Ardmore is treacherous and protected by his title. She has flouted his planned attack by phosgene on an unsuspecting public, and he is not a man to forget. Taken in for questioning, tortured and imprisoned this time at the notorious Castle, she and Sidney have to work through friends on both sides to stop Ardmore.

The Irish Rebellion was harsh. No holds barred. The ordinary man suffered in random attacks of revenge and the death toll was high and destruction of people’s livelihoods was rampant. The Government turned a blind eye and media coverage was one sided. If a publisher decided to be truthful, he was severely dealt with. It was a Nazi style state. One which the average person outside Ireland was unaware of.

The story described as historical fiction is full of facts as well though our chief characters may be fictional. Moving and extremely well written story.

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

Miss Morton Takes tge Waters by Catherine Lloyd

 

Set in Bath, the idea is to help Mrs F improve her health both mentally and physically and Caroline feels that the move is a good one for them both. Her boss is forthright and is not affected by the airs and graces of the ladies who look down on her for her “industrialised” origins. 

A murder in the same block of flats of a Lady who was rude and unpleasant sets the two amateur detectives in full investigative mode, much to the Inspector in charge. He seems ineffectual, unable to look beyond the actual facts to the histories of the various people involved or the nuances of the characters and it is upto the two ladies to connect the dots in what is quite a convoluted case.

Apart from the murders, and the detection there is a lot going on, on the social side and the sulphuric air and steamy baths add to the description of life in Bath. All adding a great deal of interest to the story.

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

The Whitechapel Mystery by Tessa Harris

 

Combining plenty of horrific murders, set in the time of Jack the Ripper, the story brings to life the history of Whitechapel, of how people survived despite the squalor and poverty of the time, and mirrored the terror faced by working women who did what they did to just survive.

There was one more strand which made it different from other Ripper stories. It brought in a genre of spiritual mediums into the story with the very plausible flow of messages from Emily, a teacher to Constance a young girl who was stronger in character and tenacity and who proved to be a conduit as a medium.

Victorian England described well.

Sent by dp books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder Stage Left by Verity Bright

 

Lady Eleanor her husband Hugh and Clifford the butler along with their entourage have descended on Stratford upon Avon. Everyone awaits a play of Macbeth with a brilliant new cast. They certainly did not expect the burning of the theatre, a murder and loss of priceless artifacts.

Like most murders, all the suspects have “histories” which they’d like to hide, links between them that they’d also like to keep quiet about. An arsonist amongst the suspects adds to the complications in the case, along with an antagonistic Police Chief who does not like having the trio around.

With lots of humour and plenty of good food, the detectives go to work to solve the murders. Always a bright read despite the deaths around.

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

Sisters at an Exhibition by Claudia Hagadus Long

 

A heist, a forgery of a sketch by Caravaggio and two sisters who pull apart but fiercely loyal to each other. A mystery how the sketch goes missing from a highly secured facility, its appearance and then the forgery. The FBI involvement, amusing the bungling and then everyone appearing in Alsace, where all the villains are.

Fast paced, very interesting and conveying the strong bonds of family over riding everything else.

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

Dramatic rocks called Lovers Leap in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.

Murder in St James’s Park by Vanessa Riley

 

I am trying to vary my reading by going into more modern settings for the detective/mystery genre but I seem to getting into the Regency or Victorian era more and more.

1807 and Lady Abigail wants nothing more than to have her husband out of her life permanently. She did not want to be the one to find his body in the park, murdered. Clues left behind seemingly point to Abigail being the main suspect. No small detective herself, Abigail must use all her wits to find the murderer, especially when the ones plotting her downfall are her own family.

With a regency setting and mixed race ancestry in the story, it features abolitionists, the history of slave plantations and the mystery of what James was actually involved in. Fast paced and quite out of character, the women in the story are very different.

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

Killing in the Countryside by Maria Malone

 

Of all things Sergeant Ali and her help Wilson are being called to help out with a pride of peacocks who have shifted residence and are terrorising a particular household. The small village is divided on the issue with some supporting the animals right to freedom as they have been there for years. But for Gina and her husband it is a deep rooted fear of the birds.

When a vicious murder takes place, the situation changes because there seems to be many suspects who cannot be ruled out and in a small village like Heft, gossip and rumours flourish.

We get the cozy mystery genre and the idyllic English village in equal measure and discover that everyone has secrets that they will like to stay hidden. How much they will go to ensure that those secrets stay hidden is the issue here.

Very comfortable reading of the genre.

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

Death on the Pier by Pauline Rowson

Detective Alun Ryga is an introspective, quiet man. He has survived a gruelling time in a WWII camp and now serves Scotland Yard. A peculiar case of a missing corpse sees Ryga sent to the small coastal town of 
South End On Sea in Essex. A small town atmosphere where everyone seems to know everyone 1951 England is still recovering from the brutality of the War.

The man who calls himself a Commander who discovered the body is shifty, and it is not easy to befriend him. Unraveling the puzzle of the missing body is an even bigger mystery and with Ryga working undercover, it is not possible to have access to navy records or the local police, until the Commander himself is found murdered and then Ryga is forced to divulge his identity.

A slower paced detective story, reminiscent of the times and people and lifestyle of the age, it made for very pleasant reading.

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