Where the Light Falls: A Novel of the French Revolution by Allison Pataki and Owen Pataki

 

  

Where the Light Falls: A Novel of the French Revolution by Allison Pataki and Owen Pataki. The Dial Press, 2017. Adult historical fiction.

          The intertwining stories of Jean Luc, a young lawyer, and his wife Marie who move to Paris hoping to help in the Revolution that will determine the future of their country. The king and queen are dead and Napoleon is just coming to power. Andre, a former nobleman and now soldier and his brother, Remy, fight for France. Sophie, a young widow, tries to escape her powerful and corrupt uncle and to be with Andre. Action is brisk with lots of fighting and intrigue. While readers may know where the actual history goes, it is fun to follow these characters as their lives interact during the turbulent times.  

The Queen's Fortune by Allison Pataki

 

 The Queen's Fortune: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire. Ballantine Books, 2020. Adult historical fiction.

With the new movie about Napoleon out in late 2023, readers may enjoy brushing up on French history. This historical fiction is really the story of his early love, Desiree Clary. When the younger man goes to seek his fortune in Paris, she waits patiently for him. But, Fate has other things in mind for them both and it all makes a terrific story.  Descriptions of the places and people are stunning. Well researched and including a short list of fiction and  nonfiction titles for further reading, this novel allows readers to transport themselves to a time that turned the world on its head.

Mercy Watson is Missing! by Kate DiCamillo

 

Mercy Watson is Missing! by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. Candlewick, 2023. Children's chapter book.

If you are not familiar with the adventures on Deckawoo Drive, run to the nearest library and check them all out! Mercy, the porcine wonder, seems to be gone. Mr. and Mrs. Watson call in their friends and neighbors to help find her. Private investigator Percivval Smidgely and his girlfriend, Louella Smith (SMITH? :) ) become involved as do Leroy Ninker and his horse Maybelline and others. Put some toast in your toaster and join the fun! Yippie-i-oh! Maybe look into some Butter Barrel stock, too!

 

 

 The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2023. Children's middle grade fiction.

After the death of their parents, Achilles and Hercules Beal run their family's nursery business on Cape Cod. Hercules is going into seventh grade in the Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Sciences this fall. His homeroom teacher is Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer and his English class will be studying classical mythology. Hercules, the smallest kid in the class, has the assignment of studying the labors of the mythical Hercules and reporting back on them and how his own life is affected by the study. 

Hercules is learning to deal with his parents' deaths, going to a new school, making friends, working hard at the nursery, and learning about his community and neighbors. Schmidt has done a masterful job of showing how his teacher's influence helps him become a better writer and person. From golden leaves on trees to making a noble gesture at an art auction to learning to like and understand his brother's girlfriend and understanding that people can stay in touch over miles and time, Hercules is a hero for the ages. He finds that a single person does not have to overcome all by himself, but can be made stronger by others.

This is a wonderful story of friendship, family, really hard work, and happiness beyond belief. It would make a great read-a-loud for a classroom.

Capote's Women by Laurence Leamer

 

 Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2021. Nonfiction.

Most people recognize the name of writer Truman Capote for his works Breakfast at Tiffany's or In Cold Blood. Equally known for his gay lifestyle and appearances on television talk shows and at Studio 54 in New York City, Capote lived the high life, making friends with some of the world's most beautiful women. Their wealth and generosity allowed Capote to travel the world, sail on their yachts, meet their friends, and share intimate confidences.

The big problem was that Truman Capote loved gossip and he planned to write a "tell all" book about these "swans" as he called them. When Capote published proposed chapters of his upcoming "Answered Prayers", most of his women friends were horrified at his betrayal and shunned him. The book was never published. Leamer focuses on seven of these women as well as Capote's life. 

The Indigo Girl: A Novel by Natasha Boyd

 

 The Indigo Girl: A Novel by Natasha Boyd. Blackstone Publishing,   2017. Adult Historical fiction.

In 1739, it becomes necessary for Colonel Lucas to return to Antigua from America, he leaves his sixteen year old daughter Eliza in charge of their three plantations including slaves. With the son and heir in boarding school in England and her mother a less than stalwart presence, Eliza becomes a capable manager. With rice crops losing value and timber taking years to grow, she begins an indigo crop after learning how much the French pay for the dye.  Undercut at every turn, but with the help of a few others, she has much to learn.

Based on the life of a true woman, the author provides a few poems, prayers, and letters from one of South Carolina's true heroines. The state flag is blue after all!! The only negative, small but which drove this reader crazy, were the grammatical errors involving he and I and him and me. Eliza seems to have not made any other errors so it must have been a poor editing job that mars a terrific story well told. 

The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin

 

 The Lioness of Boston: A Novel by Emily Franklin. Godine, 2023.

The fascinating life of Isabella Stewart Gardner is presented from the time of her marriage. As a new bride, she is unique and outspoken. She is basically shut out from society in the rigid Boston upper class. She makes friends with the local gardener and other workers who help her learn about plants, architecture, and art. "Mrs. Jack" loses several family members and has setbacks that would stun the best of us. But, she perseveres and learns to respect her own ideas and opinions. The novel is divided into four basic parts: early marriage, life as a wife, searching for identity and travelling the world, and the woman as important in the city and the world itself. 

The details of 1861-1924 Boston and the art world in general provide background for how ISG bought, arranged, and loved the items she curated. In fact, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston is the only museum in the world where a person (and a woman at that!) collected and purchased, arranged and showed, and then gave it all to the public. 

Emily Franklin grew up going there and it shows as she writes about individual paintings. Her language flows and provides excellent commentary and the letters in the narrative show the depth of her research into the life and business dealings of Mrs. Gardner. Author's notes tell which situations have been manipulated to make a better flow, but nothing is major. 

Interesting details include that nothing can be changed from ISG's original arrangements. For example, after the 1990 thefts of several masterpieces, the empty frames are hauntingly still on the walls. Anyone named Isabella even gets free admission to the museum!  

Bluebird by Sharon Cameron

 

 Bluebird by Sharon Cameron. Scholastic Press, 2021. YA and Adult fiction.

Looking for a WWII thriller? This fast paced novel flashes back and forth from the late 1940's to early war days. Who is Eva? Who is Inge? Who is Anna? After leaving Berlin for New York City in 1946, two young women arrive to find new lives in America. Secrets, power, justice and the horrors of the Nazi regime all figure into their daily routines. While some of the chapters are long, readers will want to find out the truth. Cameron does an excellent job of portraying what it must have been like to be young and vulnerable in WWII and crafts a unique story.

Hanged! Mary Surratt and the Plot to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln by Sarah Miller

 

 Hanged! Mary Surratt and the Plot to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln by Sarah Miller. Random House Studio, 2022. Nonfiction.

Among those hanged for the murder of President Abraham Lincoln was a Catholic widow who ran a boarding house. Was she guilty of harboring and inciting others involved in the plot? Or was she innocent of naively trusting her own sons and others who believed in John Wilkes Booth's plan to help the South rise again? Liberally utilizing quotes from documents, trial transcripts, and other historical records, Sarah Miller recreates the life and times of Mary Surratt. The hysteria following the assassination of the President and the manhunt for his killers are recreated here.

Miller, author of the excellent The Borden Murders as well as the fascinating The Miracle and Tragedy of the  Dionne Quintuplets adds this one to her nonfiction writings. While the first two make great reading, this one, while steeped in research, may not make the best addition to a summer beach bag. One of the most interesting tidbits is that Wok and Roll, a long time Chinese restaurant in Washington, D.C. is on the site of the former Surratt boarding house. The address changed from 541 to 604 H Street after renumbering was done in the area. Excellent resource listings are included in the back of the book. Photographs from the times add to the narrative.

Three Can Keep a Secret by M.E. Hilliard

 

 Three Can Keep a Secret: A Greer Hogan Mystery by M.E. Hilliard Crooked Lane Books, 2023. Adult mystery. (Third in series)

Librarian and widow Greer Hogan is hard at work in Raven's Hill as the annual book sale approaches. When the library board chair is run off the road and killed, Greer puts her amateur detective skills back to use to find answers. Between the library archives and the local cemetery, Greer has plenty of clues. Friends Ben and Beau from the city come for a visit and join the sleuthing, too.  Greer has settled into the community nicely in this third novel in the series. 

Shadow in the Glass by M.E. Hilliard.

 

Shadow in the Glass: a Greer Hogan Mystery by M.E. Hilliard. Crooked Lane Books, 2022. Adult mystery. 2nd in series.

Librarian and widow Greer Hogan has taken time off to attend the Mirror Lake wedding of her friend Sarah Whitaker to Jack Peterson. The Lake Placid setting is gorgeous, but murder strikes when a guest is found in the lake. Her former suitor, Ian, helps avid detective Greer put together enough clues to solve some of the mystery. But, can they work fast enough to prevent another killing? Characters abound as almost everyone is a suspect!

The Unkindness of Ravens by M.E. Hilliard

 

 The Unkindness of Ravens by M.E. Hilliard. (A Greer Hogan Mystery). Crooked Lane Books, 2021. Adult mystery.

After her husband's murder in New York City, Greer Hogan leaves corporate life, goes to library school, and becomes the librarian in a small town called Raven's Hill. All seems to be going well after several months on the job until Greer finds a friend, Joanna Goodhue, dead in the library. Readers will love the descriptions of the Raven Hill Public Library, a Gothic building full of nooks and crannies, and the daily roles the librarians perform even as they look for suspects in the killing and aim to stop more deaths. Greer is a likeable heroine in this, the first of at least three novels starring her. 

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

 

 We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. Henry Holt and Company, 2020. Adult contemporary fiction.

There are two kinds of families: the kind you are born into and the kind you create. Walker, Vincent, and Star have grown up in a small town in California. Walker is now the police chief, Vincent is in prison and may soon be released after thirty years, and Star, well, Star has two children, Duchess, 13, and Robin, 6. Therein starts the tale of family, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and coming of age. Duchess is fiercely protective of her little brother who may have seen a crime. The twisty novel is realistic and pulls the reader into their lives. Not characters with whom readers are familiar, perhaps, but ones that readers will long remember. So very well written, this one reveals its secrets gradually.

All the Broken Places: A Novel by John Boyne

 

 All the Broken Places: A Novel by John Boyne. Pamela Dorman Books, Viking, 2022. Adult fiction.

Gretel Fernsby, age 91, has lived in the same upscale flat in London most of her life. Her husband is dead. Her son visits, but is envious of the money her apartment would bring if it  sold. Gretel keeps very much to herself and does not tell her secrets. Among those is the fact that her father was a prominent Nazi and oversaw one of the notorious death camps.  When a younger couple and their small son move into the apartment under hers, Gretel is pulled back in time to other small boys who were part of her life. Can she now save this boy from his father's bullying and abuse? Or will Gretel have to give up some of her secrets?

Those who have read Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas know what a great storyteller the author is. He can make the past both interesting and real. The characters are well drawn and the switches between places and time periods are easy to understand. This is a book that readers will think about long after the last page is turned.

Killers of a Certain Age: A Novel by Deanna Raybourn

 

 

 Killers of a Certain Age: A Novel by Deanna Raybourn. Berkley(an imprint of Penguin Random House), 2022. Adult mystery.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie were recruited in their twenties to form an elite team of killers. Now, in their sixties, they are retiring and being treated to a luxury cruise. They soon figure out that they are being targeted themselves!

A fun, twisted look at professional assassins from a feminist viewpoint, this novel well delineates the four women and their talents. The plot twists and interesting characters will keep readers guessing as the pages fly by! 

The House of Lincoln: A Novel by Nancy Horan

 

 The House of Lincoln: A Novel by Nancy Horan. Sourcebooks, 2023. Adult Historical fiction, 2023.

Ana Ferreira, a fictional young teenage immigrant who speaks Portuguese as well as English, is the protagonist in this story about Springfield, Illinois and its residents from 1851 through 1909. Of course, the most famous residents are Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln for whom Ana works and helps take care of their children and their house. Race relations and the Lincolns' views on slavery and immigration become clear through the eye of Ana and other residents like her friend Cal. Fictional Ana is an eye witness to the Lincolns' marriage and difficulties as the war makes even families enemies. Even the barbershop where Mr. Lincoln gets his hair cut becomes a setting for learning more about America's history. 

This is really Nancy Horan's own love letter to Springfield, Illinois where she was born and raised. The descriptions of the houses and its people are believable. She makes clear  historical terms like Copperheads and Whigs, and shows the Underground Railroad as a real part of everyday lives. Most readers will not have heard of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot which was the impetus for the creation of the NAACP. Author's notes at the end tell more about the characters and which are real people. 

If you  have not already read Horan's best seller, Loving Frank, about architect Frank L. Wright, check it out for another great historical fiction read. 

Every Picture Hides a Story by William Cane and Anna Gabrielle

 

 Every Picture Hides a Story: The Secret Ways Artists Make Their Work More Seductive by William Cane and Anna Gabrielle.. Rowman and Littlefield, 2023. Adult nonfiction.

Arranged by artists' names, this work about some of the world's most famous paintings and their creators both teaches and entertains. The authors focus on how jewelry, furniture, clothing, and poses often provide subtle clues to meaning in the paintings. From a pearl earring that symbolizes chastity to a turned head that indicates boredom, artists arrange subjects and send subliminal messages. Twenty-two artists are discussed and their paintings are shown in full color illustrations. Readers from the casual art lover to the most advanced art history student will find much to think about in these hidden stories. 

Night Will Find You: A Novel by Julia Heaberlin

Night Will Find You: A Novel by Julia Heaberlin. Flat Iron Books (Macmillan), 2023. Adult thriller.

     Vivvy Bouchet is an astrophysicist in West Texas, She and her sister struggle, as adults. with the legacy of their psychic mother who just died. The policeman whose life Vivvy saved when they were both children is married to her sister but still tugs at Vivvy's heartstrings. When the police need help finding a missing Fort Worth girl, Vivvy is called into the case. With a conspiracy theory podcaster and even a couple of digs at Ted Cruz and Elon Musk, Heaberlin weaves a twisty tale of family, science, and mystery. Pull up a cozy chair and a Dr. Pepper and enjoy this addition to Heaberlin's other works. It even has handsome policemen who drive pick-up trucks and wear cowboy boots suggesting that the author truly knows her people!  

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

 

 Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz. HarperCollins, 2020. Adult mystery. 

    Just as in Magpie Murders, editor Susan Ryeland, is faced with clues that do not add up. Susan is called away from Crete and her life with Andreas to go back to England to reread one of her former client Alan Conway's books. An elderly couple in Suffolk own a hotel and their daughter Cecily has read the book. In it, Cecily finds the answers to a murder that happened at the hotel several years before. But, then Cecily disappears. They hope that Susan can see what Cecily saw and know the real murderer and find out where Cecily is. 

    Clues abound. People are everywhere. Anagrams and hidden "Easter eggs" provoke thought. Just as Susan has interviewed most of the people at the English hotel, she finally sits down to reread Conway's book. And, lo and behold, there is the full book smack in the middle of this one! Can readers find what Cecily saw? Can Susan? 

     The ending is worthy of an Agatha Christie drawing room setting with characters there and Susan Ryeland about to tell all. Even then, there are twists that probably no one saw coming. Watch for the PBS series based on Horowitz's books, but do read the books first. 

Death Comes to Marlow: A Novel by Robert Thorogood

 

 Death Comes to Marlow: A Novel by Robert Thorogood. Poisoned Pen Press, 2023. Adult mystery.

In this second novel in the Marlow Murder Club Mystery series, Judith, Becks, and Suzie find themselves trying to solve the mystery of who killed Sir Peter Bailey. Sir Peter was due to be married to Jenny Page, his nurse on the next day. Alas, he is crushed by a huge cabinet in his study. The door is locked. The only key is in Sir Peter's pocket. The trio of friends learn more about the son and  daughter and bride-to-be as well as themselves in this well done follow up to the first book in the series. Stay tuned for more! 

The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey: A Novel by Serena Burdick

 

 The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey: A Novel by Serena Burdick. Park Row Books, 2022. Adult fiction.

   Abigail lives in 2006 California with grandparents. Her mother died when she was younger and she never knew her father. She feels at odds with herself and her future. When she finds hidden information about her family, she goes to England to the manor house where apparently her great great grandmother disappeared in the early 1900's. Was Evelyn Aubrey really murdered by by her husband, a famous author, as London society at the time believed? In the quest for more information, Abby learns more about her family and herself.

The King's Pleasure: A Novel of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

 

 The King's Pleasure: A Novel of Henry VIII by Alison Weir. Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, 202. Historical fiction.

    While Alison Weir has focused prior works on the six wives of English ruler Henry VIII, this hefty novel focuses on the king himself. From childhood, Henry was a golden boy with riches and castles and power at his disposal. The ups and downs of his love life are described in a straight forward manner and readers who are not familiar with his life will easily be caught up-to-date. The difficulties with Wolsey, Cranmer, and More are explored and show how Henry got himself into such troubles with the religious leaders of his day. His quest for a male heir became the dominating focus of his life and it only feels ironic that his daughter Elizabeth I became one of the best and most long lasting monarchs in English history. 

Emily's House: A Novel by Amy Belding Brown

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 Emily's House: A Novel by Amy Belding Brown. Berkley, 2021. Adult historical fiction.

   Although Margaret Maher, at 27, plans to go West to run a boarding house near her brothers, she takes a job as a maid in Amherst, Massachusetts in order to save money for the trip. The job is at the Dickinson home. The years fold into each other as Margaret gets to know the family, especially Emily. Margaret is courted by fellow Irishman Patrick Quinn, but his views on Irish independence frighten Margaret. She ultimately helps save hundreds of poems that Emily Dickinson has written. In this fictional account, Margaret outlives most of the Dickinson family and does finally have her own life. An author's note confirms which characters and events are real and which are made up or changed slightly to move the tale along. Fans of Emily's work will definitely enjoy this addition to stories about the famous reclusive poet.

The Marlow Murder Club: A Novel by Robert Thorogood

 

  The Marlow Murder Club: A Novel by Robert Thorogood. Poisoned Pen Press, 2021, 2022. Originally published in Great Britain. Adult mystery. 

When seventy-seven year old Judith Potts hears a disturbance at a neighbor's, she finds herself enmeshed in a murder investigation. The local vicar's wife and another woman who is a dogwalker by trade also get involved.  The murders continue and Detective Sargeant Tanika Malik finds she can learn a great deal from these witty, smart, women. The small English town of Marlow will never be the same! 

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The Blackhouse: A Novel by Carole Johnstone

 

  The Blackhouse: A Novel by Carole Johnstone. Scribner, 2023. Adult mystery. 

   When Maggie McKay was five years old, she and her mother went to a small island in Scotland. Maggie announced to everyone that a man on Kilmeray had been murdered. The upset and turmoil the little girl caused in the village was enormous. Twenty years later, her mother has just died and Maggie, a journalist, returns to find out what really happened when she was a child.  Many of the people are still there and resent the opening of closed matters. Can Maggie find out what happened without putting herself in danger? Can she manage being bipolar and deal with her own grief? Might she even find love? The storms rage in more than the sea! 

The Body in the Web by Katherine Hall Page

 

 The Body in the Web by Katherine Hall Page. A Faith Fairchild Mystery. William Morrow, 2023. Adult Mystery.

    In her 26th book in this award winning series about a caterer who is the wife of a minister in a small town, it's pandemic time. The children are home and cocooning with their parents. The neighbors are trying to take care of the elderly. And, everyone is learning to Zoom meetings. But, when the local art teacher is targeted in a town meeting online, things are not as they seem. Soon, the woman is discovered dead. Of course, Faith Fairchild knew her well and wants to find out what really happened. 

If you have not been reading Katherine Hall Page, start at the beginning with her very first Faith Fairchild book. Over the years, Faith and her family and friends have become part of our lives. Yes, there's always a murder, but Faith is so friendly and smart and family oriented that we just fall right into the little town of Aleford, Massachusetts. And, since Faith is a caterer, there are always the yummiest recipes at the end of the books! 

I Could Not Do Otherwise: The Remarkable Life of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker by Sara Latta

 

I Could Not Do Otherwise: The Remarkable Life of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker by Sara Latta. Minneapolis: Zest Books , an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, 2022. Adult nonfiction, biography.

    Best known as a surgeon and a spy for the Union in the American Civil War, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, lived her life on her own terms. She became a doctor when their was little acceptance for women to study medicine. She never wore the corsets and  voluminous skirts of her contemporaries, but wore trousers under short skirts or coats. Dr. Walker broke gender norms and often spoke out about women's and civil rights. She received a Congressional Medal of Honor only to have it stripped away, but she never stopped wearing her medal until her death in 1919. She knew she deserved the honor and she was right.  In 1977, her Congressional Medal of Honor was reinstated. 

    This book not only tells Walker's story, but includes information about other feminists and activists such as Amelia Bloomer, Elizabeth Walker, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Belva Lockwood, and Carrie Nation. It is a primer really about feminism and would make a good introduction for young adults to the times and people covered. 

The Grand Affair: John Singer Sargent in His World by Paul Fisher

 

 The Grand Affair: John Singer Sargent in His World by Paul Fisher. Farrar Straus and Giroux, 479 pages.  Adult nonfiction, biography.

   Artist John Singer Sargent, born in the mid 1800's, was part of a family that travelled extensively. Although considered an American by many, he was actually born in Florence and lived some years in and out of other parts of the world. Not really a loner, but really not part of a group, Sargent lived his life on his own terms. By the time he died in April, 1925, he left drawings and paintings that have found their ways into private collections as well as the most prestigious art museums all over the world. Among them and perhaps best known are his large paintings of high society women, but this book shows the depth of his work featuring other nature and other subjects. 

   Fisher has done his research and it shows. (The notes in the back of the book are pages 385-479 and interested readers will find it is a joy to read these details).  Shining lights on much of Sargent's public persona and his rather secretive private life, the author manages to, forgive the pun, paint a more well rounded picture of Sargent's life than has been available in the past. Included are many illustrations of Sargent's works. It is illuminating to read about many of them in detail and then see the works themselves. Fisher clearly show how the world was changing and how the art world changed, too. 

And Then Comes School by Tom Brenner

  And Then Comes School by Tom Brenner. Illustrated by Jen Hill. Candlewick, 2023.  Children's picture book.

     If you made a list of all the things that happen when school starts each year and then list all the things that happen after school begins, you couldn't come up with better lists than in this colorful picture book. Elementary school teachers always look for books that are writing prompts and this very relatable tale is perfect for the WHEN/THEN pattern. The children and their friends and family are charming and the sly humor of narrative and illustrations both add to the fun. This positive book with its and eager anticipation of a new school year will appeal to teachers, children, and parents alike.

The Twyford Code: A Novel by Janice Hallett

 

 The Twyford Code: A Novel by Janice Hallett. Atria Books, 2022. Adult mystery.

     Over forty years ago, a teacher shared a children's book with her class. When she goes missing, the memories of the children are all different about the story and about what happened. Now Steven Smith, one of the students, is out of prison and decides to investigate the mystery of long ago. 

     Told mainly through a series of phone transcripts, the plot involves several of the grown students. The slow burning plot fills in details of some of the questions, but poses others. Did author Edith Twyford really hide clues to a bigger mystery in her children's books? Has Steven put together a new take on the old questions? Readers will find red herrings galore. Clues are here, but is the solution?

Where are the Children NOW?

 

 Where are the Children NOW? by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. Simon and Schuster, 2023.  Adult fiction mystery.

Years ago, Mike and Melissa were kidnapped. Their mother, Nancy Harmon, searched desperately to find them. Now they are both grown. Melissa is famous for a podcast involving true crime and is marrying a man with a small child. When that girl goes missing, the whole family is thrown back into  past trauma and must face a new search.

Lots of names in this novel update readers on the characters' pasts. New people are suspect and readers may not guess who is guilty of plotting mayhem against Mellissa and new family.

If you have not read the original Where are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark, check it out for a classical mystery that set the tone for many books since then.

Homecoming: A Novel by Kate Morton

 

 Homecoming: A Novel by Kate Morton. Mariner Books (HarperCollins), 2023. Adult fiction.

When Jess receives a call in London that her grandmother, Nora, who raised her in Australia has fallen and is in the hospital, she leaves a rather unhappy life and poor excuse for a journalism job, and heads home. A mystery awaits about an estate called Halcyon and their Turner family line. A tragedy in 1959 has impacted her grandmother greatly and, of course, Jess is curious. Her own mother Polly is estranged from both Nora and Jess. By the end, all the ribbons are tied up, the long ago mystery solved, and home has several different meanings.

Well written and with enough details to make Australia itself almost a character, readers will find much to keep them turning pages in this novel. A novel within a novel takes Jess back to 1959 and the whole story is really a love letter to books.  The many characters are clearly drawn and easy to keep straight. Kate Morton is well known for The House at Riverton and several other novels, but she just keeps getting better. Add this one to your summer reading list! 

Daisy Jones and The Six: A Novel

  Daisy Jones and The Six: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 2019, Rabbit Read, Inc. Ballantine Books. Adult historical fiction.

Daisy Jones has grown up a child of privilege, but not much love. Billy Dunne and his brother Graham are close and form a band. It takes a producer, Teddy, to really put them together. The Six becomes a rock and roll mega group. Amidst drugs, drink, and personal problems, life goes on. The novel takes the form of interviews with all of them and showcases 1965 until the group's final concert in 1979. Keep reading though and you'll find out what happens to all of them. The voices are strong, but several of them make the same grammatical error mixing up I and me pronouns. It might have been authentic for one character, but when several do it, that comes across as sloppy editing. 

If you have seen the new streaming series with this title, you may have wanted to read the book. The author has also written MALIBU RISING, another rock era fictional title. When Daisy Jones mentions Mick Riva, he is the same guy as in that book. And, look for him in THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO.  It's interesting that the show leaves out a band member which might have made it Daisy Jones and The Five. It would be interesting to compare the song lyrics included in the book to the songs in the series and see if they really used Reid's work.

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

 

 Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson. Little Brown, 2022. Children's historical fiction chapter book. Winner of the John Newbery Award and the Coretta Scott King Book Award.

When Homer, age 12, and little sister Ada, and Mama plan to leave Southerland Plantation to search for freedom, Mama gets left behind. Overseer Stokes and Master Crumb try to find the children. But, the children find help in the strange Suleman and a home they never imagined. Courage, friendship, and community have never been as important.

Beautifully written debut novel! Having maps of the Great Dismal Swamp and the southern United States available will aid student reading. While slavery, the Underground Railroad, and reconstruction are sometimes still taught in schools, some students may need reminders of this part of history. This novel includes a unique perspective of time and place and is based on facts.  

The Woman in the Library : A Novel by Sulari Gentill

 

 The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. Poisoned Pen Press, 2022. Adult mystery.

The delicious premise for this book is that four people share space in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when a scream is heard. One of the four is a murderer. 

The book is twisty with the four becoming friends and trying to solve the library murder and others. Who is not telling the truth or twisting the truth for their own benefit? Two are writers and while books and writing are central to the story, the novel is not about either. The book begins with a letter and main chapters are concluded with letters to Hannah from Leo and readers find out more about both of them. Boston is almost a character itself with places described and used as settings. Romance, intrigue, murder most foul, and you will probably NOT guess the ending!

Such Good Friends: A Novel of Truman Capote and Lee Radziwill by Stephen Greco

 

  Such Good Friends: a Novel of Truman Capote and Lee Radziwill

by Stephen Greco. John Scognamiglio Books (Kensington Books), 2023. Historical fiction.

Everyone knows that author Truman Capote loved the New York society life. Lee Radziwill was, of course, Jackie Kennedy's sister. The two were real friends from the 1950's until late in Capote's life (He died in August, 1984, at age 59.) when his indiscretions and his friends' secrets showed up in not only gossip columns, but the news.

Most of the characters are based on real people, but others have been created for the book's purposes. One of the main characters in this novel is Radziwill's housekeeper, maid, and friend, Marlene. Another is Lila North who writes a column and scrambles for newsy items about people to publish. Reading this novel is like sitting beside a friend who tells the juiciest gossip. 

The Lady of the Ravens by Joanna Hickson

 

 The Lady of the Ravens by Joanna Hickson. HarperCollins, 2020. Historical fiction.

Joan Vaux has grown up near royalty and now serves the queen, the former Elizabeth of York. King Henry VII holds the throne amid intrigues and treachery. Their young family including Arthur, Henry, and daughters are central to Joan's life. Joan marries Sir John Guilford and her story at court and in London is told with detail and compassion. 

If you enjoy this title, look for more books by Joanna Hickson about the Tudors. 

The Cloisters: A Novel by Katy Hays

 

 The Cloisters: A Novel by Katy Hays. Blackstone Publishing, 2022. Large Print edition(not edition shown). Adult fiction.

When Ann Stilwell moves to New York City from Walla Walla, Washington, she does a summer internship at The Cloisters, the medieval museum of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her boss, Patrick, and Rachel, another young researcher who works there, become major influences on Ann's life and work. Rachel is wealthy and seems too good a friend to be true. Leo, a gardener there, is handsome and mysterious. Ann is not sure she believes some of the new theories she is learning about tarot cards and determining fate in pre Renaissance times. 

The descriptions are marvelous. This will probably be a terrific movie. But, it reads as a cautionary tale of a young adult who is trying to decide who deserves one's trust and how to leave the past behind and find a future. 

The Wise Women: A Novel by Gina Sorell

 

 The Wise Women: A Novel by Gina Sorell. Harper, 2022. Adult fiction.

The Wise family women: mother and long time advice columnist Wendy; daughter Barb, an architect who has ventured too much in her business and whose partner Jill is cheating on her; and daughter Clementine, mother of six-year-old Jonah, and in desperate straits since her husband, Steve, did not invest Barb and Clementine's money in a home as they thought, but in his risky AquaVeg flavored water business. The girls have long been estranged from their mom in Boca, but Wendy thinks she can help now.  The Wise women come together at last and find that they all have hidden talents and can pull together for new beginnings and a future maybe better than the ones they had dreamed. 

Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah

 

 Closed Casket (The NEW Hercule Poirot Mystery based on Agatha Christie's classic character) by Sophie Hannah. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2016. Adult mystery.

Poirot and Scotland Yard detective Edward Catchpole have been invited to a elegant estate in Ireland by Lady Playford. The wealthy woman is about to announce that she is leaving all she has, not to her adult son and daughter as expected, but to Joseph Scotcher, an employee who apparently is dying of liver disease. Of course, someone must die and Poirot, in a drawing room scene with everyone but the dead person present, solves the crime and ties up all the loose ends after leading readers on a trail of clues.

Hannah was successful with her first Poirot novel, The Monogram Murders. The family of Agatha Christie is thanked with the dedication and endnotes so apparently Hannah is the heir apparent to continuing the characters into the future. The novel is beautifully put together with wallpaperish dividing pages and even a great map of the Lillieoak mansion. Her details about Poirot are spot on.

The Thursday Murder Club book series by Richard Osman

 

These three mysteries by Richard Osman involve the residents of an upscale retirement community. Elizabeth, a former spy, is friends with Joyce who writes diary entries. Ron and Ibrahim round out their Thursday Murder Club to discuss cold cases. The humor can't be beat and the plotting is fast and moves the stories along briskly. 

The foursome are on the trail of more murder and this time diamonds are involved. Can they solve the crimes? Again, the laughs are included in this geriatric romp. Elizabeth's chess playing husband, Stephen, is increasingly forgetting things and this sweet romance adds a bittersweet touch. 

  Former associates of Elizabeth's add zingers to this third book in the series. Elizabeth is told she must kill or be killed. Viktor of the Russian Cold War era really has a crush on her...when he is not trying to kill anyone. Ron has found Pauline, a makeup artist for the local tv news, and their visit to a massage parlor is worth the whole book! 

Family Patterns by Kristin Eckhardt

 

Family Patterns by Kristin Eckhardt. Patchwork Mysteries series. Guideposts, 2010.

Set in Maple Hill, Massachusetts, this is the tale of Sarah Hart, a friendly retirement aged woman who restores vintage quilts. When her son and his family move into Sarah's grandparents' old house in town, her twin granddaughters find a formerly hidden passageway and a baby quilt belonging to Sarah's own father. The family mystery has long been that the woman who made this quilt, Molly Drayton, disappeared one night in 1920. Sarah begins to search for clues about what might really have happened to her grandmother. With the help of the local librarian, neighbors, the quilt store owner, and others, the plot thickens into a quite satisfying mystery. The Christian beliefs are successfully woven into the story and should not be offensive to anyone.