The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

 The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware. Scout Press, 2018. Review of Advanced Reader Copy. Adult mystery.

Ware's latest mystery begins like an Agatha Christie tale with a young woman named Harriet and an unexpected letter about a possible inheritance. Harriet, known as Hal, works as a fortune teller and Tarot card reader in a kiosk on the Brighton pier. Her mother died in a recent car accident, the bills are mounting up, and an unscrupulous loan shark is after Hal. Hal is certain that they must have the wrong heir, but she decides to investigate and maybe even get a bit of money to help out.

But, the family that she discovers: Harding and Mitzi and their children, Harding's brothers, Abel and Ezra, and the huge house and gardens are far beyond Hal's imagination. Mrs. Westaway has died and left old Mrs. Warren, the housekeeper, in charge. Mrs. Warren makes Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca look kind! Was Maud, the only daughter really related to Hal? Why happened to Maud to make her leave years ago? How was Maud's friend, Maggie, connected to the family? Will Hal ever figure things out? Or is Hal really in danger as she has begun to believe?

As usual, Ware fills her novel with twisty happenings, people who don't always tell the truth,  and a convoluted plot.  Also, try The Woman in Cabin 10 for suspense at sea if you enjoy Ware's writing.

Becoming Madeleine by Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy

  Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by her Granddaughters by Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy. Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), 2018. Biography/Children's.

Using family records, diaries, photographs, and stories, the authors have put together a loving tribute to their own grandmother, the famed author of both children's and adult books. Madeleine L'Engle knew early that she wanted to be a writer and make her mark on the world with her words. She was talented and determined, practicing her craft and not taking rejection personally. Of course, these women remember a loving grandmother, but the book is really about Madeleine's younger life and is appropriate for both children's and young adult readers. It tells about Madeleine L'Engle's younger writing and follows her early successes. Madeleine's life was not all sunshine, but she used her writing to make sense of the world and to give hope to her characters and her family, too.

Maiden Voyage: A Titanic Story by Sarah Jane.

Maiden Voyage: A Titanic Story by Sarah Jane. Review of Advanced Reader Copy. Forthcoming from Scholastic, 2018. Historical fiction/Middle grade fiction.

Three young women find themselves on RMS Titanic's maiden voyage, but their situations are very different. Isabella James is rushed out of the only home she has known by people she has known as her parents with only a packed case, a letter, and instructions to read the letter only when the great ship docks. Of course, she is distraught and reads the letter. She learns that her real parents are on the ship. Lucy is on the ship with her beloved, but ill, mother and her difficult and untrustworthy father. They sail with their servant Abigail who has recently lost her own mother and assumed her mother's job with the family. All three girls have their own secrets, not the least of which is Abigail's little brother who she has sneaked onboard!

Readers familiar with the White Star line and the historical events surrounding the disaster of April, 1912 will enjoy this well written novel. In different classes, the sights and sounds, foods and rooms are as different as the brave and determined young women.  Some of the characters they meet are actual people, others are imagined characters who move the story along to its dramatic conclusion.

Blue Window by Adina Rishe Gewirtz

 Blue Window by Adina Rishe Gewirtz. Candlewick Press, 2018. Young adult/dystopian fantasy.

As thick as any Harry Potter, this novel about five siblings is one that lovers of fantasy will gladly carry in their backpacks. When the characters fall through a blue window one December night, they arrive in a very different world where it is summer. They find strange people in this world run by a weird genius. They feel the danger and want to get out. But,  they are unable to trust anyone but themselves as danger lies all around them. Max, Jean, Kate, Nell, and Susan must discover skills and gifts that they never imagined they have in order to just survive.

Keep Her Safe by Sophie Hannah

   Keep Her Safe by Sophie Hannah. William Morrow (HarperCollins), 2017. Adult Mystery/Thriller.

  Cara Burrows, a pregnant mom, escapes her family and goes to a spa resort in the Southwestern USA. When she checks in, she is sent to the wrong room. Only later does she realize that the young woman she saw in the wrong room is a teenaged Melody Chapa. Melody is America's most famous murder victim. Is Cara hallucinating? Could Melody possibly be alive? What about Melody's parents who are in prison for killing her? Thus, begins this twisty thriller. The plot is unique, the characters intriguing. With Melody's neighbors and friends all weighing in and big name reporters and lawyers involved, a lot is at stake. Where is Melody? Who is telling the truth?

American Gothic: The Life of Grant Woods

 American Gothic: The Life of Grant Wood by Susan Wood. Illustrations by Ross MacDonald. Abrams, 2017. Children's picture book.


Many Americans recognize the iconic images of Grant Wood's painting that typifies Midwestern farm life. In this delightful biographical tale about the artist's life, readers learn about how and where he grew up, the dedication he had to his art, the time he spent studying the world around him, and about the painting itself. Posing his sister and his dentist, Grant Wood spent months painting. Now in the Art Institute of Chicago, the painting is thought to portray the American spirit of survival during the Great Depression. Thousands of people enjoy seeing themselves or people they might know in its images. Although he became well known, Grant Wood never stopping wearing overalls and painting the people and places in his heart.


Ross MacDonald does a masterful job of creating the world of Grant Wood. The story allows him to paint maps, cities, farmland, and people. MacDonald recreates Impressionist, Gothic, and Cubist paintings. Readers will enjoy "identifying" works of famous artists.


An author's note shows the actual painting itself as well as photographs of the artist and his subjects. A time line shows major events in Grant Woods' life. Three sources are given for further exploration.

Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes

Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes. Illustrated by Scott Magoon. Candlewick, 2018. Children's picture book.

This heart warming picture book tells the story of a young girl who is injured and gets a service dog. While the girl heals, the dog is learning skills that will help her. The text is child friendly and honest, even when the girl loses most of both her legs. It alternates from the dog's point of view and the girl's point of view. By the end, the duo are happy with each other and their lives.

At the end, a note explains that this adapted tale is really the author's own story. Injured in the 2013 Boston bombing, she really does get a dog named Rescue. The illustrations are lovely and enhance the text. Check illustrator Scott Magoon's website for a video of the authors and Rescue and one with him: http://scottmagoon.com/rescue-jessica