Happy Spring! I guess one post a month does not make a blogger. Been navigating a new season of life and the waters are bumpy. BUT I am trying not to sacrifice myself and the things I enjoy...which is reading.
For our March Mystery Book Club we read:
About:
"When a daughter and her famous mother return to Winthrop
Island to confront their complicated past, they discover a secret trove of
paintings that connect them to a mysterious woman who vanished on a luxury
steamship two centuries earlier."
The story is told between dual time lines, current and 1846. Audrey (daughter, chef) and Meredith (mother, famous actress) return to Winthrop Island where Meredith has a house and a past. She grew up there. They return to the island after Meredith's agent begs Audrey to take her mother somewhere to get her sober for a big movie role they have landed for her. Audrey and Meredith have a strained, complicated relationship, but she agrees. Winthrop Island is also where Audrey's father lives.
The story of Providence Dare, a woman in 1846 is also told. She works in a household that took her in as a child, While she was raised with the children in the home, she was not considered one of the family, but rather household help. The wife of the Henry Irving, owner of the home, dies. The children are grown and have left home. Providence stays on as a housekeeper for Henry. When Henry turns up dead, foul play is suspected and Providence is a suspect. She flees Boston on a streamship, which sails in a bad storm.
I found the 1846 story very good. There was actually a steamship at that time that sailed into a storm and was shipwrecked, landing on an island. Some of the names in the story are names of real people, but not the main characters.
As far as the current day story, I liked how Audrey reconnects with her father and where that goes (without saying too much). Her father, Mike is the most likeable character of the story. There is a lot of bad language which I felt was unnecessary. I don't mind some and sometimes it fits the situation, but I felt it was a bit much. One of the Mystery Group members pointed it out that the swearing stopped out of the blue part way through the book. Another said she had listened to the book and didn't notice it.
A couple of people did not finish it but most did and liked it well enough. I liked the ending.
Beatriz Williams writes historical fiction and has several books that take place on Winthrop Island but are about different people that live there. But there are threads that tie them together. Several people, including me, liked it enough that we'd like to read some of the other books set in the island. One person who did not finish this book, actually has read others by her and likes her books. She also has seen the author in person and really enjoyed hearing her speak.
I would say if you like historical fiction with a bit of mystery, give it a try or other books by Beatriz Williams.
https://beatrizwilliams.com/
Book for April: Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister
