Happy Holidays and a holiday read

 Happy Holidays everyone!

I have a holiday book recommendation written by James Patterson for you. It was recommended to me as a good holiday read, a quick read and laugh out loud funny. 

About: "Move over, Dickens—America’s favorite storyteller has written a modern Christmas story for the ages. 

Every year at Christmastime, Will and Ella Sullivan, and their father, Henry, come to a family agreement: Christmas is a holiday for other people. 

At their brownstone in Harlem, stockings go unstuffed, tinsel unstrewn, gifts unbought, mistletoe unhung, chestnuts unroasted, carols unplayed, cookies uncooked, a tree un-visible, and guests uninvited. 

Until guests start arriving anyway. In pairs and sixes, in sevens and tens—they keep coming. And they stay. For twelve long, hard, topsy-turvy, very messy days. That’s when the Sullivans discover that those moments in life that defy hope, expectation, or even imagination, might be the best gifts of all.  

I hope you enjoy your holiday with who or what brings you joy. 

I will share the Mystery Book Club's Best Reads of 2023 soon!

The Murder Rule and a good historical fiction

 Well, I am off to a slow return to blogging, aren't I. Busier than I anticipated holiday season. Extra work things and both my Mystery Book Club and my Norwegian Society had holiday get togethers. Also went to a Celtic concert. Just extra things and extra prep. 

But I did want to tell you about two good books I read/listened to recently. I do intend to catch up with our MBC selections from this year too.

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan

About: "For fans of the compulsive psychological suspense of Ruth Ware and Tana French, a mother daughter story—one running from a horrible truth, and the other fighting to reveal it—that twists and turns in shocking ways, from the internationally bestselling author of The Scholar and The Ruin.

First Rule: Make them like you.

Second Rule: Make them need you.

Third Rule: Make them pay.

They think I’m a young, idealistic law student, that I’m passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system.

They think I’m working hard to impress them.

They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row.

 They're wrong. I’m going to bury him."

Hannah is a college student living with her mother, who is an alcoholic. Hannah has always taken care of her mother. She finds her mother's diary from when she was a teenager, that explains her mothers behavior. There was a summer that her mother (Laura) worked as a maid for an agency that provided services for wealthy people. The story is so traumatic for Laura, that Hannah decides she will get revenge for her, find the man who made her what she is today. 

Hannah applies to work for a legal project that helps people who have been wrongly accused and sent to prison, to get new trials with the goal of getting them released. She has to convince the project of her intentions and make a place for herself, literally. 

Very good page turner. Who is the "bad guy" in this story? Who is the "good guy"? Are there any? The ending was very twisty and unexpected. 

The other book I wanted to share is a historical fiction. Historical fiction seems to be very popular right now. I have always liked biographies and historical fiction. While not a mystery, it seems alot of mystery lovers, cross into historical fiction, like I do,

Switchboard Solders by Jennifer Chiaverini,

About: "In June 1917, General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe. He immediately found himself unable to communicate with troops in the field. Pershing needed telephone operators who could swiftly and accurately connect multiple calls, speak fluent French and English, remain steady under fire, and be utterly discreet, since the calls often conveyed classified information.

At the time, nearly all well-trained American telephone operators were women—but women were not permitted to enlist, or even to vote in most states. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army Signal Corps promptly began recruiting them.

More than 7,600 women responded, including Grace Banker of New Jersey, a switchboard instructor with AT&T and an alumna of Barnard College; Marie Miossec, a Frenchwoman and aspiring opera singer; and Valerie DeSmedt, a twenty-year-old Pacific Telephone operator from Los Angeles, determined to strike a blow for her native Belgium.

They were among the first women sworn into the U.S. Army under the Articles of War. The male soldiers they had replaced had needed one minute to connect each call. The switchboard soldiers could do it in ten seconds.

Deployed throughout France, including near the front lines, the operators endured hardships and risked death or injury from gunfire, bombardments, and the Spanish Flu. Not all of them would survive.

The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps served with honor and played an essential role in achieving the Allied victory. Their story has never been the focus of a novel…until now."

Really good account of these telephone operators who were recruited in 1918 to manage the switchboards in France during WWI. They volunteered, wanting to "do their part". Many of their families of course did not understand why a woman would want to do this, should stay at home and roll bandages and get married. The women went through some Army training and as the war went on, did not live in the best of conditions,. It was interesting to read about their devotion to the cause, how they managed and how they kept up their spirits. This was also during the pandemic of 1918 (sound familiar) of the Spanish flu. It was interesting to read about the women making masks and the mask requirements. Yep. Same thing. 

Some of the characters are based on "real people". Some are added to make the story flow. There is also a documentary on Prime called The Hello Girls. Relatives of the actual "hello girls"  are interviewed and there are pictures from there time. The book talks about how they didn't like being called "Hello Girls", by the way.

Next week, I will share the MBC choices for Best of the Year. 

The Gaslight Mysteries

I started a new series this summer that I am really liking. The Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson.  

I have read/listened to the first three books in this 26 book series. 

The first book in the series is Murder on Astor Place.

About: 

"From bestselling author Victoria Thompson, the first novel in the Edgar® and Agatha Award-nominated Gaslight Mystery series introduces Sarah Brandt, a midwife in the turn-of-the-century tenements of Manhattan who refuses to turn a blind eye to the injustices of the crime-ridden city…

After a routine delivery, Sarah visits her patient in a rooming house—and discovers that another boarder, a young girl, has been killed. At the request of Sergeant Frank Malloy, she searches the girl’s room. She discovers that the victim is from one of the most prominent families in New York—and the sister of an old friend. The powerful family, fearful of scandal, refuses to permit an investigation. But with Malloy’s help, Sarah begins a dangerous quest to bring the killer to justice—before death claims another victim…"

Book two: Murder on St. Mark's Place

About: 

"Thinking she has been summoned by German immigrant Agnes Otto to usher a new life into the world, Sarah Brandt is greeted by the news of an untimely death instead. It seems that Agnes’s beautiful younger sister, Gerda, had fallen into the life of a “Charity Girl.” Caught up in the false glamour of the city’s nightlife, she would trade her company—and her favors—not for money, but for lavish gifts and an evenings’ entertainment. And now she was dead; victim, no doubt, of one of her “gentlemen friends.”

"No one cares much about the fate of girls like Gerda, but Sarah does. And she vows to find her killer. To do so, she turns to Sergeant Frank Malloy. As the two pursue an investigation that leads from the bright lights of Coney Island to the stately homes of Fifth Avenue, they find that their shared passion for justice may cost them dearly…"

Book Three: Murder on Gramercy Park

About: "At a summons from Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, Sarah arrives at the elegant home of famed magnetic healer Edmund Blackwell to find his wife in labor—and the good doctor dead from an apparent suicide. Only Malloy sees what no one else wants to: that Blackwell was murdered in his own home…

After a successful delivery, the Blackwell baby falls mysteriously ill. Relying on her nurse’s training and woman’s intuition, Sarah discovers the source of the baby’s sickness—and discovers a scandal that leads Malloy’s investigation down a gilded path paved with greed, deception, and desire… 

The name of the books are the streets that Sarah's "case" takes place. In the first three books, she goes to the residence to deliver a baby, or help with a pregnancy and stumbles into something more. Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy is called in because there is a police matter. He really doesn't want Sarah there and there is a lot of annoyance between the two. But Sarah is very independent, smart and determined to help her patient's and families. There is a spark between the two but at the time of these books, they are ignoring this.

Sarah is the widow of a doctor. We learn that midwives are looked upon as almost women of the night. Apparently doctors weren't a very respected profession either. She left her wealthy, high society family to marry a doctor. After his death, they assumed she would return home "where she belonged". But she continues to live by herself and support herself.

Frank is a widower with a young son and lives with his mother. The police don't have a good reputation either but Frank tries to do what is right not what other law enforcement thing should be done.

This series reminds of the PBS series Scarlet and the Duke. If you like that series, you will like this series. Quick reads, likeable characters, plots that get you right away.

I highly recommend this series!

Victoria Thompson also writes The Counterfeit Lady Novels. Those sound equally as good. 

Check out all of her books here: https://victoriathompson.com/books/

Happy Holidays and The Maid by Nita Prose

 Happy Holiday Season All! 

If you are in the US, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Holiday. We did. 

And as I predicted, when I went to the grocery store today, just to pick up a couple of basics, the Christmas candy was out and ready to do it's worst. Where did the Halloween candy go by the way. Used to go on sale the day after Halloween but not this year. 

I am feeling the urge to come back to my blog. I will see how it goes. I stopped out of frustration with posts being blocked for no good reason. I would say the year has been busy for me with last winters ice storm, followed by MONTHS of above 100 degree weather. Kind of knocks the energy and motivation from me. Had a sister reunion in October. First one since 2019. That was a blast. Followed by company for Thanksgiving. Lots of cleaning, eating, talking and laughing, followed by more cleaning, eating, talking and laughing.

The Mystery Book Club is going strong! We have a few new members and steady attendance of several people who have been with it for years. So nice. I haven't read as much this year but am determined to get back to it. Does anyone else just not feel right if they don't read everyday?

So to start back, I will tell you about the book we read for November: The Maid by Nita Prose (Molly the Maid #1). This book was the winner of the Goodreads 2022 Mystery/Thriller genre.

About: "Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it's too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart."

I really enjoyed this book as did most of the book club. The story grabbed me right away and it is quite intriguing. I really felt for Molly. She is now living all alone since her grandmother who raised her, passed away. Molly is very set in her routine. She does the same thing every day, at the same time, just as when her grandmother was alive. Molly works as a maid in an upscale hotel. She does her work very well and always is at work and always on time. She meets all sorts of people. 

One long term "resident" is Mr. Black and his young wife, Giselle. Mr. Black apparently has lots of money but isn't a very nice man. There is some issues with his first wife, children and money. Molly befriends Giselle as Giselle confides in her often. Mr. Black is very jealous and controlling of Giselle. Molly, who has a problem with social cues and reading people, has been taken advantage of and made some bad choices. Is it because of her sheltered life, being raised by her old fashioned grandmother or is she perhaps somewhat autistic? 

As Molly makes her rounds cleaning rooms one day, she finds Mr. Black is dead. When she calls for help, the front desk doesn't pay much attention to her. But then it is confirmed. Mr. Black is dead. 

The story goes from there with the investigation and Molly's part in the investigation, her friendship with Giselle and other hotel employees. Her lack of abilities play a big part in the story. But there are some surprises that made us wonder about Molly and want to know more.

All in all we liked the book a lot and recommend it. 

Book #2 is coming out November 28: The Mystery Guest.

House in the Pines by Ana Reyes and a break

 Happy Spring! Our weather is so up and down this month. Summer one day, winter the next.

I did listen to a book you may like. House In the Pines by Ana Reyes. Pretty good psychological thriller.

About: "Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend's sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed....

Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they'd been spending time with all summer.

Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can't account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer--the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.

At her mother's house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father's book that didn't stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank's cabin.."

I will say that I kept thinking Maya did some really dumb things but we find out why in the end. The last third is a pretty good thriller and I imagine a fast read. I wasn't that happy with the ending. It kind of left me hanging and the excuse would be if there is going to be a sequel.

On that note, I am taking a break from blogging for a few weeks. Seem to be having a lot ot time constraints. Also the kerfuffle with Google/Blogger left me with a bad taste. I did hear of a couple of similar experiences of having post deleted for no apparent reason: either bots, hackers or smut snatcher.

Will see how I feel in a few.

:}

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

 Our Mystery Book Club read The Lost Apothecary for our March meeting.

About: "A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them - setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose - selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate - and not everyone will survive."

This book was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction 2021 and Best Debut Novel 2021.

The story goes back and forth between Nella's story in 1791 and Caroline's story set in the present. I like books that go between two time periods. I liked both story lines.  They kept my interest and certainly had some suspenseful moments. Nella and Caroline were both strong female characters, trying to make it on their own after being wronged by a man. But their options were different. It was also interesting to read something about apothecaries. I actually looked up additional information on apothecaries. Apothecaries were an option for people who couldn't afford doctors in the 18th and 19th century but went out of business as medicine became more regulated in the 19th century. There were accidental poisonings from apothecary remedies. 

The MBC members all like this book alot. We had a really good discussion about the two women, their options and their choices. One person read an interview with the author and found Sarah Penner may do a sequel with Eliza, Nella's accidental apprentice. Everyone liked that idea and wants to know more about her story. 

All and all, we gave it two thumbs up!

March Mystery Releases

Happy March everyone. I know some are still buried in snow. We are actually having some very nice weather, temperatures a bit above normal which sound good but makes me wonder what summer will be like.

Yes I have been missing from here. We had quite an ice storm at the end of January, first of February, which I think I mentioned before. We spent most of our free time cleaning up all of the broken tree debris over three weeks. It is all lined up curbside in our neighborhood waiting to be picked up and hauled away. It was a cut and drag operation. Husband cut branches, I dragged them to the curb.  

I also had an issue with "Blogger". Not sure it I was hacked or some links on some older posts no longer were valid, but I had to do some sleuthing to correct several posts. Will see how it goes from here.

There are some mysteries coming out this month (March 2023) that I am really interested in.

1. The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner (March 21, 2023)

We read The Lost Apothecary by this author for this months Mystery Book Club. I will share our thoughts this week.

About: 1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…

2. The Kind Worth Saving by Peter May (March 7, 2023)

We read A Kind Work Killing by this author in our MBC a few years ago and really liked it. 

About: "In this spectacularly devious novel by New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson—featuring the smart and complex Lily Kintner from his acclaimed novel, The Kind Worth Killing—a private eye starts to follow a possibly adulterous husband, but little does he know that the twisted trail will lead back to the woman who hired him.

There was always something slightly dangerous about Joan. So, when she turns up at private investigator Henry Kimball’s office asking him to investigate her husband, he can’t help feeling ill at ease. Just the sight of her stirs up a chilling memory: he knew Joan in his previous life as a high school English teacher, when he was at the center of a tragedy.

Now Joan needs his help in proving that her husband is cheating. But what should be a simple case of infidelity beco2mes much more complicated when Kimball finds two bodies in an uninhabited suburban home with a “for sale” sign out front. Suddenly it feels like the past is repeating itself, and Henry must go back to one of the worst days of his life to uncover the truth.

Is it possible that Joan knows something about that day, something she’s hidden all these years? Could there still be a killer out there, someone who believes they have gotten away with murder? Henry is determined to find out, but as he steps closer to the truth, a murderer is getting closer to him, and in this hair-raising game of cat and mouse only one of them will survive."

3. The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear (March 21, 2023)

This author writes the Maisie Dobbs series which I like. This is with a new sleuth.

About: The White Lady introduces yet another extraordinary heroine/sleuth from Jacqueline Winspear, creator of the best-selling Maisie Dobbs series. This heart-stopping adventure follows the coming of age and maturity of former wartime operative Elinor White—veteran of two wars, trained killer, protective of her anonymity—when she is drawn back into the world of violence she has been desperate to leave behind.

A reluctant ex-spy with demons of her own, Elinor finds herself facing down one of the most dangerous organized crime gangs in London, and exposing corruption from Scotland Yard to the highest levels of government.

Post-World War II Britain, 1947. Forty-one-year-old “Miss White," as Elinor is known, lives in a village in Kent, England, so quietly and privately as to seem an enigma to her fellow villagers. Well she might, as Elinor occupies a "grace and favor" property, a rare privilege offered to faithful servants of the Crown for services to the nation. But the residents of Shacklehurst have no way of knowing how dangerous Elinor's war work had been, or how deeply their mysterious neighbor continues to be haunted by her past.

It will take the child of Jim Mackie, a young farmworker and his wife, Rose, to break through Miss White's icy demeanor—but Jim has something in common with Elinor. He, too, is desperate to escape his past. When the powerful Mackie crime family demands a return of their prodigal son for an important job, Elinor assumes the task of protecting her neighbors, especially the bright-eyed Susie, who reminds her of the darkest day of her life.

Elinor’s wartime training and instincts serve her well, but as she endeavors to neutralize the threat to Jim, Rose and Susie Mackie, she is rapidly led along a tunnel of smoke and mirrors in which former wartime colleagues – who know the truth about what happened in 1944, and the terrible event that led to her wartime suicide attempt – are compromised by more powerful influences.

Ultimately, Elinor will hold a gun to the head of a Mackie crime lord to uncover the truth behind the family's pursuit of Jim, and in doing so, reveal the far-reaching tentacles of their power—along with the truth that will free Elinor from her past."

4. 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates (March 14, 2023)

Joyce Carol Oates? Really? One in the same. I remember reading some things by her many many years ago, so I think it will be interesting to take a look at this book.

About: "Marguerite, a beautiful woman, has disappeared from her small town in Upstate New York. But is foul play involved? Or did she merely take an opportunity to get away for fun, or finally make the decision to leave behind her claustrophobic life of limited opportunities?

Her younger sister Gigi wonders if the flimsy silk Dior dress, so casually abandoned on the floor, is a clue to Marguerite’s having seemingly vanished. The police examine the footprints made by her Ferragamo boots leaving the house, ending abruptly, and puzzle over how that can help lead to her. Gigi, not so pretty as her sister, slowly reveals her hatred for the perfect, much-loved, Marguerite.

Bit by bit, like ripping the petals off a flower blossom, revelations about both sisters are uncovered. Subtly, but with the unbearable suspense at which Joyce Carol Oates excels, clues mount up to bring to light the fate of the missing beauty."

5. The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell (March 7, 2023)

Since I watch a couple of those baking shows/competitions, I think I would like this book.

About: "A killer is on the loose when someone turns up dead on the set of a hit TV baking competition in this darkly beguiling debut mystery that is perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Nita Prose, and Anthony Horowitz. Soon to be a limited series on Hulu.

Production for the tenth season of Bake Week is ready to begin at the gothic estate of host and celebrity chef Betsy Martin, and everything seems perfect. The tent is up, the top-tier ingredients are aligned, and the crew has their cameras at the ready.

The six contestants work to prove their culinary talents over the course of five days, while Betsy is less than thrilled to share the spotlight with a new cohost—the brash and unpredictable Archie Morris. But as the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.

A deliciously suspenseful thriller for murder mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon will keep you guessing until the very last page."

I will leave you with the link for the full list here: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2440-2023-s-most-anticipated-mysteries-thrillers

I will be sharing The Lost Apothecary and The House in the Pines this week!