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A Dreadful Splendour
By B.R. Myers. Harper Collins. Back when I was a teenager, we didn’t have the lovely young adult books available today. Once you were beyond what I called chapter books that were common for young readers, there were only adult books to read. I quickly took to reading books my mom read, many of them gothic romances. Think Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, etc. I loved the combination of mystery, darkness and romance these combined. This genre seems to have fallen off my radar upon adulthood. While this book isn’t quite the same, it is a gothic murder mystery and there is a romance that evolves. And it definitely evokes some…
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A Lark’s Tale
By Lynn Messina. The Book Whisperer Verity Lark’s alter ego, Mr. Twaddle Thum the gossip columnist, is being impersonated around town and that’s a problem. Much of Verity’s time is spent in various disguises to find out what’s really going on among the ton. But it seems this imposter is in danger and it’s her duty to keep that person safe, even if they have stolen her name. And so Verity embarks on a mystery-solving adventure in the same universe as the Beatrice Hyde Clare mysteries. In fact, Beatrice Hyde-Clare is one of Mr. Twaddle Thum’s favourite targets, not to mention Verity’s connection with the duke that Beatrice is married…
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The Venice Train
by Georges Simenon. Penguin Classics. Due to work commitments, Justin Calmar leaves his family’s holiday in Vence to return to Paris. On the train journey, a stranger asks a favour of him, to deliver a briefcase during his layover in Lausanne. From this point, his life turns into a series of lies, deceit and guilt, each creating further pressure in his life. This was an amazing psychological thriller that centred upon the mind of our protagonist. It starts with some uncomfortable observations about his daughter growing into a woman while waiting to depart from Venice. Then there are his observations about this stranger who is the sole companion in the…
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Death at the Manor
By Katharine Schellman. Crooked Lane Books Lily Adler is back with a third mystery in the series and it’s another great story. Lily is visiting her aunt along with her friends, Ned and Ophelia. Captain Jack, who appeared in the first two books, is absent for this book but he does show up as a correspondent a couple of times. Instead, we have Matthew Spencer, who appeared in the previous story, to provide some assistance and male companionship for Lily. Matthew takes the visitors to see Belleford manor along with its famous ghost. Unfortunately, they don’t get to see much due to the sudden and suspicious death of the owner,…
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Gallant
Olivia Prior has lived almost all her life at the Merlance School for Girls. She apparently was left there by her mother when she was quite young and all she has from her mother is an old journal. Olivia’s life has been a lonely one, much of it due to the fact she has no voice. One day a letter arrives from her uncle, inviting her to live with him at Gallant and soon Olivia is taking a long car ride to what is actually an estate. Once there it’s clear something is amiss. Her uncle died a year or more ago and it’s only a cousin and two servants…
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A Narrow Door
A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris. OrangeSky Audio It’s the beginning of a new school year at St. Oswald’s Academy and the way of things has changed considerably. Roy Straitley, the long-standing master of Latin is still there but the latest change might be a step too far. The school now admits girls and the new headmaster is a woman, Rebecca Buckfast. Straitley’s Brody boys come to see him the day before classes begin and report having found a body on the site of the new swimming facility that is under construction. After a number of scandals in recent years, Straitly is reluctant to report this incident but goes to…
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Betrayal on the Bowery
Betrayal on the Bowery by Kate Belli. Crooked Lane Books In the second installment of Gilded Gotham Mysteries, Genevieve and Daniel team up to solve another murder. Daniel’s friend Rupert has just gotten married and is set to go on his honeymoon when a dead man is found in their cabin on an ocean liner. Rupert is soon accused of murder as the dead man was acquainted with his new wife. The sleuthing pair get into all sorts of difficulty as they seek out the culprit. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was happy to have the opportunity to read this one too. Genevieve and Daniel…
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Farewell to the Liar
Farewell to the Liar by D.K. Fields. Head of Zeus Cora Gorderheim, recently stripped of her job as a detective, is currently on a single mission: to protect her sister Ruth, the Wayward storyteller, until the story is told for the election. As a former detective in Fenest, she is quite skilled at getting places. But she runs against a number of challenges in the run-up to the story, and there are those who don’t want the Wayward story told and are willing to kill to prevent it. I will start by advising I was unaware of this book being the third in a trilogy when I requested it and…
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Ancient History
Ancient History by Sophie Penhaligon BooksGoSocial Athena Duncan is the archaeologist daughter of an archeologist. It’s all she’s ever wanted to be and her life revolves almost exclusively around it. Life is good until her parents are killed in a car accident while they are holidaying in Crete. Her world collapses around her and she leans on close family friends for support. It’s as she starts to re-engage with the world that she is suddenly pursued by Patrice while in Paris. He’s a much older man who apparently wants to show her she might be wrong about a few things in life. Then there’s Jack, who also seems to have…
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The Witness for the Dead
Thara Celehar is a witness for the dead, a sort of cleric who provides services for those who have died and for their families. A witness for the dead also has the ability to communicate with the deceased and is often asked to investigate, particularly if the death is suspicious. It’s not a particularly well-regarded or well-paid position but he is dedicated to doing his work as long as he is capable of continuing. This story is a meandering story where we follow Celehar as he goes about his work. He never rushes and he takes meticulous care to do his job properly, whether he is investigating a death or…