A Talent for Murder by Andrew Wilson

Final Rating: 4.2/5

 An intriguing homage that stirs the imagination of the amateur sleuth in all of us

  Suspicions, deadlines and a real life mystery that still baffles meld perfectly in this entertaining hunt into the past that follows the voice of Agatha Christie as she confesses all that transpired and her puzzling silence to the world concerning eleven days back in December 1926. A most sensitive case that Christie herself would not even mention in her own autobiography but somebody knows the truth and special arrangements have been kept and decades have passed since the death of the clever writer. The time has come for a tale rife with psychological twisted pressures and a guide who has a mind and talent for murder and concealing secrets.

  The beginning of the narrative is innocent as can be but as the events are pushed in the direction of dangerous doubt, the reader is inevitably invited to sit back and observe the rest of the public and many professions speculate and search for clues to the famed author’s whereabouts. This is deftly accomplished by looking in periodically with Superintendent William Kenward, the deputy chief constable who is determined to see to the end and answer: does this case concern inescapable madness, murder or simple explanations? The mystery alone stirs the amateur sleuth in all of us as we know the truth but still hold our breath along with two more views that add to what it would have been like to open the newspaper everyday to find out about a newly discovered scuff on a dirt road or vague conversation with a trembling woman who may or not be Agatha Christie. In this element, the actual known details are cunningly scattered throughout and those little tidbits of specifics are sure to fascinate and compound racing emotions until the final page.

  For this reader, as entertaining with actual facts and creative with the still unknown to happenings in 1926, I would have liked more era slang tossed in or additional touches of the always popular locale spread into the back ground. To be honest, if I had not already been familiar with the 1926 disappearance of Agatha Christie by watching a mini summary of the case and base facts many years ago, I would have unfortunately thought this novel set in mid-century America. The side story of the female hobby reporter also added to my list of negatives sadly, I saw the importance of the character but those chapters didn’t seem as polished as Christie’s narrative and took away from the built-up suspense by repeating specifics the reader just finished reviewing in other parts. Irksome negatives aside, I still think A Talent for Murder is one novel that definitely deserves attention and praise. It not only leaves the reader with a temptation to challenge their own little grey cells in solving an unsolved mystery (or two) but it also gently nudges those to take a second glance at the library shelves or sale tables and reacquaint themselves with the Queen of Crime.

*I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for opportunity to read and enjoy A Talent for Murder

Title expected to be released: July 11, 2017

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore

Final Rating: 2.8/5

A remarkable topic that needs no garish dramatic trimmings…

   Some approaches to history and storytelling work more favorably than others, it just depends on the reader and audience. Unfortunately The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women tested my optimistic blasé attitude toward different writing styling and I couldn’t help thinking that in place of “If it gets someone reading…” that maybe History sometimes provides its own commentary and little needs added after. Perhaps the facts surrounding the radium dial painters is one of those perfect examples of a topic that needs no garish dramatic trimmings-those brave women’s preserved words, court documents and scientific specifics all tell their own remarkable story. I understand the connection with the stage this author has but the incessant dramatic flamboyance with heavy chapters just didn’t seem appropriate in several passages (ex. the various exhumations and awkwardly timed tangents). There were also the thickly spread expressive conjectures in these pages that had me shaking my head, I can only take so much “perhaps, as though, they were thinking, she must have been thinking, he thought only etc” before those parts have me wishing I picked another title.

   It saddens me to admit my disappointment with The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women and I do applaud the obvious research in other parts that didn’t seem just tacked on (you could clearly tell the author is fond of her subject) but the heavy chintzy figurative writing almost had me dreading turning another page and in truth I put this title down quite a few times. It was my absolute fascination with the serious subject that kept me coming back between looking up still frames, documentaries (a film entitled "Radium City", I highly recommend to anyone that wants to learn more), newspaper clippings and partial photos of the statue dedicated to the memory of those amazing women. Maybe in the end, this non-fiction work took certain flourishes a bit too far even though it was a relatively easy read in the beginning I still do not fully regret reading for the history and attention to such a serious topic. I just think I will find something more “appropriate” with something else on the available shelves. 
 

*I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women

*Also published under the title: The Radium Girls: They paid with their lives. Their final fight was for justice. 

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin

Final Rating: 4.5/5

 
“I’m certain of nothing but winter and battle”

  With The Winds of Winter strongly believed to land on many readers’ long awaiting lists and shelves this year (forgive this summer child for her optimism if for any reason this does not come to pass), I join those who have been testing leonine patience and preparing vivid cracking imagination for the next bout of ultimate betrayals, brutal struggles for survival and one uncomfortable throne made of a thousand swords. A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, book 2) is my second scheduled revisit to the enthralling world of Westeros and Essos and it simply astonishes me no matter how many times I reread favorite passages I notice some singularly hidden nugget of a wicked quip, new comparisons to our own history with striking twists and another appreciation for the fully shaded characters that populate the seven kingdoms and my outside conversations (sometimes to the exasperation of my tired nighttime coworkers). This is one novel that certainly keeps me awake after having a taste on a lunch break promising to linger in my whirling mind as time creeps on those long shifts. I get such joy sharing this series of stories with anyone sitting near and catch their eyes roving over the enchanting covers or the thickness of the book. I do tend to admit some novels in A Song of Ice and Fire (A Clash of Kings among that listing) are better than others and encourage all to begin with A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, book 1) for the foundation of the rampant adventure and unforgettable maneuvers of personalities (for good or evil) that will follow but the choice to begin turning the pages where they will is ultimately up to them. Although some chapters (or points of view spread across the included maps) create more exciting visions depending on the reader’s ever discerning mood, it is all worth the effort to finish and share with those who have not heard the call or simply need another reason to escape our own world for seven others. 

-purchased and read on kindle


Also in this series:

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin

* A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3) by George R.R. Martin
  
A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4) by George R.R. Martin

A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire #5) by George R.R. Martin
 
The Winds of Winter (A Song of Ice and Fire #6) by George R.R. Martin

*2 more novels believed to follow  

 

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

Final Rating: 3.9/5

Inside the house on 92 Second Street...

  The dark heart of See What I Have Done is a brutal double murder that still horrifies and strangely fascinates the world. You could say the acts on August 4, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts are laid out as one of the ultimate locked room mysteries that may never be correctly solved. Many are convinced of the final answer and even a few brave souls retrace steps taking an electronic recorder to interrogate the shadows but nothing is certain but perhaps this: the case will never be forgotten because of film, literature and the prying natures of the public. It is also one of those iconic tales that can easily become a cautionary legend that writes itself. It takes a special touch though to fully immerse the reader into the pages and luckily we have Ms. Schmidt as our unflinching guide who has a distinct way with her pen that is sure to appeal to the morose unpleasant side we all try to hide. 

  I bet you thought this was going to be one of those uncomplicated stories that are presented one way and then romance and whimsy makes an appearance. Sorry to disappoint and however lovely that would be but this isn’t that kind of novel. This is laudanum induced dream that feeds off of the reader’s morbid curiosities and taps at our most paranoid fears of what can go wrong behind locked doors. We think we are safe at home but we also can’t deny we have those times we feel shivers of doubt when we hesitate in a doorway and rethink what is lurking behind a smile or a sweaty handshake. Is the heavy greasy rancid meal you forced yourself to eat last night the real reason you are so ill this morning?  In this feverish admission of events four views offer the base facts of the case but also challenge our most basic instincts as we follow the daily routines and repeated thoughts of key personalities that all have something to contribute to the reader’s suspicions. To heighten the senses (and twist even more with your final judgments) Ms. Schmidt has prepared for her guests to this collaboration of history and imagination all the tastes, sounds, blurred visions, raised neck hairs and of course scents of the sweltering summer day. I think it would be cruel not to warn any gentle reader at this point, you may not want to look under the table or in the pot.

  As much as I found See What I Have Done a creepy though bizarrely interesting read (especially the claustrophobic tension of the Borden household but also the deep jealous thoughts and complex bonds that can occur between sisters), I still thought this novel a bit paced in the beginning and very frantic at the end where voices of characters just faded out or future events were simply related from newspaper recounts. One or two times I caught an odd afterthought on the modern leaching into the story (a few details for the era seemed just “off”). There were also the final missed opportunities in this title that I really wanted to see re-imagined like the lesser important scenes. To be specific, I was hoping for Bridget’s narration to continue after August 4, 1892 (her chapters I couldn’t wait to find more of), the infamous trial to be remembered or told from anyone’s point of view that was there and finally a creative passage dedicated to one of the final gnawing mysteries of this case concerning a swift departure in 1905 or even one cryptic whisper from 1948 that just begs for a creative wave of the pen. Such a shame to see those scenes forgotten in the mad shuffle to get to the end, still I think See What I Have Done a book to recommend. It may take a certain persistent type of the curious who enjoys history, sensory reading and the unexplained sides of human nature but I know they are out there and they have one unique book waiting for them.   

*I would like to thank Atlantic Monthly Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy See What I Have Done  

Title expected to be released: August 1, 2017

Mad Richard by Lesley Krueger

Final Rating: 3.2/5

The many contrasts and shades of Richard Dadd, Charlotte Brontë and Charles Dickens

  I admit it took me several attempts in the beginning to keep reading this tale of the certain degrees of separation of 19th-century geniuses in art and literature. There were numerous different themes and unfortunate confusing streaky timelines of presented lives and trials that it lost me more than once. The writing was simply eccentrically beautiful overall though and the chapters of Charlotte Brontë definitely kept me turning the pages until the end. Those superbly researched passages along with the creative cameos of artistic and literary “lionesses and players” have me now desiring to revisit every classic mentioned of the era. Only one or two slightly distracting Americanism sprang out in other chapters (or descriptive panels depending of which character the pages were following) and the final sections seemed sadly rushed blotting out the delicate comparisons and associations of personalities that were explored in the opening of this book.

  Perhaps this is one of those too finely crafted novels that will fully amuse and enchant a certain audience. I really wanted to be a captivated member of that set but I think like any memorable work of art it’s the history and the stories surrounding the central subject we remember best as we walk away. That may be not an intended message but I will certainly be recalling the intriguing tidbits of the 19th century that were shared in Mad Richard and really hope Ms. Krueger may consider dedicating an entire novel to the background corner figures briefly featured in this work. Her distinct vintage elegance of the pen clearly displayed in Mad Richard would be something special to see again and wait for.

*I would like to thank ECW Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Mad Richard

Title Released: March 14, 2017

Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey by Nicola Tallis

Final Rating: 2.8/5

  Like many others I am drawn to illustrations of history that garner much sympathy and my need to have a better understanding of certain maligned figures has me pulled in different directions of research to learn all I can at that moment. This year alone I have gathered knowledge and pushed past the many romantic (even biased) curtains on Empresses, Czars and various Queens across Europe. Their personal stories and preserved words easily fascinate and when I stumble across a non-fiction work that educates with hard facts with as little supposition as possible but also brings an era and forgotten life alive through the pages, I know I have found something to proudly display on my shelves and a book to share; unfortunately Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey won’t be joining my favorites. I will say this title was very easy to read and there is a little less shadow now on the portrait of Lady Jane Grey and her turmoil filled world but something just didn’t sit well with me.

  I hate to go against so many glowing reviews and I do honestly wish I could speak more of the positives with this work but I’m sorry there were too many assumptions, repetition of “colorful” narrative sections that either seemed forced or were a little unnecessary, modern explanations (that seemed summed down to “teenage behavior”) and a few very uncomfortable tangents or gossipy portions (ex: questioning if Henry Grey was inadequate in bed). I was also disappointed with the total lack of any kind of family tree (even for someone who is familiar with recurring names it can get confusing how lesser figures were related to the key personalities) as well as no photographs (even though sections throughout would refer to particular paintings or later images of important places). Those last negatives may be explained by my ARC version of this title (another helpful reviewer has alerted me that the published purchase version has some lovely pictures and family trees available) but I still think this book just sadly reminded me of another disappointing popular royalty biography I read last year and like that one it may be more suited to those looking for an introduction to the complex brutal games of politics and religion that dominated 16th-century Europe. If it gets someone reading and interested in history, I’m all for it but at the same time I think I will try Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery by Eric Ives or The Sisters Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle both look very promising.

 *I would like to thank Pegasus Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Final Rating: 5/5

The One and Only…

  Agatha Christie has been called "The Queen of Crime" and the brilliantly executed And Then There Were None (also known as Ten Little Indians & etc.) rightly supports that shining crown. Simply this is a book perfect for anyone who loves a good crime thriller or has been searching for a puzzle of personalities and consciences that can’t be solved or will go cold and stiff within a couple chapters. Published in 1939 the original title has changed a few times and to the modern reader certain late events can be predictable (especially with the occasional jigs of foreshadowing in sections) but it has stood proudly in the shelves and continues to gather a following of different audiences each passing year. I don’t wish to give too much away of what can be found in these short powerful pages but this is the one and only mystery that can be seen as the clever blueprint to ALL contemporary mysteries, you are sure to come across pieces in this yarn that “just remind you of something” but in this humble reader’s opinion, no one these days on the silver screen or crowding the lists can create a diversion or throw a red herring like Dame Christie and And Then There Were None is the perfect place to start your own special collection of mystery and entertainment. 

- purchased and read on nook

 

A Death by Any Other Name (Lady Montfort Mystery #3)

Final Rating: 3.8/5

A third ample helping of delicate inquiries and designs of murder most foul

  These days the ugly ravages of black spot on her celebrated roses or missing The Glorious Twelfth are not the only concerns daunting Lady Montfort’s waking thoughts, she also has the unpleasant fear of impending war that can rip the comforts of family and home away forever. The year 1914 is sure to hold more than one challenge for her ladyship and country but in the meantime a much needed distraction presents itself in the form of a plea from a displaced cook who has quite the story to tell and says she has been wrongly accused of the worst kind of negligence of service. With interests piqued that the case has been considered closed for months but troubling questions still remain that no one seems willing to explore, Lady Montfort sets out with her ever observant housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson to a remodeled ancient castle that holds a society of rose enthusiasts and shadowy passageways of secrets from upstairs and downstairs that may not smell so sweet in the end.

  For this reader, A Death by Any Other Name (Lady Montfort #3) channeled all the right styles of favorites. It contains echoes of Dame Christie with all of the clever simplicity of plot, solution and a grand house full of interesting suspects that all have something to conceal. Sadly this novel was not exactly unpredictable overall, the dialogue could be seen a little stiff and there were one or two confusing mentions of time that didn’t match up but the attention to other details especially toward the central focus of hybrid tea rose cultivation along with prominent grafting of always popular upstairs and downstairs with historic events (and actual figures of history) were all very impressive. I would still say, Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman (Lady Montfort #1) continues to be my choice in this cozy mystery series but A Death by Any Other Name is a close second. Maybe like Lady Montfort I needed a distraction and this novel certainly provided that, it did have its unfortunate flaws but this is one series that is a pick above the ordinary variety mystery set.

*I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy A Death by Any Other Name (Lady Montfort Mystery #3)


Title Released: March 14, 2017

 

Marie Antoinette's Confidante: The Rise and Fall of the Princesse de Lamballe by Geri Walton

Final Rating: 4/5

A sensitive portrait of the price of loyalty in 18th-century Courts of opinions

  Between the glamorous trivia concerning donkey races, an elaborate infamous necklace, hedgehog wigs and absurdly sounding unraveling parties; there are serious illustrations to be found of the cost of loyalty in the Hall of Mirrors and condemning public opinions. Those vaguely familiar with the name (Marie-Louise Thérèse of Savoy-Carignan), the Princesse de Lamballe are first introduced to fairy tale beginnings that can flutter from one name (or repetitive scandal and daily minutia) to the next in this work but with a little persistence a direct fascinating timeline emerges of this tragic figure of history who is remembered for her grisly connection to terrifying events of the French Revolution and the queen whose side she refused to leave at the very end. If the reader is searching for a fine easily accessible accompaniment for their 18th-century French history shelves that can encourage lasting reflections and further reading Marie Antoinette's Confidante: The Rise and Fall of the Princesse de Lamballe is definitely worth a look.

*I would like to thank Pen & Sword History and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy Marie Antoinette's Confidante: The Rise and Fall of the Princesse de Lamballe

Search The Dark (Inspector Ian Rutledge #3) by Charles Todd

Final Rating: 3.1/5

"Why was it that the mind was so adept at finding its own punishment?”

  The Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery series has been available to the public for a few decades now and of course I am only getting around to stumbling across these sets of books. It only took a single copy but I am thankful I let my curiosity browse the back shelves one rainy day because I want to read and collect all 19 of them now. Here is a distinct collaboration I’m happy to recommend that has: irresistible settings and descriptions, poignant quotes, clever shadings with easily recognized literary classics (usually titles written or set many years behind, ahead or around the same era) and one magnetic personality that treks across pastoral landscapes to solve multilayered mysteries that all require a special skill set and a determined mind with something to prove. Each new case the main entity that is Inspector Ian Rutledge becomes more authentic and his ghostly condemning thoughts only adds to his character and unique touch with these yarns. It’s difficult to fully explain what is so arresting and yet sensitively presented in these pages but it’s safe to say, these are staying on my shelf even if I happen across a disappointing “just okay” edition. Unfortunately, Search the Dark (Inspector Ian Rutledge #3) falls into that hopefully shallow mire.

  Everyone is bound to have their favorite in a popular series and right now mine is Wings of Fire (Inspector Ian Rutledge #2). Search the Dark (Inspector Ian Rutledge #3) follows with many of the aforementioned encouraging points of interest for me along with the timeline right after Wings of Fire but the central mystery rambled a little too long into the pages and concluded with a frantic montage of half explained dramatics. Perhaps I was searching for more elements and secrets that held me in my favorite chair and demanded I not pull the lamp chain until I read one more chapter but I’m sorry to say; this third outing was easy to put down. I also had to stop at points when the less than authentic era dialogue pushed me out of the story and the very predictable answers had me saying: “that can’t be it, there must be more!” Maybe this venture of Inspector Rutledge was too simplistic or brilliant and I can’t see that right now but I won’t lie and say this was a quick read for me. Still like I said before Search the Dark will stay on my shelves as I collect more of this inviting series. It only took one book to get me racing in all directions to learn what was available to read involving Inspector Ian Rutledge and this might be the one for another inquisitive reader. Here’s to hoping for happy reading and holidays! 

-purchased and read on kindle

 
Also in this series:

A Test of Wills (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #1) by Charles Todd

 

 Wings of Fire (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #2) by Charles Todd

 *Search the Dark (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #3) by Charles Todd 

 Legacy of the Dead (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #4) by Charles Todd

 Watchers of Time (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #5) by Charles Todd

 A Fearsome Doubt (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #6) by Charles Todd

 A Cold Treachery (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #7) by Charles Todd

 A Long Shadow (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #8) by Charles Todd

A False Mirror (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #9) by Charles Todd

A Pale Horse (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #10) by Charles Todd

A Matter of Justice (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #11) by Charles Todd

The Red Door (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #12) by Charles Todd

The Kidnapping (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #12.5) by Charles Todd

A Lonely Death (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #13) by Charles Todd

The Confession (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #14) by Charles Todd

Proof of Guilt (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #15) by Charles Todd

Hunting Shadows (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #16) by Charles Todd

Cold Comfort (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #16.5) by Charles Todd

A Fine Summer’s Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #17) by Charles Todd

No Shred of Evidence (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #18) by Charles Todd

Racing the Devil (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #19) by Charles Todd