Captivating Character of the Month: April

My captivating character of the month for April is Elizabeth Barton. She is a real life person who is the protagonist of The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown. 

Name of Captivating Character: Elizabeth 

The reason she is captivating: determined, manipulated, consistent, emotional, reliable, steady, 

Book and Author: The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N Brown 

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction

Mood: fearful

Content Considerations: graphic depiction of Elizabeth’s execution at Tyburn Tree

Elizabeth Barton lived in the 1500s during the reign of Henry VIII. She claimed to have seen visions of purgatory and hell. Priests and Bishops used her visions to try to reign in Henry VIII and keep him in the Catholic faith. She was presented to Henry twice. Each time Elizabeth boldly spoke her warnings to him concerning his desire to marry Anne Boleyn. She was aware of the risks to her life by making these statements. She did it anyway because she felt strongly about it. A priest wrote a book containing her visions but they were embellished without her knowledge in order to pursue his political desires. This book was widely distributed. Elizabeth was illiterate and was not able to read the book.  She was very young when she received the visions and was twenty eight years old when she was executed. Elizabeth never wavered in her belief that her visions were true.

So, who is your captivating character of the month?

Japanese Gothic

Japanese Gothic was just published on April 14, 2026. It is a horror story interwoven with Japanese mythology. This dual timeline novel is about two people who live centuries apart but discover that there is a door connecting their worlds.

The publisher's summary:

October, 2026: Lee Turner doesn’t remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge—his father’s new home in Japan, a house hidden by sword ferns and wild ginger. But something is terribly wrong with the house: no animals will come near it, the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a woman with a sword appears in the yard when night falls.

October, 1877: Sen is a young samurai in exile, hiding from the imperial soldiers in a house behind the sword ferns. A monster came home from war wearing her father’s face, but Sen would do anything to please him, even turn her sword on her own mother. She knows the soldiers will soon slaughter her whole family when she sees a terrible omen: a young foreign man who appears outside her window.

One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie.  Something is hiding beneath the house of sword ferns, and Lee and Sen will soon wish they never unburied it.

I found the beginning to be slow reading. It consisted solely of the inner dialogue of the main character Lee Turner. There was too much of it. It would have been nice to have more action to maintain interest in the book. The next few chapters gives us more of the same from the character Sen. 

There is something about the writing style that turned me off but I can't quite put my finger on what that is. I feel the book fell flat. I never became interested in the story. It was not gothic nor horror as it was advertised to be. It neither is a traditional historical fiction story which is what I expected. In general, I was underwhelmed by the book and DNF'd it. 

No rating.

Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror is a 2004 novel by Gregory Maguire that retells the Snow White fairy tale in Renaissance Italy. It features the historical Borgia family, with Lucrezia Borgia as the "evil queen". The story follows Bianca de Nevada, a young girl whose life is upended by the Borgias, and reimagines the classic tale with historical and political intrigue, darker themes, and a focus on the cultural and artistic backdrop of the era. William Morrow published the book in September 2004 and republished it on February 3, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

The year is 1502, and seven-year-old Bianca de Nevada lives perched high above the rolling hills and valleys of Tuscany and Umbria at Montefiore, the farm of her beloved father, Don Vincente. But one day a noble entourage makes its way up the winding slopes to the farm— and the world comes to Montefiore. In the presence of Cesare Borgia and his sister, the lovely and vain Lucrezia—decadent children of a wicked pope—no one can claim innocence for very long. When Borgia sends Don Vincente on a years-long quest, he leaves Bianca under the care—so to speak—of Lucrezia. She plots a dire fate for the young girl in the woods below the farm, but in the dark forest salvation can be found as well. . . .

A lyrical work of stunning creative vision, Mirror Mirror gives fresh life to the classic story of Snow White—and has a truth and beauty all its own.

The writing style of this book is bizarre. I was expecting a traditional Borgia historical fiction novel but what I got was something else. I cannot even describe it because I don’t know what I just read. There was some hope that the plot would pick up speed but it didn't. It was boring. Most of the online reviews are positive but I did not understand why. Am I missing something? Suffice to say I didn't enjoy the book. No rating.

The Local Man #1

I have been wanting to read The Local Man for awhile and finally found time to read it. This volume collects releases one through five of the acclaimed hit series by Tony Fleecs and Tim Seeley. Volume 1 has 169 pages of brightly colored comic strip panels. There are several additional volumes that continue to tell this story. The series features many superhero characters. It was published in September 2023.

Jack Xaver is the main character. He was once the star recruit of the media sensation super-team Third Gen and was known as Crossjack. He had it all. However, he lost everything after getting fired. That him crawling back to his parent's basement in the Midwest. Jack struggles to fit into the world he left behind twenty years ago. Everyone in his small town of Farmington, Wisconsin are angry at him and do not want him there. After an adversary dies following a fight with Jack, he is arrested for murder. Jack has  an alibi though, a police officer's wife. 

Each of the five releases contained a main story and a flashback story. This pretty much confused me until I reread the book a second time. Interestingly, the setting is called the Image Universe. There is also a religious element too. I cannot imagine what any of it had to do with the plot and assume it will be explained in future releases. Also note that this comic is for adult readers only. There is alot of foul language, violence and sexy scenes. 

I still don't know where this series is going. Several superheroes were introduced but I didn't catch what their purpose was. Some of them worked with Jack at Third Gen though. Jack's scenes with his parents were the part of the book that I enjoyed the most, probably because they made sense to me. His parents are insisting that he reveal why he lost his job and that he get another job ASAP. They are practicing Christians and Jack obviously is not so there is tension between them.

This volume of the series set up the storyline that will follow. The characters have been introduced and the plot has space to grow. All in all, it was a good read. 3 out of 5 stars.

Icons of Design (Black Lives #2)

I received a free uncorrected proof of Icons of Design from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  This 128 page graphic novel was written for kids aged 8 through 12 and it will be published on January 5, 2027. Black Lives is a new graphic novel series from award-winning author Tonya Bolden and illustrator David Wilkerson that celebrates the lives of Black innovators and legends and helps bring lesser-known histories to life. 

The publisher's summary:

Learn about the remarkable work of costume designers, toy makers, and architects in award-winning author Tonya Bolden and illustrator David Wilkerson’s exciting new graphic novel series about some of the most fascinating Black lives in history

Ann Lowe (fashion designer). Ed Welburn (automotive designer). Ruth E. Carter (costume designer). These aren’t names that many people learn about in school, but they’re some of the greatest designers that people should know about—and they join the ranks of toy designers, architects, and graphic designers celebrated in Icons of Design.

Each faced challenges as they rose to the top of their professions, but they didn’t back down. They kept creating and experimenting and learning, and they made significant contributions in each of their fields!

The lives of nine African American designers are featured in this informative graphic novel. It covers designers in the late 1800s to the present. The types of design included landscape, fashion, costume, car, toy and graphic design. These nine designers are Gus Williston, Ann Lowe, jewelry designer Art Smith, industrial designer Chuck Harrison, architect Roberta Washington, car designer Ed Welburn, costume designer Ruth Carter, toy designer David Vonner, and graphic designer Gail Anderson.

I particularly enjoyed the life story of landscape architect David Augustus Williston. He was born shortly after the end of the Civil War. Gus, as he was called, loved gardening as a child and eventually was admitted to a teacher training program at Normal School, later known as Howard University in Washington DC. Gus wanted more education and landed a spot at Cornell University, after being forced to take eight entrance exams. He wrote a thesis titled Atmospheric Drainage and graduated in 1897 with a bachelor of science degree in aagriculture. Gus did not stop learning more and more about landscaping. He had steady work throughout his life and opened his own design firm, earning plenty of prestigious clients. 

Another designer I loved was fashion designer Ann Lowe. She experienced many setbacks in her career due to her race but was so good at designing ball gowns that she was hired to design Jackie Bouvier's wedding dress when she married JFK. 

My incorrected proof of this graphic novel did not have any coloring for the drawings. I think it will end up with bold colors though because the book cover is a bright blue. It’s quite striking.  Icons of Design is an inspirational book. I loved reading all of the biographies inside its pages and certainly learned alot. 

5 out of 5 stars.

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton

 

Jennifer Brown's The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton was just published a few days ago on April 14, 2026. It is a historical fiction account of the life of Elizabeth Barton who lived in the 1500s during the reign of Henry VIII. She claimed to have seen visions of purgatory and hell. The book is a dual timeline murder mystery set in an English country manor, when an ambitious professor discovers the long-lost manuscript of Barton.

The publisher's summary:  

Historian Alison Sage has made a groundbreaking archival discovery—she found a manuscript containing the prophecies of a 16th century nun, Elizabeth Barton. Barton’s prophecy condemning Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn led to her execution and the destruction of all copies of her prophecies—or so the world believed.

With Alison’s discovery, she is catapulted to academic superstardom and scores an invitation to the exclusive Codex Consortium, a week of research among a select handful of fellow historians at a crumbling manor in England, located next to the ruins of the priory where Elizabeth herself once lived.

What begins as a promising conference turns into a nightmare as the eerie house becomes the site of a murder. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect, and it seems that answers lie at the root of a local legend about centuries-old hidden treasure. Alison’s research makes her best-suited to solve the mystery—but when old feelings resurface for a former colleague, and the stakes of the search skyrocket, everyone's motives become murky.

Alison’s cutthroat world of academia is almost as dangerous as Elizabeth Barton’s sixteenth-century England, where heretics are beheaded, visions can kill, and knowing who to trust is a deadly art. The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is a thrilling novel, crackling with the voices of the past and propelled by a mystery that will leave readers in suspense until the very last page.

I became hooked in the story from its first chapters. Initially I was more interested in Barton’s perspective but that changed as the story progressed. While the beginning chapters were longer in Barton’s timeline, this changed as Alison’s research became more prominent.

All of the characters in Barton’s timeline were actual historical figures. Barton’s mentor Father Bocking was hanged along with Barton at Tyburn. Oliver Cromwell, Thomas Cranmer, Cardinal Wolsey, and Thomas More all played a fairly prominent role in this timeline. None of them believed the veracity of Barton’s visions but used her to further their political and religious ambitions. Bocking was the liaison between Barton and his superiors. He told Barton what to say when she was being questioned by them and he is the person who wrote down her visions and compiled them into a book. He was aware the visions were false but he embellished them in an effort to keep King Henry in the Catholic Church. He is one of the villains of the story. Another real life character is Bishop John Fisher who is an ancestor of mine. To complete the characters are Prioress Philippa who housed Elizabeth at St. Sepulchre Priory as well as Lady Vale, owner of the manor house in which the present day story took place.

The present day story featured Dr. Alison Sage, a made up character as were all of the characters in this timeline. All seemed to be possible villains except Sage. Their character descriptions were mysterious which I assume is what the author desired. She did well by these interesting characters. While the book has been described as a murder mystery, the murder didn't occur until 70% into the story. None of the earlier storyline affected my enjoyment of the book. The plot was excellent up to this point. In fact, I forgot the book was a murder mystery. Honestly, I  thought the murder victim was going to be Barton. As the police, along with the other characters, investigated the crime more and more information, fictional, about what the Prioress Philippa and Lady Vale did after Barton’s death was clever. 

I learned a few new to me medieval terms. The hellmouth, the transi tomb and the leper's squint were fully described. A hellmouth is a an artistic rendition of the entrance to hell. It was used to scare people from straying from the fairh. The transi tomb depicts the dead person buried there as a decayed body, instead of the usual lifelike representation of the deceased. The leper's squint is basically a tiny hole in a wall used by leper's to hear the mass. The priest hole was better described than in other books I've read and the word "pursuivants" was new to me. It refers to people who were looking for Catholic sympathizers. 

After finishing the book I looked Barton up on Wikipedia. She was a real life person. I noticed that a painting of her done during her lifetime is part of the book cover. It was interesting to note that every detail of her life shown on Wikipedia was also shown in the book. I am amazed that author Jennifer Brown was able to craft a story with all of this information included within its pages. 

What interested me to get the book? It was the book cover. It was intriguing with its color pallette, an oil painting and the crossed out name of Elizabeth Barton. The cover design convinced me to read the book's summary which also intrigued me. 

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is a fascinating portrait of Barton. It may be in my top ten books of 2026! 5 out of 5 stars.

The Girl in the Attic

The Girl in the Attic is my selection for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge for this month. It was published about a week ago on April 8, 2026. The book is a suspense thriller on steroids.

The publisher's summary:

 

Olivia thought she knew darkness. Her childhood. The years in care homes. The fear of abandonment. The fear of loss and failure. Now, as the door clangs shuts behind her – with her captor’s promise ringing in her ears that she’s ‘his’ forever – she realises that nowhere before has been as dark as her attic cell. But, under the eaves, as she shivers in the cold and recalls how she was taken, Olivia starts to make a plan. Because only she knows that the girl in the attic isn’t as innocent as her captor thinks… and that the deepest darkness might just be within her.

Initially I thought the story began slowly. I was really just getting accustomed to the author's writing style. He used Olivia's inner thoughts frequently and after 20 or 30 pages I wondered whether the book had any action. This beginning was necessary though.

Olivia is the main character. She spent most of her childhood in the foster care system. Before beginning high school an accepting, patient couple took Olivia into their home. Edward and Eva's welcoming embrace helped Olivia to become less guarded. When Eva discovers her drawing talent the couple buys her painting supplies. Olivia spends all her free time on her art and she quickly developed her artistic style. She was so good that her foster parents connected her with Ben, a friend of their's who owned a gallery. Olivia signed a contract with him and soon had her own solo exhibition. She felt positive for the first time in her life. Unfortunately, a man who discovered her there was bad news. Eventually Charles Fairfield was holding her captive in one of his homes. The grim reality that she faced took a few chapters to unfold.

Suspense notched up as the plot unfolded. Charles' plans for Olivia were shocking beyond belief. I don't believe that I have ever read a book with this type of frightening story. Charles was obviously the villain. He took his craziness very seriously and expected that Olivia could be trained to be a killer just like him. For most of the story Olivia was chained against a wall with both her hands and feet handcuffed. I could feel the physical pain she endured. It was described in detail. While the horror Olivia found herself in continued throughout the chapters, her predicament never seemed to improve .  . . until the last chapter.

The Girl in the Attic is a dark story but one with so much suspense that I could not stop reading. The darkness did affect me though and I will probably sleep with the lights on tonight. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Death in the Church

Death in the Church was published on March 31, 2026. It is a historical fiction story set in the time of Constantine the Great.

The publisher's summary: 

A controversial priest dies suddenly on the steps of the great cathedral, moments before his long‑awaited readmission after years of excommunication. Church leaders hail his death as a divine sign.

But Captain Aurelius — the trusted imperial aide assigned by Constantine himself to investigate — is not convinced. Was this truly an act of God, or the work of someone far more earthly? As he retraces the priest's final moments and unravels the decades of disputes that made the man a target, Aurelius uncovers secrets capable of igniting civil war in both the Empire and the Church.

Named for the philosopher‑emperor of earlier days, Aurelius soon realizes that the future of his world may hinge on what he discovers. And as the lines between faith and ambition blur, he must confront a question more dangerous than any enemy. Is his world being led by saints… or by demons

The mystery itself was about the death of Arius. It took a long time in the story for Arius to be killed. Common folks believed that God smote him before he could enter the local Cathedral and that his intestines burst open and spilled on the ground. Arius had a following among the poor. His belief that Jesus was a regular human being who later became god. Most of the priests in the church believed otherwise, that Jesus was always God and only became man to redeem the world. Emporer Constantine tasked his aide Aurelius to determine what was happening in his empire. 

Constantine eventually had to convene a gathering of priests in Nicea to determine whether Jesus was both human and divine. The document that came out of the gathering is the Nicene Creed. So, Arius was definitely controversial. Soon thereafter a fellow named Arsenius went missing. Bishop Arsenius was from Mellitia. His supporters feared that he was kidnapped by the Alexandrians. 

Another church battle took place in Alexandria where a schismatic priest named Melitius stirred half of Upper Egypt into rebellion against their bishops. He was also ordaining priests without the Church’s permission. This event took up alot of space in the story.

I didn't see much of an investigation into the death of Arius. Eventually we read that he never died and that the poor were telling tales concerning his death. The dialogue between the characters was florid. I had some difficulty keeping track of who said what because the character names, while normal for the 300s, were hard to read. I got bogged down with the verbage.

The setting was supreme. The character names are supported by historians and the religious debates of the age are described in detail. My problem is that there wasn't much else in the book other than the setting and era. I expected a historical mystery but obviously my expectations were wrong. 

I am rating the book 2.8 stars out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #48

This weekly meme is hosted by the Wishful Endings blog. The meme spotlights the books that we are excited about but have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released. 

Hidden Poison is the second book in the Amish Book Club Mystery series by Tracy Fredrychowski. I read the first book a few days ago and loved it.

The publisher summarized the plot: A poisoned pot of cream. A bishop with too much power. And one woman’s race to save her friend before the town turns against her.

Rosie Weaver finds joy in her garden, hosting book club, and sharing slow, simple mornings at the Buttered Biscuit. But her peaceful routine shatters when the bishop collapses and dies during breakfast, and the two ministers seated beside him fall ill themselves.

The town is stunned. But while some mourn the loss, others quietly admit the bishop had made enemies with his heavy-handed ways. When whispers begin to blame Lucy Fisher, the former Amish woman who owns the cafe, Rosie, Lovina Frey, and Irma Gingerich refuse to stay silent.

With the sheriff closing the diner and rumors spreading like wildfire, Rosie enlists her book club friends to help clear Lucy’s name. But the deeper they dig into the bishop’s secrets, the more dangerous the truth becomes.

Can they uncover the real poisoner before Lucy loses everything… including her place in Sweet Briar?

If you love Amish small-town cozy mystery suspense, tight-knit friendships, and heartwarming sleuths, this book will keep you turning pages long into the night.

What book(s) are waiting to read?

I Am Cleopatra

I was intrigued by the title of this book when I first saw it. However, it was the stunning cover that convinced me to get it and I was not disappointed. The story of Cleopatra is always shrouded in mystery and the writing style of author Natasha Solomons continues in this vein. I Am Cleopatra is a fantastic historical fiction account of this most intriguing woman.

The publisher's summary: 

The favored daughter of the Pharaoh, Egyptian Princess Cleopatra spent her childhood hiding amid the scrolls in the great library of Alexandria, dreaming of one day writing her own story.

When her father dies, naming both Cleopatra and her selfish brother Ptolemy as his successors to the throne, danger arises. While the young Queen sails the Nile to greet her people, her brother plots to eliminate her and rule the empire alone. But while Ptolemy has the power of the kingdom behind him, Cleopatra has her cunning wits. When the great Caesar arrives from Rome, she realizes he could be the key to her salvation—though courting this powerful man could cost her everything.

Can Cleopatra save her life, her throne, and her beloved Egypt and finally write her own history?

Told from the dueling perspectives of Cleopatra and Caesar’s mistress Servilia, I Am Cleopatra is a powerful, addictively readable reimagining of the alluring queen’s life. A modern retelling that goes beyond previous caricatures, I Am Cleopatra is a fascinating portrait of the flesh-and blood-woman behind the great legend. Natasha Solomons’ spellbinding story of female power and fragility, love and loss, fierce friendship and terrible betrayal introduces at last the real Cleopatra in all her glory and vulnerability.

Throughout the book Cleopatra maintained a mysterious persona. Even the narration, almost always from her perspective, was mysterious. After 100 pages or so I wished that she was more relaxed but it never happened. Perhaps it'a because there were many people hoping for her death. That would make anyone standoffish. Toward the midway point in the story we read chapters from the perspective of Servilia. Servilia was also one of Caesar’s mistresses but this relationship lasted for decades. No matter who Caesar had dalliances with, he always returned to Servilia. The mysterious trait of Cleopatra became old after awhile. I did adjust to her narration but it bothered me that she was distant in her relationships.

Cleopatra's slave Charmian was her best friend. Cleopatra and Charmian were paired together from a young age and they grew up together. Charmian was the only person that she accepted advice from. Charmian was 100% devoted to her. Cleopatra's first husband was her stepbrother. They despised each other. Their father, Auletes, arranged the marriage and was pleased to keep the dynasty in the family. After his death Cleopatra's father had already arranged another marriage for her. This time the groom was her three year old brother Ptolemy. Cleopatra and Ptolemy were going to reign as co-pharoahs.  Ptolemy was a child and uninterested in the affairs of state. However, Cleopatra was born to rule. She was a fantastic political strategist who advised her father from an early age. 

The Egyptian setting was glorious. I loved the food descriptions and could feel the usually fresh air on the Nile. If Cleopatra sailed too close to the shore the smell of excrement was overpowering. Cruising the Nile to Memphis and Thebes made Cleopatra relaxed. There were always citizens waving to her. The images from the royal palace were also alluring with its marble floors and unique flora and fauna. The section of the story that took place in Rome described an inferior setting. It was hot but without the cool breezes from the Nile. During winter Cleopatra froze. She hated Rome.

The story covered Cleopatra's life from age thirteen until she left Rome pregnant with her second child from Caesar. History tells us much more about Cleopatra's life but this is where the story ended in I Am Cleopatra. Much of the book concerns threats from her stepbrother Ptolemy as well as her intimate relationship with Caesar. Ptolemy was constantly outmaneuvered but never gave up on his attempts to kill her. He wanted to be the sole Pharoah of Egypt but he also had a misogynistic attitude towards women in general. 

I enjoyed the story but reading the narrative was awkward in some places. I must say, though, that the author showed us the real Cleopatra which basically was her job. She did that well. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Ivory City

I discovered this lovely book from my kindle ad feed. It is a historical mystery and the author is new (to me). Emily Bain Murphy has written several books including YA fantasy and adult historical fiction. The Ivory City was published in November 2025.

The publisher's summary:

The St. Louis World’s Fair, 1904:  A miniature city of palaces and pavilions that becomes a backdrop for romance, betrayal—and murder.

Cousins Grace and Lillie have been best friends since birth, despite Grace’s vastly inferior social status ever since her mother married for love instead of wealth. When Lillie invites Grace to the biggest event of the century—the legendary World’s Fair, also known as “The Ivory City”—Grace hopes her fortunes might be about to change.  

But when a member of their party is brutally killed at the fair, and suspicion falls on Lillie’s brother Oliver, Grace must prove Oliver’s innocence before her beloved cousins’ family is ruined forever.

Along the way, she'll discover that the city’s wealthy elite—including Oliver’s handsome but irritable friend Theodore—aren’t quite who they appear to be. And amidst the glitz, glamor, and magic of the Ivory City lurks a danger that just may claim her life. 

While this novel is a well plotted mystery, it is the characters that bring it to life. Grace Covington, 18, is the main character. She is socially inferior to every other character because her mother married down. Grace is the most moral person in the story though. She has high standards to live by and she actually follows them. Her beloved cousins Lillie and Oliver love being rich, especially Lillie. Lillie, also 18, tends to follow all of high society's rules with the exception of including Grace in all of her activities. She receives alot of throwback from her friends and her mother but loves Grace too much to exclude her. That said, Lillie behaves like the spoiled brat that she is. She lies in order to get her way and frequently sneaks out of the house. Oliver is a happy go lucky twenty year old. He loves going to all of the balls and other high society functions. All of the ladies are trying to catch him because of his family’s extraordinary wealth. 

Aunt Clove is a villain but not the true villain of the book. She hates Grace and wants her out of her kids' lives. She believes Grace is reducing their marriage prospects. The name Clove is interesting. Cloves are a sweet but pungent spice that requires additional spices to make it palatable. Pungent is a good adjective to describe Aunt Clove. Lillie’s friends complete the characters. All of them are rich snobs who lie and cheat in order to advance themselves socially. Lillie unfortunately does not see this. 

The setting is extraordinary. The reader can feel the awe that the fair's exhibits draw from the characters. They see the Chinese emporer living within a replica of one of his palaces. The Japanese exhibit had extravagant detail, and Thomas Edison was present at the Electrical City. He gave lectures on the promise of electricity. The Philippine Villlage was the largest one. It was used so the United States to show off the colonization of this recently acquired territory. Many more exhibits were described in detail. I can imagine how awe inspiring all of the exhibits were to those living in the 1800s. I felt the same wonder as the characters. One part of St. Louis was called the Tunnels. This is where you can find drugs and prostitutes. Addicts and prostitutes not only do business there but also live there. The Tunnels were described as being dangerous enough that you could get killed there. Author Emily Bain Murphy's description of the Tunnels scared me as well as the characters. She did a fantastic job of showing the reader the setting.

The death occurred about 100 pages into this 340 page story. Oliver’s secret girlfriend Harriet died right after he gave her a cocktail to drink. Harriet was despised by the rich because she was an actress. The police arrested Oliver and charged him with Harriet's murder as there was strichnine in the cocktail. Lillie and Grace vow to clear him but it is really Grace who works to identify the actual killer. Lillie is too consumed by society's rebuke of her family following Oliver’s arrest. Grace and her new found friend Theodore Parker made a list of possible killers. As they considered each one, the two of them spoke with several of them to determine whether they should be crossed off the list. There were plenty of red herrings while these two worked their list. The real whodunnit was a surprise though.

The Ivory City was recommended to me by several people. I knew it would be good but I was not prepared for how good it actually is. I absolutely LOVED this historical mystery. 5 out of 5 stars.

Buried Secrets

I was in alot of pain a few days ago and I thought an Amish fiction novel would be beneficial. This genre is my go-to place for comfort. It always works. Buried Secrets is the first novel in the author's Amish Book Club Mystery series. She states that it is a cozy Amish mystery, not Amish fiction. I guess that it qualifies as a cozy mystery. Tracy Fredrychowski is a new to me author and I loved her take for the series. The book was just published on April 1, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

A grave opened in the night. An empty coffin. And a group of elderly Amish sleuths must confront the secrets Sweet Briar tried to bury. Rosie Weaver treasures her simple, steady life — tending her garden, sharing tea with her monthly book club, and keeping danger safely tucked inside her books. Still, widowhood has left her the time to be watchful, even when she pretends otherwise.

When a young man’s coffin is discovered empty in the cemetery, Sweet Briar’s calm fractures overnight. The discovery unsettles Rosie and her group with a mystery they cannot ignore, prompting them to wonder what else lies buried beneath their small town.

As whispers about Josiah Miller’s rough past and bad crowd grow louder, Rosie, Irma Gingerich, and Lovina Frey realize they can no longer stand aside. Teaming up and cautiously sparring with English Sheriff Johnathan Carr, the three friends begin to untangle a story far more complicated than anyone expected. What kind of man is worth stealing from the grave, and who’s trying to protect his sins?

I must say right away that the book is written as a cozy mystery. The fact that most of the characters are Amish is coincidental. The cozy formula was used to write the story. 

The story opened with Clara Miller tidying up her fabric shop and complaining to herself about her son Josiah. Josiah was hanging out with Englishers, staying out late and, shock of all shocks, purchased fabrics for the shop that had modern designs. As an Amish woman Clara was fuming about the waste of money on these awful fabrics. She was also upset that she couldn't control Josiah. She thought he might leave the Amish community. By the end of the day Josiah had a buggy accident and died. 

Owen Kurtz is a gruff Amish man who saw the accident. He is a carpenter who just happened to have a pine coffin on his trailer. Owen kept passersby from seeing the body. He immediately put Josiah's body in the coffin, covered him with a horse blanket and drove the coffin to Bishop Zook's home. No one other than Owen saw the body. He maneuvered to keep folks away from the body and Josiah was buried the next day. Suspicious huh? As the summary above states, someone dug up the coffin and found that it contained bricks. No Josiah though. Later the body was found in Owen's barn.

Rosie Weaver hosts a weekly book club meeting with two other ladies in her cafe where a chapter is discussed each week. The plot of the book they were reading was eerily similar to an ongoing death investigation in their Sweet Briar community. After discussing their book they couldn't help but talk about the mystery surrounding the death of Josiah Miller. These three ladies, Rosie, Irma and Lovina, decided to do a little sleuthing of their own which irritated the Sheriff.

The Sheriff mentioned to Rosie that the death was a homicide. The way Owen described the body was very different from the way it actually appeared. There were witnesses to the buggy crash whose testimony differed from that of Owen.  The trio managed to identify the whodunnit and there was a big reveal at the end of the story.

Rosie Weaver is the main character. Her sleuthing abilities are extraordinary and she will make a fantastic amateur sleuth for future installments of the series. The mystery was perfectly plotted with a fast pace. I adored this story and am looking forward to reading more cozy Amish mysteries from the author. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Daughter of Egypt

Daughter of Egypt explores the lives of two powerful women separated by thousands of years. Hatshepsut lived in 1486 BCE in Thebes, Egypt. Evelyn Herbert lived in the 1920s in Hampshire, England. She grew up in Highclere Castle and went with her father Lord Carnarvon and his friend Howard Carter to Egypt every summer. They were excavating the royal tombs for treasure. The book was published on March 24, 2026

The publisher's summary:

In the 1920s, archeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle made headlines around the world with the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun. But behind it all stood Lady Evelyn Herbert―daughter of Lord Carnarvon―whose daring spirit and relentless curiosity made the momentous find possible.

Nearly 3,000 years earlier, another woman defied the expectations of her time: Hatshepsut, Egypt’s lost pharaoh. Her reign was bold, visionary―and nearly erased from history.

When Evelyn becomes obsessed with finding Hatshepsut’s secret tomb, she risks everything to uncover the truth about her reign and keep valued artifacts in Egypt, their rightful home. But as danger closes in and political tensions rise, she must make an impossible choice: protect her father’s legacy―or forge her own.

Propelled by high adventure and deadly intrigue, Daughter of Egypt is the story of two ambitious women who lived centuries apart. Both were forced to hide who they were during their lifetimes, yet ultimately changed history forever.

The story was told in an alternating format. Four or five chapters were devoted to Hatshepsut and then four or five to Lady Evelyn. I quickly became interested in Hatshepsut. She was a pharoah in her own right and this impressed me. Her political strategies helped elevate her to Queen, Regent and then Pharoah. I don't know if her machinations were true to life or imagined by the author. Lady Evelyn or Eve didn't excite me until her parents allowed her to travel with them to Thebes for archaeological digs. Her story then picked up. Her mother was trying to marry her off so Eve had to attend balls in both England and Cairo. She wasn't interested in marriage yet but never really met anyone who wanted a smart wife and she intended to continue her educational pursuits. Eve was fascinated with Hatshepsut. Howard Carter shared this fascination and they would select places to dig based on where they thought her tomb was located. Lord Carnarvon was none the wiser.

The politics of 1920s Egypt was a part of the story. There were Egyptian insurgents who were fighting for Egypt’s independence. In the story it took about ten years. Before the insurgents became successful, the laws allowed Carter and Carnarvon to keep whatever artifacts they dug up. They got rich by selling a few pieces but both men had huge private collections of Egyptian art. After the first elections on Egypt those laws were changed. The nation then owned everything found in the tombs. We know from history that this archeological team discovered King Tutankhamun's tomb. 

I enjoyed reading about both women's passion to be more than society allowed. Both achieved their wishes and the book had a feminist feel good vibe that I am always attracted to. I have read other accounts of Hatshepsut’s life and it never gets too old for me. She is such a captivating character from history. There is much more to the story though. Alot of pages are devoted to the archeological excavations and the banter between Carter and Lord Carnarvon.

I loved the book. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.