Stacking the Shelves #25

There are a few books that will be published next month that I absolutely must read.  Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs is one of them. The book will be out on August 8, 2023. I have a copy reserved at my local library but have to wait 6 weeks to get it because alot of folks have already reserved it. 

In this 26th installment of the series, amateur sleuth and Indigo Teashop owner Theodosia Browning is hosting a Honey Bee Tea in Charleston’s Petigru Park where there is a beekeeping project. Unfortunately, a phony beekeeper shows up and sprays toxic smoke at the guests. Then a gunshot is heard and a candidate for the state legislature falls to the ground dead.

I may not be able to wait six weeks to get my hands on the novel and could end up buying a copy for the Kindle. While there is a need to reduce spending, my willpower is weak. 

Book of the Month: July

I had a hard time selecting the book of the month for July. There were three contenders:  Alex Lake's Final Call, Heather Atkinson's Evil at Alardyce House and J. M. Cannon's Blood Oranges. I am going to have to go with Final Call though. This pulsating mystery takes place on an airplane and the mystery had to be solved before the plane ran out of gas and crashed. It was an intense read. 

When the plane, carrying corporate executives, begins heading in the wrong direction, the pilot informs the passengers that one of them must confess to murder or the aircraft will crash into the ocean. There is a dual narrative that jumps back to 2018 as the reader learns the reason why someone would hold a grudge after tragic circumstances.

As I said above, this was an intense read and I loved it.

Book Cover of the Month: July

Laura Klynstra designed the book cover for The Tiffany Girls. She is a freelance graphic designer who focuses her work on book covers and illustrated book interiors. In her previous job she worked as the art director at Hyperion Books and at HarperCollins Publishers in New York City. In her free time Laura loves to cook and creates new dishes with her best friend, Mumtaz Mustafa, for their Instagram blog: @spiceandsugartable. Her first baking cookbook, Christmas Baking, was released November, 2020. This creative lady lives in Lansing, Michigan.

The Joy of Quitting

Keiler Roberts graphic autobiography about being married with a toddler and MS is full of humor and is a fun read. Her story is told in black and white comic strips drawn in a childlike style. It is a collection of a decade of her work that was previously published in five separate titles. The titles are Powdered Milk (2012), Miseryland (2015), Sunburning (2017), Chlorine Gardens (2018) and Rat Time (2019). 8 years of Roberts' life is covered in this book.

The author uses dry humor to tell her story. It was enjoyable but I had to take it in small doses. I put the book down quite a few times before finishing its 264 pages this week. Daughter Xia provides alot of the comedy as does her husband, and parents. Xia is the real comedian though. The reader gets to listen in on Roberts' random thoughts and mostly they are silly. Some are so mundane that they're boring, giving the reader a less than experience.

3 out of 5 stars.

WWW Wednesday

The Taking On a World of Words blog is hosting this weekly meme. This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

1.  What are you currently reading?

I am halfway through a graphic autobiography titled The Joy of Quitting. Keiler Roberts story about being married with a toddler and MS is full of humor and is a fun read. Her story is told in black and white comic strips drawn in a naive style.

This book collects from a decade of the author's work from five previous titles. The titles are Powdered Milk (2012), Miseryland (2015), Sunburning (2017), Chlorine Gardens (2018) and Rat Time (2019).  

2.  What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished another graphic autobiography called Ephemera. It's a sad story about one woman's experience dealing with her mentally ill mother. The book made me sad enough to be sorry that I read it.

3.  What do you think you’ll read next?

I am still deciding between Behind the Seams by Elizabeth Spann Craig and Methods of Malice by Ellery Adams. The Craig book is a part of her southern quilting series. Methods of Malice is the 7th book in the author's Hope Street Church series. I have read about 3 pages in both books to see which one excites me the most. Behind the Seams has a better beginning so it might be my next book.

Can't Wait Wednesday #24

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This week I would like to highlight a book that I have been anxiously awaiting to be published. The Deserter's Tale is the newest installment of Nathan Dylan Goodwin's geneological mystery series. It will be published on September 15th. The series features Morton Farrier as the sleuth. 

When forensic genealogist Morton Farrier accepted an invitation to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, to speak at the RootsTech genealogy conference, he had been unaware that one of his co-panelists was to be none other than his former girlfriend, Madison Scott-Barnhart. While he prepares anxiously to meet her for what will be the first time in twenty-six years, and hopefully to discover the unresolved truth behind her abrupt ending of their relationship, he takes on the case of researching his wife’s mysterious great-grandfather: a man who deserted his Sussex family shortly after the First World War. In the course of his investigations and time in the States, Morton uncovers some shocking truths, some of which are uncomfortably close to home.

I have read about half of the books in the series. This series is my favorite among geneological stories. Check it out.

Ephemera

Ephemera is a melancholy graphic biography that portrays the author's struggle to handle her mother's mental illness. It poignantly blends memoir, magic realism, and graphic medicine with ethereal artwork. From the early days of her childhood, Brianna had to get used to her mother being physically absent from her life to being psychologically absent. Her mother never got well and Brianna accepted as much of her mother’s behavior as she could. I thought it odd that none of the characters had names. However there was only author Brianna, her mother and her father. There wasn't much dialogue either. The story took place in a garden, a forest, and a greenhouse. The story drifts among a grown woman, her early memories as a child, and the gossamer existence of her mother. 

I was sad after reading this book. It was highly recommended by reviewers so I obtained a copy of it. I wish I hadn't, though, because it is a story with no happiness whatsoever.

3 out of 5 stars.

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr  explores the fine line between living and dying in Mumbai through the lens of magical realism. Humanity is on the verge of discovering immortality. As a result, the avatar of Death is cast down to Earth to live a mortal life in Mumbai as twenty-something Laila Starr. Struggling with her newfound mortality, Laila has found a way to be placed in the time and place where the creator of immortality will be born. Will Laila take her chance to stop mankind from permanently altering the cycle of life, or will death really become a thing of the past? This 2021 5-part series was written by Ram V and Filipe Andrade. 

Our Laila has died several times during her time on earth as a mortal. Each time she has had contact with Darius, a child who was expected to bring immortality to all upon his birth. In the beginning, Laila wants to kill Darius when he is born so that death can continue. However, something keeps her from killing him, a humanity that she did not know she possessed. The reader watches Laila as she grapples with the emotions of mortals. 

During the series we see Hindu mythology as a theme. There are characters such as the funeral bird, a talking cigarette and a Chinese temple. These characters are fun and give the series a light feel. The artwork is colored with bright hues that also contribute to the hilarity of the story. With each issue of the comic the reader gets a full story but they all fit within the plot of a larger story.

Highly recommended. 5 out of 5 stars.

Arca

In this dystopian comic thriller, planet earth is burning up but the rich and powerful have a plan to save humankind. When society fell apart, a select group of billionaires had an escape hatch: a rocket aimed at the nearest habitable planet, a ship equipped with many of the luxuries of life on Earth—why survive if you can’t survive in style? Their every need is tended to by teenagers who are willing to act as slaves in return for the promise of a new life. This is a good story. But, like so many stories, it is not true. Inside a great, sealed survival chamber, one slave, a teenage girl named Persephone, discovers that the promised future of comfort is a myth. And with that knowledge, she must fight for her survival against the billionaires, who would gladly kill her to protect the hidden truth.

Arca is an entertaining story with a fast pace and plenty of twists. Our heroine Effie, nickname of Persephone, has three months left serving the rich inhabitants of Arca before graduating to a Citizen when she turns 18.  As a Citizen, she will be served instead of serving. She begins training her replacement but begins to wonder why she has never seen on the ship any Settlers who have graduated. Effie knows she can't ask too many questions to her superiors but discusses the issue with her Settler friends. They have been told that the spaceship is heading for Eden and that it has been flying in space for several decades.  Effie finds proof that the spaceship has been traveling for 157 years and secretly starts looking for where these graduated Settlers are living on the ship. She is constantly being monitored and this makes her quest dangerous. Effie would be severely punished, maybe killed, for her efforts to find the answers to her questions. 

Arca is a page turner and even though it is a graphic novel, I recommend it for all readers.  It has an extensive plot that many will enjoy. 5 out of 5 stars.

Stacking the Shelves #24

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! And audiobooks. Don’t forget audiobooks! In other words, if you can read it or if it can be read to you – no matter how you got it – it belongs in Stacking the Shelves.

The Stacking the Shelves meme was originally hosted at Team Tynga’s Reviews. For the last few years it’s been co-hosted at Team Tynga’s and here at Reading Reality. Reading Reality became the one and only host of Stacking the Shelves when Team Tynga’s Reviews closed its virtual doors in 2021.

I hit Amazon yesterday and spent way too much money. I am happy with my purchases though. Here are 3 that I want to showcase today.

I picked up The Key Lime Pie Murder for the August Calendar of Crime Challenge.  One of my favorite holidays is National Homemade Pie Day. It comes around every August 1 and I will be having more than one slice of pie.

The other two books are graphic novels that I have wanted to read for awhile. Ephemera is a serious story about a grown woman, her early memories as a child, and the mental health of her mother. The Joy of Quitting is a domestic comedy encompassing 8 years of hilarious moments in the author’s life. It spans her frantic child-rearing, misfires in the workplace, and frustrating experiences with the medical system. 

I am looking forward to some good reading in the near future.

A Marriage of Fortune

A Marriage of Fortune is the sequel to Anne O'Brien's The Royal Game. It is her 11th historical novel of famous women of the medieval era. It is the first book of hers that I have read and I don't know why I waited so long to read her. She is a fantastic writer.

The publisher's summary:

England. 1469.

A fortunate marriage will change history.
A scandal could destroy everything...

Margaret Paston, matriarch of the Paston family, knows that a favourable match for one of her unruly daughters is the only way to survive the loss of their recently acquired Caister Castle. But as the War of the Roses rages on, dangerous enemies will threaten even her best laid plans.

Margery Paston, her eldest daughter, has always strived to uphold the Paston name and do her mother proud. But when she loses her heart to a man below her station, she must make a terrible choice: will she betray her family and risk everything for a chance at true love?

Anne Haute, first cousin to the Queen, is embroiled in a longstanding betrothal to Sir John Paston, the eldest son and heir to the Paston seat. But despite his promises, Anne can't help but doubt that he will ever keep his word and make her his wife...

In the midst of civil war, each of these women must decide: Head or heart? Love or duty? Reputation- or scandal?

SPOILER ALERT! Margaret Paston is the ultimate matchmaker. She is always trying to arrange marriages for her sons and daughters, particularly the daughters. Her efforts fill the entire book. She was only happy, though, with one of her son's choices for a bride and feels her daughters married beneath their socioeconomic level. She was so angry at Margery that she threw Margery out of the house and didn't associate with Margery for over ten years. Margery didn't care. Daughter Anne threatened to secretly marry the man she loved but succumbed to pressure to marry someone else who had money. Anne was strong and made the best of her situation. What Margaret did not see was that her daughters were just as strong willed as she was. As tough as Margaret was, her children were even tougher.

The Anne Haute subplot was the one I least enjoyed reading about. The story of how she met and fell in love with Margaret's son John was interesting. However, John put off formalizing their marriage for nine years and his decisions to fight in wars to avoid marriage was dull. Son Jonty made a good selection for a bride, financially that is, and he and wife Gilly were in love with each other. 

I was surprised when a plague occurred. I had forgotten that the story took place in the 1400s. Neither the time nor the setting were prominent. Margaret's machinations were the substance of the book. This hard as nails lady carried the story well.

Historical fiction fans will enjoy this novel. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

Best New Mysteries of 2023 . . . So Far

Several social media sites that I follow have made lists of the best new books of 2023. I am jumping on the bandwagon with my own list of the best new mystery novels. Here are my picks:

Hide by Tracy Clark was published on January 1, 2023.

The Blue Bar by Dimyanti Biswas was also published on January 1, 2023.

Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler was published on February 1, 2023.

Lemon Curd Killer by Laura Childs was published on March 7, 2023.

Red Queen by Juan Gomez-Jurado was published on March 14, 2023.

Two of my favorite authors have books coming out later this month and I am looking forward to reading them. They are Dan Silva, and Brad Thor. James Rollins and Laura Childs have books coming out next month. It's going to be a great summer for reading!

Best New Historical Fiction Novels of 2023 . . . So Far

Several social media sites that I follow have made lists of the best new books of 2023. I have jumped on the bandwagon with my own list of favorite historical fiction novels. So, here we go, in no apparent order.

The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang was published on February 21, 2023. 

Night Angels by Weina Dai Randel was published on February 1, 2023.

The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi was published on March 28, 2023.

The Paris Notebook by Tessa Harris was published on February 15, 2023.

Weyward by Emilia Hart was published on March 7, 2023.

What's coming up this summer and beyond from my favorite authors?  

Nancy Bilyeau will publish The Orchid Hour on August 10, 2023.

Alison Stuart will publish Terror in Topaz on October 18, 2023. It may be the last Harriet Gordon Mystery.

Laura Morelli's The Last Masterpiece will be published on August 1, 2023.

Ken Follett will publish the 5th Kingsbridge novel The Armor of Light on September 26, 2023.

Mel Starr will publish A Polluted Font on October 3, 2023.

The second half of the year looks exciting.

Six Sweets Under

Six Sweets Under is the first book in Sarah Fox's True Confections Mystery Series. There are only two books in the series to date but I am expecting this to be a long series. The genre is culinary cozy mystery and the heroine is a chocolatier. 

The publisher's summary: 

Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven, known as the Venice of North America. The Vermont town has canals instead of roads, gondolas instead of cars, and charming cottages plucked from the pages of a fairy tale. It’s also where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.

 

While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception. Local curmudgeon Archie Smith wants nothing more than to keep tourists away from Larch Haven. He’s determined to derail this year’s event and does his best to stir up trouble for the organizers, including Becca’s grandfather.

Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.

I have never been so glad to see a victim killed before Archie Smith was murdered in this book. He died in chapter 2 but was so unpleasant already that when a dead body was found, I hoped it was his. It was. Archie was what I would call a raging senior. He hated everybody and everyone hated him because he opposed every official decision made in his hometown of Larch Haven. 

Rebecca (Becca) Ransom is the amateur sleuth. She is an actress who recently left Hollywood to return to her hometown and take over her family's candy shop. She was present on the town's  canal when Archie's body was found. When her grandfather became a suspect Becca was unable to convince him to hire an attorney. Fearing for his life, Becca decides that she must determine the identity of the killer. From this point Becca becomes an amateur sleuth. Her BFF, Dizzy, plays a prominent role as Becca’s friend but does not participate in the investigation. Becca’s brother Gareth owns a restaurant in town and is married to Blake. Officer Sawyer is a possible love interest for Becca.  He did not participate in the investigation either other than telling her to stop interviewing suspects who could be dangerous. 

The name of the town providing the setting is Larch Haven. It's an unusual name. I wondered what larch meant and whether it would give details on the type of stories to follow in the series. What is a larch? It's a coniferous tree with bunches of green needles. These trees are found in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. Like perhaps Vermont where the story takes place. They symbolize maternal love because they commonly offer shelter to squirrels and birds. I guess the name itself has no bearing on the series. 

The investigation of the murder was slow. Most of the story was about Becca’s family and friend relationships. I am assuming that the author was setting up the foundation for this new world she has created in Larch Haven. Still, the reveal of the murderer was surprising. I just wish there were more twists in the story.

4 out of 5 stars.

Fourth of July Forgery

Fourth of July Forgery is the 6th Holiday Cozy Mystery from Tonya Kappes. It was published on June 29, 2023. The 7th book in the series will be published just one year from now on June 20, 2024. The Santa Claus Surprise will be the Christmas themed book in the series.

The publisher's summary:

Fireworks aren't the only things causing sparks this Fourth of July in Holiday Junction! The much-awaited sixth book in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series, Fourth of July Forgery, immerses readers in a mystery that's more intricate than a firework's design.

When the festive atmosphere is dampened by the grim discovery of a body on the shore, it's up to our firecracker reporter, Violet Rhinehammer, to fizzle out the truth. Delving into the shadowy world of art dealing and potential forgeries, Violet must crack this case faster than a skyrocket, all while trying to keep her relationships and reputation from going up in smoke.

As she navigates the labyrinth of deception and accusation, Violet realizes that even in Holiday Junction, secrets can still explode like a M80. Can she solve the puzzle before the last sparkler has fizzled out, or will the fuse on this mystery burn too quickly for her to handle?

This is a charming story that moved fast. Violet is a news reporter for the Junction Journal and the amateur sleuth for the story. She uses her job as a journalist to investigate the murder of art dealer Graham Winston, whose body was found during the annual fireworks display. The police have no involvement in searching for the perpetrator, which is a little odd. The only time the police chief is mentioned is when he drives a car in the town’s Fourth of July parade and when he arrests the perp. However, this suspension of belief did not bother me much because Violet's mind worked fast. As a result there was a new twist on just about every other page. The  reveal of the whodunnit was satisfying.

All of the characters were memorable. From Violet to her southern mother Millie Kaye, town gossip Goldie and the paper's newest journalist Radley.  Violet is a return character from a prior cozy series by the author. She is the main character in each installment of this Holiday Cozy Mystery series so I already know I am going to be reading all of them.

4 out of 5 stars.

Poison

Poison is the first book in The Cambridge Murder Mysteries series by Charlot King. As the series title suggests, these mysteries take place in Cambridge, England. The series features an amateur sleuth by the name of Professor Elizabeth Green. Other regular characters include her sidekicks Inspector Abley and grandson, Godric.

The publisher's summary:  

When junior lecturer Edward Wiley dies a horrifically painful death and police pathology cannot establish the cause of death, amateur sleuth Professor Elizabeth Green is desperate to help, especially with the crime scene being her own back garden by the river. A professor of poisons, Professor Green is determined to find the murderer before there is more death on the cobbles of Cambridge.

When the Dean of Bene’t’s College seems to be involved, when other Fellows keep tight-lipped, and even Inspector Abley is spending too much time on the golf course instead of investigating, it feels like the killer will strike again.

Following another grisly murder, a tense Inspector Abley realises he can't solve this crime without Elizabeth. With people dropping like flies and dead bodies increasing in number, Elizabeth's unbridled curiosity embroil this meddling sleuth right in the heart of this mysterious thriller of a case in this historic city.

And what of Professor Elizabeth Green? In her fifties, this female protagonist is quintessentially English. An eccentric professor in her ivory tower, she maintains a sharp wit, yet is flawed by her inability to connect well with people, instead giving off a cold, opinionated and sometimes acerbic air. Though very kind to all animals (dogs, cats and the rest!) - a vegan - and a great gardener, in truth she keeps her friends close, and only lets a few dear people into her world.

The Cambridge setting is what I loved most about this novel. Reading about my favorite places in Cambridge, such as Jesus Green, the architectural bridges, St. Mary's Church, and the River Cam, transported me back to a city I once visited. Cambridge is a photographer's paradise and as each area was mentioned in the story, I remembered the photos that I took there.

The mystery to be solved was entertaining but the progress of the investigation was slowed by all of the setting descriptions. For me this was not a negative but for someone unfamiliar with Cambridge this might be a negative. Also note that the author is British and, as such, there are plenty of British slang words used by her. Some I had never heard of but they added charm to the story. 

I loved all of the characters as they were the typical quirky and eccentric British characters we have come to expect from British literature. Elizabeth Green is a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences but loves being an amateur sleuth. She annoys police detective Ably because she interferes in his investigations. Her grandson Godric brings us more up to date slang terms and adds his take on what happened to the deceased. The local M.P. Jonathan Smythe is also involved. Because I love everything British, I even love the politicians.

4 out of 5 stars.

Evil at Alardyce House

This is the fourth book in the Alardyce House series. It was just published on June 30, 2023. I love this series and couldn't wait for June 30 to roll around so it would appear on my Kindle. Please note this is an updated and extended version of the previously published The Ancestral Tides.

The publisher's summary:  

THE HISTORY OF THE ALARDYCE FAMILY IS FRAUGHT WITH SCANDAL AND INTRIGUE.

But after her eldest son Robert leaves the country, finally Amy Alardyce can enjoy some peace. Robert is wanted by the police for some unspeakable crimes, and his family hope he has run far enough and never looks back.

A decade after his disappearance, Robert has forged a successful life for himself, making his fortune from the diamond and gold mines of Africa. But when he sees a death notice in the newspaper, the call to go home to Scotland grows ever louder.

At Alardyce House, there are big changes too, and the fragile peace the family have enjoyed for so long is feeling more fragile than ever. And as the past comes back to haunt Amy and her children, will she have to finally accept that the curse of the Alardcye family can never be outrun…

I read somewhere recently that this was the last book in the series. I hope this is false because it has been wonderful to read these four books. The ending of Evil at Alardyce House was shocking and I cannot tell whether the author intended it to be final or not. Perhaps it will be spun off into another series as she has done in the past.

The intricate plot certainly notched up the suspense level. There were many, many twists and turns in the second half of the book. Everytime I thought that I had a handle on where the story was going, another unbelievable twist occurred. The twists came faster and faster as the plot progressed and they all were shocking. When the story finally ended I was stunned at what had happened. To say it was unexpected is an understatement.

I enjoyed reading about the estate setting. You can never go wrong with a Downton Abbey type home for a novel. At one point a character went missing and we found out that some parts of Alardyce House had not seen anyone enter for several months. I cannot imagine a house that big but I'm willing to live in one of them! 

If you haven't had a chance to read the series, I can highly recommend it to you. The first 2 books were published in 2022 and the last 2 this year. Check it out.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Spectacular

The Spectacular was written by one of my favorite authors, Fiona Davis. I loved her Magnolia Palace and had high expectations for her newest release. It is a thrilling story about love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall. It was published on June 13, 2023.

The publisher's summary: 

New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her high school sweetheart is about to propose and sweep her off to the life everyone has always expected they’d have together: a quiet house in the suburbs, Marion staying home to raise their future children. But instead, Marion finds herself feeling trapped. So when she comes across an opportunity to audition for the famous Radio City Rockettes—the glamorous precision-dancing troupe—she jumps at the chance to exchange her predictable future for the dazzling life of a performer. 

 

Meanwhile, the city is reeling from a string of bombings orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber,” who has been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police turn in desperation to Peter Griggs, a young doctor at a local mental hospital who espouses a radical new technique: psychological profiling. 

As both Marion and Peter find themselves unexpectedly pulled in to the police search for the bomber, Marion realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. In doing so, she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.

The Spectacular was fantastic! I learned alot about the beginning of the Rockettes and what the dancers lives were like. I never realized how good they were, having to learn new choreography every week while performing four concerts each day for three weeks straight. Then they were off work for a week, unless another dancer couldn't perform and they were called on to substitute. On top of that there were practice sessions several times a day.  When the author wrote about the heroine's physical pain, I felt it. However, all the work made Marion come alive.

Like all of Ms. Davis' books, it is about a famous New York City building: Radio City. I wondered whether the idea of a Rockettes story came before the idea of using Radio City. The Author's Note tells us she picks a building first. Then she looks for a seminal event that occurred there. The story she has given us in The Spectacular is historically accurate. There was a mad bomber who struck the building twice as well as bombing other buildings. A dancer and a psychiatrist put together a profile of the guy and were able to locate him. He then was sentenced to the Creedmoor Hospital mentioned on this book. With do much of the story being true, I am not sure if the book should be categorized as historical fiction. 

The writing was superb.  The pace was fast and the characters memorable. I loved the camaraderie between Marion and the dancers. They were typical young twenty somethings working their first jobs and excited over their futures. Marion's life story was heartwrenching. I felt not only her physical pain but her emotional pain as well. Losing her mother at ten was not easy, especially with a distant father and sister. I think everyone can relate to her stifled family relationships.  The men in the story were typical for the 1930s.  Marion's longtime boyfriend expected her to quit her job before he would even propose marriage.  Her father was overpowering. He expected blind obedience even though Marion and her sister were in their early 20s. 

The Spectacular is a must read for historical fiction fans. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Tiffany Girls

Shelley Noble's 23rd novel, The Tiffany Girls, is a historical fiction account about an unknown group of female artists behind Tiffany’s legendary glassworks. It is the first book of hers that I have read and I loved it. 

The publisher's summary:

It’s 1899, and Manhattan is abuzz. Louis Comfort Tiffany, famous for his stained-glass windows, is planning a unique installation at the Paris World’s Fair, the largest in history. At their fifth-floor studio on Fourth Avenue, the artists of the Women’s Division of the Tiffany Glass Company are already working longer shifts to finish the pieces that Tiffany hopes will prove that he is the world’s finest artist in glass. Known as the “Tiffany Girls,” these women are responsible for much of the design and construction of Tiffany’s extraordinary glassworks, but none receive credit.

Emilie Pascal, daughter of an art forger, has been shunned in Paris art circles after the unmasking of her abusive father. Wanting nothing more than a chance to start a new life, she forges a letter of recommendation in hopes of fulfilling her destiny as an artist in the one place where she will finally be free to live her own life.

Grace Griffith is the best copyist in the studio, spending her days cutting glass into floral borders for Tiffany’s religious stained-glass windows. But none of her coworkers know her secret: she is living a double life as a political cartoonist under the pseudonym of G.L. Griffith—hiding her identity as a woman.

As manager of the women’s division, Clara Driscoll is responsible for keeping everything on schedule and within budget. But in the lead-up to the most important exhibition of her career, not only are her girls becoming increasingly difficult to wrangle, she finds herself obsessed with a new design: a dragonfly lamp that she has no idea will one day become Tiffany’s signature piece.

Brought together by chance, driven by their desire to be artists in one of the only ways acceptable for women in their time, these “Tiffany Girls” will break the glass ceiling of their era and for working women to come.

This story was told well. I must admit that part of the reason I loved it so much was because I am an artist. The Tiffany Girls were artists as well. I enjoyed reading about how they selected different colors of glass for the sections of the windows that they worked on. We read about Tiffany’s Four Seasons glass windows as well as his Magnolia window. The ladies who were new employees started out as cutters which surprised me. Cutting glass shapes is not easy let alone when you have to follow a drawing of what shapes and colors go where. Some of the advanced artists performed design work for Mr. Tiffany and I have to wonder whether Tiffany created his designs or hired others to dream them up. The Acknowledgments don't tell us this information. Another intriguing part of the story is that Mr. Tiffany housed and paid his female artists the same amount he paid his male employees. Again, the Acknowledgments don't tell us if this is true either.

The characters were drawn well. Grace surprised me the most. I couldn't understand why she wanted to work with Tiffany when she really wanted to pursue journalism. There was a disconnect for me here as art is so different from brainy work. Emilie was the character I couldn't help but root for. Her dream was to work for Tiffany. She planned her life so that this could be accomplished. Emilie had to save to afford the passenger ship from Paris to New York. When Emilie arrived in New York she immediately went to Tiffany’s studio to ask for a job. Of course, she got the job but I thought she was rather plucky to follow her dream so closely with no backup plan. 

This book is a must read. 5 out of 5 stars.

Blood Oranges

Blood Oranges is J. M. Cannon's second novel. She writes crime thrillers and she is a fantastic writer. I was surprised at how complex the plot was given that this is just the author's second book. I loved Blood Oranges immensely.

The publisher's summary:

Money.

Power.

God.

Catherine Cross is the most successful female televangelist in the country. Her congregation in the western suburbs of Orlando one of the wealthiest. She's comfortable and charismatic in front of a camera, but when her youngest daughter goes missing not even she is ready for the media firestorm that follows.

With her mother more concerned about the family's public image than bringing her daughter home, it's up to Emily, the oldest child and black sheep of their christian family, to try to discover the truth.

But when a strange series of deaths on an orange orchard outside of town seems to be connected to her missing sister, the case is turned on its head, and Emily must face the shocking family secrets it took to build her mother's empire.

This book took me on a thrilling ride. I watched closely for any mention of blood oranges  because of the title. There was a little about them mentioned randomly until the final third of the book when it became apparent why they were integral to the story. 

As the summary says, Catherine Cross' daughter went missing. No one knew if her disappearance was related to the other murders but law enforcement believed it was related. I was stunned by Cross's reaction to her favorite child going missing. Since she was a televangelist, her church raised over ten million dollars in just a week. People across the country sent her money for no apparent reason and she refused to return the funds. Not only were the police suspicious but so was oldest daughter Emily.

The story was written from Emily's point of view and she was in most of the scenes. Emily was not loved by her mother which I thought was odd since her mom was a religious figure. I have that expectation that families of faith leaders would be close. Emily loved her sister and was heavily involved in the search for her youngest sister.  

The story is more of a whodunnit than a howdunnit although the how was rather interesting. It has a lightening fast pace and the short chapters created suspense that kept me reading until I had finished the book.

Blood Oranges is a must read. 5 out of 5 stars.

Final Call

Final Call is Alex Lake's eighth psychological thriller. Lake is a British writer who now lives in Maine. The book was published on June 8, 2023. 

The publisher's summary:  

They thought it was a simple flight home. The pilot had other plans…

A moment of calm

Heading home after a conference, the senior leadership of a global corporation relax on their private jet ahead of their Christmas break.

A flash of fear

But their peace is shattered when they realise their jet isn’t taking them home. Instead, it’s heading east—out over the Atlantic Ocean.

A journey of terror

And things go from bad to worse when their pilot tells them she is going to crash into the ocean if one of them doesn’t confess to murder…

Final Call is a spellbinding read. The author had my full attention from the first page. After beginning the story I did not notice the passage of time until I had already read half of the book. I finished it in one sitting completely enthralled by all of the suspense that I just lived through in this story. It is simply superb.

The main character is the villain. Stacy Evanston lost her daughter and husband in a fire that destroyed their home. The police thought she also died in the fire but didn't find her body. Her daughter Cherry became deathly ill at school and almost died from sudden onset liver failure. Three other children in her school also got infected from something but they passed away. Stacy believes that the fire was an attempt by someone to silence her from asking questions about what happened to the children. While Stacy is a victim of something, no one really knows what, she sets out to get revenge on whoever killed her daughter. 

I believe the CEO of a food company was a secondary character even though she made up much of the action in the story. The food company was based in Barrow, Maine where the Evanston family had been living. Stacy believes the food company is at fault for the children getting sick but does not know what or how they were involved.

The setting of a flying plane inched up the suspense. There is a limited amount of fuel on the plane so the occupants have to quickly figure out how to survive the flight. This is where the truth is finally revealed and believe me, this was one wild ride.

5 out of 5 stars.