Why would Southern belle Elizabeth Van Lew risk everything in order to spy for the Union Army? The answer was simple: freedom. Right in the heart of the Confederate capital, Elizabeth played the society lady while building a secret espionage network of slaves, Unionists, and prisoners of war.It would cost her almost everything. Flouting society’s expectations for women, Elizabeth infiltrated prisons and defied public opinion. Her story is filled with vivid personalities, including:Assassin John Wilkes BoothWashington socialite and Southern spy Rose GreenhowPrison escape artist Thomas RoseCavalry hero Ulrich DahlgrenCross-dressing intelligence agent Frank StringfellowFrom grave robbery to a bold voyage across enemy lines, Elizabeth’s escapades only grew more daring. But it paid off.By the war’s end, she had agents in both the Confederate War Department and the Richmond White House, and her couriers provided General Ulysses S. Grant with crucial, daily intelligence for his final assault.With extensive and fresh research, Gerri Willis uncovers the Southern abolitionist heroine that the Lost Cause buried—an unbelievable tale of one woman’s courage, resistance, and liberation. Heartfelt, thrilling, and inspiring, Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster restores a forgotten hero to her rightful place as an American icon.
Book reviews of mysteries, historical fiction and graphic novels with a smattering of non-fiction books.
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Lincoln's Lady Spymaster
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Save Her Life
The publisher's summary:
The tears fall down the girl’s pale face as she desperately tries to struggle free from the ties around her wrists. The only sound in the room other than her muffled cries is the ticking of a clock. Her mother has less than one hour to find her alive.
It’s been more than thirty years since Special Agent Sandra Vos’s twin brother was shot dead, an innocent victim caught in a kidnap gone wrong. It devastated Sandra’s family, but it made her who she is today, one of the FBI’s most successful negotiators.
After dropping her teenage daughter, Olivia, at school, Sandra is alerted to a potential hostage situation at her local grocery store and races to the scene. A man has pulled out a gun and is refusing to talk or let anyone out of the building until his demands are met. The fate of dozens of lives rests in Sandra’s hands.
But as Sandra starts to make a breakthrough with the hostage taker, she receives a call that makes her blood run cold. Someone has taken Olivia, and their demand will push Sandra to her absolute limit. If it’s not met within twenty-four hours, she will never see her daughter again.
Sandra knows she should step aside, letting her team take over, but she doesn’t trust anyone else to bring Olivia home alive. Breaking every rule in the book, Sandra is ready to go into her most personal negotiation yet. But how much will she have to sacrifice to save her daughter?
The story opened with Sandra attending a parole hearing for the man who killed her brother over thirty years ago. The man was denied parole. The story then moved to a hostage negotiation that Sandra lead. I don’t think I needed to read 80 pages of Sandra negotiating with a hostage taker to understand her job. It was overkill. Also, her daughter wasn't kidnapped until 40% of the way into the story. Since saving daughter Olivia's life is what the book is supposed to be about, I think the kidnapping should have occurred early on in the story.
The book concentrates more on procedure than relationships and I was somewhat bored. I did not connect with Sandra as a character. I felt more for the criminals instead. After reading other reviews of the book I am aware that my opinion is a minority opinion. Given that these criminals are not going to be involved in future stories, I don’t see much to entice me to continue to read the series. There aren't any secondary characters that were drawn upon either. We basically only read what their names are.
The plot was interesting but I had a few issues with the writing. I am rating the book 3 out of 5 stars.
Friday, May 23, 2025
Spent
Friday, May 16, 2025
The Retirement Plan
Three best friends turn to murder to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies… But the husbands have a plan of their own in this darkly funny debut that will delight readers from the first laugh to the final twist.
After thirty years of friendship, Pam dreams of her perfect retirement with Nancy, Shalisa, Marlene, and their husbands—until their husbands pool their funds for an investment that goes terribly wrong. Suddenly, their golden years are looking as dreary as their marriages.
But when the women discover their husbands have seven-figure life insurance policies, a new dream forms. And this time, they need a hitman.
Meanwhile, their husbands are working on their own secret retirement scheme and when things begin to go sideways, they fear it’s backfired. The husbands scramble to stay alive…but soon realize they may not be quick enough to outmaneuver their wives.
I feel that the first few chapters were slow while the author set up her plot. There were alot of characters introduced as well as the backstory on the two retirement plans. This plot is the most ingenious plot I ever heard. I knew the book would be entertaining so while it began slow I kept reading and soon was hooked.
The characters are hilarious. The three wives and the three husbands behaved ridiculously. None of them could successfully carry out a plan and they all bumbled their actions. The person in the middle of it all is the barber, Hector, who just happens to be an organized crime killer from Central America. The story was revealed through four alternating points of view. The wives had one viewpoint, the husbands had theirs, the new manager of the casino where the husbands worked, Padma, had hers and then we have Hector's. The novel switches points of view frequently. And while I enjoyed the antics of the husbands and wives tremendously, I think my favorite chapters were probably from the perspective of Padma, the frazzled casino boss of two of the husbands with an overbearing mother. Hector is also a cool character to follow.
Humor exudes throughout the story because of the zany plot. You can't help but chuckle at everyone's antics. The Retirement Plan is the type of yarn that all will enjoy. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
The Great British Bump Off: Kill or be Quilt #1
When wildcat arson hits her new employer right where she lives, Shauna Wickle is drawn into the brutal and vindictive world of quilting, as sisterhood and community needlecraft deteriorate into internecine strife. With the promise of an end to all her financial worries, Shauna must cross enemy lines and infiltrate a cadre of “monsters in human skin”. But they seem…so nice
This is a light hearted cozy mystery in graphic novel format. Shauna Wickle is the main character. She is a bright, kind, peppy girl who embarks on a relaxing vacation, sailing down English canals in a boat she borrowed from her uncle. However, Shauna is not an experienced sailor and soon finds that the boat has run aground and needs to be fixed before Shauna can continue her vacation. She is lucky to land in Barton-on-Wendle, and gets a job working at a fabric shop in order to earn money for repairs. At the shop she learns what a fat quarter is and is delighted to see bobbins of thread organized by color. Because of her bubbly personality, the shop owner believes Shauna will scare off their customers. We have to wait for the next release to find out how she fits in with the employees.
Way, way over 5 out of 5 stars.
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Alienated #1
The Keeper of Lost Art
As Allied bombs rain down on Torino in the autumn of 1942, Stella Costa’s mother sends her to safety with distant relatives in a Tuscan villa. There, Stella finds her family tasked with a great responsibility: hiding nearly 300 priceless masterpieces from Florence, including Botticelli’s famous Primavera.With the arrival of German troops imminent, Stella finds herself a stranger in her family’s villa and she struggles to understand why her aunt doesn’t like her. She knows it has something to do with her parents—and the fact that her father, who is currently fighting at the front, has been largely absent from her life.
When a wave of refugees seeks shelter in the villa, Stella befriends Sandro, an orphaned boy with remarkable artistic talent. Amid the growing threats, Sandro and Stella take refuge in the villa’s “treasure room,” where the paintings are hidden. There, Botticelli’s masterpiece and other works of art become a solace, an inspiration, and the glue that bonds Stella and Sandro as the dangers grow.
A troop of German soldiers requisitions the villa and puts everyone to forced labor. Now, with the villa full of German soldiers, refugees, a secret guest, and hundreds of priceless treasures, no one knows who will emerge unscathed, and whether the paintings will be taken as spoils or become unintended casualties.
Inspired by the incredible true story of a single Tuscan villa used as a hiding place for the treasures of Florentine art during World War II, The Keeper of Lost Art takes readers on a breathtaking journey into one of the darkest chapters of Italy’s history, highlighting the incredible courage of everyday people to protect some of the most important works of art in western civilization.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The plot shows us what Italians had to deal with during WWII. This is a viewpoint I have never read about before. The families left behind by the Italian soldiers was fraught with food and gas shortages as well as fear of the Germans who were occupying their country. For Stella's family, they were tested beyond belief. Her uncle, zio Tino, and her aunt, zio Angela, allowed over 200 refugees to live in their wine cellar, for almost a year. Angela, Stella, and her cousins Livia and Mariasole did all of the cooking, using up the family’s private storage of food for these strangers. A representative of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence talks zio Tino into storing a few hundred paintings on the property. Tino is now responsible for preventing the Germans from taking them. Stella befriends a boy named Sandro who is skilled in drawing and they often seek out the paintings to copy. The Germans soon arrive and decide to stay at the villa. The family and refugees are terrified but they all dutily perform the labor that the German soldiers demand.
The main characters were all compelling. Zio Tino is a compassionate man who cannot turn away any refugees. He is mild mannered but is strong enough to handle the Germans. His wife zio Angela argues with him constantly over using up their food and other resources for people who aren't family. She is an unhappy woman who takes it out on everyone else in the family. Stella is an intriguing character and she is also the main character. Initially she is afraid of her aunt but Stella becomes more confident from learning how to cook, clean, and find new friends.
The Tuscany countryside is the setting. It affects the type of fighting that can be done as well as the recipes that the ladies cooked. The villa is located in a rural area of Tuscany so it's a much safer place to be than in the city. Life is easier here than in Florence which is hit hard by the armies. I was surprised that properties owned by British citizens became the property of Italy. I did not expect this but it was not any different from what the Germans did throughout Europe.
The Keeper of Lost Art was a wonderful coming-of-age story that historical fiction fans will enjoy. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.
Friday, May 2, 2025
The World's Fair Quilt
The publisher's summary:
As fall paints the Pennsylvania countryside in flaming colors, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson is contemplating the future of her beloved Elm Creek Quilts. The Elm Creek Quilt Camp remains the most popular quilter’s retreat in the country, but unexpected financial difficulties have beset them and the Bergstrom family’s stately nineteenth-century manor. Now in her eighth decade, Sylvia is determined to maintain her family’s legacy, but she needs new resources—financial and emotional.
Summer Sullivan—a founding Elm Creek Quilter—arrives to discuss an antique quilt that she wants to display at the Waterford Historical Society’s quilt exhibit. When Sylvia and her sister Claudia were teenagers, they had entered a quilt in the Sears National Quilt Contest for the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair. The Bergstrom sisters’ quilt would be perfect for the Historical Society’s exhibit, Summer explains.
Sylvia is reluctant to lend out the quilt, which has been stored in the attic for decades, nearly forgotten. In keeping with the contest’s “Century of Progress” theme, the girls illustrated progress of values—scenes of the Emancipation Proclamation, woman’s suffrage, and labor unions. But although it won ribbons, the quilt also drove a wedge between the sisters.
As Sylvia reluctantly retraces her quilt’s story for Summer, she makes an unexpected discovery—one that restores some of her faith in this unique work of art, and helps shine some light on a way forward for the Elm Creek Quilts community.
I loved catching up with my favorite characters from the series. Sylvia's story is told through a 1937 narrative as well as through the current time period. I enjoyed the 1937 narrative the best because that time period in the prior novels was fantastic. Sylvia's nuclear family always had some drama going on. Sylvia couldn't stand her older sister Claudia, who her mother always sided with. Her younger brother Richard was barely five years old in 1937 and was not a prominent character. Sylvia's extended family were more likable and were prominent in the first few books of the series. Her grand-aunts were expert quilters and bakers and they were sweet characters as were her grand-uncles. All of these characters were charming and I loved them all. Their appearance in the story was heartwarming.
The rivalry between Sylvia and Claudia brings tension to the plot. This has been true for each novel. Here, we have them squabbling over creating an original quilt for the Sears quilting competition, which was a real event. Claudia's poor sewing skills kept them from winning at the regional and national levels of the competition but Sylvia never let her see the Judge’s critique of their quilt. Claudia was in denial concerning her skills and never gave in during an argument with Sylvia, arguments that Claudia always won.
If you have not read the Elm Creek Quilts series yet, I doubt that you would enjoy this book. You really need to understand who all of the characters are from the past 100 years of the storyline or none of it will make any sense. This is a cute cozy series but note that it's not a mystery.
I highly recommend the series to cozy fans, especially if they love quilting. 4 out of 5 stars.
Six Days in Bombay
When renowned painter Mira Novak arrives at Wadia hospital in Bombay after a miscarriage, she's expected to make a quick recovery, and her nurse, Sona, is excited to learn more about the vivacious artist who shares her half-Indian identity. Sona, yearning for a larger life, finds herself carried away by Mira's stories of her travels and exploits and is shocked by accounts of the many lovers the painter has left scattered throughout Europe. When Mira dies quite suddenly and mysteriously, Sona falls under suspicion, and her quiet life is upended.The key to proving Sona's innocence may lie in a cryptic note and four paintings Mira left in her care, sending the young woman on a mission to visit the painter's former friends and lovers across a tumultuous Europe teetering toward war. On the precipice of discovering her own identity, Sona learns that the painter's charming facade hid a far more complicated, troubled soul.In her first stand-alone novel since her bestselling debut, The Henna Artist, Alka Joshi uses the life of painter Amrita Sher-Gil, the "Frida Kahlo of India," as inspiration for the story's beginning to explore how far we'll travel to determine where we truly belong.
This novel offers the reader two trajectories to follow. Sona Falstaff, a 23 year-old nurse, has been coddled by her mother all her life. When her mother suddenly dies after she is fired, Sona has to come to terms with who she wants to be. Her mother wanted her to be more adventurous and do new things. Then there is the flamboyant Mira Novak, a patient of Sona's who died after spending six days in the hospital. Mira had a miscarriage at home and was admitted by her husband the same day. Sona was enthralled with Mira's stories about her friends as well as living in Prague, Paris and Florence as a painter. The title comes from the six days that Sona knew Mira.
These two characters were complete opposites. As the story goes along we see Sona branching out as well as discovering the truth surrounding all of Mira's stories. She is an insecure person, being the product of an Indian mother and a British father. Sona was taunted while growing up due to her skin color as well as being fatherless. Some in Bombay accuse her of being too Indian and others say she is too British.
While Sona travels throughout Europe she meets Mira's friends, all of whom make colorful secondary characters. The other secondary characters work at the Bombay hospital. They are the stereotypical people you would expect for the time and place. As Mira's life unfolds, Sona wonders whether she could live so boldly.
The ending ties up all the loose ends and is sweet. Six Days in Bombay is an engaging story that historical fiction fans will love. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.
Thursday, May 1, 2025
The Lost Girls
The publisher's summary:
Charleston, South Carolina. Four years ago. Three girls disappear into the night. One by one they go missing, never to be seen again. No witnesses, no leads, nothing. The only thing they had in common? An uneasy sense of being watched in the days before they vanished. Noises in the night, and boot prints in the flower beds outside their bedroom windows . . .
Today. One of the lost girls was Anna Klein's best friend. With no body, the case went cold. But Anna never stopped looking for Sylvie - or whoever took her. Now, four years later, Anna finally has a lead when a body turns up in an abandoned mansion. She has to know: is it Sylvie? But time is running out. As the storm of the century threatens the whole East Coast, the clock is ticking to find the answers before this trail goes cold.
Can Anna find Sylvie and the other girls before they're lost forever?
I was mesmerized by this story from the first page:
"Marble eyes. That's the rumor. A woman's corpse has been found with eyes like a doll. Anna thinks it sounds just strange enough to be what's she's after. The location is right. So is the body's estimated age."
I had alot of questions already about the plot from this first paragraph. It was so intriguing that I couldn't stop reading until I finished the book in one sitting. The pace was fast but the last quarter of the story was super fast.
Anna's job as a newspaper journalist was perfect for an amateur sleuth. She was assigned to covering a fast approaching hurricane but she felt that was beneath her. The murder story should have been assigned to her, not the newby reporter on staff. She was always ahead of the police but they didn't always know it. There are subtle hints throughout the book of Anna having intimate knowledge of the missing girls. While I was reading I was not sure whether this was a clue or red herring.
The secondary characters were all important to the plot. Anna worked with Justin at the newspaper and her favorite teacher Geller helped her with unscrambling the meaning behind the killer's poem. Her mother was awful. She was an unrepentant alcoholic but her importance is revealed toward the end. Anna's school friends Hannah, Tess and Sylvie have been missing for four years. They are the flash girls. The meaning behind "flash" was part of the killer's modus operandi and it was an intriguing part of the story.
The Charleston setting wasn't prominent until the latter half of the book as the hurricane approached. Here we read about famous buildings being ripped apart from the waves. The ending was a surprise I did not expect ur it was a satisfying feeling to finish the book.
I loved this book and mystery fans will want to read it, especially if they like psychological thrillers. 5 out of 5 stars.
The Lotus Shoes
1800s China. Tightly bound feet, or "golden lilies," are the mark of an honorable woman, eclipsing beauty, a rich dowry and even bloodline in the marriage stakes. When Little Flower is sold as a maidservant—a muizai—to Linjing, a daughter of the prominent Fong family, she clings to the hope that one day her golden lilies will lead her out of slavery.Not only does Little Flower have bound feet, uncommon for a muizai, but she is extraordinarily gifted at embroidery, a skill associated with the highest class of a lady. Resentful of her talents, Linjing does everything in her power to thwart Little Flower's escape.But when scandal strikes the Fongs, both women are cast out to the Celibate Sisterhood, where Little Flower’s artistic prowess catches the eye of a nobleman. His attention threatens not only her improved status, but her life—the Sisterhood punishes disobedience with death. And if Linjing finds out, will she sabotage Little Flower to reclaim her power, or will she protect her?
The Lotus Shoes is an engrossing journey through 19th century rural China. The lives people led were sad from living in abject poverty but for the most part they accepted their lot in life. Our heroine was the exception. Little Flower a compelling character. Every time her hopes are dashed she comes up with a new plan to better herself. Linjing, on the other hand, is spiteful and she relies on others to fix her mistakes. She is the villain of the story. Linjing constantly shoves Little Flower down because she can. Little Flower is her slave.
Little Flower's ups and downs provide the mystery for the story. You don't know if she can survive all the horrible things that happen to her. She is punished for running away from the Fongs by having a hand clubbed. Linjing is so jealous of Little Flower that she forces her to stop binding her feet. There will be no prospective marriage for her with normal feet. Linjing also makes her cut up a wedding quilt that Little Flower embroidered. At every turn Little Flower's upworldly mobile plans are dashed. After the two of them are kicked out of the Fong home, Little Flower asserts her independence. Her character is what saves her, though, as she is viewed sympathetically from her superiors.
The plot is revealed with a dual narrative from Linjing and Little Flower's perspectives. I like this type of format for a novel. The Chinese setting was prominent to the story as it detailed the harsh life of 19th century. It brought a sadness to me as everyone was poor, but we see different degrees of poverty.
The Lotus Shoes is a revealing look at women's lives of the era. 5 out of 5 stars.
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Old Habits Die Hard
When retired nun and teacher Sister Bernadette returns with her fellow residents to The Abbey: Senior Living, she is the first to discover the body sprawled in the hallway of the converted school where she once taught English and now lives. Instead of freezing with horror, Sister Bernie has questions. Lots of them. Why does Toni Travi, the bedazzled and bejeweled resident from apartment 218, have so much chest hair? Did anyone at The Abbey know Toni was a man? Was Toni’s death related to allegations that she cheated at cards? Where’s the murder weapon? Who had motive? And did someone kill Toni, or the man hiding beneath the Revlon foundation and blonde wig?Detective AJ Lewis is in charge of the investigation though Sister Bernie acts as if he is still her student. With unholy stubbornness, she dogs his every step, eavesdrops, sneaks beyond the police tape and offers unsolicited conjecture and clues. He wants to keep her safe, but she’s determined to lend a helping hand—it’s her habit, after all!
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Knife Skills For Beginners
Knife Skills for the Beginner is the first book in a new cozy culinary mystery series. It's fantastic! The plot is about a chef who is talked into substituting for a famous chef/friend who teaches a week long residential cookery course.
The publisher's summary:
The Chester Square Cookery School in the heart of London offers students a refined setting in which to master the fine art of choux pastry and hone their hollandaise. True, the ornate mansion doesn’t quite sparkle the way it used to—a feeling chef Paul Delamare is familiar with these days. Worn out and newly broke, he’d be tempted to turn down the request to fill in as teacher for a week-long residential course, if anyone other than Christian Wagner were asking.
Christian is one of Paul’s oldest friends, as well as the former recipient of two Michelin stars and host of Pass the Gravy! Thanks to a broken arm, he’s unable to teach the upcoming session himself, and recruits Paul as stand-in. The students are a motley crew, most of whom seem more interested in ogling the surroundings (including handsome Christian) than learning the best ways to temper chocolate.
Yet despite his misgivings, Paul starts to enjoy imparting his extensive knowledge to the recruits—until someone turns up dead, murdered with a cleaver Paul used earlier that day to prep a pair of squabs. Did one of his students take the lesson on knife techniques too much to heart, or was this the result of a long-simmering grudge? In between clearing his own name and teaching his class how to perfectly poach a chicken, he’ll have to figure out who’s the killer, and avoid being the next one to get butchered.
Knife Skills is an entertaining story. I loved everything about it. The plot was good and the characters were remarkable. All of them were a little eccentric which made them seem suspicious. This is the first book I have ever read where every character could have been the killer, except Christian, the deceased. When the killer was revealed I was shocked. I wondered what clues I could have missed. How many of these characters return in the next book is questionable and I am wondering if Paul will be teaching classes in future books or if his setting is going to be a restaurant.
This is the author’s debut fiction novel. Orlando Murrin is a former editor of BBC Good Food, founder of Olive Magazine, a semi-finalist on Masterchef and has written seven cookbooks. I guess he knows how to write! Not every one can write fiction though but he has begun the series well. I look forward to reading more from him in the future.
Friday, April 4, 2025
The Chaiwallah
In the heart of bustling Mumbai, three neighbors—each caught in their own struggles—find unexpected solace from a new street vendor, whose quiet wisdom and selfless acts guide them toward paths they never imagined.Aditi, the only woman in her community with a degree, dreams of climbing the corporate ladder to secure her son's future. But after her latest rejection, self-doubt consumes her.From a nearby opulent apartment, Sumeet has always followed his father's advice. Now, at the peak of his business career, a toxic work culture begins to make him question the life he's built.Arjun slumps beneath the bodhi tree by Sumeet's building. Haunted by a troubled past, he drowns in alcohol and debt, desperate for a way out.When a new tea seller arrives in their neighborhood square, his fragrant chai, warmth, and wisdom draw them in. One cup at a time, he nudges them closer to finding their true purpose.
Thursday, April 3, 2025
The Sirens
2019: Lucy awakens from a dream to find her hands around her ex-lover’s throat. Horrified, she flees to her older sister’s house on the Australian coast, hoping she can help explain the strangely vivid nightmare that preceded the attack—but Jess is nowhere to be found.As Lucy awaits her return, the rumors surrounding Jess’s strange small town start to emerge. Numerous men have gone missing at sea, spread over decades. A tiny baby was found hidden in a cave. And sailors tell of hearing women’s voices on the waves. Desperate for answers, Lucy finds and begins to read her sister’s adolescent diary.1999: Jess is a lonely sixteen-year-old in a rural town in the middle of the continent. Diagnosed with a rare allergy to water, she has always felt different, until her young, charming art teacher takes an interest in her drawings, seeing a power and maturity in them—and in her—that no one else has.1800: Twin sisters Mary and Eliza have been torn from their loving father in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship bound for Australia. For their entire lives, they’ve feared the ocean, as their mother tragically drowned when they were just girls. Yet as the boat bears them further and further from all they know, they begin to notice changes in their bodies that they can’t explain, and they feel the sea beginning to call to them…A breathtaking tale of female resilience and the bonds of sisterhood across time and space, The Sirens captures the power of dreams, and the mystery and magic of the sea.
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
No Roast for the Weary
When the Village Blend opens a Writer's Block Lounge, a cold case crime turns up the heat on Clare and her crew in this gripping new entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.As much as master roaster Clare Cosi adores coffee, the landmark shop she manages won't survive if she doesn't sell enough of it. So when the Village Blend's customer traffic grinds to a halt, she turns to her staff for creative ideas, and the Writer's Block Lounge is born.Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the shop, is upset by this news. Years ago, a group of accomplished writers used the shop's second-floor lounge to inspire each other, but the group disbanded when something dark occurred. Though that history is shrouded in mystery, Clare presses forward...Soon the Village Blend tables are filled with aspiring novelists, playwrights, and poets, all happy to be coaxed, cajoled, and caffeinated by her coffeehouse crew. Clare admires the stamina of these scribes, many of them toiling at night jobs—driving taxis, tending bar, ushering for Broadway—while penning projects during the day.Then one of their fictions turns fatal when a shocking secret leads to a deadly end. Unless Clare can untangle this mystery, uncover the truth, and stop a desperate killer, she fears more of these weary writers may be marked for eternal rest. ~ Includes a knockout menu of recipes.
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
The Versailles Formula
Genevieve Sturbridge was never meant for a quiet life in the English countryside. Once an artist in the heart of London, she now spends her days in restless solitude. But when a familiar figure from her past arrives with an urgent request, she is thrust into a perilous world of spies and a formula that could shift the balance of power between France and England.The thrill of the chase is intoxicating—the cryptic clues hidden in plain sight, the challenge of ferreting secrets from dangerous opponents, the undeniable rush of being needed again. But with every step deeper into the mystery, the danger grows. Someone is watching. Someone is hunting. And the more she uncovers, the more she wonders: Has she walked willingly into a trap?
High Tea and Misdemeanors
When a wedding is tragically averted by the death of the bridesmaid, Theodosia is determined to prove that it was murder in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series.Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are tapped to cater the elegant wedding of Bettina and Jamie. Theodosia and Drayton are setting up when they hear a crash from the greenhouse. Shockingly, they discover that part of the roof has collapsed trapping a bridesmaid and the groom. He will pull through but the bridesmaid is no more. Theodosia is convinced it was murder.INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!