The Orange Lilies

The Orange Lilies is the 4th Morton Farrier, Forensic Genealogist story. In this installment of the series Morton's own family history comes alive when he visits his Aunt Margaret. Before the death of Morton's father earlier in the year, Morton was told that he was adopted and that his birth mother was actually Aunt Margaret. Morton brings girlfriend Juliette along for the visit. Being afraid to ask Margaret the important questions, he is glad when Margaret opens up to him freely. She explains that she was raped when she was sixteen-years-old and sent to visit her grandmother in another part of England until she gave birth. The Farrier family insisted that she let her older brother and his wife adopt the baby. They were married, owned a home and had a good income. Margaret does as she is told and returns to her home after she recovers from the birth. However, before she leaves, her grandmother tells Margaret about her own grandparents. This information is also discussed between Margaret and Morton during his visit with her.  The family history is that Morton's great-grandfather, Charles Ernest Farrier, died in a trench in WWI. Morton finds, though, that there is something off about the story of Morton's conception as well as his great-grandparents' lives.

The Orange Lilies is a fascinating story with many twists. As Morton researches his family, he takes the reader through his online research. Morton shares the genealogy clues (the twists)  with his aunt as together they look at old family photos and documents. Morton also talks every day with her about how his digital research is progressing. As Aunt Margaret learns the ins and outs of genealogy research, the reader likewise learns how to conduct research. There are also several surprises along the way that keep the reader wanting to read.

The story has three alternating plots: 1914, 1974 and 2014.  The 1914 plot concerns Charles Ernest Farrier, the 1974 plot concerns Margaret and her grandmother during Margaret's pregnancy and the 2014 plot is about Margaret and Morton. All three plots are fully developed and fascinating in their own right. I would not be able to pick a favorite one. They were all entertaining. I love this series. I am an amateur genealogist and enjoy reading about Morton going to this office and that office in order to find information. We see the tedium that genealogy research can be but also the excitement when a fact or person is found.

If there are any mystery fans out there who have not yet read this series, I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Saga #55

Saga is back! After reading the newest Saga release, number 55, I had to go back to an old edition in order to remember where the story left off 3 years ago. I didn't recognize any of the characters. This was an easy adjustment though and then I re-read #55. There is no recap of the story at all here. It just starts off running in a new direction. I must say that I did not remember a ton of foul language or explicit sexual drawings in earlier editions of this comic. Note, though, that the pages of release 55 are filled with graphic sexual illustrations. 

The story itself was interesting. Marko and Alana's daughter Hazel is now the main character. After stealing a record, Hazel is chased through the streets of a new planet with her sidekick Bombazine. Together they plan on selling a nutritious baby formula in order to support themselves. Of course, they are plagued by cops, terrorists and pirates.

As you may have already heard, Marko was killed off at the conclusion of #54. We did not know whether he would survive an attack against him or not until now. He was a great character and I will miss him. Alana survived the attack, however.  The next release in this comic will be on February 23, 2022. I think we all are looking forward to it.

19 Yellow Moon Road

It's been quite a few years since I read a Fern Michaels book. I selected her 2021 novel 19 Yellow Moon Road for the What's in a Name Challenge and was pleasantly surprised to find that this a a well plotted mystery novel with a fast pace. I am going to give her books another chance because Yellow Moon was a fantastic read.

The publisher's summary:

Maggie Spritzer's nose for a story doesn't just make her a top-notch newspaper editor, it also tells her when to go the extra mile for a friend. When she gets a strange message from her journalism pal, Gabby Richardson, Maggie knows her services are needed. Gabby has become involved with The Haven, a commune that promises to guide its members toward a more spiritually fulfilling life. But Gabby's enthusiasm has turned to distrust ever since she was refused permission to leave the compound to visit her sick mother.  

Maggie wants to learn more about The Haven, and the Sisterhood is eager to help. It turns out The Haven's founders are the sons of a disgraced Chicago busnessman in prison for running a Ponzi scheme. They also have connections to a Miami billionaire with dubious sidelines. Soon, the Sisterhood gang embark on a search - and uncover a web of crime that runs deeper and higher than they ever imagines.  And they'll need all their special skills to bring it down.

As I mentioned above, I was surprised to be reading a suspense thriller. For some reason I thought that Fern Michaels wrote romance novels. Yellow Moon captivated me from the first chapter and I could not put it down. After finishing the book I took a look at the author's website and discovered that the Sisterhood is a series and this one is number 33.  The women in the Sisterhood all have employment backgrounds that complement each other's investigatory skills. Myra used to be married to a MI6 agent and operates a candy company. Annie owns the Washington DC newspaper where Maggie works. Lizzie is a lawyer, as is her daughter Nikki. Kathryn is an MIT graduate with a degree in nuclear engineering. Alexis is also an attorney and Yoko runs a plant nursery business.  

The plot twists were amazing. SPOILER ALERT!! The storyline concerns a cult that provides women to a wealthy man who uses them as sexual entertainment for the rich and powerful. Leaders of nations and U. S. Senators are part of this group. I found this to be topical given the information the public has read recently about conspiracy theories and human trafficking in the U. S.  Twin brothers Liam and Noah Westlake are operating a spiritual retreat. Liam handles the programming and Noah handles the business side of the company. Liam has no idea what Noah has been doing until Noah gets arrested. I enjoyed reading about the twins' family background and though they have vastly different personalities, I can see how they would end up in business together. They have that twin bond. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Lock Up Honesty

Lock Up Honesty is the 8th book in Anna Castle's Francis Bacon Mysteries. It was published in January 2022.  In this installment of the series Francis Bacon's clerk, Thomas Clarady, has finally passed the bar exam. He is now ready to sue his guardian for his livery in the Court of Wards.  When Tom's father died, he was just shy of his 21st birthday. Not being of majority age, Tom was required by law to have a guardian who would take control of his father's assets and his marriage plans. However, the Court of Wards is the most corrupt institution in Tudor England and the Attorney for the Court of Wards expects bribes to be paid in order for cases to go forward. Now 27 years old, Tom is having none of it. During a dispute with the Attorney he yells loudly that he hopes the Attorney chokes on the expensive wine that Tom gave him. By the end of the day the Attorney is dead from poisoning and Tom is the main suspect.

This was a delightful story. It was fun to reconnect with my favorite characters. Francis doesn't play a big role in the investigation of the murder. Tom's friend Alice Trumpington, also known as Trumpet, is the character who leads the investigation, giving everyone else assignments but really performing most of the legwork. Tom also contributes to the investigation but, naturally, is terrified that he will be arrested if he is seen in public. Francis' lifestyle is portrayed a little differently than he has been in earlier books in the series.  I could not remember whether the readers were given an idea of where he would take his life in the earlier novels. It's been a year since I read the last book in the series so I was surprised. Trumpet dresses up as a male on occasion in order to get witnesses to talk to her.  This has become a norm for the series and I now expect that she will do this in every installment of the series.  How she dresses, though, is different in each novel and her unreserved, lovable personality carries it off well. 

Lock Up Honesty has lots of twists and turns.  Author Anna Castle has kept her series entertaining with well plotted stories and steady development of all of her characters. Not every author develops each character in their stories but Ms. Castle does and she does it skillfully. I can, with pleasure, rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #7

I can't wait for Ellen Crosby's latest cozy mystery to be published. Bitter Roots is the 12th wine country mystery featuring vineyard owner Lucy Montgomery and her wine maker Quinn Santori. Bitter Roots is scheduled for publication on March 1, 2022 and I have already purchased a pre-sale copy of it. 

In this installment of the series Lucy will soon be married to Quinn Santori. However, two problems arise before the wedding. A devastating storm is approaching that could ruin her vines and a vineyard expert is found brutally murdered. Quinn was the last person known to be with the murdered woman. When the storm hits, Lucie's vineyard is destroyed which was where she was planning to get married. All the phones are out and there is no power in the area to deal with these two problems.

It's about time that Lucie and Quinn got married.  They have been slowly building their relationship through the 10 earlier novels and I feel that their union could have been expected from the beginning of the series. I wonder how the wedding will proceed but know that in a cozy it will go forward come hell or high water.

Valentine

Valentine was published in 1996. It is a novel of revenge and was made into a horror/slasher movie in 2001 with superstars Katherine Heigl and Denise Richards playing parts. Valentine is a tightly woven suspense story with a jaw dropping ending. I did not see this one coming and I cannot remember being this surprised by an ending before. In fact, I had to go back a few pages to confirm that the ending I read was correct. I just couldn't believe it.

The publisher's summary:

Jillian Talbot has it all: a beautiful home in New York's Greenwich Village, a string of bestselling suspense novels, and a handsome and adoring lover. She has something else too.  A silent stalker. A secret admirer who sends her pink, heart shaped messages with an unmistakable threat in blood red letters. His motives are as cryptic as the name he goes by:  Valentine. But his intentions are deadly clear. He has watched other women in the past, and he has killed them. Now he's ready to add Jillian to the list, to carry out the punishment he has chosen for her, retribution for a long-ago crime that only he remembers. For Valentine, vengeance will be complete. For Jill Talbot, the terror has just begun. Wherever she runs, he will find her. And soon she will meet him on his terrible day of judgment. His triumphant day. Her darkest day.  Valentine's Day. 

I was hooked on this story from the get go. The plot premise is about a nasty practical joke that went wrong and the long time repercussions of the joke. I would not say that the book is a horror/slasher novel as the movie turned out to be. It is a novel of terror, suspense and a psychological thriller all rolled into one glorious story. The chapters alternated the point of view from Jillian to the killer. It was impossible to figure out the identity of the killer until the author tells us his name late in the story. Not wanting to be a spoiler, I am refraining from telling you more about the plot. Just take note that Valentine is a must read.

I cannot imagine that any other book that I end up reading this year can top this one. 10 out of 5 stars!

Trust

Trust is Sharon Mitchell's 2nd book in her When Bad Things Happen series of psychological thrillers. Her first book Gone was fantastic. Novels 3, 4, 5 and 6 have already been published.  Selfish was published in May 2021, Instinct was published in October 2021, Reasons Why was also published in October 2021 and Mine was published on January 7, 2022. The author is currently writing the 7th novel in the series. 12 books are planned for the series and it looks like they are all going to be fantastic.

The publisher's summary:

Elizabeth thought that after all they'd been through, the bad parts were over. Guess not. After saving herself and her little boy from abductors, Elizabeth yearns to put the terror behind them, to cocoon with her sone, safe and secure at home. Court hearings confirm that they suffered the worst betrayal possible. She never dreamed that she'd have to battle the law to protect her medically fragile boy when his life and sanity are on the line. When her son is targeted and taken, Elizabeth will do anything to save him. 

 

I absolutely LOVED this book. It continues the story of Elizabeth Whitmore and her four year old son Timothy from Gone. In this installment of the series Elizabeth is awaiting the trial of her ex-husband who tried to kill her. She keeps her son within her eyesight at all times and does not let him socialize with other children. Elizabeth does not trust anyone near him not does she trust her neighbors who try to be friendly. Timothy is not speaking since the attempted murder but he did have a late onset speaking ability from birth as well as a seizure disorder. However, whatever gains he made in speech he lost. We see inside Elizabeth's mind as she grapples with day to day decisions on who to trust. Elizabeth does eventually trust someone but it turns out horribly bad.

The novel was full of emotion but had plenty of suspense. With Elizabeth's emotions highly charged the reader cannot figure out what she is going to do and this is what creates the suspense. I don't think that she even knew herself how she was going to handle each new day. As I was reading, I thought that the villain might be Elizabeth's tormented mind.  However, Timothy's court ordered psychologist becomes the villain toward the end of the story. I was surprised at the psychologist's actions and did not see her machinations coming. It was a great ending.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Last Rose of Shanghai

I recently found out that Weina Dai Randel published this book and had to get it. Her prior two novels were fantastic.  The Moon in the Palace and Empress of Bright Moon are popular at my public library and are always checked out.  My reviews of them are my most read reviews. These two books comprise a duology about a woman who became China's only ruling empress. 

The Last Rose of Shanghai was an enchanting read. Beginning in 1940 our heroine Aiyi Shao is an 18 year old heiress and the owner of an unpopular Shanghai nightclub. She soon meets a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, Ernest Reismann, and asks him to work for her playing the piano in her club. He agrees and the club gains alot of new customers who want to hear him play jazz on the stride piano. Aiyi and Ernest are attracted to each other and although Aiyi is engaged to childhood friend Cheng, she meets him in the room he is renting. Almost immediately they fall into bed. Ernest becomes famous in Shanghai and is sought after by several other club owners. However, the war in Europe, the South Pacific and the Japanese occupation of China keep tearing the two of them apart. Ernest is wanted by the Japanese for killing a Japanese soldier and the soldier investigating the killing has threatened to shut down Aiyi's club if she does not tell him where Ernest can be found. His fate is bound up in Aiyi's handling of the matter. However, the war continues to escalate and their choices between love and survival become more desperate. 

I love that we now have a WWII story that takes place in China. The Japanese occupation of China is the prominent  war story and I learned alot about how that affected people of that time and place. In addition, the racism of the Asians toward the white Europeans is also prominent and is shown in detail. The Asians had different feelings toward the Americans and British but generally did not trust either of them. The cultural restrictions on Aiyi demanded that she marry the man her parents betrothed her to when she was a baby. Cheng was the typical domineering male but, in contrast, Ernest was sensitive to the needs of others.  

Ms. Randel is a fantastic writer. All 3 of her books were engrossing. I always appreciate it when a historical author shines a light on a not well known history. Randel shows us the horrors of the starving poor in Shanghai amidst the glamour of luxury hotels, nightclubs and family compounds. Soldiers from several countries are present everywhere and add to the unease of the city. Last Rose is told from two different points of view, Aiyi's and Ernest's. It also has an alternating plot from the current era where we read about a documentarian interviewing Aiyi about this time period. This plot has very little space in the novel though.  It is 90% about WWII.  

The Last Rose of Shanghai is an excellent read and I highly recommend it to all readers. It could very be in my top ten books of 2022. 5 out of 5 stars. 

Book of the Month: January

The Girl in the Painting by Renita D-Silva is my favorite read for the month of January. It is an epic story of India. Four alternating plots are gathered together in this captivating story. One plot takes place in 1913 where our heroine Margaret is growing up in Charleston, England. During the same time, Archana is growing up in India. In 1926, Margaret has fallen in love with her new husband Suraj and his native country India. Having moved from England to India after Suraj obtained his law degree, the couple moved to his parent's home after their sudden deaths. In 2000, Emma McEwen plans to divorce her husband and seeks solace from her grandmother Margaret, now back in England. 

The book is really about Margaret and Archana. Both were interesting characters. Both of them had awful upbringings but Archana was poor because she married an untouchable so she suffered much more both emotionally and physically. Her story was the most compelling.

Book Cover of the Month: January

Double Blind by Sara Winokur has a fascinating cover. The tree branches and the path through the mountains reflect the type of story inside. The main character, Brynja, is a forensic geneticist. She uses DNA to solve crimes as well as locate her long-gone brother.  I think the path on the cover looks similar to a DNA sequence so it is appropriate for the book. The falling snow reflects the Icelandic setting. In addition, the blue, red and white color scheme is attractive.

The author's day job as a molecular geneticist has enhanced her storytelling abilities. What is amazing to me is that she lives in California but writes about Iceland.  Double Blind is her debut novel.  Check it out.

Stacking the Shelves

It's been some time since I have participated in this meme. After hearing about a favorite author's next book I decided it was time for me to revisit the meme. A few weeks ago it came to my attention that Nancy Bilyeau will be publishing the sequel to her The Blue historical novel.  The new book is titled The Fugitive Colours.  It is scheduled for publication on May 12, 2022 and I hate to have to wait four more months to get it. 

If you haven't read The Blue you need to. It is the story of Genevieve Planché, an English-born descendant of Huguenot refugees, who wants to be a painter. After meeting a famous artist she is offered an opportunity to learn how to paint on porcelain in exchange for obtaining the secret of a china company's recipe for the color blue. If she is successful in obtaining the secret, she will get her wish to travel to Venice for training in oil painting.

All of Bilyeau's novels have been fabulous reading. I especially loved The Blue because I am an artist so this four month wait will be excruciating.

We Only Kill Each Other

Comixology has issued three releases to date of the We Only Kill Each Other comic by Stephanie Phillips. I have read all three. The 4th comic will be released on February 15, 2022 and the 5th on March 15, 2022. It is a gripping story about Nazi Party sympathizers in the United States before the beginning of WWII as well as the Jewish gangsters who oppose them. The story takes place in 1938 New York City and is based on actual events. Dark Horse will publish a paperback containing all five comics on April 19, 2022. I am planning to buy the paperback because this is a story that I will want to read over and over.

Levi Solomon and Jonas Kaminsky are Jewish gangsters. Jonas is a rising small time gangster who is embroiled in a turf war with Solomon and Solomon is an old time mob boss with millions of dollars tied up in gambling and booze. However, they have something in common. They both hate Nazis. Jonas is tasked with attending rallies held by Nazi sympathizers to stir up trouble and trouble seems to always find him. The Jonas character is the protagonist. We read about his life experiences with anti-semitism including being told he cannot play baseball because he is Jewish.

The comic reads like a traditional mystery novel. Each release ends with suspense and I hate having to wait another month for the next installment to be published. If you haven't tasted this comic yet you may want to wait until the paperback is published. It will be a joy to binge read the entire story.

Piecing It All Together

Piecing It All Together is the first book in the author's Plain Patterns trilogy. I reviewed the second book here. The story opens with Savannah Mast's fiance dumping her a week before their wedding. She flees California for the safety of her Amish grandmother's farm near Nappanee, Indiana. Savannah is not planning on staying long but becomes unexpectedly entangled in the search for a missing Amish girl. She can't leave, especially not when her childhood friend Tommy Miller is implicated as a suspect.

When Savannah accompanies her grandmother to Plain Patterns, a nearby quilt shop, the owner and local historian, Jane Berger, relates a tale about another woman's disappearance back in the 1800s that has curious echoes to today. Inspired by the story, Savannah does all she can to find the Amish girl and clear Tommy's name. But when her former fiance shows up, begging her to return to California and marry him after all, she must choose between accepting the security of what he has to offer or continuing the complicated legacy of her family's faith.

I enjoyed the current era subplot, Savannah's story, but was bored by the other one, the story of Emma Fisher. There wasn't much of a connection between the two and the reader is told early on that two of the characters are related. The Emma Fisher subplot does not explain the relation or what characteristics Savannah and Jane inherited from Emma. I found myself skipping pages when Emma's story was being told.

2 out of 5 stars.