Stacking the Shelves #12

I just picked up Fiona Davis's latest novel The Magnolia Palace. It was published last month and I am eager to start reading. The themes of the novel are secrets and betrayal. The story concerns a murder that occurred within one of New York City's Gilded Age mansions. The publisher's summary says it all:

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But with her mother gone, a grieving Lillian is rudderless and desperate—the work has dried up and a looming scandal has left her entirely without a safe haven. So when she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion—a building that, ironically, bears her own visage—Lillian jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family—pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death.

Nearly fifty years later, mod English model Veronica Weber has her own chance to make her career - and with it, earn the money she needs to support her family back home - within the walls of the former Frick residence, now converted into one of New York City's most impressive museums. But when she - along with a charming intern/budding art curator named Joshua - is dismissed form the Vogue shoot taking place at the Frick Collection, she chances upon a series of hidden messages in the museum:  messages that will lead her and Joshua on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica's financial woes, but could finally reveal the truth behind a decades old murder in the infamous Frick family.

What do you think? Does this sound like a fabulous plot line? I will let you know when I write a review of the book. There is one character name that caught my attention. Lillian Carter. I may be dating myself when I say that this is the name of President Carter's mother. I remember seeing her in newspapers and magazines during the 1970s. Her image will most likely be in my mind as I read the book but note that, unfortunately, it is not a pretty picture.

London

Edward Rutherford writes historical fiction novels about big cities that span 1000 years. Each book is over 1000 pages and follows several families throughout the centuries. London, however, spans a period of 2000 years and tells the stories of six families. I previously read Rutherford's China and loved it.  In my mind, Rutherford is the James Michener of the 21st century.

London begins with the birth of the Thames River and quickly moves to 54 BCE, capturing the life of Segovax, a man with slightly webbed hands and a flash of white hair on the front of his head. This description of him will be carried forward by his descendants. Segovax is the ancestor of the Ducket and Dogget families, who are fictional families in the novel. There are several historical figures who also appear in the story such as Julius Caesar, Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry VIII and William Shakespeare. We also see the rise of chivalry and the Crusades. In addition, we read about the Norman Conquest of England and the Great Fire of London as well as the Blitz during WWII. 

London is much more than a history book. The reader is given a slice of what life was like for London's residents from its beginnings to the current time period. Not knowing anything about the city during times before Christ, I learned how people dealt with marital and sexual matters, trade and also the type of clothing that they wore. We get all of this information for each time period. In addition, we read what life was like when the Romans, Celts, Saxons, Danes and Normans arrived. It seems to me that people just wanted to go about their lives as best they could when invaders came to their shores. No one really cared who was in power. People just wanted jobs and to be able to feed their families. It was interesting, too, to read about why and how the Tower of London was constructed. The building of St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey is also covered but there was a greater emphasis on the Tower.

I would have to say that the Middle Ages was covered in more detail than other eras. However, the Middle Ages covers 800 years of history. I was surprised that more contemporary eras such as the Victorian Era was not written about in great detail. As far as characters go, I loved reading about Chaucer's life in particular. He is introduced as a friend of one of the main families.  He becomes a godfather to one of the kids before he became famous for his writing. 

There is so much more to say about this book. I absolutely LOVED it and can't wait to read Rutherford's novel on Paris next. I am happily rating this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #8

This week's Can't Wait Wednesday is about Ruth Heald's newest novel The New Girl. It was published last month on January 20, 2022 and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of it. Heald is one of my newest favorite authors. I read The Wedding and I Know Your Secret and both were fantastic. She writes psychological thrillers that end with a bang.

In The New Girl Sophia moves to a new city in order to escape her past. She brings with her only a small bag of possessions. Soon after arriving she lands her dream job, a beautiful home and a fantastic boyfriend. Sophia begins to think that she can finally trust people again and feels safe for the first time in a long while. However, she starts hearing odd noises during the night and has a nagging feeling that someone is near her door. Sophia then finds a dress hidden behind her wardrobe. After she wears it to work the atmosphere around her chills instantly.

You can feel the tension in the story just from the publisher's summary. I already feel a little scared and plan on reading this one during daylight. 

Never

Ken Follett is well known for his historical fiction tomes but in this new novel he has given us a political thriller that takes place in Chad, Beijing, Pyongyang, Soeul, North Africa, the Middle East and Washington DC.  It is about the beginning of WWIII and is narrated by several characters: Paulette Green is the U. S. President, Chang Kai is a Chinese spy for Homeland Security, Tamara Levit works for the CIA at the American Embassy in N'Djamena, Chad, Kiah is a Chad citizen, and Abdul also works for the CIA as he travels throughout the Middle East. Within the book's 804 pages the author aims to show us how WWIII can start without any one nation actually escalating any of its military activities.

The publisher's summary:

A shrinking oasis in the Sahara Desert; a stolen US Army drone; an uninhabited Japanese island; and one country's secret stash of deadly chemical poisons: all these play roles in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Struggling to prevent the outbreak of world warfare a young woman intelligence officer; a spy working undercover with jihadists; a brilliant Chinese spymaster; and Pauline herself, beleaguered by a populist rival for the next presidential election.  Never . . . is full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and delivers a visceral, heartpounding read that transports readers to the brink of the unimaginable. 

I expected alot from this novel given the author's reputation. However, I found that parts of the book were a little dull. It started out well and ended with a bang but the middle was excruciatingly slow. I think if Follett cut the page count by one third this would have been a fantastic read. The parts that I feel are dull have scenes that show the foreign policy of several nations in action. It reflects on their ability to act diplomatically in a crisis which is important for Follett to show whether war is escalating. However, it was boring. Certainly these subplots could have been written more skillfully.

The Chad setting was deftly handled. I could feel the effects of the high temperature even though I am currently freezing in my hometown. The poverty and starvation of the people was portrayed adroitly. Their sense of grief was captured perfectly and I felt so bad about their predicament. The choices they had for survival were dim.

The politics of the U.S. and China were displayed well. Here the reader learns what goes on behind the scenes when nations are determining what course of action to take in a given moment of time. Faulty ideas, and some correct ones too, regarding why world leaders will react in a particular way is dramatized toward the end of the story and gives the novel it's suspenseful ending. 

Follett achieved his goal of showing how war can be escalated by countries without officially escalating their military activities. That was magnificent and gives pause to readers. The boring bits were unfortunate. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Realist

Israeli cartoonish Asaf Hanuka wrote the weekly Realist comic in 2010. It is a collection of autobiographical comic strips that were originally published in the Israeli newspaper Calcalist.  These single page comic strips explore Hanuka's home life, art job as well as his medical and financial issues. The pressure of life in a country with alot of civil unrest is also shown. The comic strips were finally put together in this 192 page book in 2015 and was translated into English.

Hanuka writes about problems that many of us have gone through: having to move ASAP because of the sale of his home, not connecting with his son, avoiding family by always being on the phone, having a distant marriage, dealing with technology advances and his personal feelings of insecurity. I found it difficult at times to read. It took awhile to figure out that these were separate comic strips that were put together in a book. There is no notice given to the reader defining that book as such. However, the illustrations were gorgeous. 

It does pose a question:  is the glass half full or half empty.  I have mixed feelings about the book but perhaps my problem with it is that it is a collection of single page comic strips. That is nothing to fault Hanuka over. 3 out of 5 stars.

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.