Dinner Party

Dinner Party is the debut novel of Irish author Sarah Gilmartin. I selected the book for the What's In a Name Challenge's celebration category. It was published on March 7, 2023 by Pushkin Press.

The publisher's summary:  

A riveting, beautifully written, and poignant coming-of-age story about the heartrending complications of sibling relationships and the trauma of family secrets, perfect for fans of Kate Atkinson, Maggie O’Farrell, and Anne Enright.

Kate has taught herself to be careful, to be meticulous.

To mark the anniversary of a death in the family, she plans a dinner party - from the fancy table settings to the perfect Baked Alaska waiting in the freezer. Yet by the end of the night, old tensions have flared, the guests have fled, and Kate is spinning out of control.

But all we have is ourselves, her father once said, all we have is family.

Set between the 1990s and the present day, from a farmhouse in Carlow to Trinity College, Dublin, Dinner Party is a dark, sharply observed debut told with sharp, elegant humour that thrillingly unravels into family secrets and tragedy.

I had a hard time maintaining interest in this novel. It started out great with a chapter about Kate and her twin Eileen in the 1990s before Eileen passed away. The story then shifted to the present with the dinner that Kate hosted in Eileen's memory. 

The characters were dull. I felt no attachment to any of them. Kate's mother could have been a wonderful villain.  Mom was self-centered and was constantly criticizing her kids. While she gave them the best she could afford, Mom was physically and emotionally abusive.

The story is told from Kate's perspective. The reader slowly understands that she has an eating disorder. If this would be a trigger for you then you will want to avoid Dinner Party.  The plot premise is a good one and if the book was written entirely in the present it could have been fantastic. It's slow pace is not helpful for the reader either.

Dinner Party was a miss for me. I am rating it 2 out of 5 stars.

Terror in Topaz

Terror in Topaz is the 4th and final installment of Alison Stuart's Harriet Gordon Mystery Series. It is set in 1920s Singapore and features amateur sleuth Harriet Gordon. Harriet volunteers her time at brother Julian's school for boys but after her suffragette past became known, she was fired.

The publisher's summary:  

Singapore 1910: Harriet Gordon has been dismissed from the job she loved and finds herself cast adrift. When her brother receives an invitation to visit a prestigious school in Kuala Lumpur, she and Julian decide to leave Singapore behind for a few days, but their pleasant visit takes a dark turn when a visitor to the school is shot dead on the front steps of the headmaster’s bungalow.

After being suspended from the Straits Settlements Police, Inspector Robert Curran has disappeared on a personal quest to find a missing girl, but his suspension is not all it appears and he receives secretive orders to investigate the mysterious Topaz Club, which seems to be at the center of high-level corruption within the colonial government of Malaya.

The uninvestigated death of a woman with links to the Topaz Club brings Harriet and Curran together in a determination to shut down the notorious establishment for good.

But a devious criminal stands in the way and it is going to take Harriet and Curran all their resources to bring justice for the victims of the Topaz Club and in doing so, find what it is they have been looking for in each other.

I loved this series and am sad it has ended. A prequel to Singapore Sapphire was published in August 2023. Umbrella tells the story of Harriet's earlier life. It is just over 50 pages in length. 

The setting for Terror in Topaz moves from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Many times when a series author changes the setting, the story suffers. This did not happen here. The plot and writing are superb. It was everything I expected and more. The relationship between Harriet and Inspector Curran grew to be a romantic one. Brother Julian's felt his career was in flux and we see him pondering his options. His usual straightlaced demeanor changes to a softer one. With all of this character growth it is difficult to accept that there is nowhere for the series to continue.

The Kuala Lumpur setting did not seem much different than Singapore. It had the usual clubs and mansions where the British sat for tea on their verandas. Both places share a climate with oppressive heat and the author has shared photographs of both of them on her Pinterest page. If you want to learn more about these novels I recommend checking out the Pinterest page. 

Terror in Topaz is a relaxing read. Historical mystery fans will enjoy it. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Party on Laurel Street

I discovered author Ruth Heald last year and love her fast paced psychological thrillers. The Party on Laurel Street was published in June 2023 and I had to get a copy as soon as I heard about it. It did not disappoint. It is an unputdownable thriller with a shocking ending.

The publisher's summary:  

The party on Laurel Street was meant to be a celebration, of neighbours coming together as friends. But as I look at the shocked faces around me and the wine glass smashed on the floor, I know that our perfect community will never be the same.

I can’t stop thinking about the look on Gabbie’s face when she discovered what her husband had done. Her perfect life, shattered in an instant. She ran from the party as fast as she could but not before locking eyes with my own husband, Luke.

I try to think nothing of it. Gabbie’s probably just had enough, and Luke was being kind and concerned. She’ll be back soon…

But days later, my mind is racing. Gabbie is officially missing. And Luke was the last person to see her alive.

I try to help with the search, but deep down, I am terrified. Though not because of my husband… But because this isn’t the first time someone close to me has gone missing. Gabbie knows what happened all those years ago. And I know that if she isn’t found soon, then my secret is no longer safe.

So as I think back on all the faces at our perfect party on Laurel Street, I have to ask, is someone making me pay for what happened all those years ago? Will I be next to disappear? Or can I find Gabbie before it’s too late?

This story is one wild ride. I was hooked from the first page all the way through the end. Heald's books are always extremely fast paced and Party is no different. In fact, I would say that her stories are the fastest paced among all current authors. The possible whodunnits that I was looking at throughout the story were all wrong. The reveal of the killer was a total surprise and made for a satisfying ending. 

The setting is one street:  Laurel Street. The reader learns that it is not what it appears to be. On its face, Laurel Street is inhabited by wealthy people living in exquisite mansions. However, there is a darkness obscuring the facade. The reader feels it from the start of the story. While there is a scary wooded area surrounding the street, the houses also seem to be covered with gloom. The characters living here all have pasts that they want to hide from each other, furthering the mystery of the novel.

The Party on Laurel Street is fantastic. Mystery and thriller lovers will definitely want to read it. 5 out of 5 stars.

2024 Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge

Ready for another year of mysterious months and dangerous days? Bev at the My Reader's Block blog will be sponsoring the 2024 edition of the Calendar of Crime Challenge and I will be participating again.  This mystery-based challenge allows readers to include any mystery regardless of publication date. If it falls in a mystery category (crime fiction/detective novel/police procedural/suspense/thriller/spy & espionage/hard-boiled/cozy/etc.), then it counts and it does not matter if it was published in 1894 or 2024.  

  

The Challenge Rules

1)    The challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2024. All books should be read during this time period. Sign up at any time. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge. Then sign up via the form below and please make the url link to your challenge post and not your home page. If you don't have a blog, links to an online list (Goodreads, Library Thing, etc.) devoted to this challenge are acceptable OR you may skip that question.

2)    All books must be mysteries. Humor, romance, supernatural elements (etc.) are all welcome, but the books must be mysteries/crime/detective novels first.

3)    Twelve books, one representing each month, are required for a complete challenge. You may find the spreadsheet with monthly categories HERE. Click on the 2024 tab at bottom. 

4)    To claim a book, it must fit one of the categories for the month you wish to fulfill. Unless otherwise specified, the category is fulfilled within the actual story. for instance, if you are claiming the book for December and want to use "Christmas" as the category, then Christmas figure in some in the plot. Did someone poison the plum pudding? Did Great-Uncle Whozit invite all the family home for Christmas so he could tell them he plans to change his will?

5)    The "wild card" book is exactly that. If July is your birth month (as mine is), then for category #9 you may read any mystery book you want. It does not have to connect with July in any way--other than a July baby chose it. The other eleven months, you must do the alternate category #9 if you want to fulfill that slot.

6)    Chinese Zodiac: Animal must be important to the book in some way. Examples: animal name appears in title (stand-alone, not part of another word); animal itself is important to the story; animal appears on cover; important character is associated with the animal (nickname--for instance, owns one as a pet, etc.) OR book may have been published in a year that corresponds to the Zodiac year.

7)    Books may only count for one month and one category, but they may count for other challenges.  If it could fulfill more than one category or month, then you are welcome to change it at any time prior to the final wrap-up.

8)    Books do not have to be read during the month for which they qualify. So--if you're feeling like a little "Christmas in July" (or May or...), then feel free to read your book for December whenever the mood strikes.

9)    A wrap-up post/comment/email will be requested that should include a list of books read and what category they fulfilled. [Example: January: The House of Sudden Sleep by John Hawk (original pub date January 1930)]

10)   If you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media to log a book, please use #CalendarOfCrime2024. 

2024 Color Coded Reading Challenge

The Color Coded Reading Challenge is returning in 2024!  I love this challenge and will be participating next year.  The categories will be more open.  The color may either be named in the title or it may appear as the dominant color for the cover of the book. For "implies color" the image implying color should dominate the cover--for instance a large rainbow, a field of flowers, or the image of a painter. Get ready for a rainbow of reading in 2024. 

General Rules:

1)    The Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2024 and any book read after January 1 may count regardless of when you sign up. You may sign-up any time.

2)    Read nine books in the following categories:

1. A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue in the title/on the cover.

2. A book with "Red" or any shade of Red in the title/on the cover.

3. A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow in the title/on the cover.

4. A book with "Green" or any shade of Green in the title/on the cover.

5. A book with "Brown" or any shade of Brown in the title/on the cover.

6. A book with "Black" or any shade of Black in the title/on the cover.

7. A book with "White" or any shade of White in the title/on the cover.

8. A book with any other color in the title/on the cover (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, etc).

9. A book with a word/image that implies color in the title/on the cover (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Shadow, Paint, Ink, etc).

3)    Crossovers with other challenges are fine.

4)    To Sign Up please fill in the form below. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge on your site and enter the url link. You may also enter a link to a Goodreads or Library Thing list, Instagram, etc. If you can't use the form for any reason, you may also sign up by commenting below. 

5)    If you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media to log a book, please use #ColorCoded2024.

6)    At the beginning of the new year, posts for review links for each color category and the sidebar image will be updated to the new challenge links.

2024 Reading By the Numbers Challenge

This will be the third year for the Reading by the Numbers Challenge on the My Reader's Block blog. This is the reading challenge at its most basic--just track everything you read. Anything counts--graphic novels or comic books, hard copy, e-books, audio novels, etc. If it is a book, it counts. Books with numbers in the title are not required. Athough the covers shown in the challenge image are all mysteries, you may read from any and all genres that interest you.

Challenge Rules

1)    The challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2024.

2)    There are no pre-set challenge levels. You decide on your personal goal.

3)    Books may be used concurrently with other "number" reading challenges (such as the Goodreads Challenge) or with any other challenge.

4)    A blog and reviews of the books are not required to participate, but if you have a blog, please post your sign-up for the challenge and link the post in the form below. You are also welcome to link up other media sites where you log process (Instagram; Goodreads; etc.). 

5)    If you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media to log a book, please use #ReadingByNumbers2024.

My personal goal is to read 100 books.

Book of the Month: October

My best book for this month is Kevin Butler's House Aretoli.  This book is a wonderful journey back to fourteenth century Venice where the reader is introduced to the Aretoli family. They are a merchant family of five. The story, though, is primarily about the relationships between the two eldest brothers Flavio and Niccolo.  The decisions that they make and the consequences of those decisions affect the entire family.  The sibling rivalry between the two brothers goes beyond the simple and also extends to Venetian government officials. Medieval Venice is one of my favorite settings. I love the intrigue of the era as well as the dresses that the rich ladies wore. It makes me jealous that I am sitting here in jeans when I  could be in satin and velvet. 

The book is in the running for the 2023 Chaucer book award short list.  I highly recommend it to historical fiction fans.

Book Cover of the Month: October

Nada Orlic designed this gorgeous book cover for Kevin Butler's novel. She has been designing book covers for the past ten years for her private business Erelisdesign.com and has a design portfolio of 1,300 books. Her goal as a designer is to make a book stand out in a row of other books at a shop and help to make a bond between the book and the reader at the first sight by capturing the most unique elements and key messages of the book.  

Nada's studio is located in her native Belgrade, Serbia.  She holds a printmaking and book design master's degree from the University of Arts in Belgrade. 

Traitor King

On December 11, 1936 the King of England, Edward VIII, gave up his crown for Wallis Simpson, an American who was divorced twice.  Their courtship had been dogged by controversy and scandal, but with Edward's abdication he thought they could live happily ever after.  In this dual biography historian Andrew Lownie reveals the dramatic lives of both of the Windsors post-abdication. 

I was not surprised that the royal family shunned him. Edward embarrassed them not only by demanding to marry Wallis but also by befriending Adolf Hitler. It was fairly obvious that war with Germany was coming. However, Edward thought he could negotiate peace with Hitler. Edward was scarred by his participation in WWI and wanted to avoid war at any cost. He had a blind spot with Hitler, though, who attempted to recruit Edward to his cause. The family and the government believed that he was incompetent to be king and I believe that is the real reason they forced the issue with Wallis.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor traveled from sumptuously appointed mansions in the south of France to luxurious residences in Palm Beach. Research shows, however, that they were spoiled, selfish people, obsessed with their image, and revelling in adulterous affairs with people of both sexes. I was surprised that they never paid for any of their expenses, hoping the royal family would pay the bills. The reason this is surprising is because Edward held assets worth one million dollars. Both were bisexual and the author tells us who they were with and when. Alot of the research was obtained from letters the author found.

If all this was not enough of a scandal, the Duke, as Governor of the Bahamas, tried to shut down an investigation into the murder of a close friend. No, these two do not appear to be as glamorous as we all once thought.

The book is a quick read and I enjoyed it. 5 out of 5 stars.

House Aretoli

I received an advanced review copy of House Aretoli last month from the author through Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club in exchange for an honest review. It is a story of medieval Venice, my favorite setting.  The novel is in the running for the short list of the 2023 Chaucer Book Awards for pre-1750s early historical fiction.   It will be published on October 23, 2023.  

The publisher's summary:  

1365, Venice, Italy. For generations, the merchants of House Aretoli have profited through faithful service to the Republic of Venice. Despite being only a minor senatorial family, they’ve established a reputation for reliability, fidelity, and ingenuity.

But the Aretoli are about to face the ultimate test. Caught up in a rebellion on Venice’s territory of Crete, young Niccolo Aretoli returns as a hero after saving the governor’s life and evacuating the loyal citizenry. Yet despite his new fame, not all is well in Venice. Niccolo’s beloved has been forced into marriage to safeguard her family from ruin. Fresh jealousies divide him from his brother Flavio. And traitorous senators and a seductive foreign agent threaten to divide and destroy his family as part of an even darker design.

From brothel to Senate, on land and sea, through marriage and loss, the sons and daughters of House Aretoli struggle against spies, treachery, and assassination. The seeds of discord are already growing, and they threaten to turn sibling against sibling. Chased on land and sea by enemies and betrayed by his closest allies, Niccolo must overcome a conspiracy that threatens his survival, the lives of his family, and the very existence of the republic itself.

 

I was expecting a historical mystery story but after reading the publisher's summary above I realized that was a faulty expectation. The book is more historical fiction than mystery, although there are mysteries that need to be resolved in the plot. This is not to say that I was bored. I enjoyed reading about the Aretoli family dynamics but was expecting Flavio and Niccolo to be as close as they were before Niccolo went off to fight in Crete. This was probably not realistic given that Flavio married Niccolo's girlfriend while he was away.  As the oldest son, Flavio should have been more assertive than Niccolo.  Instead, Flavio was intimidated by his younger brother and carried a lot of angst over their relationship post Crete. He eventually became an angry and vindictive person which I did not see coming.  Niccolo kept his emotions to himself and found ways to keep busy in order to avoid expressing them.  He is definitely the hero of the story. Their relationship, though, is what this story is ultimately about.

Niccolò had the support of his father Angelo.  Angelo saw too many faults in his oldest son and preferred that Niccolo run the family business. He helped him excel in the Senate. This is what made Flavio so jealous and he consequently became a vindictive man.  There were two sisters and another brother in the Aretoli family.  Youngest brother Marco did not involve himself in the family business, preferring to study painting. Oldest sister Asparia was the most politically astute member of the family and I loved hearing her tell the boys what was really happening in Venice and how they should handle the family’s interests.  Camilla, the baby of the family, rounds out the Aretoli cast of characters. 

The family has some amazing characters.  With the Venetian families of Dandolo, Brattori, Feratollo and Madina offering conflict for them, I think this would make a great series.

4 out of 5 stars. 

A Polluted Font

A Polluted Font is the 16th installment of the Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon series by Mel Starr.  I have read every book in the series and all of them were captivating stories. A Polluted Font is no different. I loved it!

The publisher's summary:  

When Hugh and Kate's new-born son is taken to the church to be baptized, they are astounded to find that the locked font is completely dry. The possibility of a leak is quickly ruled out, and just as Hugh is beginning to wonder if there may be a sinister explanation for the stolen holy water, Fr Robert is found lying motionless by the rood screen in a pool of blood . . .

Meanwhile, parliament has passed a poll tax, stipulating everyone above the age of 14 is to be taxed equally. Folk are soon scrambling to find the money to pay and, inevitably, unscrupulous elements in society see an opportunity to feed off people’s desperation and make some cash . . . But what connection can there possibly between this and events at Bampton?

After reading the first couple of chapters I thought maybe the plot wasn't up to par with earlier books in the series. It seemed the only crime for Hugh to solve was the theft of holy water from the baptismal font at St. Beornwald's Church.  The presumption was that the water would being used for the black arts. When Father Robert was found near death in the sanctuary, I was excited. I hoped he would die and there would be a murder to solve. That sounds mean but Father Robert survived not only the attack to his head but he survived Hugh's brain surgery. I thoroughly enjoyed how Hugh removed a blood clot under the skull as well as remove a loose bone that he was not sure where it belonged. He operated with the limited knowledge of medicine in the medieval era but also used common sense to treat his patient. Wine was used as the antiseptic to clean the head both before and after the surgery. Lo and behold Father Robert recovers!  

Hugh’s investigation of the theft and attempted murder were one and the same. If he discovered who was stealing the holy water he would discover who whacked Father Robert over the head. Hugh had to  travel on horseback, usually at night, over unsafe roads where robbers were prevalent. However, with the death of the king, the coronation of his 10 year old heir Richard brought more crooks out in full force. There were frequent all night watches at the church to catch the thief but the thief was wily. He continued to steal holy water and not get caught. Until he did. 

You gotta love a character who doesn't know what to do with a bone inside a brain so he throws it out. The Hugh de Singleton series is a fun read and I highly recommend it to historical mystery fans. I am rating A Polluted Font 5 out of 5 stars.

Supper Club

This cute comic by Jackie Morrow is entertaining and enjoyable. The characters in Supper Club are high school seniors who want to spend the most amount of time together as possible before they graduate. The girls cannot agree on whether to get involved with sports or a school club so they invent the supper club for themselves only. At each meeting they are supposed to bring one dish to share with everyone else.  Nora has taken the lead for the group but they alternate meeting at each other's homes.

The publisher's summary: 

Nora, Lili, and Iris are seniors at Seaside High. Their differing schedules and mounting extracurriculars inspire the girls to form a secret club where they can hang without sacrificing their future aspirations. Enter Supper Club, the delicious solution to their problems. When life starts to crumble like a cookie under the girls' feet, they rely on comfort food to hold it together. Can Supper Club endure life's most challenging recipes without burning to a crisp? 

The characters in this story are believable. They accurately portray how high school seniors behave and the dialogue between them is spot on. Each of them has the usual parental issues to deal with. Some do a better job than others. What the adult reader gets is a trip down memory lane. My own school experiences matched what Nora, Iris and Lili experienced. The comic strip panels were colored with primary colors and I love how the author showed their hair flying in the air when they were frazzled.

I received a free copy of the book by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I am happy to say Supper Club is a fantastic read. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Mistress of Bhatia House

This book is the 4th Perveen Mistry 1920s India mystery. I have read every one of them and can honestly say that all of them were fantastic. Our main character, Perveen Mistry, is a lawyer but cannot represent clients in court because women are not allowed to do so. She uses her education by drawing up wills and contracts and works at her father’s law firm. She is allowed to mix with British aristocrats who are stationed in India but may not enter their clubs because of her dark skin. Perveen has been able to build a life for herself despite the restrictions she must abide by.

The publisher's summary:

India, 1922: Perveen Mistry is the only female lawyer in Bombay, a city where child mortality is high, birth control is unavailable and very few women have ever seen a doctor.

Perveen is attending a lavish fundraiser for a new women’s hospital specializing in maternal health issues when she witnesses an accident. The grandson of an influential Gujarati businessman catches fire—but a servant, his young ayah, Sunanda, rushes to save him, selflessly putting herself in harm’s way. Later, Perveen learns that Sunanda, who’s still ailing from her burns, has been arrested on trumped-up charges made by a man who doesn’t seem to exist.  

Perveen cannot stand by while Sunanda languishes in jail with no hope of justice. She takes Sunanda as a client, even inviting her to live at the Mistry home in Bombay’s Dadar Parsi colony. But the joint family household is already full of tension. Perveen’s father worries about their law firm taking so much personal responsibility for a client, and her brother and sister-in-law are struggling to cope with their new baby. Perveen herself is going through personal turmoil as she navigates a taboo relationship with a handsome former civil service officer. 

When the hospital’s chief donor dies suddenly, Miriam Penkar, a Jewish-Indian obstetrician, and Sunanda become suspects. Perveen’s original case spirals into a complex investigation taking her into the Gujarati strongholds of Kalbadevi and Ghatkopar, and up the coast to Juhu Beach, where a decadent nawab lives with his Australian trophy wife. Then a second fire erupts, and Perveen realizes how much is at stake. Has someone powerful framed Sunanda to cover up another crime? Will Perveen be able to prove Sunanda’s innocence without endangering her own family?

The mystery to be solved was not apparent in the first few chapters. It wasn't revealed until a third into the story. While this would normally upset me, the setting descriptions and character dialogue were interesting enough to keep me glued to the pages. Two thirds into the story I became bored. Conflict between Perveen and other characters, seemingly unrelated to the plot, was prominent and it wasn't as interesting as the beginning pages. Sunanda’s innocence or guilt was not fleshed out well as the author concentrated on using her in a cover-up of another crime.  As for the mistress herself, her role was not discussed much. Given that the title of the book was about the mistress, I expected more.

I am disappointed with The Mistress of Bhatia House. Let's hope the next installment of the series will be better. Two out of 5 stars.