The Importance of Pawns

I have not read any books written by Keira Morgan before.  In fact, I never heard of her until I was searching for a book title with a chess piece in the title for the What's in a Name Reading Challenge.  Two date, she has published two novels and a third will be published soon.  Morgan writes historical fiction and does it well.  The Importance of Pawns was a satisfying read.

The publisher's summary:

Step into the lavish world of sixteenth-century French court, where danger lurks beneath the glittering facade. In this enthralling tale, Claude, a queen in name only, must navigate treacherous waters to outwit her rival, win her husband to her side, save her sister, and assert her power. Amidst the backdrop of a dying queen, Claude and young Renée find themselves as heiresses to the coveted duchy of Brittany.

Their guardian, Countess Louise, harbors envy and schemes to steal their inheritance. With cunning and ambition, she plans to marry off Claude to her own son, seizing the opportunity presented by her unexpected guardianship. But standing in Countess Louise's way is Baronne Michelle, a devoted protector of the princesses and their interests.

As political tensions escalate, the futures of Princess Renée and the Baronne hang precariously, threatened by the countess's machinations. Will timid Claude unravel the treacherous intrigues woven by Countess Louise? Can she outmaneuver her and safeguard young Princess Renée? And most importantly, will she find the courage to defend those she loves?

"The Importance of Pawns" is a gripping historical fiction novel inspired by real events and characters. It weaves a timeless tale of envy, power, and intrigue, where loyalty and the strength of women's friendships are put to the ultimate test. From revenge and deceit to love and bravery, this mesmerizing story will hold you captive until the very last page.

Join in this remarkable journey where history comes alive. Discover the indomitable spirit of Claude and her fight for justice. Immerse yourself in a world where alliances are fragile, secrets abound, and the strength of one woman's resolve can change everything.

The story takes place in 16th century Renaissance France. I enjoyed reading about the sumptuous banquets, gowns and chateaux apartments of this era.  I had not heard about any of these characters in history before and believe that Ms. Morgan is the first author to write about them.  In this respect, she made a great choice to write about them.

So, who were the pawns in the story?  Just about every character is a pawn of someone else.  In general, the ladies were pawns of the men but they were the greatest manipulators of events and overshadowed the men.  Louise and Michelle were the biggest manipulators but they themselves were manipulated by others. Princess Claude and her young sister Renee were the biggest pawns in this story. Claude eventually overcame her timidity in the last chapter. Renee was too young to gain mastery over her life.

The book ended abruptly with Claude entering her confinement. It was an odd place to end a story.  The reader does not know if she gave birth to a boy or girl of whether the child lived.  Even if there was a sequel to this novel, this was still a weird place to end. Thus, I am rating the book 4 out of 5 stars.    

2024 Net Galley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge

I am a new member of Net Galley so I thought I would join this Challenge. The Socrates Book Reviews blog is currently hosting this challenge. This challenge was created by Emily@Falling for YA, then moved to Katrina@Bookish Things & More (site no longer available), then moved to Reading Between the Pages and now resides at Socrates Book Reviews.  I am joining at the Bronze level which requires that 10 books be read. 

The challenge rules:

1)    The challenge runs from January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024. There is no deadline to sign up.

2)    Everyone is welcome to participate – you do not need to have a blog.

3)    Any genre, release date, length, etc. counts – it just needs to be a book from NetGalley or Edelweiss.

4)    Books can count for more than one challenge that you are participating in.

5)    The first day of each month the challenge host will post a monthly “link-up” for you to link your reviews. If you forget one month, no worries, just catch up the next month.

The Levels

Bronze – 10 Books

Silver – 25 Books

Gold – 50 Books

Platinum– 75 Books

Diamond – 100 Books

To sign-up:

1)    Make a blog post stating the level you intend to read in 2024 and link that blog post to the Challenge's sign-up page.  The first Link should be your name, the url should be the direct link to that blog post, not your main blog page.

2)    If you do not have a blog then state your reading level in the comments below and how you will be sharing your book reviews.

Thanksgiving Treachery

Tonya Kappes' Thanksgiving Treachery is her 7th holiday cozy mystery. It was published earlier this month on November 2, 2023.  The story takes place in the quaint town of Holiday Junction, where traditions run deep and festivities are the heart of the community.  When the prominent Harden family is struck by tragedy, everyone becomes a suspect. It’s up to journalist, Violet Rhinehammer of the Junction Journal, to unearth the truths buried beneath layers of deception and old grudges.  As Violet delves deeper, she discovers secrets that entwine the art district with the village in ways she never imagined.  As Holiday Junction gears up for its Friendsgiving festivities, one question lingers—can the town’s cherished unity withstand the weight of treachery?

It took me a few pages to become interested in the story.  After two murders had taken place I was excited about the prospect of a serial killer being on the loose.  However, I was disappointed with the investigation of the murders.  The police did not do any investigation at all.  It was 100% investigated by Violet under her responsibilities as a journalist.  Her interviews with the many characters in the story was the investigation. Violet advised the police when she made discoveries but in the end, there was no arrest.  The reveal of the whodunnit in the last chapter was satisfying but did not make up for the problems of having too many characters to keep track of and corny place names and character names that I found annoying.

1 out of 5 stars.

2024 Cruisin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge

I will be rejoining the Cruisin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge next year.  While I do not read many cozies, this is still one of my favorite challenges.  I have several favorite authors who write this genre and whatever they publish, I read.  I will be joining the challenge by reading any cozy mystery of my choice and at the Snoop level which requires that 10 books be read during the year.  The rules are as follows:

1)    The challenge runs the 2024 calendar year.

2)    You do not have to choose your books in advance.  If you decide to do so, please make a list of the books that you plan on reading and add them in your post about this challenge.

3)    Books can be in any format:  audio, paper or ebook.

4)    You do not have to write a review and can add in the comment section of the challenge host's post the name of the books that you have read.  If you have a blog, link the review the the challenge host's review page. 

5)    You can either read any cozy mysteries of your choice or choose one book from each of these sub-genres:

    a)    culinary

    b)    animal related

    c)    craft related

    d)    paranormal

    e)    based outside the U. S.

    f)    career based

    g)    travel mystery

    h)    historical mystery

    i)   one book form any sub-genre of your choice

The reading levels that you can join the challenge at are:

1)    Snoop:  read 10 books

2)    Investigator:  read 20 books

3)    Super Sleuth: read 30 books

4)    Sleuth Extraordinaire:  read 40 books

This is a fun challenge.  Please join me!

The Infadel Stain

I selected The Infadel Stain for the Color Coded Reading Challenge as something that denotes a color. When I spill food on my clothes it definitely changes its color so I thought this would fit the category. The book is a part of a new series by Miranda Carter. In this installment of the series, Blake and Avery investigate a serial killer who is stalking the streets of London.

The publisher's summary:  

London, 1841. Returned from their adventures in India, Jeremiah Blake and William Avery have both had their difficulties adapting to life in Victorian England. Moreover, time and distance have weakened the close bond between them, forged in the jungles of India. Then a shocking series of murders in the world of London’s gutter press forces them back together.

The police seem mysteriously unwilling to investigate, then connections emerge between the murdered men and the growing and unpredictable movement demanding the right to vote for all. In the back streets of Drury Lane, among criminals, whores, pornographers, and missionaries, Blake and Avery must race against time to find the culprit before he kills again.

But what if the murderer is being protected by some of the highest powers in the land?

I preferred the India setting in the first book to the wet and gray London we have in this book. India is exotic but London is rather dull. The investigation into the whodunnit seemed less interesting because the India setting gave me more options for villains and red herrings.  Moving the characters out of India was a mistake in my mind.

The setting change also affected Blake and Avery's relationship and their ability to resolve clues.  While they were in India, Avery needed Blake’s fluency in multiple languages and his extensive knowledge of the cultures. In London, Blake seems to have fewer investigative tools. 

This installment of the series was a miss for me and I will not be reading the series any further. 2 out of 5 stars.

Black River

I have never read any books written by Matthew Spencer and, in fact, never heard of him.  While I was searching for a book with the word "black" in the title for the Color Coded Reading Challenge I found Black River.  It is a serial killer story that takes place in Australia.  Black River is the first book in a duology and it is the author's debut novel.

During a stifling summer in Sydney, the body of a chaplain’s daughter is found wrapped in black plastic on the deserted grounds of an elite boarding school. Eager to find the so-called Blue Moon Killer before he strikes again, Detective Sergeant Rose Riley forms an uneasy alliance with Adam Bowman, a journalist with a valuable, and unsettling, link to the school’s history. As Riley’s investigation takes her deep into the secret lives of Sydney’s prominent citizens, Bowman delves into the darkest places of his own childhood for answers.

I did not care for this book at all. There were too much setting and character descriptions. Also, I did not understand the Australian slang. Riley was always taking panadol and after seeing the word 4 times I went to Wikipedia to find out what it was. It's Tylenol. The book is advertised as "dark, gritty, tense and atmospheric."  I see the dark part but not the tension. It was boring.

I am sad to have to give a low rating of 1 out of 5 stars. The author spent alot of time writing the story but it just didn't suit me.

Stacking the Shelves #29

Cleo Coyle's Bulletproof Barista will be published next week on November 14, 2023.  She is one of my favorite authors so I have pre-ordered a copy of the book.  Cleo Coyle is the pen name of the husband and wife writing team of Alice Alfonso and Marc Cerasini and together they write the Coffeehouse Mystery Series.  I have read every book in the series and all were fantastic. Below is the publisher's summary of installment #20 of the series:

When a film crew’s location shoot delivers an actual shooting, Clare Cosi finds herself at the scene of a true crime in this showstopping entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mysteries from New York Timesbestselling author Cleo Coyle.

Only Murders in Gotham, the smash-hit streaming program, is famous for filming in authentic New York locations and using real New Yorkers as extras. For its second season, they’ve chosen to spotlight the century-old Village Blend and its quirky crew of baristas. Shop manager and master roaster Clare Cosi is beyond thrilled, especially when her superb bulletproof coffee lands her a craft services contract for the production.
 
Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the landmark shop, reveals an old kinship with the star of the show, comedian Jerry Sullivan. Now a Hollywood legend, Jerry frequented the Blend during his early years performing in Greenwich Village comedy clubs. But the past may hold more than nostalgia for Jerry. Suspicious accidents begin plaguing his shoot. Then a real bullet is fired from a stage gun, and Clare becomes convinced something sinister is afoot.
 
While Jerry’s production moves to exciting new locations, Clare keeps the coffee flowing—and her investigation going—even as a murderer lurks in the wings. But can she root out the rotten player in this Big Apple production before the lights go out on her?

If you haven't read this series yet I highly recommend it.  While each book can be read as a standalone, I suggest that the books be read in order because there is a lot of character growth in each installment of the series.  Give it a try!

2024 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge

I am rejoining the Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge next year. Researching books that fit the key words has been a pleasure for me each month.  The rules are easy: 

1)    The challenge runs the 2024 calendar year. 

2)    Read a book each month with one (or more) of the key words in the titl

3)    Variations of key words are permissible. For example:  Drown, drowned, and Drowning are all OK for the word "drown."

4)    Post your reviews on any platform using the hashtag #keywordreadingchallenge.

5)    Follow @chapter_adventure on Instagram and Threads if you use these sites.

6)    Consider joining the challenge hosts Goodreads Group GXO Reading Challenges.

The key words for each month are as follows:

JAN– Secret, Heaven, True, House, Come, Only, Know, Winter⁠

⁠

FEB– Heir, Night, Bride, Down, Women, Hand, Teach, Guest⁠

⁠

MAR– Story, Hunt, Plot, City, You, Cry, Another, Paint⁠

⁠

APR– Darling, Funny, Familiar, Somewhere, List, Meet, Never, Word⁠

⁠

MAY– Library, Dark, Drown, Ex, Iron, Done, Love, Stranger⁠

⁠

JUN– Ink, Fragile, Road, Summer, Breath, Every, Push, Sorry⁠

⁠

JUL– Mine, Again, Honey, Paradise, Still, Club, Train, Legend⁠

⁠

AUG– School, Cut, Sky, Fate, Wing, Belong, Justice, Way⁠

⁠

SEP– Twice, World, Man, Quiet, Sweet, Hold, Shallow, Invisible⁠

⁠

OCT– Vampire, Here, Mist, Death, One, Missing, Bite, Witch⁠

⁠

NOV– Spice, Life, Hello, Keep, Truly, Couple, Joy, Young⁠

⁠

DEC– Snow, Season, Ice, Merry, White, Under, Mistletoe, Inn⁠

Sisters by the Sea

Sisters by the Sea consists of four short Amish fiction stories.  All are written by Wanda Brunstetter or a family member of hers.  Each story is about one of four sisters who move to Sarasota, Florida from Middlebury, Indiana. The book was published last month. 

My favorite story was the first. The Seashell Cake was written by Wanda E. Brunstetter and features Leora Lambright as the main character.  Leora is the first to leave home, seeking a warmer climate because she has seasonal affective disorder (SAD).  While on a winter holiday, roofer John Miller meets Leora in the bakery where she is expressing herself through cake decorating.  John has a successful roofing business in Clare, Michigan. The two are instantly attracted to each other and spend several days bike riding, fishing, playing shuffleboard, and trying local restaurants.  Leora, however, makes it clear she’ll never again live in the Midwest without explaining why.

 

The second story, The Beach Ball, was written by Jean Brunstetter.  This story features the youngest Lambright daughter, Violet.  Violet has always been a bit wild. She moves to Florida to live with her sister Leora as she seeks her independence and considers leaving the Amish way of life. Violet meets an Amish man named Levi but later meets a Mennonite man who competes for her attention.

 

Fragments of a Sand Dollar by Richelle Brunstetter is the third story. It was my least favorite. Here we have Francine Lambright who is heartbroken that her longtime boyfriend, Matthew, is thinking of leaving the Amish faith in order to become a missionary.  Their two year courtship ended abruptly after his decision.  Francine is ready to join the church, but her sister Leora invites her to Florida for an extended visit before taking the pledge of faith. While shell hunting at Lido Beach, Francine meets Lucas Hayes, and they soon begin seeing each other, despite him being an Englisher. When Matthew shows up in Pinecraft unexpectedly, Francine finds herself in a quandary.

 

The fourth story, A Sarasota Sunset, was written by Lorine Brunstetter Van Corbach.  Another sister, Alana Lambright, has suffered a series of unfortunate accidents and emotional traumas that have left her plagued by anxiety. She turns to art for peace and healing. While on a visit to Leora in Florida, she takes up seashell artwork and accepts a job in a gift shop. James Miller, a recent college graduate, meets Alana, and, due to his own past, he is initially turned off by the fact that she is Amish. Still he invites Alana on adventurous outings. Alana tries to tamp her anxiety to try the activities but fails and feels like it pushes James away.

Each story is 100 pages in length so they are quick reads. The expertise in writing that we have come to expect from the Brunstetter family was met once again with this book. It's fantastic. The writing style of each author is so similar that you cannot see any difference from one story to the next. If you like Amish fiction you should pick up the book.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Armor of Light

The Armor of Light is the 5th book in Ken Follett's Knightsbridge series. It is fantastic!  I read the book in one day even though it has 740 pages. With the Knightsbridge series now set in the early 1800s Armor is probably the last book. This makes me sad but how lucky we all have been for the opportunity to read these books.

The publisher's summary:

An epic continuation of the series that began with The Pillars of the Earth, The Armor of Light heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond. 

The Spinning Jenny was invented in 1770, and with that, a new era of manufacturing and industry changed lives everywhere within a generation. A world filled with unrest wrestles for control over this new world order: A mother’s husband is killed in a work accident due to negligence; a young woman fights to fund her school for impoverished children; a well-intentioned young man unexpectedly inherits a failing business; one man ruthlessly protects his wealth no matter the cost, all the while war cries are heard from France, as Napoleon sets forth a violent master plan to become emperor of the world. As institutions are challenged and toppled in unprecedented fashion, ripples of change ricochet through our characters’ lives as they are left to reckon with the future and a world they must rebuild from the ashes of war.

Over thirty years ago, Ken Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Now, with this electrifying addition to the Kingsbridge series we are plunged into the battlefield between compassion and greed, love and hate, progress and tradition. It is through each character that we are given a new perspective to the seismic shifts that shook the world in nineteenth-century Europe

Oh my! I cannot begin to talk about how good this book is.  The story spans thirty years. It opens with the sad story of a man who gets injured at work and later dies. His wife Sal and son Kit are part of this scene and they continue with the story until the very end. Sal is a strong female character and I would say she's the main character. As other characters are brought into the story Sal is always there. Her struggles are typical of those who lived during the start of the Industrial Revolution and it is she who came up with idea of unionizing the weavers of Knightsbridge. 

Weaving is the main trade in the book. We read about several changes in how weaving is performed over the years. It begins with hand work and becomes mechanized with newer and faster machines. I loved reading about the Methodists competing with the  Anglicans over church membership. All of the mill owners were Anglican but many of the workers were Methodist. The mill owners had no problem bribing and lying for a business advantage. The Methodists refused to compromise their beliefs for the bosses.  A daughter of a wealthy mill owner, Elsie, opened a Sunday School for kids by partnering with both churches and always fed them a meal. She was shrewd and would have been a better heir of her father’s company than her brother. But, of course, the women had to be kept in line.  Good versus evil is another theme for the novel.

Several Wars were covered including the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. I felt there was too much detail concerning battles with Napoleon's army near the end. A few pages could have been cut here to make the book shorter without taking away the personal achievements of the characters. With that said, I didn't want the story to end. 

The Armor of Light is a must read! I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

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.