The Merchant's Tale

P. K. Adams is one of my favorite authors. When I recently discovered that she had published a new book this past November, I couldn't wait to get a copy.  It did not disappoint. In this novel she has returned to the Polish and Russian setting that I love. The book was co-authored with C. P. Lesley.

The publisher's summary:

Karl Scharping, a twenty-eight-year-old merchant from Danzig, has one thing on his mind—the beautiful bride awaiting him in Moscow. A careless leap from his horse derails his plans, confining him to a monastery near the White Sea. Hobbling to the window on crutches, Karl looks out on a vast expanse of water glistening in the dawn light and gasps at the sight of an English merchantman at anchor in the bay. He has no idea how much trouble that ship carries in its wake.

When Richard Chancellor departs his native London to serve the interests of his Tudor king by locating a new passage to the spice-rich Orient, he does not expect to wind up in Muscovy—ruled by Tsar Ivan IV, known as “the Terrible,” and his Romanov in-laws. The Russians welcome Chancellor and his sailors to the Kremlin, although the foreigners’ unfamiliar language poses problems and accidents delay their journey south. Then they reach Moscow, and their problems really begin.

This was an enjoyable read. I loved the Russian court setting as well as memories of Poland that were foremost in Karl and Pyotr's minds. The reader gets to see Tsar Ivan as a young ruler, long before he became Ivan the Terrible. Here "Terrible" means that he was a great ruler. Russian prince Mikhail's home was also prominent as Selina worked there as a teacher for his children. It was an opulent castle so different from Pyotr and Selina's humble home. The customs of the English traders was another part of the setting. They had different clothing and different trading practices than the Russians. However, the harsh Russian weather was the backdrop of most of the story. 

Karl was a sympathetic character until he arrived in Moscow. His rigid personality became apparent in his dealings with his intended bride, Selina, as well as with the Russian court. He was not likable in this setting. Selina was an eighteen-year-old girl with romantic notions of marriage, especially after meeting Englishman Charles Anderson. Charles wooed Selina with poetry and frequently expressed his love for her. Karl had no idea how to do this and Selina did not want to marry him. Her brother arranged marriage to his buddy Karl and Selina tried to talk herself into marrying Karl. Pyotr was also a sympathetic character in the beginning of the story. As the plot moved to Moscow as the setting of the Englishmen meeting Ivan, it was obvious that Pyotr's talent as an interpreter was revealed as somewhat lacking. His biggest challenge here was a lack of confidence in himself. I loved the close relationship Selina had with her employer Vasilissa, Mikhail's wife. Vasilissa behaved as a friend rather than a boss and she was Selina's only female friend.

There is an air of mystery toward the end of the story when Charles died. It was determined that he was murdered and Mikhail did an investigation but came up with nothing. He thought Pyotr might be the killer but there was no proof. Selina, though, traps the killer into exposing himself when she questions the men when they are together. Selina is an incredibly strong person. For most of the story we are told that she is a submissive woman. We get that from Pyotr and Karl's conversations but they have not seen her in several years. What a surprise when they arrive in Moscow!

The Merchant's Tale is an entertaining story and historical fiction fans will love it. 5 out of 5 stars.

The President’s Wife

The President's Wife is a historical fiction account of the life of Edith Wilson. She married President Woodrow Wilson three years into his first term as President. She is most known for taking over his job after he suffered a stroke during his second term.  

The publisher's summary:

Edith Bolling Gault was widowed, preferring to fill her days with good friends and travel. But the enchanting courting of President Woodrow Wilson wins Edith over and she becomes the First Lady of the United States. The position is uncomfortable for the fiercely independent Edith, but she's determined to rise to the challenges of her new marriage—from the bloodthirsty press to the shadows of the first World War.

Warming to her new role, Edith is soon indispensable to her husband's presidency. She replaces the staff that Woodrow finds distracting, and discusses policy with him daily. Throughout the war, she encrypts top- secret messages and despite lacking formal education becomes an important adviser. When peace talks begin in Europe, she attends at Woodrow's side. But just as the critical fight to ratify the treaty to end the war and create a League of Nations in order to prevent another, Woodrow's always-delicate health takes a dramatic turn for the worse. In her determination to preserve both his progress and his reputation, Edith all but assumes the presidency herself.

Now, Edith must contend with the demands of a tumultuous country, the secrets of Woodrow's true condition, and the potentially devastating consequences of her failure. At once sweeping and intimate, The President's Wife is an astonishing portrait of a courageous First Lady and the sacrifices she made to protect her husband and her country at all costs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It has alot of minutiae surrounding Edith's role in her husband’s administration. However, I  wondered whether readers who are not interested in politics would like the book. In the past, I always assumed that Edith was falsely accused of being acting president. After reading this book I am not so sure. She definately wanted to know how Woodrow came about making his decisions. Early on in their relationship she asked to be part of all of his meetings so that she could advise him. While there was a physical attraction between them, I think Edith sought out the power she would be able to gain from her association with Woodrow. 

The President's Wife is a well written historical biography that reads more like history than a fiction story. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Phoenix Bride

The Phoenix Bride was published in March 2024. It is a passionate tale of plague, fire, and forbidden love in seventeenth-century London. The novel has a few explicit sex scenes so that old adage, buyer beware, applies here.

The publisher's summary:  

It is 1666, one year after plague has devastated England. Young widow Cecilia Thorowgood is a prisoner, trapped and isolated within her older sister’s cavernous London townhouse. At the mercy of a legion of doctors trying to cure her grief with their impatient scalpels, Cecilia shows no sign of improvement. Soon, her sister makes a decision born of desperation: She hires a new physician, someone known for more unusual methods. But he is a foreigner. A Jew. And despite his attempts to save Cecilia, he knows he cannot quell the storm of sorrow that rages inside her. There is no easy cure for melancholy.

David Mendes fled Portugal to seek a new life in London, where he could practice his faith openly and leave the past behind. Still reeling from the loss of his beloved friend and struggling with his religion and his past, David is free and safe in this foreign land but incapable of happiness. The security he has found in London threatens to disappear when he meets Cecilia, and he finds himself torn between his duty to medicine and the beating of his own heart. He is the only one who can see her pain; the glimmers of light she emits, even in her gloom, are enough to make him believe once more in love.

Facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, David and Cecilia must endure prejudice, heartbreak, and calamity before they can be together. The Great Fire is coming—and with the city in flames around them, love has never felt so impossible.

I loved The Phoenix Bride. I am not usually a fan of romance stories but this one has enough historical elements woven into the plot that it doesn't read like a romance nov­el. The story is more of a historical fiction novel. This is also a book about persevering through tough times. The title is a big clue here as to what is inside the pages. 

I enjoyed reading about the heal­ing meth­ods for phys­i­cal and men­tal health of the era. David used the herbs from the garden that he planted in order to mix poultices that will heal his patients. He was also attuned to how the body is affected by psychological trauma and was able to heal Cecilia with what we now call talk therapy.

I learned alot about Jewish tra­di­tions as well as the way of life of conversos, Jewish converts to Christianity. David gave up those Christian traditions upon his arrival in London and once again began practicing Judaism. His arrival in London was only possible after a 400 year old edict expelling Jews from Britain was scrapped by the British government. Several circumstances kept David separated from Cecilia, such as their respective faith traditions and the familial expectations that they marry other people. Facing these seemingly insurmountable challenges, David and Cecilia have had to endure prejudice, heartbreak, and calamity, the Great Fire of London, before they can be together. 

There is a hint of gay romance in the story. David's relationship with Manuel, who died early in the story, makes the reader wonder if there was any romantic feelings between them. The plot doesn't dwell on this but the idea has been planted by the author. 

The Phoenix Bride is an engrossing read. I highly recommend it and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Cover of the Month: April

I love the happy color of yellow on this book cover. It was illustrated by author Abby Denson. She is an American cartoonist, writer, and musician, known for her gay young adult comics series Tough Love and her comics travel guides to Tokyo and Japan.

Her work has garnered the International Manga Award, Moonbeam Children's Book Award, IPPY Award, and Lulu of the Year. She has taught and lectured at various venues including the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, Eugene Lang College at The New School, and Sophia University in Tokyo. She has participated as U.S. Arts Envoy to Colombia.University. Denson is a very accomplished cartoonist.

Book of the Month: April

Three books stood out to me this month:  Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter, The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan and The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini. I have been thinking about them for several days to determine which one is my top pick. In any given month each one would have been my number one selection. Pretty Girls is an intense suspense novel concerning girls that go missing and The Kitchen Front is a lovely WWII historical fiction story about the lives of the women left behind and how they fed their families during wartime rationing. I am selecting The Museum of Lost Quilts as my favorite book of the month though.

Museum is a sequel to the author's popular Elm Creek Quilts cozy series. Jennifer Chiaverini wrote the novel in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the series. I was lucky to receive an advanced review copy from Net Galley. The book will be published at the end of the month on April 30, 2024.

In many ways this book is historical fiction. As one character researches quilts loaned for display, she finds clues to her hometown's past. During the Civil War, the ladies of the area quilt guild made a victory quilt with the names of local soldiers stitched into each block. Summer uncovers that there was another local quilt guild that made a victory quilt for auction too. The reality that these guilds were segregated by race shocks her. 

I believe that the author did a fantastic job of reviving the series which has not had a prior book published in well over 10 years. This is an amazing feat in itself. I wish the series could continue but it's had every story imaginable written into the series. It's time for it to end.

Can't Wait Wednesday #30

This meme is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings. Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme that spotlights the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well.

On May 2, 2024 Harini Nagendra will publish the third book in her Bangalore Detectives Club series, A Nest of Vipers.  In this installment of the series amateur sleuth Kaveri Murthy gets herself involved in a dangerous plot that endangers the life of Edward, Prince of Wales. When the prince begins a tour of a number of Indian cities, he encounters passionate crowds demanding independence from Britain, with rioting on the streets of Bombay in November 1921. The mood of the prince's subsequent trip to Bangalore and Mysore in January 1922 appears, at first glance, very different and is made to large, welcoming crowds. Not all is what it seems though. While exploring another seemingly unrelated crime scene, Kaveri becomes tangled in a complex web of intrigue that could endanger the life of the visiting prince. This new novel also takes us into the world of jadoo, Indian street magic, with magicians, snake charmers, and rope tricks. Of course, Kaveri and Ramu continue their sleuthing, with help from the Bangalore Detectives Club, amidst the growing rumblings of Indian independence and the backdrop of female emancipation. I think it is going to be a fun read.

Meaghan and Harry: Persecutors or Victims

This is an updated version of a book Lady Colin Campbell wrote about 5  years ago. It was published about a week ago. She has added  "persecutors or victims" to the title. Since I follow the author's YouTube Channel I am familiar with her rigorous research methods and have heard many positive reviews of the book. Thus, I picked up this book.

The publisher's summary:

The fall from popular grace of Prince Harry, the previously adulated brother of the heir to the British throne, as a consequence of his marriage to the beautiful and dynamic Hollywood actress and "Suits star" Meghan Markle, makes for fascinating reading in this groundbreaking book from Lady Colin Campbell, who is the New York Times bestselling biographer of books on Princess Diana, the Queen Mother, and Queen Elizabeth’s marriage.

With a unique breadth of insight, Lady Colin Campbell goes behind the scenes, speaking to friends, relations, courtiers, and colleagues on both sides of the Atlantic to reveal the most unexpected royal story since King Edward VIII's abdication. She highlights the dilemmas involved and the issues that lurk beneath the surface, revealing why the couple decided to step down as senior royals. She analyses the implications of the actions of a young and ambitious Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in love with each other and with the empowering lure of fame and fortune, and leads the reader through the maze of contradictions Meghan and Harry have created—while also evoking the Californian culture that has influenced the couple's conduct.

Meghan and Harry: The Real Story exposes how the royal couple tried and failed to change the royal system—by adapting it to their own needs and ambitions—and, upon failing, how they decided to create a new system—and life—for themselves.

There are several bombshell exposes in  the book. I will mention a few of them so this is your SPOILER ALERT. Note, though, that in this revised edition the author is giving her sources. She did not do that in the original book. The first chapter begins with her research into Meghan's mother Doria Loyce Ragland. She writes that Doria Loyce Ragland was convicted of fraud in California and sentenced to prison. She provides the court case number as well as an inmate number for Doria Loyce Ragland. The implication is, of course, that this is Meghan's mother. I think we can safely say that because of Doria's unusual name that this court record pertains to Meghan's mother. However, the author put in a disclaimer over assuming this inmate was Meghan's mother. The conviction occurred around the time that Doria began to be absent from her daughter's life for 10 years.  

Another bombshell pertains to who Princess Diana was referring to in a TV interview where she stated "there were three of us in this marriage so it was a bit crowded."  Most of us have always assumed this was Camilla Parker-Bowles. The author, however, said Diana was referring to her children's nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke.  The reason Diana felt threatened by Tiggy is because she was from an aristocratic family and, thus, was entitled to hold the princess of Wales title. Camilla was not entitled because she came from a commoner family. 

There is one bombshell that the author did not believe herself but she put it in the book. I am not sure why.  I am sure, though, that she inserted it into the text for a reason. This bombshell takes up four pages. Her source is a friend of Prince Harry. This source said Prince Harry was his source. What's the bombshell?  It is that Meghan's father Thomas Markle "interfered with her" while she was growing up. Very interesting. 

The book is a great read. The last chapter is devoted to the persecutors or victims question. Obviously, the author takes the persecutors viewpoint. Her reasonings are well substantiated and I highly recommend the book. 5 out of 5 stars.

Pretty Girls

Pretty Girls was published in 2016. The story is about a woman named Claire, whose sister disappeared twenty years ago in a mystery that was never solved. It scarred every member of the family, each reacting a little differently. The book contains many trigger warnings including rape, murder, torture, sex assault and suicide. In addition, it has intense graphic scenes. I loved the story but would not recommend the book for minors.

The publisher's summary:

More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed.

The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.

This story is one wild ride! It was so suspenseful that I could not do my regular Friday errands yesterday until I finished the book. It had an amazing plot with an ending I did not see coming. There were alot of twists. I did not figure out where the story was ultimately going until I passed the halfway point in the story. However, the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. While I was reading I knew the ending was going to be good but was not prepared for it. It was incredibly satisfying. Author Karin Slaughter wrote a fantastic story and she is now one of my favorite authors. If you haven't read Pretty Girls you need to get a copy of it. You won't be disappointed but don't forget that you need an uninterrupted block of time to read it. I am actually speechless right now and cannot delve further into why the book is fantastic. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Four Steps Missed

Here is another entry for me in the Clock Reading Challenge. In this 4th installment of the Titus Ray thriller series our CIA spy is sent to Israel in order to determine if the U. S. Deputy Director of Operations (DDO) made a deal with Israel to allow them to tell their assets in Iran that they were working for the CIA.  The Israelis made a number of Iranians believe that they were ultimately working for the CIA. The plan was made because MOSSAD had a hard time finding assets. The Israelis are known to use intelligence that they gather in order to carry out assassinations. However, it is illegal for the U. S. government to assassinate foreign leaders. The U. S. Inspector General had an active investigation into the DDO. Titus Ray and his cohort Ben Mitchell were given the assignment to find evidence against the DDO. Titus had another reason for traveling to Israel. He needs a grandmother to consent to his and his wife Nikki's adoption of their foster child who they have been raising since her CIA father died in an operation one year earlier.

The plot moved fairly quickly and I was able to read the book in one sitting. I was somewhat surprised that the title has more to do with the adoption than a CIA operation. The four steps missed concern steps that should have been made before Titus would be allowed to adopt. For instance, verification of the grandmother's mental health is one of the items that should have been made in writing. Grandma was in a mental health facility in Israel after the death of her daughter. If you have read any title in the series then you know that our spy Titus is a new Christian. Consequently, there is no foul language or sex inside the pages of these books. They are all clean thrillers. 

I loved the story and am rating the book 5 out of 5 stars.

The Psychology of Secrets

I purchased a Kindle copy of this book for one main reason: I follow the author's two You Tube channels. He hosts Heretics and the Andrew Gold channels. Gold conducts fascinating interviews about cult leaders, murderers, psychopaths and the British royal family.  He believes that secrets are the basis of power in this world and has written this book to teach us about the psychology of secrecy.

The publisher's summary:

We all keep secrets. 97 per cent of us are hiding a secret right now, and on average we each hold thirteen at any one time. There’s a one-in-two chance that those secrets involve a breach of trust, a lie or a financial impropriety. They are the stuff of gossip, of novels and of classic dramas; secrets form a major part of our hidden inner lives.

Andrew Gold knows this better than anyone. As a public figure, he has found himself the unwitting recipient of hundreds of strangers' most private revelations. This set him on a journey to understand this critical part of our societies and lives. Why do we keep secrets? Why are we fascinated by those of others? What happens to our mind when we confess?

Drawing from psychology, history, social science, philosophy and personal interviews, The Psychology of Secrets is a rollicking journey through the history of secrecy.

 

Let's address the book cover first. While I  love the bright colors, the drawing of the man picking his nose is off-putting. If I didn't know the author, I would never have read the book. However, Gold has utilized the drawing to explain the difference between privacy and secrecy. Those who pick their noses do it in private because it's embarrassing to be seen doing it. It's not a secret that people pick their noses because everyone does it at some point. 

The book delves into secrecy and power, the detection of secrets, the deception of secrets, the use of technology and how cults use secrecy again their members. The author gives many examples of each but I failed to find any conclusions. The book reads as a rolling repertoire of things that have happened in the world but without any idea that ties them all together. For example, he cites the U. S. government's secrecy surrounding Guantanamo Bay as representative of the dangers of secrets toward the prisoners and the American public. However, he doesn't give the outcome of the dangers.

I could not determine any reason for the writing of this book. I was bored and had a hard time staying awake while I was reading. It is surprising to me that a major publisher like Macmillan published the book. I am even more surprised that they decided not to publicize it. Per the author, he was disinvited from a publicity campaign. I am rating the book 1 out of 5 stars.

An American in Scotland

I selected this book for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge. It fits the publication month category as it was published on April 4, 2023.  An American in Scotland is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Lucy Connelly and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

The publisher's summary:

Sea Isle was supposed to be the fresh start Dr. Emilia McRoy dreamed of. Far from the busy emergency room across the Atlantic in Seattle, she hoped to settle down and begin this new chapter as a small-town doctor to the quirky residents who immediately welcomed her. When she stumbles across a dead body, she starts to think that she may not be as Scot free of the drama and intrigue as she initially thought.

Emilia soon learns she has bigger issues at hand. It starts with realizing she'll work closely with the less than helpful local constable, Laird Ewan Campbell. Her luck continues when she discovers that part of her new responsibilities includes being the coroner for the very body she found. Finally, when the body goes missing before she can even begin the autopsy, Emilia must convince the townspeople that a crime did, in fact, occur. The deeper she digs into the picturesque town, the more suspicious she becomes. And then there are her sleep issues. It may be due to the ever-growing list of suspects, a number of threatening letters, or the surprise visitor who breaks into her house at night. But she’s never backed down before, and she doesn’t intend to start now.

Someone doesn’t want this doctor to treat the ailments of Sea Isle, but Emilia McRoy is determined to find the murderer before they kilt again.

 

I loved this novel. It takes place in a lovely small village in Scotland and I enjoyed reading about the weather challenges that the characters had to deal with. With mail and package delivery severely affected in the winter months, the characters came up with ways to handle it such as ordering everything and anything they could possibly want in huge quantities. Emilia's office has been outfitted with every type of diagnostic machine, a surgical suite and plenty of medications for every type of illness and injury. It was amusing to read about Emilia's attempts to walk around the village without the proper footwear. She fell alot. Bothies are interspersed throughout the village in case someone gets stuck outdoors when a storm comes rumbling through the area. I had never heard of a bothy before and am glad that it had to be explained to Emilia.

Emilia's home and office are inside a defunct church and has a gorgeous view of the sea. It comes with a gardener and maid/office assistant. These two helpers, Abigail and her brother Tommy, seem to be in her home all the time. Abigail has a key, as does the constable, which is rather eerie. They show up at all hours of the day and night which scares Emilia almost every single day. However, all three get along well. 

The characters are quirky but lovable. Mara, who works in her grandparents pub, The Pig and Whistle, becomes a fast friend as does Angie who works in her family's fabric store. Angie is engaged to a duke. Abigail is devoted to her disabled brother Tommy and has given up on living her own life in order to take of him. Constable and Laird Ewan is full of surprises and is hard to figure out. He basically owns the town and has his own mansion and a castle. He is the richest man in Britain according to UK newspapers. For some reason he prefers to live in this tiny village. With other interesting shop owners as characters, there are plenty of scenarios for future stories.

The mystery to be solved is who killed an old man named Smithy.  Nobody liked him. He had an ugly personality and did not get along with anyone in the village, including Emilia. He was rude to her on the day she moved in and she later found out that he did not like the McRoy family, her family. Since part of Emilia's job was to act as a coroner, she took it upon herself to investigate the murder. Being new in town she fell afoul of several residents who did not like having an American doctor around. With her new friends help, Emilia slowly learns how to adjust to life in Scotland.

The story was an enjoyable and relaxing read. The author has done a great job of setting up the series for future installments. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #29

This meme is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings. Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme that spotlights the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. 

This week I am happy to report that Laura Childs has another new novel to be published this year. Peach Tea Smash is expected to be published on August 8, 2024.  In this installment of the Tea Shop Mystery Series our heroine Theodosia Browning is hosting the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill. Duri g the event Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why since Harlan was much beloved by everyone. It’s only after Cricket and Delaine beg Theodosia to investigate that she realizes the killer might have mistaken Harlan for his crazy son, Duke. After all, Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident. 

It sounds like another good yarn from Ms. Childs.

Uniquely Japan

Uniquely Japan is one of several travel guidebooks that I purchased for my upcoming trip to Japan. Most of them are in comic strip format. Three have been written by Abby Denson! She also wrote Cool Japan Guide and Cool Tokyo Guide which I will review later this month. Denson has used her own drawings and photographs in this book. There are chapters devoted to Arts and crafts, fun things to do, fashion, food, high tech toilets, Japanese creatures. and street sights.

I have learned to look down at the ground to see lavishly decorated manhole covers, pink polka-dotted backhoes, and toilets with warmable seats and blow dryers. I now know that I can get my ramen from a vending machine and I will see silly mascots promoting serious businesses and whimsical architecture for neighborhood police stations. Denson also discusses several types of sweets available in Japan, which is important to me! However, I have already begun researching sweets by ordering boxes of sweets and tea directly from Japan.

Uniquely Japan is a nice resource to have. While it is in no way a comprehensive guide, I know that there are a few things I will remember due to the comic strip format.  I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.