Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas

July 22, 2023

Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas

Thomas Llewellyn has hit rock bottom, with no family or friends, unable to find employment, homeless. As a last resort, he answers an advertisement for an assistant to an enquiry agent, which involves some danger. Cyrus Barker is an unusual employer to say the least, taking on cases that need to be investigated discreetly. Shortly after he is hired, Cyrus and Thomas agree to investigate the murder of a young Jewish scholar, found stabbed and crucified in the Aldgate district of London. The crime is stirring up unrest, particularly among the city's lower classes. Even though he knows that there may be some danger involved, Thomas will need all his wits to stay alive.

This is a departure from the usual cozy Victorian mystery, where two spinsters or a couple investigate crimes usually among the middle or upper classes. The tone and atmosphere here are much more hard-boiled, featuring sectors of the London populace that are usually ignored in more genteel mysteries. The main characters are interesting and unique without being overly eccentric. While I suspected the motive, I did not guess who the murderer was, which was part of the reason I liked it. It's unfortunate that prejudice against the Jew and other minorities is still going on, over a century later. The first book in a series. 

Aldgate slums, late 19th century

The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

July 22, 2023

The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

Zofia and her best friend Janina live in Warsaw. While they are preparing for war, neither girl believes that war will come to their city. Zofia's happy place has always been books, and she loves her job at the Warsaw public library. But then the Nazis occupy the city, and their lives change in ways neither could have imagined. As a Jew, Janina and her family are forced to move to the Warsaw ghetto. When the Nazis begin to first confiscate and then destroy books, Zofia and her friends are determined to hide as many books as possible, even if it costs them their freedom or their lives. At the same time, they work to make sure that the citizens of Warsaw and the ghetto have access to books.

A tribute to literature, the power of books, and the ingenuity of the people of Warsaw and the Warsaw ghetto. People under the age of 40 frequently don't understand the power of books, having grown up with the Internet, cellphones, and cable TV.

Another book that makes me proud to be a librarian. If you enjoyed The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek, this title will appeal to you. People who love books will always find a way.

Librarians rock. Never forget it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Excavations by Hannah Michell

July 18,. 2023

Excavations by Hannah Michell

After a day spent looking after her children, Sae is looking forward to her husband Jae coming home from his job with a small engineering firm subcontracted to do work for a major Seoul corporation. But then there is a news report that the building where Jae is working has collapsed and hundreds of people are trapped or dead. Sae goes in search of her husband, but as the days pass with no sign of him, Sae begins to uncover more and more deception, eroding away at what she believed was their life.

I enjoyed this novel a lot more than I expected to when I started it. There are different types of excavations going on: the building site, unethical business practices at the corporate level, a karaoke salon where businessmen gather and spill their secrets, Jae's hidden past, what Sae thought was their life together. You can feel Sae's growing desperation as the days pass and she is unable to get answers about what happened to her husband. Thoughtful contemporary fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Seoul, Korea

Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

July 17, 2023

Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

Perveen Mistry, the only female solicitor in 1920s Bombay, returns for her fourth adventure, this one involving a young ayah (nanny) in a wealthy Bombay household. The young woman is accused of inducing a miscarriage by drinking an herbal concoction. When the patriarch of the household dies under mysterious circumstances, Perveen knows there is more going on than meets the eye. 

One of the attractions of this series is the atmosphere and descriptions of early 20th century India. There is a murder, but it takes a backseat to social issues that include the prescribed roles of women and the lack of legal recourse when someone commits a crime against them, status/social class, and prejudice. While the plots of this series tend to be complicated, I found the various threads of this story to be particularly complex and difficult to connect. There are also a number of side plots, including Perveen's on-going relationship with a young Englishman, issues within her family, and larger subjects such as the re-districting of princely India lands. While I recommend this series, I like this volume the least so far.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

1920s Bombay

Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke

July 15, 2023

Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke

It's really hard to write a description of this book since there is so much going on. Set in 1863 in the Louisiana bayou country outside New Orleans, on the surface, this is a story about a group of people in the middle of the American Civil War and how they are affected by the war. Wade Lufkin is recuperating from his war wounds at his uncle's plantation; Hannah is one of his uncle's slaves, accused of murdering another plantation owner, but her only goal is to find her son, separated from her at the battle of Shiloh; Pierre is the local sheriff, drawn to a free woman of color named Darla; Darla wants to locate the treasure hidden by the murdered plantation owner so that she can escape to another country; Florence is a New England abolitionist determined to do whatever it takes to free slaves; the colonel is the head of a renegade Confederate unit, interested only in protecting his own people and land.

OMG, this is a fabulous book! This is a stand-alone historical novel by the author of the Dave Robicheaux mystery series. JLB considers it to be the best book he ever wrote and I agree. I read it in two days - my head hurt when I finished because there was so much to think about. Great characters, especially the three women in the story. Wonderful writing, beautiful language - I found myself going back to re-read certain passages because of the beauty of the words. A number of the characters are seeking redemption for past offenses. Although it's set during the American Civil War, the themes are as old as history: good vs. evil, greed, jealousy, revenge, honor, guilt, redemption. There is even some dark humor. Loved the ending. Highly recommended - I will remember this book for a long time - if you are a fan of historical or literary fiction, read this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Louisiana bayou country

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

July 13, 2023

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Monserrat and Tristan work in the Mexican film industry: Monserrat is a struggling sound editor in a male-dominated field, while Tristan, a former soap opera star until his career was cut short by a car accident, takes whatever work he can get, mostly doing voice-overs. When Tristan moves to a new apartment, he makes the acquaintance of legendary horror movie director Abel Urueta. Urueta convinces them to dub in the voices on an old piece of black and white film, and their luck appears to change for the better. But then bad things start to happen, and they realize that they may have unleashed evil powers that they can't control.

Contemporary horror fiction with lots of history about the Mexican film industry. Silver nitrate was used for black and white film production in the golden age of cinema, and while it produced beautiful images, it is highly flammable. Silver was also used in occult rituals. Recommended for readers of horror fiction or anyone interested in the film industry.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Still from a low-budget Mexican horror film

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

July 6, 2023

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

When she was a 20 year old university student, Rachel met the two most important men in her life, her BFF James and her English professor Dr. Byrne. Hoping to start a fling with Dr. Byrne, Rachel concocts a scheme to get Dr. Byrne to the bookstore where she works, with an eye toward some one-on-one time in the storeroom. But things backfire when she introduces him to her housemate James, and the two men are instantly attracted to each other.

Contemporary fiction set in 21st century Cork in Ireland. I forgot how awful being in your 20s could be: trying to find a job, convinced you're never going to find love, trying to save money so you can move to a decent apartment, avoiding your family while still needing them, convinced everyone else has it all sorted out. Funny and touching; I genuinely cared about the characters. Highly recommended and entertaining.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Cork, Ireland - quite a picturesque small city

The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor

July 1, 2023

The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor

Alice King is a teacher and librarian who lives a sheltered life with her mother in Kent, while her younger sister lives a much more glamorous life in London, working for an MP. Alice longs to do something to help the war effort but isn't sure what she can contribute, until she hears about the need for escorts to accompany English children being evacuated to other British Commonwealth countries. She is accepted as an escort and looks forward to finally having an adventure. In London, war widow Lily Nichols agonizes over whether to evacuate her children, and decides to trust the government and send her children on one of the evacuation ships. But disaster strikes a few days into the voyage, and the two women along with Alice's sister Kitty fight to save the evacuated children.

Based on the true story of the SS City of Benares, part of Operation Pied Piper, the British government's plan to evacuate English children for the duration of the war. If you know the story of the Pied Piper, it would be hard to imagine a more ill-omened name for the project. The SS City of Benares was part of a fleet traveling from Britain to Canada and back. The convoy was torpedoed by a German U-boat in September 1940 after their military escort turned back toward Britain. The City of Benares sank, and 35 people including a number of children spent a week in a lifeboat before being rescued. Well-researched historical fiction, highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

One of the lifeboats from the SS City of Benares

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

June 29, 2023

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

Marion Brooks has always wanted to dance, but even though she is extremely talented, her family discourages her, pushing her toward a "normal" life as a homemaker and mother, or if she insists on working, as a teacher, secretary or nurse. When she is hired to be a Rockette, instead of being happy for her, her father threatens to disown her. Marion decides to follow her dream and loves being a Rockette, but a serial bomber attacks the theater with dire consequences for her family. The police discount Marion's information because she is a woman, but she is determined to force them to listen to a psychologist who has a theory about the bomber.

Like the author's previous books, this is a well-researched historical novel that centers on a famous building in New York. Lots of history about the Rockettes as well as information about their dance/precision style. There are dual timelines set in 1956 and 1992. Marion's father seems repressive about her life choices, but things weren't that different in the 1970s when I was growing up. Anyone who enjoys dance or crime fiction will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at Radio City Music Hall.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Rockettes' famous "fall" during the Toy Soldier sequence