A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Searles

October 20, 2025

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Searles

Beatrice Steele, oldest daughter of the impoverished Steele family, and her sisters are invited to the autumn ball, where their parents hope that at least one of the daughters will form an attachment (marriage engagement) with a wealthy man. If not, their greedy cousin Mr. Grub plans to have their father declared incompetent and take over their family home. Beatrice herself has little interest in marriage, being obsessed with true crime. But when the most eligible bachelor dies in the middle of the ball, Beatrice joins forces with a disgraced detective to solve the murder.

A somewhat over the top comedy of manners and murder. There are a lot of characters and locations in the manor house, like a game of Clue. The detective here is rather incompetent/inexperienced. Some of the humor is goofy, more slapstick that sarcasm or witty repartee. At the end of the book, we still don't know what's up with Mary, Beatrice's younger sister, so the author left herself open for a sequel. Jane Austen-ites won't care for this one as it pokes a certain amount of fun at Jane's books and characters.

A Regency era ball

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

October 2, 2025

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Martha Ballard is a midwife who also acts as healer and coroner for the small community of Hallowell, Maine. When a body is pulled from the river, Martha is called to examine the corpse and determine the cause of death. She soon discovers that the man was murdered and then thrown in the river. But the case becomes more complicated when she learns that the dead man along with another of the town's prominent citizens had been accused of rape.

Based on the diary of a midwife in 18th century Maine. Martha's diary was at first discounted as not being of any historical importance since most of her entries record the daily life of an 18th century woman, which were wonderfully adapted by the author. But it also contains glimpses of the world around her, particularly where the law in concerned. She refers to her husband's friend Paul, who turns out to be Paul Revere (yes, that Paul Revere). Revere actually borrowed a horse from Martha's husband Ephraim to make his famous ride. I listened to the audiobook of this historical novel, and I can see that it might be a slog to read since story moves as slowly as a frozen river thawing. Possible triggers include descriptions of rape, misogyny, and injustice. Will appeal to readers who enjoy reading about strong yet little known female characters.

Sawmill circa 18th c.

The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides

August 25, 2025

The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides

Although lauded as a hero in his own time, Captain James Cook has now become a controversial figure and something of a pariah in many circles, particularly Polynesia. One of the best mapmakers of his age, his explorations are blamed for the introduction of colonialism with all its evils, including epidemics, venereal disease, the subjugation of indigenous cultures, theft of relics and artifacts, and disruption of ecological systems. Cook's third and final voyage differed vastly from his earlier voyages. His crew noted that he appeared to be suffering from an unknown illness, either physical or mental, which caused an abrupt change in his behavior and personality. Sensitive readers should be aware that there are descriptions of both human and animal cruelty, as well as brutal violence.

Captain James Cook

The Wager: a Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

January 4, 2024

The Wager: a Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

HMS Wager sailed from England in 1740, part of a convoy that was sailing for Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. The ship wrecked off the coast of South America, and the surviving crew members were marooned on a barren island that came to be known as Wager Island. But dissension rose among the survivors, and the crew split into two parts, both groups with a plan to escape the island and return to England. In 1742, the remnants of one group washed up in Brazil. They were hailed as brave heroes and returned to England in 1747. But then three officers from the Wager arrived in England in 1747. They told a much different story, insisting that the other crew members were not heroes but mutineers. And there began a story of they-said, they-said.

There is a saying that there are no atheists in a foxhole, and I'm pretty sure the same is true for a lifeboat. The Wager seems like it was a particularly unlucky, plagued by death, illness, superstition, constant storms, and strange accidents (maybe it was the name? Even though the Wager was named after a person, a wager is a bet). The survivors' saga reminded me of The Lord of the Flies. John (Jack) Byron, who eventually rose to vice admiral and was the grandfather of the poet Lord Byron, was a 15 year old midshipman on the Wager. Patrick O'Brian based his novel The Unknown Shore on Byron's journal from his time on the Wager. Recommended for history fans. (FYI, Cape Horn is at the tip of South America where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans converge, and the seas in this area are said to be like a giant washing machine).

Cape Horn, Chile

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

September 12, 2023

Red and her father are itinerant entertainers (don't call them gypsies), barely scraping by doing magic shows and telling fortunes. After her father's death, Red is taken in by a wealthy gentleman who lives in Bath and raised as a lady. She is skilled at fortune telling and entertains acquaintances by reading their cards. Many years later, Red finds a number of mysterious items in a trunk that belonged to her father, including an astrological chart and a legal document. She begins to suspect that her mother was part of an aristocratic family that disowned her when she married Red's father. Red sets out to learn the truth about her past.

DNF. I went into this book thinking that I would really enjoy it. But it was long, well over 500 pages, and SLOOOOW. The plot seemed clever but it took too long to get moving. I gave up about 1/3 of the way in and skipped to the ending and read the last two chapters, which filled in the previous 300 pages. Both plot and characters would have been better served by less minute detail and an editor whacking out about 100 pages. If you like long winding stories with loads of characters and a plot that doesn't move very fast and is loaded with minutiae, you will probably enjoy this historical novel.

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

Bath, England - the original wellness spa

The Curse of the Marquis de Sade by Joel Warner

May 17, 2023

The Curse of the Marquis de Sade by Joel Warner

The Marquis de Sade was imprisoned in the notorious Bastille prison in Paris. He was a prolific writer, penning plays, essays, novels, short stories and political tracts, although he is best known for his erotic works. While in the Bastille, he wrote his magnum opus, "120 Days of Sodom." The manuscript was written on paper that was four inches wide; when he got to the bottom of the page, he glued another page to the bottom and kept writing. When the page was 40 feet long, he turned it over and wrote on the other side. When the Marquis was moved to another prison, the manuscript was left behind and later found after the Bastille was liberated. The manuscript became a collector's item, passing from one collector to another.

Part biography, part history of the notorious manuscript and other erotic literature, part investigation of the mania that grips collectors. The chapters about the Marquis's life and the history of erotic literature are far more interesting than the parts about rare documents as an investment. Should have been more interesting than it was.

The Marquis de Sade

Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James

January 20, 2023

Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James

P. D. James presents a mystery featuring characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It's five years since the end of Pride and Prejudice, and the marriage of Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy. They are happily married with two little boys. Elizabeth's sisters Jane and Mary are also married (unexpectedly, in Mary's case), while youngest sister Kitty remains contentedly at home with their parents. Middle sister Lydia is married to Wickham, the man that she (scandalously) eloped with, and due to the scandal their elopement generated, the Darcys do not meet the couple socially, and they are not received at Pemberley, the Darcys' estate. All of that changes on the eve of the Darcys annual ball, when a carriage careens up to Pemberly and Lydia emerges, screaming that her husband has been murdered. (Lydia was not invited to the ball and was planning on gate-crashing the event.)

Meh. Basically Jane Austen fan fiction. P. D. James is a great mystery writer, and this is not her best effort. The mystery itself is pretty weak. Only for diehard JA fans. Which I'm not.

The Pemberley estate, from the film adaptation

Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd

February 10, 2021

Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd

At the age of 16, Eliza Lucas' father left her in charge of the family's three South Carolina plantation while he went to pursue his dreams of military glory. As her father drains the family's funds, Eliza realizes that it's up to her to save the family. When she learns how much the French are willing to pay for indigo dye, she decides that growing indigo is the way to salvation. But no planters will share the secrets of growing indigo, so Eliza is forced to find other allies. Her most dangerous alliance is with a slave who is willing to teach her the process in return for Eliza teaching the slaves to read.

I enjoy historical fiction where I learn about something that I didn't know. Indigo Girl is based on historical documents, including Eliza's own letters. Eliza's dye proved much superior to English indigo and indigo dye became one of the South's largest exports and was the foundation for many Southern families' fortunes. 

Demelza by Winston Graham

January 31, 2021

Demelza by Winston Graham

To the shock of both their families, Ross Poldark marries his servant Demelza Carne. Although she and Ross are genuinely in love, the shadow of Elizabeth, Ross' first love now married to his jerk cousin Francis, continues to hang over their marriage. While Ross struggles to secure mining rights for the local communities, Demelza tries to adapt to life among the gentry. Their first child Julia is born, to their great joy.

Demelza is a wonderful character, caring, selfless, and thoughtful, even to those who look down on her (i.e., Elizabeth and Francis), working to nurse others back to health when smallpox hits the community. She also aids Ross' cousin Verity who has fallen in love with a man that her brother (Francis the jerk) doesn't approve of. Demelza works to help them get together and in the end is proven right. (I don't like Francis - can you tell?)

This is the second book in the Poldark series. It's full of history, romance, joy and tragedy, and I think it will be my favorite book in the series.

Ross Poldark by Winston Graham

January 4, 2021

Ross Poldark by Winston Graham

After serving in the war, Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall to find his whole world turned upside down. His fiancee is married to another man, his father has died, and his family home is overrun with livestock and drunken servants. In spite of everything, he decides to stay and start over.

Ross is your standard brooding hero, an angry young man. As he reconnects with the local residents, he begins making some non-traditional decisions about how he is going to live and work.

This is the first book in the Poldark family saga. It was written in the mid-20th century but has recently been re-issued since PBS is producing it for Masterpiece Theater. There are at least eight more books in the series.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

October 22, 2020

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

Addie LaRue is a girl who always wanted more than life in her small French village offered.  Born in the late 17th century, in a moment of desperation, she makes a bargain with a dark god, gaining immortality but cursed by the god to be forgotten by everyone she knows or meets.  But all of that changes 300 years later, when she meets a young man in a bookstore and he remembers who she is.

This was an interesting take on the Faustian bargain with the devil, bartering one's soul for eternal life.  Characters throughout fiction have made such deals, including Faust and Dorian Gray.  Although at devastated at first at everything she has lost, Addie gradually learns what she has gained from her pact.  We experience history through her eyes, from Paris in the early 18th century through World War II, up to the present day. 

To be honest, I got a little bored and felt this could have been 50 or so pages shorter - the reader doesn't need to know every little facet of Addie's life as an immortal.  But fantasy enthusiasts will find it entertaining and fresh.