All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

August 18, 2025

All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

Zeb Wyckham is surprised when his cousin invites him to his country house for a visit, but he arrives to find himself at the family reunion from hell. Worse yet, his ex-boyfriend who hates him for ruining his life is now working for his cousin. Could it possibly get worse? Actually, yes.

A locked-room mystery combined with an LGBTQ romance seasoned with an element of horror. There is plenty of suspense and sexual tension, plus a few steamy scenes. I love mysteries set at English country houses. The cover reminds me of the covers on old Victoria Holt romantic suspense novels (consumed those like candy when I was a teen).

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

See what I mean about the Victoria Holt covers?

One of Us by Dan Chaon

August 15, 2025

One of Us by Dan Chaon

After the death of their mother, twins Eleanor and Bolt flee to an orphanage to escape from the clutches of their murderous fake uncle Charlie. They find themselves on an orphan train headed west, and somewhere in Iowa, they are "adopted" by a carnival owner who specializes in circus sideshow acts. They find a new family among the carnival folk, even though they feel they are not special like the others. But Charlie isn't letting go that easily.

Dan Chaon takes us on a creepy journey through a carnival sideshow and the performers who work there. Like carnivals and circuses aren't creepy enough, he had to toss in a serial killer. Will appeal to readers who enjoyed Geek Love or Nightmare Alley, but with a horror slant.

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

A carnival sideshow

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

March 24, 2024

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

Before Ted Bundy, before John Wayne Gacy, there was Belle Gunness, the infamous Black Widow of LaPorte. As a girl in Norway, Belle was beaten by her lover until she miscarried her unborn child. After emigrating to the U.S., Belle lived with her sister's family in Chicago in the middle of a large community of Norwegian immigrants. Tired of men's cruelty and also tired of being poor, Belle vowed to never be under a man's control again and that she would never again be poor, taking her revenge on the men of the world in a gruesome fashion.

Historical fiction based on the life and crimes of the Black Widow of LaPorte, Indiana, one of the first American serial killers. Her crime spree began in Chicago, then later she moved to a farm in Indiana, where she continued her bloody deeds. I had heard of Belle but didn't really know her story. This was another book for Women's History Month, this time about a truly notorious woman who proved that women can be just as evil as men. 

Belle Gunness and her three foster children

The Great Mrs. Elias by Barbara Chase-Riboud

March 19, 2024

The Great Mrs. Elias by Barbara Chase-Riboud

Hannah Elias was one of the richest Black women in America in the early 20th century. She started her life as Bessie Elias, a domestic servant wrongly accused of theft. She was sent to prison, and when she was released, she was unable to find a job as a domestic, so she became a courtesan at a high-level brothel. There she met a number of wealthy men, mostly bankers and real estate barons, who taught her how to invest her money and accumulate wealth. She enjoyed her affluent lifestyle, until one of her long-time lovers decides Hannah duped him into giving her money and accuses her of criminal activities.

This is a portrayal of a strong Black woman, born in the 19th century, who rose to wealth, power and fame (or infamy), based on her real life. Hannah was a light-skinned Black woman, and for much of her life, passed for white, claiming to be Cuban. Women do what they need to do to survive, to feed themselves and their children. While I don't think it's as good as the author's previous book Sally Hemmings, it will appeal to readers of historical fiction and is a good choice for Women's History Month.

Hannah Elias

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

May 1, 2023

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

Sophie Whalen, an Irish immigrant living in New York, answers a newspaper advertisement for a mail order bride, then travels to San Francisco to meet the man she has agreed to marry. Martin Hocking is a handsome widower with a small child who needs a mother since he travels for business. Sophie has always wanted a child and is so happy with little Kat that she accepts her strange marriage and strange husband. But a year after their marriage, a pregnant woman shows up at Sophie's door, claiming that Martin is her husband as well, but under a different name. But Martin isn't the only one living a lie - Sophie also has secrets that she fears will destroy her carefully constructed life if they were to become known.

Well-researched historical novel set against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. There is wonderful detail about how the upper middle class lived in the early 20th century. Although the sociopath husband is the story's catalyst, it is predominantly about the women that he has used so carelessly, who band together and pick up their lives and go on. Most of the stories threads are wound in at the end, but it is never really clear why Martin wanted a mail order bride from the east coast or why he married Sophie - at least one character notes that he could have hired a nanny and a housekeeper. Will appeal to readers of Kate Morton and Diane Chamberlain. 

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

February 28, 2023

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

Duke Kincaid has ruled the county for as long as most people can remember. Sallie Kincaid is the Duke's daughter from his second wife Ann, who died after a violent argument with the Duke. At age 17, Sallie begins working for Duke, driving around the county collecting rents and other debts, often accepting homemade whiskey in payment. When the Duke dies suddenly, other family members take over his business interests and begin making and selling illegal liquor, transporting it to urban centers in Virginia, even though it is prohibited by law. As she observes the marriages around her, Sallie vows she will never marry and fights for her rightful place in the Duke's kingdom, while learning about the meaning of family, whether it's the one we're born with or the one we create for ourselves.

I loved Walls' memoir The Glass Castle so I was looking forward to her latest book. This is a historical novel set in rural Virginia about the early days of bootlegging during Prohibition, about tangled family relationships and women who not only survive but triumph. Fun fact: auto racing like NASCAR got its start with illegal rum runners, who would strip down their cars to the bare bones so that they could carry as much liquor as possible, and then they would soup up the engines so that the cars would go as fast as possible.

Even though the novel is set in Virginia, I kept tripping over the Tudors. The Duke's real name is Henry, he was married four times (Belle, Ann, Jane, Katherine); he divorced his first wife, killed his second wife, his third wife died, and his last wife survived him. Duke even had an affair with Ann's sister, just like Henry VIII did with Mary Boleyn, Anne's sister. After he married his third wife, he banished his second daughter to Hatfield (Elizabeth I grew up at Hatfield House); after his son Edward dies, his first daughter Mary takes over his kingdom - Mary is married to a guy named Phillip, just like Mary Tudor was; after Mary died, Sallie takes over. There is also a Seymour and a Cecil, for god's sake.

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

Storing illegal hooch in the basement, just like Duke and Cecil did

The Return of the Pharoah by Nicholas Meyer

October 21, 2022

The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer

Dr. John Watson, long-time chronicler of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and his second wife Juliet find themselves wintering in Cairo while Juliet recovers from tuberculosis. After Juliet checks into the sanatorium, Watson finds himself at loose ends and begins visiting Cairo locations that other Englishmen frequent. At the Shepheard's Hotel bar, he unexpectedly runs into the great detective himself, in disguise as a Colonel Arbuthnot (complete with Watson's gravy-stained regimental tie). Holmes is on a case, searching for a missing duke who came to Egypt on the hunt for treasure. Watson is immediately swept up in the case and the pair find themselves entangled in the frenzy for Egyptian artifacts and treasure, as well as murder.

Not as good as the SH canon but not bad. Meyer wrote The Seven Percent Solution before this, another Holmes and Watson story. Ancient Egypt interests me, so that was an added draw. My only real complaint was the duchess who spends a lot of time fainting or going catatonic at the most inopportune times. Seriously? Were women in the early 20th century really that delicate that they'd pass out rather than trying to get themselves out of a life-threatening situation?

Shepheard's Hotel, a favorite Cairo hangout for Englishmen

The Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

May 27, 2022

The Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

Agent Fatma may be the youngest agent with the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities in Cairo, but she's one of the sharpest in the department. When someone murders the members of a secret society devoted to honoring Al-Jahiz, the Master of Djinn who opened up the world of magic, Fatma is assigned to the case. At the same time, a masked individual claiming to be Al-Jahiz is stirring up unrest in Cairo, urging the residents to revolt again the government and order. Fatma, her girlfriend Siti, and her colleagues must unmask the real murderer to restore peace to the city.

I am glad to see Agent Fatma and the mysterious Siti back for another adventure. Love the descriptions of Fatma's sharp suits, too. I'm looking forward to another installment.

Fatma's Cairo in the early 20th century

Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

May 9, 2022

Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

Since the death of her mother during the Spanish flu pandemic, Lillian Carter's life has fallen apart. Once the most sought-after artist's model in New York, demand for her services has dried up. Fortunately, she secures a position as a private secretary at the Frick mansion, where statues of her ironically decorate the facade. Working for the demanding family, Lillian is soon drawn into the family's dramas. Fifty years later, another model named Veronica finds herself trapped overnight in the Frick mansion, now the Frick Museum. She discovers a series of hidden messages that may help solve a decades-old murder.

I've read several of Fiona Davis' previous books that I feel were much better (notably The Dollhouse, about the Barbizon Hotel, and The Address, about the Dakota building). Didn't care for this one that much, although I enjoy her writing enough that I'll continue reading her books.

The Frick Museum in New York City - I couldn't find any pictures of statues on the exterior of the building

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

April 27, 2022

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days. When she re-surfaced at a spa resort called The Old Swan Hotel under another name, she had no memory of where she had been or what she had done. Shortly before her disappearance, her husband Archie told her he wanted a divorce so that he could marry a woman named Nancy Neele, who they both knew from their social circle. After Agatha reappeared, she and Archie divorced, and both re-married. This novel is a reimagining of that story.

Meh. This story has been done before, and it's been done much better. If the author had stuck a little closer to the facts, it would be less like a fantasy and more like historical fiction. Gramont changes everything from Archie's mistress' name (to Nan O'Dea, and it's unlikely that Nancy was Archie's mistress given her background and upbringing), changes her social standing (from upper class woman to a working class secretary), and her reasons (to a revenge plot against both the Christies instead of Archie and Nancy falling in love). Slow moving and a little too re-imagined. I'm not sure why authors have a need to "re-imagine" a story that already has enough drama to fill a book. I've read other authors who have done the same thing about other historical figures (such as Grand Duchess Anastasia).

I'm getting to the point that when I see one of those book club stickers on the cover (e.g., "Jenna's Book Club" or "Reese's Book Club"), I'm hesitant to pick the book up, no matter how good the reviews are. These are books that are aimed at people who don't read much. It's like Oprah's book club: it's a good thing that people who are not readers are actually turning off the TV or logging off social media for a while to read a book for a change, but there are better books out there.

Nancy Neele - she was definitely prettier than Agatha

The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker

July 9. 2021

The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker

Chava the golem and Ahmad the jinni have both carved out lives for themselves in early 20th century New York City. They are opposites - Chava is a woman of cool clay programmed to help others, while Ahmad is a fiery djinn who prefers to keep to himself. They are friends and spend their sleepless nights walking the streets and rooftops of New York. Their lives intersect with others including an heiress who suffers from a strange illness after a brief encounter with Ahmad and a rabbi's neglected daughter who stumbles into dark magic. Chava has made a life for herself as a teacher, but realizes that her time at the school may be coming to an end since others are beginning to notice that she doesn't age. Ahmad avoids contact with humans after the disastrous effect he had on the heiress, but he has a burning desire to create something magnificent.

This is a follow-up to The Golem and the Jinni, and while not as good, it is still worth reading. The author gives enough of a summary that it's not necessary to go back and re-read the first book. Multiple narrators offer different points of view and their stories are interwoven at the end.

Djinn

A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee

November 27, 2020

A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee

Desperate for a fresh start after World War I and the death of his wife in the 1918 flu pandemic, Captain Sam Wyndham accepts a job in Calcutta, India, to head up a new criminal investigation division.  He barely arrives before he is assigned his first investigation:  the murder of a senior British official (a rising man) whose body was found behind a Calcutta brothel.

The descriptions of India at the time of the British Raj are wonderful and the history of the time is very well-researched.  Set near the end of the British Empire in India, the British are desperately trying to hang on and maintain their standard of living, while the Indian populace are pushing for home rule.  These conflicts are reflected in the interplay between Captain Wyndham and his two detectives who represent these differing points of view.  Captain Wyndham is a damaged character who unfortunately is not very good at being a detective - this is one of the main flaws in the story.  This is the first book in a series so hopefully the main character will get better at his job