The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

January 3, 2025

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

In 1940, three women are recruited to do war work at Bletchley Park in the English countryside. One is a debutante who speaks several languages, one has superior office skills, and the third can work a crossword puzzle in minutes. Although none of them are sure at first what the people at Bletchley Park are doing, they soon learn that BP is Britain's World War II code breaking center.

Based on actual people who worked at Bletchley Par on the German enigma cypher. They recruited university types at first, but later also people who did puzzles, spoke languages, and had great organizational skills. The reason the cypher was initially so difficult to break is that the code changed daily. Once the code breakers figured out how to break the code, the challenge became preventing the Axis forces from realizing that the British were reading their secret messages. Part of the government's strategy for keeping the secret was isolating each section from the others, sharing only the information that they needed to do their work. The rose code in the book is an example of the types of code they worked on, so called because the code wrapped around like the petals on a rose.

While I was interested in the whole story of code breaking and the enigma cypher, the book is a whopping 650 page and would have been a better book if an editor had whacked out 100 or so pages of repetitious details. Fun fact: Valerie Middleton, grandmother of Katherine, Princess of Wales, was a code breaker at BP during the war and appears in the book. Recommended for readers of historical fiction, especially about World War II.

Bletchley Park

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

December 20, 2024

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Megan Chase lives on a pig farm in the Louisiana Bayou with her mother, stepfather and half-brother. She is an outcast but her best friend Robbie, another outcast, has always been there for her. On her 16th birthday, like a miracle, the quarterback of the football team asks her to lunch, only for Megan to become the victim of a vicious prank. Things only get worse when she arrives home to find that a changeling has taken the place of her half-brother who has been spirited off to the land of Faery. Megan is determined to go after him and bring him back, whatever the cost.

First book in the Iron Fey series. These faeries and elves aren't the Disney variety, more like the Eoin Colfer type (see the Artemis Fowl series). Many well known characters such as Puck and Oberon, and Grimalkin the faery cat is a great character. There are some fun and creative parts, like the road back to Faery through a dance club in Detroit. Many of the settings in the Iron King section have strong overtones of The Lord of the Rings. Note to fey folk: if you know that iron can kill you, maybe it's not the best idea to go into a land made of iron. Will appeal to readers of YA fantasy/romantasy.

The land of Faery

Those Opulent Days by Jacquie Pham

December 2, 2024

Those Opulent Days by Jacquie Pham

Four school friends from wealthy families met at an exclusive French boarding school in Vietnam. Three are Vietnamese, one is French. When they were in school, they snuck out one night to visit a fortune teller who predicted that one of them would end up dead at a young age. As adults, they live aimless dissipated lives of wealth and privilege. Then the fortune teller's prediction comes true, and one is found dead - is one of the others the killer?

Full cast audio recording told from several POVs. Although it is a mystery on the surface, the story is more about the racial and class tension that existed in the 1920s in Vietnam (aka French Indochina, aka Ah Nam). I knew very little about this time and place in history, so I learned something, which is one of the reasons that I read historical fiction. Strong contrasts between the lives of employers and servants, rich and poor, French and Vietnamese. There are many trigger subjects, including drugs, alcoholism, sexual abuse, murder (a lot of murders), violence against women, addiction, and hopelessness and depression. Sensitive readers should be aware that the story is quite intense at times. Recommended for readers who want to learn about lesser known history, especially the dark side of history.

A mansion in Saigon from the 1920s

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

September 30, 2024

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

Alfred invites his five closest college friends to spend the weekend at his Alfred Hitchcock themed hotel, free of charge. Alfred has always been a huge Hitchcock fan and collects Hitchcock memorabilia. But something bad happened during their senior year of college (maybe more than one something), and Alfred has waited 16 years to exact his revenge.

This had a good creepy vibe, great for the season: an old house in a college town, converted to a boutique hotel and filled with movie memorabilia, a creepy housekeeper who is always lurking about, plus an aviary full of crows behind the house. All the characters have secrets in addition to being morally bankrupt. There are a couple of good twists that I didn't see coming. I read the author's previous book (Darling Rose Gold, based on the Blanchard case), which had its own squirm factor. Fans of Alfred Hitchcock and psychological suspense will enjoy Wrobel's latest novel.

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

Alfred Hitchcock with a Thanksgiving turkey - this photo is referenced several times in the book

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

August 26, 2024

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

On a summer night in 1994, two 10 year old boys camp out in a tent in one of their backyards, as they did every Friday night. One of the boys disappears in the night, never to be seen again. Thirty years later, the surviving boy, now a 40 year old man, reluctantly returns to his childhood home. Almost immediately, strange things begin happening that indicate that someone knows what happened to the missing boy.

The premise was interesting, which is why I picked up this book: people who grew up on the same cul-de-sac reuniting as adults to solve the mystery of what happened to one of their friends. But the text got repetitious quickly: the reader is reminded every other page that Billy was taken in the middle of the night, that he was obsessed with ghosts, there are repeated descriptions of Ethan's dream, the lights coming on and off in the neighborhood, descriptions of the ominous mansion just a mile from where they lived. Lots of family secrets, but I didn't really care because the characters were flat and two-dimensional, and it took forever to reveal the secrets. Not terrible but not great, either. I started skimming about halfway through. Fans of Freida McFadden will enjoy Sager's latest novel. I think I'm done with both of them.

Set for Life by Andrew Ewell

December 4, 2023

Set for Life by Andrew Ewell

A nameless creative writing professor who is on a deadline to get something (anything, really) published has major writer's block. He is a failure at writing, at teaching, at being a husband, at life in general. His wife is a successful novelist and she encourages him at every turn. In typical male midlife crisis fashion, he begins an affair with one of his wife's friends, thinking that this is the answer to all of his problems. When his now-estranged wife publishes another novel with a character based on him, his envy knows no bounds and he feels he is entitled to some kind of compensation. After he manages to implode his entire life, he retreats to Florida where his parents (who he has always looked down on as failures) own a small beachside hotel.

All of the characters in this novel are unlikeable, with the exception of Carlos, the visiting writer. The main character is immature and a complete snob - everyone and everything is beneath him, and he feels that success should be just handed to him rather than having to work for it. It's always someone else's fault. Also, the main character drinks WAY too much, in fact many of the characters drink almost constantly. It's fairly obvious that he is depressed and everyone knows it but him, and several of the characters try to throw him a lifeline (including the department chair, who he despises, who not only doesn't press charges after the main character almost burns down his office, but he tries to help him find a new job). The writing is good, there is some dark humor, and it's a quick read - like a train wreck, you can't look away. I sincerely hope this novel isn't autobiographical.

Is it just me or does anyone else think this is a really boring cover?

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

The Accidental Medium by Tracy Whitwell

September 26, 2023

The Accidental Medium by Tracy Whitwell

Tanz is an out-of-work actress who takes a job at a crystal shop until her next role. She is interested in New Age stuff so the job appears to be a good fit. But she gets more than she expected when she starts hearing voices in her head and realizes that they are the voices of dead people.

This was a quick and overall fun read with good characters and entertaining dialogue. The issue I had with the book is that the mystery doesn't start until about 2/3 of the way through the story. I think it's going to disappoint readers who are expecting a standard mystery. First book in a planned cozy mystery series.

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

Typical New Age metaphysical shop

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

September 18, 2023

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

While preparing an exhibit of Hollywood costumes, a museum curator comes across a gown with a tag that says the designer was Zora Lily. But the curator has no idea who Zora Lily was. Seattle 1924 - Zora Hough's family lives in near poverty, but Zora is a talented seamstress and dreams of designing gowns for the rich and famous of Hollywood, even as she shares a bed with two of her sisters. In the evenings, she enjoys going with her friends to Seattle's speakeasies, where she meets a special man. But then her lover is deported for bootlegging and Zora is devastated. When she is offered the change to work on a movie in Hollywood, she decides to take a chance at achieving her dream of being a fashion designer.

I love fiction about the Golden Age of Hollywood and especially about costumes, design, and sewing (I have a 1920s fashion print hanging in my bedroom). The story does not really have a dual timeline - the museum curator in 2023 merely sets up Zora's story and then winds in the threads at the end. Zora is a very likeable character who makes some dumb mistakes (but if she didn't, there wouldn't be a story) but not so dumb that they can't be fixed. Zora is totally disillusioned when someone else takes credit for her work (like this has never happened to any of us). The descriptions of the speakeasies and the glamorous clothes were wonderful. Historical fiction recommended for readers who enjoy Fiona Davis and Melanie Benjamin.

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

Greta Garbo wearing one of her iconic gowns

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

August 29, 2023

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

As a young orc, Viv was injured when she was with a band of warriors pursuing a necromancer named Varine. While recuperating in a seaside town, she meets a rattkin bookseller named Fern and her pet gryphet Potroast. Viv also strikes up a romance with Maylee, the owner of the local bakery. But one of Varine's henchman is seen lurking about the town, and Viv knows that the day is coming when she will have to face down Varine, and only one of them will survive.

A prequel to Legends and Lattes that fills in some of Viv's backstory including how she met some of her fighting companions, also how she got her sword. Two of the best characters are Satchel the homunculous skeleton and Potroast the gryphet (a gryphet is half dog, half bird)! One of the things that Viv learns is that when there are people you care about and who care about you, it's easier for your enemies to get at your weak spots. She also learns about the magic and power of books. Very enjoyable and creative, recommended for fantasy readers.

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

It's Potroast the gryphet!

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

August 28, 2023

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

When retired orc warrior Viv decides to open a coffeehouse in the city of Thune, she has no idea of the challenges she will face. But in her last job as a fighting orc, she secured a magic stone known as the Scalvert's Stone which she believes will bring her good luck and guarantee success. She hires a talented young succubus as a shop assistant (and is somewhat distracting) and a rattkin baker who is a genius when it comes to pastry. The shop gains a regular clientele, which attracts the attention of the local gang, who come around to shake Viv down for protection money. There is a dire-cat (a creature that looks like a house cat but is bigger than a wolf) that shows up at unexpected times. Plus old acquaintances from Viv's fighting days keep popping up, some welcome, others not so much. Viv has to figure out how to deal with all of it, while still serving coffee and pastries to the working folk of Thune.

Fun creative fantasy with good characters and a little LGBTQ thrown in. Who would ever think to write a cheerful fantasy novel with a rather charming orc protagonist? Amity the dire-cat and Thimble the rattkin are wonderful creations. Looking forward to the next book to find out more about Viv and her friends. Recommended for anyone who enjoys fantasy or is looking for a fantasy that isn't about a quest or saving a fantasy kingdom.

A female orc

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

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 Villa by Rachel Hawkins

November 28, 2022

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

Emily Sheridan and Chess Chandler have been friends since elementary school. Both are writers: Emily writes cozy mysteries and Chess writes self-help books. Following a bad period in Emily's life, Chess suggests they spend the summer at a villa in Italy where both can work on their writing. At first, the house seems like the perfect place to spend the summer. But when Emily learns that a murder occurred at the villa 50 years earlier, she begins to dig deeper into the story.

There are two timelines here, set 50 years apart, that mirror each other to a certain extent. I figured out the plot about one third of the way into the story. But there were some unexpected twists as well as two different endings, and the reader is left wondering about the truth. Quite a few of the characters are unlikeable, so it didn't bother me when they died or got killed. This is enjoyable escape fiction, well-written, that is perfect for vacation, and readers of psychological or suspense fiction will be drawn into the story.

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

Orvieto, Italy, the setting for The Villa

The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell

October 25, 2022

The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell

When a pair of severed hands are found in a biscuit box during the excavation of an old house, it turns out that the skeletal remains are at least 60 years old. The police ask for information from anyone who lived in the London suburb during World War II, especially about anyone who went missing at that time. A group of senior citizens who were children during war and lived in that area meet to talk to the police and get reacquainted, which has unexpected consequences for some of them.

LARGE cast of characters that is sometimes hard to keep straight. There are the seniors, and then there are their children, grandchildren, extended family, neighbors, friends, and in one instance, even a parent. Not bad psychological fiction but the sheer number of characters is confusing and probably not necessary.

Attractive London suburb

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

October 3, 2022

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

When Hannah Jones was a student at Oxford, her glamorous uber-rich roommate April was murdered. Hannah found her body. The college porter was arrested and convicted and received a life sentence in prison. Ten years later, the ex-porter dies in prison and instead of being relieved that a really bad person is gone, Hannah decides to have a lot of drama over it. Then it comes out that the porter may not have been guilty after all.

For the last 10 years, there have been a bunch of suspense/psychological fiction books with "girl" or "woman" in the title, featuring unreliable narrators who drank a lot and had bad habits (which were at least fun). Now they all have mommies or about to be mommies as the main character, which is a trend I'm not loving. Too much time is spent focusing on being a mommy and not on the mystery. One of Ware's previous novels, The Lying Game, was about four school friends who did something bad while they were in school - one of them has a baby now and a lot of time is spent feeding the baby, changing the baby, walking the baby, looking for the baby's stuff, etc. Maybe the author is fascinated with being a mommy. Me, not so much.

Nothing new here - the storyline was predictable except for the ending. I skimmed the last half of the book. Lotsa drama. I don't recommend this one. I think I'm done with Ruth Ware.

The set-up also reminds me of The Secret History by Donna Tartt, a much better book, about a group of brainy wealthy college students who adopt a scholarship kid into their group, and one of them ends up dead. Same situation but more interesting.

April is THIS kind of girl

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

March 3, 2022

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

As a mixed race child from a scandalous union, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in anywhere: her tribe, her hometown or her family. The only bright spots in her life are her BFF and Jamie, the new guy on her brother's hockey team who may be her new boyfriend. After her BFF is murdered, Daunis agrees to help the investigation by going undercover. But there are other forces at work that hit very close to home.

The author exposes some dark secrets about Native American communities: sexual assault, addiction, spousal abuse, violence against women. It is very YA in tone, with a little too much drama. But I learned a lot about Native American folklore and customs.

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

January 17, 2022

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Zinnia Gray has a rare genetic disorder that makes it unlikely that she will live past her 21st birthday. Her BFF Charm decides that since this may be Zinnia's last birthday, she is going to make it the best birthday ever. Zinnia studied fairy tale literature in college, specifically the Sleeping Beauty myth/legend/tale, so Charm creates a sleeping beauty fantasy in the tower of a nearby abandoned building, complete with spinning wheel, flowers, and fairy lights. But when Zinnia accidentally pricks her finger on a splinter, she finds herself falling through the multiverse into the worlds of other sleeping beauties, all as desperate to escape their fates as she is.

This novella imagines that there are countless variations on the sleeping beauty story through every age, past and future. These sleeping beauties are not weak or powerless, but determined to take control of their own situations. They want more than just some preening prince and "living happily ever after." Great cover art.

(No picture of a sleeping beauty, since I couldn't find any pictures except the princess either asleep or gazing starry-eyed at Prince Perfect.)

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

December 16, 2021

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Evie, her brother Will and Will's friend Tom have been friends since childhood. When Will and Tom are shipped off to serve in France during World War I, Evie promises to write to both of them. Evie is a prolific letter writer, and she also writes to her BFF Alice. Both Alice and Evie want to do more for the war effort than knit socks for the soldiers (despite the protests of their families). Evie gets a job delivering mail and the dreaded telegrams to her community, and she also begins to write a column for the local newspaper about life on the home front and the hardships that the soldiers are enduring in France. Along the way, she and Tom realize that their feelings for each other are stronger than just friendship.

Told through letters between the characters, the book's themes focus on the roles of women during wartime, PTSD (or "shell shock" as it was called then), and the realities of trench warfare. I usually enjoy epistolary fiction (who doesn't like reading someone else's letters?), but this had a little too much romance for me and I found the storyline predictable. But romance readers will love it, especially if they like historical romances.

Epistolary fiction has been around for a long time. Dangerous Liaisons was one of the very early books written in this style. If you want to try another epistolary novel, try The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which is set during and just after World War II and is a much better book, IMHO.

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus

August 25, 2022

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus

Ivy, Cal and Mateo have been friends since grade school, when they had a memorable day cutting school. Now seniors in high school, after each experiences a devastating event, they spontaneously decide to recreate "the greatest day ever." They cut school for the day and head into Boston, where they unexpectedly encounter a classmate who winds up dead. At least one of them is implicated in the murder, and they find themselves trying to stay one step ahead of the murderer, the police, their parents, and the news media, while they attempt to figure out who the killer really is.

Lots of drama here of all varieties, which is to be expected since this is a young adult book (and YAs love their drama). There are several narrators here. I listened to the audiobook and it was easy to differentiate which character was speaking. I've read several of the author's books, and I think this is the last one. They all have a similar flavor, but YAs in particular will like them.