Lori (lkernagh) Tries to Read More in 2024

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Lori (lkernagh) Tries to Read More in 2024

1lkernagh
Dec 31, 2023, 5:18 pm


Lori (lkernagh) Tries to Read More in 2024

Hello everyone! For those who don't know me, I am Lori, a walking/kayaking/cycling enthusiast, bookworm, foodie 'gal' (age is a state of mind) who has happily called Vancouver Island on the west coast of British Columbia home for over 30 years. When I am not working or reading, my winter months are usually occupied with a craft project of some kind, while my spring and summer months are when I engage in my on-going attempts at container gardening.

My reading in 2023 was a bit haphazard. I am finding I am easily distracted by shiny books or get sucked into binge reading a series that is either new to me or has been languishing on my electronic TBR pile for far too long. I did not manage to complete my 2023 category challenge but was happy to discover new authors through the limited reading I did. This year - like last year - my category challenge will be based on a variation on the calendar year (2024). My minimum goal is 24 books (2 books per month reading rate should be doable) with broad, general sub-categories to capture where the books I read are sourced (TBR pile, local library, NetGalley, etc) or what led me to read a certain book when I did (monthly CATS and KITS). Fingers crossed I can do double (2 X 24 = 2024).

My sub-categories under each month will be:
1. TBR Pile
2. Shiny Books (local library, NetGalley, other sources)
3. KITS & CATS

Like last year, it is likely my visits to my own thread will be sporadic at best but I will try to post updates on my reading and reply to comments left. Thanks for stopping by!

9lkernagh
Dec 31, 2023, 5:21 pm


TBR Pile:
1.

Shiny Books:
1.

KITS & CATS:
1.

10lkernagh
Dec 31, 2023, 5:22 pm


TBR Pile:
1.

Shiny Books:
1.

KITS & CATS:
1.

11lkernagh
Dec 31, 2023, 5:22 pm


TBR Pile:
1.

Shiny Books:
1.

KITS & CATS:
1.

12lkernagh
Dec 31, 2023, 5:22 pm


TBR Pile:
1.

Shiny Books:
1.

KITS & CATS:
1.

13lkernagh
Dec 31, 2023, 5:23 pm


TBR Pile:
1.

Shiny Books:
1.

KITS & CATS:
1.

14lkernagh
Dec 31, 2023, 5:23 pm



Next one is yours! Welcome to my 2024 reading thread.
... and before you ask, this is not a picture of my sun deck. I love porched-in sun decks and downloaded this picture from pxhere under a Creative Commons 0 (CC0) license (https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1058556).

15thornton37814
Dec 31, 2023, 9:26 pm

Hope you have a great reading year!

16DeltaQueen50
Dec 31, 2023, 9:35 pm

Happy to see you set up for another year, Lori. Wishing you a Happy New Years!

17lkernagh
Dec 31, 2023, 10:51 pm

>15 thornton37814: - Thanks Lori!

>16 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks Judy! Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!

18lowelibrary
Dec 31, 2023, 11:26 pm

Good luck with your reading in 2024.

19Tess_W
Jan 1, 2024, 12:55 am

Have fun with your 2024 reading! Love the porch as I do love me some purple!

20MissBrangwen
Jan 1, 2024, 5:37 am

Happy reading in 2024!

21dudes22
Jan 1, 2024, 7:00 am

Looking forward to your reading in 2024.

22mstrust
Jan 1, 2024, 9:27 am


Nice to see you back!

23rabbitprincess
Jan 1, 2024, 11:25 am

Yay, Lori's back! Great photo of the sun deck, even if it's not *your* sun deck. I call dibs on the couch!

24VivienneR
Jan 1, 2024, 12:37 pm

Glad to see you back, Lori! Wishing you a happy new year and happy reading!

25hailelib
Jan 1, 2024, 4:48 pm

Have a great 2024 and a few five star books as well.

26lkernagh
Jan 1, 2024, 10:05 pm

>18 lowelibrary:, >19 Tess_W:, >20 MissBrangwen:, >21 dudes22:, >22 mstrust:, >23 rabbitprincess:, >24 VivienneR: and >25 hailelib:: Thank you April, Tess, Mirjam, Betty, Jennifer, RP, Vivienne and hailelib for the thread visit and greetings!

>23 rabbitprincess: - LOL, good idea to call dibs on the couch!

I am not much of a party goer so we had a quiet evening at home last night to ring in the New Year. Stayed up way too late and drank a bit too much champers. Part of this afternoon was spent undecorating (is that even a word???) the home. The tree is now down and our festive themed front door has been returned to its usual boring glory. Have left the outside lights up and probably won't take them down until next weekend. I enjoy seeing the lights strung along out balcony so not in a huge rush to take them down, just yet.

Starting my 2024 reading with a bit of a mixed bag (see post below). I hope everyone had a lovely New Years and best wishes for 2024!

27lkernagh
Edited: Jan 2, 2024, 8:27 am

Currently Reading or On Deck:

..

ebook:
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - Reading this as a book from my TBR pile that fits the January PrizeCAT. I really enjoyed Main Street so I am looking forward to seeing how Babbitt compares to Main Street.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena - Another book from my TBR Pile, this one fits the January ScaredyKIT (Psychological Thrillers).

Audiobook:
The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong - Book two in Armstrong's Rip Through Time series. I enjoyed the first book in the series, A Rip Through Time a few months back. Borrowed from my local library system.

Physical books:
Nothing at the moment
... as always, my reading is subject to change, based on whim or some other random reason!

28MissWatson
Jan 6, 2024, 9:21 am

Have a great reading year, Lori!

29pamelad
Jan 8, 2024, 5:34 pm

These are really doable categories. Happy reading in 2024!

30Tess_W
Jan 11, 2024, 3:19 am

>27 lkernagh: I have yet to read Lewis' Main Street, although it is on my TBR. I hope you like Babbitt more than I!

31lkernagh
Jan 15, 2024, 4:25 pm

>28 MissWatson: - Thanks Birgit! I am off to a rather sluggish start to the reading year... must be the weather! :)

>29 pamelad: - Thanks Pam! I had to go for easy. I really seem to get easily distracted by shiny books and all of a sudden, my reading plans are out the window.

>30 Tess_W: - Oh dear, Tess, you have me a little concerned about Babbitt. To be honest, I am wondering about Babbitt and how this won the Nobel Prize in 1930... slim pickings that year??? ;-)

---------------------------------
Hard to believe we are already at the halfway mark for January, and boy was it a cold one last week in my neck of the woods! We have warmed up but still a bit cooler than typical (happily, I own ski sweaters that have been put to use, so not complaining) and we got lucky compared to other parts of North America. I hope everyone in the Northern Hemisphere is staying warm and those in the Southern Hemisphere are not experiencing any crazy heat waves or other extreme weather conditions.

Not much to report. An elderly family member (bachelor uncle) passed away last week. Long term underlying health issues so not a huge surprise but still very sad, especially as they lived alone (they did not want to move into assisted living when it was gently suggested) and it was a welfare check that made the discovery. No funeral planned (at the deceased request) so mourning is taking the form of long distance conversations filled with memories. We are born. We live. We die. Kind of stark when looked at that way, I guess.

On the reading front, I have made a bit of progress. Have finished two books! Still managing to get sucked into some TV shows. Latest (premiered last night on Acorn TV) is "Monsieur Spade" starring Clive Owen as Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade, now retired in France and finds himself investigated a grisly crime. Watched episode 1 last night and can highly recommend it! For anyone interested, here is a link to the trailer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoRPIEtbcBM

... now for those book reviews and reading update.

32lkernagh
Jan 15, 2024, 4:26 pm


Book #1 - The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong - audiobook read by Kate Handford
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: 2022
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 352 pages / 14 hours, 52 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Edinburgh, 1869: Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is adjusting to her new life in Victorian Scotland and is now officially an undertaker’s assistant for her employer,Dr. Duncan Gray, who moonlights as a medical examiner. Their latest case hits close to home. Men are dropping dead from a powerful poison, and all signs point to the grieving widows... the latest of which is Gray’s oldest sister. Poison is said to be a woman’s weapon, though Mallory has to wonder if it’s as simple as that. But she must tread carefully. Every move the household makes is being watched, and who knows where the investigation will lead."
Review:
I am enjoying the books in Armstrong's Rip Through Time series (I should probably mention this is book 2 in the series). Mallory's 'voice' and observations of 19th century Scotland from a 21st century point of view is refreshing. Now that she no longer engages in subterfuge with her employers, the candid conversations (and confused questions) give this otherwise grim murder mystery a bit of sass and levity. Let's be honest, restrictive 19th century clothing really hampers one's ability to run and is just not practical if one has to engage in a bit of street fighting! I love the Edinburgh Scotland setting. Yes, some time travel purists may take issue with the freedom with which Mallory shares certain knowledge from the future with the characters that know she is 'from the future', but it is fiction so, tough toenails... I am enjoying it, I think because Mallory does not spend half the time (or any of time really) trying to get back to her time so this is more a straightforward murder mystery. As for the murder mystery itself, this was a good one. Some interesting twists and turns and enough scientific evidence to make it work. Overall, this one is really not that much different from my typical historical fiction murder mystery reading. I hope there will be more books in the series published.

33lkernagh
Jan 15, 2024, 4:29 pm


Book #2 - The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell - audiobook read by full cast
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: 2023
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 288 pages / 8 hours, 37 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"very summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for 'Bake Week' but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin. The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as 'America’s Grandmother,' Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage, but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect."
Review:
I will start off by admitting that I borrowed the audiobook version from my local library due to a combination of story synopses and published hype (Janet Evanovich is quoted as calling this a "delicious combination of Clue meets The Great British Bake Off, while another describes it as Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid). I should have realized that hype can be just that. Not to dish this one - that was bad of me, I know - the whole food angle and a secluded creepy mansion are usually good selling features to me. I think I was put off by the multiple points of view, with short chapters giving each character their turn to tell things from their perspective. Usually I don't mind this literary style as it can lead to some interesting 'reveals' and can stretch out the suspense, but when you have to cycle through POV of eight characters, it can get a little much. Just sayin'. With the audiobook, having a full cast narrating only partially helped. In fact, I still managed to confuse two characters until I was part way through. One of the narrator's was 'over the top' in their narration (not sure if that was an accurate presentation of that character), which was a bit of a put off for me. I might have enjoyed the story more if I had read it as opposed to listening to the audiobook. Don't know for sure, but wanted to put that out there.

For a debut novel, the author has created an interesting murder mystery spin on the popularity of reality baking shows and gave this reader a couple of unexpected developments to ponder. Will I read more books by this author? Absolutely.

34lkernagh
Jan 15, 2024, 4:30 pm

Currently Reading or On Deck:

..

Audiobook:
Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose - Book 6 in the Wrexford & Sloane Mystery series. I am enjoying this series and taking advantage of the audiobooks via my local library to finally 'read' the books I have had lurking on by ereader for some time now.

ebook:
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - I am bout 38% of the way through this one. Not sure if I can provide any initial comments at this stage. It is different from Main Street but struggling to pin down why I am not enamoured with it.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena - Still planning on getting to this one for the January ScaredyKIT (Psychological Thrillers).

Physical books:
Nothing at the moment
... as always, my reading is subject to change, based on whim or some other random reason!

35thornton37814
Jan 16, 2024, 11:03 am

>34 lkernagh: I'm listening to one of those now although I'm not as far along as you are. I think mine is Murder at Half-Moon Gate.

36lkernagh
Feb 4, 2024, 12:02 am


>35 thornton37814: - Oh, I did enjoy that one! I hope you are enjoying it.

--------------------------

Yes, it is safe to say that 2024 will be another year where I will make occasional visits to LT to record books read and to say hello to anyone who stops by my rather quiet thread. What can I saw.... January was a month of rather extreme weather. From a brutal cold snap to warmer than usual temps we just take it day by day. If the weather is warm enough (above 0'C), dry enough (rain is fine but not torrential downpour) and calm enough (darn those 60-80km wind gust days!) I cycle commute to the office for my 'in-office' days (I am a hybrid worker). As famous in the news as groundhog Punxsutawney Phil is, Vancouver Island has 'Van Isle Violet', a marmot to do the groundhog day predictions. Violet saw her shadow, but as far as I am concerns, any reliable long range predictions about weather seems to be of the blindfolded dartboard variety so we just roll with it.

I did manage to complete a couple of books in January. Book reviews to follow. Wishing everyone a wonderful February!

37lkernagh
Edited: Feb 4, 2024, 12:37 am


Book #3 - Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose - audiobook read by James Cameron Stewart
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: 2022
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 386 pages / 11 hours, 58 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Charlotte would like nothing more than a summer of peace and quiet with her unconventional family and friends. Still, some social obligations must be honored, especially with the grand Peace Celebrations unfolding throughout London to honor victory over Napoleon.

But when Lord Wrexford and their two young wards, Raven and Hawk, discover a body floating in Hyde Park's famous lake, that newfound peace looks to be at risk. The late Jeremiah Willis was the engineering genius behind a new design for a top-secret weapon, and the prototype is missing from the Royal Armory's laboratory. Wrexford is tasked with retrieving it before it falls into the wrong hands. But there are unsettling complications to the case - including a family connection.

Soon, old secrets are tangling with new betrayals, and as Charlotte and Wrexford spin through a web of international intrigue and sumptuous parties, they must race against time to save their loved ones from harm - and keep the weapon from igniting a new war . . ."
Review:
I have to be honest here. Either I have been reading the books in this series too quickly (almost back-to-back) or Penrose has penned a bit of a dud this time. Certain aspects of the story are starting to lose their charm for me. The murders, technology 'bits' and society of the time period in general continues to provide me with enough content to continue reading, but my enjoyment for the series is starting to wane. At least the quoting of Latin phrases has started to diminish in frequency (or I am blocking them out), only to be replaced with a new perchance for Wrexford and friends holding "War Councils" whenever murder happens and they need to discuss.). At least the publisher for the audiobooks has managed to keep the same reader throughout this series, and James Cameron Stewart does a rather good job, so that is a positive.

I do have a hold at the library for book 7 in the series, so we shall how that one stands up.I am not completely writing off the series at this point.

38lkernagh
Feb 4, 2024, 12:04 am


Book #4 - Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
Source: TBR
Format: ebook
Original publication date: 1922
Acquisition date: May 2, 2019
Pages: 375 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the penguinrandomhouse.ca book listing webpage:
"Since the 1922 publication of Babbitt, its eponymous antihero - a prosperous real estate broker and relentless social climber inhabiting a Midwestern town called Zenith - has become a symbol of stultifying values and middle-class hypocrisy. At once a conformist and a rebel, George F. Babbitt represents an ordinary man whose life turns upside down during one of the most profound sea changes in American cultural history: the mechanization and hucksterism of the Roaring Twenties. Babbitt, his family, and his social circle are the very essence of the American Dream in all its glory and emptiness, and their story is a stirring portrait of a way of life in profound flux. Babbitt remains one of Sinclair Lewis’s most widely read novels. Contemptible and touching, frivolous and tragic, Babbitt is a rich, complex character whose legacy carries an eerie resonance to this day."
Review:
It took me the majority of the month of January to get through this one. It is not 'dry' reading. More on the strange/peculiar side. Once I understand that this was supposed to be scathing satire - Lewis taking deep digs at middle-class America as he saw it - it was a little easier to sit back and see what he has to say.

Is this Prize worthy, as in Nobel Prize worthy? I seriously think not, but it helps to learn Lewis won the 1930 Nobel Prize based on the author's entire body of work. Thank goodness. Otherwise I would have questioned the committee's judgment. As a social commentator, the author does not pull any punches. In George Babbitt, he has created what I can only describe as a farcical character (a man of exuberance and rather extreme reactions) that is hard for me to feel any empathy for. One thing that kept cropping up in my mind as I was reading is I kept visualizing the voice of George as the voice of the actor James 'Jimmy' Stewart (It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, etc. movie fame). Even though George is described as shorter and pudgier in build, it was Jimmy's voice I heard throughout this book. Call me crazy.

Anyways. I am happy to say I have finally read this one, removing it off my TBR pile. There are more comprehensive reviews out there about this book so I am not going to elaborate further.

39lkernagh
Feb 4, 2024, 12:07 am


Book #5 - The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena - audiobook read by Kristen Potter
Source: TBR / GVPL
Format: ebook / audiobook
Original publication date: 2016
Acquisition date: October 31, 2021
Pages / Listening time: 336 pages / 8 hours, 40 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:
"Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all - a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night, when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately lands on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family - a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.."
Review:
Oh, I was captivated by this one! Great suspense, fantastic plot twists and not a likeable character in the bunch. Okay, maybe one character has a chance at redemption but the rest...... no comment. Every single one of them has a secret, some just do a better job of hiding these secrets from others. Like a magician with a bottomless top hat, the author keeps pulling more surprises out, just when you think there cannot be anything else shocking to uncover. It is not hard to imagine people like these characters can exist in real life (which does not give me much comfort!), but does make for a more compelling story for this reader.

I can see by the star ratings here on LT this story has a different impact on different readers. I am in the "Love it" camp. The story can get under your skin in a very uncomfortable way and yes, I agree with some reviews that while good, there were some areas where the plot could have been tightened up and the characters expanded upon.

Overall, very happy to stumble across this one lurking on my TBR pile and I look forward to reading more of Lapena's books!

40lkernagh
Feb 4, 2024, 12:08 am

Currently Reading or On Deck:

..

Audiobook:
Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena - I am about 2 hours into the audiobook. Just as hooked on this story as I was with my previous Lapena read, The Couple Next Door.

ebook:
Love Me If You Must by Nicole Young - A book that has been on my Kobo since 2016 and fits the February CalendarCAT (Love in title). I am a couple of chapters in. Enjoying the Victorian home restoration project (and the two romantic love interests) lead character Patricia "Tish" Amble has on her plate. Still trying to figure out the ghostly angle to this one.

Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope - Book three in The Barsetshire Chronicles series and a perfect fit for the February HistoryCAT (published in Georgian/Regency/Victorian Britain).

Physical books:
Nothing at the moment
... as always, my reading is subject to change, based on whim or some other random reason!

41thornton37814
Feb 4, 2024, 2:00 pm

>36 lkernagh: >37 lkernagh: I completely enjoyed the second in the series, and I hope I continue to enjoy several more before they lose their appeal. It's one of the more enjoyable series for me right now.

42pamelad
Feb 4, 2024, 3:06 pm

>38 lkernagh: Very generous of the Nobel Committee to give the literature prize to Sinclair Lewis. I think Babbitt and Main Street are regarded as his best books, and there is nothing else exceptional lurking in his body of work. I enjoyed both of them, and also read Free Air, which is entertaining but minor. It Can't Happen Here was so ponderous and didactic that I had to stop, which is a shame because it's relevant to current events.

The other Nobel I'd remove, if it were up to me, is Bob Dylan's.

43lkernagh
Feb 11, 2024, 8:05 pm

>41 thornton37814: - It is a pretty good series Lori and happy to see you are enjoying it!

>42 pamelad: - Hahaha.... I agree with you Pam! I have only read two of Sinclair Lewis' books so far. I won't be rushing to add It Can't Happen to my reading list, thanks for the heads up of your experience with that book.

-------------------------------

Happy Superbowl Sunday to those who are watching the game and Happy relaxing Sunday wishes to everyone else. I am not a big sports fan and have never understood the attraction for the Super Bowl, even if the half time shows are reported to be pretty darn spectacular! Taking advantage of a quiet Sunday to write a couple of quick reviews for my first two February reads. Both duds I am afraid (it happens).

Reviews and currently reading update coming up.

44lkernagh
Edited: Feb 12, 2024, 10:38 am


Book #6 - Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena - audiobook read by Ellen Archer
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: 2021
Acquisition date: N/A
Listening time: 9 hours, 11 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there, and Fred and Sheila Merton certainly are rich. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call. The Mertons are brutally murdered after a fraught Easter dinner with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated.

Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their vindictive father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of the siblings is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did someone snap after that dreadful evening? Or did another person appear later that night with the worst of intentions? That must be what happened. After all, if one of the family were capable of something as gruesome as this, you'd know.

Wouldn't you?"
Review:
This one was a disappointment after The Couple Next Door. We still have a bunch of unlikable characters (I am starting to think the author likes to write about characters who only appear socially acceptable on the surface!). I admit it was probably the suspense-filled adrenaline rush that made me enjoy The Couple Next Door - the race against time when an infant has been kidnapped is a bit different from this story which is more or less a straight-forward police procedural with dead bodies right at the start and two detectives grilling family members who have a nasty habit of lying or withholding information, "throwing shade" and casting suspicion at one another. Lapena gets under the skin of her characters so the story did intrigue me a bit as we watch some characters start to crumb while others start to exhibit a rather unhealthy detached emotion to what has happened. Also, there is a fair bit of vengeance and vitriol going on here. We are talking about one emotionally unhealthy family! Did I figure out "who did it/"? Yes, that was pretty easy to do.

Overall, I think I lucked in with The Couple Next Door as my first Lapena read. I will keep her other books in mind if I am in the mood for a visit to the darker side of humanity, but I am not going to binge-read my way through her books... I feel like I need to offset her stories with a bit of happy fluff and fun.

45lkernagh
Edited: Feb 12, 2024, 10:39 am


Book #7 - Love Me If You Must by Nicole Young
Source: TBR
Format: ebook
Original publication date: April 1, 2007
Acquisition date: March 2, 2016
Pages: 379
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.15 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:
"Professional renovator Tish Amble decided long ago that staying in one place is about as exciting as peeling wallpaper from plaster. So before the paint in each newly transformed home is dry, Tish is researching her next move. This time she chooses a small town in Michigan with a dilapidated Victorian that challenges her imagination. But Tish's idyllic small-town dream fizzles when she finds more in the creepy basement than what was revealed on the seller's disclosure-what looks like traces of foul play. With a hovering police officer living next door and a possible love interest just two doors down, Tish has her hands full. Will she discover the truth before it's too late?"
Review:
First book in what is currently a three book series, I am guessing I acquired my copy either as a free (or nearly free) ebook via the Kobo website, but I could be mistaken as I don't typically document where I buy/get my ebooks, just when. I have to say this is really a rather scattered story to try and make sense of. According to the author bio, she is a home restorer, so not surprising her protagonist is in that line of self-employment. What did not work for me is: the two competing love interests, the delayed explanation for Tish's criminal past (it is alluded to throughout the story, but we really do not learn the details until near the end), Tish's tendencies towards the dramatic and basically how the whole murder mystery gets solved.

This would probably be best categorized as a Christian chick-lit mystery. Overall, not my type of story. As happy as I am that I can finally mark this book as "read", I won't be continuing with the series.

46lkernagh
Edited: Feb 12, 2024, 10:40 am

Currently Reading or On Deck:

.

Audiobook:
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry - Pulled this one from my TBR pile (another unread book on my Kobo!) as a potential fit for the February ScaredyKIT (Gothic novels), assuming the use of "Gothic" in the tags is accurate. Currently just under 2 hours in the audio version from my local library and undecided at this point what I think.

ebook:
Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope - Book three in The Barsetshire Chronicles series and a perfect fit for the February HistoryCAT (published in Georgian/Regency/Victorian Britain). I have not cracked this one open yet. I was kind of hoping my local library would have this one in audiobook format, but no such luck. A quick google search and I have now discovered LibriVox!

Physical books:
Nothing at the moment
... as always, my reading is subject to change, based on whim or some other random reason!

47Tess_W
Feb 17, 2024, 12:17 am

>38 lkernagh: I am in agreement with you on Babbitt. I read it and thought, huh and why?

48MissBrangwen
Feb 18, 2024, 4:33 am

>44 lkernagh: I really liked An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena. I also have A Stranger in the House on my shelf, but haven't been in the mood for thrillers lately.
I'm looking forward to your comments on The Essex Serpent - it has been on my tbr for ages!

49thornton37814
Feb 18, 2024, 6:15 pm

I remember trying to get through Babbitt sometime in the 1980s. I think I did finish it, but I did not enjoy it.

50lkernagh
Feb 20, 2024, 11:18 pm

>47 Tess_W: - What a perfect reaction to Babbitt! "Huh and why."

>48 MissBrangwen: - I have been debating about what my next Lapena read should be. Thanks to you, I have placed a hold on An Unwanted Guest. I should be in the mood for another dip into suspense/thriller in about 8 weeks when the hold comes available. :)

>49 thornton37814: - Hi Lori, that seems to be the common impression for Babbitt. I wonder if Sinclair Lewis knew this would be the reaction? I get the impression he was a bit for "poking the bear" and making scandalous statements, so I am not surprised his satire comes across a bit 'off point'.

---------------------
My reading has slowed to a bit of a crawl. Even long weekends seem to be too packed with other things to occupy my time. Have to figure out how to make the clocks stand still or at least slow down when I want to enjoy some reading time. One book finish and a rather disjointed review coming.

51lkernagh
Feb 20, 2024, 11:20 pm


Book #8 - The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry - audiobook narrated by Juanita McMahon
Source: TBR / GVPL
Format: ebook / audiobopok
Original publication date: 2016
Acquisition date: December 9, 2018
Pages: 464 pages / 14 hours, 44 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:
"London, 1893. When Cora Seaborne’s brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was an unhappy one, and she never suited the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space, she leaves the metropolis for coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive eleven-year-old son, Francis, and the boy’s nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend.

Once there, they hear rumors that after nearly three hundred years, the mythical Essex Serpent, a fearsome creature that once roamed the marshes, has returned. When a young man is mysteriously killed on New Year’s Eve, the community’s dread transforms to terror. Cora, a keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, is immediately enthralled, certain that what locals think is a magical sea beast may be a previously undiscovered species.

Eager to investigate, she is introduced to parish vicar William Ransome, who is equally suspicious of the rumors but for different reasons: a man of faith, he is convinced the alarming reports are caused by moral panic, a flight from the correct and righteous path. As Cora and William attempt to discover the truth about the Essex Serpent’s existence, these seeming opposites find themselves inexorably drawn together in an intense relationship that will change both of them in ways entirely unexpected. And as they search for answers, Cora’s London past follows her to the coast, with striking consequences."
Review:
Not sure what I was expecting (some 2.0 version of Wuthering Heights or Rebecca probably), but it wasn't this. I am NOT complaining. It took me a while to get into the story, but once I was acquainted with the characters - social justice Martha, scientific-minded Cora, medical genius Luke, his faithful friend George, and the Ransome family - against the backdrop of the Essex countryside, this reader was swept away. Perry's wonderful descriptive prose brings the sights, sounds and smells to life in vivid detail. Her characters are SO human... it is easy to feel their joy, pain, frustrations and suffering, just as it is easy to understand the superstitious beliefs of the locals, a determined vicar trying to tend to his flock through theological methods and the disruptive(?) influx (via Cora and crew) of modern scientific beliefs.

I know... I am rambling. I love this story for what it represents: At a microcosm level, this is a story about love, in all its forms. While a very atmospheric story with some Gothic elements, I would not attach a "Gothic" label to this one.

Overall, a truly wonderful story and I was very happy to discover my local library has a copy of the author's book Melmoth available for borrowing. Maybe Melmoth will be worthy of the Gothic tag I see here on LT.

52lkernagh
Feb 20, 2024, 11:21 pm

Currently Reading or On Deck:

.

Audiobook:
Melmoth by Sarah Perry - As noted above,I "loved" The Essex Serpent and hopeful Perry will continue to captivate me with this one.

ebook:
Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope - Book three in The Barsetshire Chronicles series and a perfect fit for the February HistoryCAT (published in Georgian/Regency/Victorian Britain). I STILL have not cracked this one open. what can I say, distracted by shiny books.

Physical books:
Nothing at the moment
... as always, my reading is subject to change, based on whim or some other random reason!

53Tess_W
Feb 21, 2024, 4:43 am

>51 lkernagh: Hit e with a BB!

54MissBrangwen
Feb 21, 2024, 6:19 am

>51 lkernagh: Wonderful review! I should bump this book up in the queue.

>52 lkernagh: I read The Warden a few years ago and have wanted to continue with the series ever since, but haven't done so... As you said, shiny books!

55japaul22
Feb 21, 2024, 6:48 am

Just to give you a little boost - I loved Doctor Thorne. I think it was my favorite of the Barsetshire series.

56lkernagh
Mar 31, 2024, 6:12 pm

>51 lkernagh: - I hope you enjoy it Tess!

>52 lkernagh: - Thank you, and yes, darn those shiny books... they continue to distract me from my planned Trollope reading. :-)

>53 Tess_W: - That is a good boost in favour of Doctor Thorne!

----------------------------------

Happy Sunday, Happy end of March and Happy Easter for those who celebrate! I am gobsmacked that we are already 3-months into 2024. Where the heck does the time go??? I hope everyone in the Northern Hemisphere is starting to see signs of Spring. Cherry blossoms have been in full bloom here for a few weeks now. Daffodils are starting to wane. It was actually warm enough both mornings this weekend that we were able to sit on our balcony and enjoy our morning coffee while wearing short sleeves!

I hope everyone is keeping well. While I have not been present here on LT, I have been reading (well, listening to audiobooks, not 'reading'). New batch of book reviews below.

57lkernagh
Mar 31, 2024, 6:14 pm


Book #9 - Melmoth by Sarah Perry - audiobook narrated by Jan Cramer
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: October 2018
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 304 pages / 10 hours, 39 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.75 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"For centuries, the mysterious dark-robed figure has roamed the globe, searching for those whose complicity and cowardice have fed into the rapids of history’s darkest waters - and now, in Sarah Perry’s breathtaking follow-up to The Essex Serpent, it is heading in our direction.

It has been years since Helen Franklin left England. In Prague, working as a translator, she has found a home of sorts - or, at least, refuge. That changes when her friend Karel discovers a mysterious letter in the library, a strange confession and a curious warning that speaks of Melmoth the Witness, a dark legend found in obscure fairy tales and antique village lore. As such superstition has it, Melmoth travels through the ages, dooming those she persuades to join her to a damnation of timeless, itinerant solitude. To Helen it all seems the stuff of unenlightened fantasy.

But, unaware, as she wanders the cobblestone streets Helen is being watched. And then Karel disappears...."
Review:
I will start off by saying that this story is definitely more Gothic in feel than The Essex Serpent and a very different type of story. I can understand why some readers who loved The Essex Serpent are not as enamoured with Melmoth. I fall into the other camp: I feel that Melmoth is more worthy of praise. I love the rich descriptive details, the blending of story lines across time and place and the slow building tension as we learn of troubling dark secrets. Perry give readers her own spin on Gothic. As one reviewer here on LT has commented, Perry's "brand of Gothic is an existential one". This not to deter the traditional Gothic readers... more the explain how Perry brings a modern twist to the genre. To fully appreciate this story, it might be an idea to read Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin, but I feel Perry has provided enough context to give readers the requisite background on Melmoth. Personally, I knew next to nothing about the story of Melmoth and that did not deter me from becoming absorbed in the story. It is the lush, descriptive prose and the spectre of Melmoth, fluttering in the periphery that, IMO, gives this story such a deliciously creepy Gothic feel, laced with supernatural elements.

Not a book that will appeal to all (as reviews here on LT can attest), but I found it to be a near perfect blending of myth and legend with a modern examination of the fallible human condition.

58lkernagh
Mar 31, 2024, 6:16 pm


Book #10 - Cocktails & Chloroform by Kelley Armstrong
Source: GVPL
Format: ebook
Original publication date: December 2023
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages: 115 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing webpage:
"

For modern-day detective Mallory Atkinson, being trapped in the body of Victorian housemaid means overcoming endless obstacles. Her current challenge is winning over the suspicious young parlormaid, Alice. Mallory’s plan starts with teaching the girl to make Molotov cocktails, which is a perfectly valid science experiment and not at all a desperate ploy to gain Alice’s attention. Before the lesson can begin, though, Alice receives a letter that has her slipping off in the night. Concerned for her safety - and naturally curious - Mallory follows.

Mallory finds Alice at what seems like a simple dance hall, watching young men and women flirting and whirling in pretty dresses and dapper suitcoats. But nothing here is what is seems, and what starts as a simple surveillance exercise turns into a full-scale spy mission with Mallory’s boss, Dr. Duncan Gray, at her side. Before the evening is done, those Molotov cocktails are probably going to come in handy."
Review:
I continue to enjoy Armstrong's Rip Through Time series. I am usually a tad leery of the novellas that crop up in a book series as I find some authors struggle to provide a great, cohesive story into such a small package. Usually attention to detail, plot or character development is impacted, given a lacklustre experience. Not to worry here! Armstrong gives readers a wonderful story, full of action details and plot arch to feel in keeping with the full length novels in the series.

Overall another delightful mystery adventure romp in Victorian Scotland! Even better, the next book in the series, Disturbing the Dead, has an estimated publication date of May 7, 2024. Cannot wait!

59lkernagh
Mar 31, 2024, 6:17 pm


Book #11 - Murder at the Merton Library by Andrea Penrose - audiobook narrated by James Cameron Stewart
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: August 2023
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 368 pages / 12 hours, 12 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.35 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Responding to an urgent plea from a troubled family friend, the Earl of Wrexford journeys to Oxford only to find the reclusive university librarian has been murdered and a rare manuscript has gone missing. The only clue is that someone overheard an argument in which Wrexford’s name was mentioned.

At the same time, Charlotte must determine whether a laboratory fire was arson and if it’s connected to the race between competing consortiums to build a new type of ship - one that can cross the ocean powered by steam rather than sails - with the potential to revolutionize military power and world commerce. That the race involves new innovations in finance and entrepreneurship only adds to the high stakes - especially as their good friend Kit Sheffield may be an investor in one of the competitors.

As they delve deeper into the baffling clues, Wrexford and Charlotte begin to realize that things are not what they seem. An evil conspiracy is lurking in the shadows and threatens all they hold dear - unless they can tie the loose threads together before it’s too late . . ."
Review:
After taking a break I decided to dip back into this series. I do enjoy the interesting details about science and technology that are included in the stories. The intrigue of to what lengths some people will go to own/control new technology developments provide a lovely level of chilling suspense. This series is becoming a comfort read series for me and I do look forward to the next book in the series... I am assuming there will be a next book in the series???

60lkernagh
Mar 31, 2024, 6:18 pm


Book #12 - Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich - audiobook narrated by Lorelei King
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: October 2023
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 336 pages / 8 hours, 2 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe. Stephanie is also looking for another troubled man, Duncan Dugan, a fugitive from justice arrested for robbing the same jewelry store on the same day. With her boyfriend Morelli away in Miami on police business, Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways. And he seems determined to stay there.

To complicate matters, her best friend Lula is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions. As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too."
Review:
You all knew it was just a matter of time before I cracked this one! I love the Stephanie Plum series. It is full of zany characters, crazy situations and a lot of wise-cracking humour. A visit with Stephanie and crew is like coming home for a high school reunion and discovering some people haven't changed one bit, even if the town has. I did enjoy the jewellery heist angle. in this story. The whole mythical demon stalker angle is far fetched, but we are talking about Lula so you just have to roll with some of this stuff and wait for the explanation to eventually come. Given the 'cliff-hanger' style ending, I can only assume the next book is already in the works by our 80-years young author Evanovich!

61lkernagh
Mar 31, 2024, 6:20 pm


Book #13 - An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena - audiobook narrated by Hillary Huber
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: 2018
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 320 pages / 8 hours, 27 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"It's winter in the Catskills and Mitchell's Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing--maybe even romantic--weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity--and all contact with the outside world--the guests settle in for the long haul. Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead--it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic. Within the snowed-in paradise, something--or someone--is picking off the guests one by one. And there's nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm."
Review:
This is definitely my favourite Lapena novel so far! Nothing like being completely cut off from help in a mountain resort during an ice storm that takes out power to ratchet up the suspense. In true Lapena form, we have an interesting mix of characters and, as we learn as the weekend unfolds, some have checkered pasts. For me, this story has what I am going to call a modern Agatha Christie locked room vibe. It is as the guests interact - and try to decide who they can trust - that we learn interesting (dare I say crucial) tidbits of information. Usually I can just escape into a story. For some strange reason I cannot fathom, in the earlier part of the story - before the body count started to rise - I couldn't help but think "This would make such a perfect Inspector Colombo mystery". The places our minds take us!

Anyways, a great suspenseful murder mystery and I will continue to check out other books by the author.

62lkernagh
Mar 31, 2024, 6:21 pm


Book #14 - Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara - audiobook narrated by Peter Ganim
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: 2022
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 288 pages / 11 hours, 18 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 5.00 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Cobalt Red is the searing, first-ever exposé of the immense toll taken on the people and environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by cobalt mining, as told through the testimonies of the Congolese people themselves. Activist and researcher Siddharth Kara has traveled deep into cobalt territory to document the testimonies of the people living, working, and dying for cobalt. To uncover the truth about brutal mining practices, Kara investigated militia-controlled mining areas, traced the supply chain of child-mined cobalt from toxic pit to consumer-facing tech giants, and gathered shocking testimonies of people who endure immense suffering and even die mining cobalt.

Cobalt is an essential component to every lithium-ion rechargeable battery made today, the batteries that power our smartphones, tablets, laptops, and electric vehicles. Roughly 75 percent of the world’s supply of cobalt is mined in the Congo, often by peasants and children in sub-human conditions. Billions of people in the world cannot conduct their daily lives without participating in a human rights and environmental catastrophe in the Congo. In this stark and crucial book, Kara argues that we must all care about what is happening in the Congo - because we are all implicated."
Review:
This was a sobering read for me. Living on the west coast of Canada, I am surrounded by environmental awareness campaigns that oil/LNG is evil and we must replace our internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with electric vehicles (EV), blah, blah, blah. Listening to this audiobook on my rechargeable lithium battery-powered smart phone, (and now writing this review on my rechargeable lithium battery-powered laptop), I was stunned to discover just how little I knew about the role cobalt plays in today's so called "green revolution", and the devastating human toil mining cobalt has on the Congolese people. Part history lesson, part investigative journalism this book is nothing short of a gut punch to learn of the ongoing financial slavery, environmental hazards and child labour violations faced by the Congolese just trying to survive in the Copperbelt of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Sure, there have been attempts to create 'model' mines that claim better working conditions and fairer pay for artisanal miners (miners not directly employed by the large mining companies who are paid on a piece-work/per bag basis), but the author discovers time and again that this is nothing more than lip service. Even the big tech companies - Apple, Microsoft, EV car manufacturers, etc - may 'claim' the cobalt used in their products are ethically mined, but the evidence provided by Kara indicate that is far from the truth, and probably has never been the truth.

My heart bleeds with the Congolese. This is such an important book and it should be required reading for every shareholder of the mining companies operating in the DRC and the companies who use the cobalt mined in the DRC in their products. This has to change.

63lkernagh
Mar 31, 2024, 6:24 pm

Currently Reading or On Deck:

..

Audiobook:
What the Dead Leave Behind by Rosemary Simpson - Why this now? I was scrolling through the local library's 'available now' digital selection and stumbled across this. Since I have had an e-book copy lurking unread on my ereader since 2019, I figured now was as good a time as any to see if I might have a new series to dive into. This is a slight departure from my usual Victorian era historical mystery reading as this series is set in New York City during the Gilded Age.

ebook:
Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower by Charlie Angus - Yes, Cobalt Red has me going down a rabbit hole, this time with a book that examines the troubled history of resource extraction in Canada. The author is a Canadian Member of Parliament I respect so I am pretty sure he will be turning over rocks and exposing issues Canadians tend to turn a blind eye to.

Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope - Book three in The Barsetshire Chronicles. I REALLY will get to this at some point.

Physical books:
Nothing at the moment
... as always, my reading is subject to change, based on whim or some other random reason!

64japaul22
Mar 31, 2024, 6:35 pm

>62 lkernagh: Thanks for this review. I've read occasional articles about this issue, but I think a book on it would be eye opening. I'll look for this.

65hailelib
Mar 31, 2024, 7:04 pm

>59 lkernagh: I might try one from that series by Andrea Penrose.

66mstrust
Apr 1, 2024, 1:20 pm

Good to see you back, Lori!

67VivienneR
Apr 1, 2024, 8:06 pm

Glad you are back, Lori!

I still have The Last Chronicle of Barset to read and I hope to get to it this year - but I've been saying that every year.

68rabbitprincess
Apr 2, 2024, 5:09 pm

>63 lkernagh: I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Cobalt! The author is definitely a factor in my interest as well.

69Tess_W
Apr 9, 2024, 11:40 am

>61 lkernagh: Gotta stop coming here--too many BB's!

70MissBrangwen
Apr 16, 2024, 11:34 am

>61 lkernagh: I am so glad you enjoyed An Unwanted Guest!

71lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:03 pm

>64 japaul22: - It is a hard/uncomfortable topic so I am happy more attention is being raised by articles and books like Cobalt Red.

>65 hailelib: - It is a good series and I know Lori (thornton37814) has been enjoying the series.

>66 mstrust: - Thanks Jenn! Apologies for being just a random occasional poster this year! :)

>67 VivienneR: -Thanks Vivienne! Sounds like we both want to/are looking forward to reading more Trollope... and then just not getting there. :)

>68 rabbitprincess: - Hi RP, as per my update below, I do plan on finishing Cobalt, but it might take a while. I did make it to roughly the halfway mark and can say that Angus communicates historical facts in a easy to read manner.

>69 Tess_W: - Ha.... so you have been happy with my recent lack of posting??? /big, cheesy grin/ Lets see if I hit you with any BBs in the batch of reviews to follow.

>70 MissBrangwen: - I am really find Lapena to be a great author for when I want to shift my reading into more of the psychological suspense thriller variety. I was happy to get Lapena's latest, What have you Done via Netgalley this past week, so that one is high up on my TBR pile. ;)

---------------------------------------
Hello and happy June everyone! hard to believe we are nearing the halfway mark for 2024! I hope everyone has been keeping well.

What have I been up to? Well, lets see. March continued to be a busy work month, which flowed into April. I took 3 weeks off for an extended trip to Alberta to visit with family. Very relaxing trip (exactly what this girl wanted and needed!), made easier by the less than ideal Spring weather conditions, so I took advantage of poor weather days to assembly line make freezer meals for my dad.

Later than usual, but we are FINALLY starting to see some Summer-like weather here on the island. Not complaining... I am not a fan of heat waves and prefer cooler days with highs in just the high teens/low 20s (Celsius). I have my fingers crossed the long range forecast of a moderately cooler than normal summer occurs.

On the reading front, I have been reading books - a lot of listening to audiobooks but some physical reading as well. Going back to my reading at the end of March, I have yet to finish Cobalt by Charlie Angus and Dr. Thorne by Anthony Trollope.... Dr. Thorne because I keep getting sidetracked by other books and Cobalt because of a rather frustrating situation I keep forgetting to discuss with my local library system. Cobalt was an ebook borrow via the library Overdrive system, which works with my Kobo ereader, or at least is usually does 99% of the time. I had no problems with my initial borrow of Cobalt, I just ran out of time before it was returned for another reader. No biggie, I just placed a hold so I could continue reading when it was next available. When that happened, and I downloaded it, just like last time, to my Kobo, all it would download is the preview from Kobo, not the full book. A technical glitch as the book continues to be available to borrow as a library ebook via Overdrive. I do want to finish it so may try to remember to call the library this week and ask about it. As an option, I can read it on my smart phone via the Libby app, but that is not really my first choice for reading options.

... anyways, I do have a number of reviews (random thoughts) of the books I have read over the past two months. Reviews to follow.

72lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:05 pm


Book #15 - What the Dead Leave Behind by Rosemary Simpson - audiobook narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: April 2017
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 304 pages / 12 hours, 25 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"As the Great Blizzard of 1888 cripples the vast machinery that is New York City, heiress Prudence MacKenzie sits anxiously within her palatial Fifth Avenue home waiting for her fiancé’s safe return. But the fearsome storm rages through the night. With daylight, more than two hundred people are found to have perished in the icy winds and treacherous snowdrifts. Among them is Prudence’s fiancé—his body frozen, his head crushed by a heavy branch, his fingers clutching a single playing card, the ace of spades . . .

Close on the heels of her father’s untimely demise, Prudence is convinced Charles’s death was no accident. The ace of spades was a code he shared with his school friend, Geoffrey Hunter, a former Pinkerton agent and attorney from the South and a former Pinkerton agent. Wary of sinister forces closing in on her, Prudence turns to Geoffrey as her only hope in solving a murder not all believe in—and to help protect her inheritance from a stepmother who seems more interested in the family fortune than Prudence’s wellbeing . . ."
Review:
Another first book in a series that has been lurking on my ereader since January 2019. I decided to download the audiobook version from my local library. For those who follow my reading, I am a big fan of Victorian historian murder mystery series. This series is set in New York City during the Gilded Age of the late 1800's. Things I love/appreciate with this story: The author's attention to detail. She really captures New York City of time period and the Great Blizzard in minute detail. If you are like me and have a fascination for social norms and strictures and a love for heroines who are strong of will (even if they don't clearly think things through first) this was a decent introduction to this new series. I admit I did find our heroine Prudence to be a tad annoying at times - with some of her decisions, etc - I had to remind myself that she would be considered still a teenager in our time period. I love the legal angle (Prudence's deceased father was a New York City judge who humoured his daughter's interest in the legal profession) and can already see former Pinkerton agent Geoffrey Hunter as the perfect foil for (and protector of) Prudence. Simpson presents the uglier side of high society, like the heavily prescribing of opioids (in the form of laudanum) to many women of wealthier families, and in a factual manner.

Why the lowish rating? I have to say I found the story to plod along, making sections of it rather laborious for this reader. Overall, I ended this story intrigued enough to carry on with the next book in the series (to see if things improve).

73lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:07 pm


Book #16 - The Enigma of Room 622 by Joël Dicker - translated from the French by Robert Bononno; audiobook narrated by Chris Harper
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: May 2020
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 592 pages / 16 hours
Decimal/ Star rating: 5.00 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"A writer named Joël, Switzerland’s most prominent novelist, flees to the Hôtel de Verbier, a luxury resort in the Swiss Alps. Disheartened over a recent breakup and his longtime publisher’s death, Joël hopes to rest. However, his plans quickly go awry. It all starts with a seemingly innocuous detail: at the Verbier, there is no room 622.

Before long, Joël and fellow guest Scarlett uncover a long-unsolved murder that transpired in the hotel's room 622. The attendant circumstances: the succession of Switzerland’s largest private bank, a mysterious counterintelligence operation called P-30, and a most disreputable sabotage of hotel hospitality. A European phenomenon, The Enigma of Room 622 is a matryoshka doll of intrigue–as precise as a Swiss watch–and Dicker’s most diabolically addictive thriller yet."
Review:
The words "Smart", "Elegant", and "Sophisticated" came to mind as I was reading this intriguing mystery thriller. There are so many layers to this story! Part espionage/banking industry thriller, part diabolical family relationships, this is a first class mystery/suspense game of cat-and-mouse. I do not usually gravitate towards meta-mysteries but this one is SO GOOD! I kept thinking I had it all figured out, only to be proven wrong, time and time again! Absolutely brilliant and well worth the time investment.

74lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:08 pm


Book #17 - Lies That Comfort and Betray by Rosemary Simpson - audiobook narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: January 2018
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 416 pages / 12 hours, 31 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.35 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"The murders in Whitechapel are shocking enough to make news worldwide, and in the autumn of 1888, Geoffrey and Prudence find the stories in the New York Herald quite unsettling. But London is not the only city to be terrorized by a mad butcher.

Nora Kenny makes the occasional journey on the Staten Island ferry to work in Prudence’s Fifth Avenue house, just as her mother once served Prudence’s mother. As little girls, they played freely together, before retreating into their respective social classes. Still, they remain fond of each other. But when Nora slips away to Saint Anselm’s one chilly Saturday to confess her sins and never returns, Prudence is alarmed. And when Nora’s body is discovered in a local park, Prudence is devastated.

Nora will not be the only young woman to fall victim, but the police are uncertain what they are dealing with. Has the Ripper sailed across the Atlantic to find a new hunting ground? Is some disturbed soul copying his crimes? A former Pinkerton agent, Geoffrey intends to step in where the New York Metropolitan Police seem to be failing, and Prudence is just as determined to protect the poor, vulnerable females being targeted. But a killer with a disordered mind and an incomprehensible motive may prove too elusive for even this experienced pair to outwit."
Review:
Book two in the series and we are now getting settled in with the reoccurring characters and being introduced to some new ones. Yes, some readers may jump to the same initial conclusion I did when I first read the story premise: "Another take on Jack the Ripper? Really???" ran through my head. Good news is Simpson takes the premise of a potential serial killer and really only relies on the Whitechapel murders to ratchet up the public concern (yes, the Whitechapel murders in London were news even in New York at the time!). I like how Prudence and Geoffrey are getting acquainted as investigative partners and we get to see the seamier side of New York in the form of a brothel and a notorious night club owner.

Overall, a well written murder mystery that kept me guessing and happy to continue with the series. Sometimes you have to give a series more that one chance!

75lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:10 pm


Book #18 - Let the Dead Keep Their Secrets by Rosemary Simpson - audiobook narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: November 2018
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 320 pages / 9 hours, 6 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Childbirth can be dangerous even for the wealthy. So when opera singer Claire Buchanan shows Prudence and Geoffrey a postmortem cabinet photograph of her deceased twin sister and newborn niece, they express sadness but not surprise. The popular black-bordered portraits are the era's way of coping with the devastating losses that plague every family. What makes this death different is that Claire is convinced Catherine and her child were murdered.

Prudence's friend is haunted by a sense of her sister's lingering presence, and by the conviction that her dead twin is demanding justice. Catherine's widower, Aaron Sorensen, is a cold, controlling man who swiftly remarried. Now his second wife is already pregnant and may be in terrible danger. In order to discover the truth and find evidence of Sorensen's guilt, Geoffrey will delve deep into his past while Prudence casts herself as his next victim—putting her own life at grave risk . . ."
Review:
This series just keeps getting better and better! Given Prudence's place in society - something that cannot be completely denied, even if her investigative spirit is not viewed as acceptable behaviour in certain circles - it is not surprising that her and Geoffrey find themselves being asked to investigate a potentially suspicious death. Tenacity has its risks as Simpson continues to present stories that remove the shiny lustre of privileged society and exposes the lengths some will go to, all in the pursuit of money.

76lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:12 pm


Book #19 - Unrest by Gwen Tuinman
Source: Netgalley
Format: Advanced Early Review ebook
Original publication date: May 7, 2024
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 440 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Bytown, 1836: The lawless cesspool that will become the city of Ottawa is beginning to reek of more than just swamp water. Rife with squalor, corruption, and organized crime, class injustice divides the town more starkly than the canal that bisects it, cutting off its Irish poor—who are ready to fight back.

On a homestead in the woods near Bytown, a domestic drama is also reaching a fever pitch. Quiet, ungainly Mariah, her face scarred in a dog attack back home in Ireland, has been living on sufferance in her sister Biddy’s home since they sailed for a new life. She’s treated as the spinster aunt, a farmhand working alongside Biddy’s husband, Seamus. But the three of them are keeping a bitter secret: Mariah, in love with Seamus, is the mother of Thomas, the family’s oldest child. And she’s about to burst under the strain of making herself small.

While Mariah plots to claim her rightful place in the world, Thomas keeps secrets of his own. Eager to escape the roiling tensions at home, he’s apprenticed himself to a blacksmith in Bytown, but soon falls into trouble too big for him to handle. To save himself, he’s made a deal with the one man colder than the devil—Peter Aylen, leader of a powerful Irish rebel gang. As danger mounts, both for Thomas and for the town, there’s only one way for Mariah to save her son: by becoming the hero of her own story, facing her deepest fears with a determination she never knew she had."
Review:
I gravitated to this book for its historical fiction take of 1830's Ottawa, Ontario. Ottawa may be the seat of federal political power in modern day Canada, but back in the mid-1800's it was a rough, squalid town where the wealthier English merchant class and its Irish immigrant labour engaged in clashes of conflict, labour strife and violence. Tuinman's meticulous research shines here as she gives readers a story of wilderness hardship, maternal love, survival and resilience. The story is told from multiple points of view giving the reader a sense of the strained family dynamics that compound an already harsh struggle in the Canadian wilderness. Unfortunately, the focus on the family dynamics, that come across as overblown dramatics, and the lack of character development really take away from what could otherwise be a truly great story!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the advanced reader copy. I LOVE the cover art!

77lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:18 pm


Book #20 - Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson - audiobook narrated by Barton Welch
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: January 2023
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 384 pages / 9 hours, 30 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.65 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate.

I’m Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I’d killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it’s a little more complicated than that.

Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.

Who was it?

Let’s get started."
Review:
The author had me hooked with the first chapter where he unabashedly outlines how many deaths happen in the book AND which chapters they happen in! Told from the perspective of Ernie, author of books for how to write books, I can see why the publisher describes this book as "Knives Out and Clue meet Agatha Christie and The Thursday Murder Club." As someone who has only see the trailer for Knives Out, has no knowledge of The Thursday Murder Club is a BIG fan of Clue the movie and everything Agatha Christie, this was a lot of fun... if you can call murder fun. At its heart, this is a typical murder mystery set in a remote ski resort in Australia, with... you guessed it... a storm coming, and a cast of potential suspects. What makes this story fun is the family dynamics (this is one quirky, dysfunctional family!) and their notoriety as a family of a cop killer that makes the family the focus of ANY investigation. That and the fact that Ernie, unwilling amateur detective (because, obviously the cops are biased and blah, blah, blah) insists on being a faithful narrator and not withhold anything from the reader (whether the reader realizes the clues they have been provided with is a different story). What makes this story unique, IMO, is Stevenson uses a postmodern style filled with satirical observations (I guess this is to be expected from an author who is also a stand-up comedian). Delightful fun mystery and happily looking forward to the next book in the series.

78lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:20 pm


Book #21 - Death Brings a Shadow by Rosemary Simpson - audiobook narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: 2019
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 322 pages / 9 hours, 56 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"In spring 1889, Prudence and Geoffrey set sail from New York Harbor on a private yacht bound for Bradford Island, where her friend Eleanor Dickson is to be wed. The Sea Islands along the Georgia coast serve as a winter playground for the likes of the Carnegies, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and Dicksons. Despite her Yankee pedigree, Eleanor is marrying a Southern gentleman, Teddy Bennett, and Prudence is thrilled to be the maid of honor.

But days before the wedding, the bride is nowhere to be found. A frantic search of the island turns up her drowned corpse in an alligator-infested swamp. Prudence is devastated, but as they prepare the body for burial, she and Geoffrey discover evidence of bruising that indicates Eleanor was held under—most dishonorably murdered.

Determined to seek justice for her beloved friend, Prudence begins to investigate with Geoffrey's help and is quickly led into a morass of voodoo spells and dark deeds from the days of slavery. As Prudence and Geoffrey pursue a killer, they soon discover that Eleanor will not be the last to die on Bradford Island . . ."
Review:
Another instalment and another trip into murder and social values/norms. This time, Simpson takes the reader to plantation lands in Georgia where Prudence - and to a greater extent Geoffrey - grapple with Southern values and beliefs and the effects the loss of the Civil War had on some Southern privileged classes. Previous instalments have touched on topics that need to be heard, like women being treated like chattel, attempts to remove them from society's view when they become 'difficult' and now the practice of female slaves being sexually taken advantage of and how the offspring from those couplings were treated. I enjoyed the change of scenery and I like how Purdence and Geoffrey's relationship remains, at least on the surface, on a professional friendship footing. I am okay with romance so long as it down not overshadow the mystery!

This is a series I can confidently recommend!

79lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:21 pm


Book #22 - Death, Diamonds and Deception by Rosemary Simpson - audiobook narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: 2020
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 336 pages / 10 hours, 12 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.35 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Fall 1889: Lady Rotherton has arrived from London intent on chaperoning her niece Prudence through a New York social season to find a suitable husband. It's certainly not her niece's devilishly handsome partner in Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law. Aunt Gillian's eye for eligible suitors is surpassed only by her ability to discern genuine gems from nearly flawless fakes. At the Assembly Ball at Delmonico's, she effortlessly determines that the stones in the spectacular diamond waterfall necklace adorning the neck of the wife of banker William De Vries are fake.

Insisting on absolute discretion to avoid scandal, the banker employs Prudence and Geoffrey to recover the stolen diamonds pried out of their settings—priceless stones acquired by Tiffany, originally purchased for Marie Antoinette. Their search for a possible fence rapidly leads to a dead end: a jeweler brutally killed in his shop during an apparent theft.

The jeweler's murder is only the first in a string of mysterious deaths, as Prudence and Geoffrey pursue their elusive quarry. But the clues keep leading back to duplicity on the part of the De Vries family, who, it turns out, have a great deal to hide . . ."
Review:
Here I was, starting to worry the series was going to start getting a tad boring or routine (a lot of series do once you get 4 or 5 books in, as the author falls into a familiar pattern). Not with this series. Simpson introduced readers - just in passing - to Purdence's aunt Gillian and only surviving relative in an earlier book. In this instalment we get to meet Aunt Gillian (aka Lady Rotherton) and what a delight she is! I do love Victorian murder mysteries with a dragon dowager character who speaks their mind, society be damned. Usually these are older women. In Lady Rotherton we have Simpson's version, - a younger American beauty who married into British nobility, was widowed shortly thereafter and happens to be in full control of her wealth, a rarity for the time period! Yes, Lady Rotherton does understand about the importance of propriety so it is fun to watch Prudence dodging her attempts to find her a suitable marriage match. She also prove to be of knowledgeable assistance re: gemstones, etc to Prudence and Geoffrey as they tackle a convoluted case AND a hostile client.

Another great mystery and I look forward to more books in the series (with hopefully Lady Rotherton as a continuing character)!

80lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:23 pm


Book #23 - The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis - audiobook narrated by a cast of seven readers
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: May 2023
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 336 pages / 13 hours, 23 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.95 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Welcome to picturesque Provence, where the Lady of the Chateau, Séraphine Demargelasse, has opened its elegant doors to her granddaughter Darcy and her three friends. Twenty years earlier, the four girlfriends studied abroad together in France and visited the old woman on the weekends, creating the group’s deep bond. But why this sudden invitation?

Amid winery tours, market visits, and fancy dinners overlooking olive groves and lavender fields, it becomes clear that each woman has a hidden reason for returning to the estate after all these years. Then, following a wild evening’s celebration, Séraphine is found brutally murdered.

In the midst of this shocking crime, a sinister Instagram account pops up, exposing snapshots from the friends’ intimate moments at the chateau, while threatening to reveal more.

As they race to uncover who murdered Séraphine—and is now stalking them—the friends begin to suspect each other.."
Review:
This would probably be a great summer/vacation read if you like stories about long-time friendships and secrets, both old and new, set in a beautiful chateau in Provence, France. I really, REALLY wanted to like this one. It started out interesting enough. The multiple points of view make it easier to get inside the heads of each character, but I found the introspective navel gazing got to be a bit much.... so much foreshadowing going on interspersed with just bits of intriguing suspense. There are some good plot twists but as the story goes on.... and on.... it started to become more of a slog read. The author does provide readers with a good plot climax - as well as a surprising opening for a potential second book! - but at the end, I was just glad to be finished it. I have to rank this as just an OK read. Will I consider reading another book by the author? Yes, if something strikes my fancy.

81lkernagh
Jun 9, 2024, 3:25 pm


Book #24 - The Viral Underclass by Steven W. Thrasher - audiobook narrated by the author
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: August 2022
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 384 pages / 9 hours, 26 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"From preeminent LGBTQ scholar, social critic, and journalist Steven W. Thrasher comes a powerful and crucial exploration of one of the most pressing issues of our times: how viruses expose the fault lines of society.

Having spent a ground-breaking career studying the racialization, policing, and criminalization of HIV, Dr. Thrasher has come to understand a deeper truth at the heart of our society: that there are vast inequalities in who is able to survive viruses and that the ways in which viruses spread, kill, and take their toll are much more dependent on social structures than they are on biology alone.

Told through the heart-rending stories of friends, activists, and teachers navigating the novel coronavirus, HIV, and other viruses, Dr. Thrasher brings the reader with him as he delves into the viral underclass and lays bare its inner workings. In the tradition of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste and Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, The Viral Underclass helps us understand the world more deeply by showing the fraught relationship between privilege and survival."
Review:
This is where I admit to "why" I wanted to read this book: I recently saw a photo of Violet Affleck wearing a N95 mask and carrying a copy of this book while walking down the street with her mom (Jennifer Garner). yes, People Magazine online is a website I check out from time to time (guilty pleasure). Anyways, I am always interested in non-fiction with a scientific/medical angle and the picture was great as it brought to my attention a book I had not heard of. Thrasher brings a lot of really good socio-economic facts and statistics to the reader's attention. I found it very disheartening to realize that the same socio-economic-racial factors that impacted segments of the marginalized HIV community are the same ones that let to the disparity in COVID-19 impacts where poorer communities and communities where measures to mitigate the spread of the virus should have been a main focus (prisons, long term care facilities, cramped multi-family dwelllings, schools, food manufacturing facilities, etc).

Overall, I am glad I read this one, but I think the author spends too much of the book on anecdotal stories that do not always connect to the socio-economic message. It is possible that I found the socio-economic stats and facts more interesting (I tend to focus more on concrete evidence) so others may appreciate the stories more than I did.

82Tess_W
Jun 15, 2024, 10:17 am

Well, it looks like I'm going to have to read book 1 in the Simpson series!

83rabbitprincess
Jun 16, 2024, 8:19 am

>73 lkernagh: BB taken on the Joël Dicker novel!

84lkernagh
Jul 7, 2024, 5:20 pm

>82 Tess_W: - Hi Tess! Simposn's A Gilded Age Mystery series is a really good one! I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!

>83 rabbitprincess: - Hi RP, I thought of you when I was reading the Joël Dicker book. I am now on the hunt for more of his books, and was rather sad to discover my local library only has the book I read.

----------------------------
Happy belated Canada Day and Forth of July wishes to my visitors. I hope the weather is nice and where you are and you are not facing any extreme weather conditions. I have been taking things easier this year. not pressuring myself to try and match my earlier reading goals, and based on how I am choosing what I read, I have my theme for next year's reading challenge already figured out.

A quick stop in to post some reviews and to wish everyone a wonderful July!

85lkernagh
Jul 7, 2024, 5:22 pm


Book #25 - Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson - audiobook narrated by Barton Welch and Megan Smart
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: October 2023
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 336 pages / 8 hours, 27 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.25 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out.

The program is a who’s who of crime writing royalty: the debut writer (me!), the forensic science writer, the blockbuster writer, the legal thriller writer, the literary writer,
the psychological suspense writer.

But when one of us is murdered, the remaining authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime. Of course, we should also know how to commit one. How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?"
Review:
Book two in what is proving to be a fun murder mystery series. I know... murder is serious business but I love how we have such a genuinely candid (and sarcastically witty) lead character in Ernest (Ernie) Cunningham. the author takes the tips and tricks of golden age locked room mysteries and gives the genre/sub-genre(?) a fun, modern spin. I think I mentioned in my review of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (book one in the series ) that I am not usually a meta-murder mystery reader, but Ernie is just so darn relatable! Yes, parts of the story were not as captivating as I would have liked (for example, we only get a minor appearance from one of the Cunningham clan this time, darn it all) but if you like quirky characters, intriguing murder mysteries and moments of suspense, this series might appeal to you. The Australian setting is a bonus, IMO.

Ohhhh...... and I see that book three in the series is due out sometime this year... and with a Christmas theme! *big cheesy grin!*

86lkernagh
Jul 7, 2024, 5:24 pm


Book #26 - The Dead Cry Justice by Rosemary Simpson - audiobook narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: November 2021
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 360 pages / 10 hours, 42 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.50 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"May 1890: As NYU Law School finally agrees to admit female law students, Judge MacKenzie's daughter Prudence weighs her choices carefully. Chief among her concerns is how her decision would affect the Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law agency and her professional and personal relationship with the partner who is currently recuperating from a near fatal shooting.

But an even more pressing issue presents itself in the form of a street urchin, whose act of petty theft inadvertently leads Prudence to a badly beaten girl he is protecting. Fearing for the girl's life, Prudence rushes her to the Friends Refuge for the Sick Poor, run by the compassionate Charity Sloan. When the boy and girl slip out of their care and run away, Prudence suspects they are fleeing a dangerous predator and is desperate to find them.

Aided by the photographer and social reformer Jacob Riis and the famous journalist Nellie Bly, Prudence and Geoffrey scour the tenements and brothels of Five Points. Their only clue is a mysterious doll with an odd resemblance to the missing girl. But as the destitute orphans they encounter whisper the nickname of the killer who stalks them--Il diavolo--Prudence and Geoffrey must race against time to find the missing children before their merciless enemies do . . ."
Review:
As with the previous instalments in the series, this is a well researched and well written crime story.... and pretty darn creepy to boot! While earlier stories in the series shine a light on inequality of women at the turn of the 19th century, this particular story tackles a 'gut punch' topic of crimes against children that really got under my skin. I am still processing my thoughts about how morally deprived on has to be to commit such a thing and think nothing of it! You will have to read the story to find out what I am talking about. I love that the author takes the reader to dark places, situations and circumstances that the 'well heeled' upper class would prefer were swepted under the carpet or, when THEY are the perpetrators, feel their actions should be above reproach. Prudence and Geoffrey make an excellent investigative team, IMO! There is mutual respect, even if there is the occasional venting of frustration - kind of what happens when you have two strong willed individuals that both care for the well-being of the other and their close knit circle of friends.

Overall, another wonderful book in a fantastic series!

87lkernagh
Jul 7, 2024, 5:25 pm


Book #27 - A Grandmother Begins The Story by Michelle Porter - audiobook narrated by a full cast
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: 2023
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 336 pages / 8 hours, 50 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Five generations of Métis women argue, dance, struggle, laugh, love, and tell the stories that will sing their family, and perhaps the land itself, into healing in this brilliantly original debut novel:

Carter is a young mother, recently separated. She is curious, angry, and on a quest to find out what the heritage she only learned of in her teens truly means.

Allie is trying to make up for the lost years with her first born, and to protect Carter from the hurt she herself suffered from her own mother.

Lucie wants the granddaughter she's never met to help her join her ancestors in the Afterlife.

Geneviève is determined to conquer her demons before the fire inside burns her up, with the help of the sister she lost but has never been without.

And Mamé, in the Afterlife, knows that all their stories began with her; she must find a way to loose herself from the last threads that keep her tethered to the living, just as they must find their own paths forward.

This extraordinary novel, told by a chorus of vividly realized, funny, wise, confused, struggling characters—including descendants of the bison that once freely roamed the land—heralds the arrival of a stunning new voice in literary fiction."
Review:
A very thought-provoking debut novel. The Author weaves a tale that, at first comes across a bit disjointed, given the number of narrators and different story lines. Thankfully, the audiobook is read by a full cast so the different voices really helped me differentiate and wrap my head around what was happening. At its heart, this is a story of women - both human, animal and even those that have passed on - telling their stories. There is a lot a struggle and heartbreak but the message - told with a dash of folk lore/magical realism - communicates how, what can seems daunting and insurmountable, can be overcome.

A worthy read told by Canadian Métis storyteller I hope has more stories in the pipeline.

88lkernagh
Jul 7, 2024, 5:26 pm


Book #28 - Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan - audiobook narrated by Jing Lusi
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: June 2024
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 448 pages / 1`5 hours, 7 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Rufus Leung Gresham, future Duke of Greshambury and son of a former Hong Kong supermodel has a problem: the legendary Gresham Trust has been depleted by decades of profligate spending, and behind all the magazine covers and Instagram stories manors and yachts lies nothing more than a gargantuan mountain of debt. The only solution, put forth by Rufus’s scheming mother, is for Rufus to attend his sister’s wedding at a luxury eco-resort, a veritable who’s-who of sultans, barons, and oligarchs, and seduce a woman with money.

Should he marry Solène de Courcy, a French hotel heiress with honey blond tresses and a royal bloodline? Should he pursue Martha Dung, the tattooed venture capital genius who passes out billions like lollipops? Or should he follow his heart, betray his family, squander his legacy, and finally confess his love to the literal girl next door, the humble daughter of a doctor, Eden Tong? When a volcanic eruption burns through the nuptials and a hot mic exposes a secret tryst, the Gresham family plans—and their reputation—go up in flames.

Can the once-great dukedom rise from the ashes? Or will a secret tragedy, hidden for two decades, reveal a shocking twist?."
Review:
Kevin Kwan is my go-to author when I am in the mood for a summer-styled beach read. If you are familiar with and enjoyed his Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, you might want to pick up a copy of his latest novel. It hits on similar themes - romance, family, wealth and power - and you will recognize a couple of characters from the trilogy. What makes this story stand out a bit more for me is Kwan has peeled back more of the veil of secrecy that surrounds his ultra rich characters, exposing how hard-on-their-luck wealthy will do anything to present a facade of money, how money cannot buy you love and the very sad truth that it does not matter how rich (or poor) one is, some parents can and do leave damaging psychological scars on their children.

While this story still has Kwan's over-the-top parties, obscene descriptions of opulence, fashion, art and private jet travel, Kwan gives a glimpse into the destructive side of wealth.

89lkernagh
Jul 7, 2024, 5:27 pm


Book #29 - Death at the Falls by Rosemary Simpson - audiobook narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: December 2022
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 376 pages / 10 hours, 51 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"October 1890: As Prudence and Geoffrey settle into the most elegant hotel in Canadian Niagara, they observe a popular tourist area torn between natural beauty and industrial power. Also attracting their attentions are the antics of daredevil Crazy Louie Whiting, determined to be the first person to navigate the falls without drowning. Shortly after their arrival, Crazy Louie sends a specially designed test barrel containing a sheep over the falls. But when the barrel is retrieved and opened, the battered body of a local Tuscarora Indian spills out.

When Geoffrey and Prudence learn of the dead man’s suspicions about rampant bribery among greedy land developers and local officials, they wonder if there’s a connection to their client, Rowan Adderly. A young woman whose father disappeared while she was a child, the land she is due to inherit could be worth millions—and inevitably the sharks have come feeding.

In a move to block Rowan’s inheritance, her greedy grandmother has declared Rowan to be the illegitimate offspring of an illicit affair between her son and a seductive Irish songstress. As Prudence and Geoffrey dig deeper into the region’s undercurrent of opportunistic greed, their investigation is impeded at every turn by murder and attempted murder. They will have to work quickly to solve a convoluted case before a determined killer sends one of them on a fatal plunge."
Review:
I have yet to encounter a story in this series that did not captivate me! Kudos to the author for continuing to produce such well researched and detailed fictional historical crime stories. Yes, the Canadian in me did get giddy with excitement that this particular story is set in the Niagara Falls region. Again, Simpson manages to give readers an devilishly intricate crime to unravel. the body count is a bit high in this story (something even Prudence comments on!) so be forewarned. This story - like others in the series - area blending of law, legal and social justice and methodical (and tenacious) investigating. For those who know what I like and don't like in a story, I am super happy that the author likes to focus on the investigation. While there are subtle clues of a more intimate relationship between Prudence and Geoffrey, the story is all business, and any mention of romantic thoughts and emotions are only lightly mentioned.

Another great story in the series. I am almost caught up with the currently published books and have my fingers crossed the author is able to continue her 'one book a year' publishing record. I am going to have to start looking for another series to read.

90christina_reads
Jul 8, 2024, 10:52 am

>85 lkernagh: Ooh, I didn't realize the third book in the series was coming out this year as well! Adding to my list now...

91lkernagh
Jul 14, 2024, 4:02 pm

92lkernagh
Jul 14, 2024, 4:02 pm


Book #30 - What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena
Source: Netgalley
Format: ebook ARC
Original publication date: July 30, 2024
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages: 330 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked.

But this morning all of that will change. Because Diana Brewer isn't lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer. How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia.

Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers. And one innocent question could be deadly.."
Review:
This is the fourth Lapena novel I have read. I am late to the author's oeuvre and admit I am devouring them like a bag of chips... can's stop after just one. I love how Lapena gets under the skin and into the psyche of her characters. Society has taught us to want to trust our neighbours but, boy, it doesn't take much for suspicion to bubble up, for people to start doubting how well they REALLY know someone. Lapena nails this! Her stories are gripping in that you can imagine the scenarios she writes about playing out in real time.

Utilizing the multiple point of view strategy, details about "who", "what" and "why" slowly come to light, leaving readers like me playing a guessing game for both perpetrator and motive. The number of characters with secrets in this story is staggering, and perfect fodder for a page-turning suspense read. To be expected, some of the characters' decisions are not best choices, but to be expected. As a slight negative, I am not really convinced the paranormal aspect was necessary for this story.

Overall, kudos to Lapena for once again giving us a novel with just the right pace of suspense to keep me up late into the night to finish it. I am looking forward to her next novel and happy that I have more unread books from her oeuvre to read in the meantime.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy.

93lkernagh
Jul 14, 2024, 4:04 pm


Book #31 - Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano - audiobook narrated by Angela Dawe
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: March 5, 2024
Acquisition date: N/A
Pages / Listening time: 320 pages / 9 hours, 5 minutes
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
"Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero are in sore need of a girls’ weekend away. They plan a trip to Atlantic City, but odds are―seeing as it’s actually a cover story to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car―it won’t be all fun and games. When Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on tagging along too, Finlay and Vero suddenly have a few too many meddlesome passengers along for the ride.

When it becomes clear their rescue mission is going to be a bust, Finlay and Vero are forced to come up with a new plan: sleuth out the location of Javi and stolen car and steal them both back.

But when they sneak into the loan shark’s suite to search for clues, they find more than they bargained for―a crime scene, no clue as to the perpetrator(s) - while only they have a convincing motive. Things get even more complicated when four members of the police department unexpectedly show up in town, - including the cop Finlay is hot for - and snooping dangerously close to the situation Finlay and Vero are trying to deal with.

If Finlay can juggle a jealous ex-husband, two precocious kids, her mother’s marital issues, a decomposing loan shark, and find Vero’s missing boyfriend, she might get out of Atlantic City in one piece. But will she fold under the pressure and come clean about the things she’s done, or be forced to double down?"
Review:
I have to start off this review with a heads up for other readers: This story picks up pretty much exactly where book three Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun left off. The author does not give readers a full 'connect the dots' summary. Considering I read book three 10 months ago, my memory of certain events and situations were a tad fuzzy and some additional details would have been helpful. I know some readers feel the "this is what happened in the previous book(s)" info is not necessary, but what can I say, my memory does appreciate the little nudges.

Best book in the series so far, IMO. Talk about a crazy game of cat and mouse! I do enjoy wise-cracking Vero. She is the perfect partner for the 'trying to be more sensible and hopefully less frazzled" Finlay. There is enough drama and suspense from just the crime angle of the story, but do not worry.... if you like your crime novels to have a side serving of romantic tension, Cosimano delivers with the tension of competing love interests for Finlay (ex-husband Steve and hot cop Nick). While Cosimano delivers a good crime tale, I find her strength is in creating such fabulously fun characters like Vero, Finlay literary agent, and the cast of criminals Finlay would rather not have any involvement with.

Overall this is a fun crime novel with a lot of "Uh oh" moments, and perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

94VivienneR
Oct 6, 2024, 4:27 pm

>85 lkernagh: A BB for me!

>92 lkernagh: And another BB!

Thanks Lori!