The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody Book 5)

 

Publication Date:

January 1, 1988

Genre:

Cozy Mystery

Length:

389 pages

Series:

Amelia Peabody Mysteries

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Can fear kill? There are those who believe so but Amelia Peabody is skeptical. A respected Egyptologist and amateur sleuth, Amelia has foiled felonious schemes from Victoria's England to the Middle East. And she doubts that it was a Nineteenth-Dynasty mummy's curse that caused the death of a night watchman in the British Museum. The corpse was found sprawled in the mummy's shadow, a look of terror frozen on the guard's face. 

What or who killed the unfortunate man is a mystery that seems too intriguingly delicious for Amelia to pass up, especially now that she, her dashing archaeologist husband, Emerson, and their precocious son, Ramses, are back on Britain's shores. 

But a contemporary curse can be as lethal as one centuries old and the foggy London thoroughfares can be as treacherous as the narrow, twisting alleyways of Cairo after dark when a perpetrator of evil deeds sets his murderous sights on his relentless pursuer... Amelia Peabody!

My Thoughts:

I seem to be on an Egypt kick this year! I wanted something to listen to besides Agatha Christie books and thought I'd finish this Amelia Peabody I'd started last winter. I prefer reading her books and am reading the next book in the series alongside listening to this one. It's strange because when I finished book 4 I thought I'd take a break from this series but something drew me back in. I am enjoying catching up with Amelia, Emerson, and Ramses again.

I've read this is the only book in the series that takes place in England. I confess that was disappointing because part of the draw is the exotic locations and the explorations of the Peabodys in the pyramids. But I just know that these books can be complex at times and I needed to make sure I read this one to fill in any gaps Also, I like the characters of Walter and Evelyn (Emerson's brother and his wife) and since they are in England with their brood of children, I knew this might be one of the few that included them going forward.

In addition to the mystery of the guard's death, the Peabody's have been saddled with Amelia's brother James' very odd children. They seem to act innocent but get into all kinds of weird situations with Ramses. I began to actually feel sorry for him early in the book. It's a good peek into Amelia's family and her strange upbringing.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Whitechapel Widow by Emily Organ (A Emma Langley Victorian Mystery Book One)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, The Whitechapel Widow, by Emily Organ. It is book one of the new Emma Langley Victorian Mystery Series and looks like a book for fans of Anne Perry. It is a little edgier than the average cozy and considering it involves the time and era of Jack the Ripper I'm not sure you'd call it a cozy. But the mystery looks intriguing as a woman tries to get to the bottom of who murdered her husband In Whitechapel London. It does say in the comments it is a clean mystery so nothing too disturbing here. I think I might have to start this series. 

I hope you've found a book you can't wait for this week. Happy reading ya'll!

Historical Mystery

March 27, 2025

Book Description courtesy of GoodReads:

London hunts the Ripper. A widow hunts her husband's killer.

London, 1888. While Jack the Ripper's reign of terror grips the city, Emma Langley's world shatters when her husband is found murdered in Whitechapel. But grief is quickly overshadowed by a startling discovery. William Langley was not the man she thought she knew.

As panic fills London's streets, Emma delves into her husband's secret life, uncovering a web of lies that stretches from glittering society drawing rooms to the seedy gambling dens of the East End. Aided by Penny Green, a former reporter with a nose for trouble, Emma follows a trail of blackmail and corruption.

But exposing her husband's killer could make her the next victim and in the shadows of gaslit streets, a murderer waits, ready to strike again…

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Rebel Empresses: Elisabeth of Austria and Eugenie of France: Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe by Nancy Goldstone

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, The Rebel Empresses, by Nancy Goldstone. She has written several award winning non- fiction history books that I have added to my lists over the years. Many involve some lesser known historical figures such as Catherine de' Medici's daughter, Marguerite de Valois and Joanna of Naples. This one looks interesting and the cover is so pretty. I hope you've found something you can't wait to read this week. Happy reading ya'll!

History

February 25, 2025

Book Description courtesy of GoodReads:

When they married Emperors Franz Joseph and Napoleon III, respectively, Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France became two of the most famous women on the planet. Not only were they both young and beautiful—becoming cultural and fashion icons of their time—but they played a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era characterized by unprecedented political and technological change.
 
Fearless, adventurous, and independent, Elisabeth and Eugénie represented a new kind of empress—one who rebelled against tradition and anticipated and embraced modern values. Yet both women endured hardship in their private and public lives. Elisabeth was plagued by a mother-in-law who snatched her infant children away and undermined her authority at court. Eugénie’s husband was an infamous philanderer who could not match the military prowess of his namesake. Between them, Elisabeth and Eugénie were personally involved in every major international confrontation in their turbulent century, which witnessed thrilling technological advances, as well as revolutions, assassinations, and wars.

With her characteristic in-depth research and jump-off-the-page writing, Nancy Goldstone brings to life these two remarkable women, as Europe goes through the convulsions that led up to the international landscape we recognize today.

Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell (Gilded Newport Mysteries Book Three)

 

Publication Date:

May 26, 2015

Author: 

Alyssa Maxwell

Series:

GIlded Newport Mysteries #3

Length:

306 pages

Book Description: (goodreads):

For Newport, Rhode Island’s high society, the summer of 1896 brings lawn parties, sailboat races…and murder. Having turned down the proposal of Derrick Andrews, Emma Cross has no imminent plans for matrimony—let alone motherhood. But when she discovers an infant left on her doorstep, she naturally takes the child into her care. Using her influence as a cousin to the Vanderbilts and a society page reporter for the Newport Observer , Emma launches a discreet search for the baby’s mother.

One of her first stops is a lawn party at Mrs. Caroline Astor’s Beechwood estate. But an idyllic summer’s day is soon clouded by tragedy. During a sailboat race, textile magnate Virgil Monroe falls overboard. There are prompt accusations of foul play—and even Derrick Andrews falls under suspicion. Deepening the intrigue, a telltale slip of lace may link the abandoned child to the drowned man. But as Emma navigates dark undercurrents of scandalous indiscretions and violent passions, she’ll need to watch her step to ensure that no one lowers the boom on her…

My Thoughts:

I started at the beginning with this series and have enjoyed it. This story revolves around a baby, murder, and a scandalous affair. The main character, Emma is unaware that the baby, the murders, and the Astors and Monroes are all related to the mess. From the beginning it was impossible to piece it all together and so I thought Maxwell did a great job of keeping us guessing. Not just about the murderer but the reasons behind the why. 

The baby being left on Emma's doorstep at the beginning of the story seems to be unrelated to the drowning of one of the prominent members of a sailing race at a party she attends. But as Emma and Derrick begin to follow the lead of just how the man drowned they uncover rabbit trails that lead them back to the baby and a second murder. Who is the baby's mother? Why was the driver of the carriage that perhaps delivered the baby dead? And furthermore, who would benefit from silencing the mother? 

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Emerald Threads by Lynn Morrison, Anne Radcliffe (Book Four of The Crown Jewels Regency Mysteries)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Emerald Threads by Lynn Morrison and Anne Radcliffe. This author (Morrison) has been working hard on her books and getting them promoted and has a fun Faceboook group I joined awhile back. This is her fourth book in this series and I've read some of her other series, Dora and Rex.  

It sounds a bit like a Jane Austen meets a mystery type of book It has a gorgeous cover and looks like a fun cozy mystery! Happy reading this week everyone!

Historical Mysteries

December 1, 2024

Description courtesy of GoodReads:

Northumberland, 1813: Lord Roland and Lady Grace arrive in Northumberland expecting to celebrate the Christmas season. Instead, they are drawn into a frantic search for a group of local children who have disappeared overnight.
Roland’s grandfather urges them to leave the matter to the townspeople, but when they learn this is just the latest in a string of so-called runaways, they suspect something far more sinister is afoot.  With determination and compassion, Roland and Grace work to weave together the fragile threads of trust between them and the community. As they delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover a disturbing pattern that hints at a web of deception.
Just when they believe they are close to unmasking the culprit, someone they hold dear is taken in the dead of night.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Death Takes the Lead by Rosemary Simpson (Gilded Age Mystery Book 9)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm  featuring Death Takes the Lead by Rosemary Simpson. I love mysteries set in the Gilded Age and this author is very popular. I haven't read any of her books yet but would like to. I am happy to promote her new book! Happy reading ya'll :) 

November 26, 2024

Historical Mysteries

Description courtesy of GoodReads:

APRIL 1891: Prudence MacKenzie is delighted to attend a riveting rehearsal of Waif of the Highlands with her dear friend, Lydia Truitt, whose cousin, Septimus Ward, stars in the play. But the drama continues after the curtain falls, as the women overhear a ferocious argument between Septimus and the play’s famous playwright-director, Barrett Hughes.

When confronted about the dispute, Septimus reveals that he actually wrote the script, but allowed Hughes to claim authorship in return for casting Septimus’s paramour, Flora Campbell, in the lead. Septimus has come to regret the agreement and vows to reclaim authorship, even if it means the play never opens. But, days later, Prudence and Geoffrey are urgently summoned to Septimus’s boarding house, where the thespian lays dying in Lydia’s arms.

Lydia believes her cousin’s death is no accident and wants Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law to look into the matter, going so far as to help Prudence and Flora secure employment undercover in the play’s wardrobe department. At first, Hughes’s determination to keep the production running seems admirable, but his motives are soon called into question as Prudence hears whispers backstage about his notorious predatory behavior with young women. And when another body turns up at the theatre, it’s clear that someone is targeting the play and its company—but why?

Prudence and Geoffrey must improvise as they tread into an unfamiliar world where deceit is cultivated for entertainment and deception is celebrated as talent, to expose a darkness lurking behind the glittering stage lights. . .

A Soupcon of Poison: (A Kat Holloway Victorian Mysteries Novella) by Jennifer Ashley

 

Publication Date:

December 15, 2015

Length:

 127 pages

Summary:

This is the prequel to a very interesting series I started in September called the Kat Holloway Victorian Mysteries. As I was reading book one in the series, Death Below Stairs, I ran across this novella that said it was the real first book. So I stopped the novel and read this novella first. It explains so much about the characters! You have to start here to enjoy the series. 

In 1880's London Kat Holloway is a superb cook who has landed a job in the home of Sir Lionel Leigh-Bradbury. No one likes him much and he has some dark secrets of which Kat tries to avoid. She is distraught when accused of poisoning him and must try to clear her name. Daniel McAdam, a handy man of sorts becomes involved helping her find the real killer. They seem to have eyes for each other though neither admits it and as Kat finds out more about Daniel she begins to wonder if she can trust him. He seems to be not at all who he claims to be and pops up in the most unexpected times and most unusual places, just when she needs him.

The staff at the estate are varied in their trust of Kat and her protestations of innocence. Some are allies, some not, but she works hard to win them over in trusting her and as things unfold she gains support and assistance. As she and Daniel draw nearer to solving the crime they will be shocked at the who and the why behind it all.

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes Book One)

 

Publication Date: 

1888

Length:

176 pages

Summary:

Since I wondered myself...the title of this book comes from the words of Holmes himself in a speech to Watson. He says, "There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colorless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it." This is the first story of Holmes and Watson. Through a series of events they become roommates and are seemingly compatible. Watson is intrigued by Holmes and his work, clients being those with criminal cases to solve. And Holmes likes schooling Watson on his methods, holding back his most coveted "tricks" for solving his cases. Watson, a veteran of the Second Afghan War is used to a serious side of life, but he still retains a bit of innocence and guile as he marvels at Holmes's uncanny detective skills. 

When a telegram arrives requesting Holmes's help in solving a new case, the two men travel to the crime scene, finding a victim, a strange German word written on the wall, RACHE, and a lady's gold wedding ring. After using a newspaper ad to try to find the ring's owner, Holmes later becomes convinced the owner is in on the murder. When another murder occurs with more identical clues, Holmes is convinced all is related and begins his deduction skills to solve the crimes and piece everything together. 

A House Divided by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella (The Russians Book Two)

 

Publication Date: 

January 1, 1968

Length:

304 pages

Summary:

This is book two of a seven part series called The Russians, written by the Christian husband and wife team of Michael Phillips and Judith Pella. I have read their Stonewycke books which are excellent and I had read book one of this collection years ago. I decided to read book two because it has been in my Kindle for awhile and I wanted to see how the story progressed. It was something different from my cozy mystery kick I've been on. 

When the story opens it picks up where book one left off, the main character, Anna Burenin is ladies maid to Princess Katrina Fedorcenko and has developed a relationship with Katrina's brother, Sergei who has been away fighting in the Russo-Turkish War along with his friend Dimitri, Katrina's love interest. Their stories converge as the war ends, soldiers return and the Russian Revolution's seeds begin to develop into a full blown crisis. 

Anna's brother Paul has his own set of troubles. Away at University in Pskov, he experienced a traumatic event involving a student who was bullied and ultimately driven to suicide. Through a series of events that spiral he becomes involved with radical revolutionaries who pose as friends, seeming to take him under their wing, all while convincing him that overthrowing the government and killing the Tsar is the only way to true freedom for the Russian people. Paul travels to St. Petersburg to be a part of the underground group plotting mayhem and violence, calling themselves, The Will of the People.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Murder In Masquerade by Mary Winters (A Lady of Letters Mystery Book 2)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring Murder In Masquerade by Mary Winters. This is a new cozy mystery series begun this year starring female sleuth Amelia Amesbury. Something about the synopsis intrigued me, especially the part about her being a Victorian countess who writes a secret advice column for a London paper. I thought that sounded like fun. She hobnobs with royalty while falling into solving murder mysteries. 

I'm always happy to promote new authors too and although this author has written two other series under a different name, this is her first series under her name, Mary Winters. I hope you found something you can't wait to read this week!

February 20, 2024

Historical Mystery/Cozy Mystery

Description courtesy of Amazon books

Extra, extra, read all about it! Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury finds herself playing the role of sleuth when a night at the theatre turns deadly.

Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury’s secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.

But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there’s much more at stake than saving a young woman’s reputation from ruin. It’s going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty!

Can't Wait Wednesday: A Christmas Vanishing by Anne Perry (Christmas Novel Book 21)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring A Christmas Vanishing by Anne Perry. She passed away earlier this year and  I'm sad to think it is her last holiday story. I have read almost all of her Christmas novels and am a twenty plus year fan of her Monk and Pitt series. This story will be extra special this holiday season for all of her lifelong fans. 

November 7, 2023

Historical Mysteries/Holiday Mysteries

Description courtesy of Amazon books

Mariah Ellison, Charlotte Pitt’s grandmother, accepts her longtime friend Sadie’s gracious invitation to spend Christmas with her and her husband, Barton, in their picturesque village. But upon arrival, Mariah discovers that Sadie has vanished without a trace, and Barton rudely rescinds the invitation. Once Mariah finds another acquaintance to stay with during the holiday season, she begins investigating Sadie’s disappearance.

Mariah’s uncanny knack for solving mysteries serves her well during her search, which is driven by gossip as icy as the December weather. Did Sadie run off with another man? Was she kidnapped? Has someone harmed her? Frustratingly, Mariah’s questions reveal more about the villagers themselves than about her friend’s whereabouts. Yet in the process of getting to know Sadie’s neighbors, Mariah finds a kind of redemption, as she rediscovers her kinder side, and her ability to love. 

It is up to Mariah to master her own feelings, drown out the noise, and get to the bottom of what occurred, all before Christmas day. With the holiday rapidly approaching, will she succeed in bringing Sadie home in time for them to celebrate it together—or is that too much to hope for?

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Wilderness Way by Anne Madden

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Wilderness Way by Anne Madden. It is set in the aftermath of the Irish famine and continues in America during the Civil War. Both time periods are fascinating and full of great history. I have not heard of this author before so I'm always happy to promote new people. If you read it, let me know what you think in a review. Happy reading this week!

December 7, 2023

Historical Fiction

Description courtesy of Net Galley

Inspired by a true story.

1861, Donegal, Ireland

Ten years ago Declan Conaghan’s father died in the Great Famine, and since then, Declan has kept his promise to keep his family out of the workhouse. But all that is threatened with the arrival of new landlord, John Adair. Adair is quick to cause trouble and fear among his tenants. When he turns them off his land, Declan has no option but to break his promise…

Declan is in despair until he receives a letter from America offering him the chance of a new life and salvation for his family. But it would mean signing up to the US Army and fighting for Lincoln. Despite knowing nothing of war, or US politics, Declan leaves behind all he knows.

Set against the wild landscapes of Ireland and the turbulent times of the American Civil War, this sweeping narrative takes us on an epic journey to understand the strength and endurance of the human spirit.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Jane and the Final Mystery by Stephanie Barron (Being a Jane Austen Mystery: Book 15)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring Jane and the Final Mystery by Stephanie Barron. I haven't read any of this series yet but it looked interesting. I am currently reading The Late Mrs. Willoughby which takes characters from Austen books and has them solving mysteries. So this book caught my eye as it has Jane herself solving crimes. If you've read any of the fifteen books from the Jane Austen Mystery series, what did you think? Will you be reading this one? It is the final book so I thought there might be some interested readers out there. Have a great week with whatever you can't wait for!

October 24, 2023

Historical Fiction/Historical Mysteries

Description courtesy of Amazon books

The final volume of the critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Jane Austen as amateur sleuth.

March 1817: As winter turns to spring, Jane Austen’s health is in slow decline, and threatens to cease progress on her latest manuscript. But when her nephew Edward brings chilling news of a death at his former school, Winchester College, not even her debilitating ailment can keep Jane from seeking out the truth. Arthur Prendergast, a senior pupil at the prestigious all-boys’ boarding school, has been found dead in a culvert near the schoolgrounds—and in the pocket of his drenched waistcoat is an incriminating note penned by the young William Heathcote, the son of Jane’s dear friend Elizabeth. Winchester College is a world unto itself, with its own language and rites of passage, cruel hazing and dangerous pranks. Can Jane clear William’s name before her illness gets the better of her?
 
Over the course of fourteen previous novels in the critically acclaimed Being a Jane Austen Mystery series, Stephanie Barron has won the hearts of thousands of fans—crime fiction aficionados and Janeites alike—with her tricky plotting and breathtaking evocation of Austen’s voice. Now, she brings Jane’s final season—and final murder investigation—to brilliant, poignant life in this unforgettable conclusion.

Murder At Marble House by Alyssa Maxwell (A Gilded Newport Mystery: Book 2)

 

Publication Date: September 30, 2014

Length: 336 pages

This is the second book in the Gilded Newport Mystery Series and the second one I've read. I love this time period and all the beautiful mansions and scenery described by Maxwell. The Gilded Age is not covered nearly enough in novels in my opinion and I don't know why as it is such an amazing time in history. These cozy mysteries are a great fit for those of us interested in glimpsing the lives of the rich and the societal norms that governed their daily lives. 

Emma Cross is living her life as  independently as she is able, being a distant Vanderbilt relative in 1890's Newport, Rhode Island. Her parents have left her and brother Brady to fend for themselves, providing monetarily, but little else. Emma is a reporter for the local paper, although she chafes under the restrictions doled out to her by the mostly male staff and is relegated to writing puff society pieces. She longs for more serious articles and is always looking for an angle to get her noticed and taken as a "real" reporter. 

When her cousin, Consuelo Vanderbilt calls her distressed and begging for help, Emma rushes to the family's mansion, Marble House to find Consuelo distraught about being given in a promise of marriage to the soon to be arriving Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo's mother, Alva Vanderbilt is unsympathetic to her daughter's unhappiness and bewildered that she isn't grateful for the chance to marry royalty. Emma is privy to a gathering in which a fortune teller, Madame Devereaux, is called in to read the future of Consuelo and other society ladies present at the mansion. Alva hopes Madame Devereaux will convince Consuelo that all is well and the right decisions are being made. Unfortunately, all goes awry when she doesn't give the answers sought and ends up murdered, strangled with a silk scarf on the veranda. Horrified by the turn of events, everyone is stumped as to why anyone would want to kill the fortune teller. Emma smells something rotten and as a reporter is eager to investigate. 

Shortly thereafter, Consuelo disappears and no one knows where she has gone. Frantic to find her, the search begins as all fear the murder and Consuelo's absence are somehow related. When another society woman staying with the Vanderbilts is also killed, real terror sets in that they might not be able to keep everyone safe and find out what has happened to Consuelo. Emma, her brother Brady, and her love interest, Derrick Andrews, a wealthy newsman himself, all work to follow the few clues and discover what is going on.

I enjoyed this story more than book one. I think part of it was I had to get used to the writing style, (I mentioned in my first review of Murder At the Breakers, that I felt the author had a bit too much of a 21st Century "voice") but I was more prepared to  accept the way Emma is presented in her time. There was a definite attempt to show the realism of Consuelo and Emma, one forced to marry, and one trying to marry without losing all her independence. This time around Emma seems more authentic in that she is realizing she loves Derrick and might possibly need to come down from her rather lofty perch of having absolutely no one to answer to, yet no love to grow old with either. 

The mystery was fun and there were lots of twists along the way. I did begin to suspect who early on but was kept in the dark as to the how and the why. So it was a great ending in that I thought the back story of the murderer and how things transpired was pretty interesting. 

What made this book best though was the real history, real historical characters like Alva and Consuelo, and the ending afterword in which Maxwell explains some events surrounding the real Consuelo Vanderbilt and how she was able to weave true events into the story. I love when authors are able to do this effectively, imagining what they might have done, but also staying fairly true to historical facts. 

Maxwell also includes other minor characters like maids and gardeners and shows how their stations kept them separated from the rich and details of their lives are included so we see things from both sides. The descriptions of the mansions, clothes, and culture of the time are captivating. I will be continuing with this series as I think this book made me a fan. If you are looking for a light, quick read set during the Gilded Age with a solid mystery thrown in, you will enjoy this one!

Can't Wait Wednesday: Murder at the Merton Library by Andrea Penrose (A Wrexford and Sloane Mystery Book 7)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa  at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring Murder at the Merton Library by Andrea Penrose. I have seen this series of books before and wanted to read the first one. And of course when I see "library" in the title I'm interested. This time period and cover drew me in so maybe I need to just jump in and read this one out of series order. That's hard for me but this one looks pretty intriguing. There seems to be a lot of interesting subplots and hidden agendas too. Hoping you have found something you can't wait to read this week!

September 26, 2023

Historical Mystery/Thriller

Description courtesy of Amazon books

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—working under her pen name, A. J. Quill—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 . . .

A Christmas Promise by Anne Perry (The Christmas Stories: Book Seven)

 

Publication Date: October 13, 2009

Length: 209 pages

It's time for a little Christmas in July! I only have two more Anne Perry Christmas books to read and with her recent passing, that will be all that is left. Normally I read them during the holiday season, but I was able to get this one now and wanted to go ahead with it. 

Having read several books in the Thomas Pitt series, this was an interesting backstory featuring their maid, Gracie Phipps as a young girl of thirteen and seeing her humble beginnings before she joins the Pitt household. Shortly before Christmas, Gracie finds little Minnie Maud Mudway, just eight years old, alone on a snowy street, frantic to find her beloved Charlie, a donkey that serves to pull the cart of her Uncle Alf. Charlie and Alf are missing and Minnie Maud worries something terrible has happened to them. Gracie feels an immediate instinct to help and doesn't want to leave Minnie Maud on her own. 

As the two girls start to do a little digging into what might have happened, they find that Alf didn't take his usual route and aren't sure why. It appears that whatever befell him it was something unplanned and since it is an unfamiliar path, they aren't sure who would recognize him or be able to assist them. They set out to follow the scant clues they have and eventually are given some insight into what Uncle Alf was carrying in his cart and that the mysterious object could be something sinister. It is a golden box, but what is inside is anyone's guess. How is the box related to Alf's disappearance? And how would anyone have known the different route he would take with Charlie?

Like all of Perry's Christmas novels, this one is short and has a fairly simple storyline. It also has a sweetness to it that makes it very endearing. Gracie and Minnie Maud's relationship blossoms as they work to find Alf and Gracie has a protective, mothering way with her even as she becomes exasperated with trying to protect Minnie Maud from her naive, childlike way of being too trusting with venturing out on her own to investigate. We are given insight into the home life of both girls and as always in these Victorian stories, are shown the harshness of life in 1800's London for those less fortunate. Perry has a way of depicting both the desperation of this time and place while demonstrating the resilience and scrappiness of the people. I always find myself simultaneously sad and admiring of the children in her stories. Gracie and Minnie Maud are so young but are expected to take on so much in order to survive. But this was the reality of the times. And very few adults have the time or patience to want to help them. It is made very clear how fast children had to grow up and learn to do for themselves. 

I enjoyed this story very much. The plot wasn't super detailed but there was enough to make it intriguing and mysterious until the end. And the ending is what makes her Christmas stories worth it. They can be dark and gritty but the last page will always put you in the holiday spirit. It was fun to read one in the summer for a change. 

Can’t Wait Wednesday: A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira. It looks unique and takes place in Seattle which is neglected in much of historical fiction. Hoping the romance part is not too much as I'm not a big fan of those but the description seems to indicate it will have a pioneer spirit feel to it. I realize February is still quite a ways away so when the release date gets closer I'll have to remember to revisit and maybe republish this post!

February 6, 2024

Historical Fiction/Romance

Description courtesy of NetGalley

Hailey MacIntyre seems conjured from the depths of Samuel Fiddes’s loneliness. Caring for his young sister in the tenements of Glasgow, Scotland, Samuel has known only hunger, while Hailey has never known want. When Samuel saves Hailey’s brother from a runaway carriage, a friendship begins. Through secret meetings and stolen moments, they learn the topography of one another’s innermost thoughts. Then the City of Glasgow Bank fails in 1878, destroying the only life Hailey has known. Her bankrupt father impulsively moves the family across the globe to Seattle, a city rumored to have coal in its hills and easy money for anyone willing to work for it.

Samuel’s days are haunted by Hailey’s parting words: Remember, Washington Territory. Armed only with his wits, he determines to follow her, leaving behind everything he has ever known in search of Hailey and a chance to make a better life for his sister. But the fledgling town barely cut out of the wilderness will test them all in ways unimaginable.

Poignant and lyrical, A Wild and Heavenly Place is an ode to the Pacific Northwest, to those courageous and resilient enough to chase the American Dream, and to a love so powerful it endures beyond distance, beyond hope.