High Treason at the Grand Hotel by Kelly Oliver (Fiona Figg Mysteries Book 2)

 

Publication Date:

January 5, 2021

Length:

276 pages

Summary:

Fiona Figg is back in action, this time in Paris. In book one she disguised herself to find a killer and found she liked playing the part of a man in order to infiltrate circles she couldn't, this being 1917 and all. Tasked with watching the notorious spy, Frederick Fredricks, she goes against her war department rules to watch from a distance. Fiona once again disguises herself to get closer. Unfortunately, she also ends up accused of murder and in her bumbling, stumbling way manages to involve a whole host of others as well. 

There are also many subplots going on. She investigates another seemingly unrelated murder involving a housekeeper, befriends a mysterious, exotic German singer, Mata Hari and continues her romantic flirtation with the soldier she meets in book one. Relying on her instincts often, she manages to unmask the killers, find stolen jewels, and stay one step ahead of Fredericks. She is patient and loyal to her friend, Clifford Douglas, from the War Department who is clearly smitten with her and always there to lend a hand. The romantic feeling isn't mutual but Fiona is appreciative of his help when she is in a jam. Fiona has so many things going on in this book that it is remarkable it all comes together in the end. 

My Thoughts:

This book was complicated. Despite the look of it, it really took some concentration to keep all the characters and subplots straight. Fiona is always witty and funny and endearing but especially so this time. I was surprised at how much the author was able to pack into one story and have it come out making sense. The interaction with Fredericks is entertaining and even though he seems to stay one step ahead of her, she is able to rattle his plans often. The reader is always left a little unsure of where his loyalties lie and since I've already read a book later in the series I know this doesn't change. Perhaps the author is waiting until the end of the series to reveal who he really is and what side he is on. In this book we assume he is the big, bad German spy who is helping to blow up ships during the Great War. But one is not completely convinced. 

I will be continuing with this series as I have really grown to like these characters. There is one more and then it switches to the second set involving Fiona and Kitty, someone she meets along the way. I hope the author continues it for awhile. She also adds some history about WW 1, the setting feels authentic, and convincing. It is a great cozy mystery series!

Mystery In Provence by Vivian Conroy (Miss Ashford Investigates Book One)

 

Publication Date:

October 7, 2022

Length:

314 pages 

Summary:

This series takes place in different countries and locations. That is a draw for me in cozy mysteries. I wasn't exactly sure where Provence was but researched a bit and found it to be an interesting location in the heart of France. When the story begins, it is June of 1930 and Miss Atalanta Ashford has just finished a job teaching at a boarding school in Switzerland. She is shocked when she receives news that she has become independently wealthy due to the death of her grandfather and the inheritance she has been given. 

Never having known him, she is even more surprised and overwhelmed. There's one catch though....she may have a beautiful new home in Paris and lots of money but she also is asked to clandestinely continue the secret life of sleuthing that her grandfather conducted without most people's knowledge. He trusts Atalanta to be worthy of this because he has been checking up on her life and her character and feels she shares a lot of his qualities in this area. Atalanta is willing to try although she isn't sure how to begin. A case has fallen to her already when she is asked to investigate the behavior of a young woman's fiance, the Comte de Surmonne. The lady, Eugenie Frontenac is desperate to make sure the man she is marrying isn't a murderer of his first wife. She wants Atalanta to come to their estate in Provence, posing as a lady's maid of sorts during the week of the planned wedding, and find out the truth. 

The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side by Agatha Christie (Miss Marple Mysteries Book 9) Read Christie October 2024 Selection

 

Publication Date:

November 12, 1962

Length:

256 pages 

Summary:

Marina Gregg, a famous American actress has purchased and moved into Gossington Hall estate in St. Mary Mead, Miss Marple's village. Gregg and her husband Jason Rudd hope to settle down and have a quiet life there when not pursuing acting projects. The town is abuzz with the news and when Marina holds a party to raise money for a good cause everyone wants to be there. With a few close friends and neighbors the evening looks to be a success until a guest is murdered, poisoned with a drink handed to her by Marina. 

It becomes unclear whether Heather or Marina was the intended victim. As more clues emerge, Miss Marple isn't so sure either. Heather Badcock, the deceased, was seen talking to Marina right before her death, although at the time no one knows what was said. It was however, reported that Marina had a strange, stricken look upon her face as Heather talked into her ear.  

The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters (Cadfael Chronicles Book 6)

 

Publication Date:

March 10, 2020

Length:

 208 pages

Summary:

Continuing my journey with the adventures of our favorite monk, Brother Cadfael, book 6 has him puzzling out the mystery of missing siblings and a nun last seen traveling north from Worcester fleeing the carnage caused by the ongoing civil war in England between Empress Matilda and King Stephen. Everyone involved that know them are deeply concerned for their welfare with the cold, harsh weather and Cadfael is eager to help. Before he can do so though he gets involved with another crisis. He is asked to come to St. Mary, another church, to assist with medical help for a wounded monk. The monk reveals information while in a state of fever that has Cadfael wondering if he knows something about the missing children and nun. He knows he has to follow up on the task despite the elements and lack of clear direction. They won't last long out there. Although they have an Uncle who cares for them and wants to help, he cannot because he is a supporter of Empress Matilda and is not allowed to enter King Stephen's lands. 

Along with the local deputy sheriff and friend Hugh Beringar, Cadfael sets out on a twisting journey and manages to successfully find one, and then two of them. The third does not fare as well. Cadfael tries to piece together how the trio was separated. The reasons are disturbing and start to reveal an evil crime of passion that shocks all those involved. As they continue to search for answers they come across mercenaries and hardened men who must be dealt with and defeated in order to bring everyone home safely. Cadfael, who desires peace above fighting must put aside his beliefs for the moment to finish the task. 

My Thoughts:

This was one of my favorites from the series. When I started I didn't get hooked right away. But by the first twenty pages or so it became so engaging. I love all the Cadfael books, it's hard not to find something good, but there have been one or two that just didn't have enough of a solid mystery going on to keep me as interested. This book had missing travelers, mysterious visitors, blizzard conditions, fantastic, descriptive fight scenes (which usually bore me but didn't here) and the ending......oh what a twist! Not only was the murderer a surprise, the reason behind the murder was as well. We don't find that out until the very end and it is almost impossible to figure out. Also, Peters added another completely extra surprise that involves Cafael on the last few pages and makes you want to dive into book 7 right away. 

The characters that appear are given interesting back stories. The children come from a noble family and the "virgin in the ice" has her own story to tell from the grave that weaves into the bigger picture. Even the men who are fighting against them and are kidnappers and not good people held my interest with their side stories. This is one of the series that will likely make you want to keep reading. 

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.

Betrayal at Ravenswick by Kelly Oliver (Fiona Figg Mystery Book One)

Publication Date:

March 10, 2020

Length:

 208 pages

Summary:

I jumped into this series out of order because I wanted to read the one set in Cairo. It was book three so when I finished it, I wanted to go back to see how the original plot and character development unfolded. This book one is part of a series with just the main character, Fiona Figg and later she is joined in the second series by her sidekick, Kitty. Covert in Cairo was the one I read as part of series two. 

Fiona Figg's cheating husband has forced her to strike out on her own. Set during World War I, she and her spouse have been apart and when she realizes he has taken up with another woman she decides to throw herself into the war effort as a spy for British Intelligence. She is asked to go undercover, posing as a male doctor, to Ravenswick Abbey estate, with the hopes of exposing a suspected traitor, one Fredrick Fredricks. When she finally meets the notorious South African hunter, she is not impressed and thinks he is full of himself and a first rate snob. Not sure whether he is an actual traitor on the side of the Germans though, she treads lightly, trying to keep up her disguise while befriending one of the ladies there, Mary, who takes a bit too much interest in Fiona, thinking of course, she is a man.

Valley of the Kings: A Novel of Tutankhamun by Cecelia Holland

 

Publication Date:

January 1, 1978

Length:

231 pages

Summary:

I have heard about Holland's books for years and finally have read one. I love all things Egypt, pyramids, etc. so this was the place to start. Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon's unearthing of King Tut's tomb in 1922 is a fascinating story and I have read Holland stays true to history when writing her historical fiction. That is a must for me as I read these kinds of novels.

I know there are already many reviews for this book over the years. It is interesting that you don't know going in the book is divided into two parts: Howard Carter's story and King Tut's time period story. The first half details Carter's search for the tomb. Carter is an experienced archaeologist drawn to Egypt and its history and the search for the elusive tomb of King Tut. His frustration with the Egyptian government's slow pace and bureaucracy in allowing for the digs he wishes to conduct, not to mention the lack of funding leads to constant frustration. He teams up with a British aristocrat, Lord Carnarvon who shares an interest, although he is not obsessed to the degree Carter is. But willing to finance Carter's dream and work alongside him is enough to make the reality come true. Carter accepts the assistance and dodging local government regulations and resistance he doggedly pursues the tomb. 

The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay

 

Publication Date:

1936

Length:

253 pages

Summary:

Hay only published three novels and all were detective mysteries written in the 1930's. I had not heard of her before reading this one. I thought the cover was adorable and the perfect read for the hot June weather. So I am calling this review a "Christmas in June" book review. This is part of the revived collection of British Library Crime Classics and so it falls into the category of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. I am glad these books are being republished and with such vibrant, beautiful covers. The story is told in a series of chapters written from the perspective of each character, with the main detective having most of the story from his thoughts on the case. It is unique, giving insight into how each person is thinking.

The Melbury family is gathering for their annual Christmas. Sir Osmond, patriarch of the clan is domineering and particular in how he likes things done. His five children: George, Hilda, Edith, Eleanor, and Jennifer are all very different personalities, including how they feel about and handle their father. There is also the money and inheritance to consider as each vie for what is in theirs and their children's best interest. Although they don't always see eye to eye, they gather together and try to get through another trying holiday reunion.