Death On Board by Anita Davison (The Flora Maguire Mysteries Book One)

 

Publication Date: 

October 27, 2023

Length:

320 pages

When I looked up information about this book and its author I was interested in the fact that the ship the main character sails on was a real ship at that time on its maiden voyage. The S.S. Minneapolis set sail from New York to London in 1900 and was considered to be a grand ship of its time. 

Summary:

Flora Maguire is not from high society. A lowly governess taking a ticket on a fancy ship originally meant for a wealthier passenger, she is excited to experience all the good life has to offer, all while keeping up with her 15 year old exuberant charge, Eddy. Sailing with them are a host of upper class passengers all of whom have their own quirky personalities. When one of the guests, a Mr. Parnell is found dead seemingly from a fall, Flora is not so sure. Clues around the scene lead her to believe there is more going on and with the help of a dashing young man, Bunny Harrington, she sets out to get to the bottom of things. The two of them spend time sleuthing the ship together and leading undercover observations and interrogations of the guests they know at dinner and elsewhere to see if they can flush out the truth. 

Befriending an American actress Eloise, who was friendly with Parnell, Flora is intrigued by how she and her mysterious past fit in with the goings on. Eloise acts suspiciously and nervously, leading Flora to suspect her in Parnell's death. But when Eloise herself is found stabbed to death, it is obvious that someone else has targeted specific people on the ship and that more deaths could be coming. Flora and Bunny must work quietly to find out the truth while making sure no harm comes to Eddy and the guests they believe to be innocent. 

My Thoughts: 

This was a cute story and the first in the series. While it wasn't terribly "historic" driven, the author did try to add some touches from the time that made it feel authentic. I enjoyed the dialogue between Flora and Bunny and they have chemistry between them. Eddy and Ozzy, the boy he befriends, get into typical teenage boy mischief and are endearing. There is a long character list to keep track of and because of this one is definitely thrown off track as to the backstories and who the real killer might be. There is a lot to unravel and several stories within stories so I thought it was multi layered enough to keep one alert and guessing. 

While I didn't dislike the book, I can't say if I'll read another in the series. It just didn't have enough of the cleverness and uniqueness of some of the other cozy mystery series I've grown fond of. I had hoped for a bit more feel of the time period but that waned quickly once they boarded the ship and set sail. Some of the language of the time was realistic and Flora and Bunny do have a relationship that would be typical of the time, but for the most part, the story could have been easily dropped into any modern cozy mystery series. 

Still, if you are looking for a clean, fun, murder mystery plot with cute characters and a twisty ending, it's a good read. 

Stacking the Shelves #25

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week :)

I recently watched Little Dorit the miniseries and absolutely loved it. So when I saw this book was set in Marshalsea Prison I was immediately interested. It looks gritty but I want to give it a try. This author is new to me too and this is book one of her Thomas Hawkins series. It reminds me a bit of Anne Perry's Monk series in that it is more of a realistic, historical setting than that of a cozy mystery. I enjoy the 18th century as well and this book is set in the early 1700's. A man shares a cell with a possible murderer and must try to expose him before he himself is killed. 

This is a book I added to my Classics Club page in case I decide to continue with the challenge. I recently posted that I'd be dropping the whole thing for now but who knows? This book looked different and I'd not read anything by this author either. It was on sale for 99 cents this week on Kindle. It sounds a bit like a Jane Austen book if her books were historical mysteries.

Well it looks like I'm just in a mystery mood this week, lol. This is book three in Alyssa Maxwell's Gilded Age series. I've read and reviewed books one and two and honestly had forgotten them for awhile. Book One has been made into a movie which will air this Friday on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. Although they aren't my favorite cozy mysteries, they do evoke the era well and have grown on me. Murder at the Breakers  will be fun to watch come to life on screen. 

 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (Book One: Hercule Poirot Mysteries) Read Christie January 2024 Selection

 

Publication Date: 

October 1920

Length:

296 pages

I was excited that this was chosen for the Read Christie January selection. I read it years ago but remembered none of the storyline and since it is book one in the Poirot series I was happy to read it again and review it. 

Summary:

 On leave from the Great War, Arthur Hastings is invited to stay at Styles Court in Essex by his friend, John Cavendish. Just as he is settling in for a comfortable time, John's stepmother, Emily Inglethorp, is shockingly found dead one morning, apparently poisoned with strychnine. Hastings quickly enlists the help of his friend and detective, Hercule Poirot, to find out the what and why behind her death. 

The other guests involved include Alfred Inglethorp, Emily's husband who is many years younger than her, her stepsons John and Lawrence Cavendish (sons of Emily's first husband), Cynthia Murdoch, a family friend, and Evelyn Howard, Emily's friend and companion. Although Emily sometimes changes her will, at the moment it is believed that John will inherit the manor property per his father's will, and that Alfred will inherit Emily's money upon her death. 

Due to an overheard argument the night prior to her death, the occupants of the house are distressed as to what it was about and who she was arguing with. Likely Alfred or John, no one knows for sure and they also cannot find the new will Emily is believed to have written shortly before her death. Alfred left overnight to go to the village and Emily retired alone, taking her document case upstairs with her. When her body is found, the case is also found, broken open and with no documents inside. 

We are introduced to Scotland Yard Inspector Japp, who believes either Alfred or John to be the murderer, Alfred being the inheritor of the money and acting suspiciously, found lying about certain details, and John having no alibi and being in possession of items pertaining to the poison and a disguise, possibly used to buy the strychnine. Poirot, in his painstaking fashion for details, is left to piece each clue together, changing his mind at times as to who is responsible, as each new idea comes to light. 

My Thoughts: 

Going in to this Christie book I knew I would like it no matter what because it was her first. There is something special about it already because of that alone. I have grown fond of Poirot, Hastings, and Japp over the last year and a half of reading (and watching!) Christie books and shows so to see them introduced was fun. I had also read about how her genius with the poisoning storyline was well known and wanted to know how it was done. It was indeed quite an interesting twist that I would not have known about in any way ahead of time. I actually did guess correctly about one of the suspects, and that part was not as surprising, although I sense that Christie used some paths throughout the story to try to throw us off track, only to return to some initial suspicions in the end. 

I love the narration of Hastings, as I find him to be a sweet, innocent character and as Poirot is much more arrogant and harsh in his tone, the inner thoughts of Hastings work better I think for these stories. This book did not have the feel for me of getting to know the minor characters as much, but did include some marital issues between a couple of the guests that worked well for a side story, resolved at the end in a solid way. It wasn't my favorite of Christie's books by any stretch, but it is one you have to read because after all, it is the first. I am greatly looking forward to February's read featuring Tommy and Tuppence, as I've only read one book with those characters. 

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Abandoned Queen by Austin Hernon (Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy Book Two)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Abandoned Queen by Austin Hernon. I purchased book one and intend to read it this year. Books two and three are out in 2024 and this is the second in the trilogy. At first I saw it as a romance type book but then I read the sample of book one and it was actually a pretty good start as a historical fiction book. The author is an older gentleman who has written another series about William the Conqueror's son, Richard. 

I hope you have found something you can't wait for on this Wednesday!

February 2, 2024

Historical Fiction

Description courtesy of Amazon books

Berengaria follows her king into the deadly heart of the Crusade…

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Having married Richard the Lionheart, Berengaria of Navarre is now preparing herself for the turbulent life of a queen.

Though he has not yet secured an heir, Richard is determined not to settle down until he has recaptured Jerusalem from the Saracen forces. Vowing to stay by his side for as long as possible, Berengaria accompanies him on the perilous voyage to the Holy Land.

Caught up in battle plans, Richard has barely a moment to spare for his new bride. And after witnessing a sea battle and a deadly siege in Akko, Berengaria is left disturbed by the king’s ruthlessness.

Surrounded by misery and bloodshed, the young queen begins to understand the true cost of war. And as Richard becomes ever more consumed by his ambitions, she starts to wonder whether their marriage will ever have a chance to flourish…

Will Richard survive his brutal Crusade? Will he and Berengaria return to England in triumph?

Or will the horrors of war tear their marriage apart?

The Abandoned Queen is the second historical novel in The Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy: Early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

Stacking the Shelves #24

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week :)

Another cozy mystery on sale for 99 cents this week that I couldn't pass up. This is the first in the series which I like to start with if possible and looks like an original location. Who wouldn't love a Miss Fisher like mystery set on a beautiful French estate? 

I always gravitate to titles with anything Napoleonic Wars era. It is a time period I know little about and rare in historical fiction. While this is more of a story about a family and their troubles in the mid-1800's, it references back to the wars thirty years earlier. Set in Wales and written by a Welsh author it looks very unique. It is book one of the Carmarthen Chronicles. A veteran of the Napoleonic Wars recounts his years on the battle field to a younger friend. 

While out shopping for other things, I snuck into Half Price Books because I love to browse and see if I find anything I can't get on Kindle or just want to collect. I was so excited to find three Jean Plaidy books that I don't have. I started reading her books when I was in my 20's and I love to collect them. Some you can't even get at all anymore. This one is book 3 in her Catherine de Medici series. It was in perfect shape and looked hardly touched. For $7 it was a steal!