Murder, I Spy: A Dora and Rex Mystery by Lynn Morrison (Dora and Rex 1920's Mystery Book One)

 

Publication Date: April 26, 2023

Length: 230 pages

Well, the addition of the cat on the cover was the final straw to make me want to read this book....but...really, I spotted this series a couple of times being promoted on my Facebook feed as a "cross between Downton Abbey and Miss Fisher Mysteries." So I had to see for myself if that were true. There are three books out this year and a fourth due this fall that is now available for pre-order that I featured on this week's Can't Wait Wednesday. 

Lord Reginald "Rex" Bankes-Fernsby is still trying to get his life together after his years in World War I and is haunted by all he witnessed. He feels adrift in life and unable to settle down. With money and his good name he knows he should have the world at his fingertips but can't figure out what he wants to do. When his seemingly confident, fellow soldier friend Freddie is murdered he is shocked and determined to figure out what happened. 

His first stop is to visit Freddie's latest love interest, Theodora Laurent. He is unaware that she is a notorious spy and that they have met before. A back story for another time, "Dora" knows well who Rex is but he has no idea about her identity. He is immediately smitten by her charm and perfume, having a hard time staying focused on why he has sought her out: information about Freddie. Just when he begins to make some progress in questioning her last contact with the victim, someone takes a shot at them and they are on the run together. 

For safety's sake and the investigation, Rex and Dora end up under the same roof together. As their search takes them to night clubs and warehouse docks, the two dance around their growing feelings and suspicions of each other, all the while united in their desire to catch Freddie's killer and keep his reputation intact. Will Rex find out he's met Dora before? Will Dora admit she wants him in her life after this case is solved?

I enjoyed this mystery and appreciated the way the author had us a little confused and guessing about Dora's identity and how she knows Rex already. One of my peeves with modern writers is how they spell out way too much, repeat themselves, and just generally write what I'd call more YA than adult. This book had me re-reading some paragraphs especially in the beginning to make sure I was getting the subtle hints about the two and their prior interactions. We are left hanging throughout the book as to the killer's identity and while the ending isn't a giant cliffhanger, it comes together nicely. 

Rex and Dora have nice chemistry which I can see will continue into book two and at the end it is made clear that they will be working together again (I won't spoil it by giving away more!) Their banter reminds me of an old movie and it's nice to see no bad language or inappropriate contact between the characters, making this a great cozy mystery. Looking forward to reading the next one soon.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Double Cross Dead: A Dora and Rex Mystery by Lynn Morrison (Dora and Rex 1920's Mystery Book Four)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring Double Cross Dead: A Dora and Rex Mystery by Lynn Morrison. I'm currently finishing up reading and reviewing book one and this is book four due out at the end of the month. These books are cute and cozy and the author does a good job of combining mystery with humor. They have been described as a lot like reading a Miss Fisher Mystery and I'd have to agree so far. This one involves the Prince and Windsor Castle which is always fun. I hope you've found something you can't wait for this week!

October 30, 2023

Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Historical Mystery

Description courtesy of Amazon books

An enemy lurks in the prince's inner circle. He'll do anything to escape justice... even commit murder.

England, 1923. Love is in the air and all eyes are on Windsor Castle, where the royal family is celebrating a new royal engagement. When party invitations are sent to only an elite few, Dora and Rex's invite comes with strings attached.

There's a traitor hiding within the prince's inner circle. Dora and Rex, England's preeminent undercover spy team, are assigned to uncover the turncoat. Their sole lead is a tip from an anonymous informant. To get the clue, they must meet him privately during the engagement bash.

But, when they show up at the secret rendezvous, instead of a clue, they find a dead body and Rex's best friend Clark holding the murder weapon.

Has Clark turned traitor or was he framed? Can Dora and Rex work double-time to clear their friend's name and identify the real killer before Scotland Yard's leading investigator puts Clark away for life?

The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick

 

Publication Date:  April 18, 2023

Length: 512 pages

This is the first Chadwick novel I've read and reviewed. I have skimmed the beginning of a couple of her William Marshal books but never got around to reading them. I know they are very popular and come highly recommended by my fellow blogger friends. Nesta of Wales is definitely what I'd call an obscure topic so I wanted to try this book. Also, it is Chadwick's latest so I knew it would be one others might not have gotten around to reading yet. 

The story begins in Wales in the year 1093. Young Nesta, a Princess of the territory of Deheubarth, daughter of King Rhys ap Tewdwr, is in the stables seeing to the new colt recently birthed. Her father is off on a mission to see the hated Normans, encroaching into Welsh territory and expected home any day now. When he arrives, carried on his horse, killed in battle, Nesta's world changes forever. She and her mother, along with her brother, who is now the four year old heir to the kingdom are forced to run for the coast and only her brother Gruffyed makes it to a waiting ship to be taken off to safety in Ireland. Nesta and her mother are kidnapped by the Norman warriors, separated, and taken into the custody of foreign strangers in a foreign land, their world turned upside down. 

When Nesta begins her captivity she is treated well by the ladies of the house who encourage her to accept her fate and to try to learn the language and culture of her surroundings. Eventually, she catches the eye of Henry, brother to the King, who takes her as his latest conquest. Although he is not abusive, he is harsh and demanding and Nesta grows to hate him as she realizes she is a pawn in the game of the powerful. When William Rufus dies and Henry becomes King, her world improves when she gives birth to his illegitimate son and Henry at least provides for them in a decent manner. Throughout the years of uncertainty and separation from her family, Nesta learns to rely on herself and the circle of women she is forced to live with, also concubines of Henry who bear him many children. 

Just when she is ready to give up on another life, Nesta receives news that she is to be married off to a man who will care for her and her child and hopefully take her back to Wales, where she will be among her people. 

Alongside Nesta's story is Gerald's. He is a Norman, fighting with Henry and his men but with an affinity for the Welsh people, as he has been installed there as Castellan of Pembroke Castle, in Deheubarth. He is both loyal to his King while also feeling tied to the land he is overseeing. As he ponders his future, Gerald finds a way to have all he wishes for when he makes a bold move to approach King Henry and ask him to fulfill his wish for a family and security. 

The subject matter in this book was fascinating and I found myself researching the back stories of the main characters. Although Chadwick clearly did a lot of research for this one, she admits some of the story had to be filled in with fiction because there is just not enough on Nesta and Gerald in the record to know everything. I thought she did a great job of sticking to the facts while adding her own personal touches. I learned a lot about the time period and Wales too which I really enjoyed.

The downside of the book for me was that it started to feel more like a romance novel about halfway through. I also started to grow tired of Nesta and her complaining, even after she is given a new start. To be clear, she is traumatized and assaulted by Henry at a very young age and no doubt this influences her dark outlook on things, but some of the choices she makes are hard to reconcile with the life she is presented with. I preferred the history and adventure at the beginning and wish Chadwick had stuck to more of that than letting the story devolve into too much emotion and drama between the main characters. It just became tedious after awhile. 

I still enjoyed the book and recommend it but it didn't have the feel of a Penman or Weir historical novel. I guess I need to try one of her Marshal books as I hear such great things about them.

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.

Top Ten Tuesday: My Ongoing Reading Goals

 

First of all.....how cute is this kitten? But to my goals....I made my top ten list of reading goals for 2023 in January and it was fun to check back in to see how I'm progressing. That is, fun until I realize I'm not meeting a lot of them. But that's okay. My blog is to promote books and the pleasure of reading so I'm not going to stress that I am not doing everything I set out to and make a list with some old and new goals. And as always, thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl, for hosting Top Ten Tuesday each week!

1. Read more history- Well, this has not been my strong suit this year for sure. I have been so incredibly busy with my teenagers, job, home life with hubby, etc. that straight history has taken a backseat to cozy mysteries and authors I am already comfortable with. The last one I reviewed was Josephine, in April and I have read a couple that I didn't review. But this is one area I'd like to work on going forward. 

2. Read more from my Classics Club list- I joined the Classics Club in January and was so excited to create my list. Then when I started choosing books from it, the excitement waned. I don't know if it's just my crazy, busy life right now or if I just don't want to read them but it has been a real struggle. So I'm going to keep trying and maybe revise my list too. If I just can't get going on it then it may be something I decide to drop in 2024. Reading 50 classic books in 5 years is definitely harder than it looks! So far I've read and reviewed 7 of them so that is something to celebrate but not nearly enough to make my end goal.

3. DNF more books- I have gotten so much better at this in 2023. I am still trying to remind myself that life is too short and there are just too many good books out there to keep reading ones I don't like. So this has been something I'm really striving to do.

4. Try new authors- I have tried and enjoyed many new authors this year but still gravitate to my favorites. I have to remind myself that when reviewing books it is good to have a variety of selections or people will get bored with your blog. Then again, it's my blog so I need to read and review what I like, right? Thanks to my blogger friends out there though I've discovered some great new writers so I'm going to keep trying to branch out.

5. Be okay with taking a long to time to finish a book- I have literally been reading Penman's Lionheart for over 6 months. And it's not because it's a struggle or I'm forcing myself. If anything, it's because I love it so much that it is taking me awhile. Sometimes I get frustrated that I can't read it faster but so be it. If an epic novel takes a whole year to read and absorb I'm trying to be okay with that, and just enjoy it.

6. Ditch Net Galley more- This goal might seem strange to my fellow bloggers but here is what I mean.....sometimes I go onto Net Galley and feel pressured to pick something. But often I find I'm just choosing books because they are new. And then requesting them and dreading reading them. I am vowing not to do that anymore. If something looks truly interesting to me, I'll request it. If not, then log out and go find an older book, classic book, or yet another sequel book by an author I love. Trying to read and review all the new, shiny books is stressful!

7. Quit picking books based off the cover- So sometimes this can be fun and rewarding. But often, shiny pretty covers do not equal good books. I just get hooked in by the style and pictures. So I'm going to force myself to really examine the content more. We will see if I'm able to stick to this though :) I'm a sucker for beautiful book covers!

8. Set a daily reading minutes goal and stick to it- I've tried to be casual about my reading and just go with the flow but with life getting in the way I think choosing a daily minutes goal would be good for me. Even if it's just 20 minutes it will keep me on track on the busiest days. While I always want to read, it can sometimes be hard to do much of it when I don't plan to sit down and be quiet and focus.

9. Be okay with having several books going at once- Sometimes I'm good at this but often I feel like reading books piecemeal is somehow "wrong." Then I remember this is okay because forcing yourself to read just one book at a time can be frustrating when your mood is just not into that particular book that day. So I'm going back to reading whatever, whenever, as long as it's a book I'm enjoying.

10. Not care what others think of my reading- This is hard for me. I vacillate between wanting to read deep, thoughtful books and something light and airy. When I was younger,  I thought it was somehow a waste of time to read books that weren't teaching me something. Now as I get older I've discovered you don't have to be so deep all the time. It's probably from growing up with parents who really instilled a love of reading for educational purposes and weren't big fiction readers unless it was a classic book. I love and appreciate them for that but I'm finding with our world so intense these days, cozy books and lighthearted historical fiction is so good for the soul sometimes. So I'm going to enjoy whatever works for me and so should everyone else! 

Appointment With Death (A Hercule Poirot Mystery) by Agatha Christie

 

Publication Date: May 2, 1938

Length: 256 pages

This was the Read Christie choice for September and I am getting it read and reviewed in the nick of time. It features Hercule Poirot as the lead investigator and as he is my favorite of Christie's characters, I was glad to dive into this book.

The story caught my attention from the first as Poirot, on vacation in Jerusalem, overhears a man and a woman talking. The man says to her, "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" Raymond Boynton and his sister Carol are at their wits end with their domineering, evil stepmother, Mrs. Boynton, a former prison warden, who delights in making everyone in the family miserable. She is controlling and nasty and seems to take real pleasure in the misery of others. For years she has orchestrated her own little fiefdom in which she dictates all the decisions of her deceased husband's children and her own child, Ginny Boynton, and attempts to do the same with her stepson Lennox's wife Nadine, who resists her. When Mrs. Boynton is found dead later in the story on a family outing to the ruins of Petra, Poirot believes he can solve the case in 24 hours and sets out to follow the clues.

Sarah King, a female doctor and Dr. Gerard, a psychologist staying at the same hotel as the other characters play an important role in the story. They are fascinated with the obvious dysfunction on display in the Boynton family. From the start of the book they are found discussing what they perceive to be the hold Mrs. Boynton has over the family. Sarah seems to be romantically interested in Raymond as well and feels almost a duty to save him from his stepmother's influence. When she confronts Mrs. Boynton at one point and bravely tells her what she thinks of her, she is met with a chilling response: "I've never forgotten anything- not an action, not a name, not a face." Later, these words will have great significance in the resolution of the crime and the identity of the murderer.

Also factoring into the story is Jefferson Cope, a friend of the family who is in love with Carol, Colonel Carbury, a local official who spends time with Poirot on the case, and Lady Westholme, a member of Parliament and important figure in society. 

My favorite part of this book was the first half when Christie spent time focusing on the psychology of the Boyntons. I found it very insightful and relevant to today when thinking of those who seem to have a natural inclination toward dictating to others and controlling others simply because they can. Christie was writing this during the 1930's when psychological studies were still relatively novel and so I thought she did an amazing job of describing the reasons behind the victim's personality. The way she was able to control her family without lifting a finger to physically harm them was disturbing and creepy and made you glad to see her go. 

As is usual for me, I love Christie until the sequence of chapters where each clue is given the once over. I realize that a lot of her readers love this part of the book but I think it can drag and get tedious when Poirot starts painstakingly going through them all. I now know it's just part of the style though and so I accept it and use it as a time to reflect and see if I can sift through them and guess who the culprit is. I confess I didn't win this round! It was clever and hidden and unexpected, at least for me. But believable and I thought the ending was a great one. This was one of my favorites so far and I look forward to the November Read Christie book. I have already read and reviewed the October selection, Murder On the Orient Express, so I'll be skipping that month. It's funny that I read it and didn't even realize it was the October choice!

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.

For a Queen's Love: The Story of the Royal Wives of Phillip II (Book 10 of the Tudor Novels) by Jean Plaidy

 

Publication Date: January 1, 1954

Length: 338 pages

The original title of this book is The Spanish Bridegroom and as Plaidy's books have been republished, some are being renamed. Her popularity has grown in the last two decades as people have rediscovered these classics. I have been wanting to read this book for a long time as it concerns a person I know almost nothing about. Thanks to the author I have learned some very interesting facts about Phillip of Spain. I am honestly surprised this was renamed the way it was because the queens take a backseat to Phillip in this tale. The original title was much more applicable to the content. His story is absolutely fascinating too. 

The book is divided into three sections: Maria of Manoela, Mary Tudor, and Elisabeth De Valois. I was curious as to why Plaidy didn't include Phillip's last wife, Anna of Austria with whom he spent the most years with. I would have liked for the story to have continued to the end of Phillip's life but I guess she decided three case studies were all she wanted to focus on. 

The story begins with Phillip's childhood and his living in the shadow of his powerful father, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.  Being a more serious, religiously bent person, Phillip struggles to connect with people in a warm way, and finds it hard to tolerate fun and frivolity. He is influenced at a young age by romantic notions of love when his cousin, Maria of Portugal is sent to him as a young bride and his infatuation of her causes him to lose his carefully guarded feelings. Maria, young and naive as well, is adrift in a strange land and although appreciates her new husband's attentions, finds Phillip to be hesitant about showing too much affection. Maria gives birth to their son, Don Carlos, who proves to be a disaster from start to finish. Without giving too much of the main story away, Carlos factors into the book throughout all the way to the end and his life is as wild and interesting as any of the other people mentioned. He could have had his own tale all by himself.

After the death of Maria, Phillip marries Mary Tudor of England with the hope of solidifying relations between Spain and England, thwarting France, and strengthening the hold of Catholicism in Europe. Mary is quite a bit older than Phillip and along with still mourning the young, beautiful Maria, Phillip is repulsed by both Mary's looks and desperate, clinging behavior. He spends much of the time doing his duty of trying to beget a spare heir to hopefully replace his unstable son Carlos while finding a way to quickly get away from Mary and his miserable life with her in England. When Mary passes after many failed attempts at producing a child, Phillip is relieved and finds himself free from a drab life, ready to find another queen to marry.

When Phillip marries his third queen, Elisabeth De Valois he is a seasoned King, older and less naive in his views of the world and of women but nevertheless is enchanted by his French bride. She is only 14 when they wed in contrast to Phillip's 32 years but her beauty and kindness resonate with the entire household and as she was originally promised to Phillip's son, Carlos, her subsequent betrothal to the King causes great tension between Father and Son that never fully resolves itself. Once again, Phillip hopes this younger wife will produce a son, an heir to replace his first one. Elisabeth, daughter of Henry II and the infamous Catherine de Medici, finds herself at first fearful of her Mother's disapproval, even though she is far away in France but as she becomes more comfortable in her role as Queen of Spain, begins to mature and rely more on Phillip's growing attachment and the positive confidence he instills in her. Just when she starts to imagine a contented life with her husband, Elisabeth learns how cold he can be as she watches in horror the ruthlessness of the Spanish Inquisition and Phillip's radical nature emerges. He turns into a frightening figure who is a religious zealot, showing no mercy to the poor people, imprisoned, tortured, and killed for their beliefs. 

This was a dark book, especially for Plaidy. She says in the introduction that she tried to write it from Phillip's perspective and to see him in a more human light than he is sometimes given credit for. His enforcement during the Inquisition period forever brands him as a merciless religious tyrant and while there is no getting around this fact, it is interesting to see how the author manages to explain why he is so dedicated to the Catholic cause during this time period. Phillip truly believes he is doing God's will, saving the people from further, eternal tortures and also saving his own soul in the process. There are many moments in the book that invoke sympathy and understanding towards his way of thinking and she does a good job of showing his desire to forgive his son again and again for his mentally unstable behavior. In the end though, Phillip morphs into a hardened man whose first loyalty is to God and securing his place on the throne at all costs. 

Plaidy spends quite a bit of time with dialogue between the main characters and inner monologue to convey their thoughts. I always enjoy stories better when authors narrate more but here the style worked in that I got a good sense of what Phillip and his wives were thinking about the other. This was one of my favorite of her books, probably because I learned so much about a new area of history and about a man I only knew previously as the husband of Mary Tudor. I am now wanting to read her books on Catherine de Medici, the mother of Elisabeth De Valois. 

Stacking the Shelves #16

 

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 have still not read any of Chadwick's books and I know everyone who is into this time period seems to love her. I got this book for 99 cents on Kindle and so I'm hoping to start it soon. I am especially interested in this one as it tells the story of Nesta, daughter of the Welsh Prince Rhys of Deheubarth. I have become fascinated by medieval Welsh history in the last few years thanks to Sharon Kay Penman's novels. So this one is a winner!

Another steal at 48 cents on Kindle this is another author I always hear about but have never read anything by. This one is all about the Empress Matilda and the Anarchy period. Although I know a lot about this subject now this looks like a good historical fiction take on it with attention to Maud's character. 

I have meant to read this series many times but with so many great cozy mysteries I just never started these. I'm thinking of just jumping into the newest one since there are so many. It's doubtful I'll have time right now with my TBR pile to start at the beginning and read them all. So for blogging purposes I'm going to read and review the newest one and if I love it who knows....maybe I will go back to the first one soon.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Jacobite's Wife by Morag Edwards

 For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Jacobite's Wife by Morag Edwards. I love anything about this era (18th Century) that has to do with Scotland and Jacobites. The author is Scottish and says that as a child, she was told the true story of Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale and her heroism to the cause of the Jacobites. She is currently working on a sequel to this book featuring Maxwell's niece, Mary Herbert. I just love historical fiction that takes real people and tells their stories through narrative. Hope you have found something to read that you just can't wait for!

October 2, 2023

Historical Fiction/Historical Scottish Fiction

Description courtesy of Amazon books

18th Century Scotland: Strong-willed Lady Winifred Nithsdale has already seen her mother, father, and brother imprisoned for their support of England’s Catholic king. While she wants to be loyal, Winifred tries to protect her husband from imprisonment, or worse, the scaffold. But will she escape with her own life intact?

Based on the true story of Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale, and set in the early eighteenth century, this remarkable and powerful novel is rich in detail, character, and history.