Stacking the Shelves #42

 

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!

Borrowed from Libby (there is a wait though!)

This story takes place during the time of Queen Esther. I have not read anything by this author but it was on sale this week and looked interesting. I don't read a lot of Christian fiction but Queen Esther has always fascinated me and this author seems to have several good biblical historical fiction books that are best sellers. This story revolves around two fictional characters in Queen Esther's court who are swept up in the politics of the time concerning the Jewish people. 

Bought on Kindle for $2.50 with my credits

I like this author because she writes historical fiction about Scotland and people I generally know very little about. I wish I had time to get through every book I'm interested in because I forget about her books sometimes and need to get back to them! This is the first in her series about William the Bold. He was a Scottish nobleman and soldier during the 13th century in the service of Sir John Stewart. I am always wanting to know more about the Scots and the French because they factor so much into English history. Her books are a great place to go for the lesser known Scots. 

Free with Kindle Unlimited Subscription

The latest in Benedict Brown's Lord Edgington Investigates cozy mystery series. It is a stand alone in that I can read it for Christmas but not be subject to spoilers for the previous books I haven't read. I like that. All his Christmas books follow this pattern. I am currently reading the first book in the series and don't want to know anything to give away the mysteries. So far I am enjoying this series a lot with its unique main characters and settings. 

Third Girl by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot Book 35) Read Christie Selection November 2024

 

Publication Date:

November 1966

Length:

256 pages

Book Description:

(goodreads)

Three young women share a London flat. The first is a coolly efficient secretary. The second is an artist. The third interrupts Hercule Poirot’s breakfast confessing that she is a murderer—and then promptly disappears. Slowly, Poirot learns of the rumors surrounding the mysterious third girl, her family, and her disappearance. Yet hard evidence is needed before the great detective can pronounce her guilty, innocent, or insane.

My Thoughts:

This was one of my favorite of the Hercule Poirot books so far. I liked that he was involved from the beginning (just like in the show) and remained a main character throughout. Normally he comes in during the second part after the crime is established. I also loved the mystery behind Norma and her "friends." There was a creepy vibe from the start that made it suspenseful. 

Norma was abandoned by her father when she was young and has idealized him. This makes her desperate to hang onto the image she has created in her mind. She is a fragile personality and Christie has a lot of analyzing of her mind and motives for things she does related to her childhood. I think this was common for this era of the 1960's when psychology was really getting its start in the mainstream and acceptability. This seems to be a running theme throughout a lot of her later books especially. I like this and think it is interesting how she weaves it throughout a lot of her character's thoughts. 

I also enjoyed the little rabbit trails she led me on with regards to the secondary  characters and their appearing to be sinister. Not wanting to give away any spoilers, it is clear the reader is supposed to suspect many who turn out not to be the antagonist. I say this because it is hard to review a book when you are not sure when starting out to read it whether or not an actual crime has been committed. So suffice it to say you will spend most of the book unsure what exactly has occurred because Norma is not sure either. 

When Poirot begins his investigation, he is intrigued by her inability to remember what she thinks she did and a bit protective of Norma in that he isn't so sure her thoughts match up with her actions. As he starts to delve into her past I liked the way he gives her a chance and wants to genuinely help her. He seems a little more human to me in this book and not quite as stuffy and full of himself. A refreshing change from his personality sometimes. 

Norma has a love interest, David, who may or may not be using her and because of her vulnerable nature it is easy to suspect him of ulterior motives. When Norma is nearly hit by a speeding vehicle and then disappears things turn in his direction as well. Norma's roommates (the first and second girls) are not much help either. 

This wasn't as much a typical book for Christie the way it unfolded but I really enjoyed it. It definitely kept me guessing.....both as to whether something bad had happened, why, and how. 

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving 2024

Just taking a moment to say Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans. We have so much to be grateful for this year. It's my first major holiday without my sweet Father who lost his battle with a brain tumor this June. It will be hard for my family but we have so much to celebrate. He wouldn't want us to be down. 

I hope all my fellow readers and bloggers have a wonderful day. Looking forward to 2025, reading everyone's content and getting new ideas. You are all my inspiration and even if I don't always comment I visit all my favorite blogs each week. What a wonderful hobby this has become that I can't live without. So thankful for this book blogging community :) 

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.

Stacking the Shelves #41

 

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!

On sale this week for Kindle: $1.99 (I spent zero with my digital points)

I have three books now by this author. The are hard to get for a good price in the States so when they go on sale I buy them. Apparently I need to get started reading them! This book is set in 1485 just as Richard III takes the throne. It follows the story of Grace Plantagenet, illegitimate daughter of Edward IV and therefore a half sister of the Princes in the Tower. She is caught up in the sordid events of the time along with the Perkin Warbeck scandal, the boy claiming to be one of her half brothers. It looks interesting and these covers are beautiful!

Borrowed from Libby: Free (with membership each year of $50)

I had no idea this author had written mysteries, much less a Christmas one. It looks like a crime fiction, Agatha Christie type story and I know Heyer is a wonderful writer so it should be good. I'm hoping to read it before Christmas but my TBR pile is enormous right now. If you've read it let me know if you liked it!

Amazon Kindle Purchase:  (Free with digital points)

I have several books by this author and this is book one in his Marius Quinn mystery series. There are so many cozy mysteries set during the 1920's with female leads and these books have a male one. So I want to read them for a change. He has at least two sets of series that I know of and it's just unusual for a male author with a male lead for these types of books. Getting book one on sale is always a plus too.