For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring,Murder at the Christmas Casino, by Andrea Hicks. It is book 13 but since it's Christmas themed and debuts on Christmas Eve I thought that was fun. I have three books from this series purchased on Kindle and want to try them out soon. Happy reading and Merry Christmas :) I hope you've found something you can't wait to read this week.
Book reviews featuring history, historical fiction, and mysteries, as well as my thoughts on all things bookish.
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Can't Wait Wednesday: Murder at the Christmas Casino by Andrea Hicks (Book 13 of the Camille Devine Murder Mysteries)
For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring,Murder at the Christmas Casino, by Andrea Hicks. It is book 13 but since it's Christmas themed and debuts on Christmas Eve I thought that was fun. I have three books from this series purchased on Kindle and want to try them out soon. Happy reading and Merry Christmas :) I hope you've found something you can't wait to read this week.
Sunday, December 15, 2024
2025 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge (Hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader and Baker)
I am thrilled to be posting this! This will be the fourth time I am participating in this challenge and it is the one that I have kept up with consistently. Probably because I absolutely love historical fiction and as I've discovered this year, even more, historical mysteries (especially cozies). It has been a tough year for my family and this challenge and posts are just part of the way I stay happy and fulfilled with a fun hobby.
This was the first place I posted as a new blogger too in January of 2022. So here's to a fun filled year of reading, reviewing, and seeing what others are reading. Thanks to Marg at The Intrepid Reader and Baker for always taking this on and the wonderful stats she posts every month. So.much.fun.....
I will be taking the category again of Ancient History where I'm challenged to read at least 25 historical fiction books. This is easy for me! Between my love of these books, the Read Christie challenge, and all the new reads coming out weekly 25 books is no problem.
Side note: I find it humorous that the Classics Club offically designated the year 1974 as the cutoff now for classics. The book must be written in or before that year. I was born in 1974 and turned 50 this summer.....so I'm now a classic!
Friday, December 13, 2024
Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell (Gilded Newport Mysteries Book Three)
Publication Date:
May 26, 2015
Author:
Alyssa Maxwell
Series:
GIlded Newport Mysteries #3
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?
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Death in the Garden by Isabella Bassett (Lady Caroline Mysteries Book Two)
Author:
Isabella Bassett
Series:
Lady Caroline Mysteries #2
Book Description: (goodreads):
Lake Garda, Italy, 1925
Uncle Albert, in relentless pursuit of his hobby, is off to a secluded island on Lake Garda, Italy. Guided by ancestral duty, Lady Caroline, his reluctant secretary, follows in his wake. An exclusive party has gathered to celebrate the coming out of the Queen of the Night with a midnight soiree.
But as the guests prepare to witness the exotic plant’s once-a-year bloom, Uncle Albert is discovered in the villa’s conservatory with a dead body. Worse yet, with the Queen of the Night completely destroyed.
While Lady Caroline is determined to clear her aging relation’s good name, Uncle Albert seems to dig himself further into trouble. When a second body turns up in the manicured gardens, and Uncle Albert again is the most likely culprit, Lady Caroline decides it’s time to put her scavenger hunt skills–the same ones that got her into this “secretary” mess in the first place–to good use and follow the clues to the real killer.
With a closed circle of upper-crust suspects, an elegant historic location, and a puzzling murder mystery without the gore, it’s a golden age country house whodunnit transplanted to Italy.
My Thoughts:
The first book I read in this series was Book 3 The Secret of the Scarab. It was set in Egypt and I really enjoyed it. Uncle Albert is my favorite character in the books. He is bumbling and appears not to notice what is going on around him but he's smarter than he seems. He is always trying to win and retain the coveted prize of the Golden Platypus. He is an avid member of the Royal Society for Natural History Appreciation, along with other Lords and royal nobility. They engage in competition to find rare plants and flowers and Lady Caroline travels along as his secretary and companion. This is unusual as she is a woman and the helpmates are almost always men. One of them, James is a love interest but they seem to be at odds often about how far the relationship goes.
Cut off from the mainland, the guests are reliant on each other and as two murders occur, suspicious as well. Caroline and James discover a grotto that seems to hold clues to the mystery of the island and possibly to why people are dying. As they work to unravel things, Uncle Albert is caught in the crossfire when he is accused of murder himself and Caroline does not believe for a second he is guilty.
She and James along with other guests await help and rescue while trying not to become victims themselves. Lady Caroline begins to realize there may even be an historical element to the murders as hints of treasure abound. She discovers clues to a way to summon help through a bit of sleuthing and trusts no one except James and her Uncle.
This was another fun cozy from Bassett and I will be reading book 4. Her characters and plots are endearing and fun to puzzle out. I want to read the current winter themed one but would rather go in order. A great series for taking your mind off your troubles!
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Noteworthy News #6: Hourly History
I am always looking for ways to learn more history but just don't have the time or will right now to read dense books. This week I discovered Hourly History and I'm excited to share with other history lovers! It's a series of books that are designed to be read in one hour (hence the name) about all kinds of historical topics. Everything from Ancient Rome to the Norman Conquest to present day biographies of the Presidents and Princess Diana. There is something for everyone and it gives a great, no nonsense overview of the topic while giving enough detail that you come away feeling like you know the basics.