The Plinko Bounce by Martin Clark (2023). A legal thriller that mostly delivered until the implausible ending. Andy is a public defender in a small southern town representing a difficult client accused of murder. It’s Andy’s job to get his client acquitted, even if the man has confessed or is abusive to his attorney. This was recommended by the NYT, probably due to the unexpected twist at the end.
Invitation to Die by Barbara Cleverly (2019). The deaths of several men from the same squadron in the Boer War must be connected but who or what is behind them? It is up to DI John Redfyre to untangle old grievances after he and his dog find a corpse in a Cambridge university garden. I’d been meaning to read this author’s India-based series for a long time but I found this book very disappointing. The flashbacks were confusing and the characters were hard to keep straight.
The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill. This book introduces detective Simon Serrailler and his family as the Lafferton force investigates the disappearance of several residents. I really enjoyed this series launch and the varied characters, including Simon’s complicated but intriguing family. I’ve just requested the fifth book from the library, then probably need to take a break. My review.
The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill. In this second book in the Serrailler series, Simon is in charge of investigating a child abduction. Simon is still disturbed about the death of a former colleague and he also has to cope with the death of his much-younger sister, in addition to the stress everyone on the force feels about a missing child. Simon can be cold and unfeeling but he is a fascinating (and, I hope, redeemable) protagonist.
A Stranger in the Family by Jane Casey (2024). In Maeve’s much-awaited 11th appearance, she and Josh are investigating the death of a couple whose daughter disappeared 16 years ago. Are the two events connected? You know they are! My review.
Fiction
Historical Fiction
The Ration Book Baby by Ellie Curzon (2023). Annie is astonished when she finds a baby on her doorstep. She is a busy nurse coping with the demands of a neighborhood, the needs of the nearby RAF base, and now is trying to find the baby’s mother before the child is removed by the authorities. My review.
Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray (2024). This novel about Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve as a Cabinet chief, was fascinating in its depiction of a woman ahead of her time. I particularly enjoyed reading about the Tammany Hall and Al Smith. I was amused by the friendship depicted between Perkins and Eleanor Roosevelt, given I had just read The Diamond Eye, in which Eleanor becomes friendly with a Russian sniper who spoke no English (poetic license, I say). My review.
Children’s/YA
The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1913). In the seventh Oz book, Ojo the Unlucky travels with the Patchwork Girl and the Glass Cat to collect ingredients for a spell to save his uncle from being a statue forever. The Scarecrow and Dorothy assist. My review for Ozathon24.
The Cuckoo at Coolnean (1956), Strangers in Carrigmore (1958) by Meta Mayne Reid. These books are the middle of a five-book series set in Northern Ireland about four cousins who love the out-of-doors, the local castle, and their magical cat, Tiffany. My review for Reading the Meow 2024.
Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu (2024). When Violet’s family moves to a new house she gets the ugly attic room which is haunted. Combined with the stress of starting middle school and the inevitable changes to her best friends, Violet becomes ill but her doctors think she is just seeking attention. I especially liked how the busy mother believes her daughter when others do not and how Violet navigates and finds better friends than the ones she had. This is a sensitive and well-told story.
The Royals Upstairs by Karina Halle (2024). He’s the royal bodyguard. She’s the royal nanny. The hot attraction that simmers between them is meant to appeal to fans of Harry and Meghan, presumably, but I just found the bodyguard arrogant and unappealing - not did I find the story convincing or engaging. I also don't think an employment agency that deals with royals would send an applicant unprepared to know the difference between "your majesty" and "your highness" and for that I blame the author.
Update on the 20 Books of Summer: I have read ten and reviewed eight, so I think I am doing well with half the summer left.
6 comments:
I already have a hold on the Solomon book so am glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I made my coworker read it because she has a son who is a senior in high school and had just been one of the three finalists in an end-of-senior-year-game like the one in this book; also I thought it was quite realistic of a certain type of high school student. I do not recommend the Halle book although the one before this is set in Western Canada.
What a great reading month you seem to have had. I always love it when I discover a new-to-me series that has a long backlist of books to read. When it's a series I turn out particularly to love, it feels a whole lot like Christmas morning used to feel.
I read the first seven books in the Simon Serailler series but I got tired of them at that point. Maybe if I tried them again at this point, I might enjoy them more.
I liked the one Anita Shreve book that I have read, The Pilot's Wife, very much.
You have done well on the 20 Books of Summer. I have not. I have read 10 books from that list but have written no reviews. I wrote my last review on June 9th before my first cataract surgery, and have not had the motivation or brain power to write a review since. But at least I am getting some reading done.
What a lovely load of books you read in June! Hazelbourne Ladies book duly pre-ordered, it sounds fab. Out on the 18th. here. Can't wait.
You are doing very well on 20 books of summer and had a great June. Glad that Helen Simonson made the book of the month. Her Major Pettigrew novel is one I think of fondly. Happy reading in July.
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