Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie (1958). Jacko Argyle’s family hasn’t recovered from his having murdered his adoptive mother when a witness comes forward two years later to say he was Jacko’s alibi! It’s too late for Jacko, who died in prison, to get justice but now the rest of the family falls under suspicion. My review.
Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder (1992)(audio-narrator Holter Graham). This is the second in a series about Nick Heller, a smart-aleck, private security expert, recently relocated to Boston. He has a complicated history involving a father imprisoned for white collar crime when Nick and his brother were teens. The businessman who gave their mother a job years ago when everyone else ignored the family’s plight now needs Nick’s help to rescue his abducted teenage daughter. This was somewhat over the top with multiple villains and the girl being elaborately buried alive.
The Favor by Nicci French (2022)(audio-narrator Imogen Church). If your first boyfriend ever appears out of the blue asking you to go to a mysterious destination without telling a soul, please be advised that this favor will get you in serious trouble with the police when he gets murdered. If you are merely reading about it, you will also regret learning about all the sordid people in his life, just as Jules does. Jules makes so many bad decisions I lost all respect for her as a character. I liked the author’s series about Frieda Klein but this book was dreadful.
The Trap by Ava Glass (2024). This is a fast-paced and very entertaining series about an English-born spy of Russian heritage, determined to avenge the death of her father, who was killed by his countrymen as an informer. Emma is right not to tell her mother what her real job is! My review.
The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill (2011). In this sixth book about detective inspector Simon Serrailler, torrential rains hit the Cathedral town of Lafferton, dislodging the skeleton of a teen missing for years. Distracting Simon from his investigation is a sudden infatuation for a married woman he meets at an obligatory fundraising dinner. His stress makes him unkind to his sister, still recovering from losing her husband, and he neglects the nephew who needs him. Simon is fairly unlikable in this installment but this has not prevented me from bringing book 7 with me to my conference in Philadelphia.
What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena (2004)(audio-narrators January LaVoy, Jorjeana Marie, Barrett Leddy). When a local farmer finds a deceased teen in one of his fields, he is shocked to recognize Diana Brewer, a popular senior at the high school. There are plenty of suspects: her possessive boyfriend, a sleazy teacher, the construction worker who hit on her when she worked at Home Depot, and it turns out there are lots of secrets in the small town of Fairhill, Vermont. I guessed the murderer but it was still entertaining, although I could have done without the ghost of Diana floating about, trying to remember what had happened.
The Second Lady by Irving Wallace (1980). This is an interesting impersonation story in which the KGB has plotted to substitute an actress with the First Lady of the United States when she visits Moscow. The substitute has practiced for three years: the President suspects nothing; however, the journalist writing the First Lady’s memoir is suspicious. Will anyone believe something so improbable?
Historical Fiction
Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford (2016). London in the 1920s is an exciting time for the development of radio at the BBC. American Maisie Musgrave was desperate for a job, any job, but securing a secretarial position for the dynamic Hilda Matheson changes her life, allowing her to develop as a journalist and discover her voice. I enjoyed this historical novel although I found Hilda, a noted pioneer in broadcasting, more interesting than fictional Maisie. My review.
Falling for Provence by Alison Roberts (2024). What better way to recover from tragedy than to inherit a house in Provence that needs TLC? Ellie Gilchrist and her sisters plan to sell their uncle’s house but once Ellie sees it, she is intrigued and decides to stay and supervise the renovations. A handsome widower with a small son make Ellie’s recovery predictable but it’s fun to day dream about living in Provence. My review.
Juvenile
The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1915). The Scarecrow is one of Dorothy’s beloved companion from The Wizard of Oz but it takes a while for him to appear in this ninth book in the series. The story is primarily about Cap’n Bill, a grizzled sailor, and his companion, Trot, an intrepid little girl. A boating disaster lands them near but not in Oz, and they have various adventures before Ozma offers them a home in the Emerald City. My review.
Off the Blog: Look! It’s the Liberty Bell, across the street from my hotel.
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