Historical Fiction
The Clouded Land by Mary Mackie (1994). This was an unusual book I picked up in London in the hallway outside St. Etheldreda Church. Eighteen-year-old Katarin – born in England but brought up in Germany when her mother remarried – is sent to live with her father’s relatives in Norfolk once the tensions leading to WWII emerge. Feeling she doesn’t belong in either place, she is attracted to a young man whose family has a secret connection to her mother. I found this very interesting at first but the issues keeping her apart from Philip were predictable and overly prolonged.
Mystery/Suspense
The Secret Room by Jane Casey (2025). Maeve is working on a locked room luxury hotel murder when her father calls to tell her about a crisis involving Josh (this incident was previewed at the end of the previous book). It would be hard to review this without spoilers so just let me reiterate my love of the series. The book was released just as I reached London; I carried it through Brussels and Holland, saving it for my plane trip home, then gave it to my sister for her birthday.
Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben; Narrator, January LaVoy (2016) (audio). Former special ops pilot Maya sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who was brutally murdered two weeks earlier. This was entertaining but completely unbelievable. There is apparently a Netflix adaptation.
The Clouded Land by Mary Mackie (1994). This was an unusual book I picked up in London in the hallway outside St. Etheldreda Church. Eighteen-year-old Katarin – born in England but brought up in Germany when her mother remarried – is sent to live with her father’s relatives in Norfolk once the tensions leading to WWII emerge. Feeling she doesn’t belong in either place, she is attracted to a young man whose family has a secret connection to her mother. I found this very interesting at first but the issues keeping her apart from Philip were predictable and overly prolonged.
The Secret Room by Jane Casey (2025). Maeve is working on a locked room luxury hotel murder when her father calls to tell her about a crisis involving Josh (this incident was previewed at the end of the previous book). It would be hard to review this without spoilers so just let me reiterate my love of the series. The book was released just as I reached London; I carried it through Brussels and Holland, saving it for my plane trip home, then gave it to my sister for her birthday.
Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben; Narrator, January LaVoy (2016) (audio). Former special ops pilot Maya sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who was brutally murdered two weeks earlier. This was entertaining but completely unbelievable. There is apparently a Netflix adaptation.
Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins; Narrators, Christina Cole, Emily Lucienne, Nathalie Buscombe
(2024) (audio). 25 years ago Willa’s sister, Laika, left for school and failed come home. Her family has never recovered and once she became an adult, Willa has tried to find her, following random reports of sightings. Then someone at a dinner party reminds her of her sister – but could it really be her? This got good reviews but was unbelievably melodramatic, especially the ending.
Coming to Find You by Jane Corry (2023). After Nancy’s mother and stepfather are murdered and her stepbrother arrested/imprisoned, she tries to get away from the media by retreating to the country house her grandmother operated as a guest house during WWII. Now her stepbrother says he is coming to find her! Although well reviewed, this was disappointing - both as to characters and plot – and not worth the time it took to read it.
A Cold Death in Amsterdam by Anja de Jager (2015). I wanted to read a mystery set in Amsterdam now that I have been there and was pleased to find the first book in the series, which had a good senses of place although it was pretty dark. The protagonist, Lotte, is a cold case detective traumatized by the way her last case turned out and the mistakes she made. Worst of all, she is being blackmailed by someone who knows her secret. And her current case points to nefarious involvement by her estranged father.
Like Mother Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight; Narrators, Olivia Campbell, Cassandra Campbell (2024) (audio). Kat is a fixer for a big New York law firm but she has not been able to fix a philandering husband or a rebellious daughter; moreover, she is being blackmailed. When her daughter Cleo comes home from NYU for dinner, Kat is missing and there is blood in the kitchen. Cleo feels she can’t wait for the police to find her mother so she starts looking herself. Despite disliking most of the people in this very over-the-top book, I found it good diversion for my drive to work.
The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid; Narrator, Davina Porter (2014) (audio). This third book about Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie involves a cold case where a skeleton found in Edinburgh has a complicated relationship to Balkan war crimes. This had a shocking ending! I picked up the fifth book while I was in Holland but forced myself not to skip and I am glad about that now.
Romance
The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn (2023). I’d been meaning to try this author for quite a while so was delighted to find a copy at a shop near our London hotel. It’s a historical romance in which Sybella Lovatt, an attractive young widow who is seeking a husband for her sister Lucie. Soon two eligible young aristocrats are interested in Lucie and Sybella has suitors of her own . . . . This was a pleasant read but quite ordinary.
Bad Publicity by Blanca Gillam (2025). When Andie lands her dream job as publicist at a New York publisher, she is horrified to learn her star author is the man who broke her heart when they were students. Of course, their hostile book tour turns to romance. I liked the publishing aspect of this book but thought Andie’s behavior too unprofessional and the explanation for Jack’s original behavior unsatisfying.
Know Your Newlywed by Hillary Nussbaum and Heather Taylor; Narrators, too many to list (2025) (audio). Cleo and Javi meet online and learn they are super-fans of a beloved dating gameshow. When they hear that it’s being rebooted, they decide to team up and fake a marriage to compete for a big cash prize. Cleo needs money for grad school and Javi wants to launch his own food truck but soon he is more interested in making their relationship real. I loved this story and especially enjoyed Javi’s best friends and Abuela.
Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams (2025). When Jessie meets a seemingly perfect man at Whole Foods, of all places, they spend a magical afternoon together, interrupted only when he persuades a suicidal woman not to jump off a bridge. He takes the poor woman to the hospital without giving Jessie his contact information. Unfortunately, the next time she meets him, he is introduced as her boss’s new boyfriend, which is very awkward. 
Juvenile Fiction
First Term at Fernside by Sheena Wilkinson (2024). Robin can’t wait to get back to boarding school, eager to see her friends and play hockey, but there are two problems: a science building has taken over the hockey pitch and it’s her babyish cousin Linnet’s first term and Robin doesn’t want to be responsible for her. How the cousins learn to respect each other and have a great term is an appealing story by the author of Mrs. Hart’s Marriage Bureau.
Lost Lorrenden by Mabel Esther Allan (1956). Last but not least! Phoebe is fascinated by a painting she sees at the National Gallery, depicting a carefree summer day at a country manor. When she is sent to stay with relatives in the same area, she is determined to find the house, and is disappointed when no one knows anything about it. But Phoebe refuses to give up in this delightful story. My review.
Can you believe will be July on Tuesday? Any holiday plans?
The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn (2023). I’d been meaning to try this author for quite a while so was delighted to find a copy at a shop near our London hotel. It’s a historical romance in which Sybella Lovatt, an attractive young widow who is seeking a husband for her sister Lucie. Soon two eligible young aristocrats are interested in Lucie and Sybella has suitors of her own . . . . This was a pleasant read but quite ordinary.
First Term at Fernside by Sheena Wilkinson (2024). Robin can’t wait to get back to boarding school, eager to see her friends and play hockey, but there are two problems: a science building has taken over the hockey pitch and it’s her babyish cousin Linnet’s first term and Robin doesn’t want to be responsible for her. How the cousins learn to respect each other and have a great term is an appealing story by the author of Mrs. Hart’s Marriage Bureau.
2 comments:
I read The Marriage Season in March. I think I liked it but had to check whether or not it was the same book as you read, so it was obviously 'really' memorable! I like the sound of Things Don't Break on Their Own, so might check that out. I know! How can it be July on Tuesday! No, no holiday plans until Sept. or Oct. when youngest daughter and I are going to have a few days in Bath. And I need to think seriously about a trip to the US at some stage.
It would be fun if you came to Boston! My guest room would be ready. I think you told me you had been to Maine but have you seen other parts of New England?
Post a Comment