WWII, murder, spies, the blitz—everything you need for a great historical mystery. This was a hit on the historical level, but a miss at being a mystery. Rationing, family being called to active duty, air raids, etc., allowed the reader to become immersed in the setting. But, setting isn‘t enough. Predictable plot bogged down by long first person narrative. If a second book comes out I might give it a try, in hopes of something a bit better.

This is a straightforward police procedural with a fairly predictable plot (although Baantjer was able to keep some cards up his sleeve for the end). The narrative is simple but not spare. It‘s also laced with humor and subtle wit, as well as some compelling discussions between De Cock and Vledder regarding the merits of, or what is lacking in, certain laws. Baantjer‘s descriptive style is understated yet compelling. I‘ll be revisiting Baantjer!

What a debut E. C. Bateman! This is just so original for a “cozy”—in the sense that we have a character who truly is a “reluctant amateur detective”. Cleverly plotted, filled with humor, characters that are engaging and endearing. The vivid detail brings Stamford to life. And with it‘s subplots and many red herrings, it has a very solid mystery!

Loved it! Want to read the next installment now!

Sorry, but imo it was merely innuendo that moved this story along—the constant hints that there is something not quite right about Thalia, and Cynthia, and Catherine, and Madeline, etc. It‘s all so thinly veiled, the only compelling thing for me was wondering how long it would take Rachel to figure it out. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Best of all are the elements of humor (something not often found in Lorac‘s writing) but are to be found throughout. A limerick in a Lorac mystery? It‘s not a naughty one, but it‘s still pretty good! #Bookspin

Any one who loves GAD, but definitely Lorac fans, will love this—and luckily you won‘t have to wait too very long to get your hands on it. And lucky for me, I have five more Lorac‘s waiting to be read!

Fabulous debut novel. West‘s image of the Brighton theater world of the 1930s shows that he knows his subject. Vivid descriptions of theater life were particularly good. The characters are very well drawn, with Bertie a stand out. The supporting cast were all interesting and made for an interesting set of suspects. Great old fashioned theatrical murder mystery. Read it cover to cover and so enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next on already.




A victim alone in a compartment on a moving train made for an interesting “locked room” mystery. Lots of suspects and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Really enjoyed the start of each chapter, which began with a description of different famous films, all of which involved railways in their plots. While I did think that the last chapter could have been cut a bit, this made for an entertaining read. Good police procedural.

Eliot‘s writing is surprising. The only way I can describe it is that it is very spare. No vivid detail, the characters are never fully fleshed out, and the narrative often takes unexpected detours. But through Margaret as the narrator, Eliot creates a diverse cast of characters and conveys a wealth of information with simple passages or phrases that are often laced with humor and satirical wit. #MiddlebrowSyllabus

All set for my November #Bookspin 😊

Starting a personal reading challenge today. Reading my way through the Middlebrow Syllabus. This list of 100 works by female British authors was compiled by Scott Thompson (aka Furrowed Middlebrow). I‘m looking forward to a lot of great reads😊.

A book with a very interesting plot that had great potential. Unfortunately it ended up sidetracked until halfway through by an unrelated, and totally unnecessary, burglary subplot. The murders do again become the focus, but the story then bogs down in superfluous information and dialogue. The solution is only reached via a confused subplot of family intrigue that is sprung on the reader at the end.

November #Bookspin all set! @TheAromaofBooks

I‘ll get straight to the point. I despise aspects of this book. Yet as it was, for the most part, well written, I don‘t hate it. Berkeley‘s views are unpalatable and fills the narrative with casual insensitivity. While the writing is witty and the plot filled with twists, the story slows to a crawl. Yes it was enjoyable to see Sheringham made the patsy, but not enough to make up for all of the moral ambiguity. #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress

The 1st in what will hopefully be a long series. Classic era mystery set in the theater world. Great plot, engaging characters. Love Bertie!

#OutstandingOctober Readathon complete!!!😁 @Andrew65

Intriguing mystery plot that was often pushed aside by the Coco Chanel fashion subplot. I love a historic subplot, but wasn‘t interest in this one, or the use of Chanel to move the plot along. I will say this had the best capture of a murderer that I‘ve seen in some time! While not my favorite book to come out of this series, all in all, a good cozy mystery that made for light and mildly entertaining reading. #KEnsingtonBooks

Strong female characters. Smart, intuitive, independent thinkers use their individual and combined skills to work through and solve problems. A bit confusing and hard to engage as you couldn‘t get a sense of when this story took place. The language used by the criminals gave it a 1940‘s or 50‘s feel, yet cultural references set it in the late 90‘s. Also, some very strange characters whose actions and statements felt wrong for a YA book.

Police procedural which initially drew me in. Well conceived plot with timely subject matter. The reader was provided with insights which made the motive for the murders, as well as the culprit, fairly easy to spot early on. The killer is identified two-thirds of the way through, and the pace begin to lag. The last third of the book felt rather drawn out, but with the anticipation of an arrest the story does pick up speed.

The third book in the Olive Bright series.. Weaves together life on the home-front with actual historic events, people, little-known facts from WWII, murder and romance. An entertaining and engaging read. I‘ll definitely be going back to read the others in the series. #KensingtonBooks #StephanieGraves

#OutstandingOctober Readathon time!!! It‘s another chance to do an ARC catch-up 😜. My goals are to read the three books on the top and complete reviews for the lower two books. Thanks for organizing this @Andrew65

The seventh in the Campbell & Carter series. A clever police procedural. Some quirky characters and light humor give it more of a cozy feel. An altogether entertaining read.

The oh so proper, yet incredibly vibrant, Phyllida Bright is back in her second mystery. Having already read the very entertaining Murder at Mallowan Hall, I had certain expectations for this new book. Let‘s just say that I was not disappointed.
A lovely cozy mystery that pays homage to the Golden Age of Detective Fiction while giving us just a taste of Agatha Christie. #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks

Vanished into a institution as a child, Margaret navigates a world that is often cruel, but in which she finds so many small joys, finds friendship, and love.
A unique character with so many facets. She is charming, sweet, tough, and practical. And while labeled with a learning disability, the author has also imbued her with an innate intelligence and awareness.
A memorable story told with great sensitivity. #NetGalley #EmblaBooks

Book haul💞. There are only one or two bookstores around here…and a bit of a drive to them. But I was lucky in my hunting today 😊

Just catching up on a little #furrowedmiddlebrowclub reading that I missed. @Ruthiella @Tamra @LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @catebutler @Kimzey @Jess_Read_This @elkeOriginal @batsy @Sparklemn @erzascarletbookgasm @jlhammer @MrsK

While this book is by no means great, for me it comes together very well as a first book in a series. My hope is that subsequent books will fulfill my expectations of Kendrick‘s abilities as a mystery writer.

Well rounded characters, action, intrigue, and humor…love the humor. Spy craft with so many double crosses your head will spin…but in a good way…so well written that the twists and turns in the plot don‘t confuse the story, and you always feel engaged. ❤️ #bookspin

A highly entertaining read, filled with fascinating psychology, and a solution that is so clever and so simple—after Poirot explained it to me that is. One of my favorites. #agathachristieclubr2

Brand is a master at keeping the reader guessing. Complex relationships and an abundance of theories means that no one character stands out as the culprit. A well thought out locked room mystery with a very surprising ending. Can also be found under the title “The Crooked Wreath”.

October #Bookspin and #Doublespin ❤️📚 Thanks @TheAromaofBooks

Death and Croissants is a cozy mystery with a creative premise. An attractive couple, each in a bit of a slump, with charming setting, quirky characters and clever bits of humor. What more could you want? Well, frankly I want a story that leads somewhere. Not something that wanders aimlessly with the sole point of introducing a lot of “quirky” characters. This wasn‘t a bad book, it just did nothing to engage me. #PoisonedPenPress #NetGalley

On a roll!! September #DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks

My October #Bookspin list😛.

There is so much to enjoy in this book. Quick pacing and short chapters allow the narrative to flow and the read is relatively short. One might think of this as a downside, but Christie does a marvelous job at doling out information, keeping the reader totally engaged. The dialogue is an intelligent mix of serious conversation with witty banter. And the ending, while no longer a surprise, is amazing! #AgathaChristie #PushkinPress #NetGalley

Final tally #SuperSeptember Readathon. All goals achieved 😛. Thanks @Andrew65

Perry‘s plot weaves several distinct storylines together in order to give you a sense of the political strain of the times, as well as the personal struggles of the characters. The writing and language help to evoke the a Germany on the brink with detail that brings one of history‘s most crucial eras to life. There is a real sense of the disorder, the frenzy, and the fear that infected everyone and everything. 

Progress up date my contribution to #SuperSeptember Readathon. 4 down, 1 to go😊

This is a book I should have enjoyed. I loved the idea of the book and wanted very much to enjoy it. But, there was very little that I found to like about it. Unfortunately, what could have been a fun take on several Golden Age of Detective Fiction tropes was instead unnecessarily complicated, frustratingly cryptic, and utterly depressing. #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress

A well crafted plot mixing murder with espionage and rooted in actual historical events. Verity‘s intellect and keen insight are placed in the forefront. The reader gains insight on Sidney and his struggle confronting untold horrors witnessed on the front lines in WWI. Darker in tone and a more emotional outing than previous installments. Excellent addition to the series. #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks

A gem of a mystery with an intricate plot. Red herrings and misdirection abound. A delightful cast of characters is filled with unusual, eccentric individuals who are quite appealing and highly amusing. with it‘s madcap tone and lively tongue-in-cheek dialogue, there is a decided lightness to the tale which kept me very much engaged and wanting to keep reading. A gem of a read! #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress

“Not every book is for everybody, but every book is for someone.” Joslyn Diffenbaugh #bannedbooks

Just want to clean up my NetGalley and this is the perfect nudge! #SuperSeptember

Impossible crime with no solution? Not for Sir Henry Merrivale! An excellently constructed plot with multiple solutions put forth by almost everyone involved, each one an attempt to accuse, cover-up, or mislead. The clueing is stellar, the impossible portion of the story so simple, yet so elegant. Perfect mix of atmosphere, toxic personalities, red-herring and clueing. Definitely did not disappoint and is well worth the read. September #bookspin

Another fabulous anthology as part of the British Library Crime Classic collection. 16 short stories from a variety of mystery writers. Originally written from 1933 to 1973, each are connected in some way to the world of books. My favorite - Christianna Brand writes “a nice creepy sort of story full of colour and horror and all the rest” as requested by her Dear Editor. Not all winners, but this, on the whole, really was an very enjoyable read.

The third book of Florence Norris series finds Florence and George pulled into the mystery of the young woman‘s death 20 years previously. Florence and George are strong and engaging characters. The villagers as supporting cast add welcome humor. A good mix of mystery and romance. But, while the plot is multifaceted and intriguing, it bogs down a bit as it tries to tell everyone‘s story, making for a slow journey to end.
#NetGalley #Severn House

😥💔

Finally reading the first in the Inspector Hugh Collins series by #MorayDalton from #deanstreetpresscrimefiction

Second book in the series, and while I did not really like the first, still thought I‘d give this a try. Unfortunately, this one was no more to my liking than the previous. The language felt stilted and artificial. The characters were like cardboard cutouts. And the plot was confused, made up of two disparate stories that never came together. #NetGalley #BlackstonePublishing

Bucksford Manor, Great Chart with Singleton, Kent. Based on Ruth‘s description and landmarks I‘m pretty sure that this is The House in the Country ❤️. #furrowedmiddlebrowclub

This hit a little close to home, as I also left my “forever” home sad and dissolutioned. But I still truly loved this. There is humor and poignancy, as well as triumph and disaster. It was also a great record of the significant changes occurring in Britain at the time. I happily Googled my way through, constantly looking up names, events, and phrases. No matter the sadness I felt, I will always see this for the humor, and the joy it gave me.