Review: Murder on Black Swan Lane

Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just started this series. The setting is Regency London, a time of great advances in Industry. The characters are intellectual, witty and daring. A widow living in the London ghettos has taken in two of the street ruffians, Raven and his brother, Hawk--who is simply adorable. With their shrewdness and familiarity with the alleys the boys are able to provide Charlotte Sloane with information she is able to use in her satirical cartoons which poke at the highest level of society and amuse the common folk. One of these cartoons attract the attention of Lord Wrexford, a chemist, who finds himself the principle suspect in the murder of a prominent clergyman, since said man seems to have been the victim of chemical burns and distortion. This combination of two intelligent people from different strata of society working together to clear Wrexford and the setting and the history of chemical science all combine to make this a very exciting and compelling mystery indeed!

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Review: The Book of Lost and Found

The Book of Lost and Found by Lucy Foley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Why do people lie? What effect does a lie have on the person to whom the lie is told? Would lives be different if the lie were not told or if the truth is eventually revealed? Will the truth make things better or worse? Can a lie ever be justified or selfless?

This book is filled with lies--mothers or step-mothers to daughters, lovers to lovers, the misinformed to searchers. Would the childhood sweethearts carried on their love affair that began as young adults if the secret one kept from the other had been revealed? Would he have become the accomplished and successful artist?

Would the Prima ballerina have worked so hard as a young child to reach the pinnacle of international ballet circles had her step-mother revealed the truth she learned from the mother, whose mother had lied to her at the child's birth? The mother who tried to keep shame and ridicule from her unmarried daughter--or was it to keep it from the family's reputation as much as the girl's? Did the step-mother keep the truth hidden to protect the same child or to keep her for herself--lest the now famous star sought out her mother and left her behind?

And would the misinformation much later in time, during the chaos of WW II , have brought the star-crossed lovers back together had it not been passed on to a distraught returning soldier?

Circle upon circle of lies, half truths, world upheaval, misinformation---all to be sorted through by a young woman who has lost her Mother and whose grand-mother on her death bed finally reveals the truth of the ballerina's birth. The story pivots back and forth between 1929 through the '40's and 1986, the story's present. From London, Paris, Corsica, New York it moves along with the artist and dancer and their families as the heroine hears from the two lovers the story of their lives.

Those questions, unanswerable bounce through my mind even now that the story has ended. A book, at times sad, at others bright and happy --much like life itself.

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Review: Memento Mori

Memento Mori by Ruth Downie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Forgotten how much I enjoy the escapades of Medicus Ruso and his British wife, Tilla! Having left the service of Rome, Ruso and Tilla with their adopted daughter, Mara, are visiting the native family farm of Tilla's family. No longer in Rome, the life is quite different for Ruso and Tilla's brother is not inclined to make his stay comfortable. When word reaches them that Valens, Ruso's best friend and also a doctor, is being sought as the murderer of his wife, Serena, Ruso wastes no time in deciding he must rush to Aquae Sulis ( modern Bath ) to investigate and clear Valen's name.

Needless to say, from the outset, the situation is almost impossible. First, Tilla will not hear of remaining at the farm. Naturally, that means Mara, the nursemaid, Nameem, as well as their slave must also go. This requires hordes of luggage and the means to get to the tourist mecca as quickly as can be. From the chaotic trip, to the limited lodging availabilities in a town soon to have a festival in the name of the Goddess and a visit by the Roman governor to the actual investigation--nothing goes smoothly until the final pages of this frustrating, funny, infuriating mystery fraught with lies and omissions leading to dead ends.

Good to be back in ancient Britannica once more!

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Review: Lord Seeks Wife

Lord Seeks Wife by Heather Barnett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unique Take on Romcom Books

Sort of The Bachelor meets Regency romance. Contemporary Duke's mother is anxious for him to marry and provide an heir. Stuffy book worm,who loves the works of Willie decides to take out an ad in the local newspaper. His more widely brother assists in organizing the many rounds of interviews needs the cull the women ,and men, who apply for consideration as the lucky winner. Quite an assortment of contenders, both local and distant, descend upon the quiet village with hilarity and chaos galore!

This review is of a Kindle edition provided by Goodreads for that purpose.

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Review: Murder at an Irish Christmas

Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O'Connor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The Sunset Route: Freight Trains, Forgiveness, and Freedom on the Rails in the American West

The Sunset Route: Freight Trains, Forgiveness, and Freedom on the Rails in the American West by Carrot Quinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The story of Carrot's early life in Alaska was so devastating that it was necessary to take a break from reading. At first, also, the moving back and forth in time was a difficult adjustment but once I decided that that really is the way we think back over our lives, memories in random order many times within an hour's time, it became easier. The pain and loneliness and emotional toll of Carrot's life is stunningly described. For the first time it has become clearer to me why people would choose to live this nomadic, emotionally distanced, seemingly unfettered life style. No number of springtime flowers or star-studded skies would ever compensate for a lack of love and emotional bonds and the need to dumpster dive to eat. How she managed to pull anything resembling a life worth living is nothing short of miraculous.

This a BookBrowse provided ARC review.

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Review: An Irish Country Practice: An Irish Country Novel

An Irish Country Practice: An Irish Country Novel by Patrick Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Three years have gone by since a young doctor, Barry Laverty, arrived in Ballybucklebo to interview with Fingle Flaherie O'Reilly. Fingal, a widowed bachelor doctor, was in the process of physically ejecting a patient into a rose bush, tossing a shoe and sock behind the victim, as Barry walked up the path to the door. Barry, a young single doctor, who was applying to the practice as an addition, almost turned on his heel, got back into Brunhilde his ancient VW and headed back to Belfast . Instead, he was accepted by Fingle and now three years and eleven books later Barry is a partner and soon to be married to a local schoolteacher. Fingal is cutting back his hours and trying to get his new wife, Kitty to do the same. Another member of the practice, Dr Fitzgerald is dealing with a gambling addiction and a new Dr has come to intern for a year and is a unique addition as a result of his upbringing and experience finishing med school. Kinky, the intrepid housekeeper now lives in her own home with husband, Archie.
Ballybucklebo's residents, too, have seen changes, the aforementioned ousted patient now lives in California but now must find the wherewithal to return home to visit with his mother,Anne, diagnosed with cancer. Donal and his wife are expecting a new baby and Donal as usual has a lottery going on the delivery date. Fingal's brother, Lars and his female friend, the Marquis' sister are finding their relationship somewhat strained. As a result, Fingal and Kitty now have a new Lab, Kenny, who is being trained by the old boy, Arthur Guiness, in the fine art of birding and also the joys of a bowl of Smithwick's.

And so life in Ballybucklebo moves on as it does in all the world--with joy and sorrow, ups and downs, challenges and easy sailing, wins and loses, laughter and tears, achievements and failures, success and disappointments--all in all--a nice normal place to be.

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