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  • Tag: genre: mystery

    • Mini Reviews

      Posted at 1:55 pm by Laura, on December 1, 2019
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      I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel — ★★★★★ — If you’re a reader you’ll find at least one thing in this book that is relatable to you! If not the entire book! Sharing your books with friends (or not), repeatedly going to the library and grabbing armfuls of books and holds (even though you have plenty of books at home you own and haven’t read), never leaving the bookstore without buying at least one book, knowing that book recommendations need more than “it’s great!” because readers all have different reading tastes, getting so lost in an audiobook the day has flown by and you didn’t do any housework or errands, rereading favorites because you love them (or not because you don’t want to mess with the memory of them), reading books with your children, racing to finish a book club title (or not and accepting the end will be spoiled), running out of space in your home for your books, buying and building more bookcases, dreading a move because of all the books you own, not owning a whole lot because you go to the library always, owning a lot because you go to the bookstore always, buying books to support authors but never reading them, buying used books because you like holding previously loved books, buying new books and cracking the spine…it’s endless!

      The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott — ★★★.5 — It’s good. The writing is perfect for historical fiction, the right atmosphere and tone for a Cold War novel. I enjoyed it enough to want to keep reading. But by the end it felt rushed, a little deflated. The love story fell apart/fizzled, and I found Boris to be incredibly selfish and thought Olga had it coming. There may have been some aspects of the CIA storyline that was totally over my head and implied and I simply didn’t catch on—some threads seemed loose, frayed, unanswered. I think my attention fell apart a bit when I spotted a major editorial error in a chapter heading. That said, I liked stylistically what was done with the novel. I liked you didn’t have to read Dr Zhivago in order to read and follow the story. I love that art prevails all, that art can reflect culture and criticize. I want to know more about the Cold War, about how people knew he was writing Dr Z and that the whole world knew before it was even published that it was criticizing the Soviet Union. I wanted more about the spying—lots of drops but not a whole lot of the actual acquisition of things—and perhaps more of Boris’s wife and what she was feeling about all of this (was she targeted too or just Olga? What’s the point of “hiding” the relationship when everyone knows what you’re doing, you pig, Boris? Sorry, moving on…). I loved the development of the CIA love story, and wanted more that too—with a more concrete ending please!

      The Trespasser by Tana French — ★★★★ — The sixth of French’s Dublin Murder Squad series held up to her usual literary detective fiction flair. It was a totally new experience for me to listen on audio to a Dublin Murder Squad detective rather than reading—the Irish narrator really grabbed and pulled me in. Hearing the thoughts aloud instead of reading them myself really put me on edge too, truly believing Conway’s paranoia was real and rooted in logic. French’s mysteries have always appealed to me. Her writing is engaging yet literary, smart yet accessible. I would not lump French in the same wheelhouse as Flynn or Hawkins or Ware as so many do—she stands out on her own. She’s a mystery writer for those who aren’t into mysteries (like me!). I also really enjoy that we follow a squad and not the same protagonist with each novel. The secondary character from the previous book becomes the main character for the next—and so forth. The trouble is…I think this series is now complete? Conway was the secondary character of the previous book, The Secret Place, but she’s still with her partner from that book in here too. I’m curious to see if French will continue the series, and how, now that we’ve closed this particular chapter of the Dublin Murder Squad narrative.

      And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander — ★★★ — Mystery isn’t really my jam to read, but I devour BBC/Masterpiece Mystery shows. This young Victorian woman who goes off on adventures and still stays true to the constraints of her society—a modern woman for her era without seeming anachronistic—happens to be at the center of a mysterious death. Lady Emily is recently widowed and ready to get out of mourning. But upon discovery of her late husband’s journals and fascination with Greek artifacts, Emily starts to fall in love with the man he was and learn that his death was…quite fishy. From London to Paris to Santorini to Cairo, Lady Emily must find the truth to her husband’s death and the mystery of stolen museum artifacts, all without shocking her mother half to death turning down marriage proposals. Emily was loads of fun and super intelligent. This had more dialogue than I expected, but the feel of the novel made me think, “If Jane Austen was born now and wrote historical mysteries, this is what she’d write.” It’s witty and clever, had lots of red herrings, and I was guessing through the end. I’d definitely pick up the next in the series!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2019 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: nonfiction, mini review
    • Mini Reviews

      Posted at 6:50 am by Laura, on April 9, 2018

      Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

      Publisher: Dial
      Published: February 2018
      Genre: adult, contemporary
      Rating: 
      ★★★
      Summary: After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have all the trimmings of a happy life and marriage; they have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other’s sentences. However, a trip to the doctor projects they will live another 68 years together and panic sets in. In the name of marriage survival, they quickly concoct a plan to keep their relationship fresh and exciting: they will create little surprises for each other so that their (extended) years together will never become boring. But in their pursuit to execute Project Surprise Me, mishaps arise and secrets are uncovered that start to threaten the very foundation of their unshakable bond. When a scandal from the past is revealed that question some important untold truths, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all. 

      Mini Review: I enjoyed this to an extent. I wasn’t as enamored as I usually am with Kinsella’s work (here, here, here, and here). It was full of the classic mishaps and hilarity, with a twist at the end, but I simply wasn’t as entertained as I usually am. I’m not sure if it’s because I couldn’t completely relate with the drama (I’m not married, but also…duh, when you marry, that means you intend to be with the person for decades, so clearly I wasn’t on board with the premise) or because I couldn’t relate with the age of the characters (which sounds so bogus, so I don’t think it was that), but this doesn’t rank high on my Kinsella list of recommendations. If you want a light and funny read, give it a shot!

      This qualifies as book 2 of 5 in my fun library books challenge.

      Love and Other Train Wrecks by Leah Konen

      Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
      Published:
      January 2018
      Genre: young adult, contemporary
      Rating: 
      ★★★
      Summary: After a train-wreck first encounter between Ammy and Noah, the Amtrak train suddenly breaks down due to a snowstorm. Desperate to make it to their destinations, Noah and Ammy have no other option but to travel together. What starts off as a minor detour turns into the whirlwind journey of a lifetime, and over the course of the night they fall in love. But come morning their adventure takes an unexpected turn for the worst. Can one night can really change how they feel about love…and the course of their lives forever? 

      Mini Review: If you’re looking for a book on overcoming broken relationships (familial or romantic) in a more healthy way, this would be a good book. I especially enjoy travel components in stories, because it forces the character — and the plot! — to move forward. With the train getting stuck, and all the mishaps that follow, you begin to wonder when these two can catch a break and finally make it to their destinations (worst nightmare!). However, I didn’t feel the drive in the plot the way I suppose I should have, and I thought it was a bit repetitious in the characters’ ruminations (this is a short book and it felt as if half of this was rumination). That said, these two really do resort to good and healthy ways of dealing with their heartbreak, stress, and sense of brokenness that I admire.

      Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

      Publisher: Delacorte
      Published: 
      April 2009
      Genre: adult, mystery, historical
      Rating: 
      ★★★★
      Summary: Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce is an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. It is the summer of 1950—and a dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. To Flavia the investigation is the stuff of science: full of possibilities, contradictions, and connections. Soon her father is seized and accused of murder. In a police cell, during a violent thunderstorm, Colonel de Luce tells his daughter an astounding story—of a schoolboy friendship turned ugly, of a priceless object that vanished in a bizarre and brazen act of thievery, of a Latin teacher who flung himself to his death from the school’s tower thirty years before. Now Flavia is armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together, to examine new suspects, and begin a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England himself. Of this much the girl is sure: her father is innocent of murder—but protecting her and her sisters from something even worse….

      Mini Review: I listened to the audio of this novel and found the narrator’s voice painful to the ears, but the story itself absolutely delightful. Flavia is a precocious girl and incredibly imaginative. Combine these two things and you’re in the mind of a very clever, wild, eager person in the middle of a very serious case, right on the path to getting herself murdered as well if she’s not careful. Though this isn’t a heart-pounding, suspenseful mystery by any means (I could not care less about stamps — Grandpa would hate to hear me say that), the trail of clues and the roundabout way Flavia pieces everything together is a literary delight. Definitely plan on reading the next book of the series!

      This qualifies as book 3 of 5 in my fun library books challenge.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, mini review, review
    • Mini Reviews

      Posted at 3:30 am by Laura, on September 18, 2017

      The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals by Jordan Stratford

      Publisher: Knopf BFYR
      Published: January 2017
      Genre: middle grade, mystery, historical fiction
      Rating: 
      ★★★.5
      Summary: The Wollestonecraft Girls embark on their most important case yet–the famed dinosaur fossil hunter Mary Anning is being blackmailed. Her precious dog has been snatched and the kidnappers are demanding that Miss Anning authenticate some fake dinosaur bones up for auction at the British Museum in order to get him back. Ada and Mary have just three days to track down the fossil fakers, find the dog, and save the integrity of science! The game is truly afoot in this quirky caper involving blood-sucking leeches, an asthmatic pug, smoke bombs, secret elevators, diabolical disguises, and wicked word-play.

      Mini Review: I love middle grade detective fiction, and the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series is no exception! Featuring Mary Shelley and Ada Byron as little girls (anachronistically), with partner in crime Charles Dickens, they solve what appear to be little instances of crime (stolen dog) but are actually major connections to criminal rings (there’s a clever Moriarty character cropping up!). The books were originally inspired by the novels of Charles Dickens’s protege, Wilkie Collins. Now they are taking on a life of their own and it’s so thrilling to watch! I highly recommend this series for little history nerds, fierce feminists, readers with quick wit and sense of humor, and little detectives in the making. See reviews for The Case of the Missing Moonstone and The Case of the Girl in Grey.

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      This qualifies as book 12 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

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      A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd

      Publisher: Balzer + Bray
      Published: January 2015
      Genre: young adult, gothic, science fiction
      Rating:
       ★★★
      Summary: After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls. Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

      Mini Review: This book gave me graduate thesis flashbacks. I spent a whole year immersed in gothic literature (classic and YA) with a fine tooth comb, loving every second of my nightmares that followed. A COLD LEGACY continues the “twist on classic gothic novels” trend Shepherd began with The Madman’s Daughter by following the Frankenstein narrative. The other two books worked as parallels to the inspired classics, but this time the characters meet Dr Frankenstein’s descendants and friends, who want to continue the “cold legacy” of his experimentation. Scottish moors, creepy children, reanimated corpses, oh my! I appreciated the parallels to the original narrative, and found all the high drama twists and turns appropriate to gothic fiction. Juliet’s internal battle and her devotion to two boys continued (and I was so over it in Her Dark Curiosity), but the final chapters left the reader with a solid ending and hope for the remaining characters.

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      This qualifies as book 13 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 1 Comment | Tagged books, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, genre: mystery, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, mini review, review, rock my TBR
    • Anthology Review [1]: Middle Grade

      Posted at 4:55 am by Laura, on November 5, 2016

      What better way to expose yourself to other writers than to read anthologies? Anthology Review is an effort to read the anthologies in my personal library while also reading snippets of new-to-me authors’ writing.

      This month’s topic: Middle Grade

      27154693Mystery & Mayhem edited by Katherine Woodfine

      Publisher: Egmont UK
      Published: May 2016
      Genre: middle grade, mystery
      ISBN: 9781405282642
      *Rating: 
      ★★★.14

      Twelve mysteries. Twelve authors. One challenge: can YOU solve the crimes before the heroes of the stories?

      These are twelve brand-new short stories from twelve of the best children’s crime writers writing today.

      These creepy, hilarious, brain-boggling, heart-pounding mysteries feature daring, brilliant young detectives, and this anthology is a must for fans of crime fiction and detection.

      Read 7/12 stories, with six of those receiving 3 stars or more. DNF’d 5/12 stories.

      Previously Read Authors: Robin Stevens, Katherine Woodfine, and Frances Hardinge

      Frances Hardinge’s poison mystery was very Dickensian in nature, featuring a grimy, foggy London, the street urchins lingering near the docks, and the death of a sketch artist/painter. She writes Victorian England so well, you could easily imagine yourself reading a novel written by a Victorian author, not a modern one! She’s a classic, and so is her short story.

      Katherine Woodfine shared a mystery from the point of view of one of her primary characters in the Clockwork Sparrow series, and it was such jolly good fun (*wink*) to go on a quick adventure with them. My familiarity with her characters certainly assisted in my enjoyment of the short story.

      Robin Stevens surprised me — in a good way! — but not taking this opportunity to share a mystery from one of her primary characters in the Murder Most Unladylike series. Instead, she wrote from a new character’s perspective and masterfully dropped little clues here and there, ones that are barely discernable unless you’re a natural observer and perfect young detective in the making. I liked seeing her use her skills with different characters and settings.

      New-to-Me Authors I Should Read More: Elen Caldecott, Harriet Whitehorn, Susie Day

      Elen Caldecott’s characters came from her Marsh Road series, and I’m convinced I’ll like that series just from this little glimpse of the characters. Though the mystery felt like an afterthought, the characters were fun and I loved the atmosphere!

      Harriet Whitehorn’s story felt a little rushed (expected for a short story!), but I thoroughly enjoyed how Christie-like it felt. I’m eager to read more by her and see how she develops her stories to a novel-length format.

      I really enjoyed Susie Day’s voice, and how observant the main character was. Though I think I needed to know a bit of French to catch on to the clues, it was such a quick, enjoyable read I nearly devoured it. More from Day, please!

      ~

      Have you read this anthology? Have you read another anthology in this genre or category that you’d recommend?

      ~

      *ratings are based on the average rating per rated short story

      Posted in books, Reviews 2016, Rock My TBR | 0 Comments | Tagged anthology, book review, genre: middle grade, genre: mystery, review
    • Book Review: “Ghostly Echoes” by William Ritter (ARC)

      Posted at 5:20 am by Laura, on August 19, 2016

      28110857Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter 

      Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
      Publishing Date: August 23
      Genre: young adult, fantasy, historical fiction, gothic
      ISBN: 9781616205799
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

      Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

      Jenny and Abigail are working on a decade-old murder case that, after recent events, is more urgent than ever to solve. The hitch? It’s Jenny’s case on her death, and she is having trouble accessing her memories. Just as Jackaby is about to call off their efforts, another gruesome, eerily familiar murder hits New Fiddleham. Abigail, Jenny, and Jackaby race against time, science, and mythology to solve the two seemingly-intertwined cases before it’s too late.

      This is quite possibly the most heart-pounding book in the series yet. Jenny takes the center stage in this novel, just as Abigail did the last. Her case connects to multiple murders thanks to the Moriarty figure from the previous books. And, since she’s ghost and has not passed on to the other side, the characters are thrust into a different kind of mythology: the after life (complete with Charon and everything!).

      My favorite part about this book is that it also relies heavily on science, revolution, and the industrial age. When Jenny was alive, her fiance was an inventor, a creator, a fascinated scientist eager to thrust New Fiddleham into the new age. He was recruited and befriended by like-minded individuals, all who met their untimely deaths as well. Fantasy and science collide, and a touch of insanity drives Abigail, Jackaby, and Jenny to the brink.

      I’m eager for the fourth book, which will no doubt cover Jackaby’s personal and mysterious history. Once again, Ritter delivers an excellent installment to a series, one that links the previous mysteries to the current one, with the current mystery adding a whole new layer to what will be a promising and explosive conclusion. I am so happy I fell in love with this Whovian, Sherlockian, genre-bending series! It’s so unique and thrilling to read.

      Thank you, Algonquin, for providing this book at BEA for review!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, review
    • Book Review: “The Lie Tree” by Francis Hardinge

      Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on July 11, 2016

      26118377The Lie Tree by Francis Hardinge

      Publisher: Amulet
      Published: April 2016

      Genre: young adult/adult, gothic, historical fiction
      ISBN: 9781419718953
      Rating: 
      ★★★★★

      Faith Sunderly leads a double life. To most people, she is modest and well mannered—a proper young lady who knows her place. But inside, Faith is burning with questions and curiosity. She keeps sharp watch of her surroundings and, therefore, knows secrets no one suspects her of knowing—like the real reason her family fled Kent to the close-knit island of Vane. And that her father’s death was no accident.

      In pursuit of revenge and justice for the father she idolizes, Faith hunts through his possessions, where she discovers a strange tree. A tree that only bears fruit when she whispers a lie to it. The fruit, in turn, delivers a hidden truth. The tree might hold the key to her father’s murder. Or, it might lure the murderer directly to Faith herself, for lies—like fires, wild and crackling—quickly take on a life of their own.

      Faith’s family was once a respectable family in Kent, thanks to her father’s station as a reverend and natural philosopher. But when his discovery at a dig receives criticism, and jeopardizes how humans place themselves relative to other creatures on the planet, the family flees for the remote island of Vane, where gossip, unfortunately, spreads like wildfire. Soon Faith’s father is found dead, and while the island is prepared to call it a suicide, Faith is certain it’s murder. Only one of his specimens, a tree that produces fruit of truth when told dark lies, holds the secret to uncovering a twisted plot; the bigger the lie, the greater the truth.

      Holy hell. When this book received the Costa award in the UK, I knew it was something I had to pick up. It sounds unique, dark, chilling, a perfect crossover. And it is. It’s everything and more.

      I’ve been holding back on writing a review for the book because it’s so hard to describe. It’s difficult to put to words how perfect it is. The Lie Tree is more than a story about a girl avenging her father’s murder by using a fantastical tree. In fact, this book meant so much to me as a reader that my rusty, cobwebbed academic wheels began to spin. If you need a thought-provoking book for discussion, this is it.

      Beware. This “review” is essentially my 2014 graduate thesis in a nutshell. Are you ready for a novel?

      …Here we go!

      First, this is proper gothic literature. The muffled, dark atmosphere — a never-ending sense of foreboding, a constant feeling that one is being watched, hair-raising, spine-chilling — is all you need to develop the urgency in Faith’s quest, to really paint the unstable time in history and fluctuating dynamics of the household. While there’s a death, a creepy plant, and some bumps in the night, this isn’t blood and gore. This is proper horror, proper suspense, proper uncanny, and thus creates proper gothic.

      *steps down from pedestal*

      Next, we have the dualities that are so common in gothic literature. Dualities in literature make us question our beliefs, our morals, our values. They make us uncomfortable, but in a safe environment (“It’s only a book”). Faith’s father is a natural philosopher, meaning he dabbles in science and he sides with Darwin in most debates, even though he’s a reverend. He’s finding a way to combine science and religion (step one in making people at the time feel uncomfortable), but there’s another level he’s decided to tamper around. While the world is discovering dinosaurs and the expanding universe, Sunderly takes Darwin’s theory of evolution — humans come from apes — and shakes the world with his own “findings.” Ultimately, what is a human? And where are we on this ladder of life? If Earth is no longer the center of the universe, and man is no longer the center of God’s attention, who are we?

      Science versus religion, man versus angel versus animal. Okay, what else on dualities?

      How about gender roles and, within the female sphere, the two types of roles a woman could take on? There are some awful, pompous men in here that unfortunately reflect too many men today. Some of the mansplaining going on…! Poor Faith had to keep her mouth shut because a girl with an equal education and understanding to that of a man in his own field of study is shocking. (To the men, at least.) She’s supposed to boost his ego by eagerly hanging on to his every word, and attempting to comprehend his thoughts, views, and lessons. But Faith knows everything these “doctors” spout. She craves more — but she’s denied access because she’s 1) female and 2) barely of age.

      There are loads of women in this book as well. On the surface they seem to hold the two major roles Victorian women took on: Angel in the House, and Fallen Woman. There’s also the Invisible Woman, one who is left behind to take care of the family. But as you dive into the village life and get to know these various women, you find they, like Faith, lead double lives. In fact, I think two of them may be a lesbian couple…

      As I somewhat hinted, there’s another duality Faith must battle: the line between girl and woman. She’s fourteen in the novel, a gray age for Victorian females because she’s paraded in front of men but not quite formally out in society. She’s given responsibilities befitting a governess, and is sometimes trusted like a colleague instead of a daughter when she’s around her father. But something she says or does triggers the adult she’s conversing with to take a step back and mention her age. “You’re not old enough yet,” in a way. Still a child given to fancies.

      And finally, the supernatural element! Every good gothic novel needs one! I especially loved this tree. It’s the Tree of Knowledge, in some sick, twisted way. Not a bright and shining tree with golden fruit befitting Eden, but a dark, slimy one, with creeping branches and a desire for wicked lies. It shrinks when light shines upon it, and every dark secret it’s told give it the opportunity to bear fruit of truth. The only way the truth can be revealed is if it’s eaten — and the consumer falls into a drugged, opium-like state (another duality: addiction/insanity versus stable/sane). Oh, but the biology of it all; it feels so real! As if this tree could exist! Is it real? Or is it fiction? Uncanny…

      I could go on. I really could. Instead, I urge you to read this book.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, review
    • Book Review: “The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow” by Katherine Woodfine

      Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on June 27, 2016

      24463265The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine

      Publisher: Egmont
      Published: June 2015
      Genre: middle grade, mystery, historical fiction
      ISBN: 9781405276177
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      You are cordially invited to attend the Grand Opening of Sinclair’s department store!

      Enter a world of bonbons, hats, perfumes and MYSTERIES around every corner. WONDER at the daring theft of the priceless CLOCKWORK SPARROW! TREMBLE as the most DASTARDLY criminals in London enact their wicked plans! GASP as our bold heroines, Miss Sophie Taylor and Miss Lilian Rose, CRACK CODES, DEVOUR ICED BUNS and vow to bring the villians to justice…

      Sophie is thrilled to start her first job at what the newspapers are calling the finest department store in London, opening in just a few more days. On the night before the grand opening, a priceless jeweled clockwork sparrow is stolen from one of the exhibition rooms, and Sophie is the last person seen in that room. With evidence piling up against her, Sophie seeks help from porter Billy and model Lil to solve the mystery.

      I adore middle grade mysteries! They’re so much fun, and English authors know just how to write enjoyable detective fiction for the young and young-at-heart. I hope the US audience will get a chance to read Woodfine’s work, because it’s such a delight!

      This felt like a mixture of the quick wit in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and the glittering eye-candy of Mr. Selfridge and The Paradise. Sophie is a sweet character and determined to do well in the department store, but she’s met with opposition everywhere she turns. She used to live in a fine home, but circumstances have brought her down to the working class. She doesn’t mind, but she wishes the other shopgirls would treat her as an equal. When it came time to defend herself, Sophie was reasonably distraught, but the majority of the legwork in the mystery-solving was conducted by Billy (who is sweet on her and loves detective comics) and mannequin (model) Lil, who is very much like Phryne Fisher in how she goes about cracking cases! Even Joe, the homeless “lost boy” trying to escape a gang (which comes into play later, of course!) has clues to share to solve the mystery.

      I cannot write a review without mentioning the setting! Sinclair’s is a beautiful and fascinating department store. Pets, food, clothes, toys, trinkets, you name it and it’s there! Department stores aren’t quite like this anymore — a full-on experience and assault to the senses. It makes the mystery even more intriguing and electrifying when a tiny but important clockwork sparrow is stolen. Of all the sparkling items and expensive china and luxurious fabrics, this sparrow is what turns the department store upside down. In the author’s note, Woodfine suggest the store is a bit like the 6-story Waterstones in Piccadilly. Having been there twice now, I’d have to say that’s exactly how I picture Sinclair’s!

      If you get the chance, you need to get your hands on this adorable MG mystery. It’s a must-have for your detective collection.

      EDIT 10:45am: Just heard from Woodfine that the book will be published in the US!

      rock.

      This book qualifies as book 8 of 12 of the “Rock My TBR” Challenge, hosted by Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler, in an effort to read more books off my overflowing TBR bookcase.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2016, Rock My TBR | 3 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, genre: mystery, review, rock my TBR
    • Book Review: “Arsenic for Tea” by Robin Stevens

      Posted at 5:05 am by Laura, on February 10, 2016

      22549636Arsenic for Tea by Robin Stevens
      Poison is Not Polite (US)

      Publisher: Corgi Children’s (UK) / Simon & Schuster (US)
      Published: January 2015 (UK) / April 26, 2016 (US)
      Genre: middle grade, mystery, historical
      ISBN: 9780552570732 (UK) / 9781481422154 (US)
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      Schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are at Daisy’s home, Fallingford, for the holidays. Daisy’s glamorous mother is throwing a tea party for Daisy’s birthday, and the whole family is invited, from eccentric Aunt Saskia to dashing Uncle Felix. But it soon becomes clear that this party isn’t really about Daisy at all. Naturally, Daisy is furious.

      Then one of their party falls seriously, mysteriously ill—and everything points to poison.

      With wild storms preventing anyone from leaving, or the police from arriving, Fallingford suddenly feels like a very dangerous place to be. Not a single person present is what they seem—and everyone has a secret or two. And when someone very close to Daisy looks suspicious, the Detective Society must do everything they can to reveal the truth… no matter the consequences.

      Hazel Wong is invited to Fallingford to spend the Easter holidays with Daisy Wells and her family. Daisy’s mother plans a birthday tea party for Daisy, but the girls know Lady Hastings is really throwing this tea for her “special guest” — one who seems to have upset the governess, Daisy’s brother’s friend, Lord Hastings, and Daisy’s favorite Uncle Felix. When the special guest quickly falls ill and dies, it’s up to Daisy and Hazel to solve the mystery before the police arrive in the middle of a wild storm, even if it means confronting nasty truths about the Wells family.

      I fell in love with the Wells & Wong Detective Agency / Murder Most Unladylike series last summer, and was thrilled to find the as-of-December-2015 completed series in Waterstones. Middle grade detective fiction is probably my favorite kind of mystery to read. They’re quick, fun, witty, and never bogged down with details. Toss in the very Conan Doyle/Christie feel to it, and you have an immediate reader in me!

      In the last book, I mentioned how well-rounded Hazel was as a character. It was easy to like her and understand her — her patience, thoughtfulness, insight. She’s governed by her emotions a bit more than Daisy is (you really can call her the Watson of the two, as Daisy herself calls Hazel Watson), but it’s her gut feelings that guide them down the right path. In this book, we see more of Daisy and understand her and all her quirks. From her silly father to her charming, intelligent uncle, her need to impress mixed with her desire to explore warring with one another when her mother enters and leaves a room, the reader (and Hazel) is able to see how Daisy became Daisy based on the people in her life.

      Not only this, but the murder happened in her house on her birthday. Which means one of the guests, likely a family member, committed the crime. Daisy is so wrapped up in the details of the case that when it finally hits her it could be a relative of hers, one she loves dearly, she cracks. Witnessing this “weakness” in her character brought me closer to these two girls. They may be little detectives solving cases like one would in a novel, but it’s all fun and games until it really hits home how dark, dangerous, and scary this can be.

      It’s hard to review a mystery book without accidentally spoiling the details of the plot! So I’ll leave you with this: Arsenic for Tea is a delightful, incredibly English detective mystery for the little Holmes or Marple in your life.

      rock

      This book qualifies as book 2 of 12 of the “Rock My TBR” Challenge, hosted by Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler, in an effort to read more books off my overflowing TBR bookcase.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2016, Rock My TBR | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, genre: mystery, review, rock my TBR
    • Book Review: “The Case of the Girl in Grey” by Jordan Stratford (ARC)

      Posted at 4:50 am by Laura, on January 12, 2016

      9780385754446_25d28The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency: The Case of the Girl in Grey by Jordan Stratford

      Publisher: Knopf BFYR
      Publishing Date: January 26
      Genre: middle grade, historical fiction, mystery
      ISBN: 9780385754446
      Goodreads: —
      Rating: 
      ★★★.5

      The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency was supposed to be a secret constabulary, but after the success of their first case, all of London knows that Lady Ada and Mary are the girls to go to if you have a problem.

      Their new case is a puzzle indeed. It involves a horrible hospital, a missing will, a hasty engagement, and a suspiciously slippery servant.

      But Mary’s stumbled onto a mystery of her own. She spotted a ghostly girl in a grey gown dashing through the park. A girl who is the spitting image of their new client.

      The two cases must be linked . . . or else there’s a perfectly supernatural explanation.

      Ada and Mary have two new detectives in their agency — their sisters — whether they like it or not. But the sisters prove to be of assistance when another case crops up, one that requires understanding the class system and social etiquette. But Mary is certain this case may be linked to an almost supernatural one she and Charles stumbled upon: a girl in grey, quite distressed, and one who seems to know a thing or two about the case the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency is working on.

      I love how Stratford manages to share bits and pieces of the true Ada and Mary (and Charles and Claire and Percy) in his mystery novels for MG readers. We know what these children and young adults become later on in life, and though there’s some fudging with the timelines, it’s all excellently written and fun.

      This case echoes another Wilkie Collins book, The Woman in White. It also has more character development for our adorable protagonists. Ada is obsessed with codes, which becomes incredibly helpful in solving this case. Mary is growing up and it appears she’s becoming chummy with Percy (*squeal*). But you can always rely on Ada to be awkward with people and for Mary to point it out and smooth over. Some things never change.

      Cute, clever, and darker than the first, this next installment of the Wollstonecraft mystery series is a bit more gothic and a tad less humorous. As I’m familiar with Woman in White, I knew within the first 30 pages which direction the book was going, but it’s still an excellent introduction to gothic for MG readers. Can’t wait for more!

      Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Knopf BFYR for review!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, genre: mystery, review
    • Book Review: “Velvet Undercover” by Teri Brown

      Posted at 4:45 am by Laura, on November 16, 2015

      24903917Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown

      Publisher: Balzer + Bray
      Published: October 20
      Genre: young adult, historical fiction, mystery
      ISBN: 9780062321275
      Goodreads: 3.71
      Rating: 
      ★★★★★

      Samantha Donaldson’s family has always done its duty for the British Crown. In the midst of World War I, seventeen-year-old Sam follows in their footsteps, serving her country from the homefront as a messenger for the intelligence organization MI5. After her father disappears on a diplomatic mission, she continues their studies of languages, mathematics, and complex puzzles, hoping to make him proud.

      When Sam is asked to join the famed women’s spy group La Dame Blanche, she’s torn—while this could be an unbelievable adventure, how can she abandon her mother, who has already lost a husband? But when her handlers reveal shocking news, Sam realizes she can’t refuse the exciting and dangerous opportunity.

      Her acceptance leads her straight into the heart of enemy territory on a mission to extract the most valuable British spy embedded in Germany, known only as Velvet. Deep undercover in the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Sam must navigate the labyrinthine palace and its many glamorous—and secretive—residents to complete her assignment. In a place where personal politics are treacherously entangled in wartime policy, can Sam find Velvet before it’s too late?

      Samantha is a knack for languages and mathematics, skills her father taught her ever since she was a little girl. She is approached after a competition by a member of MI5, and offered a position within a secret women’s spy group La Dame Blanche. With her intelligence and skill set, she could be an asset to her country in this endless war. But once Samantha reaches Berlin and is immersed in the kaiser’s court to find and rescue another agent under the codename Velvet, she realizes there are more conspiracies, lies, and hidden agendas than she could ever comprehend.

      Safety of any kind is just an illusion.

      My mind is blown. Samantha Donaldson is a wonderful character to narrate this intense journey. She’s intelligent and quick, similar to Hermione Granger, but she has a sense of warmth and empathy that reminded me so much of Gretchen in Anne Blankman’s Prisoner of Night and Fog. There are several layers and threads and plots in this book, and Samantha’s wicked-fast brain is able to see the evidence before her and tries to bring the clues together like solving a code. Her moments of weakness as a spy are quickly realized — and I was very grateful to see that she did slip as often as she did (we’re only human! And she’s only seventeen!) — and her strengths create heart-pounding scenes and urgently move the plot along. She’s the star of the novel through and through and kept me on the edge of my seat!

      “…people are human beings no matter where they’re from.”

      WWI — its purpose, its beginnings, the endless years, the advancements in warfare technology, and everything that comes with spying at the turn of the century — was an absolutely perfect and frightening setting for this. The future of the world felt palpable as well, with the distrust of the Germans and the rocky foundation of figuring out whom to confide when news begins to travel so quickly. If I were a teacher, I could easily create a whole lesson around Velvet Undercover (WWI); Prisoner of Night and Fog and Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Germany 1930s); Book Thief, Code Name Verity, and Between Shades of Gray (WWII); and The Boy on the Bridge (Cold War).

      I feel as if I’m losing who I really am. 

      Imagine being a spy! You could be caught at any moment, tortured and/or put to death instantly. You could find your information rather quickly (in which case, is that good or bad? Is it valid?) or it could take ages and require an immense acting stamina. How do you know the people you’re informing are telling you the truth, that they’re on your side? Or, on the other hand, how do you know the people you’re obtaining information from is on your side? Who is an innocent civilian versus another spy? The blending of information and personalities takes a toll on Samantha, and watching her come apart at the seams (much like Cassie did in Tana French’s The Likeness as an undercover cop) can only give us a glimpse into the true horrors of that position.

      You must read this book.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
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    • Hello, I’m Laura!

      I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!
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