Blue Moon Mystery Saloon

Lady Rights a Wrong

A Manor Cat Mystery-Book 2, by Eliza Casey, Berkley/Penguin Publishing Group, June 2020

* An e-galley was provided by Berkley/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for an honest review.

Lady Rights a Wrong by Eliza Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You know when you start reading a book and you can tell what the overall mood of the story will be? I felt it almost from the first page of LADY RIGHTS A WRONG, by Eliza Casey – an overall sense of sadness. Oh, it was a fairly decent mystery, but I found very little levity or joy in it.

The main protagonist, Lady Cecilia, is a privileged young woman living in 1912 England who wants something more with her life than being a wife to the local cleric (whom her mother keeps promoting), no matter how good looking and kind he is. Thus her interest in solving murders with Jane, her sometimes personal maid and always friend. Being interested in the suffragette movement, they are excited when a proponent of women's voting rights holds a meeting in the nearby village. Unfortunately, the meeting's speaker, Mrs. Price, ends up dead, and Lady Cecilia and Jane begin to solve the murder.

The main characters lack any special characteristics to make them more interesting, and the story is short on tension. However, I like the use of the suffragette movement and one of its leaders as the victim, including the information on how suffragettes were treated poorly and frequently ignored or heckled.

Loads of books are set in the Regency and Victorian periods, but few are set in the early 20th century, in this case 1912. So that's a plus. But the story would be more enriching if the author had included a little more context: descriptions of the cars, what people wore, the picturesque (?) landscape, and more details of the village and its residents. I'm not a huge fan of over description, but a little extra info to help the reader imagine the 1912 setting would be nice.

All in all, the basic writing is good, Lady Cecilia and Jane's sleuthing activities are done fairly well, and it's not too easy to decide who the murderer is. I've not read the first book in the series, but Casey does a good job of referring to that murder and the amateur sleuths role in solving it. But the sad feel of the book, the almost non-existing tension, and the inability of the author to draw me into the era results in a 3.5 rating.

If You Like This, You Might Like:
LADY TAKES THE CASE by Eliza Casey, HIGH SOCIETY LADY DETECTIVE SERIES by Sara Rosett, THE 1920s HISTORICAL COZY MYSTERY SERIES by Sonia Parin, ROYAL SPYNESS MYSTERIES by Rhys Bowen, MILLINER MYSTERIES by Kate Parker, MISS ALICE MURDER MYSTERIES by Blythe Baker

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Windswept

A Novel by Sabrina Jeffries (writing as Deborah Martin), Pocket Books, February 2017.

* An e-galley was provided by Pocket Books & Edelweiss for an honest review.

 

Windswept by Deborah Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the book's beginning, Sabrina Jeffries tells readers she wrote WINDSWEPT (originally published in 1996) under the name Deborah Martin near the beginning of her career. With this edition, she revised the story to make it more appealing to today's romance audience. She "heightened the drama, enriched the storyline, tightened the dialogue, and stoked" the sexual tension between the two main characters. And I believe she succeeded. It's an enchanting romance and an absorbing mystery that addresses the themes of abuse, loneliness, and love.

The heroine, Catrin Price, has denied herself a loving relationship after her husband was killed on their wedding day. She believes her family is cursed from a spell cast by an ancestor causing the death of her descendents' husbands within three years of marriage. Catrin refuses to be the instrument of death for anyone else and has resigned herself to a life without another husband or any children. She spends her days studying Welsh myths and legends, overseeing her property, and helping her tenants and friends.

The hero, Evan Newsome, has also denied himself a chance to find love after he almost killed an innocent person in a jealous rage, for which his fiancee broke their engagement. His father, a tenant farmer, emotionally and physically abused his family, and Evan truly believes he follows in his father's footsteps. But he's worked hard to better himself, thanks to the help of Rhys and Juliana Vaughan, the owners of the farm his father tended. They recognized Evan's intellect, took him in and sent him to the best schools, treating him as one of their own. Evan is now a noted scholar and tutor at Cambridge and feels he can never pay back the debt he owes them.

Catrin and Evan meet when he tries to discover who killed his best friend. Evan knows that someone calling herself the Lady of the Mist offered to buy an ancient Druid cup his friend owned, so he's followed that trail. When he discovers the woman is Catrin, he misrepresents himself as needing information on a book he's writing. She knows of the genius Evan Newsome, who speaks multiple languages, has essays published in prestigious journals and has written on the beauty of Welsh verse. So she falls for his lies. As Evan gets to know her, he begins to doubt that she is a murderer. Their attraction is strong, and though Catrin knows she can never remarry, she opens up to him, trusting him more each day.

Pros: 1. Catrin and Evan are extremely likable, believable characters with strong moral beliefs and depth of personality. Like real people, they have faults and issues to overcome, but they are primarily caring and supportive individuals who try to do the right thing. 2. I like that it's a romance based in Wales. Along with Ireland, I think Wales is woefully underrepresented in historical romances today. 3. It's a well-written romantic mystery that is interesting and unique. 4. Vivid descriptions pulled me into the story and kept me enthralled until the very end. 5. Supernatural elements are lightly woven throughout the book with a successful conclusion.

Cons: The story had to end.

Overall: WINDSWEPT is a fast-paced romance with a unique storyline and well-developed main and secondary characters. I truly enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who loves their romance with a hint of mystery.

If You Like This, You Might Like: THE SINFUL SUITORS SERIES and THE HELLIONS OF HALSTEAD HALL SERIES by Sabrina Jeffries, SCANDALOUS GENTLEMEN OF ST. JAMES SERIES and HELLIONS OF HAVISHAM SERIES by Lorraine Heath, MAIDEN LANE SERIES by Elizabeth Hoyt, THE HEART OF A DUKE SERIES by Christi Caldwell

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The Dressmaker's Dowry

^{A Novel by Meredith Jaeger, William Morrow/HarpersCollins, February 2017.}

** An e-galley was provided by William Morrow/HarperCollins and Edelweiss for an honest review.

 

The Dressmaker's Dowry by Meredith Jaeger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

THE DRESSMAKER'S DOWRY, by Meredith Jaeger, is an appealing and unique story of love, survival, and secrets. Set in San Francisco, it alternates between modern times and 1876.

The story begins in the present day and is told in first person, past tense. Sarah Havensworth is a grad student trying to write a novel for her MFA thesis. She's stuck with her story about life in the late 19th century's Barbary Coast and hasn't written anything in several weeks. Not only does she feel like a fraud because she can't finish her book, she's reluctant to let her husband Hunter Havensworth know. He's from a wealthy San Francisco family and has been her greatest supporter, both monetarily and emotionally, while she's been writing. They've been drifting apart, and she's afraid he'll think she's a big disappointment.

While researching her novel, Sarah discovers an article in an 1876 local newspaper referring to the disappearance of two dressmakers. The story intrigues Sarah because a serial killer was in the area at the same time, and she wonders if there's any way to tell if the dressmakers were his victims. So she abandons her soulless novel to write the more compelling dressmakers' story. This portion is set in 1876 and told in the third person, past tense by Hannelore "Hanna" Schaeffer. She's an immigrant from Bavaria, speaks German and English fluently, and is the oldest of four children of a fat, alcoholic, and abusive father. He takes the money she makes from her dressmaking job to drink and eat at taverns, while she and the other children barely scrape by. She and her Irish immigrant friend, Margaret O'Brien, spend long hours sewing for an unpleasant woman and her wealthy customers. One night Margaret is supposed to watch Hanna's siblings but never arrives. Hanna vows to find Margaret and enlists her friend, real estate mogul Lucas Havensworth, to help her.

Both Sarah and Hanna are survivors. They've lived through horrible situations and experienced bullying, deprivation and self-doubt. Though they each find love, they feel they don't deserve it and try to distance themselves from their partners. Sarah and Hanna have secrets too. Deep ones, that if discovered, could make their lives miserable.

As a history and preservation professional, I'm drawn to the research Sarah conducts to gather information for her story. The author uses this info to capture the disparity in living conditions between the wealthy citizens of late 19th century San Francisco and the poor immigrant populations living in unsafe and squalid areas of the city. And her portrayal of how the upper classes treated the other levels of society is reflected in both Sara's time and in 1876.

Pros: The story is definitely unique and well thought out. The plot and subplots interweave fairly well, and the characters are multidimensional and extremely interesting.

Cons: The novel could have been shorter--some passages are a little too long without adding to the story. In many places, the length of the sentences are similar, resulting in a somewhat stilted reading rhythm.

Final Thoughts: THE DRESSMAKER'S DOWRY is a good book for readers who like mysteries and character-driven stories and for people who like a bit of history sprinkled through their fiction. Though it's in the contemporary women genre, it's something I would have wanted to read even in the fifth grade (when I read GONE WITH THE WIND), so it's suitable for teenagers too..

If You Like This, You Might Like: THE LIFE SHE WAS GIVEN and WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND by Ellen Marie Wiseman, INTO THE WATER by Paula Hawkins, HER EVERY FEAR by Peter Swanson, THE ISLAND HOUSE by Nancy Thayer, INHERITING EDITH by Zoe Fishman

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The Cat, The Devil, The Last Escape

A Novel by Shirley Rousseau Murphy and Pat J.J. Murphy, HarperCollins/William Morrow, Feb 2015.

* An ARC was provided by HarperCollins/William Morrow and Edelweiss for an honest review.

THE CAT, THE DEVIL, THE LAST ESCAPE is not a light-hearted read, nor is it a hard thriller. It is a good, somewhat serious mystery set after WWII involving small-time crook & former train robber, Lee Fontana, and a young father falsely accused of murder and bank robbery, Morgan Blake. The 60-ish Lee helps Morgan adapt to life in prison. They eventually hatch a plan to find the man who set up Morgan and bring him to justice. Though something dark and twisted follows both of the men, their morality and strength of soul fortify them against the devil and his minions.

Morgan's nine-year-old daughter Sammie is another major character in the book. She sees the future in her dreams and is targeted by the devil for this gift. She and Lee have a strong link through the ghost cat, Misto. Although the two humans live across the country from one another, Misto appears and comforts Lee and Sammie whenever they are sad or worried. They share another crucial link which is revealed as the story progresses.

Scattered throughout the book are wonderful tidbits about life in the mid-1900s: how people traveled the country, what the penal system was like, aspects of the early years of flight, how people coped during and after the war. The authors' use of these historical facts help ground the story in its time and place.

However, there are a few things keeping me from giving the book five stars. The various points of view (sometimes within the same chapter) might be hard for some readers to follow. Usually it is fairly easy to understand whose side of the story is being told, but there are a couple of scenes where I had to reread a passage to determine the correct point of view. Another issue is how the first chapter is written. It's a long narrative where Misto relates his backstory with Lee and brings the reader up to date on Lee's criminal history. It seems like a dump of information that could have served better sprinkled throughout the book.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good Columbo mystery, where it isn't about discovering who did the crime, but about how the real criminal is known, eventually reveals his part in the crime, and is finally brought to justice. It also might appeal to readers who enjoy stories set in the mid-1900s and who like a bit of paranormal mixed in with their mysteries.

If You Like This, You May Also Like: JOE GREY MYSTERIES by Shirley Rousseau Murphy,MIDNIGHT LOUIE MYSTERIESby Carole Nelson Douglas,MRS. MURPHY MYSTERIESby Rita Mae Brown,MAGICAL CATS MYSTERIES by Sofie Kelly,WHALES AND TAILS MYSTERIESby Kathi Daley,CATS IN TROUBLE MYSTERIESby Leann Sweeney,BLACK CAT BOOKSHOP MYSTERIESby Ali Brandon,CATS IN THE STACKS MYSTERIES by Miranda James, CATS AND CURIOS MYSTERIES by Rebecca M. Hale

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The Monogram Murders

The New Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah, Wm Morrow/HarperCollins, September 2014.

* A copy was provided by the the publisher and Edelweiss for an honest review.

Sophie Hannah's new novel, THE MONOGRAM MURDERS, follows the famous Belgium detective, Hercule Poirot, as he tries to uncover the mystery surrounding the death of three guests at a London hotel and  the possible death of a young woman he encounters in a coffeehouse. Through various twists and turns, and several red herrings, Poirot sifts through the clues and gleans the truth about what happened.

The author fully captures Poirot's OCD habits and his mode of speech. I can picture David Suchet's Poirot smiling condescendingly at some fool, wincing at a scattered placesetting or a maid dropping his hat, and spelling out the truth of what happened to the gathered group of suspects.

However, the tone of the story seems more current than the original Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie. This is not necessarily a bad thing, unless the reader is a devoted Christie fan. The story is told from a different point of view than the original stories were. The new narrator, Scotland Yard's Edward Catchpool, is thirty-two and introduces himself as a policeman friend of Poirot's. They meet when Poirot stays in the same London boardinghouse as Catchpool, about six weeks before the events in the book. Catchpool is a touch insecure and feels everyone will soon catch on that he's not the best policeman out there. He is an acceptable narrator, though.

I prefer to base this review on the book itself and not on how it does or does not read like Agatha Christie wrote it. With that in mind, I think this is a fairly entertaining novel that has enough clues and suspects to make it an enjoyable story for people who love mysteries. With the good balance of dialogue and description, the interesting and unusual mystery, and a story that flows along nicely, this novel could bring in some new readers of Agatha Christie's stories.

 

His Bonnie Bride

Highland Brides Series (#1) by Hannah Howell, reprinted by Zebra Books, 2012. 

** BEWARE: Because of the sex scenes and a bit of gruesome violence, I recommend HIS BONNIE BRIDE for readers aged 18 years and above.**

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been in a Highlander romance kick recently and stumbled on HIS BONNIE BRIDE (republished by Zebra Books, 2012) during an ebook sale over Thanksgiving. I was just looking for something light to read while I traveled in the car for 11 hours, and this ebook looked like the perfect escape.

Previously published in 1988 under the title AMBER FLAME, HIS BONNIE BRIDE is the first book in Hannah Howell's HIGHLAND BRIDES SERIES and for me a solid 4 star read. Set in the 14th century, it tells the story of Storm Eldon, a feisty, independent and witty English border woman, and Tavis MacLagan, the confident, good-looking heir of the Scottish castle Caraidland. Their families are enemies and have been stealing cattle, horses and other property from each other for generations. It's at the end of one of these border thefts that Tavis and his brothers save Storm from being raped by one of her stepmother's lovers. The men strip the attacker, strap him to his horse, and send him back to the Eldon stronghold in shame. Once they determine that Storm's father, brothers and male cousins aren't around to protect her from further harm by the man, Tavis decides to put her on his horse and head back to Caraidland. He wants to seduce Storm but waits until his clan has heard whether or not her ransom will be paid. All of Storm's adult male relatives are in another country fighting, leaving her stepmother in charge of the Eldon stronghold. She is a spoiled woman, who kills whenever she wants and spends as much money as the Eldon clan can raise. Storm's future with Tavis is set when her stepmother refuses to pay the ransom, and Tavis begins his seduction of Storm in earnest.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book with all its parallel storylines and interesting characters, particularly since there's something for every taste. A murder plot; a kinky, lusty, evil stepmother; rugged, handsome highlanders; a strong heroine; sensual romance; battles and altercations; secret goings-on; and, some laugh-out-loud humor. I read the whole book in sort of one sitting (not too difficult on an 11-hour car ride) and was glad I discovered this story. It turned out to be just the thing I needed to turn a long trip into a fairly pleasant ride.

* The second book in the series is HIGHLAND WEDDING, also reprinted in 2012.

If You Like This Book, You May Like -- Other Highlander series by Hannah Howell, Highland Adventure Series by Vonda Sinclair, Stolen Bride Series by Eliza Knight, Hot Highlanders Books by Mary Wine, Bad Boys of the Highlands Series by Victoria Roberts.

 

Mrs. Poe

A novel by Lynn Cullen, Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books, October 2013. 

* An ARC was provided by Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books and Edelweiss for an honest review.

 MRS. POE  by Lynn Cullen is a fictional account of the rumored adulterous relationship between Frances (Fanny) Sargent Osgood and Edgar Allan Poe. The story begins in February 1845 in New York City. Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" has just been published to much public interest and acclaim, and Fanny is trying to eke out a living as a poet and writer of children's stories.

While Fanny's husband is away having an affair, she and her two girls live with her good friend, Eliza Bartlett, and her husband, bookseller Russell Bartlett. It is through them that Fanny receives an invitation to hear Mr. Poe speak at a literary evening hosted by Anne Lynch. A large cast of famous characters intermingle at these soirees, including Walt Whitman, Mathew Brady, John Audubon, and Horace Greeley, and it is here where Fanny and Poe first meet.

Fanny is offered a large advance for a sensationalized story about Mr. Poe and his wife. Poe only agrees to an article about his work and then uses the interview as a way to see Fanny. Poe further seeks out Fanny to extend invitations from Mrs. Poe to join them at home, at the theatre, or for other outings. The story highlights their infrequent encounters, and the book ends after their last conversation in Winter 1847.

It is obvious the author did extensive research to interweave historical events and people throughout the story in order to create a believable background for the Osgood/Poe affair. So I would definitely suggest MRS.POE to readers who want to know more about New York City in the late 1840's. But I felt the presentation of the Osgood/Poe relationship was weak and somewhat dull and the overall story fairly flat.

Would I mention the book to Edgar Allan Poe fans? Probably. Would I read it again? Probably not.

 

Death of a Dowager

The Jane Eyre Chronicles, by Joanna Campbell Slan, Berkley Prime Crime, April 2013.

*This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. Slan has crafted a delightful and interesting follow-up to her widely acclaimed mystery, Death of a Schoolgirl.

Death of a Dowager is set in May 1821, a few months prior to the coronation of King George IV. Jane, her beloved husband Edward, their son Ned, and Edward's ward Adele are staying in the London townhouse of their friend Lucy Brayton while their manor in Yorkshire is undergoing major repairs. Lucy is thrilled to have the Rochesters visiting and wants Jane to experience some of the delights of high society. While at a major ton event, Lady Ingram and her daughters, who are Yorkshire neighbors of the Rochesters, haughtily snub Lucy and Jane in front of a large group of the ton. This slight can affect Lucy's good standing in high society, and she is devastated. The Ingrams continue to be rude to Jane and Lucy, despite interference run by Lucy's great friend, Lady Grainger, who unfortunately is related to the Ingrams.

Jane also possesses a letter that, if released, could cause damage to the king. If the note winds up in the wrong hands, major protests and widespread havoc could break out among the country's populace, many of whom starve while the king spends a fortune on his coronation. The king, his mistress and even the note's original recipient try to obtain the letter by threatening the health and/or social standing of Jane's family and friends. But Jane maintains her objectivity and resilience while avoiding the manipulative attacks thrown her way.

Death of a Dowager is written in a style similar to that of Charlotte Bronte, the author of Jane Eyre, and to other authors from that era. Once I read through the first chapter, I felt comfortable with the different writing style and found the story easy to follow and very entertaining.

The major plots and subplots are believable, and Slan does a great job at weaving them together. She is masterful at infusing her Jane Eyre mysteries with the real social and political conditions of the time. Her detailed research shines throughout the book, highlighting real events of the day along with daily life in industrial London. She even has her characters talk about and apply various advancements in medicine and technology that were used in the 1820's. My favorite descriptions were those about the disgusting street smells and the intermixed odors of perfume, bodies and flowers at the opera house.

I thoroughly enjoyed Death of a Dowager and didn't put the book down, even to make dinner. It was easy to read, filled with appropriate clues, and contained interesting tidbits about British history. If you're looking for a good mystery or historical novel, you can't go wrong with Death of a Dowager.