I was interested to read a book in this Todd series about Bess Crawford as I had enjoyed one of his Ian Rutledge books. A Bitter Truth had good historical detail, a likeable main character in Bess and a fun romance. The mystery part was a bit contrived and I think Todd's mysteries are more for historical fiction buffs and readers who like rather tame mysteries.

I looked forward to reading this book as I am a big fan of psychological thrillers. This is the story of Beatrice who cannot believe her sister Tess has committed suicide even though that is the police finding. Beatrice decides to investigate. The story kept you guessing "who done it" until the end and was well written, if a bit unbelievable in spots. I would definitely read another book by this author.

I love foreign mysteries and have read several Japanese ones so I was anxious to review this one. It did not disappoint. Very Hitchcockian in the way you saw what was coming and slowly but surely your worst fears were realized. The book was a great example of unwavering devotion going too far! The characters' names get a bit hard to keep straight but definitely worth the effort.

As a mystery reader and history major, I enjoyed this book, especially the references to WWI which had ended shortly before the story takes place. A series of men are murdered and the question is whether their murders have to do with the war in which they all served. This book is evidently part of an Ian Rutledge (the detective) series and I think I would have enjoyed this book much more if I had first read other books featuring him. However, one does not have to have read the series, and the novel is well written and will be enjoyed by many.

This was a delightful book set in Nigeria during present time. However, the story was one that could take place any time in any polygamous culture which had me reminding myself when and where it was set. The story is told from the viewpoint of Baba Segi (the man) and each of his 4 wives. They all have secrets and much depth to their characters. I really enjoyed learning about the polygamous culture and Nigeria. The story was very well told and once you can keep the names straight (!) it was a fun, often humorous, sometimes bittersweet, read.

The book begins with Jody discovering that her parents' murderer is being released after 27 years from prison to receive a new trial because of the police withholding crucial evidence at the trial. The book immediately goes back to the past and relates the story up to the present. The mystery is intriguing and the descriptions of Kansas are very real. The ending is a little pat but very satisfying.

I was interested in the setting and subject of this book being North Carolina and part of the Great Smoky Mountains where I live. I learned a bunch about logging and the problems that came with the development of national parks. That said, the characterization part of the book could have been much better. The story lines were interesting (perfect power couple, poor illegitimate mother, etc.) but there was never much of an explanation of why the people were the way they were. Serena and her husband were 2 of the most evil characters I have ever read about, but I never got a glimpse of what made them that way. As a result, I found them somewhat unbelievable. The book was interesting but could have been great with maybe less history and more character development.

I was excited about reviewing this book because, being a baseball mystery, I thought boys in the high school where I teach might enjoy it. The mystery had lots of baseball information especially about the Boston Red Sox and the Green Monster which is a big green wall in the Boston outfield. I love sports and that part was good along with an ok mystery. Unfortunately, the book was filled with gratuitous sex which, for me, only made it difficult for me to get through. I felt the author was showing off his manhood or something and just throwing all the hook-ups in to be "manly"?! What the offensiveness did was make this book unsuitable for all but some men who are real Red Sox fans.

How To Build a House is a great book. Though I haven't gone through everything the main character, Harper, has I still found myself relating to her in so many aspects of of life. I'm 15 and I can definitely relate to this book. Just the way Harper regards everything around her and how she is hesitant to let people see who she really is makes me feel like I'm not alone, that there is always someone everyone can relate to. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a place to belong.

Resistance was a beautifully written book which, while correctly called a historical novel, was also a novel of great suspense as enormous tension builds throughout the story. Set in a remote Welsh valley during WWII, Resistance is the story of five women left on their own by their husbands. A group of five German soldiers appear in the valley looking for a lost treasure and slowly build relationships with the five women who begin to see the men as men and sons and friends rather than as the enemy. Enjoy!