I loved this book! It is the ninth Insp. Gamache mystery, and will be most enjoyed by regular readers. However, it is an excellent novel and could be enjoyed by first time readers. The characters are vivid and the setting memorable. Much of the novel takes place in the village of Three Pines near Montreal, a place where no electronic signals can penetrate, no cell phones, no computers. It represents the idyllic past, without intrusion from the modern world. The mystery seems to involve legendary quintuplets, but this is just a part. A complex plot against Gamache comes to fruition, as does his defense against it, with surprising allies. The outcome of this story shows that, as Penny says "Goodness exists."

In AN UNMARKED GRAVE, the fourth in his series featuring Bess Crawford, Charles Todd presents an unexplained death among all the wartime dead. When Bess finds a body that doesn't belong with the others, and of a family friend, no less, she tries to find his murderer. First, she must overcome an attack of the Spanish flu that keeps her from following up until the body is interred in an unmarked grave. Using her father's military connections, and the help of an American patient, she tries to continue her nursing duties while detecting. The American patient introduces a possible romantic interest for future stories. Bess evades her own murder while resolving her case after several false starts. This is a strong entry in the series and encourages one to keep reading.

In Charles Todd's 13th Ian Rutledge mystery, once again the puzzle seems to lead back to the war. I always enjoy these adventures and learn something new about the time or the war. Several young men have been killed in Eastfield near Hastings and the Yard is called in to avoid any favoritism. Rutledge still has strained relations with his superiors at the Yard, even leading to his being arrested for murder. This puzzle leads to a conclusion which goes beyond the war and has many deaths along the way. As in all previous books in the series, the voice of Hamish guides and chides Rutledge. And this story suggests a romantic interest for him, only to move it seemingly beyond his reach. Once again, Todd holds readers' interest with new developments and compelling twists as Rutledge works toward a conclusion. The scene was well set and the characters believable, but there seemed to me excessive violence for the motivation revealed.

Octavia Frost turns in her latest novel, in which she rewrites endings of earlier novels, on the day that she learns her son Milo has been arrested for murder. How she examines their relationship and her possible responsibility for his situation comprises THE NOBODIES ALBUM. There are many mysteries to be solved, not least of which is Milo's guilt or innocence. Alternating between the rewritten endings and the current situation, this well-written novel held this reader's interest throughout. What really happened to her husband and daughter? Is Milo guilty? Will Octavia write a new ending to her life? We come to care about the characters Parkhurst has created and hope for a happier future for them.

Having read most of Carol Goodman's novels, I looked forward to Arcadia Falls. It resembles her other novels in its setting in upstate New York in the closed society of a remote boarding school. The writing is beautiful and incorporates classical references. Meg Rosenthal and her daughter relocate there after being left almost destitute by her husband's death. The setting is beautifully described, but the atmosphere is sinister. The menace is encouraged by the Pagan ceremonies the school celebrates, the strange behavior of some students, and by the unsolved deaths associated with the school.

The story holds one's interest and incorporates fairy tales, some written by one of the school's founders. I found this thread interesting since I have done some research on fairy tale motifs in fiction. The love interest is not believably developed, but seems inevitable.

Meg attempts to solve the mysteries associated with the school while improving her relationship with her daughter, which presents more problems than the former. In the end, all secrets and relationships are revealed, some rather hurriedly.

A good read, but not her best.

From its striking opening scene during the Christmas Truce of 1914, Gifts of War follows the fortunes of 23-year-old Henry Montgomery. Wounded and sent home, Hal contacts the fiancee of the German officer he met, but falls in love with her himself. How that relationship progresses and Hal's career in Intelligence present the main narrative lines. There is good pacing of action, and suspense is maintained by questions about a developing relationship based in part on deceit. A different perspective of the war is shown through the working of the Intelligence Department. The characters are well realized, and the ending unpredictable. Involves the reader both intellectually and emotionally.

In her 10th legal thriller, Linda Fairstein relies on New York City history, legal issues, and forensic details to hold the reader's interest. Alex Cooper is winding up an old rape case solved by DNA evidence when she learns of a body in an abandoned building. Investigating with sidekicks Mike and Mercer, she soon learns of a second body and begins to develop a profile of the killer. While exploring possible motives they also explore several islands in the harbor, and the reader learns of their history. New information leads to a third body and a race against time to prevent a fourth.

Readers who have read earlier books in the series will enjoy the familiar characters, and the development or a possible romance for Alex. We learn more about the legal system and the location. All of these combine to be a most rewarding read.

World War I has been over for more than ten years, but its events still cause repercussions for Maisie Dobbs in An Incomplete Revenge, the fifth adventure of the unconventional investigator. Investigating suspicious property crimes, Maisie asks questions in the village of Herondene. Local gentry and villagers' secrets are revealed as she investigates. Readers learn more of Maisie's history and speculate about her future when some ties to her past are severed. A caring person, Maisie becomes involved with those she investigates. Another great adventure set in a time mostly forgotten, it also delves into social and economic ills of the time. Highly readable and well written.