BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Devil in the Marshalsea
by Antonia Hodgson

Fascinating read (4/7/2014)

As we meet Tom Hawkins, he has decided not to follow his father into the ministry. He is very deep in debt and will not ask his family for help. He ends up in the Marshalsea gaol for debtors. All that he heard heard about the prison was true and he finds that there has been a murder.

Tom gets himself involved in quietly solving the murder and is almost killed himself. The characters are well developed and are full of surprises.

I had read previously about goals and the way people lived there, but this book brought it to life. The author brings the reality of that life to the forefront.

The Venetian Bargain
by Marina Fiorato

Great follow up to The Glassblower of Murano. (1/2/2014)

Great read. The book takes place in Venice in 1576 during the time of the plague. There is no answer to keeping safe from the plague and even though this is a love story, there are doctors trying to find answers. The history of this time is fascinating, with notes of the arts, medicine and love thrown in. The building of a great church by Palladio adds interest in that the Doge thinks the church will help glorify God and end the plague.

Buying In
by Laura Hemphill

Good Read (10/23/2013)

Although my career path is very different from Sophie's, I remember long days and nights. I don't think I would have been able to keep up her hours though. As a new graduate moving to New York and a lucrative job would have been very exciting.

This book really gave a great insight into the corporate and banking system. It was well written and I liked the way the book moved between characters and talked about them at the same time. The character study was well done and there were four very strong characters and several minor ones.

I really enjoyed the book and the look into a failing system and the reasons for that failure in the financial crisis.

Song of the Spirits: In the Land of the Long White Cloud saga
by Sarah Lark

Song of the Spirits (7/22/2013)

I can understand the unease of the Maori. We were in Queenstown several years ago and went to a presentation and dinner with Maori. To watch them dance their traditional dances, their size and fierceness were palatable. They were wonderful men, but large and fierce looking. The book takes you through 5 years of life of the early settlers in the 1890s. Very well written, but a long read.

The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane
by Kelly Harms

The Good Luck Girls (5/3/2013)

I expected this book just to be funny. What a surprise to find it poignant as well. The characters were well developed and there were surprises along the way. What chance would there be that there would be two women in the same town in Iowa by the same name winning a million dollar house? My favorite character in this fast moving book was Aunt Midge. She added many sad and hilarious moments that made you think. Great first book.

Crime of Privilege
by Walter Walker

Crime of Privilege (4/27/2013)

Privilege is interesting concept. We hear many times of how great it is to have money and what you can get away with. This book is a perfect example. The book takes privilege to a new height. I really liked the book. It was hard to put down. It moved from coast to coast and to several world venues to solve a crime that did not want to be solved. Great read. Walter Walker is a great legal writer.

The Good House
by Ann Leary

The Good House (12/15/2012)

A small New England Community. A local alcoholic realtor. This is an interesting combination for the background of a book. Hildy Good is a quiet, nosy neighbor in this small community, who keeps up with the goings on of the town and knows much of the underlying gossip. The book weaves in and out of the lives of the families who live there. You find intrigue, happiness, unhappiness, and and secrets. All of which makes the book a good read.

15 Seconds
by Andrew Gross

Riveting (6/12/2012)

I really loved this book. It was hard to put down. Characters were developed well and made the book come alive. 15 Seconds is a perfect title. Hard to believe how many lives can be changed in such a short time. One never knows when life will change for better or worse because am person makes a mistake. This book brings drug abuse into the forefront.

Accidents of Providence
by Stacia Brown

Accident of Providence (12/6/2011)

The year, 1649, the place, England. The rules of life in that century were very difficult for unwed mothers. This story tells of the life of one mother who gives birth and is charged with murder. Very well written, seemed like real life rather than fiction. Very difficult life in these early times.

The Darkening Field: A Novel
by William Ryan

Russian Mystery (11/29/2011)

I enjoyed the book, quick read. Character development was well done. Not a book that I would have picked up at the store, but am glad that I had the opportunity to read about historical Russia. Solving the murder takes very interesting turns through rural Russia, with the help of a Moscow detective.

Things We Didn't Say: A Novel
by Kristina Riggle

Things We Didn't Say (6/15/2011)

Great Book Group read. Kristina makes you think about how you hide things from family and friends. Especially things that are controversial and might cause problems. As the book develops, you begin to realize that if things had been said in a timely manner, maybe results in life would be different. Ms Riggle seems to have a finger on character development from many perspectives. Not sure how she is able to entwine the thoughts and moods of so many characters at one time to develop a fascinating novel. Since I live in Michigan, it was fun to see the the places that she used as a background for the story.

Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth Mcmullen

Sally Sin (2/12/2011)

Three words on the cover tell the story. WIFE. MOTHER. SPY. A young mother, with her three year old chid, moves day to day in a time of wondering what the next minute will bring. As a debut novel, the author takes us through the streets of San Francisco and the world in the somethimes funny and sometimes worrisome life of this family. The book keeps you one dge of your seat and is hard to put down. Near the end of the book Sally says, "This is not a game. At the end of the day, it is about survival." She is right.

Three Seconds
by Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstrom

Three Seconds (12/13/2010)

The best book that I have read in a long time. Not the normal genre that I would choose off the shelf. Prison, drugs, intrigue, murder, police informants, and withholding of information make this an intriguing book. Twists and turns in many directions have you sitting on the edge of your seat to see what happens on the next page. Fast moving from start to finish. My guess is that this will be a best seller in the United States, also.

Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer
by Wesley Stace

Charles Jessold Considered as a Murderer (11/9/2010)

Unique combination of music and literature, with a little murder thrown in. All of the pieces are blended well. Interesting character development as people moved in and out of the scenes. Written from the perspective of a man who know Charles Jessold, warts and all.

Reviews by Jane C. (Brighton, MI)

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Reviews by Jane C. (Brighton, MI)

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