It's the early 20th century. We are in New York City and the city lacks public transportation. Can you imagine what it was like to travel from one place to another? There were a few motor cars (very few), carts, horses and their droppings, bicycles, baby carriages, and the only form of public transportation was privately owned trolley cars which could only move at a snail's pace because of the congestion. Oh, I forgot to mention pedestrians from the numerous boroughs in the city. The Washington Bridge was just being built. Under these conditions a few brilliant engineers and architects conceived the idea of tunneling under the city streets to build a railway system. Ditto the same situation in Boston, Massachusetts and you have a race to end all races. People say "nessessity is the mother of all invention" and nowhere is this euphemism more appropriate. These inventors were relentless in their pursuit to provide their city with clean and safe public transportation for the burgeoning population, all the time battling the infamous Tweed politicians and bureaucratic city government. Boston had similar problems, just different people in a different place. The ideas that these men put into action and their foresight into bringing economic prosperity to their cities is unbelievable. What a history lesson on American ingenuity. This book is a must read!

This book has everything a reader could ask for - intrigue, romance, heroes, heroines, history, family and religion. Did I miss anything? I'm sure I did, so you need to read Sisterhood to find out what. Flashing the setting back and forth between modern and medieval times in Spain and "New Spain", you read to find out what the connection is between the characters then and now, bu It isn't until the very end that the author enlightens us. Set against the backdrop of a Catholic convent, young female babies and girls are left at the convent's gates because of the mores of the historical period. These children come under the nurturing care, love and teachings of nuns and novices of Las Golondrinas Convent. How wonderful to read a book full of love, hope and kindness and how these themes kept on being "played forward" in "Sisterhood".

This is an excellent story. W. Walker has created a true-to-life story reflecting the mores of our society. The characters have money and money equals power, and their power equals corruption. Sound familiar? The main character is a young lawyer hanging on the fringes of the affluent society in Cape Cod, Ma. As he tries to solve the mystery surrounding two murders, he is confounded by his neighbors and friends. There are no "all good" or "all bad" characters in this book. The people have elements of both and they are all trying to make their lives work to their advantage. As you read you can't help but remember the trials of the Kennedy family and their less than admirable actions at their compound the Hyannis. Does Joseph Smith Kennedy's rape trial in Florida ring any bells? How about Ted Kennedy's leaving a young woman to drown after an auto accident on the Cape? There definitely were abuses of power in both these incidents. Can the good guys win in the end? You have to read this book and judge for yourself.

Wow! What a great story about a real, historical person with truly a life based on continuous strife and struggle. Mary Mallon - an Irish immigrant, domestic servant with no family and a violent temper turns out to be identified as the first asymptomatic carrier of Typhoid Fever. Through no fault of her own, she is taken by force, against her will and deprived of her civil liberties. Yet, she emerges as a woman trying to find her way in a new country, without family or friends. Keane, has given the reader a real character we can like or dislike, but cannot ignore. The pros and cons of what Mary experienced is what makes this story so riveting and worthy of discussion. She was such a complex woman that In the end I still couldn't make up my mind whether to give her a loud "Boo" or a rousing cheer. Definitely a good read.

Who is Lily? Is she who she says she is? She came to Canada as a "mail order bride" for Sol Kramer. Why does Sol reject her before he has even spoken to her? Why does his brother Nathan marry her?
The entire story of Lily Kramer is like filling a basket of unanswered question and you ask yourself: "when is the author going to fill in the blanks?" This novel offers much insight into the aftermath of WWII - how people from European countries relocated to a new continent, missing and lost relatives, starting over and becoming a part of the "brave new world" they were forced to adopt. Somewhere is all of this you find Lilly Kramer and her role in a "brave" new family. Through it all the reader is trying to answer provocative questions and make sense of Lily's actions. This is a story you must burrow into to find the answers to questions of how people transition in life and their resiliency in facing everyday life. Ironically, I discovered this story isn't really about Lilly at all, but about the people whose lives she affected.

How does the son of the Boston Chief of Police turn out to be a gangster? As Dennis LeHane tells us, it turns out to be a very interesting story featuring a very interesting man. It's easy for the reader to slide into the prohibition era with all its drama and strife. You get a first-hand look at the period's sobering reality. LeHane astutely balances the raw violence the era with the humanness of his characters. This book is too good to miss.

What a great story! Joanna Brady put everything a reader of historical fiction could ask for into this novel - romance, adventure mystery and family with all its joys and trials. The book not only offers an interesting history of Key West (all I knew about Key West was it was located in Florida and Ernest Hemingway lived there and loved it). The book is also an education. Who knew women like Brady's heroine were keepers of these buildings and how important they are to the Florida ocean. The prose is wonderful as it flows along just like a the story does. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Who doesn't enjoy a good mystery? That is just what Sara Foster presents to readers in "Beneath the Shadows". Into the story is embedded sinister shadows and quirky happenings starting with the very first page. Who left Grace's baby outside her door? Where did her husband go? Are the neighbors really what they claim to be? Are they part of a sinister plot? You will just have to read the book to answer these questions, but I assure you it will be an intriguing journey.

Before the Poison is a low-key mystery that seems to draw you in gradually as you read the text. It offers some interesting facts concerning what it like for women who served as nurses in the military during WWII. As you read along, you certainly want to know what the dead heroine was all about. Did she commit the crime? Little by little the author draws you into the story as he reveals clues and speculations around "Grace", who died years before the story begins to unfold. This book turns out to be an unusual "who done it" and You have to follow the story through to the end to find out what really happened.