Reviews by Mary G. (Purcellville, VA)

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Far From True
Far From True: A Promise Falls Novel
by Linwood Barclay
Far From True is far from simple (12/20/2015)
If you are the type of person who likes mental challenges to keep your mind sharp, then this whodunit may be for you. There are so many characters and so many plots and subplots that you really have to keep your concentration as you read. Also, this book is the second in a …more
Lamp Black, Wolf Grey
Lamp Black, Wolf Grey
by Paula Brackston
Interesting Plot that falls a little short (8/4/2015)
Lamp Black, Wolf Grey by Paula Brackston is like a lot of movies you watch on Netflix where you think: "This movie is alright but I wouldn't have wanted to pay full price for it." The book is about a young woman, Laura, who is devastated by her inability to have a child. …more
What Doesn't Kill Her
What Doesn't Kill Her: A Reeve LeClaire Series Novel
by Carla Norton
Satisfying Thriller (6/4/2015)
This was a fast-paced thriller that really hit the ground running. The heroine, Reeve, was abducted at age 12 and held captive for 4 years. Nine years later, she seems remarkably well adjusted and is living a typical college student life. When her abductor escapes from the …more
The Witch of Painted Sorrows
The Witch of Painted Sorrows: A Daughters of La Lune Novel
by M. J. Rose
Not My Cup of Tea (3/23/2015)
The Witch of Painted Sorrows is about a young woman, on the run from a bad marriage, who is drawn to her family's ancestral home and is ultimately possessed by the spirit of an ancestor, who was a courtesan and a witch. The plot is interesting enough, but I found the "faux …more
Whispering Shadows
Whispering Shadows
by Jan-Philipp Sendker
Whispering Shadows is an absorbing story told at a leisurely pace (2/2/2015)
Whispering Shadows is not a quick read. Even though I am normally a fast reader, the patient, deliberate pace of this book made it impossible for me to speed through. And that was fine with me. I know little about life in China and Hong Kong so I found the glimpse into the …more
The Life I Left Behind
The Life I Left Behind
by Colette McBeth
Enjoyable Reading (11/26/2014)
The Life I Left Behind is about two women who have lost their lives--one to death and one to fear. The book is divided into two sections and alternates, in first person, between two protagonists: Melanie who survived an attempted murder but now lives as a virtual recluse …more
Bitter Greens
Bitter Greens
by Kate Forsyth
Bitter Greens: A Tale Well-Woven (9/10/2014)
Bitter Greens is a fascinating historical novel set in the 14th century that uses the classic fairy tale, Rapunzel, as it's framework. The book is divided into three strands. The first is the story of French noblewoman, Charlotte-Rose, who is credited as the author of …more
The Quick
The Quick
by Lauren Owen
Victorian vampire story (5/20/2014)
I wasn't sure I would even finish this book. I found the beginning slow and frustratingly disjointed. I persevered, however, and the story did pick up. Did I like this book? I am still not entirely sure.
Where Monsters Dwell
Where Monsters Dwell
by Jørgen Brekke
Macabre page-turner (11/20/2013)
Small wonder "Where the Monsters Are" is already an international best seller. It is fascinating, fast-paced, and downright creepy. It is fitting that the book starts with a macabre murder at the Edgar Allen Poe Museum because this book is an homage to Poe.

Author Brekke …more
The Daughters of Mars
The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally
Daughters of Mars is Mesmerizing (6/19/2013)
I would like to thank BookBrowse for giving me the opportunity to read this exceptional novel. It tells the story of some of the unsung heroines of World War 1: the volunteer nurses. Through the lives of the Durance sisters and the other members of their Australian nurses …more
Palisades Park
Palisades Park
by Alan Brennert
Fascinating story (2/14/2013)
Alan Brenert used the stories of the people who worked at Palisades Park to tell both its history and offer a working-class perspective of important events in American history ranging from the Great Depression, through the Second World War, to the Civil Rights movement and …more
The Hour of Peril
The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War
by Daniel Stashower
An informative but slow read (1/17/2013)
"The Hour of Peril" reminded me a lot of Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City". It takes an interesting subject and tells it is such a didactic manner as to make it difficult to slog your way through. I persevered and learned a lot about Allan Pinkerton and the early …more
Live by Night
Live by Night
by Dennis Lehane
Lehane's best work (9/25/2012)
Live By Night is the rare sequel that is actually better than its predecessor--in this case The Given Day. Not only is this a fascinating look at the Prohibition era, but the characters are utterly intriguing. I was very conflicted about who were the good guys and who were …more
Niceville
Niceville: A Novel
by Carsten Stroud
Enjoyably Odd (6/12/2012)
Niceville is one of the oddest books I have ever read--and I loved it! There are two concurrent plotlines. One reminds me of Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men." The other reminds me of a Dean Koontz novel. Both are set in Niceville with overlapping characters, and …more
A Simple Murder
A Simple Murder
by Eleanor Kuhns
Impressive debut (4/16/2012)
Hard to believe this is a debut novel. The storytelling is very assured with a terrific blend of historical fiction woven into the mystery. The characters are developed and interesting. The familial relationship between some key characters did become somewhat confusing, but …more
Sacre Bleu
Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art
by Christopher Moore
Sacre Bleu is a fun read (3/8/2012)
I am a huge fan of Christopher Moore so I was excited to be selected to review his latest book, Sacre Bleu. While not as laugh out loud funny as some of his other works, Sacre Bleu is still highly original and entertaining. It is probably the quirkiest art history you will ever read.
Tides of War
Tides of War: A Novel
by Stella Tillyard
Tides of War Swept Me Away (12/10/2011)
Tides of War may have been Stella Tillyard's first foray into fiction writing, but I pray it will not be her last. That a biographer of her repute would be able to write a historically accurate novel was not in question. That she would be able to develop her characters-both …more
A Bitter Truth
A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery
by Charles Todd
A Bitter Truth is a Bitter Pill (8/22/2011)
When I signed up to review A Bitter Truth, by Charles Todd, I was looking forward to being introduced to an author I hadn’t read before. After reading the book, I was glad it was free. For a team of writers (Charles Todd is a mother-son writing duo) with 15 books to their …more
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