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Reviews by Kathleen W. (New Brighton,, MN)

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The Woman Before Wallis
The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal
by Bryn Turnbull
Totally enjoyable! (7/9/2020)
I just loved reading this book! Let me tell you why. (Full disclosure: I am a fervent Anglophile.)

Most of all, and to the best of my knowledge, this book appears to be built on historical accuracy. I have read many of the books cited as used by the author and her …more
My Lovely Wife
My Lovely Wife
by Samantha Downing
Have you ever......? (10/13/2018)
Have you ever submitted a request for a First Impressions book, waited a week or two for its arrival....and read it ALL in 2 sittings? Such was the case with me and my copy of MY LOVELY WIFE by Samantha Downing. I read half of the book one night and got up early the next …more
Victoria
Victoria
by Daisy Goodwin
The Flip Side of the Victorian coin (10/6/2016)
The reader of this review needs to understand two things upfront: the reviewer is a longtime reader of British history (both fiction and non) and a loyal fan of MASTERPIECE television.

VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin covers the relatively short time between the 18 year old …more
Since She Went Away
Since She Went Away
by David Bell
Police Cars and News Vans and Coroners, Oh My! (5/31/2016)
I recently finished reading Since She Went Away by David Bell. I have read this author twice before. On the plus side for this novel, I did enjoy: the construct of how media can significantly affect crime procedure, the author's use of alternating chapters involving Jenna …more
The Widow
The Widow
by Fiona Barton
On the one hand, but then...on the other... (12/8/2015)
The thrillers that I rate highly are those that keep me tuned in and focused. They must get me from Point A (beginning) to Point B (ending) in a captivating manner. I must not be able to easily predict the ending . Characters must be varied and of some depth, setting must …more
All Is Not Forgotten
All Is Not Forgotten
by Wendy Walker
Don't be SO sure! (10/15/2015)
Most of us are familiar with this book scenario: Teen girl is persuaded to come to a house party by her desired boyfriend. Boyfriend ignores her at the party. Girl is upset, drinks too much, runs out of the house to be alone...and... Well, I bet most of us could write the …more
Trust No One
Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave
Did he....or didn't he? (6/7/2015)
TRUST NO ONE by Paul Cleave is an apt title, indeed. Jerry Grey, crime fiction writer, is gradually succumbing to early onset Alzheimers. In the meantime, killings are occurring around him that bear eerie similarities to the plots of some of his thrillers. Is Jerry guilty …more
Little Black Lies
Little Black Lies
by Sharon Bolton
Nothing is as it seems! (5/14/2015)
When does it behoove us to lay bare the truth? When does it serve us and others best to hide our truths from the light of day? Does truth telling diminish and destroy or can it provide valuable closure? Do we ever REALLY know another person? LITTLE BLACK LIES by Sharon …more
The Life I Left Behind
The Life I Left Behind
by Colette McBeth
Ya betcha, that's the way I like it! (11/17/2014)
THE LIFE I LEFT BEHIND by Colette McBeth has just about everything on my 'Get it!' book checklist. Its setting is my travel destination of choice ( anywhere in England), it has multiple narrators (Eve, Melody and DI Rutter) and the story line ping pongs effectively in time ( …more
Precious Thing
Precious Thing
by Colette McBeth
Is anyone ever who they appear to be? (1/7/2014)
In this age of social media with seemingly constant self-disclosure, it is wise to remember that families DO hold fast to life altering secrets, often with toxic family fallout. Nowhere is this more evident than in PRECIOUS THING by Collette McBeth. In this debut novel, …more
Where Monsters Dwell
Where Monsters Dwell
by Jørgen Brekke
Welcome Jorgen Brekke! (11/3/2013)
Those of you who wait impatiently in anticipation of the next intricate mystery will want to locate a copy of Brekke's international bestseller, Where Monsters Dwell. This challenging novel asks the reader to 'operate' in two time periods (1528 and 2010) and three locales ( …more
The Edge of Normal
The Edge of Normal
by Carla Norton
New Author Breaks New Ground for THIS Reader. (7/2/2013)
Carla Norton's THE EDGE OF NORMAL is an uncomfortable book to read. This is not because this debut author's publication is stale of plot or devoid of writing craft, quite the contrary. My reading discomfort was directly due to the timeliness of the abhorrent evil portrayed …more
Close My Eyes
Close My Eyes
by Sophie McKenzie
You must be patient, dear reader! (4/3/2013)
The first 100 pages of CLOSE MY EYES started very s-l-o-w-l-y for me. I must admit to a few times when I momentarily thought about stopping. My advice to you, dear reader? DON'T. Once this story gets going, it absolutely gallops. As the chapters progress, many characters …more
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate: A Lucy Campion Mystery
by Susanna Calkins
A very respectable debut novel! (3/19/2013)
I have just finished reading A MURDER AT ROSAMUNDS GATE by Susanna Calkins and overall, I find it to be a VERY respected debut novel. Though representative of 1665-1666, there is much of 2013 about it. Religious hypocrisy, forensics crime solving, the dictates of one's rank …more
The Hour of Peril
The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War
by Daniel Stashower
And you thought 2012 WAS THE Election Year! (12/14/2012)
Disguises,female spies, assassination ballots,fake identities... SUBTERFUGE! On the heels of Obama vs. Romney comes THE HOUR OF PERIL by Daniel Stashower.Coming off a 2012 election that was at points ridiculous and riveting, THE HOUR OF PERIL knocks this telling of the …more
Beneath the Shadows
Beneath the Shadows
by Sara Foster
BENEATH THE SHADOWS...You'll be surprised! (5/11/2012)
"They should be home"...what mother or caregiver has not had that selfsame thought when the time is late and loved ones are unaccounted for? Moments later, baby Millie is mysteriously found safe and sound on the front step in her carriage, Adam is nowhere in sight, and the …more
A Land More Kind Than Home
A Land More Kind Than Home: A Novel
by Wiley Cash
What goes around comes around or be careful what you wish for! (4/17/2012)
I completed A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME a few weeks ago and have thought about it extensively EVER SINCE. This novel is full of metaphors which I love. I also find the strategy of different character chapter narrators to be especially effective in this particular book …more
Accidents of Providence
Accidents of Providence
by Stacia Brown
"Everyone loved a good hanging day" (12/7/2011)
Welcome to London, circa 1649. Smell the squalor of Newgate prison. Investigate the relationship between hangman and accused on the way to Tyburn hanging tree. Look over YOUR shoulder in the midst of religious intolerance in the time of Oliver Cromwell. Stacia Brown ( …more
Defending Jacob
Defending Jacob: A Novel
by William Landay
What a superlative read! (10/4/2011)
Did he...or didn't he? Did she...or didn't she? This legal mystery will keep you up LONG after your bedtime and you will be glad of it. A murder involving bullying is j-u-s-t t-h-e s-t-a-r-t to this well-paced family study. The part narrative and part court transcript style …more
In Search of the Rose Notes
In Search of the Rose Notes: A Novel
by Emily Arsenault
A Good Beach Read! (6/6/2011)
Mary Chapin Carpenter sings a song that includes the lines, "our future begins with our past" and "step out of the shadow you cast." These lines relate perfectly to IN SEARCH OF THE ROSE NOTES by Emily Arsenault. This is a book , narrated in an alternating present/ past …more
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