Reviews by Lesley F. (San Diego, CA)

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The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
by Antonia Hodgson
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins (12/19/2015)
Antonia Hodgson has written a really fine mystery around a young man accused of murder and heading to the gallows in the London of 1728. As he is taken by wagon to the hanging place outside the city, he worries about receiving a last minute royal pardon for having kept his …more
The Language of Secrets
The Language of Secrets
by Ausma Zehanat Khan
The Language of Secrets: Murder/Mystery = Candy (10/27/2015)
Another detective has joined the growing crew of new sleuths, including Armand Gamache in modern Quebec, Canada; Li Du in old China; and Guido Brunetti in Venice, Italy. Here we have Esa Khattak in modern Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Khattak's unique police department, …more
Jade Dragon Mountain
Jade Dragon Mountain
by Elsa Hart
WOW...Jade Dragon Mountain Fascinates (5/31/2015)
What a debut! Full disclosure: hot spot in heart for historical fiction. Elsa Hart has not only captured the essence of old China in her descriptions but has also a brilliant way of expressing Chinese philosophy throughout the story. "...you are beginning to feel the sand …more
Circling the Sun
Circling the Sun: A Novel
by Paula McLain
Beryl Markham Heroine At Last (5/6/2015)
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain is a terrific read, summer or winter. Having learned much about Isak Dinesen and Denys Finch-Hatton in Out of Africa, it was nothing short of marvellous to hear the other side of that story. Beryl Markham was a feminist before it was popular …more
The Well
The Well
by Catherine Chanter
Frightening Tale with a Ring of Real Possibility (2/6/2015)
It seemed to be set in the future and had all the feeling of a Margaret Atwood, a good thing in a thriller. Then, it felt like it was happening not post-apocalyptic but right now, like a Dean Koontz fright story. The details of a horrifying crime slowly emerge as the reader …more
A Kim Jong-Il Production
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power
by Paul Fischer
North Korea: The Secret Is Out (12/21/2014)
A movie star and a director from South Korea are kidnapped to North Korea to satisfy the dictator's need for good film-making. After years of isolation, torture, and misery, they are able to make a daring escape. A history book that reads like a thriller, a love story …more
The Nightingale
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale Sings (9/17/2014)
When I opened this book I was delighted to discover that I had already read a book by Kristin Hannah - a book I had picked up, used, called Firefly Lane. It was a very real, very touching story, and I cried, having experienced some of what is in that book. Friends who read …more
The Romanov Sisters
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
by Helen Rappaport
History Becomes Personal (5/22/2014)
This was a very interesting story of what the jacket calls "the Princess Diana's of their day". Four years ago I visited the palace in Lavadia in the Crimean area of Ukraine. As I walked through the rooms and saw so many things belonging to the children of Nicholas and …more
Mimi Malloy, At Last!
Mimi Malloy, At Last!
by Julia MacDonnell
Mimi Malloy Alive and Well (2/12/2014)
What a great read! I so enjoyed Julia MacDonnell's story, "Mimi Malloy, At Last", that I could not put it down. A clever way to present a fairy tale so real that I not only identified with her but also identified my mother in her. The deep Irish secret of the past is a …more
Where Monsters Dwell
Where Monsters Dwell
by Jørgen Brekke
Where Monsters Dwell by Jorgen Brekke (11/2/2013)
Detectives public or private, murder, and mystery - that's my candy jar. This one is a killer! Not meant to be first of a series, but other stories from this author would be a great thing. Special congratulations to the translator, Steven T. Murray. Easy to read and one …more
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate: A Lucy Campion Mystery
by Susanna Calkins
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate: History and Mystery (3/10/2013)
I am in novel heaven... seventeenth century England and a chambermaid with the good sense of a Kinsey Milhone and none of the modern conveniences. The historical references are accurate (a novelist has the privilege and the obligation to create details for the sake of the …more
Ghostman
Ghostman
by Roger Hobbs
Ghostman (12/28/2012)
What a great read. So much to learn about bank robberies! This was a winner. I have read Lee Child's stories of Jack Reacher and found them a little more graphically violent than I can stand. This book, while detailed, did not dwell as much on that aspect. I, of course, …more
The Art Forger
The Art Forger
by B. A. Shapiro
Art Smart! (9/16/2012)
B.A. Shapiro's "The Art Forger" was a very enjoyable read. A couple of plot twists kept me going right through to the end! The detail of the methods of copying master artists and forging famous old works of art were amazing. Book clubs would enjoy this especially if the …more
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