BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Beast of the North Woods: A Monster Hunter Mystery
by Annelise Ryan

Hodags, Murder, and Mayhem, Oh My! (11/13/2024)

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery! The main characters are well-developed and truly engaging. I particularly appreciated the rich details the author provided about the Wisconsin town of Rhinelander and the mythical Hodag, which added a unique local flavor to the story. As the protagonist delves into the mystery, readers are drawn into a world where the line between myth and reality is tantalizingly blurred. Ryan builds tension skillfully, keeping readers guessing about the true nature of the hodag and whether there's more than folklore behind the recent sightings. The mystery itself is intricate and satisfying, with a clever resolution. Plus, the cliffhanger at the end left me eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!

The Lies I Tell: A Novel
by Julie Clark

The Lies I Tell (4/4/2022)

The Lies I Tell is a truly surprising book. The tale is told from two perspectives that of Kat and Meg, women whose lives have been entangled for 10 years. Meg is a con artist and one phone call from her to Kat led to great trauma. At the beginning of the novel it appears as if Kat, a reporter, is stalking Meg, but as the story progresses, the cat and mouse game becomes more muddled. Who is Meg really conning? Who is lying? The conclusion of the book is truly surprising. This is a real page turner of a story. I highly recommend The Lies I Tell.

The Paris Bookseller
by Kerri Maher

A Tale of Ulysses (11/16/2021)

The subject matter of this historical novel is fascinating: the founding of the English-language bookstore, Shakespeare and Company in Paris in 1919 and the life of the owner, Sylvia Beach. Sylvia meets and befriends the leading luminaries of the Parisian world of letters, including Ezra Pound and James Joyce. When Joyce's Ulysses is banned, Sylvia, at great personal risk, fights to publish this leading work of the 20th century. Unfortunately, I found the writing to be plodding, dull, and too staid, which made reading the book very slow going. As much as I wanted to like this book, I really cannot recommend it.

The Latinist: A Novel
by Mark Prins

The Latinist (11/1/2021)

I really enjoyed the parts of this novel dealing with Tessa's search for the Silver Age poet, Marius. The scholarly discussions and the scenes at the archaeological site were exciting and illuminating. The author has clearly researched ancient sources (although Marius is fictional). The story of obsession/love in the book I found less compelling overall. Prins does describe an interesting twist on the Apollo and Daphne story, but I found Tessa's motivations somewhat confusing especially toward the end of the book. Chris's feelings are more straightforward, though misplaced, and his actions are truly horrifying. I enjoyed the book and found it complex, thought-provoking, but ultimately somewhat unsatisfying at the end.

The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray

The Personal Librarian (2/4/2021)

The subject matter and the real life characters are all interesting, the writing is rather dull and plodding.

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
by Marie Benedict

A thrilling reconstruction (10/30/2020)

The mystery of Agatha Christie's 11-day disappearance in December, 1926 has persisted to this day. Marie Benedict presents a wonderfully engaging and thrilling answer to that mystery with twists and turns worthy of any Christie whodunit. The main characters of Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie, grow and change throughout the book, which is told in alternating chapters of flashbacks to their meeting in 1912 with the day-by-day events during her disappearance and the subsequent police search for her. The how and why of this disappearance are shocking but logical and deeply satisfying. I highly recommend this book!

Catherine House: A Novel
by Elisabeth Thomas

Dull and dreary house (3/1/2020)

I really disliked this book so much so that I couldn't even finish it to find out what the secret of Catherine House was. I disliked the protagonist, Ines, and found no other characters who were interesting or even likable. I would not recommend this book at all.

Father of Lions: One Man's Remarkable Quest to Save the Mosul Zoo
by Louise Callaghan

Father of Lions (10/18/2019)

This is a fascinating and sobering tale of life under Isis in Mosul and one man's devotion to animals. It is populated with intriguing characters who are sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, but always human. Parts of the book are especially harrowing when Isis takes control and it is especially illuminating on the effect on ordinary citizen's lives. This book is well-written and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves animals, cares about their welfare, and has an interest in the devastation wrecked by Isis.

The Seine: The River that Made Paris
by Elaine Sciolino

La Belle Seine (9/2/2019)

This is a wonderful and enthralling history of the Seine from its source to the Atlantic. Sciolino writes in a breezy and very engaging style and includes loads of interesting and little known details about the river, it's history, and life on it. This book made me want to start researching river cruises along the navigable length of the Seine. Such a pleasure to read.

My Lovely Wife
by Samantha Downing

Married Murder Team (10/11/2018)

I really wanted to like this book since I love mysteries, especially ones with a twist. The book was well-written and quickly paced, but the characters were both deeply disturbing. They were really sick, and if the husband is to be believed, Millicent was evil. The husband's attempts to wipe his hands of any real responsibility for the murders was disingenuous and annoying.

The Family Tabor
by Cherise Wolas

Lives unwanted/lives desired (5/15/2018)

I found the "Family Tabor" to be a compelling, though at times, infuriating read. I especially enjoyed the extensive exploration of the lives, hopes, and frustrations of the Tabor children. However, I found Harry and Roma to be frustrating and rather superficially drawn characters. They seemed to be willfully blind to so much in their past and the amnesia on the part of Harry I found rather unbelievable. His decision to go to Israel to atone was understandable, but I found it infuriating that he ignored his first and foremost obligation to ask for forgiveness from his family. His disappearance perplexed and angered me. I also wasn't quite sure why Wolas had included the story of Roma's patient in the narrative. It, to me, only served to belabor the point of running away from problems.
I would highly recommend this as a book club book because of the characters, their deficiencies as well as their virtues, and so many of the questions that are posed by the narrative.

Force of Nature: Aaron Falk Mystery #2
by Jane Harper

A Force of Nature (10/1/2017)

This is a thrilling mystery about the disappearance of a woman during a group team building hiking weekend in the Australian bush. From the first page I was hooked and almost finished in one sitting. The story unfolds from the point of view of the detectives and then alternates with an account of the women's trek. The characters are fascinating and well-drawn, and Harper's Detective Falk is complex and intriguing. I highly recommend this book. Because there are a number of references to events from Harper's first book, The Dry, it would help to read the books in order.

The Fifth Petal: A Novel
by Brunonia Barry

The power of the past (2/27/2017)

This mystery, set in present-day Salem, is a spellbinding take on the ways the past affects and influences the present. The contemporary murder reaches back 25 years and then all the way back to the Salem witch trials of 1692. All the characters are richly drawn and there are many twists and turns to the plot. Barry weaves in well-researched history, some magic, and a great deal of atmosphere into this novel. My only objection to the story was that at times I felt at a disadvantage not having read her previous novel, The Lace Reader. References to past events in Towner and Rafferty's marriage were alluded to but not fully explained. I would highly recommend The Fifth Petal.

Victoria
by Daisy Goodwin

Victoria (10/12/2016)

I was very much looking forward to reading this historical novel about the young Victoria. I found it well-written, easy to read, and generally an enthralling story. I thought the author created fully realized characters. However, I did eventually tire of Victoria's tantrums. While her behavior is all too typical of a very young and immature girl, it did become tedious.

The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
by Antonia Hodgson

A thrill ride through Georgian London (12/18/2015)

I loved this historical mystery. Antonia Hodgson creates memorable and believable characters, good, bad, and a little bit of both, in this locked room mystery. She provides not only a vivid and compelling plot, but also immerses the reader in the sights, sounds, and smells of Georgian London, from the poorest to the richest sections. I cannot wait for the return of Tom and Kitty and Sam. Highly recommended!

The Widow
by Fiona Barton

The Widow (11/25/2015)

What a fabulous book! This is a real page-turner about the recently widowed spouse of a suspected child kidnapper/murderer. Did he do it? What did the wife know and when? Who is Jean Taylor? These questions permeate this work. Jean Taylor's story begins in the present and is narrated throughout in the first person. She takes us back through the past 4 years in her life and her marriage. The stories of the other players in the narrative, the detective who investigates the case of Bella Elliot and the reporter who scores the exclusive interview with the widow, are told in the third person. It is an effective literary device, making Jean's story very personal and intimate. The ending is not terribly surprising but it delivers quite an emotional punch nonetheless. I highly recommend this book. I found it hard to put down once I started reading it. The writing and narrative are effective and compelling.

The War Reporter
by Martin Fletcher

Tedious and trite (8/21/2015)

I disliked this book and its extraordinarily self-centered protagonist. Tom Layne will stop at nothing, including repeatedly endangering those he professes to care about, all in the pursuit of his news story. He lacks a moral center but in a truly contrived ending, is redeemed on the last page of the book. I did not find the narrative thrilling, nor did I find it particularly well-written. I cannot recommend this book.

Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave

A nightmare journey into forgetfulness (5/21/2015)

This is a riveting mystery. Paul Cleave takes the reader quickly into the disintegrating mind of Jerry Grey, a mystery writer who has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Jerry keeps confessing to murdering women, but everyone tells him that he's confusing reality with the characters in his novels and that he hasn't killed anyone. But Jerry's not so sure about that and the evidence that he has in fact murdered several women starts to mount. The progressive disintegration of Jerry's mind is particularly well written. You really feel as if you are experiencing the disorientation of lost time and memories along with Jerry. Jerry's plight is heartbreaking and truly frightening and the toll on his family is particularly well written. I highly recommend this fast-paced and well-written mystery.

All the Old Knives
by Olen Steinhauer

A tale of love and revenge (11/28/2014)

The title of the work, which derives from an ancient fable: "All the old knives That have rusted in my back, I drive in yours," sets the tone immediately for this captivating and compulsively readable spy novel. I read it in one sitting and was on the edge of my seat as events unfolded in real-time as two former lovers, Henry, still a CIA operative, and Celia, now retired a mother and wife, meet for dinner in northern California. Throughout this dinner their memories of a fatal terrorist hijacking years ago and the motives of both characters for agreeing to meet become stunningly clear. Who is playing whom in this game of cat and mouse is finally answered in the final pages, but the reader is left at the end still pondering if one of the characters will live or die.

I really enjoyed this book--it was thrilling, well-written and the narrative was complex and compelling. I highly recommend this book!

I Am Livia
by Phyllis T. Smith

I am Livia (1/3/2014)

I really enjoyed this historical fiction. It was well researched and well-written and provided a very interesting woman's view of life and politics in Ancient Rome. It is a good rebuttal to the portrayal of Livia in I, Claudius, though I must admit the completely malignant and totally amoral Livia in Graves' book is a tad more interesting than the faithful, intelligent and kind-hearted woman who is much closer to the historical record. Phyllis Smith's Livia isn't lacking in spirit, loyalty or ambition, though, and is still a compelling and interesting character. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in good historical fiction dealing with the early years of the Augustan Age and the influence of his wife, Livia.

Reviews by Barbara E. (Rockville, MD)

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