This is the seventh novel by Chanel Cleeton that I have read and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed this Gothic mystery with the estate, Mabrisa as a character in the novel. While the timeline involving Anna and Robert Barnes was more interesting, I enjoyed Carmen's as well. Although, I don't know that killing Carmen's sister, Carolina, was necessary, but it does add add to Carmen's isolation. And, I did not even guess the ending. While it did drag a little in the middle, overall I really enjoyed this novel.

This debut novel took about 75 pages to draw me in, but after that, I couldn't put it down. This debut was an excellent historical fiction/multigenerational family story. I enjoyed learning about the effects of the Japanese invasion and subsequent Chinese Civil War, along with the Asian migration experience in the United States during the last half of the 20th century. Meillin, her son Renshu/Henry and his daughter Lily were all very well written and complex characters. The power of storytelling and finding "Home" are strong themes throughout the novel. The main criticism I have is that the ending felt a little rushed. I would have liked to see more about Henry and Rachel's relationship as well Overall, this was a solid 4.25 stars for me.

I really enjoy reading about unsung heroes so this book about Witold Pilecki seemed right up my alley. "The Volunteer" did not disappoint. I found the account of Pilecki's infiltration of Auschwitz interesting, informative, heartbreaking, and extremely well researched. I found this to be a very compelling deep dive into a single man and his mission to draw the world's attention to the awful atrocities at Auschwitz.