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Reviews by Bookworm Becky

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The Thursday Murder Club
by Richard Osman

Chaos! Quirky characters! (12/21/2023)

Mayhem, convent, shadow…

The “Japanese Opera” group that schedules the Jigsaw room for two hours each Thursday is really “The Thursday Murder Club.” They book the room under the name Japanese Opera to ensure their privacy and to keep the unwanted out of their meetings.

Four …more

The Villa: A Novel
by Rachel Hawkins

Italian villa (12/17/2023)

Inevitable, writing slump, secrets…

Friends since childhood, Emily and Chess, now 30ish , book an Italian villa for a summer of togetherness, inspiration, and writing. Both are writers, but of different genres of books.

This same villa was rented for a summer in 1974 by a …more

Bright Young Women: A Novel
by Jessica Knoll

A gripping tale (12/8/2023)

Escape, survival, justice…

Bright Young Women was inspired by the real events surrounding a serial killer in WA, UT, CO, and FL in the late 1970s. The focus of the story is on the sorority house girls in FL, rather than on The Defendant, who remains unnamed in the story.

The …more

Good Bad Girl: A Novel
by Alice Feeney

Puzzling! (11/29/2023)

4.5

Stolen, truth bends, puzzle…

1, 2, 3 = 1 victim, 2 murders, & 3 suspects

4 women -

80yo Edith, ex store detective, lives at The Windsor Care Home and desires more than anything to return to her home and her dog. She is estranged from her daughter.

18yo Patience works …more

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael
by Beth Morrey

Uplifting story! (11/29/2023)

4.5

Reminisce , chance encounter, park…

A tale about loneliness, feelings of isolation, and a disconnect with others.

Missy is a 79yo woman who lives alone. Her two adult children live at a distance. She is without meaningful relationships with her family and she is lacking …more

The Spectacular: A Novel
by Fiona Davis

Historical fiction at its best! (10/30/2023)

5.0

Dreams, glamour, legacy…

Two 1950s storylines —

Marion has either danced or taught the beginners at the ballet and dance studio for much of her young life. At 19 yo, on a whim , Marion auditions for the Rockettes . Surprisingly, Marion is among the 46 chosen to be hired. …more

The Divorcees
by Rowan Beaird

Loneliness, quickie divorce, independence… (10/26/2023)

4.2

Thank you to Book Browse and Flatiron books for this unique read!

Loneliness, quickie divorce, independence…

Lois is one of several women staying at the Golden Yarrow Ranch, a divorce ranch in Reno, Nevada. All of the women are wannabe divorcees, living at the ranch for …more

The Dance of the Dolls
by Lucy Ashe

Ballet thriller! (10/19/2023)

Superstitious , artifacts, resentful…

A giveaway win from @jordys.book.club. So exciting! Thank you!

19yo identical twins Olivia and Clara “Marionetta” (née Smith) are both ballerinas dancing for the Vic-Wells Ballet in 1933 London.

A tale of obsessive love and new beginnings. …more

The Raging Storm: Detective Matthew Venn Series #3
by Ann Cleeves

Whodunit - #3 (10/7/2023)

Duffel, superstitions, besotted…

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and his team are back and working on a new case. Jeremy (Jem) Rosco, local celebrity/sailor/adventurer is back in Greystone. His body has just been found naked in an anchored boat in Scully Cove, posed as “if …more

Lady Tan's Circle of Women: A Novel
by Lisa See

Phenomenal! (10/6/2023)

Doctress, Ming Dynasty, heritage…

A tale loosely based on Lady Tan Yunxian, circa 1469. Tan Yunxian’s circle of women include Grandmother Ru, a doctor to women; Meiling, her friend who is in-training to be a midwife; Poppy, her maid; Miss Zhao, Father’s concubine; and Lady …more

The Long Call: The Two Rivers Series Book #1
by Ann Cleeves

Whodunit! (10/6/2023)

4.5

Reputation, weak link, atonement….

The Woodyard is a combo day centre/ community hub that includes A- level students and those with learning disabilities. Woodyard’s purpose is to “provide a glorious community, bringing people together.” A board of trustees runs Woodyard , …more

The Golden Gate: A Novel
by Amy Chua

Whodunit! (10/1/2023)

Swanky, stunning, persistent…

Headline! Death at the Claremont Hotel!

Berkeley’s Claremont Hotel 1930 - after a game of hide n seek with her younger sister Isabella, 7yo Iris Stafford’s (of THE Bainbridge family) body is found in a pile of dirty laundry at the bottom of the …more

The Quiet Tenant: A Novel
by Clémence Michallon

A story of survival (9/10/2023)

RULES, survival, captivity…

After “living” in the shed for five years, you learn the rules to survive. “#1 he always wins, #2 you are always sorry, and #3 everything that happens must always happen to both of you.”

And now father / daughter Aidan / 13yo Cecilia have to move. “ …more

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily: A Novel
by Noelle Salazar

Dazzling! (8/28/2023)

Lesser than, ambition, Roaring 20s…

1924 - Zora, from an impoverished Seattle family of nine, helps Mother with the sewing she takes in. Zora has a reputation as "bring a magician with a needle." Her wildest dream would be to become a designer and to own a boutique.

2023 - …more

Banyan Moon: A Novel
by Thao Thai

Winning debut (8/26/2023)

Kumquat, wedge, trunk…

Banyan Moon is the tale of a family of three women — Ann, her mother Huong, and her grandmother Minh. Males have flitted in & out of their lives, but it’s mainly a single mother portrait. Ann and her mother are estranged; they “don’t speak, having …more

Lucy by the Sea: A Novel
by Elizabeth Strout

Relationships (8/7/2023)

Lucy and William, a long-divorced couple, leave NYC together for Maine before the pandemic lockdown. William is a scientist and appears to be aware of the necessary precautions, while Lucy is unconcerned, innocent, and naïve about what to expect. She thinks William is bring …more

Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II
by Lena S. Andrews

Inspiring! (8/7/2023)

Humility, cutting edge, diverse…

A perceptive accounting of the women’s contribution to the WWII wartime effort. 350,000 were involved in diverse roles including pilots, instructors, ferrying supplies and planes, codebreakers, translators, signal units, and artists. …more

Little Monsters
by Adrienne Brodeur

Secrets galore! (8/7/2023)

Grandiose, precarious, elusive…

Almost 70yo brilliant oceanographer Adam is struggling to feel relevant in his job and life. He has (mostly) raised his two children Ken and Abby as a single parent after his wife died young. His “little monsters” (his words) are now adults — …more

I Didn't Do It
by Jaime Lynn Hendricks

Unique whodunnit (6/15/2023)

Text, stalker, maybe you’re next…

Murderpalooza is a thriller writers conference in NYC with many authors, agents, and publishers attending.

On the day of the awards ceremony , bestseller Kristin Bailey is found stabbed to death. And four authors have an anonymous social …more

The Little Italian Hotel: A Novel
by Phaedra Patrick

A good read! (6/8/2023)

Empathy, trust, Advice Angel…

“I’m listening. Tell me your worries” has been repeated numerous times by Ginny on her radio advice show for the last fifteen years.

But she has no answer or advice when shortly before their 25th anniversary, her husband announces he wants a …more

BookBrowse Book Club

The Jackal's Mistress
by Chris Bohjalian

From the New York Times bestselling author of Hour of the Witch, a Civil War love story of a Confederate wife and a wounded Yankee.

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Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A searing new novel from the bestselling author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists, exploring four women's desires.

About Discuss

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Raising Hare
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Girl Falling
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