The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson (2023)

 

In this dual timeline story, a little girl goes missing from Koster Isle in 1907 and in 1992 a journalist teams up with a woman living on the inland to find out what happened to her and save the life of another young girl.

On the eve of her fifth birthday in 1907, Poppy Pendleton is nowhere to be found in her family’s castle on Koster Isle in the St. Lawrence River. The grounds are searched but neither she or her body are ever found. Poppy has simply disappeared without a trace.

Eighty-five years later Chloe Ridell is living on Koster Isle in the shadow of what is left of Pendleton Castle, having inherited the island from her grandparents. She also inherited their candy store across the river in Clayton, New York and it struggling to keep her grandparent’s legacy a float. When returning from work one evening Chloe finds a young girl seeking shelter with her. Emma is full of secrets, as is every character in the book, even Chloe’s grandparents.

At the same time Chloe is searching for Emma’s family, a journalist arrives intent on solving the mystery of Poppy’s disappearance in time for what would be Poppy’s 90^th birthday and needs Chloe’s help.

The chapters of the book move from one character to the other but I never found the story hard to follow. The mystery builds as new characters are added to the story and it is up to the reader to put the pieces together. The book begins a little slowly and it takes a while to get to the actual disappearance but I soon found that I had to have the answers.

Dobson is a Christian writer and it is reflected in her story.

4.3 stars on Goodreads, 4.5 on Amazon

Starter Villain by John Scalzi (2023)

 

Villain (n)  A professional disrupter, not necessarily evil. Services are available by subscription.

I am frequently drawn to a book by its cover and more often than not, the inside cover confirms I want to read it. Villian Starter was one such book. Who wouldn’t want to read about super intelligent cat spies who can talk and dolphins threatening to go on strike? 

Charlie Fitzer's life is going nowhere fast. The former business reporter turned substitute teacher is divorced and living in his deceased father’s house which his siblings want to sell out from under him. All Charlie wants to do is buy the downtown pub and live a quiet life with his cat. Everything changes when his billionaire uncle Jake, last seen when Charlie was five years old, dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. Unfortunately, Charlie also inherits uncle Jake's enemies who now want to kill him.

After his house is blown up, Charlie moves to the volcano lair and is guided in his new life by Mathilda Morrison, his uncle’s right-hand woman, now his. It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against the other supervillains. But first he must attend the mysterious Lombardy Convocation, a consortium of all supervillains. And there are also labor negotiations with the Cetacean Association of the Americas, Chapter One.

The book is very well written and hard to put down. The whole thing is absurd but it’s a vastly entertaining read. I highly recommend it.

4.3 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

How to Say Goodbye by Wendy MacNaughton, (2023)

 

In her book, Wendy McNaughton, a former Artist-in-Residence at a San Francisco hospice, has written and illustrated a beautiful book offering insight based on personal experience and the “the five things” she learned from a professional caregiver. The result is a very easy to read book on the many ways to say goodbye when a loved one is dying.

4.41 stars on Goodreads, 4.4 on Amazon

Buried In Books (Bibliophile Mystery #12) by Kate Carlisle (2018)

 

Who doesn't love a cozy mystery? Brooklyn Wainwright is a bookbinder and restorer and has a habit of stumbling across dead bodies in libraries or library adjacent buildings. In this installment Brooklyn is presenting at the National Library Association’s annual conference in her hometown. San Francisco. And she’s getting married that Saturday to the handsome British security officer introduced in the first book of the series.

At the conference Brooklyn reconnects with her two best friends from college whom she hasn’t seen or spoken to in 20 years, since Brooklyn was caught in the middle of Heather and Sara’s competition for the same man. At a surprise wedding shower during the conference, both Heather and Sara present Brooklyn with rare first editions of The Three Musketeers and The Blue Fairy Book.

The mystery in this story doesn’t come into play until more than a third of the way through the book. One of the two friends is found dead under a pile of books in the basement of the conference hotel and Brooklyn discovers that one of the books she received is a forgery. Was her murdered friend involved in the forgery scheme? How about the boyfriend, now husband, whom Heather never trusted? And just who is trying to take the book from Brooklyn?

If I had one criticism for this book, it would be the overuse of terms of endearment.  It got a little repetitive.

Recipes for the food served at the wedding appear at the back of the book.

The 17^th book in the series, The Twelve Books of Christmas, is scheduled to be released later this year.  All the books are available within the library cooperative.  Ask a Reference Librarian for help in getting the titles not in the EPL collection.

4.11 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (2023)

 

Debut author Meg Shaffer has written a truly entertaining book about the power of reading and hope. Lucy Hart, a teacher’s aide, knows what it is like to grow up with parents who don’t love her. She sought and found solace in the Clock Island books authored by Jack Masterson, excerpts of which appear throughout her story. Adult Lucy wishes more than anything to have the finances necessary to foster and adopt seven-year-old orphan Christopher Lamb, a student she has taken under her wing and shared the gift of reading. Together they’ve read all of the Clock Tower books and one of their favorite things to do is play the wishing game introduced in the Clock Island books.

Jack Masterson lives on the actual Clock Island in Maine, along with his grumpy but handsome illustrator Hugo Reese. When Jack writes his first book in five years, he decides to hold a contest on Clock Island with the prize being the one and only copy of the manuscript. Lucy is thrilled to be one of the four chosen contestants; if she could win the manuscript, life for her and Christopher would change dramatically.

The book, reminiscent of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Harry Porter, will make you laugh, cry, and jump for joy. The characters are complex, yet loveable. The description of the island, the riddles and games in the story show off the powerful imagination of the author. This is one of the best books I have read in a good while.

 4.28 stars on Goodreads, 4.5 on Amazon

Curiosity Thrilled the Cat (Magical Cats Mystery #1) by Sofie Kelly (2011)

I have read many cozy mysteries over the years but none I enjoyed as much as Curiosity Thrilled the Cat. Sofie Kelly adds whimsy and magic to the elements one would expect to find in this kind of mystery which made for a very charming story.

Kathleen Paulson has recently moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota to oversee the renovation of the town’s Carnegie Library. Unfortunately, the project is moving slowly due to a series of accidents. Kathleen shares her home with her two adopted cats, Hercules and Owen, each with a distinct personality and talent. As the town prepares for the annual Wild Rose Summer Music Festival, Kathleen discovers a dead body and becomes the primary suspect of a murder investigation as the evidence against her mounts.

Unlike most cozy mysteries, it is the cats who are the amateur detectives, bringing Katherine “gifts” that somehow provide clues to solving the mystery. It is up to Kathleen to interpret what the items mean and how they fit into the case.

Like the first book in any series, Curiosity Thrilled the Cat sets the stage for future installments, providing the necessary background information about the town and its residents.

Eastpointe does not own any of the titles in this series.  If you are interested in reading this or any of Sofia Kelly’s other books ask a reference librarian to get it for you from an area library.

3.9 stars on Goodreads, 4.5 on Amazon

 This book is not available at EPL. Ask any of the reference librarians to get it for you from an area library.

The House in on Fire by Rachel Beanland (2023)

The House in on Fire is the story of the Richmond [Virginia] Theater fire that took place on December 26, 1811. The theater burnt to the ground, the worst disaster in history at the time. The book follows Jack, Sally, Cecily, and Gilbert through the fire and the subsequent three days. Although this is a work of fiction, the fire did actually take place and the story for three of the four characters is historically accurate. Even their names haven’t been changed. (The Author’s Notes at the end of the book are well worth reading.) Fictional characters are added to provide the reader with a better window into Southern society in the early 1800s.

All four characters are forced to make split-second decisions that will affect not only their lives but those of many in their community. The fire begins when a young stagehand, Jack Gibson, raises the stage chandelier to the theater rafters even though the candles remain lit and the backdrops catch file. Mass panic follows as the audience of 600+ attempt to exit before the fire consumes the entire three-story wooden building. Sally is a young widow trapped on the third floor, Cecily is a slave seated in the “colored people’s gallery” on the first floor, and Gilbert, is an enslaved blacksmith who offers assistance to the victims.

The theater company, knowing that actors are not held in the highest regard, blame the blaze on an imaginary slave revolt that many in Richmond are quick to believe and even quicker to action. Jack wants to tell the truth and finds his life threatened as a result.

This book has it all - heroism, bravery, cowardice, villainy, love, sacrifice, and suspense. The characters and the story are so fully developed, I felt like I was watching the events unfold in front of me. The class and gender distinctions and hatred of the time are also well represented. Many similarities to 9/11 can be found.

In the end though, The House in on Fire is the story of honorable people who rise above the tragedy to do what needs to be done.

Reading the Stars: Astrology for Book Lovers (2022)

 

An original and entertaining mashup of literature and astrology for book lovers and star watchers alike. Whether you are a true believer or not, Reading the Stars: Astrology for Book Lovers just might offer you some insight as to why you enjoy the book genres you do.

The book begins with an easy-to-follow introduction to astrology and how the planets, stars, and natural elements combine to influence each Zodiac sign. It is followed by a “chapter” on each sign of the zodiac, beginning with Aries, the beginning of the astrological calendar. The basic personality traits of the sign are discussed, as well as the type of books generally preferred. You’ll also find a list of recommended titles.

I found the book very insightful.

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox (2023)

 

Ivy Radcliffe is a young woman living hand to mouth in post Would War I London when she is summoned to Yorkshire where she learns she is the new Lady Hayworth, the last living heir to the Blackwood Library and a large estate, which began life as an abbey. Ivy knows nothing about this line of Radcliffe’s or the house. At Blackwood Abbey, Ivy is met by an uninviting staff who obviously know something they are not sharing, but is determined to make the best of things in her new home.

A book lover at heart, Ivy is delighted to find the house contains a library that has been neglected for years.  She sets out to catalog the vast library’s collection but the more times Ivy spends in the room, the worse her headaches become and she fears she is losing her memory when staff members tell her she is asking the same questions over and over.

In the local village, Ivy meets Sir Arthur Mabry, to whom Ivy is immediately drawn to Arthur because of his interest in books and the library. She learns he is the member of a mysterious club whose members are very interested in restoring the library to its former glory and opening it up to the public. Misunderstanding Arthur’s meaning and his true intentions, Ivy begins lending some of the library’s books to the local villagers, only to learn that the title of the books lent out seem to be a prophesy of events to follow.

What is the relationship of the library to the nun mentioned in the first chapter who was walled up inside the abbey centuries ago?  Why is the chauffer continuously begging Ivy to leave the estate?  Why is Arthur so interested in the library? You’ll have to read The Last Heir to Blackwood Library to learn the answers. This book hits all the elements of the gothic novel.

This is only Hester Fox Book owned by Eastpointe.  If you are interesting in reading other titles by her, a reference librarian can get them for you from an area library.

3.45 stars on Goodreads, 3.9 on Amazon

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris (2018)

 B.A. Paris is a master of the psychological thriller and Bring Me Back is no exception. I haven’t been so invested in a book in a long time. I read it in one sitting. 

Twelve years earlier, Finn and his girlfriend Layla Gray were on holiday in France when Layla disappeared and was never found. The reader learns in the first chapter that Finn told police the truth about the event but not all of it. The story unfolds from there.

Twelve years later finds Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister Ellen, drawn together but their shared grief.  Finn wants to believe he and Ellen will be happy together even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

As wedding plans are being made, Finn receives a phone call from the detective on Layla’s missing person’s case that a witness claims to have seen Layla near the house in which they had lived.  Items on meaning to both Layla and Ellen begin showing up in odd places.  And Finn starts receiving anonymous emails from someone who appears to know Layla. Could Layla still be alive?  If so, where has she been all this time and what does she want?

Divided into three parts and written in the first person, mostly by Finn – Now and Before, Layla and Finn, and Finn.

If you are interested in reading more of B.A. Paris’ books, ask one of the reference librarians where to find them.

3.51 stars in Goodreads, 3.9 on Amazon

Wyoming Wild (Savage Wells #3) by Sarah M. Eden (2023)

 

When reading Wyoming Wild, I experienced the same warm feelings I did when watching TV westerns back in the day.  Good triumphing over evil; the white hat always wins. In Wyoming Wild, the U.S. Marshall is a young John Hawkings (“Hawk”) but I pictured him as James Arness appeared in Gunsmoke.

When Marshall Hawkings receives an anonymous telegraph warning him of a plot against his life, he immediately begins to investigate. After Hawk traces the telegraph to Sand Creek, Wyoming he and female deputy Paisley take up residence on an area farm posing as brother (John) and sister (Mary). It isn’t long before the two meet the sheriff’s daughter, Liesl Hodges, who they discover is doing everything she can to protect the townspeople from its violent and corrupt sheriff. Everyone in the town is afraid of Sheriff Hodges and his cronies. But when Liesl discovers John is completely unfazed by the sheriff’s attempts at intimidation, she thinks she finally has found an ally in her struggle.

All is good until Liesl learns that John has been lying to her about who he is; another in a long list of men who have betrayed her. Although Liesl continues to distrust Hawk, she goes along with his plan to end the sheriff’s reign of terror. Of course, planning is one thing and execution is something else entirely.

There are other mysteries along the way; identifying the person stealing land deeds from under the town’s landowners who must now pay an exorbitant tax for the right to stay on their own land and a corrupt deputy on Hawk’s payroll. Wyoming Wild reads like the westerns of yore; is well written, wholesome, and a quick read. I enjoyed every minute of the adventure.

4.17 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese (2022)

Hester will be of particular interest to fans of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as it is the author’s imagining of the woman who inspired the main character, Hester Prynne. For those forced to read The Scarlet Letter and hated the novel, Hester will have you reconsidering your opinion.

The heroine, Isobel Gamble is a gifted needleworker, with a very special talent she keeps hidden from the world. She and her husband Edward, an apothecary with a fondness for opium, leave Scotland for Salem, Massachusetts in the early 1800s to escape Edward’s growing debts. But only days after their arrival, Isobel learns Edward has signed up to be a medic on a departing trade ship. Isobel finds herself penniless and alone in a strange country where she must rely on her needle and her inner strength to make a life for herself.

When Isobel meets a young Nathaniel Hathorne, the two are instantly drawn to one other. They have much in common, Hathorne is haunted by his ancestor’s role in the city’s witch trials and Isobel is troubled by her own special talents. Nathaniel and Isobel grow closer and closer as it becomes doubtful that Edward will ever return from the sea. Like Hester Prynne, Isobel finds Hathorne will not stand by her when she needs him the most.

Lico Albanese’s Hester includes vivid descriptions of the Salem witch trails in the late 1600s and the beginnings of the Underground Railroad in the early 19^th century, as well as a look into how immigrants were treated at that time. I found the book impossible to put down after Isobel arrives in America.

4.0 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon

Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen (2023)

 

Seven years before the story begins, the entire world was hit with a fast moving virus (“The Blinding”), resulting in complete blindness for the entire population. Millions of people died that first year due to panic and the resulting drug overdoses, suicides, rioting, and fires. The following year, Eye Tech, now the most powerful corporation in the world, introduced a cranial implant called a vidder which downloads visual information directly into the brain on what the eyes should be seeing. Blind Spots is the story of what happens when someone learns to hack the technology and can change what the wearer sees.

Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn’t believe her―until he experiences the phenomena himself. No one believes him either until they witness the same thing right before they die. Suspects range from the tech billionaire who designed the vidder to anti-modernity cultists. Owens must investigate them all knowing he can’t trust his own eyes. Parallel to the murder plotline is the internal affairs investigation into the suicide of Owens’s wife Jeanie.

The reader can’t help but draw parallels to today’s world- the COVID pandemic, those that get vaccine and those that won’t or can’t afford it, search engine type results, complete with pop-ups, fake news, and corporations that hold the real power. I found Blind Spots a fascinating read.

3.89 stars on Goodreads, 4.1 on Amazon