Category: mystery

A Letter to the Luminous Deep

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by Sylvie Cathrall

CRUMPLED DRAFT OF LETTER WRITTEN BY HENEREY CLEL, 1002 

My dear E., 

I have thought of nothing else but you and your letter over the past day or so, and I do not intend to start thinking of anything else anytime soon” (pg 257, as well as the back cover)

This novel is an absolute enchantment. It weaves together the genres of Science Fiction, Romance, and Mystery with Victorian overtones in a way that will leave you longing for a time when people narrated their lives through beautifully written letters, or “Automative Post Missives” as they are called in this story. I had the pleasure of both reading and listening to this novel, and I must say, the Audible Book is one of the best multinarrator recitations I’ve ever experienced.

What is the plot? Well, Sophy  (a deep sea scientist/explorer) has lost her sister…her sister E has inexplicitly disappeared. E was a recluse of sorts, finding contentment in her underwater home, that is, until something curious occurs, so curious in fact that she seeks answers. The only way a recluse like E can find answers is to write to someone who may be an expert in such curiosities, Henerey. Charmingly enough, E and Henerey fall in love through their correspondence. When both E and Henerey vanish suddenly, Sophy and Henery’s brother Vyerin begin to work together (through letters, of course) to solve the mystery of their missing siblings. 

The novel comprises not only the letters of E, Henerey, Sophy and Vyerin but also a smattering of letters of other quirky yet charming characters. 

Not only is the plot of this novel intricate and mesmerising but so is the writing. This novel would make the most amazing mentor text for a junior and senior high classroom for a number of reasons: it would teach descriptive writing and how it creates mood and atmosphere as well as characterisation (through tone and word use). 

Teaching figurative language (some letters are incredibly poetic) as well as vocabulary.

Teaching narrative storytelling as well as letter writing ( a lost art, I am sure)

I mean, just read this passage: 

“ I should mention that the water felt different from the lovely sea to which I am accustomed. It seemed to ooze around me- warm and slippery, as though it had thickened like a custard. The sensory unpleasantness of the water, however, could not dim its visual splendour. Despite the imposing darkness, the water possessed a kind of luminescence: an odd purple and green and grey glimmer like the last moments of a sunset” (pg. 239).

 This novel has the potential to inspire readers to write more beautifully. The descriptive passages, such as the ones I’ve shared, can serve as excellent examples for aspiring writers to emulate. I long to write this beautifully!

A beautiful book. I loved it. AND it sets itself up for a sequel!!!! Yay!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Press for the copy.

The Maid’s Secret

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by Nita Prose

Oh, how excited I am to be immersed again in the world of Molly the Maid. Molly is one of the most charming, engaging protagonists I’ve ever met. I desperately needed to catch up with her and her adventures. Thankfully, Nita Prose has graced us with another Molly the Maid novel, which is slightly different from the first two; in this third novel, we get to know Molly’s Gran Flora more intimately through Gran’s journals. Gran’s journal is a series of letters to her granddaughter charting her life as a young girl and ending with her on her deathbed. The reader quickly learns that Gran’s life is nothing like we suspected. Growing up in a family of wealth, Gran/Flora wanted for nought, but with this wealth came social obligations that Flora fought against. Flora was a bit of a rebel; she wanted to go to university instead of finishing school, choose her love (gasp!), and not be obliged to marry someone her parents deemed suitable. 

Gran’s diary holds not only the purpose of telling her granddaughter about her family history but also clues to the mysterious Faberge egg of Gran’s that just so happens to be in Molly’s possession. An egg that, for most of her life, Molly perceived as a mere trinket of no worth, but with the surprise appraisal from thMollly’srown and Beagle” (an Antiques Roadshow-esque event scheduled at the Regency Grand), she discovers that it is worth millions and she is thrust into the spotlight.

Just like the previous two books, this one is also a mystery—one that involves a great heist, the theft of the Faberge Egg! Molly and our friends Juan, Mr. Preston, and Angela, to name a few(because they really are our friends by now), all play a crucial role in solving the case. Their unique skills and perspectives add depth to the story, making the audience feel like they are part of the team. And with all this sleuthing, Molly has to plan her wedding!  

Nita Prose has a unique way of weaving the past and the present in a way that is engaging and easy to follow, with absolutely no errors in continuity. The book is written in alternating chapters of Gran/Flora’s journal and the present-day Molly adventure. This narrative structure adds depth to the characters and keeps the reader engaged. One could easily just read Flora’s chapters as a book in itself. 

Although my favourite chapters were those with Molly and the gang attempting to solve a crime, I did enjoy being immersed in Gran’s world and getting a fuller understanding of her backstory and what made her such a remarkable mentor for Molly. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the copy!

The Mask of Merryvale Manor

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by Pete Sherlock

The Mask of Merryvale Manor is an entertaining and sometimes unsettling mystery. The novel begins on a dark and sultry evening at Natasha Merryvales’s wedding. Natasha and Ben have escaped the wedding party in an attempt to spend time alone together…the only problem is that Ben isn’t the groom; in fact, he is Natasha’s cousin. If this doesn’t complicate matters enough, whilst walking along the bank of the lake, they stumble upon a corpse, half buried in the water. Not only is this discovery shocking to all, but a few family members coincidentally recognise the shoe. They can, therefore, identify the corpse. But there is a dark secret surrounding the dead woman that someone in the family is privy to, and it is so condemning that it could lead someone to murder.

The plot of this novel is engaging enough, although a few segments are rather slow. Ben’s character is also quite interesting. Still, the story is written from his perspective. It is a first-person narrative, so the reader is left wondering exactly how reliable he is. 

I really appreciate the author’s writing skills and story ideas. Still, I did figure out the “guilty party(ies)” (no spoilers) well before the end of the novel.

It’s definitely worth a recommendation.

…plus I think the cover is cool!

Thank you to Fairlight Books and Netgalley for the copy!

I Died on A Tuesday

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by Jane Corry

Have you read this book? I picked this one up at the airport. It is a good “light” read (light as in style and prose, not necessity the subject matter; I mean, it is, after all, about death).

The story is set in the aftermath of a horrific hit-and-run and delves into the consequences and repercussions for everyone involved. 

Twenty years ago, on a quiet seaside road, Janie was riding her bike early in the morning when she was suddenly struck by a white van. But Janie did not die ( now, this isn’t a spoiler because the VERY first chapter is written in italics from Janie’s point of view). Horrifically, Janie remains in a comma, alone with only her thoughts and memories of the life she had led thus far. 

The story is also about Robbie, a famous singer-songwriter and musician. Now Robbie is linked to Janie. You see, he was a passenger in the van that hit her all though years ago, and he is riddled with guilt, not just because he was riding in the vehicle involved in a hit and run, but because he knows who was driving and divulging that truth would put his and his family’s lives at risk. 

The novel is written from alternating points of view: Janie, Robbie and a middle-aged woman named Vanessa. Now, Vanessa’s link to Janie is that her husband was one of the detectives assigned to find the person responsible for Janie’s injuries. Vanesa also serves as a victim’s advocate in court.

There is also a smattering of other characters with chapters written from their points of view, newspaper clippings of the case, diary entries and song lyrics. 

This novel is a perfect vacation novel. It possesses simple themes of guilt, redemption, forgiveness and resilience. Short chapters, varying points of view and a plot filled with twists and turns and connections that, for the most part, the reader can’t see coming. 

The Small Museum

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by Jody Cooksley

What a wonderfully creepy novel about gruesome family secrets hidden behind the facade of a “respectable” family. Madeline Brewster is to be married off to a stranger in an attempt to help her family recover from a scandal. Her husband is none other than the most eligible bachelor in the county, Lucius Everley, a wealthy doctor in need of a young, compliant wife. After the nuptials and Madeline is moved to the Everley estate, she is pretty much abandoned by her husband. Not only is she friendless and alone, but the manor staff treats her like something dragged in from the bottom of a shoe. Sure, her sister-in-law Grace pops in at times, but when she does, Maddie can’t help but feel Grace is taking every opportunity to be the household’s mistress. Soon, in her isolation, Maddie begins to hear strange noises at night, most disturbingly a baby crying. Also, random objects start to appear in her bedroom, objects that once belonged to Lucius’s mother. Madeline begins to suspect something terrible is happening under the roof of her new home; either that or she is going mad.

Well written and highly suspenseful. Cooksley is very successful in slowly building suspense, especially through the atmosphere and the trail of clues she leaves along the way to the climax of the novel.
 
Trigger warning: Infant death

Thank you to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the free copy.

Sweet Fury

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by Sarah Bischoff

I REALLY enjoyed this book. It was the soap-operatic suspenseful novel I needed to get me out of a minor reading slump. Told from various points of view, the reader soon realizes they cannot trust any narrator.

Lila Crayne is beautiful and brilliant. She is THE most sought-after actress of the moment. She has everything she could have ever wished for: beauty, fame, a handsome famous actor as a fiance and now the role of a lifetime. Lila and her husband are producing a feminist version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Tender is the Night” (a rendition I would love to read in real life). For Lila to fully envelope her character, she seeks therapy under the care of Johna Gabriel, who coincidentally has an infatuation with F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story is told in the third person narrative with chapters in first person under the guise of Jonah’s private patient notes on Lila and Lila’s journal. Soon, forbidden attractions occur, secrets are revealed, and half-truths are believed, culminating in a shocking act of violence. 

I enjoyed this novel’s pace, plot, and finding very few characters with redeeming characteristics. Now, I want to go out and read Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the free copy

The Lost Apprentice

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by Tara O’Toole

This novel was just the right thing to get me out of my reading rut. The worst thing possible has happened to Fiadh Whelan: her beloved cousin Muriel has gone missing and is presumed dead, and Faidh suspects that Murial’s coworkers are the only people who know the truth behind her cousin’s disappearance. To get close to these suspects, Faidh had to infiltrate the law firm where her cousin was working. Luckily, Faidh herself was finishing law school and was about to be assigned to a firm that would mentor her in her final term…the same firm her cousin was assigned Heron Early LLP.
There is something sinister happening at Heron Early; law apprentices are being kidnapped and forced to engage in death-defying tasks, all to become part of a secret society of lawyers who dabble in magic and psychological coercion. Will Faidh muster the courage and skill to pass these tasks? She must succeed in these tasks and get to the truth to find closure in Murial’s disappearance.
I love novels set in Ireland, and O’Toole does a lovely job of developing a wonderfully detailed setting and subsequent atmosphere that successfully immerses the reader. This novel is filled with suspense, humour and a dash of romance. It’s a perfect read to help get you out of a reading slump. Although a bit predictable, it was engaging enough to keep me reading, and I finished it in a day. I will definitely be on the lookout for more novels written by the author.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy.

My Darling Dreadful Thing

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by Johanna Van Veen

What a wonderfully gothic tragic love story! I may have found a new favourite author to add to my list. Johanna Van Veen is a master at creating atmosphere. Creepy, sad and at times ominous. Our protagonist, Roos, has had a tragic life. Roos has been made to participate in her abusive mother’s seances since she was a child and showed a connection to the spirit world. She would have likely continued this life if it hadn’t been for a beautiful young widow, Agnes, who participated in a seance one evening. Agnes and Roos quickly find a connection to each other because they share one extraordinary thing in common…they both possess spirit companions. Agnes invites Roos to come and live with her in the decrepit, haunting estate left to her by her husband. Shortly after her arrival,  Roos realized there is more to the estate than first meets the eye. Her spirit companion can feel it too, and soon, strange noises and smells make Roos curious to find what or who else lurks in the hallways of her new home. What she finds is more than disturbing to both her and us, the reader.

The Puzzle Box

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by Danielle Trussoni

The first Trussoni book I read was Angelology…if you haven’t read it, you should. Since then, Trussoni has written a number of books, one of which was The Puzzle Master, where our protagonist is Mike Brink, a fascinating character with ‘acquired savant syndrome. You see since Mike suffered a traumatic brain injury whilst playing football, he’s been able to create and solve intricate puzzles. He sees and, at times, feels patterns and solutions to the most complex and compelling puzzles. In the novel The Puzzle Box, Mike is challenged by Japan’s Imperial Family to open the infamous Dragon Box. But solving this puzzle is more than problematic. It’s deadly. Scores of individuals have died attempting. 

This novel is great fun. I find the character of Mike Brink fascinating; he is brilliant, socially awkward, and silently lonely, and it is hard for someone to understand him and his gift. The premise and plot of this book are highly engaging, and you will have read it in its entirety in a day.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the free copy.

The Foxglove King and the Hemlock Queen

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books 1 and 2 of the Nightshade Crown by Hannah Witten

The Foxglove King

Who doesn’t like a novel about a young woman who has escaped from a cult using only her wits and her ability to wield Death Magic. Unfortunately her wits and her ability aren’t enough for her to escape her entrapment by the Presque Mort (yay for Warrior Monks). Lore is forced by the Presque Mort to work for the king, using her gift to find out what is behind the death of entire villages in the realm (these deaths are being blamed on an enemy country thus causing political tension). What a fabulous premise for great action. 

During this time, Lore becomes entangled in two complicated relationships; one to Gabrial, himself a warrior monk (so yes I’m partial to Gabrial) and the other to Prince Basitan the “pot stirring” heir to the throne.

The Foxglove King is an easy, enjoyable read with a likable heroine and a plot sprinkled with politics, the supernatural and glimmers of romance that is bound to develop in subsequent books.

A perfect series to start this summer!

The Hemlock Queen

So I had to take the time to read the first of Nightshade Crown Series before I could start The Hemlock Queen. Maybe I needed a palate cleanser of a different genre before I read the second in this series because I found the plot a bit plodding and therefore didn’t enjoy it as much as the first.

One of my favourite characters from the series is Gabriel but we didn’t see him as much and therefore was only mildly involved in the plot and in Lore’s character development.

Although I was bored at times, I still enjoyed being immersed in the world building and I still love Lore as our heroine so I will more than likely continue to visit the Sainted King’s Court.

The Heiress

~ Lisa Helm ~ 1 Comment

by Rachel Hawkins

Ok, Rachel Hawkins has again done what she does best…sucks you into a sticky web of murder and secrets, making it impossible to escape until you’ve read the last page. 

The wealthy widow (three times widowed) Ruby McTavish has died, leaving her estate to her son Cam, who wants nothing to do with his mother, her fortune, or his childhood. You see, Cam has made a humble life for himself as a teacher and husband to Jules. He’d much rather have his uncle and cousins deal with the family fortune.

Unfortunately, Cam’s uncle dies, and Jules (who has never met his family and would like to learn more about her husband) encourages Cam to return to the family fold to help with issues surrounding the estate. 

Upon his return, the reader learns of Ruby’s dark past, the circumstances surrounding Cam’s troubled childhood, and the building of a fortune built on blood.

I really enjoyed this book for several reasons:

  • It was a suitable palate cleanser after the heavy literary fiction I had been reading.
  • It was a quick read with a fast-paced plot and interesting characters.
  • It had two storylines that worked successfully together.When I got tired of one, I was sent back to Ruby’s time. 

This is a great novel with enough twists to keep you reading until the very end. It’s a perfect title for your summer TBR.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin,s Press for the free copy

2 New Mystery Novels

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The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill

I enjoyed Gentill’s novel The Woman in the Library, so I was excited to get my hands on this one. Although I wouldn’t say I liked it as much, I still enjoyed it. I liked The brother-sister dynamic between Theo and Gus, Horse (no spoilers), and plot elements (who doesn’t love conspiracy theories, the crazy lives of authors, and murder?).

I didn’t love the pace (too slow for me) and Theo’s stupid choices. I mean, I know she’s only 22, but COME ON!

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It’s a suitable quick read with a somewhat intriguing mystery. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the copy.

The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene

f you love true crime podcasts, unsolved murders, and a protagonist with a ton of baggage (none of it her doing), then you’ll love this novel.

Lindsey Fadley was only 10 years old when her sister Jessica disappeared, and she’s always felt guilty; she WAS the last person to see her. And now, years later, human remains have been found in Doll’s Eye Lake, the same lake where her sister was last seen. Lindsey’s past has literally come back to haunt her in the form of reporters harassing her for information, an old boyfriend that may have ulterior motives and memories that seem nothing but unreliable.

At first, I found this novel VERY predictable. I figured out a guilty party within the first 30 pages. However, there was a twist that made the plot redeemable and, in fact, quite intriguing. I did find Lindesy gullible to the point of annoying; however, the other aspects of Greene’s writing keep me engaged. Overall, it is an engaging mystery. I will be reading more of Greene’s writing.

This novel will be available to purchase in November 2024

Thank you to Crooked Lane and Netgalley for the free copy.

The Book of Love

~ Lisa Helm ~ 2 Comments

by Kelly Link

This novel is only for some, so if you’re expecting a fast, fluffy read that is merely plot-driven, then it’s not for you, BUT it is precisely the kind of novel I love. It’s weird. It has so many moments of “Wait, what?” I can’t wait for a friend or two to read it because I need to discuss it.
I loved it for several reasons. First, the writing is enchanting. I pride myself on being a “fast” reader but I had to slow down and “sip” Link’s prose. I’ve written down SO many quotes (and have even used a couple of them as mini mentor text in teaching). “Every footfall was a strike on a bell stopped with mud. A clot of blood trembling on a rusted wire” (The Book of Love Kelly Link). How VIVID. The imagery is such that I often found myself re-reading excerpts, but slower so I could savour word choice.
Second, I became so attached to the characters, especially Mo. He made me laugh; he made me cry. He made me wonder what choices I would have made if I were in his shoes.
Third, the plot is intricate, twisty, and filled with suspense, humour, shock, and a plethora of WTF moments.
I loved the elements of allegory, which lent themselves so wonderfully to the revelation of themes. What would I do if I was capable of magic? What would I do if I realized the manifestation of my dream was not real and I had to send it away? What would I do with responsibility beyond my imagination when I had NO life experience?
Loved it. It’s not a fast, fluffy read; I had to take my time and read it carefully to appreciate the author’s story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the Copy.