What I've Been Reading - June 2019

I’ve been too busy writing (and finalizing stuff to do with my new Regency romance) to read much, but I have a few good reads to share.

First, I was lucky enough to learn about a free download from Ashley Gardner/Jennifer Ashley, Past Crimes. It includes three novellas, each of which introduces a different series. My favorite was the first one, A Soupçon of Poison. The main character, Kat Holloway, is the cook in a wealthy Victorian-era household. She’s a wonderful character, a joy to read, and her counterpart, a mysterious male, is delightfully intriguing. After reading the novella, I went straight on to read the first full-length book in the series, Death Below Stairs. Also an excellent read! I will definitely go on to enjoy more of this series.

The other two series Ms. Gardner introduces are intriguing, too. The second novella takes place in Ancient Rome, another era I like to read about. The hero is a retired gladiator, and his female counterpart is brilliant. I hope this develops into a long series. The third novella intros the Captain Lacey series, of which I’ve read and enjoyed a few. Anyway, do download Past Crimes, which hopefully will still be free for a while.

Second, Acqua Alta by Donna Leon happened to be on special, so I snapped it up. Her Commissario Brunetti series takes place in Venice, and the city itself is pretty much a character in the series. I was extremely lucky to be given one of her mysteries to read while I was actually in Venice on holiday years ago. I love learning something new when reading fiction, and with each book I learn something fascinating about Venice. This one is about forgery of ancient ceramic art, and if that’s not enough, it takes place when Venice (which already has an excess of water) is flooding. It’s suspenseful, and be warned, there are some violent bits. A gripping read for sure.

That’s it for now,

Barbara