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Long time no post -- I've been overwhelmed with other stuff. But anyway, here are my thoughts on a few books I read recently.
The Secret Agent is a brilliant story – realistic, suspenseful, and in places heartrending. It must have taken astonishing courage to be part of the French Resistance during WW2.
The best compliment I can give to a book is that the characters live on in my mind after I finish reading it—and the characters in this one surely do. I can’t help but imagine their lives afterwards and hope for the best for all concerned – even the parents of a German soldier. It also made me want to visit Nantes so I can see the setting for myself. Highly recommended.
Midwinter Magic by Stella Riley is the perfect wrap-up for the Rockliffe series.
It took me a few minutes to remember who some of the many characters are (because it’s a while since I read the six novels in the series), but once I got past that I loved this story. It ties up a few…not exactly loose ends, but it makes everyone’s ending overall more satisfying. A lovely, heartwarming read.
The Montgomery Murder is the first in a series about a group of orphaned boys in Victorian-era London.
Their life is tough, but they’re courageous and competent at fending for themselves. There’s lots of danger and suspense and some hair-raising moments, but they have the smarts and the persistence to solve a murder.
The dynamics of the group, especially re the blind brother and
the spoiled cousin, are very well done. It’s a YA, but it’s a satisfying read
for an adult, too. I went on and read the next in the series, and it was also a good read.
A Knife in Darkness is the first in a series about a young
doctor’s wife in rural Scotland in the early 1800s.
The setting was intriguing,
the mystery was solid – and I should
have guessed it sooner! – and the dynamics between the doctor and his wife, who
are newlyweds, and a guest in their home, were particularly well done. A great beginning to what promises to be an excellent series.
