B Reviews / B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Reads1940s / amateur sleuths / banter / England / female friendship / historical mystery / London / matchmakers / Post WWII / spy / widow4 Comments
Dear Allison Montclair, I heard good things about you debut historical mystery, The Right Sort of Man, from Barb in Maryland and Liz McCausland. The book concerns two women, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, who open a marriage bureau (matchmaking agency) together in 1946 England. Even though I don’t usually ... more >
B- Reviews / Book ReviewsHistorical fiction / historical mystery / Lady Sherlock series7 Comments
Disclosure: Sherry Thomas is my friend and critique partner and I critiqued this manuscript. — Janine Dear Ms. Thomas: In preparation for this review I reread my reviews of the previous three books in the series – I gave book one a B- and books two and three each a ... more >
Book ReviewsEssays / Fiction / historical mystery / historical romance / Memoir / mystery/thriller / Reading lists / Suspense Fiction8 Comments
Read and reviewed: Game On, Ruth, Midsummer Moon The Lover’s Knot by Erin Satie This was reviewed by Jane back in 2014. I agree with her point about the nature of the heroine’s memory issue being fuzzy – it actually took me a while to understand that Sophie even had an ... more >
Book Reviews / DNF Reviewsclass differences / England / historical mystery / Post WWII / social changeComments Off on REVIEW: The Antique Dealer’s Daughter by Lorna Gray
The Cotswolds, Summer, 1947 In the aftermath of war, Emily Sutton struggles to find her place in a world irrevocably changed by conflict. When she refuses to follow tradition and join her father’s antiques business – or get married – her parents send her for an ‘improving’ stay with her ... more >
B Reviews / Book Reviews / C+ Reviewsancient-Rome / family relationships / First-Person / Flavia Albia series / Historical / historical mystery / murder-investigation / Private-investigatorComments Off on REVIEW: Deadly Election: A Flavia Albia Novel by Lindsey Davis
In the first century A.D., during Domitian’s reign, Flavia Albia is ready for a short break from her family. So despite the oppressive July heat, she returns to Rome, leaving them at their place on the coast. Albia, daughter of Marcus Didius Falco, the famed private informer (now retired), has ... more >
B Reviews / Book Reviewsancient-Rome / family relationships / First-Person / Flavia Albia series / Historical / historical mystery / murder-investigation / Private-investigator4 Comments
“There are rules for private informers accepting a new case. Never take on clients who cannot pay you. Never do favours for friends. Don’t work with relatives. If, like me, you are a woman, keep clear of men you find attractive. “Will I never learn?” In Ancient Rome, the number ... more >