May 2022 Books Read

 

May was filled with great books, HUGE challenges in my life and a much needed vacation where I did whatever the hell I wanted.  With the spring weather I was able to travel all over Montana for my job and that meant some solid windshield time for audiobooks.  May's Audiobook Challenge was an incredible treat as well.  So....let's get to the good stuff, shall we?

*Audiobook 2022 Challenge : "The Atlas of Love" by Laurie Frankel: I originally found this book at a Dollar Store in Utah and was PLEASANTLY surprised by how much I enjoyed the story.  I wasn't sure I'd be able to include it in the audiobook challenge, but was pleasantly proven wrong and found it for purchase on Amazon.  I felt like I had a happy reunion with a group of characters who captured my attention while listening as much as when I read it.  The story line is centered around 3 women who decide they are going to raise the baby birthed by one of them.  The communal parenting goes well and this little boy Atlas is the lucky winner of being loved by 3 mother figures.  It is raw and real mixed with very sweet moments that I just love.  This book is definitely worth your time and a solid PG/maybe PG13 for adult themes and the realities of unexpected pregnancy.  

From the Heart of Crow Country by Joseph Medicine Crow: I'm working on learning about the Native American tribes around me here in Montana and right now I'm studying the Crow people.  This was such a wonderful collection of stories and gave me great insight on their culture and people.  

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton: Next I needed some sassy hilarious regent mystery and this gem did not disappoint.  What happens when a bunch of female pirates decide to solve a murder?  Chaos, but with class....obviously.  This was a light read and I enjoyed it very much.  Rated PG/PG 13 for some mild gore because people get murdered.  

Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown: I rarely read or listen to more than one non-fiction book per month, but Brene Brown's latest book came up on my Libby queue much earlier than expected so I snatched it up while on a trip for work.  She gives definitions of emotions and how they play in to our every day world.  This is a book I may have to buy because it was one that could be underlined and studied over and over.  Brene Brown is genius like that.  I highly recommend this book if you're trying to work through challenging times and struggling to process because you can't label the emotions and how they're connected to events.  

The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner: This was a VERY heavy WWII Jewish refugee story.  A Jewish mother and daughter hide out in a family's barn for almost 2 years until the daughter can be smuggled to safety in a convent.  The story is gripping and very sad.  It also includes accounts of sex for survival (aka rape) which was very hard for me to listen to.  The daughter is a musical prodigy and she creates a song in a story in her head about the yellow bird that sings and this is how she survives the torture of being in hiding.  The themes in this book are difficult to fathom, but they really happened to many people in Europe.  This book is Rated R for violence, sexual assault and heavy themes due to the Holocaust and Nazis.  

Beautiful World, Where are You by Sally Rooney:  I found out about this book on TikTok and the synopsis sounded intriguing so I went for it.  It turned out to be a weird montage of storylines with intertwining singles that ended up in rompy sex often.  I felt like every time I started it up again I'd listen for 5 minutes and they were at it again.  It felt way too Harlequin and I kept hoping there was a point to it all but it was mostly "life is hard, have lots of sex and move on." While that may be the reality for some people, I like a little more plot in my books so I didn't enjoy it at all.  Rated R for all the sex and very little substantive plot.  

A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor: I absolutely LOVED this book and read it in a couple days while I was on my Q2 recharge vacay from work.  Hazel Gaynor is an incredible author and I've yet to read a book of hers that I didn't like.  This story is centered around the flower girls of London and a family who makes it their mission to bring the women off the streets and give them safety, shelter and the skills to have another trade that doesn't involve dangerous conditions on the street.  It was so well-written and reminded me of "My Fair Lady." Hazey Gaynor always does copious amounts of research for her books and you can tell by the details shared throughout the book.  Rated PG13 for some difficult themes related to poverty.  

The Woman at the Light by Joanna Brady: I was on a roll after finishing Hazel Gaynor and jumped head first into this book and finished it within a couple days.  This is a FASCINATING historical fiction about a lighthouse keeper and her family on a secluded island of the Florida Keys in the late 19th century.  This book was spellbinding and I couldn't stop reading it.  There is a big curveball in this one related to race that I'm not going to give away and it gave me a lot to think about.  It was great writing and each of the characters were well developed.  This was another historical fiction piece that was thoroughly researched and it showed in the story line.  Definitely PG13 for the adult themes.  

So, there you go, book friends! I hope you can make time to read and get lost in between the pages of your favorite book!

Until next time, my lovelies!

-R

Check out April's Books Here!!

For Whatever Time We Might Have: "The Witch's Daughter" by Paula Brackston

#Rayloween2018 has been long-anticipated in my world. First and foremost, I HEART Halloween. It is my favorite holiday besides my birthday and the 4th of July. This year I knew that I needed to make it super special because last year was ultra sucky. So, as a part of my Halloween festivities (which started in the last week of August) I decided to broaden my reading horizons and tackle a witchy thriller.  Little did I know that "The Witch's Daughter" by Paula Brackston would fit this description well beyond my imagination I would love it so dang much all the while being a bit scared out of my knickers.  But, it wouldn't be Halloween without a little adrenaline rush, right?

The main character of "The Witch's Daughter" is Bess Hawksmith. Bess comes from a very tightly knit family from early 17th century England.  Her mother is a dedicated healer and by any other definition a witch, but chooses to use her powers only for good. She and Bess experience great sadness when 3 of their family members die from the Black Plague.  Bess' mother can't bear to lose her only daughter and she sacrifices herself to a local warlock who in turn gives her the powers to save Bess from dying. The trade off for this decision is ultimately death because she is discovered to be a witch and is hung. It's really intense from page 1 and I knew If was headed for a really gripping plot once Bess' mother was hung for witchcraft. In exchange for the warlock giving Bess' mother the power to save her, she is required to turn herself over to him and become immortal and a witch herself.  The remainder of the book is sections of her life as she is living in present day and as alter-egos in other time periods.

What I didn't expect was not only some solid time travel, but time travel that would ultimately connect to present day in such a way that had my mind reeling for days.  This entire book was exceptionally written and I found myself making time to read more because I didn't want to leave in the middle of a time travel section because I might miss something good.  Probably my favorite time travel section was set in late 19th century London. Bess' is a doctor who works in a local teaching hospital by day and in the evenings she runs a back-door entrance female clinic for women who have become pregnant through illegal means. The majority of her clients are prostitutes and she shares really intimate and tragic details about her interactions with these women. This section really touched my heart because she knows that she can't change their outcomes, but she also knows that they need the medical help more than anyone because of their chosen professions.  This section gave a very real description of how the lives of women have drastically changed over the years. This was also the section that I was drawn in the most emotionally so when the gripping element manifested itself I almost threw my book across the room because I was so shocked at how everything transpired. Let's just say the laundry didn't get done that afternoon because I was too busy reading 75 pages in one sitting.

One of the many elements I loved about "The Witch's Daughter" was Bess' commitment to using her powers for good. She never sacrificed dignity and honesty for the sake of being a witch. I liked that a lot.  How many times do we have the opportunity to use our voice or our powers for good and perhaps take advantage of it in a bad way? How often do we see this manifested in the public arena, especially with politicians.  I'm always so inspired by people like Will & Kate and Harry & Meghan because they know they are popular, but use their influence for the absolute best they know how.  That is what life should be all about. We should do our best to make use of whatever time we have in life. Doing good should be our primary goal always. This ongoing theme in "The Witch's Daughter" was so inspiring. We see throughout the book, that Bess struggles to do good in the face of evil and almost pulls away from showing emotion because she knows she might hurt mortals.  In spite of the difficulties though she still lets herself be vulnerable and it was moving to read.

This book was probably so intense and gripping for me because I literally experienced all emotions while reading it. The author explored some really heavy themes along with witchcraft and it was some goooood reading. Towards the end of the book I had to take a time-out or two because I was stepping into plot that might lead to some overly vivid dreams. But, it ended in a powerful manner that I loved. I'm also happy to report that their is a sequel and I plan to read it in the next couple months. It will most definitely be featured on the blog as well.

My recommended reading group would be age 18 and above.  It's a Rated R read with heavy adult themes including sex, execution by hanging, prostitution and witchcraft.....isn't that a depressing line-up all in one sentence? I promise it's not all together at the same time, but if this stuff bothers you, just know that each of these topics are legit and come up multiple times in the book.

The moral of the story: Make the most of the time you have. Be kind and use your power for good. Good will always win over evil. Always.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

Missed last week's book review? Click here to read it!

Like what you read above - purchase this book by clicking the Amazon link below! Thank you for reading The Thrifting Ginger.  

Extraordinarily Beautiful & Flawed: "Museum of Extraordinary Things" by Alice Hoffman

According to Alain de Botton, "There’s a whole category of people who miss out by not allowing themselves to be weird enough." I couldn't agree more, and many times I find myself gravitating toward the quirky, weird people because they're so much more interesting.  We are lucky to live in a day when weird is embraced a lot more. However, there was a time in history when those who were weird or different were thought to be cursed and a reason to exploit, mock and make a few bucks while in the process.  This week's book, "Museum of Extraordinary Things" by Alice Hoffman, was one that showcased the twisted oddities of this time in history and was a creepy, fascinating and oddly inspiring read.

First, I will admit that this book was well out of my comfort zone at times, but I was fascinated by the author's writing style.  When I found the book at Goodwill in Helena, MT, I kept going back to it on the shelf and thought this story sounds ultra creepy, but also ultra interesting.  I sent a screen shot to my sister (super cool librarian chick) and got her opinion on it before I purchased it.  Needless to say, we both agreed that this book was coming to the cozy book nook.  Interestingly enough, she is reading the book this week and loves it.

The title is self-explanatory of the setting for the book.  The Museum of Extraordinary Things is a multi-faceted "freak show" on Coney Island, New York during 1911. It is owned and operated by Professor Sardie and his daughter, Coralie, is the resident mermaid.  The story is primarily told from Coralie's perspective, but the author really does an incredible job at weaving in the stories and oddities of each of the characters of the book while connecting them to Coralie's life as the daughter of the Professor and member of the cast.  Each character is deeply flawed, not by choice, and they know it, but also know they need to be employed by the Museum to survive.  The Museum is a popular place and Coralie becomes the center of attractions for her superhuman abilities to breathe under water for long periods of time and her naturally-webbed hands. She too is caught in a place of ethical dilemma, personal pride, but also a need for survival while facing struggles with the demands set by her father. 

Probably the most beautiful connection in this book was that made to Charlotte Brontë's book, "Jane Eyre." Many of you already know this, but "Jane Eyre" is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite classic novel. I read it as a teenager and it spoke to me on numerous levels.  I've read it multiple times since then and have always felt such a connection to Jane and her independence, in spite of her circumstances. However, in "Museum of Extraordinary Things," the author shares a perspective that I never, ever considered. She shares the perspective of what it must have been like to be Mr. Rochester's exiled wife.  Woah. That alone might stop a few of you in your tracks if you've read the book. Bertha Rochester is incredibly crazy and she ends up committing suicide by jumping out the window after she's set the manor on fire. It's tragic because Mr. Rochester is blind, but Charlotte Brontë focuses on him, not Bertha.  But, did you ever think that perhaps Bertha did what she did because she felt like there was no other choice because she was different?

In the book, the author introduces us to a character called the "Wolf Man." He has hair all over his body and, at times in his life, has felt like killing himself would be a better option because he is so ridiculed. The Wolf Man and Coralie become good friends and she sees that there is so much more to this man behind the "fur." He shares with her why he relates to Bertha Rochester because she was the person who was exiled because she was crazy and different and the isolation made her worse.  He shares that because of the Professor he was able to come out of his personal exile and make something of a life for himself.  Eventually he gains the confidence he needs to find a better situation for himself, but in the meantime, the interaction he has with Coralie is a very important piece in the story.  I was so touched by this sub-plot and I think it's what kept me reading the book in spite of the creepy, disturbing stuff.  It was powerful for me personally because I knew exactly how Bertha was portrayed in "Jane Eyre" and could connect those lines far more than someone who had not read the book.  Pure. Genius.

One of the oddities of the book itself is an excessive use of italics.  My sister and I have a theory that the author uses this to indicate the thinking of the person that is speaking. The use of italics serves as a way for the reader to differentiate between Coralie's voice and point of view to that of the museum cast members.  It took me a bit to adjust my brain to reading pages and pages of italics (similar to last week's book with no quotation marks), but I eventually caught on and my brain got used to it.  Don't give up on it. 

When I started this blog, I promised myself that I would read different genres to test my own reading capacity, but that I would also be completely honest and transparent about things in the books I read that were potentially unacceptable or uncomfortable for some of my reading friends. So, I will share with you that this book had one element that really rocked my boat and I had to skip some sections because of my personal book boundaries.  There is some forced voyeurism by the Professor for Coralie to appear in her mermaid tank in the nude.  It was disturbing to be sure, but it was the point of the book that triggered some questions about the remaining story line and that proved to support my theories. If you are sensitive to this type of activity in your reading, I would not recommend you read this book.  I will also share that it's only discussed in approximately one and a half chapters. 

Ultimately, this book ended in such a way that I felt resolve. I wouldn't go straight to happy-ending-mode, but it closed up in a well thought out manner by the author.  She gave lots of time from the climax of the book to the end to tie up the loose ends and I appreciated that very much. 

My recommended reading group would be age 18 and above.  It's a Rated R read for the reasons I listed above as well as some violent behaviors shown towards characters in the book.

The moral of the story: Being extraordinary and flawed doesn't mean we aren't beautiful. It is quite the opposite.  We are beautiful because we are extraordinary and flawed.  Never lose sight of your purpose on earth. We ALL have one.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

Missed last week's book review? Click here to read it!



Other Books by Alice Hoffman

The Mystery of War: "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

Throughout history, humanity has experienced great trial and sadness during times of war.  It is a complete, cold mystery to me how people can choose to be such brutal humans to other humans, but it is a fact that has existed since the beginning of time.  In spite of the turmoil, there are also just as many wonderful stories of people who overcame fear as they courageously fought for what they believed to be true.

As I was searching for mysteries to review during March, I really wanted to share a wide range of authors and plots.  I feel like this was accomplished and there isn't a better book to conclude March than "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse.  This book was, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating books I've read about war-torn Europe during World War 2 and had an intense mystery to solve. This book was a thrifted treasure that I purchased from a dear, local friend whose daughter was selling a bunch of her personal collection.  I scored BIG time for $1/book and this was one of my friend's daughter's favorite books. It's safe to say, she has very good taste in books and I look forward to sharing more reviews of the other books I purchased from her.

"Girl in the Blue Coat" takes place in Amsterdam in 1943. The main character is named Hanneke and she is employed by a local undertaker who has joined the resistance by purchasing scarce items on the Black Market with the ration cards of his deceased clients.  In the eyes of the general public, Hanneke is his secretary, but the majority of her work day is spent purchasing and delivering items to their customers. Each of these customers is also involved in the resistance and they help each other with a number of things, including hiding Jewish people in their homes.  On one occasion, one of Hanneke's customers asks her if she will help her find a Jewish girl who has run away from her hiding place in this woman's home.  Hanneke is not amused that this woman has assumed that her delivering of illegal items automatically means she will help find this girl who had left her home wearing a blue coat. Danger is all around them and attempting to find this girl with a blue coat means she will have to expose herself to another layer of people and run the risk of being outed and killed.

The history research that the author had to do for this book was unbelievable.  She described the mannerisms and behaviors of the Nazi soldiers and the local Third Reich supporters in a way that made me shiver. I've read a LOT of books about Nazi Europe in WW2, but this book really tugged at my heart strings while making me want to spit nails.

One of the events that was described in this book was a local theater which was used as a holding ground for captured Jews until they were transported to one of the concentration camps in Germany.  It was a bleak, smelly and unsanitary environment and Hanneke sneaks in there at one point and nearly passes out from the shock of it all. Across the street from the theater was a children's hospital where a lot of Jewish babies were hid. The staff of the children's hospital were both Jewish and non and they had a smuggling operation set up to send countless babies to homes of people who were part of the efforts to save the Jewish rising generation.  Hanneke is exposed to this operation because one of the Jewish young women who helps smuggle babies is friends with the girl in the blue coat and may have important information to share regarding her whereabouts. The way the author described all of the details of their conversations and interactions while smuggling babies across the city was off the charts.

One of the main themes of the book was the decision a person had to make in order to protect the greater good with the risk of death, if caught.  It is astounding to me the number of people who were willing and passionate about saving as many of their Jewish neighbors as they could.  In the book we are introduced to people who hide their Jewish friends and complete strangers in secret compartments in the wall, under the stairs and in the root cellar.  There were so many characters in the book who felt a deeply-seeded need to join the resistance and save these innocent humans from Hitler and his followers. It was humbling for me to read about a particular character who had devised a way to hide a camera in her bag and baby bassinet so she could take photos of everything she saw the Nazis doing while she was in public.  She explained in the book that she wanted people to see it firsthand someday and know that none of it was a lie. The level of risk in an operation of this nature is incomprehensible.  She could have easily been shot immediately for this kind of behavior.  Her story in particular really made me think about how much risk I would actually take if I was faced with something so horrific as genocide. I'd like to believe I'd be brave enough to hide my friends of a different religion in my home to keep them safe.  So many questions and deep introspection ran through my mind as I read this book.

In the end, the mystery is solved, but it's not without some chapters that you'll have to consciously remember to breathe.  I could NOT believe the intensity I felt from the way the author described the events leading up to the discovery of the girl in the blue coat's identity. It was spectacular writing.

My recommended reading group would be age 16 and above.  It's a PG-13 read with descriptive elements of the Nazi culture, death and great amounts of fear experienced by all ages. It's a bit gruesome at times, but the historical accuracy definitely stands. I think it is a very good book for historical context regarding the holocaust and truly had a satisfying ending for me.

The moral of the story: When faced with the question if we should save and/or stand up for a friend who is different than us the answer should always be YES. Courage and compassion will conquer.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

 

Other Books by Monica Hesse 

Missed last week's book review? Click here to read it!

The Mystery of Love: "The Diary in the Attic" by DeAnna Julie Dodson (Annie's Attic Mysteries)

It goes without being said that falling in love with someone is as complicated as it is wonderful! By complicated I mean alllll the emotion when you meet someone and wondering if they like you. Then there is the task of digging up enough courage to even speak to them in coherent sentences without crying or passing out. Not a single one of us can read minds (damn it) and sometimes the most challenging and complicated part is knowing if it's even worth it to say you like a person to get the ball rolling. Love is a mystery. Men are a mystery. Women are a mystery. But, somewhere in there the moments of happiness seem to make up for it all. So, what if your true love was right there, but had to leave and never came back? How would that change the course of your life? Would it change it at all? All of these questions are presented in "The Diary in the Attic" by DeAnna Julie Dodson and I'm going to share some of my musings on love, mystery and a spot of good luck.

The Annie's Attic Mysteries series is an interesting one and I'm glad I found three of the books in my thrifting adventures.  I really debated if I'd share all three in this post, but I chose not to because "The Diary in the Attic" stands on its own just fine.  In fact, a person could pick it up and read it and not get lost in the characters and their roles in the series.

The entire premise of the series is pretty self explanatory in the title. Each book is solving a mystery about something that Annie has found in her attic of the house that used to be her grandmother's.  They are fun, beachy reads (definition can be found on my other blog) and I keep searching for them because they are great books to read at night before bed.  The one thing that is so very odd to me is the series is written by multiple authors. I have no idea why a franchise would do that to themselves, but alas, that is the fact. When I discovered this after reading the first book I was very skeptical that I would even enjoy other books in the series. Authors are still human (gasp!) and their voice in writing is detectable whether or not they like it.  For me it was very obvious in the second book, but this book was well-written, thus making it a positive experience.

The story is about a mysterious diary that Annie finds while searching for some of her grandmother's linens. Along with the diary is a shoe box of letters from 1943. As she begins to read the letters she starts to put the pieces together and realizes that the two lovers exchanging letters lost touch with each other during World War II. All the items in the attic are connected to Annie's grandmother somehow so she sets out to figure out who these two people are in the letters. As luck would have it (or just, plain cute storytelling) she finds the woman, named Lilly, in a nearby town at an assisted living facility.  She begins to visit with her on a weekly basis and the love story of Lilly and her sweetheart unfolds.

In the midst of learning about Lilly's first love, Annie is wrestling with her own feelings of loving someone new.  She is a widow and has struggled to know if she is capable of loving another man since her husband passed away.  Her love interest in the series is a widower so they share a lot with each other about their deep love for their deceased spouses. They also recognize that they care for each other a lot and it's adorable watching those trains-of-thought develop as Annie visits with Lilly.

This book was a total happy surprise for another reason.....it's written in different POV (point of view) and uses flashbacks to tell the story.  This style of writing is my absolute favorite! I loved that aspect and it kept me on my toes to follow who was talking in present day, who was talking in past tense and how they were connected.  Brilliant portrayal of WWII and the events following it; in addition to fantastic present-day plot line. 

Overall this was a different kind of mystery because it didn't involve murder, espionage or hiding in the forest to catch the suspect. I appreciated a more pleasant mystery centered around family history and young love. This was a great way to lead in to February and my personal focus each year on expressing my love and appreciation to those around me.

My recommended reading group would be age 12 and above.  It's a PG read with a refreshing group of characters and some interesting history of WWII and post-war Germany.

The moral of the story: Never give up on love. It may feel like the most unsolvable mystery ever, but if you're meant to be together it will happen.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

Other Annie's Attic Mysteries

Missed last week's book review? Click here to read it!

Vintage Mysteries Rock: Nancy Drew's "The Mystery at Lilac Inn" by Carolyn Keene

It wouldn't be a true month of mystery without including one the most well-known and beloved mystery book series, Nancy Drew Mystery Series. I grew up reading my Dad's collection of the Hardy Boys series, but we also loved the Nancy Drew Mystery Series. My late paternal grandmother loved giving us books for Christmas and often she would include some awesome vintage books as well.  When I decided to feature mysteries in March, I told my sister (super cool librarian chick) that I really wanted to include a Nancy Drew book.  She lives in a city with an awesome Goodwill so I asked her to go scope out their book section to see if they had any copies from the series.  As luck would have it, they totally had two! She purchased both and sent them my way last week.

I've decided to share my musings on "The Mystery at Lilac Inn" by Carolyn Keene. This is book four in the mystery series. It was a fun read with a great plot and legit suspense as they solved the mystery at hand.

It's been a long time since I read a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery so I decided to look up some of the history to refresh my memory.  I actually learned some new fun facts! The Nancy Drew Mystery Series was created to be a female counterpart to the Hardy Boys. The original creator was  Edward Stratemeyer, a successful publisher. The author Carolyn Keene was actually a pseudonym for a collective group of authors including Edward Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Adams.  The books were first published in the 1930s and have since been reprinted multiple times over the years.

I, along with generations of female readers, enjoy the strong character and willpower of Nancy Drew.  She may dress pretty and act prim and proper when necessary, but she has a brain and she uses it to solve each of her mysteries.  In terms of the era in which these books were published, that was something out of the ordinary for female fictional characters. As a result, many women were inspired to blaze their own trails and make a name for themselves because of Nancy Drew's example.

In The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Nancy is presented with a list of suspicious events that continue to occur at her friend's Inn.  One of the main events is several sightings of a ghost woman who looks very similar to Nancy Drew.  One event after another finally leads them to the root of the mystery and I will admit, it wasn't the person I thought it would be. For me that is the true sign of a good mystery. As I mentioned in last week's review, I love it when I'm left guessing until the last few chapters. A good author isn't going to give away the suspect half-way through because then the reader doesn't have to finish the book.

I finished this book quite quickly because the story flowed really well and it was short compared to the other books I've been reading.  It was a great book to read and reminded me why I thoroughly enjoyed both Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys as a youth.

This book would be a really fun book to read with the little humans in your life who may need some extra practice with chapter books. When I announced I was reading this book on my social media platforms, many of my friends and family shared that they had either read these as kids or read them to their own children when they were younger. The author does a great job at describing scenes and events so it's a book that a person can easily get lost in reading silently or aloud.

My recommended reading group is all ages! As previously mentioned, it's great for kids through adults and is just a good, clean mystery.  There is still a solid dose of suspense, but it doesn't get crazy gory or scary. It's fantastic.

The moral of the story: Nothing beats a classic, vintage mystery.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

Other Nancy Drew Mysteries

Missed last week's book review? Click here to read it!

Glamour & Mystery: The Marjorie McClelland Mystery Series by Amy Patricia Meade

I often wonder if I was born in the correct era. If I could wear fancy dresses, hats and mandatory red lipstick every day I totally would.  But, not just any kind of fancy dress. I love a dress with fluttery sleeves, fringe and sass. When I swoon over fashion of years gone by, I'm always drawn to the fashion of the 1920s and 1930s. So, when my sister (a super cool librarian chick) presented me with The Marjorie McClelland Mystery Series by Amy Patricia Meade, I was elated! The best part? They were freeeee because she went diving in the discard bin at work and found three of the four books from the series.  As soon as I looked them up on Amazon I knew they were going to be a total hit and I was right.

As I said, these books came from the discard bin at the library where my awesome sister works.  Previous to finding the books she was unaware that employees could take books from the discard bin home. One day I got a text message from her informing me she had found a mystery series that I was sure to love. She also sent photos of the covers and I was hooked on the cover art alone. That's nothing new.....I'm always a sucker for good cover art. The only catch was book two of the series was not included.  I decided to read the first book to see if I liked the series at all before I committed to buying a used copy of book two on Amazon.  As you may have guessed, book one went very well, and here we are talking about the series as a whole.

First of all, you have to read all four books in the correct order to capture the entire story.  Each book has a different mystery, but the ongoing story line is not tied up until book four.  These books reminded me of "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries," a wonderful Australian TV series on Netflix. I've watched all three seasons multiple times and still love to figure out who was the mysterious murderer.  Really fantastic series with impeccable costumes that fit the historical period perfectly.

Our characters in the Marjorie McClelland series are: Marjorie McClelland, a published authoress-turned detective (in her mind anyway); Robert Jameson, the actual police detective; and Creighton Ashcroft, the dashing English millionaire who has recently moved to town and becomes Marjorie's unofficial, but official-when-needed book editor. Creighton also has feelings for Marjorie, but Marjorie has feelings for Detective Jameson, so things get interesting....to say the least.

In book one, "The Million Dollar Baby," Creighton discover a human skeleton on his newly-purchased property. He also knows the house experienced a suspicious death of the previous owner many years prior and he is determined to get to the bottom of it all.  In the midst of this, there are a number of people who are out to destroy evidence in all its forms.  We are also introduced to Emily Patterson who is the boarding house owner where Creighton stays while his home is under investigation. Mrs. Patterson's boarding house is a few doors down from Marjorie's home so they frequently spend time together.  Marjorie is an orphan so she looks to Mrs. Patterson as a motherly figure.  The mystery in book one is gripping.  One thing I seriously loved about these books is how well the author desguised the guilty party. This is one of the main reasons why I love "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" as well. Both have guilty suspects who are most unexpected. I was totally blindsided with the guilty party in every single one of the books!

Book two, "Ghost of a Chance," was my absolute favorite mystery of the four. It was ultra complicated and when everything was revealed, I sat on my couch and yelled, "are you kidding me?!" The nice thing about books two through four is they are much shorter than book one.  Not sure why the author did that, but I was glad the other three books didn't take as long to read. Even though these books have to be read in order, book two was just fantastic. The mystery is pretty creepy, if I do say so myself, and was very difficult to pin point who did it.  The way the author describes every detail is so great and I could see the settings and costumes in my mind.

Book three, "Shadow Waltz," was probably the most gnarly of mysteries. I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to blood and guts being overly described and this mystery included a dismembered human. The mystery itself and the identity of the guilty party was totally crazy and I was dumbfounded when all the pieces came together. In the midst of the gnarly mystery, the love interest between Marjorie and Creighton is in its cutest moments. This element totally offset the details that made my stomach turn a bit.

Book four, "Black Moonlight," is the only book with a different location.  If I give toooo much away you won't look them up to find out more.  Suffice it to say, Marjorie and Creighton find themselves in the middle of a mystery that now includes some of Creighton's crazy family members! This book felt like an adaptation of the board game, "Clue." In the book there were lots of suspects due to it being a large family gathering, there were plenty of prospective murder weapons laying around and ample rooms to commit a murder. I thought that it might make it more challenging to keep the mystery interesting with a secluded location and only family members, but I was happily wrong.  The guilty party was still someone I least expected and I loved it! After I finished each book (sometimes in the middle of the night) I would text my sister and share my delight on how fabulous the book had been.  When I finished book four I was kind of sad that it was all over because it was like I was transported to 1939 with Marjorie and Creighton and I loved it.

My recommended reading group would be age 16 and above.  It's a PG read with some graphic descriptions of dead bodies and some suspenseful elements.  One of the best parts of these books, other than what I previously shared, is the sex is briefly implied and that's it. I thought it was totally appropriate with the social customs of the era and I appreciated that the author stuck to that instead of sexualizing the story prematurely for the sake of captivating readers.

The moral of the story: Never judge a book by its cover and never judge the neighbors by their outfits, fancy car or number of house staff member. Murderers exist in every class.  Oh, and never travel without red lipstick. It makes a damn good statement when needed.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

Missed last week's book review? Click here to read it!