In February, continued reading the books I received for Christmas and they were delightful.
Jane and the Wandering Eye by Stephanie Barrom
I’ve been reading this series for a while now. They are a series of murder mysteries, purported to be from Jane Austen’s letters, in which Jane herself is the sleuth. If you like Jane Austen, and you like mysteries–I like both–these are for you. Rather than rushing through them, I am saving them for Christmas and birthdays to make them last.
The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Shillace
I was so happy when I finished this and found there was a sequel on the way. This is another book I saw recommended somewhere. It’s the story of Jo, an autistic American reeling from a recent divorce and a job loss, who has relocated to England to live on the grand but crumbling estate she inherited from an uncle she never knew. That;s plenty to be interesting all by itself but throw in an intriguing bunch of characters, a murder, and a mystery about the folks who lived in the house, and you’ve got an unusual and absorbing read.
Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb
You may have heard of The Violin Conspiracy, the author’s debut work, which I read during the pandemic for one of the Georgetown book clubs I was participating in back then. Slocumb’s books are like nothing I’ve ever read–music and mystery and the Black experience are a unique combination. I’ve read all of his books and this is my favorite, featuring an autistic woman in a time before anyone had a name for that, who turns out to be a musical genius. The book tells her story–in the past–along with the present-day protagonist’s story. I know already that this will be one of my top reads for the year.
Death in Diamonds by S.J. Bennett
Another winnding entry in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series–whcih I am thrilled to report has a 6th installment in production! The first books were about the elderly Queen, while this one goes back to the earlier days of her rule.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Here is another one–a book club choice–that is destined for the top ten list. It’s a colonial mystery featuring a midwife who really lived and whose terse journal entries for much of the inspiration for the author’s tale. Lawhorn brings that characters and the setting to life, and makes them relatable across 200 years of time. This is a book I want other people to read.
The Locked Door by Freida McFadden
This is the creepy tale of a child who has no idea that her father is a serial killer until she ventures down into his basement workroom . . . as an adult, could it be that she is still carrying out her father’s gruesome work?
The Teacher by Freida McFadden
Oh, goodness, this was a page-turner with a twist at the end that I did not see coming AT ALL. A truly creepy tale where you will end up not really liking any of the characters.
Seven books in February–that’s one every four days. But I surpassed myself in March.
