Book Review: The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose (Molly the Maid #3)

The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Molly Gray, the maid, is back in the third book of this series.  We see Molly's role at the Regency Grand Hotel expand to include the Special Events Manager.  Her marriage to Juan is fast approaching, but first is an upcoming event at the hotel - hosting the famous antique appraisal team of Brown and Beagle.  She takes several of her Gran's items for appraisal and encounters quite a surprise.

The story is told in dual timelines - alternating chapters between Molly in the present day and her Gran's diary which gives us the extensive back story of her grandmother's childhood and adulthood.

This book is just as charming as the first two (and the Christmas novella).  Don't worry, Gran's favorite sayings continue to be included.  The big bonus is finding out about Gran's and Molly's mother's experiences.  It is a quick yet delightful read, giving me a warm feeling about Molly and the other characters.  Looking forward to Nita Prose's next Molly Gray adventure.

Thank you very much to Ballantine Books and NetGally for an advance reader copy of this book.  It was recently published on April 8, 2025.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Women by Kristin Hannah

The Women by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Frances (Frankie) McGrath is a young socialite living on Coronado Island near San Diego. She led a sheltered life of wealth, country clubs, an all-girls Catholic high school and a small nearby college for her nursing degree. The year is 1966 and her older brother is following the family expectations to join the Army and go to Viet Nam. Shortly after his departure, his family receives word that he was killed in action.

Frankie immediately decides to join the Army as a nurse and go to Viet Nam. Her life is changed there in many ways: the horrors of war that she sees, the nursing / medical skills she acquires, and the close friendships she develops. This is not only the story of Frankie's time in Viet Nam, but more importantly her time after returning to her home and family.

She carries a lot of baggage with her when she returns stateside after two tours of duty -- horrible nightmares, inadequate coping skills, bad decisions, PTSD, and more. We share Frankie’s successes, her loves, losses, struggles and finally when she finds herself and can surge ahead in life. This is a tough book to read, but incredibly moving and poignant.

Wow! What an amazing book! The author does a fantastic job at transporting the reader into the 1960s – the music, the description of the clothing, the political unrest and protests, etc. This is definitely going to be one of my favorite books of the year. Kristin Hannah is a relatively new author to me; I've only read The Great Alone but you can be sure that I'll be reading many more of her books. Lots to choose from!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon (Commissario Guide Brunetti #1)

Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Helmut Wellauer, the famous operatic conductor, dies under mysterious circumstances at La Fenice in Venice.  Commissario Guido Brunetti is assigned to the case, and we follow as he conducts interviews, meets with the conductor's family and friends, attends parties to get the local gossip, and follows many other leads.  He uncovers many unsavory things about the man and carefully arrives as the answer to who killed him and what their motivation was. 

This is the first book that I've read in the Guido Brunetti mystery.  I keep seeing this Donna Leon series recommended to those who love Louise Penny and Tana French books - both of which I devour.  It certainly gives the reader a sense of place - Venice!! - with all the food, wine, architecture, history, and water travel.  Bonus points for the maps that are included in the Kindle version!  I am definitely looking forward to the second book in this series!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.


View all my reviews

Book Review: Grains for Every Season: Rethinking Our Way with Grains by Joshua McFadden

Grains for Every Season: Rethinking Our Way with Grains by Joshua McFadden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent cookbook and reference book for cooking virtually every kind of grain.  There are recipes, but the most important information is contained on the first page of each section:  Why he loves it, what it tastes like; common forms; favorite ways to prepare it; how it's good for you; the uncooked weight of 1 cup; how much 1 cup is cooked; the ratio for cooking, and the method of cooking.  Wonderful color photographs, along with fold-out charts - grain bowls, stir fry, pilaf dishes.

I checked this book out of the library because I wanted to add more grains to our diet.  This is truly a go-to book with everything I need to know!  Highly recommended!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Poet by Michael Connelly (Jack McEvoy #1)

The Poet by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jack McEvoy is a Denver newspaper crime reporter.  His twin brother Sean was a police detective who apparently commited suicide.  Jack investigates and discovers some inconsistencies, which leads him to research the suicides of other police officers across the country.  This brings him to the FBI and he ends up getting embedded in their nationwide search for a serial killer. 

I am a long-time fan of Michael Connelly's and have read all of his Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard series.  This is the first book in his Jack McEvoy series and was written in 1996.  The reader is taken back to experience pay phones, dial-up modems, and fax machines as methods of communication.  The reader has a peak at his life as a crime reporter prior to starting to write novels.   I was fascinated by his description of research methods and questioning involved in a story.  This book is long (about 600 pages) and very detailed, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.  However, the story grabbed me on the first page and didn't get go until I finished the final paragraph -- what a roller coaster ride!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jessie Redmon Fauset moves to Harlem from Washington D.C. in 1919 to take a position as the first literary editor of The Crisis, the NAACP magazine.  She works with W.E.B. DuBois in a position that he created for her.  Over the next six years she becomes "the midwife of the literary side of the New Negro Movement and the Harlem Renaissance" through her work at the magazine and the young authors and poets she mentors -- Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and more.  She is also in a longstanding relationship with W.E.B. DuBois, much to the chagrin of her family members. 

This was a fascinating account of a time and place I was not very familiar with.  The reader is immersed in the setting of Harlem and New York City from 1919-1925 -- restaurants, music, jazz clubs, literature, poetry and more.  Jessie's role in the development of these authors was profound; she was an inspirational Black author, editor and business woman, paving the way for others to follow.  

Once again, I loved Victoria Christopher Murray's writing and her ability to bring historical figures to life through her well-researched fiction.  I first became aware of her writing with The Personal Librarian, another historical fiction book that she wrote with Marie Benedict about Belle da Costa Greene, the personal librarian to J. P. Morgan.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

View all my reviews