Book Review: The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This historical fiction novel of the Frick Collection is told in dual timelines in alternating chapters.  In 1919 the Frick family - Henry Clay Frick, wife Adelaide, and daughter Helen Clay Frick - is in residence with all their servants.  Lillian Carter, also known as Angelica, is a model and muse for many sculptures in New York City.  She takes a job as Miss Helen's private secretary, and helps her start the Frick Art Reference / Research Library adjacent to the mansion.

In 1966 Veronica Web is a model from England who snagged a job with Vogue in the Frick Collection.  She is stranded in the house in the middle of a snowstorm after the other models and photographers have left.  Joshua is a part-time Frick archivist and provides her with his extensive knowledge of the family and the house.  

Both women are very young (early 20's) and make some immature and bad decisions due to their circumstances.  In spite of this, I embraced both timelines and the characters, especially Joshua.  

The Frick family and house figure prominently in both storylines - the marvelous art work, sculptures, paintings, lavish furnishings, etc.  This book was extensively researched by the author, as is true with all of her novels.  In her Author's Note, she gives more history and background on the real-life character of Lillian, along with a great bibliography and reading recommendations.  I initially wanted to read this book to find out more about the Frick Collection in New York City.  I visited this museum in May 2025, soon after it reopened after a long renovation from 2021-2025.  

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Book Review: Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (Her Royal Spyness #1)

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, also known as Georgie, is the cousin of King George V of England and 34th in line for the throne.  Without any marriage prospects after her coming out season, her brother has cut off her allowance.  She moves from Castle Raddoch in Scotland to Raddoch House in London in order to find a job and make some money.  

Georgie is without a maid to assist her with the day-to-day royal activities, but is resourceful and creates a job for herself.  She runs into her best friend from finishing school who helps her out, and meets several young eligible men in the process.  A mystery (and hilarity) ensues when she finds a man dead in her bathtub.  Multiple attempts are made on her life, but being Georgie, she just thinks that she is clumsy.  After several twists and turns, everything turns out fine in the end which is good because there are quite a few more books written in this series!

Georgie and friends are fun characters and bring a lot of humor to this book.  The reader really gets a feel for life in the early 1930s London, as well as what it's like to be a 'royal.'  There's high society, fashion, food, and fun in this quick and enjoyable read.  I will definitely be reading more in this series in the future. 

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Book Review: The Address by Fiona Davis

The Address by Fiona Davis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 Stars - This historical fiction book is set in two different time frames (1884 and 1985) and revolves around two different characters (Sara Smythe, the first 'managerette' of The Dakota, and Bailey Camden, an interior designer hired to renovate her cousin's apartment in The Dakota).  We see how The Dakota was initially envisioned and built so far from the rest of the Gilded Age mansion of New York City.  

This book was definitely well researched by the author, and it gives the reader a definite sense of place in 1884.  However, I don't think that the 1985 storyline is nearly as strong or evocative of that time period.  There's a mystery from the 1884 timeline which encompasses most of the second half of the book.  There are some very unsavory scenes resulting from this mystery which I didn't like at all.  In addition, I wasn't fond of either of the main characters.  I think they both made some very bad life decisions which had very serious outcomes for each of them.  

If you are interested in a very fictionalized version of The Dakota history, this book is for you.

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Book Review: Homecoming by Kate Morton

Homecoming by Kate Morton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in various parts of Australian, we learn of a mother and her children being murdered on Christmas Eve in 1959.  In present day (2018), a London journalist is summoned back to Sydney (her hometown) when her grandmother is hospitalized after a terrible fall.  She becomes involved in finding out more about the family tragedy using her journalistic research skills.

This 500 plus page epic novel packs a punch with many genres (mystery, historical fiction, family drama) and touches on a lot of subjects (privilege, infidelity, revenge, secrets and lies, motherhood, investigative journalism, and more).  It also contains a 'book within a book' which is a true crime book written about the murders.  The dual story lines are easy to keep track of; the location and date is given at the beginning of each chapter.  As a reader, you will be drawn into the story and will want to spend the time required to fully appreciate this multi-faceted novel.  This is the first book I've read by Kate Morton, but it certainly won't be the last.  

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Book Review: The Violin Maker's Secret by Evie Woods (Advance Reader Copy)

The Violin Maker's Secret by Evie Woods
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three strangers come together surrounding a violin; they are trying to find out who initially made this violin (the luthier) and its provenance.  Devlin is a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport, Walter is a retired history teacher, and Gabrielle works in the family business of violin appraisal.  Their travels take them from London to Bath, Italy and finally to Dublin to track down the history of this important violin.  

This book has many of the things that I look for in a great book:  found friends, classical music,  musical instruments, and self discovery.  Throw in some magical realism, a little romance, and an encounter with some gangsters and you've got a wonderful, fast-paced story.  Through flashbacks the reader discovers all the individuals that have owned this violin throughout its history ...including Niccolo Paganini!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advance reader copy of this book.

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Book Review: Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars, upgraded to 4 stars.  This novel is told from two points of view as well as dual timelines -- Helaine is a young Jewish woman living in Paris and Louise is a young British woman living in London.  The time frame is 1943-44 during World War II and ten years later.  Helaine was captured and housed at the Parisian department store, Levitan, that was turned into a prison-of-war work camp for Jewish women living in Paris from 'noteworthy' families.  Louise volunteered for the Red Cross during the war, delivering care packages throughout France and Germany.  Both experienced extreme struggles and hardships from the war that extended much further than we realize.

The book was very well researched by the author and provided glimpses into the reality in Western Europe at that time.  However, I felt that the story line was contrived and that there were too many coincidences.  The pacing was rather slow, and the characters a little too saccharine and sentimental.  However, after reading many of the Goodreads reviews, I'm looking forward to reading another book by this author.  

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Book Review: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The basis for this book is a fable, written by Antonius Diogenes in the 2nd century.  It is woven within stories of five different individuals from various points in time and place.  Anna and her sister Maria live in Constantinople in the 14th century.  Omeir is a young boy born with a cleft palate, living with his farming family also in Constantinople.  Zeno lives in Idaho in the 20th century, but also spent time in a POW camp during the Korean War.  Seymour is a young boy on the autism spectrum and lives with his single mother, also in Idaho.  Finally, Konstance is a 12-year old living with her mother and father aboard the Argus starship heading for a distant planet.  

Wow - what a wild ride I went on while reading this book!!  The book jumps back and forth between each of the five main characters, with a portion of the Diogenes fable interspersed at the beginning of each section.  

I really struggled with the first 40% of the book, trying to figure out how the characters all fit together and what was happening.  It finally started to make sense and then I literally flew through the remainder of the book.  I typically don't like non-linear books with diverse storylines, but this one worked.  I would like to read it again with the knowledge I now have about the structure of the book.  

I thoroughly enjoyed discussing it with my book club and came away with a much greater appreciation and knowledge of this book.  

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Book Review: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aidan Bishop is attending a masquerade ball in the early 20th century at the Hardcastle Family's Blackheath Estate, which is a crumbling mansion on a large plot of land including a graveyard.  What he doesn't realize is that Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed and he is responsible for determining the murderer.  Over the course of the next eight days, he takes on the persona of each of the eight guests, trying to figure out their motives and movements over the course of one day. It is a ground-hog like scenario in which he inhabits a different 'host' each day.

This is exactly the type of book that I typically love.  However, I found it very difficult to follow.  Initially it is not apparent that Aidan Bishop is inhabiting each of the mansion's guests, changing them at the beginning of each new day.  Also, there is a large cast of characters; it is difficult to follow and keep all the characters straight.  It would probably benefit me to read the book again, knowing now what I know about the plot. However, it took me several weeks to plow through the book the first time.

Bonus points, however, for the map of the estate inside the front cover and even more bonus points for the Masquerade Ball invitation, which lists the Hardcastle hosts, the guests, and the household staff.  This was invaluable to me in keeping all the characters straight!  I referred to it constantly while reading the book.

To be honest, I think that it would be excellent as an original movie or multi-part streaming service show.  It has great similarities to the Knives Out movies and other streaming mysteries with large casts of characters.  I'm giving it four stars because of the unique premise and the fact that I'm a sucker for lavish British house party mysteries.  But just be aware of the length and complexities of the book before you embark on this 'masquerade mystery.'

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Book Review: The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig

The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a very interesting combination of mystery, legal drama, true crime, and historical fiction. It’s the story of Elma Sands, a young girl who was killed in New York City in 1799. She lived in a boardinghouse with her cousin and her cousin’s family who were Quakers, so we also get a deep dive into the Quaker religion.

Rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr team up to investigate and conduct the trial together – the first murder trial in the United States. In addition to the mystery and the courtroom drama, we get a real feel for NYC at the turn of the 19th century along with the history of Hamilton and Burr.

Lauren Willig is an excellent author who conducted exhaustive research for this book, which is based on actual events. A 20-page Historical Note is included at the end of the novel which gives a lot more history and background information. The book started out a little slow, but picked up considerably when it came to the trial.

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Book Review: The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez

The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an historical fiction novel about the individuals involved with the building of the Panama Canal from 1907-1913.  We meet Francisco who is a fisherman, his son Omar who decides to work on the canal, young Ada who travels from Barbados to earn money for her sister's needed operation, and many more individuals who form this cast of characters.  It may be helpful to keep an ongoing list of the cast of characters and how they relate to one another. 

This was a book club selection, and I was eager to find out more about the actual history and building of the canal.  However, the book focused instead on quite a few individuals involved with the canal, both working directly on the building of it as well as peripherally.  I liked the fact that the author included a map of the area involved.  I certainly didn't realize that the Pacific Ocean is actually east of the Atlantic Ocean at the isthmus of Panama.  

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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!

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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.

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Book Review: The Color of Air by Gail Tsukyama

The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The setting is the small coastal town of Hilu on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1935.  The Mauna Loa volcano has just started erupting again, slowing spreading lava towards the town 40 miles away.  The book focuses on the very close-knit Japanese American community in Hilu and in the neighboring sugar plantation -- shop keepers, fishermen, and cutters or workers on the sugar plantation.  They treat each other like family because they are one very large supportive family group. 

The story is told from multiple points of view:  Koji is a former cutter and now runs the sugar train on the plantation, Daniel is the young doctor who has just returned from medical school and residency in Chicago, and Mariko is Daniel's single mother who worked very hard to send him to medical school.  The story takes place over a six-week period from November 1935 through January 1936, but also includes flashbacks by various individuals to the early 1900s.  

This is the second book that I've read by Gail Tsukiyama.  I fell in love with her writing in Samurai's Garden, and it happened again when reading this book.  Once again I became immersed in her story, experiencing the place and time of the book, learning about the sugar plantation, the food and customs of the Japanese Americans living in Hawaii, and feeling the heat and humidity of Hilu.  Highly recommended!

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Book Review: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (Neapolitan Novels #1)

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the story of two best friends - Elena and Lila - living in the slums of Naples, Italy during the 1950s.  It is the first in a series of four books - The Neapolitan Novels.  The girls both live in the same run-down area of Naples and the book begins when they are in 1st grade and continues until they are 16 years old.  Lila is the strong-willed troublemaker and Elena is the studious and introspective follower.

Reader, be prepared!  There is a Index of Characters at the beginning of the book, however I found it very difficult to keep all the characters and their families straight.  There are nine different families with a total of 47 characters listed, and this doesn't even include other children in each of the families and additional peripheral characters.  

I love the ambiguity of the title - My Brilliant Friend.   Through the majority of the book, we assume that it refers specifically to one of the girls.  However, towards the end of the book , it’s actually the other girl who says it to her friend - “Not for you,” Lila replies ardently, “you’re my brilliant friend, you have to be the best of all, boys and girls.”  Looking at the book as a whole, this phrase can be used to describe each of the girls.

This author and book series kept popping up as recommended, and I had to wait months for the Kindle version from my library.  I started reading it as soon as I downloaded it, but it took me at least 30-40% of the book before I got into the story and the characters.  I was ready to abandon the book several times.  I plugged away at it and finally got caught up with the story, and I'm giving it a strong three stars.  However, I'm not sure whether I'll be reading the three other books in the series.  Time will tell.

Content warning for violence. 

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Book Review: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow - this book was incredible and I'm still thinking about it several days after finishing it. Definitely five stars!! Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in a man's world in the 1950s and 1960s. After being fired for being pregnant without being married, she stumbles upon a job hosting a cooking show on the local TV channel. The show becomes wildly successful due to the way she approach cooking (like a chemistry experiment) and the support that she gives her audience of housewives. She has a very precocious 4-year daughter and a dog named Six-Thirty (the time he followed her home from the market). In my opinion, if you take Dr. Temperance Brennan from the Bones TV show, make her a chemist in the 1960s, and throw in Wes Anderson along with some quirky characters, and you've got Lessons in Chemistry. This is the author's debut novel, and I didn't want it to end. Looking forward to more from Bonnie Garmus in the future.

UPDATE:  I re-read this book in January 2025 after recently watching the Apple TV+ streaming version.  There were a lot of similarities to the book, but also content unique to the TV series.  Both were both entertaining and poignant.  Brie Larson was spot-on in her portrayal of Elizabeth Zott, and I was also very impressed by Lewis Pullman in the role of Calvin Evans.  I would definitely recommend watching this series, especially if you enjoyed the book!

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Book Review: The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (Perveen Mistry #1)

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The setting is Bombay and Calcutta between 1916-1921. Preveen Mistry is one of the first female solicitors (lawyers) in India. By Indian law, she is not permitted to try cases in court, but she works with her father, an esteemed lawyer in Bombay. Omar Farid, a long-term client of her father has died and left three widows. These widows live in isolation and cannot come in contact with men, so it falls to Perveen to talk to them and discover why they have left their inheritance to a charity.

This book is part mystery and part historical fiction. Someone in the Farid household is murdered and a child a missing. Perveen questions everyone, investigates, and assists the local police. More riveting than the mystery is the historical information about the role of women in India in the early 20th century. It is amazing how they were treated and the expectation that their fathers or husbands would make decisions for them in all aspects of their lives.

I read this as a Kindle book, which was very helpful in getting the definitions of many of the Indian terms. When I finished the book, I discovered a glossary in the back; it would have been much more helpful if the publisher had put it in the front so the reader would be aware of it! There are two maps showing various portions of Bombay, so it’s easy to see where the action takes place.  This is the first in a series of four books. 

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Book Review: Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (An American in Paris #1)

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paris...great food...wine...cooking...Julia Child...and MURDER!  What a combination!  Tabitha is a 20-something young woman from Michigan who travels to Paris to live with her grandfather and uncle.  She discovers that she lives across the street from Julia Child.  The day after attending a party at Julia's apartment, they discover that a woman has been murdered in the basement of the building.  Tabitha turns amateur detective to solve this murder along with several other mysteries in this cozy tale.

This was a charming book to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Apparently it is the first in a series, so I'll look forward to reading more by this author.

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Book Review: Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie (Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James #12)

Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 stars. This is the 12th book in the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series set in London. One of Gemma's friends, a Jewish refugee from Germany during the war, discovers that a valuable jewelry piece created by her father and stolen during the war has come up for auction. Gemma and Duncan work together to determine where it came from and also to solve several murders.

The story line is actually set in two different time periods - 1952 and present day. It was difficult to determine which time period I was reading especially because one character figured in both time periods. I can imagine that if I were listening to the audio book it would be even more confusing.

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Book Review: Lone Women by Victor LaValle

Lone Women by Victor LaValle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow - Reading this book was quite a roller coaster of a ride!  The year is 1915 and Adelaide Henry's parents are dead, their house and farm have burned in a fire, and she has packed all her belongings in order to move to Montana to homestead a piece of property.

This book is a little of everything -- a strong woman experiencing a challenging life in rural Montana, historical fiction, suspense, thriller, Western, fantasy, magical realism, and much more.  I don't want to go into much detail because you need to experience it for yourself.  I read this for one of my book clubs, and we really had A LOT to discuss at our meeting!  Listening to the other members really helped clarify some of the plot points and character development.  

I found it very interesting that this author is male, but was able to write the novel with the insight of a very strong female character.  I'm anxious to read more of his books after this experience!

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Book Review: Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the first book I read by Dennis Lehane, but I was SO impressed by his writing.  It's his most recent book, written after a seven year hiatus, which deals with the Boston court-mandated school desegregation in 1974.  It is gritty, violent, and very tough to read.  This may be his last book; he is committed to screenwriting TV and movies, and this book is in the process of being developed into a series for Apple TV.  Content warnings abound - violence, language, and much, much more. 

I really got a sense of place - Boston during the heat of summer in a neighborhood which is experiencing the impending desegregation of their schools.  There are flawed characters, particularly the main character Mary Pat, whose 16-year-old daughter has gone missing the same night as a brutal murder of a black teenager whose car broke down on the wrong side of town.  This book is definitely a tough read, but very informative of a different time and place...or is it really so different from our current situation??

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