Book Review: Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri (A Tuscan Mystery #1)

Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nico Doyle is a retired New York City homicide detective who has recently retired to a small village in the Tuscan countryside.  He moved to Gravinga, his wife's hometown, after she recently passed away.  He spends his days at the local coffee shop, trying out new recipes, and helping his wife's cousin at her family's small restaurant.  Things change when he discovers that a man has been murdered.  Salvatore Perillo is the maresciallo of the local police, and once he discovers Nico's background he requests his help in finding the guilty party.  

The reader is immediately immersed in Tuscany -- the food, the lifestyle, the customs, espresso, wine, and even more food!  The Chianti Classico Expo, a large wine tasting event,  takes place in the middle of the murder investigation.  I loved all the characters, especially Nico and Onewag, the stray dog he adopted.  The interplay between Perillo and his assistant Daniele brings a lot of humor to the story.  All in all, a very charming cozy mystery set in the Tuscan hills.  Highly recommended, and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.  

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Book Review: The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave (Hannah Hall #2)

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me, picking up right where the previous book left off.  Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey have been living (cautiously with the help of Bailey's grandfather) in California.  Fast forward five years and things change.  They are suddenly on the run again after Hannah's husband Owen meets her briefly enough to pass her a thumb drive and warn her to run.  

This is another page-turner and I finished this book in just two days.  Since I read the first in the series a couple of years ago, I was a little hazy on the details.  However, I was able to catch up fairly quickly, and this book fills in some of the plot points and gaps from the first book.  It's certainly a wild ride and I would recommend it for anyone who has read the first installment.

Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

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Book Review: Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson; Translated by Quentin Bates (Dark Iceland #1)

Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ari Thor Arason is living in Reykjavik, Iceland and finishing up his university studies to become a police officer.  He lives with his girlfriend, Kristin, who is in medical school.  He receives a job offer in Siglufjordur, the northern most point in Iceland, and accepts without discussing it with her.  He moves north in November, a season of short daylight and incredible amounts of snow and cold.  While trying to adjust to a new job and a new town, two seemingly unrelated injuries and deaths occur.  Ari Thor works with his two co-workers to uncover what really happened.

This story immerses the reader in a very cold, snowy and lonely town in the middle of winter.  I kept reaching for a blanket to keep me warm as I read the book.  It's a police procedural set in a small town where everyone knows the business of everyone else.  Ari Thor has to step lightly when investigating.  It's relatively slow-paced as thrillers go, but I found myself racing through the pages to find out what happened.  Bonus points for the two maps -- Iceland and Siglufjordur.  It should be a very interesting discussion at my book club next week.  

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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: Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetta #1)

Postmortem by Patricia Daniels Cornwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A serial killer is stalking the women of Richmond, Virginia, brutally killing them while they sleep. Kay Scarpetta is the Chief Medical Examiner and has personally autopsied all of the victims. She teams up with Benton Wesley, an FBI profiler, and Pete Marino, a Richmond detective to find the killer.

I initially read this book back in the 1990s when it was first published, and subsequently read more than twenty of the novels in this series. The current Prime streaming series "Scarpetta"starring Nicole Kidman renewed my interest and I wanted to re-read this book to see if it as compelling as it was 30+ years ago. The answer is YES - it's quite a page-turner and I stayed up way too late several nights in order to finish it. Highly recommended, but I also suggest that you read these books in order (no surprise there because this is almost always my suggestion!).

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Review: The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #3)

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Thursday Murder Club (Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim) are at it again, meeting every Thursday to discuss and hopefully solve cold cases.  First of all there is a money laundering scheme where several people have died -- killed or suicide??  Next, Elizabeth and her husband Stephen are kidnapped by "The Viking" who threatens to kill Joyce if Elizabeth doesn't kill "The Russian."  The four retirees work together and separately to solve these mysteries, but not before a fair number of red herrings, bumbles, and cups of tea!  It's a fast paced cozy and you'll fall in love with camaraderie and friendship shared by these four.  

This is the third book in the series, and I think it's important to read them in order.  In addition, it's helpful to read them in close succession.  There are quite a few characters that appear in each of the books, and it was more almost two years since I read the second in the series and I lost track of some of the peripheral characters.

I'm looking forward to #4 in the series -- The Last Devil to Die -- and also viewing the movie on Netflix!

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Book Review: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Harriet M. Welsch is an 11-year old girl in the 6th grade, living on the upper east side in New York City.  She is an aspiring writer and spy, and spends her days carrying around her notebook, making entries about the people she encounters.  Harriet is a unique individual who doesn't worry what other people think of her until one day.  She accidentally drops her notebook while playing with her classmates and they read the snarky and embarrassing entries she has written about them.  What happens next and how Harriet resolves the situation is genius.  

I absolutely love the sketches in the book of the various individuals that are in Harriet's life.  And I really love the sketch on the cover the classic edition (not the subsequent covers).

I was shocked when I recently read that this book has been banned at various times since it was published in the 1960s for promoting bad behavior, back talk and swearing.  In spite of that, it remains a children's classic.  

I originally read this book in 7th grade and absolutely loved it.  My best friend and I formed a spy club, went around spying on neighbors and writing in our notebooks.  That didn't last too long, but my love for Harriet has endured and it's no surprise that my favorite genre of books is mysteries.  I wanted to read this book as an adult to see if it still captured the charm and uniqueness that is Harriet.  And it does!  On to the second entry in this series - The Long Secret.

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Book Review: The Keeper by Tana French (Cal Hooper #3) (Advanced Reader Copy)

The Keeper by Tana French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4 1/2 stars, upgraded to 5 stars - because it's Tana French!  

This is the third and final book in the Cal Hooper series, set in a small farming village in western Ireland - Ardenkelty.  Rachel Holohan is a young girl who has been dating the son of the town "big shot" for several years and goes missing one night.  She is later found dead in the local river under suspicious circumstances, but it's not determined whether it's a murder or suicide.  Trying to get to the truth, Cal, the men and their dogs take up the investigation.  There are rumors, lies, confrontations, innuendo, threats, subterfuge, bar fights, and more as they try to arrive at the truth of the matter.  

Cal is joined once again by his found family - fiancee Lena and 16-year old Trey.  It is the scenes of the three of them together in Cal's cottage preparing dinner that I really love about this book.  This book series is definitely one that should be read in order, so I recommend reading both The Searcher and The Hunter prior to reading this one.  

Once again, Tana French is at the top of her form in creating an atmosphere and mood while weaving the story, involving us in the mystery, and immersing us in her wonderful language.  I literally could feel the Irish November cold, rain and wind even while I was sitting in the comfort of my reading chair sipping a cuppa tea.

I am anxiously awaiting what to see what Tana French has up her sleeve for her next book.  Don't let me wait too long!! 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking for an advanced reader copy of this book!

Read my review of book #1 in this series - The Searcher.
Ready my review of book #2 in this series - The Hunter.

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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: The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock

The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock by Lucy Worsley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very comprehensive book about the true crimes in England.  I was expecting more about the authors of mysteries and detective, but unfortunately that information was contained in the last 10-15% of the book.  The subtitle of the book is definitely a little misleading!

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Book Review: The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #11)

The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache have settled into retirement at Three Pines, but the former Chief Inspector is called into service when there is a suspicious death and an unsettling discovery in the woods.  Isabelle Lacoste (now the Chief Inspector) and Jean-Guy Beauvoir are on the scene setting up the command center (again!) in the abandoned train station and starting to interview and collect clues.  All of the villagers that we've grown to know and love are there, including a couple of new ones.

This is definitely a series which must be read in order to fully appreciate the characters and the character development.  The actual storyline was not one of my favorites, but any time spent in the village of Three Pines at the bistro among these unique individuals is always time well spent!  I'm looking forward to reading #12 in this series.

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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: Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra (Advance Reader Copy)

Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zach and Bonnie (ages 12 and 9) have been trained by their mother on snow/skiing and outdoor safety techniques since they were very young.  Zach's father has arranged a father/son extreme sport skiing weekend with his big investors in hopes of salvaging his ailing business.  The adults in the group are extreme risk takers - ignoring avalanche warnings, overriding their guide's cautions, ignoring threatening weather, and drinking and taking drugs.  Zach is put into multiple situations where his knowledge and experience help him make the right decisions, but not before his life is put into danger.  

This is the second book I've read by Tracy Sierra.  I thoroughly enjoyed her first book, Nightwatching, and this book is just as page-turning!  I was having problems slogging through a 600+ page book for my book club and wanted a fast-paced book to serve as a palate cleanser -- this was exactly what I needed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book.  It will be published on February 10, 2026.  Place your order now at your local bookseller, or hurry and put your hold on this book at your local library -- you won't regret it!

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Book Review: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fast-paced suspense novel set in and around the Boston Public Library. Four strangers are in the library researching and writing when a scream is heard. The usually silent reading room buzzes with conversation about the scream, and these four quickly form a friendship. The story-within-a-story in epistolary format gives an additional, unique perspective. This is quite a page-turner and I finished the book in about 36-hours, anxious to find out who-dunit! It had everything I look for in a book - mystery, books, libraries, writers, readers, red herrings. Many thanks for NetGalley for the ARC! Highly recommended!

January 2026 Update: I re-read this book for a buddy read book club, and I liked it just as much the second time around! Of course I didn't remember the actual culprit, so the ending was a surprise to me once again. The story-within-a-story works well to add suspense and to keep the reader guessing.

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Book Review: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 1/2 Stars.  Arthur Pepper is a widower whose wife, Miriam, died a year ago.  His world has gotten smaller and more self-centered - he stays at home except for infrequent trips to the grocery, thrives on routine, avoids his do-good neighbor Bernadette who brings him food, and occasionally talks to his adult daughter and son.  Everything changes when he discovers a hidden charm bracelet belonging to his wife that he didn't know she owned.  The charms reflect various aspects of her life - before she met Arthur.  He embarks on a quest to find out more about Miriam and her life  -- he journeys to London and Paris, talks to individuals in India and the local college to piece things together.

Throughout the book we follow Arthur trying to discover what Miriam was like before she met him, and not all of it was positive.  This is a book of love, loss, grief, discovery, hope, and ultimately personal growth.  Arthur is thrown into various uncomfortable situations as he is tracking down the background of each of the charms.  Yet he embraces each of them for what they tell him about his wife.  Overall, it's a feel-good book with a happy ending.  A perfect book to read at the end of 2025, and I'm looking forward to a discussion with my book club.  

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Book Review: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maggie and Ethan are both mystery / thriller authors working for the same publisher.  They have to accept an invitation from an elderly reclusive fan to join the family for Christmas.  

This book has a little bit of everything -- a Christmas house party at a remote English manor, a locked room mystery, a romance between co-workers, secret passageways, a huge snowstorm, a series of related clues, and more!  It was just the book that I needed to read this time of year, and I have been recommending it to all my bookish friends!  I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her books.

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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 Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter #15)

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars.  Andy Carpenter is a defense attorney in Paterson, New Jersey.  His client is Martha Boyer, also known as "Pups" because of all the dogs she has fostered over the years.  The 12 dogs she is currently taking care of vastly exceeds the local zoning law for number of pets, and Andy is representing her in court.  There is a drastic turn of events when the complainant ends up dead, and Andy has to defend Pups of murder.

The story takes place around Christmas, and there are twelve dogs as the title indicates.  However, the core of the novel is the mystery, the cast of characters, and the courtroom drama.  I would refer to this book as a cozy which is what we want for a good Christmas mystery.  This is the first book in the Andy Carpenter series that I have read.  Typically I don't start reading in the middle of a series, but this was a book club selection.  I loved Andy's first person narration of the story, along with his wit and humor, and will probably read more by this author.  

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Book Review: The Likeness by Tana French (Dublin Murder Squad #2)

The Likeness by Tana French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cassie Maddox is former undercover detective with the Dublin Murder Squad, currently working with the Domestic Violence Squad. She is called back to help investigate the murder of a young woman who apparently has assumed Cassie’s undercover name and identify (Lexie Madison), and who also is an identical twin for Cassie. Cassie goes undercover once again, pretending to be Lexie. Over the course of three weeks, she lives at the house and spends all her time with her fellow housemates, trying to figure out who murdered Lexie.

Set in Dublin and the surrounding area, we meet Lexie’s four roommates – Daniel, Justin, Rafe and Abby – who are all students at Trinity University and are very close with similar interests. They live in a huge mansion which Daniel inherited from an uncle, located about an hour outside of Dublin. The house itself almost seems like another character; they spend all their time outside of college in the house – listening to music, cooking, fixing up the house, etc.

Tana French’s writing is a fantastic fusion of literary fiction and mystery / police procedurals. Her character development and descriptions are simply superb. The book gives us an in-depth understanding of what it means to be an undercover detective. I originally read this book in 2019 and just re-read it for a mystery book club discussion. I enjoyed it even more with the second reading. I have read the entire Dublin Murder Squad series and was sad to see it come to an end. However, I have enjoyed French’s other novels as well and am looking forward to the third book in the Cal Hooper trilogy, The Keeper, which is scheduled to be published in March 2026.

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