Friday, January 5, 2018

Friday Linkups - Death Below Stairs















It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
What are your 5 most favorite books in 2017?

My Answer:
Oh this is a good one!  I read a lot of great books in 2017 but I think my favorites were -
The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn
The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
The Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan

I'm sure I'm forgetting more than a few but these were the first 5 that entered my head.

This week's book is one I've been seeing everywhere - Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley.  I love a good historical mystery and I love the Below Stairs aspect of this one.  I'm really enjoying so far and I've seen some good reviews for it so my expectations are high!

The Beginning:
London, March 1881
I had not been long at my post in Mount Street, Mayfair, when my employer's sister came to some calamity.

My Thoughts:
I love the word calamity!  I really like the beginning of this one.  It instantly makes me wonder just what happened to the employer's sister.

The 56:
The bowl was a mortar, small and deep - a cook or cook's assistant would grind spice or seeds in it with a pestle.  The side of the bowl bore a dried rivulet of blood.

My Thoughts:
I love the image of this.  Such an ordinary item turned forbidding with one little comment.

What do you think?  Keep reading?  What were some of your favorite reads for 2017?

27 comments:

  1. I would keep reading! I love the downstairs aspect too- looks like a great mystery.

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  2. I want to read THE COTTINGLEY SECRET and THE CHILBURY LADIES CHOIR - soon. Well, maybe soon. DEATH BELOW STAIRS looks good.

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  3. This was a really good book. I’d love for you and your readers to check out mine . . . https://tinyurl.com/LisaKsBookReviewsCFF-GStour

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  4. DEATH BELOW THE STAIRS looks so good...I love books set in that time period.

    Great favorite books...the only one I have read is THE COTTINGLEY SECRET.

    ENJOY your books and your weekend.

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  5. It is always so hard to narrow down to 5 books!!! Happy reading this weekend!

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  6. I enjoyed this one and am looking forward to further adventures. This week I'm reading The English Wife by Lauren Willig. Happy reading!

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  7. This one sounds delightful! Great excerpts...and that 56 made me cringe just a bit. Thanks for sharing, and here's mine: “NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT”

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  8. Oh, this looks good! I love the word calamity, too!

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  9. Calamity is always a good thing in a book! Definitely loved the Chilbury Ladies Choir. Did you read The Alice Network? That was great.

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  10. Just saw Death Below Stairs on Kim's blog. Looks fantastic. Keep reading!

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  11. I'm curious for more. Happy weekend!

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  12. I was just going to comment on the word "calamity" too then I noticed your comment. It is not an oft used word and maybe it should be.

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  13. Death Below Stairs sounds like a really good book. I want to know why there is blood in the bowl.

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  14. Sounds really good. I definitely want to know more.

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  15. Your quotes definitely have me intrigued to know more. This sounds like a fantastic mystery. I hope that you enjoy it! :)

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  16. I haven't read any of these. Thanks for sharing!

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  17. Blood? I'm intrigued! Hope you enjoy your weekend!

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  18. This sounds like a really great mystery! Hope you enjoy! Have a great weekend! :)

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  19. I had so many intentions to read A Christmas Carol this past Christmas and I totally didn't. I am hoping I am more successful for the next holiday season. Great list! :)

    My Book Blogger Hop

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  20. Interesting list, Katherine! The only one I'm familiar with is "A Christmas Carol". That book will always top my book lists! I need to reread it.

    As for the other books, I haven't heard of them, but I'll check them out on Goodreads!

    Oh, and "Death Below Stairs" sure looks GREAT! I'm adding it to my GR shelves!!

    Thanks for the recs!! Thanks as well for commenting on my BBH post!! <3 :)

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  21. I hope you are enjoying Death Below Stairs! I love your list of favorites. I hope to read The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor this year. And isn't The Christmas Carol great?

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  22. Ooh, I'm going to have to add this to my tbr! :)

    Lauren @ Always Me

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  23. Death Below Stairs sounds like a fabulous read! The lines you shared make me want to read it even more.

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  24. I like the sound of this book. I'm glad you have further affirmed this read.
    Oh yes, there was a lot going on in Murder at the Vicarage. I felt the vicar was running around to here and there constantly and finding out new tidbits about ppl. I have the second book on my series-to-continue TBR.
    I really like the Loretta Chase book. I'm only about halfway in but I feel it's different from most historical romances.

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  25. I really enjoyed Death Below Stairs. A little different but interesting seeing the whole kitchen aspect. The cook in me loved that :)

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