We Three Queens - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads: We Three Queens (A Royal Spyness Mystery #18) by Rhys Bowen

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  New mother Lady Georgiana "Georgie" Rannoch finds herself trying to separate fact from fiction when a murder occurs while a film is being made on the grounds of her estate in a new Royal Spyness Mystery from beloved bestselling author Rhys Bowen.

It's late 1936, and King Edward is in turmoil, having fallen in love with the scandalously divorced and even more scandalously American Wallis Simpson. He wants to marry her but knows that doing so will jeopardize his crown. Edward confides in his dear friend Darcy, Georgie's husband, and the couple agree to hide Wallis in their home while Edward figures out what to do. But unbeknownst to Georgie and Darcy, Sir Hubert, the owner of the estate, has given a film crew permission to shoot a motion picture about Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn on the grounds. Trying to keep Mrs. Simpson hidden while raising a newborn baby seems like it couldn't be any more stressful for the Rannochs, until one of the stars of the film is found murdered on set. Georgie must solve the murder for king and country before scandal threatens to envelop them all.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy/Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I've really been enjoying this series so of course I had to read the newest book!

My Impression: Oh, what a long way Georgie has come since her Royal Spyness days!  Of course, the Royal family is still meddling in her life - this time with King Edward (aka Georgie's cousin David) foisting "that woman" on Georgie's household to keep her out of the way of the media.  But it isn't only Georgie's royal cousins that are causing chaos.  Her godfather, Sir Hubert, has invited a film crew to film a movie on the grounds of the estate.  Georgie learns to late the true meaning of "give someone an inch and they'll take a mile".  The film crew quickly finds their way inside and what was supposed to be a quick few days and an easy way to add to the estate's coffers turns into tripping over film crews on the way down to breakfast.  Add in kidnapping and eventually a murder and Georgie isn't really able to enjoy her quiet life in the country as a new mother.

I love seeing Georgie more comfortable in her role both as lady of the manor and just in her own skin.  I normally cringe whenever Fig and Queenie get in any page time but here they added some comic relief and I enjoyed their roles.  Fig is still the worst and Queenie still breaks everything she touches but their hold over Georgie isn't quite as strong as it was previously.  

While chaos and hijinks started pretty early on in the book it took quite a while for the crimes to show up.  The murder doesn't happen until almost three quarters of the way through the book and the kidnapping doesn't happen until almost halfway through.   While the pacing is fast and there's a lot going on well before than this didn't bother me at all but if you are new to the series it might impact your enjoyment.  

This is a fun series that just seems to be getting better.  I can't wait to see what happens as the timeline gets closer to World War II - especially considering that Georgie's mother is living in Germany at this point.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  I've enjoyed everything I've read by this author and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books!

Would I Recommend this Book? I would definitely recommend this series if you enjoy mysteries and especially if you are interested in the between the wars time period.  I would recommend starting with an earlier book as there are a lot of characters and complicated relationships.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always, my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Oldest Books on My TBR

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Oldest Books on My TBR.  There are so many classic mysteries and books I haven't read so my TBR is full of books published quite awhile ago.

1.  The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - (pub 1868) This may be the classic I read in 2025 - it's in the running as I loved the previous book I read by Collins.  

2.  The Rose and the Yew Tree by Mary Westmacott - (pub 1948) I've read everything Agatha Christie has written multiple times but somehow have yet to read her Mary Westmacott books.  This one especially appeals to me.

3.  Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey - (pub 1946) - This is one of the next books on my Josphine Tey list and it's one I've heard really good things about.  

4.  The Rescuers by Margery Sharp - (pub 1959)  I love the Disney movie and just recently discovered that it was based on a book which I of course now need to read.

5.  Miss Plum and Miss Penny by Dorothy Evelyn Smith - (pub 1959) I suspect this was added after a review from one of my favorite YouTubers - Lil's Vintage World - and it sounds lovely.

6.  The Blind Side by Patricia Wentworth - (pub 1939) Patricia Wentworth is one of my favorite mystery authors and this is one I haven't read.

7.  The Secret of Terror Castle by Robert Arthur - (pub 1964) This was mentioned in a Gigi Pandian book and it sounded really fun so of course I need to read it!

8.  Murder a la Mode by Patricia Moyes - (pub 1963) I've been enjoying reading through Moyes' Inspector Tibbett books and this is the next one on my list.

9.  The Secret Island by Enid Blyton - (pub 1938) Somehow, I never ended up reading Blyton as a child but I feel like I should make up for that now.

10. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James - (pub 1881) This is another book on my list of classics I might read in 2025.  I didn't love the other book I read by James but I feel I should give this one a try.

What are some of the oldest books on your TBR?

The Mirror - Paranormal Romantic Suspense Review

Goodreads: The Mirror (The Lost Brides Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts

Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  When Sonya MacTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at night, the doors slamming, the music playing, are not figments of her imagination. In her dreams she sees glimpses of the past. In the present she finds portraits of brides. And when she has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets.

Then one night the mirror appears and Sonya glides through this looking glass, into the past—and sees a bride murdered on her wedding day, the circle of gold torn from her finger. It is a scene that will play out again and again—a centuries-old curse that must be broken—and a puzzle she must solve if there is any hope of breaking the curse.

Genre: Romance - Paranormal Suspense

Why I Picked This Book:  I absolutely loved the first book in this trilogy and couldn't wait to pick this one up.  

My Impression: I adored the first book and could not wait for this one.  I love Sonya, Cleo, Owen, and Trey and I absolutely adore the house and its ghostly residents.  This starts up right where the first book left off.  The four friends are fully engaged with a long dead woman who has stalked the Poole family and the Brides of the Manor house for generations.  The 3 dogs and the cat add some humor, and I love getting to know the ghosts a little better.   I love Jack and Molly and Clover's musical editorials.  I would also pay serious money for a chance to explore the Manor, and it is now at the top of my list of fictional places I wish were real!

This atmosphere in this book is perfect.  It's spooky and heartwarming all at once with ghosts both good and really really bad.  I love that Sonya is learning more about her family as she becomes more comfortable in the family home.  The romantic relationships are really nice with great communication but what really makes this book special to me is the friendships between the four main characters.  

This is definitely an in-between book.  The story starts off where the first book left off and nothing is resolved by the end.  I do wish I had reread the first book before I picked this one up as while there is not a huge cast of living characters there are a lot of ghosts and brides and intricacies of relationships that I couldn't fully remember.  I very much enjoyed this one, but I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read the book closer together.  I won't make that mistake for book three and am already looking forward to a reread! 

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  Roberts is one of my comfort read authors and this is shaping up to be my favorite trilogy by her. 

Would I Recommend this Book? If you like a book with a little bit of spookiness, friendship, romance, and fantastic animal side characters this is a must-read trilogy.  

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Classic Mysteries I'm Reading - Or Going to Be Reading Soon

 

Right now, I'm about a third of the way through Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh and thoroughly enjoying it.  I don't think I've read it before and it is proving to be a delight with meddling spinsters, a small English village, secrets and scandals and an incredibly ingenious method of murder.  I've read a number of Ngaio Marsh books, but I can't think I've enjoyed any of her books as much as this.  I'm not sure if it's me or the book.

After I finish the Ngaio Marsh, I have Third Girl by Agatha Christie to read.  It's not one of my favorite Christies but it's the November pick for the 2024 Read Christie Challenge.  It has Ariadne Oliver in it and she's one of my favorite side characters so it's not a total loss.

I also have Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers and A Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey to read by the end of the year to finish my Classic Mystery List for 2024 as well as the December Read Christie Challenge pick.  

I'm also looking ahead to my reading in 2025 and trying to pick some classic mysteries to read. I'm planning on doing the Read Christie Challenge again and I definitely want to read more Ngaio Marsh and Dorothy L. Sayers but who else should I read?  What mystery authors past and present should I try?

Friday Fives - Series I Started This Year That I Want to Continue

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.  I read a lot of genres that tend to focus on series and while I have a series project where I focus on 10 series at a time there are always new series sneaking onto my reading list.  Here are 5 that did that this year that I'm really looking forward to continuing and focusing on when I clear off a bit of space on my current list!

1.  Beryl and Edwina Mysteries by Jessica Ellicot - This was one of my first books of the year and it was such a fun classic British village mystery with a oh so proper village resident and her not as proper school friend who suddenly arrives.  The mystery was fun, and I really enjoyed getting to know the characters.  I'm looking forward to seeing what trouble they get up to next.

2.  Rockton/Casey Duncan by Kelley Armstrong - I LOVED the first book in the Rockton series and am so looking forward to reading more in the series - or really anything else by Armstrong.

3.  Westcott Series by Mary Balogh - It'd been awhile since I read anything by this author so I was so excited to pick this one up and I so enjoyed it.  It's a great premise for a series and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to the rest of the Westcotts.

4.  Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen by Marthe Joceyln - This is a middle grade mystery series loosely based on a young Agatha Christie with her very open Hercule Poirot sidekick.  I loved all the Agatha Christie mentions and the mystery was a good one!

5.  Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey - I have had this book on my shelf forever and am so glad I finally read it.  It had more depth than I expected, and I really enjoyed meeting all the characters.  I'm already looking forward to reading the next book.

Have you started any new to you series this year that you're looking forward to continuing?

Books from the Backlog - The Art of the Con

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  The Art of the Con by Anthony M. Amore

Blurb:  Art scams are today so numerous that the specter of a lawsuit arising from a mistaken attribution has scared a number of experts away from the business of authentication and forgery, and with good reason. Art scams are increasingly convincing and involve incredible sums of money. The cons perpetrated by unscrupulous art dealers and their accomplices are proportionately elaborate.
Anthony M. Amore's The Art of the Con tells the stories of some of history's most notorious yet untold cons. They involve stolen art hidden for decades; elaborate ruses that involve the Nazis and allegedly plundered art; the theft of a conceptual prototype from a well-known artist by his assistant to be used later to create copies; the use of online and television auction sites to scam buyers out of millions; and other confidence scams incredible not only for their boldness but more so because they actually worked. Using interviews and newly released court documents, The Art of the Con will also take the reader into the investigations that led to the capture of the con men, who oftentimes return back to the world of crime. For some, it's an irresistible urge because their innocent dupes all share something in common: they want to believe.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This has been on my TBR for ages and I've been especially fascinated with cons and forgeries lately so now seems like a good time.

Guilt and Ginataan - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Guilt and Ginataan (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #5) by Mia P. Manansala

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Autumn is in full swing for the town of Shady Palms—the perfect time for warm drinks, cozy cardigans, and…dead bodies?

The annual Shady Palms Corn Festival is one of the town’s biggest moneymakers, drawing crowds from all over the Midwest looking to partake in delicious treats, local crafts, and of course, the second largest corn maze in Illinois. Lila Macapagal and her Brew-ha Cafe crew, Adeena Awan and Elena Torres, are all too happy to participate in the event and even make a little wager on who can make it through the corn maze the fastest—but their fun is suddenly cut short when a dead body is found in the middle of the maze…and an unconscious Adeena lies next to it, clutching a bloody knife.

The body is discovered to be a local politician’s wife, and all signs—murder weapon included—point to Adeena as the culprit. But Lila knows her best friend couldn’t have done this, so she and her crew put on their sleuthing caps yet again to find the killer who framed Adeena and show them what happens when they mess with a Brew-ha…

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This series has been on my radar since the first book came out and this one looked good.  

My Impression:  I'm always a bit nervous starting a series this far in but I had absolutely no problem jumping in with this one and getting the who is who stuff all figured out.  I enjoyed all the fall fun happening in during the corn festival and the murder was an intriguing one.  The victim had some people who might have wanted to end her life and then there's her wife's position of mayor in the neighboring town to consider.  All Lila knows is that it was not her best friend Adeena who ended the mayor's wife's life in the middle of a corn maze even if she was found clutching the bloody knife.  The real question is who had the strong enough motive.  

The investigation was interesting with small town politics and personal secrets to be dug through as well as a motive for murder to be found.   I did struggle a bit with the writing style.  I like a good food description but the description of everything felt a bit bulky and slowed the pace down.  As well, I had a hard time warming up to Lila and Elena (especially Elena).  Luckily, I liked Adeena, Jae and the Aunties enough to make up for it.  This wasn't my favorite cozy I've read this year but overall, I did enjoy it and liked that it dealt with a cuisine I'm not that familiar with.  This is a series I'll continue with though it may not be at the top of my list.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely!  While this wasn't perfect I did enjoy it and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you're a mystery fan this is a series worth trying - especially if you like lots of interesting and quirky characters with more than a few opinions!

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *